IN MEMORIAM

Peter Briggs

Peter Briggs, who served as Interim Headmaster of Fort Worth Country Day for the 2001-02 academic year, passed away in June 2022. Peter greatly enjoyed his time at the School and in Fort Worth, and he had much wisdom to share about leading the FWCD community and being a Head of School. A graduate of Harvard University, Peter began his career at the university, working in undergraduate admissions and financial aid. He later served as Head of School at two Ohio schools, Western Reserve Academy for nine years and The Seven Hills School for 19 years.

After retiring from Seven Hills, the veteran educator enjoyed serving as an Interim Headmaster. He once shared that he loved the “school business,” and he and his wife, Charlin, liked seeing different parts of the country. Prior to FWCD, Peter was an interim at three schools: St. James’ Episcopal School in California and The Potomac School and Norfolk Academy, both in Virginia.

Peter Briggs served as Interim Headmaster of Fort Worth Country Day for the 2001-02 academic year.

At FWCD, Peter was committed to the School’s time-honored core values and mission. He made himself readily available to administrators, faculty and staff, and gathered information that was helpful to the Board of Trustees and to the incoming long-term Headmaster, which would be Evan D. Peterson H’15. Of most poignance, Peter was FWCD’s leader on September 11, 2001. He led with great compassion and care as members of the School community mourned that horrific tragedy.

Cindy Allen, Executive Assistant to the Head of School then and now, recalled Peter’s love of quotes. “One of my first assignments when Peter arrived was to [compile] all of his favorite quotes so that he could share them with folks,” she said. “It came out to be about seven or eight pages …. The first one was, ‘The sole purpose of life is to spend it for something that outlives you.’ The author was not listed. It may have been his own. We shared the quotes document with faculty and staff, Board members, folks he would write letters to, community leaders he met while here, and on and on ....”

After Peter's term at FWCD ended, he continued his commitment to school work by taking on an interim headship at St. Timothy’s Episcopal School in Maryland. “We are grateful for Peter’s yearlong leadership of the School during a time of transition. He brought valuable wisdom and perspective to our community,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi. “ His work at a variety of schools was consistently about making a difference, being of help. We can say he lived up to the quote he liked so much: He did something that outlives him.”

John V. Roach

Former FWCD Board President John V. Roach passed away on March 20, 2022, at 83. John was deeply committed to family, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, and many other causes that benefit the local community. Fort Worth Country Day was on that treasured list.

Former FWCD Board President John V. Roach

A Falcon parent in the 1980s to early 1990s, John was passionate that Country Day remain a school of excellence. He served on the Board of Trustees (1980-87), stepping up to Vice President (198284), before his election to President (1984-86). His famed commitment to being at the forefront of computerization led to FWCD’s first classroom computers before the technology became the norm. Even as John led the nationwide corporation of Tandy/RadioShack, he was part of FWCD’s Board leadership that advocated and supported projects like the Moncrief Middle School Annex (now the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Science Wing in the Upper School Science Building), the Campus Plaza area with its iconic fountain and tiered seating behind the Schwartz Administration Building, bringing lights to Rosacker Stadium, building the Square Gym, hiring Headmaster Geoffrey C. Butler H’98 (1987-96), and laying the groundwork for security-staffed campus gates.

After daughters Amy Roach Bailey ’85 and Lori Roach Davis ’91 finished their time at FWCD, John’s grandchildren became a reason for him to become involved at the School in an entirely different way. Together, John and his wife, Jean, served as Grandparent Chairs of The FWCD Fund in 2013-14, sharing the story of their love for the School. They have shared many a bleacher and Scott Theater experience in the last decade, supporting all four of their Falcon grandchildren, John Callaway ’14, Hannah Bailey ’18, Dylan Davis ’24, and Emily Davis ’26.

While his presence and time were his most significant gifts to FWCD, John and Jean established The Roach Family Lower School Chair for Distinguished Teaching in Primary Grades in 2005 and granted FWCD the gift of the Roach Center (2017), a meeting space in the Patton Field House.

“At all times, John was dedicated to advancing the School and its community,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi. “All of us at FWCD celebrate memories of a man whose legacy surrounds us. I am powerfully aware that those of us at the School today stand on the shoulders of giants who helped create the fabulous school of which we are a part. John Roach was one of those giants.” Charles Anderson

IN MEMORIAM

Charles Anderson

John Anthony ’84

Geoffrey Biddle ’73

Adelaide Smith Burgher

David Corley

Ross Crusemann ’71

Peggy Field

Joel Forrest

Lee Freese

John Hamilton

James M. Harrison

J. Walker Holland ’69

Edward Little

James Maberry

John McAdams

Calvin McGill

Jim Mitchell

Meto Miteff

William Alvin “Tex” Moncrief

David Lowell Moritz

Todd Petty ’90

Vivian Potts

Robert Price

Susan Hyden Reid ’69

John V. Roach

Ed Schollmaier

Howard Solomon

Irene Stemple

Rice Tilley

Linda Wynne

Eleanor Zoota