KO Magazine, Fall 2013

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fall 2013

Inside

KO magazine

Lucky class of ’13 graduates KO accepted into elite GOA Wyvern wins bronze

Editor’s Note Beginning with this issue, KO Magazine will now appear in Fall and Spring, rather than Winter and Summer. Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and KO’s Senior Administrative team decided to alter the publication schedule for strategic and practical reasons.

Thus, this issue will feel quite late, since it is actually a delayed and expanded version of the former “Summer ‘13” issue. It includes all class notes and obituaries received between Oct. 1, 2012, and Sept. 5, 2013. The next issue of KO Magazine – the Spring ’14 issue – will appear in May 2014, and will include notes and obits received from Sept. 6, 2013 through Mar. 1, 2014. It will also include news and photos from Reunion ’13, along with other school news.

Thank you for your patience as we adjust to the new schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you for staying in touch with KO!

Our mascot took KO on a wild ride from West Hartford to “The Today Show” to a nationwide title last Spring.

See p. 13 for details.

Michelle M. Murphy, Editor murphy.m@k-o.org

baird symposium turns 30

With “Lincoln” in the Air, Playwright Tony Kushner Visits KO

KingswoodOxford

1 letter from the head of school

20 varsity sports winter ‘13

2 Kushner takes KO

24 alumni athletes

5 a very special box

26 grandparent and special friend day

6 the man behind the symposium: warren Baird

29 why do I give?

8 a banner year of cocurricular speakers

30 class notes

10 lucky class of ‘13 graduates

52 in memoriam

14 school news

56 planned giving

18 varsity sports fall ‘12

TABLE OF CONTENTS about the cover

Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, the 30th Baird English Symposium speaker, seemed as enthralled by the Symposium students as they were by him during his 36-hour visit to KO in January 2013. (See story on p. 2.)

contact information

Kingswood Oxford School, 170 Kingswood Road, West Hartford, CT 06119; 860-233-9631 www.kingswoodoxford.org Please direct inquiries or general comments to Michelle M. Murphy, Director of Communications & Marketing (murphy.m@k-o.org); Class Notes or obituary information to Meghan Kurtich, Advancement Associate (kurtich.m@k-o.org); and address changes to Patricia Laros, Director of Advancement Services (laros.p@k-o.org).

Editor: Michelle M. Murphy, Director of Communications & Marketing Contributors: Nicole Kimball, Rob Kyff Graphic Design: Ford Folios Inc. Printing: Allied Printing Services Photo Credits: Melissa Babcock/The Source, George Chambers, Chris Kasprak ’08, Andrew Leu, Bob Luckey/Greenwich Time, Kathy Lynch, Garrett Meccariello ’13, Clay Miles, Michelle M. Murphy, David B. Newman ’80/photobynewman.com, Brenda Semmelrock, Chris Troianello

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As to Students Kingswood Oxford School admits students of any race, color, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

KO Magazine is published by Kingswood Oxford School. © 2013 by Kingswood Oxford School Inc. All rights reserved.

KO Students Now Take Online Classes Via Global Online Academy In April 2013, KO was accepted into the Global Online Academy, a prestigious worldwide consortium of 32 independent schools whose goal is to enhance students’ bricks-and-mortar education with an online learning experience. It is one of only three CT schools in the GOA; the other two are Greenwich Academy and Brunswick School, both in Fairfield County.

In Fall 2013, eight KO students enrolled in one or more of the 30+ classes offered by GOA (www.globalonlineacademy.org).

The classes will be taught by instructors who work at one of the GOA member schools and who have been specially trained in online education. Jen Weeks, a modern languages teacher at KO since 2009, has been named the site director for “GOA @ KO” and will be the point person for KO students enrolled in the online classes.

The online courses will be appear on the KO student’s schedule, along with on-campus classes, and will carry credits that count toward graduation. The online courses carry the same time commitment and homework load as oncampus classes, but generally provide more flexibility in terms of timing.

“Digital fluency and global sensitivity are key tenets of a KO education, and our partnership with GOA will augment our ability to cultivate those skills in our students,” said Head of School Dennis Bisgaard. “We are very excited about this new partnership.”

letter from the head of school

KingswoodO xford H o n o ri n g

Dennis Bisgaard

th e pa st . Sh ap in g th e fu tu re .

As an adult on this camp us, I sometim incredible gi es wonder w ft we receive hether our st ea ch udents fully ye ar leaders, entr when nation appreciate th epreneurs, ar al ly or internatio e tists, athlete nally known s, writers an thought d scholars vis it Kingswoo When these d Oxford. visitors also h ap pen to be KO just a little b alumni, our it more, bec students lean ause they kn forward in th their minds o w the speaker travel down eir seats once sat righ th e p at t h w o h to engage or f possibility er e th ey are – and and opportu challenge ou nity. Our stu r guests, and and depth o dents are no our guests, in f inquiry from t shy turn, marvel the audience at the sophis . tication To learn from accomplished outsiders – fr or in small-gr om the stage oup settings in Roberts T , at times du heater; in a critical com ri n g extended stay classroom; ponent of ou s – is r co a curricular pro real privileg Head of Sch e, and a gram. I am so ool, to the p grateful, in m hilanthropic guests. Thei y eighth year alumni and r support dem as fa milies who h onstrates thei el p to the magic of u n d r er b el w ri ie te f that it’s cru outside exper these cial to expose ts, month af that sets KO our students ter month, ye apart. to ar after year.

It is one of th e things It’s clear, afte r these visits, that our spea of conversati kers have re on as studen ached their ts walk out of R audience: Th questions, an oberts is a w e buzz d perhaps new indow into th as p irations to b ei r difference m n ew ideas, new ecome the k akers from w inds of chan hom they hav ge agents an e just heard. d Dennis Bisga ard Head of Sch ool

ko fall 2013

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Kushner Takes KO

The 30th Symposium Was All Warren Baird Dreamed It Could Be – and More

Talk about serendipity.

It was December 2011 when Tony Kushner, the highly respected and multiply honored playwright, agreed to come to Kingswood Oxford in January 2013 as the 30th Baird English Symposium speaker. At that point, Kushner was immersed in work on Steven Spielberg’s movie “Lincoln,” for which he’d written the screenplay.

A lot happened between late 2011 and early 2013: “Lincoln” was released to critical acclaim in November 2012, became a box office hit almost immediately, and was showered with awards, including seven Golden Globe and 12 Academy Award nominations (as well as two Oscars).

And so it was that by the time Kushner arrived in West Hartford this past January, he was very much the man of the moment – and, thanks to the Symposium, the KO community, local alums and parents had the unique opportunity to hear and learn from this celebrated writer in a remarkably personal way.

This is just what then-English Department chair Warren Baird intended in 1983, when he conceived of a writer-in-residence

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program to commemorate the School’s 75th anniversary (see profile on p. 6). Through a connection from then-English teacher Morgan Shipway, Baird recruited novelist E.L. Doctorow to come to Kingswood for a day of lectures, classes, and a dinner, and had Upper School students read Doctorow’s 1975 bestseller, Ragtime, as preparation. As luck would have it, the book was released as a movie in 1982, winning Golden Globes and Oscars in the months just before the author came to KO. Indeed, this has always been the story of the Baird English Symposium: From Doctorow to Kushner, from Jane Smiley to Edward Albee, from William Styron to Gwendolyn Brooks, and two dozen others in between, KO has hosted an incredible array of accomplished and respected authors over the past 30 years.

(See kingswoodoxford.org/Baird for a complete list.)

And although it is certainly not the only program through which outstanding speakers come to the Kingswood Oxford campus (see story on p. 8-9), this brainchild of Warren Baird does seem to offer the definitive combination of intense study, intellectual probing, conversational debate, and collegial dining. It is quintessentially KO, and it ranks as one of the School’s most well-known and most-admired signature programs.

Small wonder that the Symposium dinner on Thursday night, Jan. 17 – an elegant, candlelit affair in Alumni Hall – seemed like a reunion of old friends, as Kushner talked and laughed easily with the 16 seniors who’d studied his writing most closely. It was a fitting precursor to the next day, which began with Symposium student Matt Kahn ’13 introducing the writer to an eager Upper School audience in Roberts Theater.

“Our Symposium class is already beginning to look back with nostalgia on what has been an exciting but formidable journey through the library of Kushner’s writings,” Kahn said. “In your own words, Mr. Kushner, ‘The world is hungry for you, the world has waited for you, the world has a place for you,’ and Kingswood has a place for you here,” he continued. “Please join me in welcoming this year’s Baird English Symposium playwright, Tony Kushner.”

The 30th Baird English Symposium was, by many accounts, the best one yet.

It was longtime English teacher Lud Baldwin – the Symposium teacher for 2012-13 – who was responsible for bringing Tony Kushner to KO; who directed the schoolwide study of his work in the fall of 2012; and who managed the myriad details of his visit, with help from then-English Department chair Kathy Lynch.

“Mr. Kushner has never shied away from a confrontation, and his visit promised to energize debate on our campus,” said Baldwin. “We are very fortunate to have had the chance to appreciate his work.”

That work included “Caroline, or Change,” Kushner’s semiautobiographical musical that deals with civil rights in the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination, which all KO students were assigned to read during the first semester.

What’s more, Upper School students also studied Kushner’s work on the big screen by going to the movies – en masse (see story on p. 7).

And, the Symposium class also read virtually everything else Kushner has ever written – including “Angels in America,” his seven-hour magnum opus about homosexuality and AIDS, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize.

“Kushner is happy to pose questions without providing answers,” observed Symposium student Caley Henderson ’13. “He identifies dialectic ideas, and delves into them, providing his audience with conflict and confusion, rather than a simple resolution… this kind of delicious ambiguity provides a welcome reprieve from the tidy and absolute answers presented in math class. We have fallen in love with Tony Kushner – with his literature, his ideas and the wonderful arguments his writing necessarily inspires.” ko fall 2013

During the lively Q&A session, the playwright spoke thoughtfully and expansively about his work and his life. The mood was “casual, conversational and playful,” according to Hartford Courant drama critic Frank Rizzo, whose story about Kushner’s visit appeared on the front page of the paper the next day. “When asked where his favorite place to write was, Kushner replied, ‘in front of a box of Entenmann’s chocolate chip cookies,’” wrote Rizzo.

The upbeat tempo continued throughout the day, in all of the playwright’s interactions: an interview with KO News editor Kiki Thorington ‘13; lunch with a group of students from all grades; and then, during an afternoon assembly, with the Middle School.

“He seemed to enjoy himself more and more as the day progressed,” said Head of School Dennis Bisgaard.

On Friday evening, Kushner was honored at the Baird Symposium Dinner, which – in keeping with Warren Baird’s original intent – included teachers from area schools as well as many members of KO’s faculty. Kushner seemed truly humbled as he received the School’s thank you gift: a beautiful and unique interactive box depicting images from “Caroline, or Change,” created by Academic Dean of Humanities Patricia Rosoff (see story on p. 5). Later, after emcee Colin McEnroe ’72 introduced him to the crowd of parents and alumni in Roberts Theater, he spoke with gushing praise about his time at KO, before he began reading from a work in progress.

“This (evening program) was a terrific event; it allowed (outside) folks a glimpse into the utterly amazing experience that the rest of us get to feel, see and touch firsthand every single year through the Baird Symposium,” said Bisgaard. “It was an electrifying and moving experience to have Tony Kushner in our midst. He was, simply put, extraordinary.”

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Sherman Alexie, 31st Baird Symposium Speaker, to Visit KO on Dec. 6, 2013 The 31st Baird English Symposium speaker is Sherman Alexie, a preeminent Native American poet, novelist, and filmmaker.

He will spend the day with KO students and faculty on Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, and then offer an evening presentation in Roberts Theater at 7:30pm.

This event is open to the public; to reserve a seat, please contact Meghan Kurtich in the Advancement Office (kurtich.m@k-o.org or 860-727-5013).

Tony Kushner’s Valentine to KO This year, for the first time in the 30-year history of the Baird Symposium, KO invited current parents and Hartford-area alums to an evening program with the visiting author. Colin McEnroe ’72 emceed the event, held on Friday, Jan. 18, in a crowded Roberts Theater, and Symposium student Caley Henderson ’13 gave the following introduction: “For five months, (Tony Kushner’s) words have captivated, engaged, inspired and educated … our Symposium class … In the course of one semester, reading just this single man’s work, we were exposed to the AIDS epidemic through ‘Angels in America’; we were serenaded by ‘Caroline, or Change,’ and were treated to an entirely new perspective of Abraham Lincoln.

There are obvious reasons we identify with Tony Kushner, the person: He easily admits that he has an awful habit of procrastination, that he quite enjoys watching reality TV shows like “Project Runway,” and that he used to sport a spectacular fro in high school.

But, we were also attracted to the style and substance of his plays. He is readily willing to shock his audience and critics, to defy expectation and to take risks. Kushner never bores us. He is constantly exploring new ideas and expressing them in unexpected formats. After this intensive experience, our group has come to a unanimous conclusion: we love Tony Kushner. We would like to thank him for a fascinating semester.”

Caley Henderson ’13, Symposium student

True to form, Kushner departed from the evening’s script, which called for him to read aloud from a work in progress and then respond to questions. Instead, he first spoke extemporaneously for about three minutes about his perceptions of the KO community. Here are excerpts from his remarks.

been “I have to say, this has

uple of days.

the most astonishing co

on ‘Caroline, or ievably gorgeous box based bel un s thi ... r ne din the y, about by the reception, the facult really going to be thinking ay I’m aw t wn igh blo ton y g tel kin ple tal com I’m t e I’m jus ole tim tricia (Rosoff) ... The wh y overwhelmed.

Change’ that I got from Pa t it! I’m just still completel pu to nt wa I nt me art ap the where in dents I just had a dents. The Symposium stu stu the by ed ish on ast ly y long. solute t night and then great all da n anything else I’m just ab las tha ul re erf mo nd , wo say d to an ve us ha ero I Really, re really gen learned a lot, and they we fantastic time talking to, I e never actually talked to e seen sixth graders but I’v I’v , ow kn u yo , ver ne e I’v incredibly smart. sses, so self-possessed and o got to meet sixth graders. dre als I ir n the oo d an ern s aft tie s ir thi n the in the t Bu nding there little tiny adults, sort of sta them. They were just like couple of days, t been the most amazing jus s ha is th y, sa to ve So, I ha ul for everything.” and I’m incredibly gratef 4

KO’s Gift to Kushner: A Very Special Box A beautiful and distinctive “Baird tradition” is the creation of a memento – generally a poster-sized piece of art – commemorating each writer’s visit. The artwork is duplicated so that one version remains at KO while the original is framed and presented to the writer during the Baird Symposium dinner.

This year, however, the commemorative artwork was not something that could be framed and hung; rather, it was a handmade box – reminiscent of an old-school dollhouse – whose thoughtfully and meticulously decorated rooms evoke the images and themes of Kushner’s play, “Caroline, or Change.”

But the box includes something else: an amusing and amazing mechanism inside the “house” through which a penny – dropped from the top – travels down through a tunnel until it clinks into a cup at the bottom.

Academic Dean of Humanities Patricia Rosoff, whose tenure in the Creative Arts Department spans the history of the Baird Symposium (and then some), conceived, built, and outfitted the box, with help from her husband Neil, an architect. Said Kushner, clearly bowled over by the gift:

“This is like a picture of the inside of my head!”

Perhaps more remarkable – to Kushner and to Pat Rosoff – was that the penny-dropping feature was even better suited to the project, and to the man, than she knew. “You must have known about ‘the phrase’ … you must have found it in your research?”

Kushner asked Rosoff at the dinner.

My concept goes like this: A play is animate. It demands three dimensions and takes place in real time. Still images do not. So my scheme for ‘Caroline, or Change’ required an activating driver, which, like the play, has something to do with spare change, which here clinks into a measuring cup. Caroline’s world is a cup half-empty. It is a place ‘under water,’ one in which compartmentalization is both a means of survival and a kind of death. It is a very human place – sad and bitter, fierce and grudging, reflexively cruel and inadvertently kind.

Like any staged production, collaboration was required for this project, and I could never have built this without my husband’s skill or, more importantly, the spur of our brainstorming. Since September, Neil and I have surfed the web and shopped at Marshalls and Walmart, buying (and returning) all sorts of gizmos and doodads. We haunted the scrapbooking department at Michael’s and made more than a dozen trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s. We proposed, we built, we dismantled, we engineered, we failed and re-engineered again and again, always hopeful each time that the darned thing would work.

Puzzled, she responded: “What phrase?”

“I have a phrase I use when a project goes well,” he said. “I like to say that ‘the penny dropped’!”

How in the world did Pat Rosoff come up with this idea? Here is her explanation and reflection: “The challenge for me, after reading ‘Caroline, or Change’, was not just a matter of visualization, but the fact that a theater piece requires different sort of translation. We were, after all, facing the surreal juxtaposition of washing machines, city buses and the moon (all of which sing), as well as presidential assassination, Chanukah, and the Vietnam War. This simmering imagery rendered straightforward narrative figuration impossible.

ko fall 2013

No artist keeps track of the hours it takes to get something right.

This idea, however, was on the back burner for at least a year… the real visualization began after the summer of 2012, once I had a chance to study the play. Drawings and brainstorming started in the fall, but actual physical construction took most of December.

The final crackle-coat of paint didn’t happen until the week before Kushner’s arrival. My last worry was that the bubble wrap we sent it home in would be stuck to the still-slightly tacky finish when he got it home. (That, and my nightmares that it fell apart before he even got it home...)

It was a wonderful, wholly affirmative evening for me. Quite thrilling, really. Kushner was so generous and openly enthusiastic about the gift. I couldn’t have been more gratified – especially after all that engineering!”

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The Man Behind the Symposium Warren Baird, 1941-2000 KO English Teacher and Department Chair, 1967-2000

By Rob Kyff This sidebar is excerpted from a long and thoughtful profile of Warren Baird; to read the complete article, visit www.kingswoodoxford.org/warrenbaird.

Baird was named chair of the English department in 1972, a position he held until 1992. In 1983, during Kingswood’s 75th anniversary year, he initiated a program through which a celebrated author would come to the School for a day of lectures and conversations with students. E.L. Doctorow was the guest that first year, and the event was so successful it evolved into a full-blown, semester-long class for seniors by 1987.

Baird ran the English Symposium “with the same combination of scholarship and impeccable organization he used to run the English department, applying the same formula of reading, conversation and food,” said Laura Hansen, a former KO English teacher who now works at Collegiate School in New York.

The formula worked. “To read an author’s work and then see that author in person and ask questions of him provoked an excitement and motivation that invigorated both students and teachers,” said retired KO English teacher Robert Googins.

Baird always aimed high when he extended his author invitations: Joyce Carol Oates, Arthur Miller, Ann Beattie, and Nick Hornby are just a few of the celebrated writers who have visited KO over the past 30 years.

So who was this man who came up with the idea for one of KO’s best-known cocurricular programs?

First and foremost, Warren Baird was an English teacher. Tall, sandy-haired, and with a mild southern drawl, he came to Kingswood School in September 1967. Educated at Bridgewater College in Virginia (he later earned a Master’s from Trinity College), he had previously worked at Sandy Spring Friends School outside Washington, DC. “He was warm and kind in class, but his expectations were high, and we all wanted his approval,” said Rachel Abrahamson ’98, an editor at US Magazine in New York City. “He was curious, so we were curious. He made us want to impress him. He taught us how to think and why.”

“Warren had deep tolerance for the messy, incomplete, struggling and often defiant immaturity of a really fine mind,” remembers Pat Rosoff. “He pointed you in the direction of your best self.”

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Sometimes the authors were reluctant to come; John Updike, for instance, initially said he had nothing to say to high school students. But Baird always persuaded them to give it a try – and the authors always seemed charmed and delighted by the experience.

“Every one commented on how wonderful their visit had been, how impressed they had been by the students, teachers and program,” said Hansen.

Warren Baird also wore many other hats at KO: tennis coach; academic advisor; journalism teacher and advisor (for 22 years) to the award-winning KO News; caring mentor who founded KO’s Teaching Fellows Program in 1987 and cultivated all professional development in the 1990s, particularly for teachers of color; writer for the public relations, advancement, and admissions offices; and founder of KO Today, the predecessor to KO Magazine.

And, he had a busy, full life outside of school, as well: He was a wine connoisseur, a gifted carpenter and woodworker, an avid vegetable gardener and gourmet cook (he and his wife Ruth Ann loved to entertain), and an active member of the Democratic

Connection to “Lincoln” Prompts Unusual Field Trip For the past 30 years, KO students have spent part of every first semester preparing for the Baird English Symposium speaker by reading and discussing the author’s works.

But during the 2012-13 school year, they also prepared in another way: They went to the movies! On Wed., Nov. 28, 2012, the entire Upper School walked to Blue Back Square to see Steven Spielberg’s just-released blockbuster, “Lincoln.”

English Department Chair Kathy Lynch and history teacher Rob Kyff came up with the idea for the unusual field trip, recognizing that the film contained common threads from English and history curricula – and that it would also help to set the stage for the 30th Baird Symposium speaker, Tony Kushner, due to visit KO in January 2013. Kushner wrote the screenplay for “Lincoln.”

The field trip to the movies went remarkably well. After assembling the 346 students at 8:30am, 47 teachers and advisors – assisted by a West Hartford police officer – ushered the group across Trout Brook Drive and up Memorial Road to Blue Back. The group occupied two theaters; the cost of the outing was underwritten by the English Department, the Goodman Banks Series, and the KO Parent Association.

“The success of this outing is a tribute to our students, who cooperated beautifully, as well as our faculty, who were flexible enough to make adjustments in their own teaching plans to accommodate this unique opportunity,” said Natalie Demers, KO’s Assistant Head of School for Academic Life.

party and Board of Education in his hometown of Burlington.

In the mid-1990s, Baird was diagnosed with a progressive blood disease, which required frequent transfusions. Few knew how ill he was, because he maintained his full calendar at home and at work.

Baird taught his last classes on the Friday before spring break in March 2000; by the time students came back to school, he was hospitalized. He died on March 30, at the age of 59. Hundreds attended his memorial service in Roberts Theater. ko fall 2013

Warren Baird’s legacy at Kingswood Oxford lives on in particularly apt ways: in the School’s annual blood drive, which carries his name; in the Baird Journalism Dinner, which was established in 1992 by former KO News editors and brings a prominent journalist to campus each year; and, of course, in the Baird English Symposium, which was renamed for him the day after he died and which continues to enrich and delight the KO community in precisely the way he’d always intended.

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A Banner Year: Remarkable Cocurricular The Baird English Symposium may be the oldest and best-known of KO’s cocurricular programs, but it is by no means the only one, thanks to the generosity of the Parent Association and individual benefactors who recognize the value of exposing students to experts in business, education, and the arts.

October 2012

November 2012 / January 2013

Former NBA Star Chris Herren Chronicles Struggle With Addiction Former professional basketball player Chris Herren, the subject of the moving and highly touted ESPN documentary “Unguarded,” spoke to the KO community and the public about his struggle with addiction and lessons he learned in the spotlight. “This was a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to hear firsthand about the impact of substance use – an important message for adolescents,” said Carolyn McKee, KO’s Assistant Head of School for Student Life.

Jazz Musician Kicks Off Goodman Banks Visiting Artists Program As the year’s first Goodman Banks visiting artist, jazz trombonist John Fedchock and his New York Sextet came to KO on Oct. 19. He performed for the entire school in the morning and worked on jazz improvisation technique with the Middle School jazz band in the afternoon.

Since 1971, the Goodman Banks Visiting Artists program has provided KO students with numerous opportunities to interact with nationally and internationally known visual and performing artists. Trustee Emerita Sherry Banks-Cohn ’54, an avid patron of the arts, endowed the program in honor of her father, Goodman Banks.

Ted Efremoff Asks: How Can Art Change the Status Quo? Visual artist Ted Efremoff, whose uses graphic storytelling to illuminate global issues, also came to KO as part of the Goodman Banks Visiting Artists program. In November, he offered a presentation to the entire school, and in January, he returned as an artist-in-residence to work more closely with students.

A committed social activist, Efremoff asked students to consider how art can challenge the status quo and cause people to rethink behaviors. He guided Middle and Upper School classes through the creation of two different art installations that drew much attention from the entire KO community.

January 2013 Disability Rights’ Advocate Norm Kunc Describes Another Kind of Diversity Norman Kunc, a Canadian with cerebral palsy who writes and speaks about disability, had students, faculty, and staff spellbound during his presentation in Roberts Theater in January. He and his wife Emma Van der Klift have spent more than 30 years working to ensure that people with disabilities are able to take their rightful place in schools, workplaces and communities.

Kunc asked his audience to recognize disability as another type of diversity, and observed that even the highest-performing people at times feel inadequate or deficient in some way. He urged students – and, by extension, society – to embrace and value diversity in all its forms.

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Speakers Highlight 2012-13 School Year Many outstanding professionals visited KO during the 2012-13 school year, enriching students’ classroom learning with their experiences, insights, and expertise. Here are details about just a few of them.

February 2013

March 2013 Of Black Holes and Time Travel: UConn Physicist Ron Mallett Is Stroud Science Symposium Speaker

Big (and complicated) ideas about black holes and time travel seem completely comprehensible when UConn’s Dr. Ronald Mallett talks about them. The charismatic physics professor spoke in February in Roberts Theater and met with students at a reception afterward as part of the 2013 Stroud Science Symposium. The 13-year-old Symposium, named for Dixon Stroud GP ’01, ’03, founder of the Stroud Water Research Center, brings leading scientists to KO to demonstrate and explain real-world applications of material covered in science classes.

April 2013 Composer Leads KO Choral Students in Work Written Just for Them For three days in April, award-winning composer Francisco Núñez taught master classes to Middle and Upper School choral students as part of the eight-year-old Composer Colloquy Visiting Artist Series. The brainchild of KO’s Marcos Carreras, coordinator of vocal music, the Composer Colloquy brings internationally recognized choral composers to KO as artists-in-residence.

Students study and prepare the composer’s music – which often includes a piece written specifically for KO.

ko fall 2013

“What Do You Love So Much You Would Do It For Free?”

Goldfarb Speaker Urges Students to Follow Passions By his own description, John McNary ’80 did not cover himself in glory while at KO; now, however, he’s found his niche at Nassal Company, which creates “immersive environments” for theme parks, hotels, and similar venues.

His most recent project? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL – a fact that elicited appreciative oohs and aahs from a Roberts Theater audience filled with JK Rowling fans in early March.

McNary returned to his alma mater as part of the Harry E. Goldfarb Speaker Series, which was created in 2008 by William H. Goldfarb ’64 and his brother, Robert B. Goldfarb, in memory of their father Harry E. Goldfarb. Its goal is to encourage collaboration among science, math, and technology faculty and to inspire students to pursue careers in these fields.

“I had no idea when I graduated from KO in 1980 that my interests or my education would lead me to where I am today,” said McNary, “but I have followed my passion and my dreams and am exactly where I want to be.”

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Lucky Class of ‘13 Graduates on May 24 Head of School Dennis Bisgaard held out as long as he could, but torrential rain in the days before KO’s 101st Commencement on May 24 left him little choice. Early Friday morning, looking at a soggy campus and foreboding skies, he decided to move graduation inside to the Brayton Ice Hockey Rink.

But the gloomy weather did not dampen the exuberance of the Class of ’13, who clearly enjoyed every second of the ceremony.

Bisgaard encouraged the students to enjoy their “moment ‘in the sun’ on the big stage, and to hold tight to the beautiful and lasting friendships you have developed with each other, your teachers, and the School,” he continued. “Today, 13 is a lucky number – a very lucky number indeed.”

commencement 2013

In addition to Bisgaard, other speakers included longtime faculty members Ted Levine, “Doc” Ann Serow, and Rob Kyff, who was chosen by the seniors to deliver the commencement address.

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On top of his role as history teacher and KO News advisor, Kyff is also known as “The Word Guy,” whose column appears in The Hartford Courant and many other newspapers across the country. In a funny, thoughtful, and touching speech, Kyff exhorted the students to keep their sense of wonder about the world – and to remember that their education must benefit more than just themselves.

“True education, of course, isn’t all about the joy that learning brings to you alone; it’s also about preparing yourself to sustain, nourish and inspire other people,” he said. “Whether you become a doctor or a teacher or a business owner or a parent, the skills, ideas and values

Nine members of the Class of ’13 had relatives who are also KO alums; (front row, from left): Taylor J. Brady, daughter of Stephen J. Brady ‘80 and granddaughter of Gerald W. Brady ’46; Jacob A. Waskowitz, son of Robert S. Waskowitz ’78; and Eleanor Brooke Hayes, daughter of Randall M. Hayes ’74.

(Back row, from left): Charles E. “Rudy” DeBerry III, son of Charles E. DeBerry, Jr. ’76; Samuel Hammer, son of Joseph L. Hammer ’78; Blake C. Randall, son of Ann Coolidge Randall ’73; Melissa Gitlin, daughter of Carolyn Wolfe Gitlin ‘85 and Jeffrey Gitlin ’85; and Owen Bigler, son of William C. Bigler ’80. Not pictured: Grace Kaufman, granddaughter of Alan H. Kaufman ’58.

you have imbibed at Kingswood Oxford have thoroughly prepared you to serve the material, intellectual and spiritual needs of your fellow human beings.

“Unless your education is designed to help others, it is merely an exercise in vanity,” he added.

Of the 75 students in the Class of ’13, nine had parents or grandparents who also graduated from KO. The graduates came from 30 different towns, with West Hartford (14), Glastonbury/ South Glastonbury (nine), and Avon and Farmington (five each) contributing the most.

The class included a National Merit Semifinalist, Caley Henderson; five National Merit Commended students; and three students named as Outstanding Participants in the National Achievement Scholarship Program (see story on p. 16). Just about one-third of the class (23 students) graduated with honors. Mark Toubman of Newington received the “Dux Prize,” awarded to the senior with the highest GPA for the year.

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Two graduates – Kelly Caruso and Dayna Lord – intend to play high-level collegiate sports (see story on p. 23).

The Class of ’13 left an unusual parting gift to KO: an 8-ton rock.

“But this is more than just a big rock,” said Senior Class Parent Committee member Lorraine Marchetti, whose daughter Katie was among the graduates. “This is a spirit rock.”

The day before graduation, assisted by the parents who spearheaded the project, seniors applied the first coat of paint and each of their signatures to the large boulder that now sits in a landscaped bed near the varsity baseball field. The intention, according to Marchetti, is that other students or groups of alums will paint or embellish the rock in their own way in the future – as is the case at UConn and other schools. “We hope it will become a new tradition at KO,” she said. “That will be the legacy of the Class of ’13.”

commencement 2013

For more photos, including images from the events leading up to Commencement, go to www.kingswoodoxford.org/graduation.

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more people of every age along as it went.

Votes poured in from Singapore, Italy, Dubai, Denmark, Korea, South Africa.

West Coast alums sent East Coast alums off to get some sleep while they held down the fort. Dennis and Monica Bisgaard hosted a vote-a-thon in the caf for faculty, staff and local alums.

Stories appeared in local papers, on local TV channels, and even on “The Today Show,” after NBC’s Erica Grody Levens ’78 worked a little Wyvern magic with her colleagues to get KO KO some air time with Al Roker.

Third Best in the nation!

It’s official: KO KO the Wyvern is the third-best high school mascot in the country, according to USA Today – thanks to a remarkable outpouring of pride and support (and thousands and thousands of clicks) from the Kingswood Oxford community.

KO KO’s wild ride began in December 2012, when USA Today told Athletic Director Sue Cabot that KO’s mascot was one of 255 chosen for an online voting contest to name the nation’s most unique high school mascot.

Cabot and Head of School Dennis Bisgaard seized this opportunity to build school spirit and garner some great PR in the process.

It was a fight to the finish. In the end, the Centralia (IL) Orphans were just too organized and too hungry, and their 25 million votes could not be beat.

Still, KO KO’s third-place finish – with 1,783,538 votes – was pretty darn respectable, especially for an independent school, and enabled Wyvern Nation to keep its dragon-like head held high.

The mascot contest was a unique experience in modern KO history; fueled by a fiery pride that had not been seen in quite a while, it demonstrated the power of social media, but also proved that technology is powerless without people.

“It was a beautifully uniting force that brought our school community together in a unique and remarkable way,” said Bisgaard.

During an assembly in February 2013, Cabot urged students to vote as much as possible for KO KO and to get their friends and neighbors to do so, as well. (Contest rules permitted people to vote more than once.) Meanwhile, Bisgaard leveraged social media to engage alumni, current and former parents and grandparents, Trustees, and friends in the spirited cyber-contest.

Over the next few weeks, their efforts paid off: First, the Wyvern won at the state level, beating four other mascots (including Avon Old Farms’ Winged Beavers). Next came the regionals, where KO eked out a victory over schools from seven other states, thanks to frantic and persistent clicking that at one point crashed the USA Today site.

But then KO closed for Spring break. People worried about lost momentum, just as the national-level contest was about to begin.

That was when Wyvern Nation came alive. People mobilized on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. It was a worldwide, round-theclock juggernaut; a virtual stadium wave that pulled more and

ko fall 2013

“The contest was … a physical, mental, and psychological exercise that brought out creativity, ingenuity, and collaboration using many types of technology. But it was the relationships among the participants that proved decisive … and will be the thing I remember best and cherish.”

– KO Modern Languages teacher Juan Martinez

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KO Thespians Perform “Charley’s Aunt” and “Footloose”

The curtain rose in Roberts Theater on several outstanding performances during the 2012-13 school year, headlined by the classic romantic comedy “Charley’s Aunt” in November and the toe-tapping musical “Footloose” in February.

Using period costumes from the School’s extensive collection, “Charley’s Aunt” – which inspired modern classics like “Tootsie” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” – was staged on Nov. 15 and 16. Eric Moskowitz ’13 was Charley, Nicki Roth ’14 was the female version of Charley’s aunt, and John Chatigny ’14 of Simsbury played the (disguised) male version of the same aunt.

“This is a very funny comedy that requires a special cast, and we were fortunate that we had the talent to carry it off,” said Theater Director Lud Baldwin.

school news

The cast also included Mike Barry ’14, Olivia Kravetz ’13, Molly Miller ’13, Spencer Murray ’13, Amanda Pratt ’13, Thomas

14

Wilson ’14, and Sam Wiseman ’14.

The stage came alive again on Feb. 23 and 24 with the music, lights, and exuberant dance numbers of “Footloose,” which is based loosely on the story of an Oklahoma town where dancing was banned until 1980.

Originally a 1980s movie starring Kevin Bacon, “Footloose” debuted on Broadway in 1999 and enjoyed a revival there in 2005.

Leading players in KO’s production included Cat Flaherty ’14, Grace Gentile ’15, Olivia Kravetz ’13, Molly Miller ’13, Spencer Murray ’13, Maddie Pazzani ’14, Amanda Pratt ’13, and Blake Randall ’13.

In addition, Hayley Eicher ’16, Sydney Legagneur ’15, Eric Moskowitz ’13, Taelor Scott ’13, Molly Sullivan ’15, Tom Wilson ’14, and Sam Wiseman ’14 had strong supporting roles.

Middle and Upper School Students Win Scholastic Art Awards

Dusk by Taylor Kennedy ‘14

Five KO student-artists were honored in January 2013 at the CT Regional Scholastic Art Awards ceremony, the largest juried student art exhibition in the state, involving entries from 136 different schools. The students are Taylor Kennedy ’14, Gold Key Award in Drawing; W. Reid Collins ’14, Silver Award in Printmaking; Caroline Doyle ’18, Honorable Mention in Printmaking; Hope Kim ’14, Honorable Mention in Drawing; and Caley Henderson ’13, Honorable Mentions in Drawing and in Photography.

First-Ever KO Model UN for Middle School Students It might have been the last weekend of spring break, but the campus was hopping on Sat., Mar. 23, as more than 120 middle school students and their teachers came to KO for a one-of-a-kind opportunity – the first-ever Model UN for middle school students in the Greater Hartford area.

The Kingswood Oxford Model UN (KOMUN) was the brainchild of Stacey Savin, KO history teacher and advisor to the award-winning Upper School Model UN team. The goal was to introduce younger students to world issues and to the research, writing, parliamentary procedures, and debate skills needed for Model UN competition. Members of KO’s Model UN team conducted the country and committee meetings in Chase • Tallwood and helped to distribute awards during the closing ceremony in Roberts.

KOMUN participants came from public, parochial, charter, and magnet schools in West Hartford, Hartford, the Farmington Valley, and as far away as Madison, Winsted, and Tolland.

KO’s own Middle School sent a team, coached by MS teachers Susan Eve and Andy Krugman ’86 (front row, from left): Harry Krause ‘18, Nat Bates ‘18, Ananya Alleyne ‘19, Adam Ovian ‘18, and Charlotte Bories ‘19.

(Back row, from left): Eve, Robert Downes ‘18, Connor O’Laughlin ‘17, Gabby Ruban ‘18, Krugman, and Head of School Dennis Bisgaard.

The 2nd annual KOMUN will be on Mar. 22, 2014; visit www.kingswoodoxford.org/KOMUN2014 for details or to register.

Save the Date! The Biannual KO Gala sponsored by the KO Parent Association Sat., April 12, 2014 The Hartford Hilton Details to follow; to donate a live or silent auction item, please contact Gala Chair Rise Roth (rothrise@gmail.com)

Romeo (Drew Nemirow ’17) and Juliet (Julia Goldsmith ’17) and their Form 2 classmates enjoyed a lavish meal, complete with “wassail,” during the 17th annual Elizabethan Night in the beautifully decorated Alumni Hall on Feb. 22. Waited on by their teachers and parent volunteers (also in period attire), the students were given a sense of the clothing, vocabulary, dance, and formality of Shakespeare’s time while preparing for and enjoying this three-hour culmination of their study of “Romeo and Juliet.” Middle School teachers Nancy Horowitz and Lynne Levine organized the remarkable celebration. For more pictures, visit www.kingswoodoxford.org/galleries.

From Calgary to New England to South Africa, members of the Forensic Union distinguished themselves during the 2012-13 debate season. In late October, KO debaters (from left) Sophie Kruger ’14, John Chatigny ’14, and Maddie Pazzani ’14 competed in Calgary against 38 schools from around the world in the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Championships. KO placed 15th, and Kruger won the right to compete at the Worlds championship in Durban, South Africa, in March 2013. She was joined there by Rudy DeBerry ’13, who qualified based on his outstanding performance at a cross-examination tournament during the Fall.

“The performance of our Forensic Union – both individuals and teams -- shows incredible breadth and depth,” said Kathy Lynch, then-moderator of Forensic Union. “From the novice ranks to the most advanced, as public speakers and debaters, in prepared and extemporaneous competitions, KO’s students present with a mixture confidence and humility that makes great speakers and ultimately great leaders.” k o fall ko fall 2013

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years of service Several KO faculty and staff members marked significant milestones in their Kingswood Oxford careers this past year.

Thanks and congratulations to all!

5 Years David Baker ‘04 Donna Balcezak Andy Carr Susan Eve Darlene Kennedy Catherine Schieffelin 10 Years Tim Allerton Matt Kocay 15 Years Denise Garcia Kathy Lynch Stacey Tomkiel 20 Years David Hild ‘80 Nancy Horowitz 35 Years Scott Dunbar Ted Levine

National Merit Scholarship Program Honors Nine Seniors Nine seniors were recognized for outstanding performance on the PSATs/NMSQTs they took in October 2011. Caley Henderson (above left) was named a National Merit Semifinalist after scoring in the top 1% of the 1.5 million students nationwide who took the standardized exam. Eight other students were also honored (seated, from left): Mark Toubman, Stephanie Fagbemi, Charles “Rudy” DeBerry III, and Kent Byrd, and (standing, from left) Lauren Goldman, Ned Meade, Taelor Scott, and Molly Miller. Byrd, Goldman, Meade, Miller, and Toubman were named National Merit Commended Students (top 5% nationally), while DeBerry, Fagbemi, and Scott were among only 3,100 students in the nation to be named Outstanding Participants in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

KO Places Second in Green Cup Challenge KO’s colors may be crimson and black, but it’s increasingly becoming a very green place!

The School placed 2nd among New England Day Schools in the 10th annual Green Cup Challenge, a competition that invites schools to measure and reduce campus electricity use.

Wyverns reduced electricity usage by an impressive 14.4% in February 2013, saving about 27,164 kWh, about $1,900, and prevented about 32,290 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Bravo!

bravo!

Patricia Rosoff Releases New Book

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Patricia Rosoff, KO’s Academic Dean of Humanities and a longtime artist and art critic, published a new book in November 2012. Innocent Eye: A Passionate Look at Contemporary Art, is a collection of essays Rosoff wrote for such publications as The Hartford Advocate, Art New England and Sculpture Magazine between 1995 and 2004. A 37-year veteran of KO, she served as chair of the Creative Arts Department for 32 years before being named the Humanities Dean in 2012.

Twelve Seniors Inducted Into Cum Laude Society

An Award-Winning Year for Robotics Team

A dozen outstanding members of the Class of ’13 were inducted into KO’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society on Feb. 26. Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, this national honor society for independent schools promotes the ideals of excellence, justice, and honor.

Students must be in the top 20% of their class after the end of the first semester of senior year and must demonstrate good citizenship to qualify. “We are so pleased to honor these students who are committed to doing an outstanding job in all their classes, in addition to the many other activities that make their lives so full,” said History Department Chair Ann Serow, Ph.D., president of KO’s Cum Laude Society. “The Cum Laude students are very bright and very motivated; they have wonderful futures ahead of them.” This year’s inductees were (seated, from left) Caley Henderson, Lauren Goldman, Brooke Goldsmith, and Brenda Winn, and (standing, from left) Spencer Murray, Mark Toubman, Samuel Hammer, Joseph Rogus, Andrew Sikora, Jacob Waskowitz, Austin Williams, and Shane Carroll.

The KO Robotics team excelled this year at three different challenge competitions sponsored by FIRST Tech, whose mission is to help students discover and develop a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.

The team won the FTC Design Award, which recognized design elements in their robot that were both functional and aesthetic; the “Promote” video award, for the best one-minute response to the question: “What will we take away from FIRST?”; and the “Think Award,” given to the team that best understands the role of the engineering notebook in the robot-design process.

“The team had an outstanding record on the playing field this year,” said KO Robotics team coach and math teacher Donna Balcezak.

For Tenth Year Running, KO Wins Awards at Yale’s Model UN Competing against more than 1,300 students from 80 different schools around the world at Yale’s Model UN in January 2013, KO’s Model UN team stood out once again, bringing home awards for the tenth year in a row.

KO’s team of 36 delegates represented three countries – Yemen, Malaysia, and the UK – and 20 different committees. Rayva Khanna ’13 of South Glastonbury and Brooke Goldsmith ’13 of West Hartford both won Honorable Delegate Awards for representing Yemen in the Arab League, while Ruthie Dannehy ’13 earned an Honorable Delegate Award for her representation of The Wall Street Journal in the Press Corps category.

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varsity FALL SPORTS ‘12

Sue Cabot (cabot.s@k-o.org)

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Girls’ Varsity Soccer

Field Hockey

Volleyball

Coaches: Tracy Deeter, Reeves Livesay Captains: Kelly Caruso ’13, Shelby Smith ‘13 Seniors: Taylor Brady, Kelly Caruso, Melissa Gitlin, Brooke Goldsmith, Brooke Hayes, Caley Henderson, Shelby Smith MVP: Kelly Caruso ‘13 Most Improved: Sophia Harrison ‘15 and Meghan Kennedy ‘15 Record: 7-7 All-WWNEPSSA – Kelly Caruso ‘13, Shelby Smith ‘13

Coaches: Meredith Crowther, Allison Ehrenreich Captains: Marissa Landino ‘13, Danielle Katz ‘13 Seniors: Marissa Landino, Danielle Katz, Jenni Traver, Brenda Winn Record: 3-9-1

Coaches: Scott McDonald, Carolyn McKee Captains: Jackie Komornicka ‘13, Stephanie Yandow ‘13 Seniors: Stephanie Fagbemi, Brittany Heck, Dayna Lord, Jackie Komornicka, Stephanie Yandow MVP: Dayna Lord ‘13 Most Improved: Abbie Mancinelli ‘14 Record: 9-5 All-Star Tournament: Dayna Lord ’13, Jackie Komornicka ‘13, Stephanie Yandow ‘13

NEPSAC All Star game: Taylor Lynn ’14 and Marissa Landino ‘13

Boys’ Cross Country

Girls’ Cross Country

Boys’ Soccer

Football

Coaches: Frederick (Fritz) Goodman, Ron Monroe Captains: Jack Farrell’13, Shane Carroll ‘13 Seniors: Jack Farrell, Shane Carroll, Ned Meade, Spencer Murray MVP: Jack Farrell ‘13 Most Improved: Sam Goddard ‘14 Record: 4-2 Second at Canterbury Invitational (Div II); second at Cheshire Invitational; ninth at New England Championships

Coaches: Jeff Perlis, Katie Grossweiner Captains: Brittany Vose ‘13, Eva Stys ‘13 Seniors: Brittany Vose, Eva Stys MVP: Brittany Vose ‘13 Most Improved: Elana Colangelo ‘14 Rookie of the Year: Lauren Helsley ‘16 Record: 2-2 Seventh at Shaler Invitational 11th at New England Championships All-Founders League Team: Lauren Helsley ‘16

Coaches: Peter Jones, Travis Rains Captains: Mark Toubman ‘13, Andrew Sikora ‘13, Ben Koza ‘13 Seniors: Tim O’Sullivan, Joe Lancioni, Sam Willsey, Jake Waskowitz MW Jacobus Award: Mark Toubman ‘13, Andrew Sikora ‘13 Most Improved: Tim O’Sullivan ‘13, Joe Lancioni ‘13 Record: 3-10-2 WNEPSSA All-Star: Toubman, Reid Collins ‘14 WNEPSSA Select: Toubman WNEPSSA Honorable Mention: Collins, Sikora NEPSA All-Star: Toubman CT All-State: Toubman, Collins CT Soccer Coaches Assoc. ScholarAthlete Award: Mark Toubman

Coaches: Jason Martinez, Matt Kocay, Jim Weeks, Will Gilyard, Steve Angiletta, Matt Proffitt, Matt Dumont Captains: Kent Byrd ’13, Blake Randall ’13, Mike Turro ’13, Patrick Kilkenny ’13, Dante Cioffi ‘14 Seniors: Kent Byrd, Blake Randall, Mike Turro, Patrick Kilkenny Joseph E. Gargan Award: Mike Turro ‘13 Joel Lorden Award: Kent Byrd ‘13 Most Improved: Fen Deskus ‘14 Record: 2-6 All FAA Team: Dante Cioffi ’14 and Elijah Langston ‘14; Honorable Mention: Max Petrie ‘14, Sharrieff Grice ’15, Koby Quansah ‘16

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varsity WINTER SPORTS ‘13 20

Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coaches: Ron Monroe, Kim Iacovazzi Captains: Brittany Vose ’13, Abbie Mancinelli ‘14 Seniors: Brooke Goldsmith, Taylor Brady, Brittany Vose MVP: Jeanna Willis ‘16 Most Improved: Brooke Goldsmith ‘13 Record: 7-14 Jeanna Willis chosen for NEPSAC Class B Western New England All-Star team

Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coaches: Durelle Brown ‘97, Jim Weeks, Cherrod Parker Captains: Elijah Foreman ‘13, Patrick Kilkenny ‘13, Tyler Whirty ‘13 Seniors: Elijah Foreman, Patrick Kilkenny, Tyler Whirty MVP (O.F. Peyser Award): Elijah Foreman ‘13 Marsden (Best FT Percentage): Richard Woods ‘16 Record: 0-18 Boys’ Ice Hockey Coaches: Ben Adams, Alex Holmes ‘04, Greg Scranton ‘94 Captains: Anthony Giordano ‘13, Joe Lancioni ‘13, Brandon Vigliatura ‘13 Seniors: Anthony Giordano, Dan Kennedy, Joe Lancioni, Brandon Vigliatura Boys’ Ice Hockey Award: Anthony Giordano ‘13 Most Improved: Greg Boyes ‘14 Record: 4-22-1

Girls’ Ice Hockey Coaches: Kathleen Wiggenhauser, Jen Weeks Captains: Marissa Landino ’13, Naomi Letourneau ‘14 Seniors: Marissa Landino Girls’ Ice Hockey Award: Erin Persico ‘16 Most Improved: Alex Breen ‘15 Record: 2-18 in NEPSAC games Skiing Coaches: Jonathan David, Todd Millen Captains: Eva Stys ‘13, Owen Bigler ‘13 Seniors: Owen Bigler, Joe Rogus, Eva Stys, Austin Williams Finished 9th out of 11 Teams in the BSL Larkin Trophy: Nina Pennoyer ‘14 Most Improved: Nick Lange ‘14

Girls’ Swimming & Diving Coaches: Alex Kraus, Clay Miles, Kata Baker, Jonathan Briggs Captain: Melissa Gitlin ‘13 Seniors: Melissa Gitlin and Grace Kaufman Robertson Award -- DII MVP (CoMVP this year): Callie Miles ‘14 Record: 6-3; 6 of 8 at Founders League Championships, 5 of 9 at DII New England Championships All-New England (Top 16 all divisions) Miles, Olivia Shea ‘16, Gitlin, Sam Pinkes ’14 - 200 Medley Relay Kaufman, Gitlin, Pinkes, Miles - 400 Free Relay Miles - 100 Free & 100 Back Miles, Shea, Gitlin, Pinkes 1st, 200 Medley Relay, DII NEs -- New School & New England Record 1:55.23

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Kaufman, Gitlin, Pinkes, Miles 1st, 400 Free Relay, DII NEs -- New School & New England Record 1:48.28 Callie Miles ‘14 2nd, 100 Free, DII New Englands - 54.51 1st, 100 Back, DII New Englands - New School & New England Record - 59.44 2nd, 100 Back, Founders League Championships Sam Pinkes ‘14 1st, 50 Free, DII New Englands New England Record - 25.13 3rd, 100 Free, DII New Englands 55.54

Boys’ Squash Coach: Christopher Weed Captain: Mark Toubman ‘13 Seniors: Mark Toubman and Mason Corbett MVP: Mark Toubman ‘13 Most Improved: Joe Ravalese ‘15 Record 3-12 Selected into the Class B New England Interscholastic Squash Championship Bracket; Mark Toubman ’13 placed 6th out of 15 in Flight #1 in Class B tournament Girls’ Squash Coach: Andy Carr Captains: Lauren Goldman ’13, Brooke Hayes ‘13 Seniors: Steph Fagbemi, Lauren Goldman, Brooke Hayes MVP: Claudia Udolf ‘14 Most Improved: Corinne Florian ‘15 and Sophia Harrison ‘15 Record: 5-8 13th in B bracket, New England Championships

Boys’ Swimmming & Diving Coaches: Alex Kraus, Clay Miles, Kata Baker, Jonathan Briggs Captain: Shane Carroll ‘13 Seniors: Shane Carroll Record: 6-3; 6 of 7 at Founders League Championships; runner up at New England Championships All-New England (Top 16 all divisions) Matt Luther ’14 -- 100 fly & 100 Back 1st, 100 Fly, Founders and DII NEs -- New School Record, 52.97 1st, 100 Back, Founders and DII NEs -- New School Record & New England Record, 53.58

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Spirit of "Frosty"”Francis Is Alive at the 50th KITs

In the atmosphere and in the people who were present, the spirit of Paul W. “Frosty” Francis was very much alive on the weekend of Dec. 14-16, 2012, when KO hosted 13 different New England schools for the 50th Kingswood Invitational Tournament.

“The KIT has always been representative of the finest ideals of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and respect,” said Athletic Director Sue Cabot. “This year it was especially evident that the KIT represents something larger than basketball and competition.

Coaches, teams, and fans renewed friendships and really worked together throughout the weekend.”

The tournament began on a somber note, with news of the horrific tragedy in Sandy Hook, CT, earlier that day. Head of School Dennis Bisgaard asked the crowd to pause in silence, out of sorrow and respect, before the 7pm game on Friday night. “Our hearts are broken for all those most closely hurt by this senseless tragedy,” he said. “I know all of our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected.”

One special moment of the tournament was the presentation of a 50th KIT commemorative basketball to Frosty’s daughter, Susan Francis McCarthy ‘82 of Medfield, MA, who not only played in the KIT herself, but also is the mother to a new generation of players. Her son John McCarthy, a guard on the Noble and Greenough team, was named to the KIT All-Tournament team.

The McCarthy Family posed with the members of KO’s current Boys’ and Girls’ teams after the presentation (see photo).

The tournament champions were Governor’s Academy (girls) and Cheshire Academy (boys). Governor’s beat Hamden Hall, and Cheshire beat Canterbury.

The results of the other brackets were: third place (boys), Nobles over St. Luke’s; third place (girls), Watkinson over KO; consolation (boys), Governor’s over KO; consolation (girls), Rye Country Day over Convent of the Sacred Heart.

Don’t Miss the 51st KITs – Dec. 20-22, 2013

KO will once again host seven girls’ and seven boys’ basketball teams for the 51st Kingswood Invitational Tournament, one of the most beloved basketball traditions among New England independent schools. This year, it’s on the weekend of Dec. 20-22, 2013; the Wyverns play at 7pm and 8pm on Friday night (visit www.kingswoodoxford.org/KITs for the complete schedule and ticket details).

New this year: Online sales of family passes ($25 each) and KIT sponsorships ranging from $25-$2,500.

Support KO athletics by supporting the KITs! Details on the web site.

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Family, teammates, coaches and friends gathered in Alumni Hall in the Spring of 2013 to help celebrate two outstanding athletes as they committed to play high-level sports in college.

Kelly Caruso ’13 committed to play soccer at the Division 1 Quinnipiac University in Hamden, while Dayna Lord ‘13, one of the highest-ranked players in New England, committed to play tennis at Brown University.

Mark Toubman ’13 (left) and Reid Collins ’14 were named to the Fall ‘12 Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team for large and medium-size prep schools. Toubman was also one of only five All-State players to receive the prestigious Valerio Moretti Scholar Athlete Award, which recognizes “athletic prowess and high academic achievement,” according to the CSCA. This is the first time since 2004 that a boy from a prep school won this award.

At KO, Lord and Caruso were both honor roll students; traveled to Paraguay with Team Tobati; and held important leadership positions – Caruso was a Prefect and Lord was the Senior Prefect.

Lord was the #1 singles player at KO since arriving in 8th grade.

She won 64 matches and lost only once in her KO career. She led the team to several titles, including the New England Class A Championship (2011), Founders League (2009 and 2011), and the DeVillafranca Tournament (2009, 2010, 2012). She was the co-MVP every year at KO (sharing the honors with her sister, Melissa Lord ’15), and was team cocaptain as a sophomore, junior and senior.

Caruso, co-captain of the Girls’ Soccer team in her senior year, was on the KO team that won the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class B Championship in 2010. She was named to the All-WWNEPSSA (Women’s Western New England Prep School Soccer Association) Team in 2011 and 2012.

She was also named All-State in 2011 and was KO’s team MVP this year.

The 400 Free Relay team of (from left) Samantha Pinkes ‘14, Callie Miles ’14, Melissa Gitlin ’13, and Grace Kaufman ’13 won a gold medal at the New England Prep School Swimming and Diving championships (Div. 2) on March 2 – one of five gold medals Wyverns brought home from the event. In addition, Miles was named co-MVP of the meet, the first time since the late 1990s that KO had an MVP at this competition.

The girls finished second overall, while the boys came in fifth.

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Unscientific research shows that during 2012-13, 38 Wyverns played 18 different sports at 23 different

Where are they now?

With this issue of KO Magazine, we introduce a new feature about KO alumni who continue to compete in sports at the college level or beyond.

For this inaugural story, veteran KO faculty member Ted Levine gathered anecdotes, tidbits, and emails about KO alumni athletes, and then spent hours poring over college web sites to confirm the details. Remarkably, he discovered that 38 different alums are currently playing 18 different sports in 23 different colleges, with five Wyverns serving as captains of their teams during the 2012-13 school year. And that’s just those we knew about at press time; we hope we will now hear about more!

Please feel free to send the names of KO alumni athletes, along with their sport, college, and web site link, to Ted Levine (Levine.t@k-o.org). For space reasons, we highlight only college seniors this time,

colleges – and five

but we will feature other alumni athletes on a rolling basis in future issues.

Andrew Boyce ‘09 Holy Cross ’13, Baseball

of their teams.

Andrew was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week after Holy Cross swept Yale in four games over the weekend of March 23-24, 2013. Andrew won two games on March 23 – which were comefrom-behind, one-run victories – and saved two more on March 24.

alumni athletes

served as captains

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Eileen Colliton ‘09 Providence ’13, Swimming Eileen completed a stellar four-year career with the Friars in freestyle distances ranging from 200m to 1650m; one highlight was a first-place finish in senior year in the 800m against rival Holy Cross.

She also competed at the Big East Championships and was named to the Big East All-Academic team in 2011-12. A biochemistry major, Eileen tied for the highest GPA in chemistry at graduation.

Caroline Coolidge ‘09 Gettysburg ’13, Swimming In her second year as captain, Caroline led the Gettysburg team to a perfect Centennial Conference record, while earning many medals of her own in Individual Medley and Team Medley events. She swam with the 2012 team that holds the school record in the 800m freestyle relay.

Sarah Fiske ‘09 Bowdoin ’13, Sailing A member of the Polar Bears’ sailing team, Sarah was named NESCAC All Academic in Fall 2012; this requires a sophomore standing, a varsity letter, and a GPA of at least 3.35.

Jill Levine ‘09 Vassar ’13, Squash Captain of Vassar’s squash team, Jill played at #3 and #4 and had a strong four-year showing for the Brewers. As a sophomore, she finished with a team-best 11 wins and 7 losses.

Alena Mukdaprakorn ‘09 Southern New Hampshire ’13, Tennis In 2013, for the second year in a row, Alena was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year.

She was undefeated in league singles play for three years in a row, and undefeated in conference play as a senior, with a 12-0 singles and doubles record. She was twice named Northeast-10 Player of the Week and was a two-time, First Team Northeast-10 All-Conference selection this season for both singles and doubles.

Jared Quenzel ‘09 Bates ’13, Golf As captain, Jared led the Bates’ Bobcats through a fine season, highlighted by a second-place finish in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin showdown.

David Hild ’07 Middlebury ’11 Lacrosse

David has been drafted and signed for two years in a row by Major

Ainsley Rossitto ‘09, Susquehanna ’13, Basketball and Lacrosse

League Lacrosse’s

Ainsley starred in two sports for Susquehanna. In lacrosse, as a captain and standout defenseman, she led her team to a Landmark League championship with 17 wins and 1 loss. The team lost to SUNY Geneseo in the first round of the NCAA D3 lacrosse championship. In basketball, Ainsley was known for unrelenting defensive play and great energy during her four years. She played in all 25 games as a senior. She plans to move to England to work with the English Lacrosse Association as an instructor and coach.

New York Lizards.

Nicole Springer ‘09 Central CT ’13, Softball

page states that

Nicole hit .370 with 10 home runs this year, including two in the one-run victory that sent CCSU to its first-ever Northeast Conference Championship game (which it won). The team achieved other “firsts” this year, too, including most wins (36) and the first appearance in the NCAA Division I Softball tournament. Nicole was named to the NEC All-Tournament team.

Manny Tulemaris ‘09 George Washington ’13, Golf Manny was a four-year member of GWU’s golf team.

A spotlight on the Lizards’ Facebook

before every game, he “…re-tapes his stick, listens to the same song he’s listened to since college, and wears the same undershirt he’s worn

Stephanie Vogel ‘09 Penn ’13, Squash In addition to her own 13-2 record this year (including a perfect 5-0 in Ivy League matches), Stephanie served as captain of the powerful Penn Quakers. She finished the season ranked #57 in the College Squash Association Individual Rankings.

ko fall 2013

since high school” – which happens to be an XL gray shirt from KO!

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Nick Cannata ’20 and Violet Cannata

Syndi Scott ’18 and Nurry Johnson

Aidan O’Loughlin ’20 and Joan O’Loughlin

Hundreds of KO Grandparents and Special Friends Were Wyverns for a Day It was hard to tell who had more fun at KO on Oct. 9, 2013 – the 200 adults who visited campus for Grandparent and Special Friend Day, or the Middle School students who hosted them.

Faces young and old were beaming throughout the rainy morning, as the 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade students escorted their guests through a busy program that included musical performances, several classes, and lunch in the dining hall.

ADVANCEMENT

Head of School Dennis Bisgaard expressed his gratitude to those who made time and in some cases traveled a distance for the special event, reminding the guests that they did not have to wait a whole year to return to campus. “You are welcome here at any time,” he concluded with a smile.

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Emily Lemkuil ’20 with (left) Carl and Linda Lemkuil and Charles and Patricia Shimkus

Reunion 2014

Save the Date for Reunion 2014!

Sat., June 14, 2014

If you’re in a class ending in 4 or 9, mark your calendar and make plans for Reunion ’14, slated for Saturday, June 14, 2014. We welcome your input on the planning – please complete our brief Reunion Survey (www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZKDKJF9) and/or sign up to help with the planning for your class (contact Nicole Kimball at 860-727-5014 or Kimball.n@k-o.org).

Online Annual Report Chronicles Record KO Fund Year The KO Fund broke its own record in 2012-13, with total donations of $1,208,341 – the highest amount in school history. The participation rate among KO faculty and staff, Trustees, Trustees Emeriti, and KO Fund volunteers was a remarkable 100%, and the alumni participation rate was a strong 22%. Details about this extraordinary year appear in KO’s 2012-13 Annual Report, available online at www.kingswoodoxford.org/annualreport.

Questions? Contact Kim O’Brien Green, Director of Annual Giving & Operations (green.k@k-o.org or 860-727-5015).

Bells have been ringing throughout the KO campus. The Victory Bell sounds to celebrate when KO’s athletes have been victorious at different athletic matches, and the Bell of Philanthropy now sounds to celebrate when a gift is given to the school through the Office of Institutional Advancement. The Bell of Philanthropy tolls on Friday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. Each peel represents $10,000. So when the bell rings on a Friday, a thoughtful member of Wyvern Nation has made a substantial gift to the School that will impact KO’s future!

k o fall ko fall 2013

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Members and Friends of the Kingswood Oxford School Community,

As the end of the calendar/tax year approaches, we hope you will consider supporting KO with a gift to the 2013-2014 KO Fund. The KO Fund provides support for many areas at the School including:

• Academics, athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular activities; • Financial aid for talented and deserving students; • Competitive salaries and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

As we navigate our next century, your generous gift will enable our deserving students and outstanding faculty to create transformative experiences that are uniquely “Kingswood Oxford.”

If you have any questions, please contact Kim O’Brien Green at 860-727-5015, or by e-mail at green.k@k-o.org.

Thank you for dedication to Kingswood Oxford School!

Should you wish to make your gift by credit card or by stock transfer, please follow the instructions below:

Stock gifts:

ADVANCEMENT

Gifts of stock may be made directly to KO by following the School’s transfer instructions: Merrill Lynch, DTC No. 5198, Acct. No. 6JA-02096, 29 S. Main St., Suite 221, West Hartford, CT 06107. For more information, please contact Nicole Baldovi of Merrill Lynch at 860-561-7719.

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Credit card gifts:

To make a gift by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover go to www.kingswoodoxford.org/giving. Recurring gifts can now be made via credit card and provide you with the opportunity to support KO in monthly installments by automatically transferring payments from your credit/debit card. Gifts like these allow you to make a larger commitment and space out the payments while providing continuous support to KO.

Reminder:

Please show your support for Kingswood Oxford School by making a gift to the KO Fund before the end of the 2013 calendar/tax year!

Why Do I Give?

Reunion-year alums explain what motivates them to contribute to the KO Fund.

Charles P. Bellingrath ’03

Vitaline O’Connell O’Toole ’53

Baxter H. Maffett ’68, P ’02, ’06

James F. Febeo ’88

Assumption College

Wellesley College

Emory University; University of Connecticut School of Law

Class agent; third-generation Wyvern – son of Elizabeth Fahy Bellingrath ’78 and Charles T. Bellingrath ‘78, grandson of Thomas Fahy ‘55; Chas says his grandfather taught him the importance of giving back to KO. Product Leader for Privacy, Network Security, Technology and Media Liability, ARC Excess & Surplus of New England

Class Correspondent Wife and mother of three; longtime volunteer in Washington, DC, and Madison, CT

Middlebury College; Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business Administration

I always make a gift to KO because I can proudly say that KO is responsible for much of who I am today. I still talk to many of my KO friends on a weekly basis, and I think my KO teachers really prepared me for the workplace. I present to companies all over the country and my Public Speaking class junior year with Lud Baldwin definitely helped!

For younger alumni, it’s tough; when you are starting out, you want to try and save every penny, but I always tell my classmates to contribute whatever is comfortable – even if it’s $10.

ko fall 2013

I believe in the kind of education KO delivers for today’s world. The classics are still integrated into the curriculum. As an Oxford graduate, I was more than prepared for the rigors of Wellesley’s program and the real world I entered in 1957.

The teachers were most competent and interested in our progress.

The camaraderie of my classmates was, and remains (as of our 60th reunion), without price.

If we neglect the systems that work, like KO, we will be left with second-rate schools that turn out second-rate citizens. It is up to those who can, in any way, ensure that doesn’t happen.

Class Agent; Trustee Co-owner of the C.M. Smith Agency, Inc. There are two main reasons why KO is one of my top charitable giving priorities. The first is that I have benefited throughout my career from the strong speaking and writing skills that I acquired as a student. The second is that both our children, who graduated from KO, also speak about the quality education they received, and that is a tremendous endorsement for which my wife, Barbara, and I will always be thankful.

Today, students continue to receive a robust foundation in academic and collaborative skills, which prepares them well for college and life beyond. This is KO’s tradition, and why the school is worthy of consideration when contemplating a gift.

Senior Vice President, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Public Affairs and Policy Group, Fidelity Investments KO is more than just a school; it provides an experience that lasts a lifetime. I want KO to thrive, and I hope generations to come will enjoy the true sense of community, lasting friendships and education I was privileged to enjoy. My KO experience really set my course on so many fronts. It provided a solid framework that enabled me to navigate college, law school and life in general.

I decided to give a little more to the KO Fund this year in honor of my 25th reunion. I hope my support helps make some small difference in KO’s ability to recruit and retain first-rate teachers and meet the needs of the athletic programs.

I know my contribution matters more to KO than to a university that already has a sizable endowment, and giving to KO is a rewarding way to give back.

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OXFORD 1939 Mary Beach Shepard Class Correspondent Thanks for all your phone calls and letters. This is such a great “job,” and I love doing it.

It was a pleasure to chat with Annette Brewer Deming. She was so happy. She had just returned from vacation at her favorite spot – Squirrel Island, ME. She is very happy at Duncaster and enjoying her five grandchildren, even those on the West Coast, because she knows how to Skype.

I enjoyed talking to Peg Peard Miller even though her news was not what I had hoped for. She spends most of every day with Ev, who is in health care, where he has been for two years after a fall. They celebrated his 95th birthday with family. They feel fortunate that their boys look in on them weekly.

CLASS NOTES

Pat Dimock Martin sends her best to all. She still lives at home with her caregiver in Stockbridge, MA. Dick has been gone for three years.

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Cricket Ingersoll Staniford reports that she and Rocky are enjoying Florida as well as summer in Fenwick.

Greetings from Harriet Easton Wicke, who is “getting along.”

She has a son and daughter, one in Rhode Island and one in Portland, and two grandchildren – one graduated from Boston University, and one is a freshman at Skidmore.

Harriet “Happy” Reynolds Glass, at 92, enjoys visiting with her children, no matter the season.

She spent time in Burlington, VT, with her oldest son, Gordon, visiting her youngest son, Dick, who lives nearby with his family – lots of snow and good family time! Hap lives with her daughter Nancy

and son-in-law Spyro in North Haven, CT. Hap’s grandchildren are immersed in great adventures: One is playing basketball in Malta; another works in Italy with the America’s Cup organization; and a third is beginning an architectural field program in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for her Penn grad work. At her garden club’s flower show in June, Hap won second place for her design. During the heat of summer, she spent lots of time by the pool, but also visited son Gordon on the Cape. Family gatherings included visits with her great-grandchildren in Massachusetts.

Jo Trull Horn recently attended the weddings of two grandchildren: one in Philadelphia and one in Amherst, MA, where she saw Annette, which was fun because she was able to catch up on the Class of 1939. She keeps busy with bridge, crossword puzzles, and knitting. She enjoys life at Kendal, where she realizes that she’s in the right place.

Joan Steane Heaney still lives on her own in her own home, where she enjoys basking in the California sun. Her daughter lives just around the corner.

Thanks to a note from Bobbie Andrews Olmsted’s daughter, Gail, I learned that Bobbie is living in an adult care home in Portland, OR, where she is sweet, cheerful and kind and beautifully cared for.

Nancy Cutter sounded great!

Still up and at it – she stays fit by walking every day and doing a lot of gardening.

I wasn’t able to talk with Claudia Eblen Fischer, but learned she is very comfortable in Caleb Hitchcock Rehab at Duncaster.

I’m sorry that my notes to Mary Louise Walsh “Washy” Thackrey were returned marked

“insufficient address.” If anyone knows what her address is, I would appreciate a call. I’ve also been unable to reach Marty Deming Flanders; does anyone have a phone number?

As for me, I still live in the family home on the farm with most of my family nearby. Only one has moved too far away – a daughter and her family in Chicago. I’m so fortunate.

Great-grandchild No. 17 will be arriving shortly. My oldest greatgrandchild graduated from college in June. Time is going by too fast.

Remember, this June we’ll celebrate our 75th reunion. It’s hard to believe.

Do stay well so that we can enjoy it and celebrate together.

Till then, best wishes to all.

Bunny

OXFORD 1940 Betty Jean Warner Averitt writes, “As a volunteer, I spent 40 years building up the Islamic art collection in the Denver Art Museum … and wow! On my 90th birthday, the museum director renamed its location “The Bj Averitt Gallery of Southwest Asian Art.”

OXFORD 1941 Marguerite Steane Kelland Class Correspondent The Class of 1941 extends sympathy to the families of Betsy Brigman and Mary Guiney, both longtime residents of West Hartford. Betsy, who last lived at Arden Courts of Avon, passed away in February.

Mary resided at Avery Heights in Hartford, and she died on March 29.

We also send condolences to Mary Lewis Wood on the death of her husband, William Wood.

On the happier side, Judy Stoughton Wawro was on the road again, joining her son George

and his wife, Mary, in Maine, and then visiting remote and beautiful Monhegan Island -- a magnet for artists. In the fall, she drove to Montreal to see a McGill friend for a few days. Back at Duncaster, she has enjoyed several visits from her children, and is looking forward to a visit with her late daughter Robin’s son Marc, his wife Leith, and their almost 1-year-old daughter, Anabelle. Judy states, “I love living at Duncaster, but I’m afraid it’s making me lazy!” (Editor’s note – no way!)

Ginny Wells Andersen’s grandson, Geoffrey Miner, is stationed in Afghanistan with the Military Police. Before he was deployed, Ginny says, he entrusted the care of his pet snake to three neighborhood children for whom he babysat. In exchange, they gave him a stuffed animal to keep him safe. One day it fell out of his equipment – much to the amusement of his fellow soldiers.

Margaret Stedman Doherty reports that her son, Todd, a resident of Blue Hill, ME, has a book on the Internet. A granddaughter has been accepted to Sarah Lawrence, and a grandson to St. Lawrence. Margaret submitted two paintings for the Spring ’13 West Hartford Art League Show, which accepts work from artists all over New England.

Newton, PA, which they think is the absolute BEST CCRC. All my family came to celebrate Easter here – what a real gift. My grandson Patrick is graduating from the University of New Haven with a degree in international justice; he plans to attend graduate school next year. He was head of student government this past year. His sister is finishing her freshman year in college.

Thanks again to all classmates who responded. I will plan our mini-reunion luncheon soon, now that Julie Keeney Walton and Bill have returned from Florida.

Cheerio, “Gite”

OXFORD 1942 Jane Russell Dennison writes from Princeton, NJ, “I am well but widowed. My children (three) and grands are the joy of my life.

Fondest memories of my years at Oxford. My first day there – 1938 Hurricane!”

KINGSWOOD 1944 Carlos Fetterolf Class Correspondent Dave Reynolds reports that he and Ann are well and still able to conquer mountains (well, the foothills at least), and the family continues to enjoy their New Hampshire condo/playground.

Anne DeRonge Lowry enjoys her retirement community, Peconic Landing in Greenport, NY, where she plays a lot of bridge and likes old-time movies. “Schnick’s” grandson, Toby Humble, plays drums with the Jamie Collins Band, stationed in England. They travel all over England and on the continent.

Jim Chandler says that he and Louise are getting along very well but seem stuck in the Florida winter/Michigan summer rut – not a bad one!

Eunice Powell Glover and her husband are very happily settled in their retirement community in

Mort Dunn is still president of the West Hartford retirement community where he and Sylvia

ko fall 2013

Wayne Wall and his partner won the Maine Senior Games 80s Division Tennis Championship for the third year in a row.

live. Every year on Dec. 7, he and Wayne Wall talk via telephone because in 1941, on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, they were together at the Polo Grounds in New York City for a football game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants.

addiction began on the floor of our senior lounge in 1945!

Lev Hubbard and Catee enjoy major league baseball training in Arizona, followed by fine summers in New Hampshire. The Hubbards and Dunns lunch in Connecticut, and the Hubbards and Walls visited in New Hampshire.

North Carolina receives high praise from Jane Carpenter Pitcher.

Jane has lived in the Raleigh area in the same house since 1995.

Her son lives with her, and her granddaughter, Cynthia, married to Stephen, lives five miles away.

Jane says the weather in North Carolina is nice, nice, nice – except in the summer, when it is HOT.

Carlos Fetterolf was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame -- certainly not for his fishing ability, but for his work in fishery and water quality sciences that benefited fisheries. He was also honored by Trout Unlimited for his leadership in local fishery issues.

Over breakfast in Vero Beach, FL, Jim Chandler, Wayne Wall, Carlos Fetterolf, Doug Stewart ’45 and Jim Bellis ’42 reminisced about the excellent Kingswood faculty and agreed that the Kingswood experience was a major benefit in their lives.

OXFORD 1945 Debby Fogg Lambert Class Correspondent Bobby Allen MacLeod died in September 2013 at her home in Cincinnati, surrounded by her husband John and their four children, Jamie (Cindy) MacLeod, Bill MacLeod, Nancy (Bruce) DeBlasis Pruitt and Cathy Miller.

Her classmates will remember Bobby’s vivacity, her social acumen and always her kindness and sparkle.

Mary Hooker Crary fled to Florida for two weeks this winter to bask in the sun. Like so many of us, she plays bridge. Think about it; this

Nealy Wilde Dickinson is headed to the Caribbean – for the last time, she says. Let us know next year’s travel plans, Nealy, and we will join you!

Flossie Hatch Hudner’s husband, Jim, writes that Flossie has kept her sense of humor and is a favorite of the staff where she is staying. Their oldest grandson was in the Class of ’13 at Connecticut College.

Joy Holman Pond carries on her tradition as the “first achiever” of our class: She has a greatgrandchild already entering school!

In an ultra-new, swishy apartment, Emmy Louise Walsh Hartley is as happy as a clam. During our great phone visit, Emmy told me how interesting it is that a few of her new acquaintances share the same old acquaintances -- proving once again that we do indeed live in a small world. In her conversation with a gentleman friend, Emmy learned that he had worked for Jim English, president of Trinity College. Emmy and I chuckled as we remembered the fears and elations in Miss Godfrey’s dancing class.

How those chubby boys sweated, and how they hated those tight white gloves! As most of you know, Bud Lambert died last May 11 at age 88. He truly lived every day of his life to the fullest. At Woodcrest Village, where he spent the last 31

three years, he “earned his way,” singing and playing the piano for fellow residents.

Happy Days to all. (Remember our 70th reunion in 2015!)

KINGSWOOD 1946 Lee Bellmer enjoys reading news of his classmates in KO Magazine.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the 1990s, he is physically challenged but remembers Hartford and his friends fondly.

CLASS NOTES

OXFORD 1947

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Mary Louise Harvey Willey has published her second collection of poetry, On the Irreversibility of Time, (Antrim House, $18), available at Amazon.com. A Vermont resident, Mary teaches at Dartmouth College’s lifelong education program ILEAD, and has also taught English at Bentley, Wellesley and the University of Massachusetts at Boston, where she earned her MA in English. She also earned an MFA in poetry from the Bennington College Writing Seminars. Mary’s fiction has appeared in many journals, including The Hudson Review, The Mississippi Review, Hanging Loose and Colorado Quarterly. Her poetry has appeared in Blueline, California Quarterly, Hunger Mountain, Entelechy International, Slant and Hanging Loose, among others. Time Stopped was her previous collection of poetry.

KINGSWOOD 1947 From Old Lyme, Frank Wadsworth writes: “We enjoyed our 65th Kingswood reunion! Thank you to all at the school who brought us up to date while prompting our best memories of the 40s.”

Scheide live on Nantucket. Daughter Elizabeth (who uses her middle name) has moved in with me. She has been a wonderful help since, after spinal surgery, I am not too steady on my feet.”

Carolyn “Casey” Black Underwood writes from Arroyo Grande, CA,“I’m still playing tennis three times a week and am active in our church. Our daughter Sally and her husband, Shaun Weimer, work at the Crossroads Disciple Training School at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base in Kona, HI, and recently led a Mission Outreach team to Thailand. Their daughter Kelly, 21, is on staff at the School of Worship at the same YWAM campus. She sings and plays the keyboard and guitar, and recently helped lead a Mission Outreach team in the Los Angeles area.”

KINGSWOOD 1948 Jim Lyon writes, “I recently found a copy of a 1951 column from The Hartford Courant titled ‘Grist from the Sports Mill,’ by Jimmy Cunavelis, which featuring local high school football players who played in college – including several of our classmates who played football for KO. Yours truly is mentioned, but the real achievers were Bill Thornton (called “Dartmouth’s top-flight guard on the offensive platoon”) and Walt Knauss (“defensive end for Cornell who tackled Princeton’s Dick Kazmaier, a Heisman Trophy winner, for a safety.”) Unmentioned were Charlie Ericson, a stellar performer for Bowdoin, and Bill Coy, who was a defensive halfback at Middlebury.

OXFORD 1950 OXFORD 1948 Betty Lee H. Armstrong writes, “I feel lucky that three of our four children live in the Richmond area, while Sarah and her husband Rob

Joan Duffield Van Ness writes, “Paul and I enjoyed a Caribbean Disney Cruise with grandkids Kate, 11, Addison, 8, and Gabriel Ginn, 3, in March 2012.”

Barbara Wood Mowry writes, “Still enjoying life in Beaufort, SC. Have taken up watercolors and continue to garden, swim laps and play duplicate bridge. Gene and I see grands in three states and go abroad when it’s ‘warm’ here!”

KINGSWOOD 1950 Burnham S. Gould Jr. writes from Southern Shores, NC: “I have taken up bicycling in my old age. Recently I have won the gold in all of the Senior Games cycling events in my age group in both Virginia and North Carolina, as well as in the MidAtlantic Ultra Sports Century (100mile) race. Vivian and I still live on the Outer Banks. We travel overseas several times each year.”

OXFORD 1951 Sally Barr Palmer Class Correspondent Reaching the venerable age of 80 has certainly not slowed down our classmates!

Lizo Vanderbilt McAllister hosted a mini-reunion in April at her home in Concord, MA. Frannie Steane Baldwin reports that she and Barbara Gowdy Tongue, Anne Carter Peck Zadig, Pem Donegan Schultz and Gara Van Schaack had a nice visit over lunch. Editor’s note: Sadly, we learned at presstime that Lizo passed away on Oct. 15, 2013.

Frannie’s daughter Susan Kietzman has published her first book, The Good Life, and a second is due out next winter. Frannie and her family traveled to the Bahamas for the wedding of her only granddaughter, Hannah Baldwin. Barby sends good wishes to everyone. She spends her summer on Swan’s Island – “The perfect reason to live in Maine year-round.” After 55 years of volunteering at the Hartford Hospital Auxiliary Store, Gara faced a big

change when the store was taken over by an outside vendor. She’s not remaining off the volunteer roster for long, though; she will soon start to volunteer at the Cancer Clinic Boutique.

Sad news from Pem Donegan Schultz. Her daughter Frances died in January. Classmates will remember that Frances was born with Down Syndrome, and Pemmie remarked on how amazingly far she advanced beyond the medical advice given in 1958, when the condition was not well understood.

Pemmie says she keeps chugging along despite the longest, hottest summer in history on the Cape.

It’s been a tough year for Pam Snow Lovejoy. Her oldest daughter, Dawn, died after a long illness, and Pam has had her own health problems. She is busy getting ready to sell her house and move into something smaller. Nevertheless, she says she continues to enjoy life, especially family, friends, cooking and reading. Her grandchildren are all thriving; two granddaughters were recently married, and she will soon become a great-grandmother for the fourth time! The baby will be Dawn’s grandchild.

Dinny Duffield Whiting reports that, despite nearly freezing to death in the unseasonably cold weather, she had a wonderful time visiting her daughter Amanda and son-in-law Victor in Lucerne, Switzerland. They traveled around Switzerland and drove down to Italy through Tuscany to Florence and Venice. They also spent several days in Vienna. No sooner did she arrive home than she was off to Boston to visit her sister Sarah (Oxford 1958) and then down to Washington, D.C., to see son Rick and daughter Caty and their families. ko fall 2013

Pam Kingan Lillquist and her husband Rich recently visited Scandinavia, where they spent a delightful day with Munk and Annzie Bartholemew Hansen in Copenhagen before going on to Helsinki and finally Stockholm, where, she says, “We had great fun at the new ABBA museum.”

Anne Bartholemew Hansen reports that she is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but still in good shape. She continues to look forward to getting the KO Magazine.

The Palmers spent two months in the U.K., with a five-day side trip to Gibraltar, where we went up the Rock, saw the Barbary apes and visited the emergency room to have a fishbone removed from my throat. Once again, Peter marched with his British Korean veterans branch in the Tower of London on Easter Sunday. There were lots of reunions and visits to family and friends and a big dinner party in London for Peter’s 80th birthday. In April, a couple of days before flying home, we attended a reception for members of one of Peter’s naval associations, hosted

by Prince Charles at his private residence, Clarence House. In July we went to Washington, D.C., for ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the armistice ending the Korean War. Eldest grandson Richard (Canadian) is in music school in Montreal.

Next three are American. Emily is in college, Trystan is in the army in South Korea, and Ian just returned home to Oregon after attending the Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington, D.C., where he was one of two scouts selected to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The youngest two, Harry, 8, and Phoebe, 6, are British and live in southern England. We’ve

been able to see all of them, except Trystan, this year.

history and the latest John Grisham book. We are blessed and thankful for good health.”

KINGSWOOD 1951 Patrick Flaherty recently received the Distinguished Member Award from the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, an association of lawyers who represent railroads in the U.S. and Canada, in recognition of his contributions to the group since 1979. A Yale Law School graduate and attorney at Cooney, Scully, and Dowling in Hartford for the past 53 years, Patrick has often represented railroads. Pat told the Connecticut Law Tribune that, at age 79, he still goes into the office every day because he has a daughter (Catherine Flaherty ’14) to put through college!

OXFORD 1952 Mary Jeanne Jones Class Correspondent With a little nudge from her sister, Carolyn Arvidson, Margie Short Comstock writes: “My laugh is still with me, for I have been married for 56 years to Dave, who has a wonderful sense of humor.

In retirement years we continue to eat well, exercise and keep up with five grandchildren who, as Garrison Keillor says, are ‘above average.’ Two of our grandchildren live here in Poland – that’s Ohio – and three live in Fairlawn, which is an hour away. We go to Sanibel Island for sun and bike riding in March, then spend three months at our cottage on Lake George, where we garden, swim, boat, and have the whole family together in August. I love cooking for our clan.

(And occasionally, I take a nap.) I’m also “meals on wheels” whenever anyone is sick, and I think my Ohio Wesleyan home ec major was invaluable. We are involved in church and community activities and, in our spare time, invade our local library. We enjoy biography,

Ann Tillinghast Harbruck had knee surgery earlier this year; we hope you are well on the way back to good health, Ann. Norma Scafarello Hattings says she is enjoying retirement.

She competes in ballroom-dancing contests, which she says are exhausting, but fun, and that she has “scored well.” Norm also plays bridge at the Town and County Club, spends time during the winter in Florida, and is looking forward to the wedding of her first grandson.

Diane Davis Nixon has just retired from the Madison (WI) Symphony, where she has volunteered for 17 years. She also has volunteered for the American Guild of Organists and travels frequently to New York. Dave and Sarah, with little Julia, have just moved into a new house; Diane and Julia will build their garden.

Then she will be off to Santa Fe. Ann Baldwin Chappell writes, “Still alive, enjoying kids and grandkids and great-grandkids.”

KINGSWOOD 1952 Edgar Palmer proudly reports that his four grandsons all play stringed instruments.

OXFORD 1953 Vitty O’Connell O’Toole Class Correspondent We reached an admirable milestone – 60 years since we stood outside Immanuel Congregational Church on June 10, 1953, having our photo taken.

It’s on my bedroom wall. Over the years we are reduced in numbers, but not in spirit. Sally invited us to a luncheon at Tumblebrook Country Club, and those attending were 33

and earphones,” Roz writes. In August, they visited West Hartford, seeing cousins and having a bridge marathon with Blannie and Ed, and then visited old college friends in Small Point, ME. “What would we do without our ‘old’ friends?” she asks. Mal turned 80 on Aug. 24, and he and Roz are both doing well, busy with different volunteer jobs and occasionally entertaining and cooking.

Oxford 1956

CLASS NOTES

Heidi Wood Huddleston (left) and Nancy Hirschberg Wilensky had lunch in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, this past winter. Nancy’s husband passed away in February 2012 after 43 years of marriage. She has a son and a daughter and two granddaughters – one works full time and is in her first year of graduate school in health care administration, and the other graduates from college this year and plans to attend medical school after taking a year off.

Heidi recently sold her Kentucky home and moved into an easier-to-maintain townhouse. Her family and her travels keep her busy (see Class Notes for more details).

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Carole Goldenthal Aronson, June Heard Wadsworth, Molly David Depatie, Nancy Faust Sizer, Bland Dew Maloney, Sally Gershel Title, Sandra Gladstein Morrison and Kay Johnson Brigham. I missed the luncheon because I attended my granddaughter’s graduation across the state that morning. (At least Nana made points with her!)

Blannie and I represented ’53 at the dinner on campus.

Roz Miner MacKinnon had a great nine-day trip in June with granddaughters, 10 and 13, and spent four days at her “home away from home: Loulie’s.” They visited Alcatraz and Chinatown and enjoyed a barbecue with Loulie’s grandchildren before continuing on to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.

“At that point, we all had enough scenery; would love to do another trip, maybe without iPad, phones

Carole Marks Bobruff Scott lives in Mystic and has two grandchildren at KO -- one in Middle School and one in the Upper School. (She has 10 grandchildren in all, aged 3-25.)

Her syndicated radio show, “A Touch of Grey, the Talk Show for Grownups,” is heard on The Apple in New York City, KRLA in Los Angeles, and 60 other stations in the U.S., including Maui. She uses her maiden name: Carole Marks. Carole sat 50 feet from the President at his Inauguration, which she attended as a White House correspondent; “I couldn’t tell Beyonce was lipsynching,” she says, adding “I still fight ageism and sponsored a movie called ‘Get Real – Wise Women Speak,’ which features extraordinary older women who use their wisdom to make positive change in the world and encourages them to become mentors.” She missed reunion because she had a bone graft and her front teeth removed.

Molly Davis DePatie is an active volunteer at her church and in town.

She’s busy on the Board of “Staying Put in New Canaan,” which helps members with errands and odd jobs, organizes fun activities, and references to local companies providing services.

She also knits baby sweaters for “The Sewing Group” and plays tennis once or twice a week. Dick is busy as the administrator of their church and with the senior men’s club.

Barbara Star McBride Christie gathered with most of her six

kids and their families at Tahoe City in July for the wedding of her grandson, Matthew Davis.

She recommends If I Live to be 100 by NPR’s Neenah Ellis and a recent hilarious movie, “Parental Guidance.”

Sandra Gladstein Morrison says “Life is very good; lots of tennis, bridge and visiting kids and friends. Palm Desert is great in the winter. Luncheon for our 60th reunion was special.”

Page Phelps Coulter had a great time exploring Puerto Rico this past winter with Sarah and Wally Morrison. In September, she and her daughter Emilie hiked the coast of Cornwall, England, with a British group. Her children and grands are all thriving; they visited her in New Hampshire in August.

Loulie Hyde Sutro planned to spend October in Europe, starting in Istanbul, then boarding a Uniworld River Cruise in Bucharest that takes them to Amsterdam. “Our Ross, CA, tennis club pro, Jeff, happens to be from West Hartford! Our seven grandkids have been in clinics with him. When they mentioned their recent visit to New England, Jeff said he grew up on Orchard Road, and that his late father and my brother, Hobey, won many Hartford Golf Club tournaments. Hobey told me Jeff’s Dad was like a second father. As 9-year-old Kate said, “It’s a small world!”

I’m at the beach in Madison, watching Mother Nature as she batters our small beach, repositioning dunes and creating new sand bars. News about global warming is scary to me, as we are constantly alerted to events around the world. I enjoy visits to NYC for theater, often at Atlantic Theater, run by Faith’s son Neil Pepe. I see Wellesley classmates for concerts.

Here in town, my group -- Madison Cultural Arts -- runs two concerts

a year: one for the Fourth of July and another for the holidays. The July concert is a delightful Norman Rockwell scene: several thousand folk on blankets with picnics on the beautiful Madison Green, several orchestras, fife and drum corps.

My mother, in heaven, guarantees the weather. It’s a highlight of my year! My four middle-aged children -- two in California, one in DC, and one in CT -- are in touch frequently. Emily Hubbard, Ellen’s elder daughter, will graduate from Berkshire School in June. The college search has become so complex and pressurized; I’m happy that I am not in her shoes. Did any one of us attend a coed campus?

Wellesley, as a woman’s college, is seen as suspect. Oh, please! I appeared onstage at the Madison Beach Club Follies in a Downton Abbey skit. Need I mention that I played the Maggie Smith role?

How delicious. My companion is the best: a year-old calico cat. Doesn’t complain, is not a pest in bed.

OXFORD 1954 Pam Connolly Bartlett-Little Class Correspondent What wonderful visits I have had with you. Thank you. Mimi Ford Stahler called last night, and we talked about slowing down and playing bridge. She and Chris are still skiing and biking and were looking forward to a tour of Ireland.

Their kids are great; two are in high school and four are in college.

She said Gail Myers Rider and Bob stopped in last year for a quick visit. We agreed we grew up in the best of times.

Betsy Sisbower Bush and George are trying to sell their lovely historic house on the Rappahannock River in Virginia; it has become too much to maintain.

They hope to move west, nearer Betsy’s sister, and to a drier climate. They love the frequent ko fall 2013

visits from their beautiful 11-yearold granddaughter, Lisa Marie.

The Bartlett-Little families are thriving. Robert is married, and we have our first great-grandbaby, whom they call “V” because his full name is Robert Owen Neighbours V. Rob is with a financial services company in the Valley. Taylor is working at Price-Waterhouse in Los Angeles. Sarah is a realtor in the Farmington Valley. Callie is running a landscaping business with West, who is also an architect. Mitchell is in the bond business in California.

Bekah continues with her music.

Gordon’s daughter Ryan is a stellar hockey player, and Connor attends Eaglebrook School. I read, needlepoint, play bridge, walk the dog and write – thankful for all my blessings in friends and family.

We are so proud of Charlie and Molly Roraback’s son, Andrew Roraback. He fought a fabulous race for the U.S. House from a highly Democratic district in which it was hard for a Republican to make headway. The governor has just appointed him to a judgeship.

Their youngest is a teacher in Grosse Point, MI, and their other two sons are practicing law in Charlie’s office.

Marge Harvey Purves is creating yet another new non-profit, to mediate neighborhood and housing issues; ever-moving, Marge is always making a difference in our world. Her grand, Rodeo, is enjoying kindergarten. Jennifer is managing a hardware and housewares store near Marge.

Molly lives on the Vineyard and works for the Vineyard Film Festival.

Roxanne Richards Stringer is reading David McCullough’s books, currently Pathway Between the Seas, and loving the history he describes so beautifully.

His newest book about early

Americans in Paris is fascinating.

Rocky also plays a lot of bridge and is studying horticulture. We send our sympathy to Marge because her brother Donald died recently in Virginia. Rocky’s son Marc has just published a compendium of facts about cables and their functions, a handbook for architects. John and Gig are doing well, as is Rocky.

Caroline January continues to do “gentle yoga and Tai Chi” and goes to concerts with Priscilla Cunningham. She and Priscilla went to Old Saybrook, CT, for Henry Bakewell’s funeral. CJ recommends New York by Edward Rutherford; she also said The River of Doubt “reads like an express train.” Joints (not bars) are ongoing irritants!

Sue Safford Andrews wrote, “My Mom died last week at 102, a relief to all, including her, I am sure. That is too long to live without being able to do stuff. Ellie was the oldest living KO graduate.

Grandchild Emma is at Springfield College, grandchild Jacob at RPI, and now I am the shortest one in the family!”

Sherry Banks-Cohn and I had a wonderful visit recently. She said, “I have lost the love of my life, but we are all blessed by a wonderful blended family who all support each other in our loss of Robert.”

Sherry went to Palm Desert Lakes to visit friends for a week at the end of February. Friends are the best, are they not?

Sheila Hirschfeld Jacobs reports she and Bud are in great shape and that the kids are thriving. Sue and Sheila walk their dogs frequently at the reservoir.

“Six grandchildren (ages 5-15) means an ongoing schedule of sports events, school concerts, gymnastics competitions, etc.

However, Bud and I also take advantage of retirement to play

golf and ski when most people are working – a definite benefit (or maybe consolation) of having arrived at an advanced stage of life! So, now that we have all this acquired wisdom and experience, how come even the five-year-old leaves us in the dust when it comes to technology? I am now a board member for an inspired dance company called dancEnlight; it has an apt tagline: “Merging cultures through movement and the arts.”

I’ve also learned to play canasta – since it seemed sensible to know a card game for social acceptance, and bridge was definitely not doing it for me.”

We suffered another loss this year with the death of Patricia Hibben Loring – another cruel reminder of the fragility of our lives. Pat was a bright ball of energy with a kind heart, a great sense of humor and a positive spirit. In the words of Miss Wuori: carpe diem everyone, and be well.

Sandy Solly Utz wrote, “I had both cataracts done last November; I can now see forever, but need cheaters to read. I am downsizing here in Longmont to a much smaller space and no stairs! I am trying to weed out. What a job!

The dogs and I will stay in the Estes Park house until this one sells. Otherwise, all is well here.”

Ann Whitman Hackle has served for many years on the board of an old estate, “Lucknow,” and continues to fundraise for them with three art shows this year.

She and George have a new love, a lobster boat called “Fifty-Fifty,” which they share with their son Brad and his wife. “We spent a good amount of time out on the boat in Maine this past summer,” Ann said. “We had a memorable trip to Northeast Harbor in the fog. I am constantly grateful for George’s navigational skills!” Four 35

grandchildren and families are flourishing.

Oxford 1955

CLASS NOTES

This beautiful vase was crafted by Lisa Scoville Dittrich, who has found a new vocation as a dedicated potter after raising four children and working in schools until age 67.

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Sandy Sturman Harris wrote that “David, my dearest, passed away last October; he had been ill, especially the last few months of his life. I have been adjusting to singlehood. I am fortunate to have many friends who live in the area and belong to a very wonderful woman’s club, which has tons of activities that keep me very busy.

Next year I will be chair of a new committee there. I am still tapping (and loving it), and also playing bridge. I am doing lots of theater, movies and all the good exciting things that living in New York City offers. Best to you and hope all is well.”

Gail Meyers Rider and Bob are thoroughly enjoying their new retirement home in Naples, as well as their annual return to Otis, MA, to see old friends. Fortunately, their son and daughter open the house each summer. Jim is in Medway, MA, and his two children are at Union College, one a freshman and one a junior. Nancy’s son Tim is a senior at Bryant. He had an enlightening and worthwhile internship in Ireland. Daughter Megan graduated with a nursing degree from Northeastern and works in a New York City hospital for specialized surgery. Richard is the CFO of CA, a computer company.

I am thankful for all our blessings and sorry for all our losses.

Suzanne Hammond Corkin, a professor emerita at M.I.T., in May published Permanent Present Tense, about one of her patients, HM, who had experimental surgery by Dr. William Scoville in 1953 and lost his memory. Suzanne followed him for 46 years, testing his memory, and her research will benefit the neuroscience community.

Susanne Johnson Mann, who had a career as a teacher and a tutor, has settled near her daughter in Falmouth, MA, with her husband.

Her son will soon live nearby, as well.

Helen Brown Kleiner lives in the lake country near Zurich with her son. (Her husband died 10 years ago). Her daughter’s two sons work with her son in the technical fields. She is studying advanced Indo-European languages at the University of Zurich.

KINGSWOOD 1955 Donald Pearsall writes, “I’ve been retired for 10 years and live in a modest gated community in Hudson, FL. I hope to get in touch with some of my classmates.”

Jim Dorsey and Harriet recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. They moved to Charlotte, NC, in March 2012.

Fred Swan and Pat celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 14, 2012. In September 2012, they took their two sons and daughtersin-law to Paris and Amboise, France.

OXFORD 1955 Helene Liberson Keers Class Correspondent

OXFORD 1956

Lee Dauch Kramer has three sons and four grandchildren, and continued to work in real estate until age 72. Now she is enjoying retirement and her family.

As your new class correspondent, I must start out with special thanks to each of you for helping me reach my goal of hearing from almost all of our classmates. Kudos to each of you who took time from your busy lives to keep in touch!

Heidi Wood Huddleston Class Correspondent

Cynnie Kohn Hobart, still living in Missouri, says, “A little over a year ago, at my advanced age, I became a grandmother. Kathryn Hobart is a delight, and I get to play with her every week.” After living in a more rural setting and home-schooling (how I admire anyone who does that!), Cynnie now lives between Springfield, IL, and St. Louis. She volunteers at the Presbyterian church and keeps healthy through yoga, pilates, walking and eating well. Her mother, who died five years ago, and her sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer. As, a result, she is monitored often through the use of thermograms, also known as digital infrared imaging (DDI).

Betty Gordon, aka Elizabeth Gordon McKim, aka e/liz jazz poet of Lynn, MA, is still active in the poetry scene, doing performance/ spoken word/poetry and teaching in Lynn, throughout the Boston area, and beyond – including Sass, Switzerland, where she is poet laureate of the European Graduate School for Expressive Arts. Her daughter, Jennifer, is a reporter for the Boston Globe, and has two children who attend school in Brookline, MA, where Betty lived for decades before moving into her renovated artist’s loft (circa 1890) in Lynn that was once a storage facility for shoe-industry machinery. She loves the light and the music of her place and the vibrant arts community in this old industrial town. She still works with children as artist-in-residence and is a faculty member in Lesley University’s department of creative arts in learning. She treasures her closeness with her sisters, Mimo and Jennifer, both visual artists who live nearby.

Susie Taylor Smith writes that she and Phil are busy, happy and healthy. She is beginning to think it is time to move to a less drafty

Oxford 1955 Parker Anne Bryant, 8, is the adorable granddaughter of Helene Liberson Keers.

Parker is a straight-A student in a public magnet school in Chicago, where she lives with her parents – Helene’s daughter, Victoria, voluntary chair for the Parental Advisory Committee for the Chicago Public Schools, and her husband Joe, a set designer for NBC TV-Chicago. Helene and her husband Peter are retired.

house (built in 1767), but Phil has invested so many years in his gardens that they will have been there 50 years before long. Phil continues to read some 1,500 applications from international students for Williams. They were getting ready to visit a student from Botswana who is doing research at Georgetown Medical School; he and his wife were going to take Susie and Phil to a Kennedy Center performance. Music, it seems, is still the center of her life.

Eunice Strong Groark wrote they are well and happy. Tom is finishing his last year as president of the board of regents at the University of Hartford. Eunie still sits on one commercial board and is active with The Garden Club of Hartford and The Garden Club of America.

Their three daughters are well and busy with work and families.

They all live in nice places to visit – Wellesley, Chicago and Seattle.

The cousins all get to see one another during the summer, when the families visit the Groarks at the shore for six weeks. The dads commute as best they can.

Sally David Ardrey wrote from Delray Beach, FL, that she was “feeling wonderfully spoiled, as the weather has been great, wonderful swimming, delicious food, staying in a condo on the inland waterway ko fall 2013

just two blocks from the ocean.

What a way to celebrate my 75th birthday.”

I had a wonderful visit with Nancy “Boots” Edwards-Cogswell in Hilton Head last fall. She was visiting a friend she has known since second grade, and we all got together for dinner and the theater. Boots lives in Medford, OR, near Dick’s daughter. Although she misses her old home, she is pleased to live where there is good health care. She says Dick enjoys various community activities. Their son and daughter-in-law, who live in Asheville, NC, visited this past winter, and she and Dick were treated to a drive up to Crater Lake. Though the lake itself was inaccessible by car or foot and invisible due to windborne snow, it was nevertheless beautiful and a great field trip.

Trina Shaffer Beaghen sends greetings and is looking forward to getting together again. Her daughter, Kristen, who had been living with her while attending nursing school, has moved back to Connecticut. Trina and her sister, Lisa, enjoyed a wonderful trip to Rome and Paris in January.

Mary Ellen Blumenfeld Doyle extends an invitation to her web site -- www.medoylepainter.com

– where you can find her work, resumé and more.

Pat Hanson Rodgers and John recently visited friends in Arizona -a welcome break from snowstorms, including the blizzard. One son and his family were in Nicaragua on vacation, and Pat and John had just visited their younger son in NYC while the rest of his family was celebrating the Chinese New Year with relatives in LA. Sandy Travis Zieky wrote, “Our children are all happy and healthy and beginning to plan for college for our grandchildren! I am doing a fair amount of volunteer work, especially with the Farmington Valley Arts Center and Jewish Family Services.” Editors note: Sadly, we learned at presstime that Sandy’s husband, Cal, passed away on October 15, 2013.

Penny Rockwell Meek wrote that Tom had been hospitalized with a heart problem but that would hopefully soon return home from the rehab care facility.

Although this occupies most of her time, she still continues work with their 30-year-old spay and neuter organization for cats and dogs.

Their children and grandchildren are thriving and visit often. The house is hopping!

Jane Cady Fitchen says it was a busy year, politically, in Madison, WI, with huge protests at the state capitol, an unsuccessful effort to recall the governor, and two visits from President Obama. Family from Oregon, Minnesota, Kansas and Oman gathered briefly in July in upstate New York for a wedding.

Of six grandchildren, two are at the University of Wisconsin, one is at Carleton College, and one (a senior at the International School in Oman) was awaiting news from Williams, Boston University and Amherst. Her days are more

than ever devoted to caretaking two siblings who are no longer ambulatory and have multiple health issues. Her mental balance comes from tennis -- as much as “the old body” can stand.

Spine issues and a broken wrist (after a tumble on the court last fall) were cautionary, but she persists with the game and still enjoys USTA leagues. Jane still resists the unrelenting march of communicative technology and will not text, using her cell phone only for travel – though she’s note sure how long she can get away with that. She asks that if anyone gets near Madison, please speak up.

Pam Day Pelletreau wrote that she and Bob now live permanently in Woods Hole, MA, where they have long been summer residents.

The fresh air, the constantly changing natural beauty, and the chance to participate in planting (and weeding) give them great pleasure. Bob has found good tennis buddies, and the scientific institutions (Woods Hole Research Center, Marine Biology Lab, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA) provide considerable intellectual challenge. All three children are married and working: the youngest is in the Foreign Service in Tanzania, the middle in Brooklyn, and the eldest in Maine.

They also have six grandchildren, age 3-14. Pam says, “We count our personal blessings, but I am more than a little concerned about the state of our country.” She sends greetings and warm wishes to all.

Judy Faust Hopkins wrote that she and Steve have moved to a one-floor apartment after Steve’s spinal infection caused partial paralysis. He is doing much better, and they enjoy their new home.

Nancy Austin Reed wants, first of all, to thank Boots for the great job she did last year with alumnae notes. (I agree that the 37

fun part of the job is being in touch with classmates.) Nancy is #27 on the waiting list at Seabury, a local retirement and nursing facility.

She feels this gives her plenty of time to downsize if she does not procrastinate!

Jane Brandon Pfaff reminisces about doing the class correspondent job for years with Nancy A., and how much they enjoyed staying connected with our class. She reports that John continues to do well in the skilled nursing area at Seabury, which gives her great joy. She visits him every afternoon and stays through dinner, providing lots of time to smile and laugh and for her to tell him “news” of interest – like what is going on in the golf world!

CLASS NOTES

Sandy Martin McDonough is looking forward to retirement, perhaps in the next year. She has recently completed a deal involving a large custom aircraft. (Did you all know that Sandy is a pilot, among her numerous other attributes?) She continues to breed her beautiful dogs.

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In February 2012, Edie Wilcock Patrick picked up two cousins in Stockbridge, MA, and drove to Boston for a book party at the Massachusetts Historical Society for Natalie Dyktra’s biography of Clover Adams, who was Edie’s maternal grandmother’s aunt. They enjoyed dinner with a number of cousins and spouses. This was the first holiday season without her sister, Susie ’59, who was also her next-door neighbor. Edie spent three and a half weeks in Provence visiting her son’s mother-in-law and family. Her only regret was visiting without a sense of smell, which affects her taste as well. Her son Martin and his family still live in New Zealand, where they are permanent residents. She last visited them in September 2011, when Martin was recovering from open-heart surgery to repair two

valves. He is now well, but he and his wife have decided to divorce, something that was not a surprise to Edie. She is thankful they are putting her three granddaughters first.

Alice Butler Mendell, Lucy Read and I reunited this winter at Lucy’s place in Fort Myers Beach, to celebrate the 80th birthday of Alice’s husband, Seth. What a fun gettogether with so many laughs! Alice and Seth are “up to our eyeballs” as they start to clear out their home in Mattapoisett, MA, filled not only with their own things but also those of their mothers and an aunt. She says she hopes the emotional process will pay off once they are settled in the Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers. They plan to rent summers in Mattapoisett for as long as they can. Alice is involved in singing,

reading, FISH, Care and funeral support committees, waving signs for Elizabeth Warren’s U.S. Senate campaign, getting meals, keeping the books, paying the taxes, playing cribbage, gardening as her body dictates and, most enjoyably, being a grandmother. Her claim to fame is a photo this winter in the New Bedford Standard Times reading a story about a goose named “Petunia” to children at the Free Public.

Lucy Read enjoyed a small class reunion lunch in West Hartford with Boots, Eunie, Sandy Z., Nancy, Jane, Trina and Alice. Last summer she had a marvelous trip to Madrid and Barcelona with sons Patxi and Ralph and 17-year-old grandson Jeremy. They drove the back roads from Madrid to Barcelona, going through ancient villages, sleeping

Oxford 1957 Dr. Hilary Conway, daughter of Phyllis Fenander, married Dr. Joel Pearson in October 2012.

in a renovated castle, staying in a small hotel next to Salvador Dali’s private home in Port Lugat and enjoying a night in France on the Mediterranean. They also visited many relatives. The family will return this year to celebrate Patxi’s 50th birthday. Lucy and Dick traveled twice to Maine to visit his family, and Lucy had her hip replaced in September, from which she has recovered well.

As for your class correspondent, Heidi Wood Huddleston, I sold our home in Kentucky and will move into a brand-new townhouse in a lovely planned community. I am grateful I will no longer have the upkeep of the house – and especially the grounds. I will go back and forth often between here and Hilton Head. I had a lovely 17-day trip down the West coast of Florida and back up the East coast, where I had fun reunions with classmates – some for the first time in more than 50 years! It was odd making this trip without Joe, but it gave me confidence in forging ahead alone. I am blessed to have many friends, curiously mostly couples, who include me in everything. Kristina and Sophia, 9, will come over from Vienna to be with me most of July and August, during which time Kristina’s husband will visit for several weeks.

I may spend December over there with them, as I did a few years ago. Middle daughter, Lisa, visited oldest daughter, Johanna, at their Fort Myers place over spring break.

Lisa’s two children – Ryan, at Vanderbilt, and Alexandra, from upstate New York – spent Easter with me. Alexandra’s husband is in Afghanistan for six months, and she is working for her former Louisville employer until August, helping to open a new location. After getting a degree in exercise physiology, she has decided to go to nursing school, and will begin that degree after returning to Fort Drum in late summer. ko fall 2013

KINGSWOOD 1956 David Beizer writes from Avon, CT, “My wife Linda Barnett, Oxford ‘58, and I spent a delightful two months in Sarasota, FL. Life has been most pleasant, and we are both blessed with good health.”

OXFORD 1957 Phyllis Fenander Class Correspondent Interesting mail this time around about our not being Wyverns; when our aged classes “disappear,” everyone will be a Wyvern. The class responded with regret and sadness about the passing of Judy Lee Bleiler in July 2011. Linda Myers Boucher said: “Judy looked just as we remembered her – she was such a beautiful spirit!” Linda added that the winter of 2012 was particularly cold in Northern Maine; they are happy when the temp gets up to zero!

Elizabeth Abel Lane agreed that Judy “was blessed with her children and many grandchildren, and certainly had a passion for art and watercolors.” Elizabeth also said that she and Juliette live only about an hour and a half apart.

Deborah Bland Albert noted that Judy started Oxford with us in seventh grade – “so we go way back, don’t we?” Debby and I conversed by email over many issues: not being Wyverns, so many classmates far away making it hard to “reunite,” and no one at our 55th reunion. Maybe next time?

Ironically, I was in the area during reunion for the inurnment of my stepbrother, Graham Rowley.

“Life couldn’t be better!” So said Jill Williams after spending the summer in La Jolla, and then returning to Tucson for a threemonth art show starting Sept.

30, plus a seminar at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) titled

Oxford 1960 Mary Lew Stearns Kelly reports that she’s enjoying every bit of her retirement. Though she and her husband have not yet done much traveling, they do spend lots of time with their grandkids, including son Tim Kelly and family, pictured here. The family just participated in a halfmarathon for the benefit of Finn, 8 (far left), who has cerebral palsy. Tim, his wife Ellie, and Finn’s siblings (from left) Dillon, 17, Shane, 10, and Tatum, 15, organize “Find a Cure for Finn” fundraisers, and with the help of family and friends have raised more than $40,000 for the Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation.

“Writing Memoirs That Sell.” She’s also painting pet portraits. Send a photo to jill.williams123@yahoo.com.

And Anne Batterson is still writing books, running workshops and loving life. She reminisced about those at Duncaster (including my Mom) who knew David Owens as visiting minister from Old St. Andrews.

Another woman who can’t be kept down is Dede Stearns Hoffman, who’s been on peritoneal dialysis for a year, but after getting the prescription just right, cruised to Canada in October 2012. Then, blocked by Hurricane Sandy, she did not get to Bermuda, but docked in Boston! She made it home (by air), and will be off to Las Vegas in December and the Caribbean in March, all while keeping up with treatments.

Also incredibly busy is Martha Yost Newcomer, who is looking for a new venue for a water aerobics program, singing in two groups,= (managing one, librarian for another), gardening, and “skating stuff” – she and her daughter Julie are both involved in Skate America in October in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Our whole family gathered on Lake Michigan this summer. A very busy family! Elliot and I have just made the magical move to Kendal at Hanover, still sorting life’s accumulated belongings, meeting fascinating people, and realizing how small this world really is – and wishing the world would know that. Keep the news coming, “O” of “KO.” Anyone else want to be class reporter? Phyllis.

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who half the guys are -- LOL.) Sister Dinny, all the girls and the grandkids were at Hotel Duffield this past summer – a revolving door. Sarah now volunteers at the library.

Oxford 1959 Susan McClure Harris (far right) welcomed (from left) Julie Peck, Ellen Jones Wood, and Debbie Mahoney Swenson to her condo in Boca Grande in March.

OXFORD 1958 Sue Mather Dabanian Class Correspondent

CLASS NOTES

I hope that all of you on the East Coast survived this summer’s “wicked” weather. We in California have had a cooler-than-normal summer.

40

Blair Smyth Lang wonders, as I do, about some of our long-silent classmates. It would be fun hearing from BJ, Sue Shattuck Barry, Sherri Campbell Benton, Jerri Sessions Corby, Bunny Hara Gottlieb and Bev Crook Pikor, among others.

Sarah Duffield said they emerged pretty much unscathed from last winter’s storms, while other parts of Scituate were not quite as fortunate. When there are storms, Scituate seems to be on the national news a lot! She said it is always humbling to drive around town to see stonewalls crushed and houses and roads destroyed. Sarah said her dance card was pretty full this summer and asked if I remembered dance cards. Remember them? I still have them! (Of course, I don’t know

Lisa Shaffer Anderson and Dudley travel frequently to glass and ceramics conferences as well as museums that might be potential recipients of pieces from their collection. One of her best recent trips was to Ft. Lauderdale to see the new home of daughter Sarah, who’s looking for a job in international maritime law. Lisa and Dudley are currently involved in a huge project to preserve 29 sculptures (whirligigs), which will hopefully be put on permanent display in a downtown park.

Chatting with a new member at a recent board meeting, Lisa discovered that the man had just moved from Stratford Road in West Hartford, where Dudley grew up!

Carol McCrann Proom sold her condo in Bloomfield and moved to the McAuley in West Hartford. She is adjusting, and I’m sure is eating all kinds of wonderful meals. (Of course, I am in no way implying that your meals were anything short of wonderful – LOL.) Kids are all fine, all 14 grands are thriving. Carol enjoyed her usual summer on the island in Maine.

With sleet hitting the windows on the day she wrote, which was the first day of spring, Elise Hooker Sirman was preparing to fill the bathtub in case the power went out! She and David celebrated their 50th anniversary at their place in Vermont. Quiet time in West Hartford is rare with kids, grandkids and siblings all in a 15-minute radius! The trick is to keep the doors open and the refrigerator full.

Elise has leapt into the 21st century and is learning about tweeting, texting and apps from her 6-year-old grandson. (I’m still mired in the 20th

century without a smart phone; I always tell my granddaughters that I’m not smart enough for a smart phone.) Elise was in the middle of having the walls of her 200-year-old house sanded and replastered. Good luck, Elise!

Betsy Swinehart Riel has moved for the third (and final) time in less than a year (after being on the waiting list for two years). The place has only 45 units and is very quiet and peaceful. She has been walking for 45 minutes a day, which she says helps the pain in her knees. She enjoys being near her grandkids, the oldest of whom just turned 21!

“Regular” Penny Hoffman McConnel and Jim spent February and March in Carpenteria, CA, again this year. Her son and grandson came from France for two weeks in December, which was “delicious.”

They saw son John, who lives in Mill Valley, CA, when they were out here. John teaches English as a foreign language to Asian grad students at an art college in San Francisco. Pen mentioned that they saw a bobcat while hiking. Yes, we do live among the wildlife. We have jackrabbits, deer at our back fence, hear coyotes at night, etc. Penny spent a week in Scotland in August with son Peter and his son Luke, 4, who live in France. She still works in the Norwich bookstore, studies Italian, does yoga, and works in her garden.

Anne Van Winkle loves having her daughter and family (grandkids are 2, 5 and 9) only two hours away near Seattle, where they have a view of the Hood Canal. Anne is still very much involved with tennis and organizes the players for their daily games. Annie sent me a photo of Katherine; she looks so much like a young Annie, it is uncanny.

Katherine teaches Zumba in Seattle.

Liz Sexton Sgro spent a great Christmas with sons Gio (home from Italy) and Antonio (from Boston) and their girlfriends. I asked if she ever plans to retire.

Answer: When she returned home from a trip to Italy she found that her office had been enlarged and included a chandelier and wet bar.

She loves working in the office until 3:30, goes to the gym, then home for a glass of wine. “Who would ever retire from a place like that?” she asked.

I tracked down Sherri Campbell Benton while trolling Linked In! She remarried about 19 years ago to Allan Benton, and they live in Manhattan, with summer and weekend escapes to Long Island.

For the past 16 years, she has been a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman, specializing in co-op and condo sales, mostly on the Upper East Side.

Allan is in investment banking, specializing in private equity and mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry. Despite very busy schedules, they enjoy the stimulus of their work (most

of the time) yet still find time for golf and gardening. Sherri’s children -- Charles, 41, who is with an investment advisory firm; Marjorie, 39, an interior designer; and Campbell, 35, who has just completed his residency in dermatology-pathology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center – are all very close and enjoy wonderful times together. Allan and Sherri went to our 50th reunion but missed the class dinner due to bad weather and traffic. They missed seeing Linda and Dave Beizer but had a wonderful time at the home of Hobey and Debby Coleman Hyde ‘68. Sherri would love to see any classmates who visit New York.

As for me, I keep busy with gardening (aka “pulling weeds”), grandkids, aerobics, and now Zumba; the Zumba class is for seniors, but it is still quite a workout. Oldest granddaughter is thriving at Chico State (Dean’s List!) and is renting an apartment with two other girls this year. I’ve been teaching her how to cook.

Oxford 1959 Lynn Wilkie Murray, left, Linda Keristead Marth, and Zélie Calvocoressi Tourais had a great time catching up over lunch in August (though they missed Gail Appell Nickowitz, who chose the location but at the last minute was unable to attend).

ko fall 2013

Greg and I travel as much as we can; the last trip was three weeks in Venice, FL, on the gorgeous, warm (84 degrees) Gulf. We’ve decided that this year’s trip to Cape Cod was our last (after 14 years in the same cottage in East Orleans), as there are many other places on our bucket list and September is prime travel time. We’re already making plans for 2014!

News is welcome any time: sdabanian@gmail.com.

OXFORD 1959 Zélie Calvocoressi Tourais Class Correspondent Linda Kierstead Marth encourages classmates to check out www.carolynmeans.com, to learn more about Carolyn Means and her pottery. “About 15 years ago, Mother, my daughter and I visited Carolyn’s mother and stepfather in Fenwick and saw some of Carolyn’s early red pottery, which is also wonderful,” she said.

Susie Wilcox Patrick also visited Carolyn’s studio: “We had a great meal, and she gave me three of her pieces, which I still have; I love and covet each one.”

Adds Xanny Learned Preston: “I visited Carolyn at her studio in San Francisco several times. I was fascinated that she not only made amazing pots, but that she also took photography lessons so she create a portfolio for clients, including Gump’s! What a wonderful career she has made – and not right out of college.” In other news, Xanny reports that her sister-in-law, Anne, who lives in France, came to Washington, picked up Xanny and her new Westie puppy, Isabel, and along with two other Westies drove to Keene Valley, NY, to visit family and friends for three weeks. Back

in Washington, Xanny spends time in the garden with Izzy working on her house training.

Lynn Wilkie Murray sends this report: “At our age we should count ourselves fortunate if we still have the good health to pursue activities that are mentally and physically stimulating, and I am thrilled to be involved in endeavors that stretch me in both areas. Our gardens have become bigger than Bob and me, and we spend multiple hours each week working in them. I remain a regional representative for the National Garden Conservancy, and we recently we were honored to have our gardens featured on Fine Gardening’s web site.

My newest passion is dog training, which began four years ago with the addition of a wonderful but difficult Vizsla male puppy to our dog family. What began as an enrollment in puppy kindergarten has mushroomed into training in Obedience, Rally, Cross Training, Agility and Freestyle (dancing to music with your dog – and you know I am a tap dancer)! I am at the training facility three to four days a week with Tor, so Bob has renamed my facility “Tails-U-Win, Husbands-U-Lose”! Having said that, he has admitted considerable pride in Tor and me; this weekend, we earned our Novice Agility titles, as well as three first places in both Standard and Jumpers. I also now train with our new Miniature Pinscher, rescued from the beach in Costa Rica in March. (We still have Wynnie, our Terrier mix rescued from that beach 14 years ago.) And, we have temporary possession of my daughter’s 1-year-old flat-coated retriever, as her family has moved to London for three years following her promotion at Glaxo Smith Kline. My kitchen looks like a kennel. And, yes, I am 72 and still tap dancing with my soon-to-be 95-year-old teacher 41

KINGSWOOD 1959

Kingswood 1959 and 1968 Brothers Steven Martin (left) and Dr. Jeffrey Martin enjoyed a round of golf at the Quarry Course of Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, FL.

CLASS NOTES

who taught me for 10 years as a child! What can be better than that?”

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Susan McClure Harris writes: “Tony and I are both well and still travel quite a lot. This past year, we escaped the bad weather in Boca Grande. We both play bridge, read, and play golf and tennis; in FL, Tony also fishes, and I walk and do water aerobics. In the fall of 2012, we spent six weeks in London, Antibes and Tuscany. We also travel with our couples’ bridge group – this past year to the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI, and to East Boothbay Harbor, ME. We went farther up in Maine to see David and Charlotte Buck Miller and Julie Peck. One grandson is a sophomore at Wake Forest, the second a sophomore at BC High and the third will start there next year.

Daughter Sarah and family came to Duxbury in the summer for a few weeks, and we visited them in San Francisco in May before continuing on to New Zealand for a short visit.

My book, Duxbury in Bloom, has made over $35,000 for my brother’s charity Crossroads for Kids since its publication last year. Thanks to all who bought a copy! Life is good!”

After 23-plus wonderful years at Texas Children’s Hospital, I have decided to retire. I am looking forward to the next stage in my life.

From Richmond, VA, Bancroft Greene writes: “I’m enjoying my pastoral counseling, work with the Virginia Treatment Center for Children and S.A.F.E., as well as my Boaz and Ruth ministry for felons.

I’m awaiting the birth of a second grandchild!”

She and Ed continue to enjoy good health and soaking up the Arizona sunshine during the winter, and reconnecting with family and friends in Washington during the spring, summer and fall. She keeps busy with her flowers, reading and watching the stock market (she took some classes in trading). She sends her best to all.

KINGSWOOD 1960 Tim Curtis reports that he loves retirement but has a hard time believing he has a 20-year-old granddaughter!

OXFORD 1960 Jane Anderson Innerd Class Correspondent Jennifer Ripple Akridge emailed from Fountain Hills, AZ, during a reunion with three “sisters” who share a special bond and gather from time to time to live, laugh and just be together. “You know -- ‘BFFs,’” she writes. Husband Ed held down the fort at home with Jazzy, their 9-lb. charcoal toy poodle.

Jennifer and Ed enjoy the Arizona winter in Yuma and return to Washington in mid-April. She had a fun visit in January with her daughter, Anne and grandchildren, Zac, 9, and Piper, 7, in Crestview, FL. Her son, Linc, and his wife, Cara, work for Amgen and live in Firestone, CO. Linc plays hockey in his free time and competed at the end of March in a tournament in Vancouver, BC, where Jennifer joined them and enjoyed seeing Linc, a goalie, play for the first time.

In May, Jennifer visited a friend in Kalispell, MT, in May for a few days. They went to Glacier National Park, one of her favorite spots; she and her children used to vacation there after they moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1971. She planned to return to Kalispell in late August with another friend.

Barby Hamilton Almy’s daughter, Kate, 29, is engaged to Chris Bane (also from Manchester); they will be married in September. A fashion model and actress, Kate graduated from Boston University. The couple lives with Barby currently, but will move to Beverly Farms, five minutes from Barby’s house, once their condo is ready. Son, Nick, 26, is living at home and looking for full-time work after multiple part-time jobs in a tough economy. He was a math and economics major at Wheaton College and graduated just as the bottom fell out of the economy.

Barby enjoys having them with her.

“Nothing like delaying the empty nest for a few years,” she says.

Her stepchildren and five lovely stepgrandchildren live in Providence, RI; Petaluma, CA; and Salem, MA.

Oxford 1960 Zac, 9, and Piper, 7, the happy grandchildren of Jennifer Ripple Akridge, visit the Cat in the Hat at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.

Weddings KO 1996

KO 2000 Alison Rau married Mark Villani in Elizabeth Park on June 15, 2012, in a ceremony officiated by KO English teacher Lud Baldwin, who had been Alison’s advisor and drama teacher. Given away by her parents, Alison had her brother, Dylan Rau ’03, as “best person.” KO guests who celebrated with the couple included Mariah Klaneski-Reisner (and her husband, Sam and baby Aviva), retired KO English teacher Bob Googins and his wife Carol, Drew Briggie and his family, and Lex Pepe ’03, in addition to Mr. Baldwin. The couple now lives in New Haven; Mark works for the Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts and Alison has performed legal research for the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Caroline Nguyen and Dan Gien were married on Feb. 2, 2013, in the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC. Their wedding party included Liza Murcia as maid of honor and Alex Nguyen ’95, a member of KO’s Board of Trustees. A few months after the wedding – which was featured in the “Vows” section of The New York Times – the newlyweds moved to Southeast Asia, where Caroline is an Associate for McKinsey & Company in Hanoi and Dan is an Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel for JPMorgan Chase in Hong Kong.

KO 1995 Lots of Wyverns were around on Sept. 8, 2012, when Josh Benet and Carrie Spittler were married in Quechee, VT. Guests included (back row, from left) Krista and Will Porter, Steve Kraus, Mike Grossman, and Ben Terry. Seated next to the newlyweds are Jessica Caley Rice ’94 and Bob Rice ’93; since 2009, Bob and Josh have been partners in Harvest Wealth Management, a financial planning and investment management firm. Josh and Carrie, a physical therapist specializing in geriatrics, live in Needham, MA.

KO 1995 After Ben Terry and Kara Nance were married in July 2012, they were led back up the aisle by Kara’s daughters Kelly, 7 (left) and Logan, 9. They were expecting another daughter to join the family in September. KO guests at the wedding in Powhatan, VA, included Ben’s dad, Kink Terry ’64, uncles David Terry ’62 and Chris Terry ’70, aunt Diane Terry, and his sister Lida Terry Mullarkey ’98, as well as Mike Grossman, Josh Benet, Steve Kraus, and Bill and Karin Stahl, parents of the late Kristina Stahl. Kara is a fifth-grade teacher, and Ben is in his 12th season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (the Double-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants). The family lives in Glen Allen, VA. k o fall ko fall 2013

KO 2006 Kevin Thorson was surrounded by Wyverns on July 27, 3013, when he married Kate in Franconia, NH (from left): Will Beller, Tom Quish ’08, Kyle MacDonald, Stephen Quish, Thorson, Sarah Quish ’02, and Kaitlin MacDonald ’10.

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Barby is co-owner of a fine art gallery in Manchester (www. beachstreetstudios.com) and does photography there. She is also on Facebook as “Bird Almy.”

Involvement with Appleton Farms in Ipswich, community work in Essex County; and her new labradoodle puppy, Roo, also keep her busy.

KO 1984

CLASS NOTES

After graduating from UConn, Ted Drinkuth said he realized his passion was carpentry.

He recently started his own master carpentry/general contractor business, focusing on kitchen and bathroom remodeling (www.teddrinkuth. com). He lives in Storrs, CT with his wife, a UConn professor, and two daughters.

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Prilla Smith Brackett writes, “We celebrated several happy events in 2012: the finalization of the adoption of Marley (sister to Yandel) by our son Ethan and Dave, and the birth of Elowen (sister to Petra) to our son Matthew, 38, and Karley. We get so much joy from these little people, and are happy that the next generation is complete. A major worrisome event was the discovery of metastasized cancer (from colorectal cancer successfully treated in January 2012) in Matthew’s liver. He had a complicated and successful surgery in early March, and will continue chemo. We are hopeful for a complete recovery, and are focusing on good times together as a family.” Prilla adds that she and George continue to be blessed with good health, close and frequent contact with their children and grandchildren, and the ability to pursue their work, cultural interests and travel. Her grandchildren are now ages 1, 1½, 3 and 6½. Their most recent trip was with Overseas Adventure Travel to Morocco, where the highlight was two nights camping in the Sahara Desert. Prilla says she’s looking forward to spending a week with my husband and me at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. Prilla ended her email to me by saying that she is distressed by the paralysis in Congress and the shocking, growing gap between the very poor and the very rich.

Nan Sunderland Brown and her husband Peter just love Oxford, England. They will return to study

there for two weeks in the fall. Nan feels this gives her the chance to really apply the study habits that were ingrained at Oxford School.

She plays tennis and golf and is a docent at their art museum, but during the past year she has rediscovered her love for the piano.

She has a wonderful teacher -- a young man who seems to enjoy having a student whose parents are not making her play! Nan still designs and makes jewelry, but finds the price of gold staggering -- even though she buys direct from a refinery. She says she should have chosen pottery. Their children – age 43, 45 and 47 -- will join Nan and Pete for their annual “Sibs’ Weekend;” the spouses and eight grandchildren have their own long weekend together. Everyone has fun. Nan says she doesn’t think 70 is old anymore; now, 80 is old! Just before submitting my news I had an email from Nan. She and I love English murder mysteries on TV, especially “Inspector Morse” and “Inspector Lewis.” Last year, when she and her husband were in Oxford, the last “Inspector Lewis” was being filmed, and Kevin Whately, who plays Lewis, came over to where Nan was watching to say hello. She says she was tonguetied! They are going to Oxford again this fall to study Winston Churchill.

She expects to see one or two of the new “Downton Abbey” episodes on their little dorm TV because, as she says, the Brits get to see it before we do.

Mary Lew Stearns Kelly and her husband spend lots of time with their grandkids. Most recently, they had their youngest for two weeks.

He is a running, jumping 14-monthold who NEVER stops. He is their daughter Bridget’s fifth child.

Sue Matorin and her husband spent a week in Cuba with the American Orthopsychiatric Association, a wonderful group

of interdisciplinary colleagues from around the United States.

She learned that Cuban health professionals accomplish so much despite difficult conditions (inadequate access to state-ofthe-art medicines, erratic Internet service, etc.). She and her husband balance very hectic careers with travel to Europe, visits to their screenwriter son in Los Angeles, and much opera.

Gay Wilcox Squire reports that she and Roger still enjoy their B&B business and continue to play bridge, and Gay has recently reconnected with Vassar roommates through her involvement with her 50th college reunion committee. Gay and Roger are blessed with good health, two wonderful sons and two amazing grandchildren, as well as a wonderful place to live and many good friends. This past spring Gay and a friend went to France. They began their wonderful holiday with two nights in Paris. Their boutique hotel was on the Left Bank, a block from the Seine and within walking distance of Saint Chapelle, where they attended a concert of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” They then took the high-speed train to Lyon and, after a night there, got on a riverboat and spent three days going down the Rhone, stopping at Avignon and the Camargues. Next was Marseille, where they picked up a car and drove leisurely toward Nice. They stopped for three nights at an enchanting B&B in Tourrettes Sur Loup, which is just about her favorite town in Provence. While there, they took day trips to St. Paul de Vence, Garde and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat.

Jane Keller Herzig and I talk on the phone frequently. She is busy with her artwork and her three grandchildren. Dotty Mooney McAlenney said she and Ed love their life at Jonathan’s Landing

in Jupiter, FL. Their son Morgan (KO ’88) and his wife Krista live in Darien, CT, with Luke, 8, and Paige, 5. Their son Peter (KO ’90) and his wife Judi live in Danville, VT, with Sarah, 11, Katie, 9, and Molly, 8. Their son John (KO ’95) and his wife Athena (KO ’97) live in Westport, CT, with Dotty’s youngest grandchild, Charlie, 2. She says that they are so happy to have everyone on the East Coast after a long time.

On behalf of our class I offer congratulations to Cindy Baird Roberts and her husband Michael (Kingswood ’59) on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in September. Cindy wonders if others in the class have already passed this milestone. Please let us know!

Barbara Hartman Tucker still lives in Paris, although she does return to the States often. She is now vice chair of Democrats Abroad France and is still the political director for Capitol Voice.

Her family is healthy, happy and active.

This summer I have been teaching an English course at the University of Windsor. I love being here in the summer and prefer to wander off in the spring or autumn. This past May, Wilf and I flew to Edmonton, Alberta, where our son picked us up and drove us to Vancouver.

Driving through Jasper National Park was magnificent. In the Columbia Ice Field we walked right up to the edge of the Athabasca Glacier. Andrew lives in Vancouver, and we enjoyed meeting his friends and seeing the local sights, such as Stanley Park and Grouse Mountain, where we watched two 1,000-pound bears “playing” in their reserve. It was like watching my two grandsons tumble about.

In June I spent a wonderful week in Pompano Beach, FL, with my daughter Charlotte. ko fall 2013

I am always glad to hear from anyone in our class. Please don’t wait for my email if you have news or photos to share.

OXFORD 1961 Yvonne Chabrier writes from Newburyport, MA, “Still savoring the pleasures of reconnecting at our 50th reunion. Continuing to take photographs, make paintings and write memoirs, as well as do volunteer work as a mediator and take trips. So grateful to be alive and in good health.”

OXFORD 1962 Virginia Means Giddens and Anne Spencer Class Correspondents Only four classmates -- Carly Nichols Detwiller and husband Chip; Jane Talbot Marshall and husband Rob, Kingswood ’60; Anne Spencer; and Ginny Means Giddens – attended our 50th reunion, but we had a great time being together and sharing with lots of Kingswood ’62 alumni.

Jane Bartels has recently published Broken Promises, a book about her 20-year struggle with alcoholism and bulimia, and her subsequent recovery, reconciliation with her five children and successful career as a psychotherapist in Madison, WI. Sadly, Jane recently lost her beloved husband, Don Nichols, a distinguished economist and professor. We all send her congratulations on her courageous book and profound condolences for her loss.

Betsy Cook Morgan continues to work part time in nursing in Rutland, VT. She has two adult children (son Chris, an orthopedic surgeon in New Jersey, and daughter Heather, mother of three children). Betsy and her husband enjoy spending time in their second

home on Lake Champlain as well as hiking in foreign lands, most recently Wales and France.

Jane Talbot Marshall and her husband Rob (Kingswood 1960) still live in Hudson, OH. They have two adult children: Carrie, who lives in Leadville, CO, with her husband and 2-year-old daughter and teaches at an environmental semester school, and Silas, a doctor who is finishing a year’s fellowship in orthopedic trauma in San Francisco; he and his wife have a 2-year-old daughter and a son on the way. Visiting them, as well as Jane’s 93-year-old mother, keeps Jane and Rob busy. They also enjoy skiing, gardening, playing tennis and taking care of their 170-year-old house. They spend every September on Fisher’s Island, where they see Rob’s Kingswood buddies Tom Moran ’60, Francis Pandolfi ’61 and Tim (Charlie) Shepard ’60.

Last September they hosted Carly Nichols Detwiller and her husband, Chip. Carly still works as a travel consultant. She and Chip led a group last fall down the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam. They have two adult children: Chad, a filmmaker; and Kimberly, a teacher and mother of two. Carly and Chip are devoted grandparents to Abby, 8, and Lily, 6, who live close by.

Karen Koury Gifford divides her time between New York City and Redding, CT, when she isn’t travelling to exotic lands. She recently visited Turkey and Jordan, where she particularly enjoyed Petra and spending a night in the desert in a bedouin tent. She also serves on the board of the Redding library.

Ginny Means Giddens loves living in the Berkshires. She volunteers often with her church, tutors a GED student, participates

in foster care reviews and serves on the board of the Edith Wharton home (The Mount). In May 2012 her mother Virginia Grant (Oxford ’35) died at 94, and in March 2013 her stepfather Ellsworth Grant (Kingswood ’35) died at 95, so she has recently been using her legal training to deal with estate matters.

From Philadelphia, Susan Tucker Wortman reports that her daughter Alison was married on March 2 and has a busy psychotherapy practice in Philadelphia. Daughter Moriah and her husband, Senate, live in Baltimore, where Senate attends law school. They have two children, Shawn, 3, and Seniah, an infant. Daughter Bethany is an obstetrician-gynecologist living in Warwick, RI. Alison’s wedding provided the opportunity for a Tucker family reunion. Susan writes, “All sisters, partners, children and spouses gathered in the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park and had a BALL. We love being together; a rare thing these days, since we are so spread out. My sister Judith’s son came all the way from Cairo!”

Joanne Stearns Bassett reports that “she and Clay are great!”

Their three children, Clay Jr., Krista and Kim, have given them nine grandkids, ages 6-14. Jo has taught high school math for 35 years.

Clay tried retirement, but it didn’t last. He now works in Greenwich, staying with either Krista or Clay Jr. during the week, and traveling back to West Simsbury on the weekends.

Barbara Roberts lives in Dallas, although (like me) she still loves West Hartford. She has three children (two sons and a daughter, who is handicapped and living in a state school). Her younger son, Jason, has three kids and lives nearby. Her older son has two boys 45

and lives in New Hampshire. Barbie has had some health issues and lives alone, but she does have a special man in her life now.

Mary Foote Rounsavall has lived in Louisville for 45 years.

She and Bob have two children, both nearby, which makes it easy to see grandchildren Lili, 4, and Henry, 1. Mary is very involved in her community and has been on the board of the Yew Dell Botanical Garden for 12 years. They still go to Connecticut in summer. We reminisced about our senior class party in Branford!

CLASS NOTES

Elizabeth Nicoll Walker was so disappointed that health issues made is impossible for her to attend our 50th. She and Dick have moved into an apartment without steps.

Betsy had her third heart attack in January while visiting their daughter, Anne, and unfortunately, also broke her ankle. Her children have all moved out of Richmond, but they rally around when help is needed. Betsy and Dick have eight grandkids, ages 9-15.

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Hester Duffield Wolf and her husband of 18 years live in a retirement community in Jacksonville, FL, along with her baby -- a black cat named Onyx. She reports that she’s “alive, well and happy,” and would love to have visitors!

Barbara Yellin has lived in New York City for more than 40 years, has never married, is retired and has two cats.

Anne Spencer moved back to Naples, FL, in September 2011.

She says: “I’m a New Englander at heart. My girls are in the Northeast, so I rent in Maine in the summer so I can spend time with them and my four granddaughters, ages 8-12. I love doing renovations. Last spring,

it was my kitchen; this spring, it’s my master bath. I had a great time at our 50th. There were only four Oxford, but 20-plus Kingswood boys, many of whom I hadn’t seen since elementary school. It’s nice to reconnect with others who share the same memories!”

Thanks to all who provided updates; we hope to hear from more classmates next time! -- Ginny and Anne

OXFORD 1965 Lynne Lumsden writes from West Hartford, “I’m loving my new job at Nordstrom Rack. I got promoted to ‘Lead’ in the kids’ department. Come shop with me!”

Virginia Blick Benedict writes, “I live in Atlanta. I’m an elementary school teacher working with ESL (English as a Second Language) kids. Soon will be a first-time grandma – can’t wait.”

KINGSWOOD 1962 From Robert Murphy: “We have permanently moved to Savannah, GA, but make frequent trips North to see our family for birthdays and to share a cooler summer.”

OXFORD 1966

KINGSWOOD 1963

Leslie Chorches Weinstein writes, “I’m still in West Hartford with Richard, my husband of 42 years. We have four grandchildren -two girls in West Hartford, and two boys in San Francisco.”

Brewster Boyd Class Correspondent

KINGSWOOD 1966

Much happens in a half a century, and at our 50th Reunion there were more than a few instances of classmates’ seeing each other for the first time since our graduation walk down the Green in 1963.

Twenty-two of our 38 surviving classmates (58%) participated in the reunion.

Highlights included the Thursday golf dinner at Batterson’s, the Friday breakfast in Simsbury for those rained-out golfers, and the “reacquainted” dinner Friday night at Avon Old Farms Hotel with OB (Bob O’Brien) representing our fabulous teachers and coaches.

Saturday’s festivities included the award ceremony, lunch and campus tours, and dinner joined by our Oxford sisters at Alumni Hall. KO did a wonderful job making us feel so welcome. While we may have given the school some cause to question if we would ever grow up and be somewhat productive citizens, I think they were pleasantly surprised at how we turned out!

From Kula, HI, Arthur Rautio reports that he was back in CT for a death in the family, and Hurricane Sandy delayed his return to HI. He spent a month in Thailand before Christmas.”

KINGSWOOD 1968 David Watters was elected to the New Hampshire State Senate last fall. He also serves on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and continues to teach American literature at the University of New Hampshire.

KINGSWOOD 1969 E. Hunt Bergen IV writes from Walpole, MA, “Our two oldest children are getting married next year. Still working at Analog Devices.”

OXFORD 1970 Betsy Rockwell Booth Class Correspondent Nancy Wood lost her father, William H. Wood, Jr., in early March. Our thoughts are with Nancy and your family.

Bib Babies!

KO 1991 If his dad, Brett Rubin gets his wish, Zachary Cooper Rubin will be “striking out AOF hitters from the KO pitcher’s mound in 2028!” Zachary was born to Brett and his wife Laurie on June 19, 2013, in NYC.

KO 1996 Holden Max Lett, born Dec. 19, 2012, is the newest member of Jami Silver’s family. She and her husband, Chris Lett, and their firstborn Simon, 3, have lived in Simsbury for the past four years.

Jami is the Associate Director of College Guidance for Loomis Chaffee.

k o fall ko fall 2013

KO 1995 Calliope Viola Campbell, daughter of Stefania Tarantello Campbell and her husband, Grege, was born April 18, 2013. The Campbells live in Newington, CT.

KO 2002 Victoria Rose Vargas, born on Nov. 7, 2012, is the first child for Beth Talbott Vargas and her husband, Jose. The family lives in Cromwell, CT.

Share Your News!

We’d love to receive your wedding photos, new baby pics, and any other news you’d like to share with your fellow Wyverns. Please write to Advancement Associate Meghan Kurtich (kurtich.m@k-o.org). We would love to send a bib to every future Wyvern we hear about!

KO 1998 Lilah Rae Giguiere, daughter of Erin DuFresne Giguiere and her husband, Ryan, was born on May 4, 2013. The family lives in Canton, CT.

KO 2003 Tipping the scales at 9lbs, 6oz. and 22 inches long, Brielle Rose Marshall was born July 31, 2013, to Kristen and David Marshall. The family lives in West Hartford. Dave works as a tennis professional at Farmington Valley Racquet Club during the indoor season and as the Director of Tennis at Shuttle Meadow Country Club during the outdoor season.

Kristen is a Pediatric Registered Nurse at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

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Oxford 1970 History buffs and friends (from left) Nancy Wood (West Hartford), Kate LeRoyer (Freeport, ME), Priscilla Wilcox (Newton, MA), Wendy Brown Lincoln (West Hartford), Nan Putnam (New London, NH), Betsy Rockwell Booth (Harwinton, CT) and Martha Spaunburg Church (West Hartford) reunited on a field trip to Lowell, MA, in March.

After reading a novel about Lowell, its place in the Industrial Revolution, and the lives of the women who worked in the mills, the group met at the visitors’ center at 9:30am and spent the day touring the city, its mills and boarding houses, and did a lot of catching up. They plan a repeat performance – and would welcome the company of other classmates, as well.

KINGSWOOD 1971 David Maloy sends greetings to all!

OXFORD 1972

CLASS NOTES

Diane Adinolfi Gent Class Correspondent

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Kate Newell Chiodo retired on March 31 from the probate court system, and looks forward to spending more time with family and friends. She lives in Windsor, CT. Mavis Donnelly writes, “All is joyous with my 31 pups, psychiatric practice and profound gratefulness.”

Linda and Cathy Langdon Russell played in a member/guest golf tournament together at Sankaty Head on Nantucket in July. There were no winners, but they had a great time and are looking forward to playing again next year.

Mindy Rosow McKinstry reports that she is now an empty nester and enjoying it! Her daughter Danielle is

a junior and son Zachary a freshman – both at UConn in Storrs.

I have done quite a bit of traveling this year -- Florida, Mexico, Ireland, and Paris! An unusual year, but lots of fun. I am no longer an empty nester (and loving it!), as my daughter Kacie (KO ’08) is living at home while she attends UConn Law School. I would love to hear from more of you! If you have any news, please contact me at dag1461@aol.com.

KINGSWOOD 1972 The summer issue of Green Door magazine includes “Castle in the Hudson,” an article and photographs

by Bob Dimmitt about the history and current state of Bannerman Castle, a historic site located on an island in the Hudson River near West Point. More of Bob’s photographs can be found at www. rbdimmitt.com.

Produced by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz, the movie follows the stories of eight families struggling in the aftermath of the Great Recession at the end of the last decade and the beginning of this one. Chuck was one of several experts interviewed for context about the impact on the families caught in today’s financial undertow.

KO 1976 Tulasi Hosain writes, “I live in Sausalito and Sonoma, CA with my husband and 9-year-old daughter.

Please call if you’re out this way.”

Michael Alberts still lives in Woodstock, CT with his son, Zack, and daughter, Cleo. He is a senior vice president of commercial lending at Simsbury Bank and was just re-elected to a fifth term as state representative.

KINGSWOOD 1973

KO 1982

Chuck Sheketoff appeared in “American Winter,” an HBO documentary that aired last March.

“Shield & Dragon and cafeteria food – my kids are experiencing my life,” says Lynn Mather Charette

KO 1987 Jim and Cindy Lipman Mill live in Eden Prairie, MN, with their three daughters, ages 10, 12 and 14. Jim is an assistant general manager with the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League, and Cindy does literary outreach with author Mary Pope Osborne.

KO 1988

Oxford 1972 Diane Adinolfi Gent, left, and Diane RisCassi McAndrews were treated like royalty when they visited Linda Davis McElderry at her beautiful home in Sarasota, FL, in April. Says Diane Gent: “Linda’s husband Jack was a great sport about listening to three high school friends reminiscing until all hours of the night! We plan to make this an annual event -- just kidding, Linda!”

of West Hartford, who has two children at KO and one who graduated from Avon Old Farms.

“How did time go by so fast?”

Bill Donahue, a freelance writer in Portland, OR, recently won a gold medal for adventure writing in the esteemed Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Awards.

His award-winning story, which ran in the November 2012 issue of Wired magazine, described the experiences of six astronauts who spent 520 days holed up in a basement in Moscow as they simulated a mission to Mars. Visit www. wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ ff_marsmission/ to read the piece.

KO 1984 Andrea Banbury writes, “After three and a half years in Hong Kong, we have moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where my husband, Alex, has opened an office for Permasteelisa, an engineering company. We are slowly settling into life here. My daughters, Emilia, 12, and Quincy, 10, attend an IB international school, where they ko fall 2013

continue to study Mandarin and are beginning to study Vietnamese. Feel free to contact me (coxbanbury@ gmail.com) if you’re traveling in Southeast Asia.”

KO 1985 Jill Pollack Lewis is a nationally known organizational expert whose advice often appears in newspapers and magazines. The host of HGTV Canada’s “Consumed,” a one-hour show in which she transforms lives by de-cluttering, she has also appeared on “Anderson Cooper Live,” “The Dr. Oz Show,” “Dr. Drew’s Life Changers,” and “The Tyra Banks Show,” and works with private clients like Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Jennifer Tilly.

Previously, Jill was a producer on other TV shows, including “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and “The Sally Jessy Raphael Show.” Jill and her husband recently moved back to West Hartford, the base from which she works and travels to Vancouver, where her show is taped. In March, she emceed a cocktailparty fundraiser for The Town That Cares, which assists West Harford residents in need.

Two classmates have recently excelled in competitions at the Hartford Golf Club. Laura Flynn Baldini, longtime women’s tennis champion at the club, took first place in the club’s women’s 18-hole club championship this summer. Gil Keegan also proved himself a top performer in two different sports last year: he was the men’s golf champion as well as the runner-up in the men’s A singles bracket in tennis.

KO 1991 Scott Fairbairn has been the general manager of the Tampa Yacht and Country Club in Tampa, FL, for the past seven years. His daughter Katie is 6, and his twin boys Ryan and Taylor are 3.

KO 1995 Will Porter and Will Rubinow have partnered with NBA AllStar Ray Allen in launching the Personal Golf Network, an online social community dedicated to golf. Members can share golf news, photos, course reviews, scores, and even sell golf equipment for cash. Visit www. personalgolfnetwork.com to create a free account and then join the KO group page.

KO 1999 Brian Talbott and his wife, Christine, welcomed Sarah Grace on Oct. 1, 2012. She joins Brianna, 6, and Caleb, 4.

KO 1985 Dr. Beth Hirschfeld (left) and Amy Kraczkowsky Hull visited the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, Ireland, in August 2012. A veterinarian in South Florida who treats wildlife and does veterinary acupuncture, Beth works with panthers, black bears, raptors, otters, bobcats and other native Florida wildlife, as well as some lions and tigers. Beth also enjoys kayaking and hiking – she and her boyfriend did two sections of the Appalachian Trail during the past year – and flying: Two days after her 45th birthday, she earned her private pilot’s license.

KO 2000 In January 2013, Connecticut State Rep. Matt Ritter was named vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee by Speaker of the House-designate Brendan Sharkey.

The Judiciary Committee has oversight of state criminal law and all matters relating to the judicial branch. On April 5, 2013, Matt and his wife, Dr. Marilyn Katz, welcomed their new son Jack Anson Ritter.

KO 2004 Zack Hyde is now a special assistant to Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, with primary responsibility for staffing. Zack had previously served as the governor’s scheduler.

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David Sherfinski, a Congressional reporter for the Washington Examiner, interviewed Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America on C-SPAN in April.

KO 2006

KO 1988 Seth Nareff sends this photo of his “new office in the oil fields of Montana and North Dakota.”

Sarah Mather graduated from Suffolk University Law School and says she is excited to begin her litigation career in Connecticut.

Shadya Sanders is finishing a master’s program in atmospheric sciences at Howard University.

KO 2007 Michael Collins graduated from Princeton University in 2011 with a major in anthropology and certificates in African studies and Black history. He lives in Chicago and is doing a series of Princeton Fellowships in the nonprofit area.

KO 2008

CLASS NOTES

John Clarke graduated from Endicott College with honors in May 2012.

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Sarah Sena Fontaine is married to Daniel Fontaine, who was her date at the KO senior prom, and they have two children: Carter, 3, and Oliver, 5 months. She is finishing her last semester of nursing school and will earn a BS in nursing with a minor in biology.

KO 2009 Melissa Collins graduated in May 2013 from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a concentration in songwriting. Her immediate plans are to explore music opportunities in Europe.

Jillian Sandler was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa just before her May 2013 graduation from Connecticut College.

KO 1990 Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and Athletic Director Sue Cabot thank Jo-anne Alissi Cosgriff, MD for serving as the keynote speaker at KO’s Athletics Open House for prospective students in November 2012.

Cosgriff, known as “Joey,” played soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey at KO, and was named MVP of all three sports her senior year. An All-American lax player as a junior and senior, she received the Robert Lazear Award for her competitive spirit and dedication to KO athletics.

She went on to play hockey and lacrosse for Harvard University, where she was Academic All-Ivy and won the Mary Paget award for contributing the most to Harvard athletics. In 1999, The Hartford Courant chose her as one of the best athletes of the 20th century from the town of West Hartford, and in 2007 she was inducted into KO’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Cosgriff earned her medical degree from UConn, and also holds a Master’s in public health from Yale. She works as a pulmonologist and critical care specialist in Waterbury.

KO 2010 U.S. Marine Corporal Michael Clarke was home on leave until his June 2013 deployment.

David Veronneau is a junior at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, and interned this summer at The BHR Group at Morgan Stanley in Hartford.

KO 2011 Jacquelyn Amenta is a junior at Providence College majoring in health policy and administration and minoring in Spanish.

Angelica Villa is a junior at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and reports that she loves Boston.

KO 1999 It was bitter cold at 5:30am when Hope Jackson, MD got in line for President Barack Obama’s inauguration, so she was very glad she’d brought along her favorite KO blanket. “It was truly moving, electrifying and powerful to be (on the Mall) with almost a million people to celebrate a new term and recommit to continue to do our best to make our country better,” said Jackson, who graduated from Emory University and George Washington University Medical School, where she’s completing a surgical residency. “The entire ceremony was wonderful, and I felt so blessed to be able to be part of such a historic moment in time.”

KO 2000 Sara Chase (far right) shared the spotlight at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012 with (from left) Blythe Danner, Melanie Lynskey, and Christopher Abbot. All four appeared in the film “Hello I Must Be Going,” which was screened at Sundance that year. A graduate of Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, Sara has a wide range of film, TV, and theater credits to her name (www.sarachase.com).

KO 2004 KO History teacher. A cappella guru.

And now: Ultramarathon man! In November 2012, David Baker finished the 50th annual “JFK 50-Mile” race in Maryland in just over 8 hours, placing 105th out of almost 1,000 runners.

Though he has eight marathons and one Ironman under his belt, this was his first ultramarathon. Baker started running between junior and senior years at Skidmore College, and started training for the JFK50 just three months before the race.

KO 2004 In April 2013, Gabrielle Mbeki was named the “Person of the Week” by The Source, a weekly newspaper covering the CT shoreline, for conceiving and executing IDEA Day at The Country School in Madison, where she is a fifth-grade teacher. IDEA stands for Interpreting Diversity Education through Action. Mbeki said her IDEA Day was inspired to by the Diversity Days she remembered from Middle School at KO.

k o fall ko fall 2013

KO 2008 Kacie Gent unfurls her KO umbrella in Dublin, Ireland, last summer, during a break in her studies at UConn Law School.

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IN MEMORIAM

Kingswood Oxford extends condolences to the families of those who passed away between October 1, 2012 and September 5, 2013, or whose death we learned of during that period. To ensure accuracy, we require that In Memoriam notices be accompanied by a newspaper obituary. Please notify Michelle Murphy, Director of Communications & Marketing, of any errors or omissions (murphy.m@k-o.org).

Jeffrey S. Baggish ’81 March 5, 2013 Henry P. Bakewell Jr. ’54 December 21, 2012 K. Albert Baronian November 30, 2012 Father of John Baronian ’79 and James Baronian ’82 C. Bruce Bartels ’56 August 2, 2011 Brother of Millard Bartels ’53 Ruth Williams Barton ’35 December 29, 2012 Helen Josephine Battiston December 23, 2012 Grandmother of Jeffrey Battiston ’84, Rebecca Battiston King ’85, Gregory Battiston ’89 and Jacob Battiston ’91 Evelyn Harris Beach September 30, 2012 Mother of Linda Beach Bouffard ’71 and Deborah Beach ’76; grandmother of Brittany Porro ’09 Gordon C. Bergen May 31, 2013 Brother of E. H. Bergen ’69, Richard Bergen ’71 and Elizabeth Bergen Von Kohorn ’74

Adeline Sarah Koppelman Chorches July 4, 2013 Mother of Leslie Chorches Weinstein ’66 and grandmother of Jason Chorches ’90, Alexis Weinstein Hersh ’91, Nicole Chorches Greenblatt ’93 and Andrew Weinstein ’93

Jane Pierce Dowling September 12, 2013 Mother of Pamela Dowling ’78 and Kara Dowling ’88, mother-inlaw of James Healey, Jr. ’78 and grandmother of James DowlingHealey ’08, Kevin Dowling-Logue ’08 and Patrick Dowling-Logue ’10

Robert E. “Bud” Cohn November 10, 2012 Husband of Sherry Banks-Cohn ’54 and stepfather of Wendy Steiner ’78 and Bradford Steiner ’82

Jane Ellen Echelson January 5, 2013 Mother of Roberta Echelson ’68

Robert O. Coulter April 16, 2012 Husband of Page Phelps Coulter ’53 Mary Gay Creedon March 28, 2013 Mother of John D. Creedon Jr. ’86 and Hillary Creedon Lyons ’89, sister-in-law of Alexander W. Creedon Jr. ’44 and Sylvia Alvord Creedon ’44 and aunt of Alexander W. Creedon III ’69, Katharine Creedon ’71 and Suzanne Creedon Walsh ’78 Elizabeth Steane Curl ’46 November 12, 2012 Sister of Marguerite Steane Kelland ’41 and Frances Steane Baldwin ’51

Thomas B. Fahy ’55 January 12, 2013 Father of Elizabeth Fahy Bellingrath ’78, father-in-law of Charles Bellingrath ’78 and grandfather of Charles Bellingrath ’03, Samuel Bellingrath ’06, Thomas Bellingrath ’09 and John Bellingrath ’12 Dorothy Ann Farley December 30, 2012 Mother-in-law of Rick Beckerman ’76 and grandmother of John Beckerman ’15 James E. Farley Jr. November 24, 2012 Father-in-law of Rick Beckerman ’76 and grandfather of John Beckerman ’15

David Rees Pinney ’83, stepmotherin-law of Maggie Pinney ’83 and step-grandmother of Emma Pinney ’11 Ronald L. Godiksen ’53 December 21, 2009 Mary Ellen Guiney March 29, 2013 Aunt of S. Benton Guiney III ’79 James B. Gustafson November 19, 2012 Father of Michael Gustafson ’79 and Patrick Gustafson ’80 Christopher W. “Furz” Harrison ’94 August 14, 2013 Brother of Ken Harrison ’94 Janet Mason Heard May 26, 2013 Mother of Nancy Heard Krahmer ’86 and Allison Heard Dugan ’89 Frances M. Beardsley Hoke January 19, 2013 Mother of Alexander Hoke ’68 and Howard Hoke ’74 Shepherd Monson Holcombe, Sr. ’39 November 28, 2012 Father of Anne Holcombe ’67 and Emily Holcombe ’70 brother-in-law of Lucy Eaton Holcombe ’42 and grandfather of Talitha X. Holcombe ’19

Elizabeth Bridgman ’41 February 17, 2013

Andrew Dailey ‘58 August 29, 2013 Husband of Brenda Odlum Dailey ‘61

Jane Ewing Frank ’38 June 16, 2013 Wife of Arthur Frank ’37, sister of Harriet Ewing Welch ’42 and mother of Arthur Frank, III ’64

John Byrne March 7, 2013 Father of John Byrne III ’77

Christa Elfriede D’Ercole Mother of Jessica D’Ercole Stanton ’88 and Justin D’Ercole ’91

David C. Gault ’56 Brother of Michael Gault ’46, Walden Gault ’49 and Richard Gault ’58

Robert S. House ’72 October 2012 Brother of Marcia House ’78

Marie Coletti Charland November 16, 2011 Grandmother of Logan Corbett ’12 and Mason Corbett ’13

Helen Hannay Dixon February 2, 2013 Mother of Anne Dixon Czarniecki ’68

James B. Given, III June 18, 2013 Husband of Sarah Sather Given ’44, stepmother of William Pinney ’81 and

Patricia O’Donnell Huntley ’46 November 23, 2011

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Jon Adam Holmstrom ’62 February 8, 2013

Seymour M. Ingraham ’41 July 26, 2011 Lewis P. James Jr. ’50 December 25, 2012 Father of Lewis James III ’76 and Anne James Kennerley ’79, brother of Dianne James Cramarossa ’76 and brother-in-law of Andrew Cramarossa ’77 Carroll O’Brien Kane ’42 April 11, 2013 Thomas P. Kugelman, MD August 18, 2013 Grandfather of Thomas Wiseman ’10, Christopher Wiseman ’12 and Samuel Wiseman ’14 Thomas J. Landry ’47 July 20, 2013 Brother of Marie Landry Race St. John ’44, Benedict Landry ’46, Margaret Landry ’49 and Marcia Landry Hagen ’50 Drew Langhauser March 7, 2013 KO history teacher, coach and advisor 1956–1989 Father of Andrew Langhauser ’74 and Derek Langhauser ’80 Joshua Coffin Lasbury ’53 October 7, 2011 Leo Lefrançois, Jr. July 20, 2013 Father of Lucas Lefrançois ’12 Rosemary “Missy” Pallotti Leone ’36 January 28, 2013 Mother of Bryan Leone ’64 and Frank Leone ’67 and grandmother of Christina Leone ’88, Valerie Leone Calciano ’93 and Melissa Leone Delaney ’90 William C. Lichtenfels January 10, 2013 Father of Drew Lichtenfels ’79 and Tara Lichtenfels Gans ’84 Patricia Hibben Loring ’54 December 11, 2012 k o fall ko fall 2013

Milan Macko July 5, 2013 Father of Gregory Macko ’79 and Frederick Macko ’80 and father-inlaw of Maribeth Downes Macko ’80

Nicholas Francis Pallotti October 21, 2012 Father of Mary Pallotti Russell ’73 and grandfather of Elisabeth Russell ’06 and Emily Russell ’09

Barbara Allen MacLeod ‘45 September 2, 2013

Margaret Maercklein Perkins ’40 February 15, 2013

John “Shaun” Marinan ’55 April 28, 2013 Brother of James Marinan ’50

Amy Marie Randall October 1, 2012 Mother of Christine Randall Collins ’89 and mother-in-law of J. Matthew Collins ’89

Elizabeth Rockwell Marshall ’45 July 30, 2013 Joseph F. X. McCarthy July 15, 2012 Grandfather of Christopher Gentile ’07, Norah Gentile ’08 and Grace Gentile ’15 George Stephen McKenna March 16, 2013 Father of George McKenna ’83 and Michael McKenna ’90 and uncle of John McKenna ’80, Carolyn McKenna ’81, Jane McKenna Schroeder ’83 and Christopher McKenna ’84 Norma Jean McKenzie October 2, 2012 Stepmother of Christopher Modisette ’70, Peter Modisette ’75 and Andrea Modisette Slominski ’76 Culver Modisette ’43 Father of Christopher Modisette ’70, Peter Modisette ’75 and Andrea Modisette Slominski ’76 Anthony (Tony) B. Murtha ’63 May 8, 2013 Joseph Michael Nastri March 24, 2013 Father of Joseph Nastri ’75 William Jamieson Neidlinger ’60 December 22, 2012 Husband of Elisabeth White Neidlinger ’61 and brother of Nancy Neidlinger Eitapence ’58 and Anthony Neidlinger ’62

Alfred Rosenthal February 7, 2013 Grandfather of Emily Rosenthal ’09, Julia Rosenthal ’11 and Hannah Rosenthal ’12 Malcolm Shoor Roth March 18, 2013 Father of Robert Roth ’78 and grandfather of Alexander Roth ’12 and Nicole Roth ’14 Harold S. Safalow April 20, 2013 Grandfather of Matthew Safalow ’19 Elizabeth “Bette” Scott January 16, 2013 Grandmother of William S. Baker ’00 and David A. Baker ’04 Tom Scoville June 23, 2013 Father of Jenna Scoville ’09 and James Scoville ’10 Douglas B. Sherbacow ’83 February 15, 2013 Brother of Bryan Sherbacow ’87 and Todd Sherbacow ’90 Thomas Edward Sherer ’46 February 2012 Ralph Morton Shulansky January 7, 2013 Husband of Ruth Kaufman Shulansky ’50 and father of Laura Shulansky Nassau ’74 Michaline C. Sikora August 5, 2013 Grandmother of Jessica Sikora ’10 and Andrew Sikora ’13

Harriet Hunt Smith ’38 June 28, 2013 Mother of Elizabeth Smith ’61 Jeffrey Russell Stafford ’73 February 25, 2013 Robert Raine Stirling ’51 January 11, 2013 Etta Weiner Suisman June 22, 2013 Grandmother of Sherry Suisman ’85 and David Suisman ’88 Anthony R. “Tony” Sullivan April 12, 2013 Father of Mona Sullivan ’81 and Adam Sullivan ’87 Elma Becker Swecker ’39 November 27, 2012 Samuel Hartman Title October 14, 2012 Husband of Sally Gershel Title ’53 and father of Diane Title Harris ’77 and Betty Title Feigenbaum ’82 Brenda Thorington January 2, 2013 Stepmother of Kanzanira Thorington ’13 Ellen Barrows Van Winkle ’51 August 7, 2013 Mary Jane Vineburgh ’63 October 12, 2012 Harriet Eaton Wicke ’39 June 18, 2013 Sister of Lucy Eaton Holcombe ’42 Catherine Walton Neal Wilson February 26, 2013 Former Kingswood Oxford faculty member Mary Andrews Wood ’41 April 27, 2013 Mother of Nancy Wood ’70, William H. Wood, III ’73 and Richard Wood ’74 William H. Wood March 3, 2013 Father of Nancy Wood ’70, William H. Wood III ’73 and Richard Wood ’74

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Elinore Jaynes Safford ’26, 1910-2013

Oldest Living KO Graduate Passes Away at Age 102 Elinore Jaynes Safford ’26, a longtime resident of West Hartford, died Feb. 11, 2013. Three months shy of her 103rd birthday, she held the distinction of being the oldest living alum of Kingswood Oxford School.

Born in Hartford to Ruth and Charles Jaynes, Ellie grew up in West Hartford and was very involved in the Oxford School community. According to her yearbook, she was active in the school play, school quartette, the Chat editorial staff, the Student Council, and the Oxford Student Association. She was also the president of the senior class.

After graduating from Vassar College, Ellie worked for “Chick” Austin, Director of the Wadsworth Atheneum, before marrying Arthur Truman Safford, Jr., a lawyer from Lowell, MA. The Saffords settled in West Hartford, and Ellie threw herself into many civic and church organizations. From 1955-70, Ellie and Arthur lived in New Canaan, where she worked at the New Canaan Library and earned a certificate in Library Science from Pratt Institute. After retiring to Middlebury, VT, in 1970, Ellie worked in the Middlebury Library until she and Arthur returned to live at The McAuley in 1991.

Ellie was an accomplished pianist, gardener, and athlete; she and her sister crewed on her father’s S-boats, she was a founding member of the West Hartford Tennis Club, and she continued to ski well into her 70s.

Ellie is survived by her children, Lt. Col. Arthur Truman Safford, III, USAF Ret., of IL, Susan Safford Andrews ’54 of West Hartford, and Trustee Emerita Joan Safford Wright ’53 of Williamstown, MA, as well as six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, including Emma Brennan ’12. The family requested that gifts in her name be sent to KO or Vassar College.

Ellsworth S. Grant ’35, 1917-2013

Historian, Businessman, Civic Leader – and KO’s Only “Nine-Year Senior” Ellsworth Strong Grant ’35, an author, historian, and proud citizen of Connecticut, died on March 6, 2013, at the age of 95. Descended from Hartford founder Thomas Hooker, Grant was born in Wethersfield but raised in the West Hill neighborhood of West Hartford – which he served as Mayor from 1969-74 and council member until 1977.

In his eulogy, Jack Grant ’57 said his father was “a bad little boy,” who often got into mischief with his West Hill neighbors, including the (eventual) well-known physicist, Eddie Lorenz. Grant entered KO in fifth grade, but was injured so badly in an accident that he had to repeat the grade – thus earning the distinction of attending the School for nine years, longer than any other student.

Grant “blossomed” during high school, according to his yearbook, earning the Dux Prize as a sophomore and the Latin Prize as a junior. He played on the Lancaster baseball, basketball and soccer teams, the latter of which he captained.

After graduating from Harvard, Grant married Marion Hepburn ’36, sister of Katharine Hepburn ’26, and settled in West Hartford. He worked for Allen Manufacturing Company from 1940-58 and then owned and operated the Connecticut Manifold Forms Company until 1967.

Grant was an avid historian and writer – he wrote The City of Hartford: 1784 to 1984; The Colt Armory; and The Miracle of Connecticut, among others – and a devoted citizen. He was a founder of Riverfront Recapture, the CT River Watershed Council, Fort Saybrook Monument Park, and the Combined Health Appeal, and was president of the Connecticut Historical Society. He was a trustee of many organizations, including KO. He is also a member of KO’s planned giving group, the Nicholson-Martin Circle.

In addition to Jack, Grant is survived by his daughter Katharine Houghton Hepburn Grant ’61; stepdaughters Carolyn Means ’59, Virginia Means Giddens ’62, and Frances Means ’63, and stepson Clayton Spencer; two grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren; and six greatgrandchildren and nine step-great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Marion, in 1986; his son, Toby Grant, in 2010; and his second wife, Virginia Tuttle Grant ’35, in 2012.

“We’re very proud of him,” Jack Grant told The Hartford Courant. “He lived a long, rich life, made excellent use of his time and made excellent contributions to his community.”

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

TRUSTEES EMERITI

HEAD’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

Katherine Keegan Antle ‘96 Dennis Bisgaard P ‘16, Head of School Laura Estes P ‘98 Christopher G. Gent P ‘03, ‘08 Jeffrey S. Gitlin ‘85, P ‘11, ‘13, ‘17 Cheryl Grisé P ‘99, ‘02 I. Bradley Hoffman ‘78, Vice Chair Gilbert Keegan ‘88, Head’s Advisory Council President Jonathan Keller P ‘17, ‘19 Paul Lewis P ‘05 Baxter H. Maffett ‘68, P ‘02, ‘06, Vice Chair Bruce A. Mandell ‘82 Kristi Matus P ‘18 Alexander T. Nguyen ‘95 Mark Paley P ‘07, ‘09, ‘11, ‘14 Michael J. Reilly P ‘04, ‘08 Avery Rockefeller III P ‘00, ‘02, Chair Pedro Sainz de Baranda P ‘14, ‘16, ‘19 Marc T. Shafer ’75, P ’08, ’15, ’17 Alden Y. Warner III ‘76, Treasurer R. Ashley Washburn P ‘08, ‘10, ‘12, ‘15, Secretary Paula Whitney P ‘02, ‘04, ‘06, ‘07 Mark Wolman P ‘14, ‘16, ‘19 Beverly Ravalese Yirigian ‘80, P ‘14, ‘16

Sherry Banks-Cohn ‘54, P ‘78, ‘82 Thomas J. Collamore ‘77 Allen V. Collins P ‘75, ‘79, ‘82, ‘88 Richard S. Cuda P ‘79, ‘80 George L. Estes III ‘67, P ‘98 Robert M. Furek P ‘96, ‘99 Karen K. Gifford ‘62 William H. Goldfarb ’64 J. Gregory Hickey Sr. ‘47, P ‘73, ‘75, GP ‘04 Alyce F. Hild P ’80, ’82, ’91 GP ’07, ’11, ’14 Lance L. Knox ‘62 Eileen S. Kraus P ‘84, ‘95 Thomas D. Lips P ‘93 James B. Lyon, Esq. ‘48 E. Merritt McDonough ‘51, P ‘79, ‘81 Agnes S. Peelle P ‘01, ‘03 Anne Rudder P ‘68 G. William Seawright ‘59 Les R. Tager P ‘00, ‘03 John A.T. Wilson ‘56, P ‘84, ‘86 Martin Wolman P ‘80, ‘82, ‘84, ‘88 Joan Safford Wright ‘53

Gilbert E. Keegan ‘88, President John J. Alissi ’89 Jeffrey Azia ’89 Eric D. Batchelder ’89 William C. Bigler ’80, P ’05, ’09, ’13 Jay M. Botwick ’76, P ’04 Brewster B. Boyd ’63 John M. Budds ’56 Andrew M. Chapman ’73 Lynn Mather Charette ’82, P ’14 Jessica Hild Collins ’91 James W. Eatherton ’79, P ’11, ’14 Eric D. Eddy ’93 Robert M. Elliott II ’91 Scott C. Farrell ’91 Lee A. Gold ’90 James Goldberg ’76 Gregory A. Hayes ’80 Charna Bortman Kaufman ’85, P ’14, ’17 Laurie Maulucci ’03, ’05 Caroline T. Nguyen ‘96 Tyler B. Polk ’99 Ann Coolidge Randall ’73, P ’13 Alison Rosenthal ‘94 Mary Pallotti Russell ’73, P ’06, ’09 Robert S. Sarkasian ’84 Andrew G. Satell ’79 Glenn M. Shafer ’85 Stacey L. Silver ’91 Nancy Silvers P ’10, ’11 Saeed O. Singletary ’92 Harold A. Smullen Jr. P ’10 William J. Stack Jr. ’72, P ’07, ’11, ’12 Faith McGauley Whitman ’86 F. Scott Wilson P ’06, ’09 Keith J. Wolff ’91 Carla Do Nascimento Zahner ’97

ko fall 2013

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Honor the Past, Ensure the Future There are few more personal or powerful gestures you can make than to name Kingswood Oxford School in your will and estate planning. It is an easy way to make a profound difference while meeting your own financial and philanthropic goals. A properly planned gift may help you reduce or eliminate capital gains and gift and estate taxes. Best of all, you have the satisfaction of knowing your gift will live in perpetuity as your legacy and make a difference in the lives of future generations.

Currently, there are 135 members of KO’s planned giving society, the Nicholson-Martin Circle; the complete list is available at www.kingswoodoxford.org/nicholsonmartincircle.

If you wish to explore the benefits of a planned gift in the privacy of your own home, try using the Planned Gift Calculator available securely on the KO web site (www.kingswoodoxford.org/plannedgiving). Plug in a few numbers and other basic pieces of info, and in just a few minutes you’ll get a simple but powerful snapshot of the implications and impact of a planned gift within the parameters of your own financial situation and long-term plans.

What past benefactors did for these alums …

Prefects, Kingswood Class of 1939

… YOU can do for these!

Alternatively, you are encouraged to speak with your attorney or to contact Debra Coleman Hyde ’68, Director of Institutional Advancement (hyde.d@k-o.org or 860-233-9631 x5011), who would be more than willing to respond to questions and talk through options.

Senior Green, April 2013

56

1 letter from the head of school

20 varsity sports winter ‘13

2 Kushner takes KO

24 alumni athletes

5 a very special box

26 grandparent and special friend day

6 the man behind the symposium: warren Baird

29 why do I give?

8 a banner year of cocurricular speakers

30 class notes

10 lucky class of ‘13 graduates

52 in memoriam

14 school news

56 planned giving

18 varsity sports fall ‘12

TABLE OF CONTENTS about the cover

Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, the 30th Baird English Symposium speaker, seemed as enthralled by the Symposium students as they were by him during his 36-hour visit to KO in January 2013. (See story on p. 2.)

contact information

Kingswood Oxford School, 170 Kingswood Road, West Hartford, CT 06119; 860-233-9631 www.kingswoodoxford.org Please direct inquiries or general comments to Michelle M. Murphy, Director of Communications & Marketing (murphy.m@k-o.org); Class Notes or obituary information to Meghan Kurtich, Advancement Associate (kurtich.m@k-o.org); and address changes to Patricia Laros, Director of Advancement Services (laros.p@k-o.org).

Editor: Michelle M. Murphy, Director of Communications & Marketing Contributors: Nicole Kimball, Rob Kyff Graphic Design: Ford Folios Inc. Printing: Allied Printing Services Photo Credits: Melissa Babcock/The Source, George Chambers, Chris Kasprak ’08, Andrew Leu, Bob Luckey/Greenwich Time, Kathy Lynch, Garrett Meccariello ’13, Clay Miles, Michelle M. Murphy, David B. Newman ’80/photobynewman.com, Brenda Semmelrock, Chris Troianello

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As to Students Kingswood Oxford School admits students of any race, color, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

KO Magazine is published by Kingswood Oxford School. © 2013 by Kingswood Oxford School Inc. All rights reserved.

KO Students Now Take Online Classes Via Global Online Academy In April 2013, KO was accepted into the Global Online Academy, a prestigious worldwide consortium of 32 independent schools whose goal is to enhance students’ bricks-and-mortar education with an online learning experience. It is one of only three CT schools in the GOA; the other two are Greenwich Academy and Brunswick School, both in Fairfield County.

In Fall 2013, eight KO students enrolled in one or more of the 30+ classes offered by GOA (www.globalonlineacademy.org).

The classes will be taught by instructors who work at one of the GOA member schools and who have been specially trained in online education. Jen Weeks, a modern languages teacher at KO since 2009, has been named the site director for “GOA @ KO” and will be the point person for KO students enrolled in the online classes.

The online courses will be appear on the KO student’s schedule, along with on-campus classes, and will carry credits that count toward graduation. The online courses carry the same time commitment and homework load as oncampus classes, but generally provide more flexibility in terms of timing.

“Digital fluency and global sensitivity are key tenets of a KO education, and our partnership with GOA will augment our ability to cultivate those skills in our students,” said Head of School Dennis Bisgaard. “We are very excited about this new partnership.”

If this magazine is being delivered to a child who no longer lives in your home, please send an updated address to Patricia Laros, Director of Advancement Services, at laros.p@k-o.org. Thank you!

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit 1382 Hartford CT

170 Kingswood Road, West Hartford, CT 06119-1430

fall 2013

Inside

KO magazine

Lucky class of ’13 graduates KO accepted into elite GOA Wyvern wins bronze

Editor’s Note Beginning with this issue, KO Magazine will now appear in Fall and Spring, rather than Winter and Summer. Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and KO’s Senior Administrative team decided to alter the publication schedule for strategic and practical reasons.

Thus, this issue will feel quite late, since it is actually a delayed and expanded version of the former “Summer ‘13” issue. It includes all class notes and obituaries received between Oct. 1, 2012, and Sept. 5, 2013. The next issue of KO Magazine – the Spring ’14 issue – will appear in May 2014, and will include notes and obits received from Sept. 6, 2013 through Mar. 1, 2014. It will also include news and photos from Reunion ’13, along with other school news.

Thank you for your patience as we adjust to the new schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you for staying in touch with KO!

Our mascot took KO on a wild ride from West Hartford to “The Today Show” to a nationwide title last Spring.

See p. 13 for details.

Michelle M. Murphy, Editor murphy.m@k-o.org

baird symposium turns 30

With “Lincoln” in the Air, Playwright Tony Kushner Visits KO

KingswoodOxford