Worcester Academy Hilltopper Summer 2015

HILLTOPPER lig ht PAINTING Stephen Knapp ’65

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summer 2015

VOLUME XXIV / ISSUE 1

COMMENCEMENT 2015 REUNION WEEKEND

CONTENTS

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Stephen Knapp ’65 shines his light

BY JODY P. MCNAMARA

SUMMER 2015

contents

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181st commencement exercises

BY NEIL R. ISAKSON

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reunion 2015

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Tien award recipient

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HEAD OF SCHOOL ALUMNI NEWS ON THE HILLTOP FROM THE ARCHIVES GIVING NEWS VARSITY CLUB CLASS NOTES PASSINGS

the

HILLTOPPER

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

officers & members

President Henry Dormitzer III ’88 First Vice President Susan Weagly Jacobs, J.D. P’03 Second Vice President Sarah (Sullivan) Pulsifer ’91 Secretary Brian A. O’Connell, Esq. ’67 Treasurer Jonathan S. Stuart ’86

summer 2015

VOLUME XXIV / ISSUE 1

Head of School

Ronald M. Cino P’21,’22

Hilltopper Editor

Neil R. Isakson P’15,’19

Barbara Strogoff P’97,’03

Associate Editor

Graphic Design Good Design LLC Benny Sato Ambush ’69 Dr. Lauren S. Baker P’15,’18 Photography Ursula Arello William Breidenbach ’69

Greg Cappello Patricia Z. Eppinger P’16,’20

Neil R. Isakson R. Victor Fields ’71

Marcia Mallett Matthew Finkle ’87

Anette Macintire

David P. Forsberg ’65

Nancy Osborn J. Michael Grenon ’88

Mike Nydam Thomas Heiser P’09,’11,’15 Arthur Kentros ’74 Videography Neil R. Isakson Jamie E. Lavin ’02

Whit Wales P’16,’18, DigiNovations Dana R. Levenson ’75 Charles J. O’Connor III ’73

Advancement Office Marillyn G. Earley, Director of Advancement Andrew B. O’Donnell, Esq. ’73

Ursula A. Arello ’85, Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship Jacqueline Peterson

Frank R. Callahan ’71, Director of Planned Giving James J. Pietro ’81

Greg Cappello, Director of Alumni Relations J.P. Ricciardi P’15,’17

Alicia Figueiredo, Coordinator, Campaign Operations and Event Planning Hervey S. Ross ’46

Neil R. Isakson, Director of External Communications Robert Scumaci P’15,’18

Anette Macintire, Annual Fund Coordinator David V. Shamoian ’70

Marcia Mallett P’21, Director of Marketing Edwin B. Shaw ’61

Dexter P. Morse, Head Emeritus/Advisor to the Capital Campaign Luke M. Vaillancourt ’01

Erica Driscoll Ribeiro P’20, Director of Annual Giving

Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47, Special Assistant to the Head of School

Kim Stone, Director of Donor Development

Barbara Strogoff, Gift Coordinator/Editor

Featured Writer

Caroline Reich P’06,’08 is a former development staffer for Worcester Academy. She and her husband, Joel Reich, are benefactors of the Summer Scholars Program, which serves children living in the WA neighborhood.

Susan Colletton is an officer with the New England Morgan Horse Association. A journalist and photographer, she provides expert coverage of horse shows.

MISSION

Worcester Academy exists to instill in its students the desire to learn throughout life, to engage passionately with the world around them, and to be honorable persons of strong and resourceful character.

CORE VALUES

We are a community—curious, thoughtful, generous, and thriving in our diversity. We embrace each of our core values as essential to the mission of Worcester Academy and as testimony of our beliefs and commitments.

HONOR | RESPECT | COMMUNITY | PERSONAL GROWTH | CHALLENGE 2 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Jody P. McNamara P’09,’12, a marketing and communications consultant, is a longtime feature writer and former director of parent relations at Worcester Academy. Jody, who organized and chaired two consecutive auctions for WA, lives on Cape Cod.

Contributing Writers

FPO

ON THE COVER Stephen Knapp ’65, creator of the lightpainting

The Hilltopper is published twice yearly by Worcester Academy. Reader comment, as well as information of interest, is always welcome. Please write to Neil R. Isakson, director of external communications, at Worcester Academy, 81 Providence St., Worcester, MA 01604 USA, or email neil.isakson@worcesteracademy.org.

2015 CASE bronze award winner for Best Designed Magazine

from the head of school

“This new Performance Center will provide an ideal setting and create opportunities for student learning within this great tradition at WA.” As our 2015–2016 school year gets underway, I am excited to tell you about a wonderful transformation that is taking place at Worcester Academy. Our new $3.5 million South Campus Performance Center is only months away from being completed.

The Performance Center, construction for which began in June, is being created adjacent to Morse Field in a former generator building. That building, and the land it sits on, previously belonged to St. Vincent Hospital, which moved to downtown Worcester in 2000.

Following a recent acquisition (the last of three related purchases over 8 years), WA now owns the entire 15 acres that once comprised St. Vincent Hospital on Providence Street. The impact for our students is significant.

Before the ink was even dry on the purchase papers, Worcester Academy had already begun to transform that generator building into a beautiful, state-of-the-art learning and performance space, a fitting successor to the Pit Theater, following the renovation on Walker Hall. The footprint of the building has been expanded, the 1909 Stewart L. Lassner ’70 Green Room is taking shape, plans for the Cole Porter Lobby are progressing, and gallery space and seating for 150 people are coming to fruition. Located at the former St. V’s, and adjacent to Morse Field, the center creates a great synergy of the arts and athletics given that Morse Field, also built on former St. Vincent property, is adjacent to the new center.

Worcester Academy has a rich history in the arts and arts education with alumni maintaining successful careers acting on Broadway, on television, and in film; as educators and mentors for future leaders, including at the graduate level; as visual artists who have produced highly regarded work and even created new mediums for expression; and as vocalists and instrumentalists performing and directing in prestigious venues all around the world. This new Performance Center will provide an ideal setting and create opportunities for student learning within this great tradition at WA. While the transformation of the generator building is ongoing, I cannot help but think about the many students who will be transformed by being on its stage or taking classes there. I think about our students finding their voices in public performance, discovering confidence in taking risks, bonding with fellow cast members who will become lifelong friends, and maybe even finding their futures working in the performing arts. Those, indeed, are wonderful transformations and I await them eagerly.

It’s an exciting time to be a member of the Worcester Academy community.

Ron Cino

Worcester Academy

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4 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

lig ht lig ht light

SHINING HIS Stephen Knapp ’65

by Jody P. McNamara

Lightpainting is one of the first new art forms of the 21st century.

LIGHT.

It is both the aesthetic darling and the vexing demon of almost all visual artists. Studio space is accepted or rejected based on its slant and decades are spent in its interpretation on canvas. Its ethereal nature confounds and mesmerizes even those of us who study it scientifically, and leaves the rest of us mortals to marvel when it deigns to refract into the wonder of a rainbow. But most visual artists interpret visible light as it reflects against earthly objects: afternoon shadows on a mountainside or sunset on a glistening bay. What if an artist could harness light? What if someone could use light itself as his medium and that extraordinary rainbow as his very palette?

Someone has: Stephen Knapp, Worcester Academy Class of 1965.

Already a successful artist with an international reputation for creating large-scale pieces in various mediums, Stephen Knapp has tossed his prior creative accoutrements and dedicated himself to the creation and advancement of a completely new artistic medium: Lightpainting.

Called one of the first new art forms of the 21st century, Stephen Knapp’s lightpaintings have been described as “intangible, multidimensional compositions of pure radiance.” His works sit at the intersection of painting and sculpture, but they are neither. They are creations unto themselves and certainly like no others. Art critic Vince Carducci tells us that lightpaintings can be distinguished from other forms in their use of light “purely in and of itself, not as a collateral effect of pigment or architectural structure.” To view them in a photograph is marvelous, but to view them in person is to be truly awestruck.

How does a guy from Worcester Academy become the creator of a completely new art form? Much like the intricacies involved in creating an original Knapp lightpainting (which we’ll discuss a little later), Stephen’s path has been a process. Let’s go back, then, and begin our story just after his graduation from the Academy when the Father of Lightpainting was just a quiet guy named Steve.

“Looking at a Stephen Knapp lightpainting is a little bit like falling in love with a movie star.

The illusion is no less compelling just because you know it’s an illusion.”

—Chris Peterson author of Art of Stained Glass: Designs from 21 Top Glass Artists

Worcester Academy

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Pat h Pat h

THE PATH TO “LIGHT”

“I never thought I could do anything creative,” Steve tells us, “My seventh grade art teacher at Forest Grove Junior High in Worcester told me to hang up my crayons and, honestly, I didn’t feel any compulsion to draw. But when I picked up a camera in college I thought, ‘Wow, I can do something creative!’ ” That chance encounter with a good camera set Knapp, a History and English major at Hamilton College, on his creative path.

After a brief post-college stint in the corporate world, Steve started selling his photography. “They were just $35 framed prints that Kodak would make. But then I met an interior designer who said ‘If you make these prints bigger, we could probably use them in buildings.’ Living near E.B. Luce in Worcester made making those prints bigger and bigger a reality, and I was off and running.”

“I really wanted to succeed at something creative. I was motivated by not wanting to return to the corporate world and, as daunting as it is to get yourself known in the art world, I wanted it more than I was afraid of it. I definitely drank the Kool-Aid of the ’60s—follow your muse … be happy doing something really cool … By the time I realized that that free-spirit perspective was somewhat of a crock, I was really too stubborn to stop. Going through life doing something creative and always learning was what I wanted.”

And that’s exactly the life that this talented and inquisitive artist has had. It’s been a twisting path. Knapp worked for nearly a decade after college as a fine art photographer, selling his increasingly grand-scale photographs to both corporate and private collectors here in the U.S. and abroad. Two disparate forces, though—one internal and one external—conspired to drive Knapp’s artistry further. Externally, demand was up for large-scale murals on the walls of corporate atriums and fine homes. Internally, Knapp’s ever-increasing fascination with light was driving him to explore more varied materials than photographic paper.

“That Worcester Academy ability to think outside the box must have been operating because I began dabbling in other types of media. The Academy was great because we had small classes and our teachers really pushed us. It gave me the foundation that I needed to think … to push forward and stay inquisitive. The whole ‘Achieve the Honorable’ thing is very real. It’s something that my classmates and I have carried with us all our lives. Worcester Academy really has been a major influence on who I have become, which is really cool.”

In 1983, Steve was commissioned to create three massive murals for the lobby of the then-under-construction USAA Federal Savings Bank in San Antonio, TX. His preparation for this commission sent Knapp on a research trip to Shigaraki, Japan—a town with a 600-year-old history of creating fine ceramics. The thick glass crackle glaze produced in Shigaraki fascinated the artist with its ability to reflect light and he worked with the factory, experimenting with new glazes and new glazing techniques. The project ultimately resulted in Knapp’s production of the largest glass glazed ceramic murals in the world! The murals, installed in 1985, graced the USAA Bank walls for many years and were subsequently gifted to the City of San Antonio. You can now find these gorgeous murals on San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk—part of the City’s public art program.

Glazed ceramic was only the first stop on Knapp’s path to light. In 1987, commissioned to create a mural for the Hamilton County Justice Complex in Cincinnati, OH, Steve used photo-transfer techniques to define the mural’s images—all etched in anodized aluminum. The technique produces various colors from the aluminum based on the etching technique applied to different sections of the panel. With no paint used on the entire piece, Knapp produced a range of delicate color that changes “[Worcester] Academy as light moves across the panel. The mas… gave me the sive mural—14 feet by 72 feet—is one of the foundation that I world’s largest etched murals. needed to think …

“I really am a lifelong learner,” muses to push forward Stephen Knapp’s home and studio in Princeton, MA. Knapp. “Potential clients will say, ‘Can you do this?’ and I’ll say, ‘Well, I don’t really and stay inquisitive.”

6 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Stephen Knapp

Tampa City Hall installation, Luminous Affirmations, shown day and night.

know how to do it, but I’ll figure it out.’ I experiment and I tinker and I find something that works.”

Constantly investigating new materials ultimately gave way to the creation of new techniques. A commission to create two large etched stainless-steel murals for McDonnell Douglas’ Douglas Center in California afforded Steve the opportunity to develop a new process of mixing paints to change the look of the mural’s surface depending on the angle of light. There is a kinetic force to these murals, as their ever-changing faces seem to produce their own energy—yet another step in the artist’s evolution toward light.

The 1990s were all about glass for Knapp. His continued affair with light led to years of work with kiln-formed glass—the heating of glass to take on the shape of a form. Ever-willing to experiment with large-scale installations, Steve spent the decade creating masterpieces in glass for public and private collections, transforming himself into an acknowledged expert in the field. In addition to his artistry, Steve wrote and lectured on architectural glass and the collaborative process of integrating art and architecture. In 1998, he authored The Art of Glass for Rockport Publishers. He worked his glass in architectural forms (walls and doorways, for example), murals, and sculpture.

His creation of the magnificent “Christ Doors,” the 10-foot-by-6-foot glass entry to Detroit’s Solanus Casey Center is just one example of Steve’s artistry with glass. Local kiln-formed glass installations include Worcester Public Library’s “The New Doors” and “Southwick, Hoffman and Friends,” two 7-foot-by-12-foot glass panels that reflect the rich history and literary past of Worcester, and a glass wall at Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

This path alone would have resulted in a highly successful artistic career had Steve managed to quell his inquisitive nature, but he wasn’t done exploring. “I would never have gotten to lightpaintings if I hadn’t gone through all of these other phases. You try this, you try that, and it builds.”

And it did build. His tinkering, tweaking, and learning wended their way into a completely new art form.

Worcester Academy

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“I like doing stuff that no one else in the world has done.”

LIGHTPAINTING A decade in development, lightpainting all started with an opportunity to display at Chicago’s famed Merchandise Mart and a chance introduction to something called dichroic glass. Remember that word, “dichroic,” because it plays a key role in the advancement of Steve’s artistry.

“You would have seen dichroic glass first at a rock show or perhaps a play,” Steve explains. “Modern dichroic glass was developed by NASA in the ’50s and ’60s. It’s used to shield sensitive spacecraft instruments—and sensitive human eyes—from the glare of unfiltered sunlight in space. For my purposes, though, it allows only some wavelengths of light and color to reflect and other wavelengths of light to pass through. It’s produced in a very involved process by adding layer upon layer of metal particles onto the glass and the end result is a piece of color-changing glass, shifting in tone depending on how much light is being absorbed or reflected.

“In the early ’90s, in addition to my artwork, I was lecturing and writing on art glass and on the convergence of large-scale art and architecture. In 1994, I was invited to give a lecture and to set up a showroom at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. As part of my display, I had glass samples from all over the world including, by chance, some pieces of dichroic glass. I thought it was really cool stuff and the wheels started turning. Then, I got a commission for several art glass walls for a corporation in Wisconsin. These walls were to be created in kiln-formed glass, but the chairman of this company’s board had also envisioned a large bird, suspended in flight in one particular spot in the building. I couldn’t order the glass that I wanted for that Wisconsin bird in time for its scheduled completion, so I called the company where I had gotten the dichroic glass. They were shutting down production and I ended up acquiring their remaining inventory of dichroic glass. That inventory allowed me not only to complete that bird (“The Bird,” Harnischfeger Industries, Milwaukee), but also to begin a two-decades-long process of using light itself as my medium.”

It is an intricate and demanding process. Through painstaking trial and error, Steve spent much of the ’90s working with dichroic glass, refining the cut, the thickness, the shape, the angle. He even created iteration after iteration of the stainless steel brackets that both secure and add dimension to each piece. The result is nothing short of miraculous. Each lightpainting is illuminated by sometimes only a single halogen bulb and each, through Steve’s meticulous artistry, projects white light at varying angles through specially coated and specifically shaped dichroic glass, breaking the light into bands of color and producing strikingly complex and vibrant virtual 3-D images. His research and development were so extensive that his first lightpaintings weren’t shown publicly until 2002.

scan this page to see Prelude come to life

Paint in Paint

Melissa Morgan Gallery in Palm Desert, CA 8 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Stephen Knapp

t ing nt ing

First Symphony at Ball State University in Muncie, IN

“It was just a long process of constantly pushing and learning.” But when Steve finally mastered his process, it was a game-changer. Frankie, Steve’s wife of 44 years and his partner in just about everything, knew that he was onto something. “He’d found something so amazing here,” Frankie tells us. “I told him that I thought he should stop everything else and just move forward with the lightpaintings.” Steve injects immediately, “I was in my 50s at the time. Part of me thought ‘this is really nuts!’ ” But it was a gamble that’s paid off in what Steve and most art critics agree is the most important work of his lifetime. Steve shrugs and offers a small smile. “I like doing stuff that no one else in the world has done.”

“My lack of knowledge, for want of a better phrase, has been a major advantage at times,” Steve adds. “Cutting, shaping, and polishing the glass pieces, tinkering with the colors produced, and then playing with their placement to achieve just the right effect has been aided, quite frequently, by my desire to find out what happens. Not knowing the answer and being naturally inquisitive has pushed me forward.”

And what happens is awe-inspiring indeed. Knapp lightpaintings only begin with great streaks of color emanating from their glass components. Upon close examination, you see that these amazing works are purposefully layered with color and shadow, incorporating their “hardware” of glass and stainless steel into the overall aesthetic of the composition.

“This is a serious exploration of light and perception. This is light as object,” Steve explains. “It’s very difficult for people to realize that there is no color on the wall, that I have not used any paint in the composition. Nothing in our visual memory prepares us for the fact that this very rich and layered color can be just light. I am creating destinations for people. These are portals that you can walk into. It’s all part of the mystery of light. I’m telling a story about perception, but I’m also trying to develop the vocabulary of a new medium.”

And how does it feel to have created an entirely new medium?

“If you look at the history of painting, from the earliest cave paintings, you see that what artists have always tried to capture with pigment, is light. Lightpaintings are the next step: actually painting with light, not just capturing it conceptually. This is the next step in the evolution of painting. I’ve worked really hard over the years to build my palette—to get odd colors, to develop a palette of grays … I’m constantly researching and putting in play elements that will allow me to take this medium much further. This might sound odd, but I feel a responsibility, as the person who created lightpaintings, to not screw it up! I spend a lot of time working with different concepts and just learning. I’m trying to show this as a new direction.”

Knapp lightpaintings now grace the walls of museums, universities, research centers, city centers, and for those very lucky few, private homes across the United States. The glorious “First Symphony” created for Ball State University’s School of Music actually stops traffic as evening light fades to darkness; the lucent “Luminous Affirmations” highlights the external façade of Tampa’s City Hall, proclaiming the beauty of that sunlit city; and “The Definition of Possible” graces the exterior of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Gordon Library, proclaiming the vital marriage of art, technology, science, and innovation, and announcing to the world just how far a kid from Worcester can push the limits of his imagination.

Steve leaves us with this final thought: “People say to me, ‘What a gift you’ve given us with lightpaintings. Thank you so much.’ I say, ‘Are you kidding? What a gift this has been to me. To end my career with a new art medium? That’s truly priceless. How many people can say that?”

Worcester Academy

9

Commencement 181ST

EXERCISES

CLASS OF

2015

Matriculation Victoria Adams Emmanuel M. Anderson D. Thomas Aramony Elizabeth Y. Arcand Leah A. Armas Sepeedeh Azizi Mackenzie E. Baker Hannah M. Barris Meaghan E. Barry Natalie J. Bath Matthew Beaudet Patrick J. Benzan Nicholas W. Bernier Emma V. Berry Juliana J. Bonardi Peter M. Bovenzi

10 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

New York University Hotchkiss School (Postgraduate) Bentley University Providence College Fordham University University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Vermont American University Brandeis University Wake Forest University University of Massachusetts, Amherst College of the Holy Cross Rochester Institute of Technology College of the Holy Cross Northeastern University Tulane University

Noah M. Burke Patrick J. Butler Keelan A. Calderwood Emma O. Carter LaMarche Brandon J. Casamassima Tyler Castor Liandra E. Castro John B. Chase Huixin Chen Yixin Chen Charles L. Chiang Cameron N. Clouse Rong Cong Nicholas Correia Jeffrey W. Coutu Augustus M. Culpo

Assumption College Michigan State University Dickinson College Wellesley College Gettysburg College Assumption College Quinsigamond Community College Kenyon College University of Connecticut University of Wisconsin University of Rochester Colby College Boston University Assumption College The Hill School (Postgraduate) University of Pittsburgh

Cora J. Curtis Matteo Cutri Harsh Deshmukh Rajveer K. Dhillon Julia E. DiPersio Riley J. Doherty Brian W. Dolan Alex J. Domond Connor Donahue

Collin M. Duffley Caroline A. Eberhard Melina S. Economos Harrison G. Eden Tarek U. El Sehrawey Madelyn B. Evangelous

University of Maine at Farmington Returning Home to Italy American University Rochester Institute of Technology Syracuse University Worcester Polytechnic Institute University of Rhode Island Worcester Polytechnic Institute University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Lowell Baldwin Wallace University Muhlenberg College Assumption College Ohio Wesleyan University Elmira College

CLASS OF 2015 CHALLENGED TO “LOOK CONTINUALLY TO ACHIEVE THE HONORABLE”

by Neil R. Isakson

Zachary B. Fask Michael V. Ferraro Sean S. Finn Nicole E. Fleming Maeve K. Foley Kevin A. Foulds Eric S. Gallitto Yitian Gao Anna E. Gaudet Caroline T. Gaudette Nathan M. Geurkink Christopher G. Gibson Jonah D. Glickman Emily K. Goodell Tristan J. Goodwin Thomas D. Gow

Y Emerson College Deferring Enrollment Manhattanville College University of Rochester Skidmore College Wagner College Boston University Manhattan College University of Aberdeen University of Maryland Boston University Worcester State University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Emerson College Deferring Enrollment Elon University

Troy P. Hansen James A. Harizi Robert A. Harnais Justus A. Harris

John C. Heiser Calum Hepburn Zhen Huang Lam Ki Hung Emily A. Isakson Robert H. Ivatts Lukas M. Jaklitsch Katherine T. Johnson Vanessa A. Jones Jonathan M. Keleher Steven G. Kilday

ou have benefitted from a world-class education and have been given much and carry on your shoulders expectations, as everyone expects much from those to whom much has been given,” Marie Morse, veteran educator and Union Hill Elementary School principal, told graduates on June 5.

“Persevere and challenge yourself,” she added. “Look continually to ‘Achieve the Honorable.’ Our world is counting on you. We need innovators, designers, and dreamers to fix what is broken or invent what has not been before.”

“I challenge all of you to share in the Union Hill School mission and purpose—a commitment to 365 days of kindness,” she said.

Fordham University Roger Williams University Ohio Wesleyan University Western Reserve Academy (Postgraduate) Boston College Undecided Southern Methodist University University of California, Berkeley Mount Holyoke College Endicott College Bentley University College of the Holy Cross Trinity College Ohio Wesleyan University Providence College

Aaron J. Kline Caroline B. Knowles Brice R. Koval Megan C. Kralj

Madi Kusmanov Nicole G. LaGanke Kevin Q Lagasse Christopher Lannan Megan J. Li Aaron T. Liew Shihyu Liu Shuyang Liu Ximing Liu

James B. Loring

Northeastern University Lasell College Kenyon College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Purdue University Pennsylvania State University College of the Holy Cross Worcester State University Boston College College of the Holy Cross University of Washington University of California, San Diego Southern California Institute of Architecture Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Academy

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“I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU TO SHARE IN THE UNION HILL SCHOOL MISSION AND PURPOSE— A COMMITMENT TO 365 DAYS OF KINDNESS.”

W

Olivia R. Lucas Barrett J. Lyons Kasey C. MacDowell Matthew J. Madden Benjamin J. Marello Shannon C. Martin Rachel S. Mazur Mitchell J. McAllister Max D. McArthur Connor J. McCarthy Bernard C. McNamara Lillian E. McNeil Connor J. McVey Nicole E. Mills Alexandra Mitchell Sumedha Mitra

12 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

ith those words, Mrs. Morse, 2015 Commencement speaker, bade the Class of 2015 farewell as it prepared to make its way to colleges and universities around the world.

The class, the largest in school history, applauded her charge to them as Mr. Cino saluted her service in education in the city of Worcester.

“Marie Morse is one of the most humble yet inspiring leaders and educators in our city and in our state,” said Head of School Ron Cino, noting that she was credited with having transformed

Fordham University University of Rhode Island University of Vermont Springfield College Henderson State University University of Vermont Simmons College University of Michigan University of California, Berkeley Providence College Texas Christian University Roger Williams University University of Northern Colorado Providence College University of Southern Maine Johns Hopkins University

Viraj M. Moholkar Robert W.K. Mulholland Heidi Munger Mattea Nedele Hoang Minh Nguyen Andrew J. Nichols Katya N. Noel Margaret O’Brien Sarah L. Padgett Jacob A. Papanicolaou Michael A. Papetti Victoria A. Paradis Alexandria A. Pariseau Serra Park William A. Parmlee Nicholas A. Pasquale

the failing Union Hill School into one of the best in the city. “I am grateful for her partnership and friendship and I’m thrilled to have her with us here today.”

Following Mrs. Morse’s speech, the 184 students made their way to the platform to accept their diplomas, shortly thereafter marching away into the arms of waiting family members and friends to end the Academy’s 181 Commencement Exercises.

Valedictorian Cameron Clouse of Holliston and Salutatorian Rowen Price of Northborough also spoke during the ceremony.

Brandeis University Rhodes College Wellesley College University of Kansas Rutgers University College of the Holy Cross Washington University in St. Louis Northeastern University Wesleyan University Keene State College Emerson College University of Massachusetts, Lowell Clark University University of California, Berkeley American University Undecided

Rodrick Payne Philip J. Peterson Alan T. Phung Rose E. Pijaca Liz S. Polanco Gianna E. Polito Alex Poluha Sarah W. Potter Rowen A. Price Tipsiri Pungsrisai Jiayu Qiu Yessengeldy Rakhimbekov Suzannah A. Ranzo Dante S. Ricciardi Katelynn M. Rizzuto Jacob J. Robb

St. Lawrence University Bentley University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Manhattanville College Stonehill College Assumption College College of the Holy Cross Connecticut College Middlebury College Franklin and Marshall College Syracuse University New York University University of Colorado Georgetown University Endicott College Returning to New Zealand

Commencement 2015

Award Winners

SENIOR

Charlotte Rogers Colleen E. Rooney Sidharth Sadhujan Jake D. Scumaci Divinity Sebag Roman Serov Andjela Seslija Zhanna Shalabayeva Susan W. Shepardson Weizhong Shi Kyungjun Shin Hali A. Siegel Achint K. Singh Yifan Song Jeffrey S. Spellman Anna Stearns

Bucknell Scholarship Sumedha Mitra of Shrewsbury

Sarah Duemmel ’94 Memorial Award Tatiya Udomritthiruj of Bangkok, Thailand

William W. McAlpine Award Sarah Potter of Worcester

Donald “Dee” Rowe ’47 Award Cameron Clouse of Holliston

Class of 1935 Prize Trophy Rowen Price of Northborough

The Dr. David A. Echelman Memorial Science Award Nicole LaGanke of Bellingham

Neil W. Peters III Award Megan Kralj of Marlborough

George T. Sargisson Class of ’27 Award Margaret O’Brien of Northborough

Class of 1890 All-Around Athletic Prize Brandon Casamassima of Berlin

The Allan Glazer Memorial Science Award Alan Phung of Worcester

Cole Porter 1909 Visual & Performing Arts Award Susan Shepardson of Princeton

Sigma Cup Philip Peterson of Shrewsbury

The Rev. Edward Merrill Dart ’27 Award Philip Peterson of Shrewsbury

Marc D. Levine ’84 Lifer Award Sarah Padgett of Grafton

H.G. Rader Grant Zachary Fask of Worcester

Richard Winters Drama Award Michael Papetti of Worcester

Drew University Colby College Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology University of Southern California Boston University College of the Holy Cross Kingston University, London University of Richmond Northeastern University New York University High Point University Haverford College Brandeis University Stonehill College Quinnipiac University

Madison A. Steele Clare G. Stevens Daniel L. Stewart Samuel F. Stimpson Wan-Ting Su Lauren Sullivan Thomas N. Tabur Miriam I. Tanenbaum Brandon A. Tate Alexis G. Tillmann Rafael H. Tinoco Julie M. Troy Anh Ngoc Truong Dmitry Trushin Matthew Turner Tatiya Udomritthiruj

Boston College Fairfield University High Point University University of Vermont University of California, San Diego Connecticut College University of Connecticut Emerson College Ithaca College Colgate University Curry College Becker College American University Suffolk University Clarkson University Skidmore College

Kwunchanok Ularnkul Bradley A. Waddell Samuel R. Waitkevich Yining Wang Julia S. Washabaugh Jonathan C. Watts Kin Wai Wong Jiabin Wu Victoria J. Xu Allison A. Young Austin M. Young Stanislav Zanevskyi Lingkai Zhang Jianing Zheng

Indiana University Tufts University Ferris State University University of Wisconsin High Point University The Catholic University of America University of Southern California University of Illinois Hamilton College Endicott College University of Massachusetts, Lowell Undecided Purdue University Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Zhao Fei Zhou Northeastern University Worcester Academy

13

2015

1

The Class of 1965 began their weekend by sharing their stories with students in History teacher Peter Roberts’ “Experience the ’60s” class.

2

Members of the Class of 1965 who attended their 50th Reunion included Bill Becker, Rick Blake, Roger Donway, Michael Dunbar, David Fedeli, Alan Feingold, David Forsberg, Alan Fox, Marty Glaser, George Hamilton, Brad Jacobs, Steve Knapp, Scott Knight, Doug MacGilpin, Ken Niman, Patrick Orrell, Joe Rahal, Greg Starr, Jack Szlyk, John Thayer, Keefe Werner, Rich Wolfson, Ben Woodbury, and Doug Green ’66.

3

The Class of 1995 warmed up the dance floor later in the evening.

4

Members of the Class of 1985 who attended their 30th Reunion included Ursula Arello, Lisa Edinberg, James Lockman, Julie Ann Manley, Elizabeth Schwartz, Steve Thamel, and Kathy Tirado.

1 2

3 4

Reunion Weekend 2015 welcomed the Classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 back to the Hilltop to rekindle friendships and experience Worcester Academy today.

5

5

Jack Szlyk, Doug MacGilpin, and Roger Donway of the Reunion Cup Challenge champion Class of 1965.

Worcester Academy

15

1

The 50th Reunion Class of 1965 set the tone for its weekend on Friday, May 1, with a lively discussion with students in Peter Roberts’ “Experience the ’60s” class. After a quick lunch in the Megaron, students and faculty again joined the class for a presentation by Steve Knapp of his stunning lightpaintings, while still other ’65s made guest appearances in classrooms around campus. After an all-class reception in Abercrombie House, the Class of 1965 capped its day with a class dinner hosted by Head of School Ron Cino and his wife, Nathalie, at the Worcester Club while the Classes of 1970 and 1980 kicked off its weekend with a dinner at Jay Powell’s restaurant.

1

Attending their 15th Reunion were Lauren Dolan, Syndi Granger, Lisa Iaccarino, Lea Koveos, Alexander Nicas, David Nichols, Wes Piermarini, Charlie Post, and Timothy Quaglieri from the Class of 2000.

2

Head of School Ron Cino with former Headmaster John Bloom.

3

Michael Dunbar ’65 and his son, Mike, review the 1965 Towers.

16 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

4

Saturday began with a memorial service in Walker Gallery.

5

Spencer Gould, Stefan Lano, Stewart Lassner, Bruce MacGilpin, Jim Nurse (not pictured), Kevin O’Connor, and David Shamoian attended their 45th Reunion.

2 4

3

Reunion Weekend hit high gear on Saturday, May 2, as alumni returned to campus for a series of events beginning with a memorial service and including the annual alumni soccer game, reunion barbeque (and introduction to Oskee the Hilltopper!), a presentation on the history of and renovations to Walker Hall, games at Morse Field, and the spring musical in Warner Theater.

6

Peter Babaian, Will Corrdin, Veronique Corrdin, Cameron Garriepy, Ari Gottlieb, Brandon Granger, David Green, and Seana Lamothe attended their 20th Reunion.

7

The Class of 2010 time capsule is a source of amusement for members of the 5th Reunion class.

5

8

Too many to name! The Class of 2010 set the standard with 46 members of the class participating in Reunion Weekend.

9

Class of 2010 Class Leaders, Adrienne Anderson and Vinnie Ciavarra, kick off the Class Addresses at the Reunion Gala.

6 7

8

9

Later in the afternoon, Wes Piermarini ’00 and Steve Knapp ’65 were celebrated as they received the Young Alumnus Recognition Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award, respectively.

Worcester Academy

17

1 1

The Piermarini brothers, Garrett ’99, Wes ’00, and Andy ’04, open the Reunion Gala dinner with a ring of the old school bell.

2

The Class of 1980 was well represented at their 35th Reunion by David Buckley, Andy Buduo, Kristina Cairns, Stephanie Carlson, Mark Carter, Peter Cronin, Jim Crowley, Charlie Evangelakos, Jack Hart, Kristina Howard, Leslie Kaye, Jenn Kelley, Wendy McGovern-Talcott, Jacqui McGuinness Bomar, Daniel Meade, Stephen Mingolla, Ed Moffitt, Jay Powell, Mike Revelli, Cyndy Risku, and Lisa Walsh.

2 3

scan this page for more reunion photos

And then the party started! The Reunion Gala brought alumni of all ages to the dance floor in celebration of friendship and a love of Worcester Academy.

4

3

Andy Piermarini ’04 joined Liz Amorello, Samantha Cook, and Katharine Farrell of the Class of 2005 for their 10th Reunion.

18 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

4

The Class of 1990 was represented

by Marla Abodeely, Tanja Bernstein, Seth Donlin, Laura Frem, Douglyss Giuliana, Ryan Johnson, Nicole Lombardo, Stacy Monahan-Tucker, and Ira Stoll for their 25th Reunion.

6s 1s 2016

2015

If your class year ends in a “6” or a “1,” we hope that you’ll make your reunion plans now for Reunion Weekend 2016 on May 6 & 7!

STEPHEN KNAPP ’65 Stephen Knapp of Princeton, MA, is an American artist best known as the creator of lightpaintings, one of the first new art mediums of the 21st century.

A 1969 graduate of Hamilton College, Mr. Knapp is a Worcester native who spent three years at Worcester Academy, entering in his sophomore year.

While at Worcester Academy, he was a member of the Towers Yearbook Club and ran track and cross-country.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Knapp has gained an international reputation for large-scale works of art held in museums as well as public, corporate, and private collections.

He credits Worcester Academy for playing a role in that success over the years.

“My education at Worcester Academy—small classes and focusing on learning how to think and ask questions—and a similar experience at Hamilton College, and parents who taught me that there was no such word as ‘can’t,’ led me to where I am today.”

The 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Stephen A. Knapp on the occasion of his 50th class Reunion.

2015

RECOGNITION AWARD WESLEY PIERMARINI ’00

See Shining His Light, page 5.

Ron Cino, right, congratulates alumni award winners Wes Piermarini ’00 and Stephen Knapp ’65.

Wesley Piermarini is a two-time United States Olympian (2008 & 2012) and three-time member of the USRowing national team (2008, 2010, & 2012).

At Worcester Academy he was a standout skier and team MVP. He also played water polo and soccer, ran track, and participated in drama and comedy club at WA. Following graduation in 2000, he picked up rowing during his freshman year at UMass.

Through hard work and a determination, Mr. Piermarini became an elite international rower. During his career, he was crowned as a champion at the Royal Henley Regatta, the Canadian Henley Regatta, the ECAC’s National Regatta and three times as the New England Gold Medalist.

He competed in the quadruple sculls at the 2012 Olympic Games and in the double sculls at the 2008 Olympic Games.

In 2011, WA crew named a shell for Mr. Piermarini, honoring him for having reached the pinnacle of competition at the Olympics. During his visit to campus, Mr. Piermarini told students that Worcester Academy’s supportive faculty and the school’s motto, “Achieve the Honorable,” had helped propel him to success.

“I absolutely thought about the words, ‘Achieve the Honorable,’ while competing,” Mr. Piermarini said. “Those words have real and lasting value.”

The 2015 Young Alumnus Recognition Award was presented to Wesley D. Piermarini on the occasion of his 15th class Reunion.

Worcester Academy

19

Alumni News letter from events close to home the director of alumni relations

Boca Raton

Frank Callahan and Director of Advancement Marillyn Earley visited with Alice McCabe, center, mother to the late Neal McCabe ’71. Worcester Academy staff also visited with Neal’s nephew, Colin Hackett ’06, while in Boca Raton.

BOCA

20 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Planned Giving Frank Callahan.

L.A.

Attending the January reception in L.A. were Tony ’55 and Judy Aaronson, Rico Cabrera ’98, Sarah Collins ’06, Evan Fonseca ’09, Jim Forbes ’73, Gil Frieden ’95, Peter ’63 and Karla Gardner, Jerome ’59 and Nan Glaser, Alexandra Klimavich ’08, Jackson Lanzing, Jeff Lynn ’73, Maya Morales ’10, Josh ’88 and Lisa Paris, Bob ’61 and Diane Reagan, and Mark Wolff.

Dallas

Attending the Dallas reception in March were Alan Bernon ’72, Ken ’66 and Sylvia Cohen, Derek Easley, Martin ’82 and Andrea Meyer, Tom Meyer ’85, Carly Morin ’05, Amanda Morin ’03, Paul Webber, Peter Webber ’50, and Adam Wunderlich.

Jim Crowley ’80 and Bob Snider ’57 enjoy a Hilltopper Blonde at 3cross Brewing Company during the After Hours event in April.

BOCA

BOSTON

BOSTON

Greg Cappello

Academy’s Director of

DALLAS

My best,

LOS ANGELES

WORCESTER

The WA Class of 2015 graduates into a highly competitive world. However, they are strengthened by a first-class education and the promise of support from the Worcester Academy alumni network. We have encouraged them to access that support throughout their lives and to contribute to it as consistently as possible. Please do what you can to deliver on that promise!

Attend alumni events, answer the call to be a resource in your field of expertise, and contribute to the Academy in whatever way you are able.

Whenever you share your time and your talents or when you contribute to the Annual Fund, you show your commitment to the Hilltoppers who have followed you through the Providence Street gates. Alumni Relations exists to serve YOU—our alumni. Please consider how you can support our youngest alumni and together we will deliver on the promise, and power, of a network that is 7,500 alumni strong.

I look forward to hearing from you as we begin another great year for WA.

Wally Specter ’44 and Worcester

Mike Mone ’60 and Bill Kettlewell ’69 at the Boston Reception.

Our host Bill Kettlewell ’69 introduces Ron Cino at the Boston Reception in January.

BOSTON

alumni news

with Victor Sierra ’90.

NIGHT ’15

SEOUL

WORCESTER ACADEMY

around the world Worcester Academy proudly visited alumni around the world earlier this year. Head of School Ron Cino, Director of Advancement Marillyn Earley, and Director of International Recruitment John Ettore were welcomed warmly on visits to Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, China; and Seoul, South Korea.

HONG KONG

NEW YORK

NEW YORK

to the Worcester Academy alumni association.

New York reception host Matthew Finkle ’87

NEW YORK

Night ’15 was a welcoming of the Class of 2015

NEW YORK

NIGHT ’15

New York

Attending the New York reception were Lauren Bamberger ’02, Angela Bonnici ’01, Bianca Brady ’06, Michelle Dinenberg ’01, Matthew Finkle ’87, Mark Fleming ’80, Daniel Gezari ’61, Syndi Granger ’00, Jeffrey Halbreich ’59, George Koveos ’01, Jamie Lavin ’02, Jordann Lavin ’06, Laura Lenis ’07, Peter McManus ’70, Don Moss ’60, Michihiko Natsume ’95, Whitney O’Sullivan ’02, Charlie Post ’00, Melinda Richardson ’01, Liz Ryvkin ’03, Betsy Sargisson, Jeyan Sarioglu, Victor Sierra ’90, Doug Stone ’01, Kotoko ’95 Sato Uhl and Andre and Bliss Uhl, Don Wiss ’68, and Paul Zhang ’10.

Ron Cino accepts a check from Tae-Jin “T.J.” Kim ’02, who, on behalf of Korean alumni, made a gift to the recently established Pamela Hopper Lefferts Cultural Exchange Award.

SEOUL SHANGHAI

BEIJING Worcester Academy

21

e h t on

HILLTOP

making an IMPACT—one student at a time ART TEACHER BOB THORN RECEIVES 2015 TIEN STUDENT IMPACT AWARD

by Jody P. McNamara

Light dawns in Bob Thorn’s classroom.

Being an art studio, you’d expect that light would be an important component of his work with students. But what you might not necessarily suspect is that the greater “light” erupting throughout Bob’s space is the light of empowerment … the light of awareness … truly, the light of enlightenment. For the last 38 years, Bob Thorn has been in the business of nurturing Worcester Academy students and preparing them to be impactful adults. It is only fitting, then, that the 2015 Tien Award would be bestowed upon this veteran educator.

Created by Michael Tien ’68 in appreciation for his experience at Worcester Academy, the Tien Award acknowledges the positive and impactful influence of one teacher on his/her students. The honoree is selected annually from among current school employees based upon nominations received from students, parents, parents of alumni, and/or young alumni. “I’ve come to understand that the best teachers are not necessarily the ones who impart the most knowledge,” Mr. Tien tells us, “but are those who effectively allow students to bring out the best in themselves.”

Based upon this definition, Bob Thorn is an obvious choice.

Emily Isakson ’15 put it best in her nomination essay: “Mr. Thorn empowered me to perform to the best of my ability whether it was on the soccer field 22 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

on the hilltop

my freshman year or through every year of high school in art class. He taught me life lessons I will never forget.”

“I remember being so mad at him the first time I met him at New Balance Fields,” she recalled, although, now, more fondly. “He said to me, ‘Emily, it’s easier

to stay in shape than to get in shape.’ It was a wake-up call to high school sports and to high school itself for me.”

Wake-up calls are nothing new to Bob Thorn. “One of my students said to me, ‘Mr. Thorn, you don’t teach Art. You teach life lessons disguised as Art.’ This is what we all should be doing. We, as educators, should be giving our students not just information, but the tools to figure out how to move them past mere knowledge. They need to know how to figure things out for themselves. That’s what I try to do. I give my new students a definition of Art. I tell them ‘Art is a product of man in which materials are skillfully ordered to communicate a human experience.’ Human experience can be communicated in many, many ways. Most of my students are not going to become great artists, but Art teaches them to view a given topic in many different ways. I think in today’s world, everyone needs not only a Plan B, but perhaps a Plan C and a Plan D, and at the pace we’re moving, we don’t even know what Plan C will look like a few years from now! Art gives everyone the opportunity to look at things differently and the more ways that we learn to view a given subject, the more effective we’ll be as problem solvers.”

And how does Bob feel about receiving the Tien Award? “I just think it’s great that someone thought to nominate me,” laughs Bob modestly. “You never really know the impact that you have on a kid,” he adds. “Teaching is a different sort of job. I mean, you paint a house and you can stand back and say, ‘That looks good, or that looks bad.’ Teaching just isn’t like that. I’m just happy to know that I’ve made an impact.”

Thank you for that impact, Mr. Thorn!

Arpan Bose ’16 RECEIVES FIRST BERNON JUNIOR SERVICE AWARD Alan Bernon, a veteran dairy industry executive and president of the Affiliate Division of Dairy Farmers of America, frequently gives his time to nonprofit organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. A member of the Class of 1972 at Worcester Academy, he has long acknowledged the importance of community service and philanthropic support.

Recently, Mr. Bernon funded the Bernon Junior Service Award at Worcester Academy to highlight a member of the junior class who shares his passion for philanthropy and who has distinguished him- or herself through community service that is off-campus and exceeds the requirement for graduation.

The award comes with $10,000: $2,500 for the student and $7,500 for the charity of his or her choosing.

Arpan Bose ’16 was named in June as the inaugural recipient of the Junior

Service Award. Arpan, a Marlborough resident, has more recorded community service hours than almost any other member of the Junior Class, and he has been recognized by many faculty for his integrity and character.

His charity work includes service at the Mustard Seed, Habitat for HumanityMetroWest/Greater Worcester, the Missionaries of Charity, and the YMCA. At Worcester Academy, he maintains a rigorous academic schedule and participates in Junior Varsity Baseball.

Arpan, who consulted with Worcester Academy leadership to determine which charity receives $7,500, has selected Habitat for Humanity as the recipient. The Academy also recently gifted property on adjacent Aetna Street to Habitat for Humanity-MetroWest/Greater Worcester, which will build affordable housing there.

The Bernon Junior Service Award at Worcester Academy has been funded for five years.

Worcester Academy

23

Andranik Markaryan ’16

RECEIVES INAUGURAL PAMELA (HOPPER) LEFFERTS CULTURAL EXCHANGE AWARD Andranik Markaryan ’16, of Moscow, Russia, has received the inaugural Pamela Lefferts Cultural Exchange Award. The award honors Pam Lefferts, former director of Global Alumni Relations for Worcester Academy, and is to be given annually to a junior international student for whom English is a second language. Qualifications require that student will have embraced the campus community, demonstrating

a passion for cultural exchange by sharing his or her culture, while also learning and experiencing other world cultures from members of the Worcester Academy community. The award was established following Mrs. Lefferts’ retirement from Worcester Academy last year and funded with gifts from international alumni and domestic families. Efforts are underway to endow this award.

WA’S LANCE LITERARY MAGAZINE STAFF

wins prize, recognition Congratulations to the contributors, editors, and staff of WA’s literary magazine, Lance, which was awarded First Prize for Junior/Senior High Schools (enrollments 500–1,000) by the American

Scholastic Press Association (ASPA).

According to ASPA, Lance shows “the superior efforts of talented and creative editors, writers, artists, photographers, layout/graphic designers, staff

members, and advisor.” Lance also received a rank of Excellent from the National Council of Teachers of English Programs to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.

DAVID BAILLIE BOOK, “WHAT WE SALVAGE,”

goes to print

Congratulations to Worcester Academy English teacher David Baillie on the publication of his first book, “What We Salvage,” a coming-of-age postmodern punk novel. The book, which is now at the printer, has been described as “gritty” and as having a “stark poetic vision that is uniquely his (Baillie’s) own.” Those wishing to pre-order the book can do so on Amazon!

Receiving recognition were, from left (seated), Sidharth Sadhujan ’15, Emma Yanco ’17, Anna Kessler ’17, Rowen Price ’15 (co-editor-in-chief), Emily Goodell ’15, and Aaron Liew ’15; and (standing) Divinity Sebag ’15, Lance faculty advisor Christine Thorn, Kevin Bock ’14, and Jack Chase ’15 (co-editor-in-chief).

24 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

on the hilltop

Celebrating 50 Years,

WA’S UPPER SCHOOL MATH TEAM IS ARGUABLY

winningest team of any kind

IN ACADEMY HISTORY

by Neil R. Isakson

racorn/Shutterstock.com

Best Athlete. Biggest Techie. Most Likely to Succeed.

High school superlatives are generally associated with a school’s graduating seniors. However, there’s one moniker at Worcester Academy that the students have earned consistently, almost overwhelmingly, over the last decade: Best Math Team.

It’s the reason Boston magazine named Worcester Academy “Best Math School” in 2006 and the reason WA’s rigorous math program, its faculty, and its students have merited high praise for having won local, regional, and national math competitions—40 to be exact—with 32 of those championships having come since 2006!

Just imagine: >> Nine Worcester County Math League (WOCOMAL) Varsity Championships: 1983, 1990, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015. >> Nine Massachusetts Math League (MML) Small School Championships: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. >> Ten Massachusetts Association of Mathematics Leagues (MAML) State Championships: 1995, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015. >> Seven New England championships: 1992, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015. >> One Princeton University Mathematics Competition: 2013. >> And, much earlier, two Annhurst College Competitions: 1968 and 1969 (Paul Blanchard ’69, currently a math professor at Boston University, has his name on the 1969 trophy, as does math teacher and Math Team Coach Clarence Barthelman).

And, those are just the First Place championships!

Richard Yanco, a member of the Academy’s math faculty and a longtime coach of the math team, is rightly proud of the math team’s accomplishments. Mr. Yanco, who arrived at Worcester Academy in 2003, led the team for 11 years before finally passing the torch to current

head coach and math teacher Therese O’Garr, whose team notched several championships in its own right in the one year she has been at the helm. Mr. Yanco, meanwhile, remains keeper of math team history, as well as the math team’s amazing stats.

“We’ve done pretty well over the years,” a sheepish Mr. Yanco says, in what can only be described as a colossal understatement. “The last 12 years have been the most successful period in the history of our math team, and we probably have more championships than any other school.”

According to Mr. Yanco, anywhere from 30 to 55 students join the math team each year in what averages out to be about 8 percent of the Upper School. At times, they have competed in as many as four math leagues depending on interest. And that, he says, has been part of the secret to their successes.

Participating in more leagues means more competitions, he says. And, whereas some school teams may have only four meets a year, WA often has more than double that.

“The math team works really hard, and we do a lot,” he says. “You might liken it to a soccer team that has only four games playing another team that has 10 or more. The team with the most experience is going to win.”

As a result, the Worcester Academy Math Team typically doubles the score of the next best small school, he said, noting that WA had been tops overall among schools of all sizes in 2013.

In addition to Barthelman, O’Garr, and Yanco, other head coaches for the WA Math Team have included Donald Bloom and George Delaney.

ADDITIONAL SUCCESSES In December, the Math Team placed Second nationwide in the 2013 AMC/Interstellar High School Mathematics National Championship. More than 500 schools and 13,000 students participated in the contest. The WA team also finished in 20th place in the 2014 Four-byFour Competition, a national mathematics contest administered by National Assessment & Testing.

Additionally, Worcester Academy is regularly ranked among top teams at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Invitational Math Meet, and academy students frequently outpace their peers in Massachusetts Math Olympiad competitions, and on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) Test, the most rigorous high school test in the nation, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America.

Worcester Academy

25

physics (and much more) IS LOVE FOR MIT-BOUND MEGAN KRALJ ’15

by Caroline G. Reich

She bounces in for our interview wearing a funky but very stylish black and red ensemble completed with a top-hat fascinator hairpiece that I immediately want to try on. It’s from Japan, she says proudly. She’s carrying a copy of “A Briefer History of Time,” a favorite book, and she’s ready to talk.

Megan patiently explains how she arrived at WA as a sixth grader, the only child of two well-educated Argentinian immigrants who valued education enough to seek the best education for their daughter. Dad, an engineer by training, started out in the U.S. as a janitor but gradually earned an engineering Ph.D. Megan’s mom was a corporate lawyer and earned a U.S. degree in legal interpreting, despite a battle with

MEGAN’S WINNING HAIKU

新しい 発明うかぶ、 春が来る。 Translation: A new invention floats [into my mind], spring arrives.

It’s about how spring is a time of rebirth and innovation for young inventors and scientists!

26 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

cancer. The key to Megan’s love of learning and academic success, Megan says, is the incredibly high value her family places on education and learning. An injury in sixth grade nearly derailed her academic year, but she worked a lot from home, pushed through, and by seventh grade had learned the skill and power of “self-teaching.”

Megan, meet your passion Then in sophomore year, she met the passion of her life: physics. It happened at a summer program called MIT Junction in a physics class. Topics included Lagrange equations (of the second kind), Hamilton’s equations for mechanics, Maxwell’s equations, Special Theory of Relativity, and Schrodinger’s equation. Megan just LOVED physics! “Right from the start physics made sense. It’s beautiful how we can model the universe, and how using engineering and technology tools with physics principles, if I want to try something, I can build it.”

In two years, Megan completed six years of physics coursework, thanks to self-study and the support of WA faculty such as Mr. Jeremy Smith, and Dr. Kevin Crowthers. She completed Physics, and Physics A & B at WA; finished Electromagnetics through self-study; did Modern Physics at MIT; and Quantum Mechanics at WA as an independent study with Mr. Smith.

Megan was invited to the prestigious MITES program at MIT and now studies nuclear physics independently. In fact, the sub-field of nuclear energy/physics is where her future academic path lies.

“We need alternative energy sources to solve mankind’s problems,” she says.

A paper on her independent research, submitted to department chairs and professors at the colleges she applied to led to acceptances at MIT (Early Action), Princeton, Columbia, Yale, NYU, and BU Honors, to name a few. She is now guaranteed a research position at MIT’s Plasma Fusion Center when she gets to campus in the fall.

Talking with Megan for just a few moments brings one quickly to the conclusion that she is not simply a “physics nerd” who plans to spend college tucked in a lab. Megan won second prize in a U.N.-sponsored haiku competition, is a Bay State All Star Cheerleader, attended an invitation-only astronomy camp at University of Arizona, was head of WA’s Robotics Club, and was a founder of the Innovation Club, which designed a science curriculum for the nearby Union Hill Elementary School. She takes Japanese language lessons, is on a Savage Soccer Robotics team, and is working on her own Linux from Scratch program. Megan has traveled to Argentina to tutor students in Spanish and has built a computerized teddy bear from a Build-A-Bear “just because it was a cool thing to do.”

As Megan heads off to Cambridge, she expressed a deep appreciation for everything WA has given her. “The Academy has very unique and impressive resources for independent study and the ability for students to start just about any kind of activity. Teachers and mentors like Wendy Cotta (Director of Technology Integration) helping the Innovation Club work with Union Hill

MIT-bound Megan Kralj ’15.

were really amazing,” Megan explains.

“I was able to do in-depth research in European History with Dr. John Murnane, and my English teacher, Sarah Getchell, inspired me to express myself in new ways through my poetry—so I had great opportunities for academic exploration during my time here.”

Megan is taking her fascinator to MIT, as well as her figurative Cum Laude Society tiara. And in between classes and lab sessions, she just might try out for the cheerleading squad!

on the hilltop

save the date!

NOVEMBER 14, 2015

2015 AUCTION & GALA FOR WORCESTER ACADEMY The Historic Armory

auction & gala

“Whether a parent or a graduate—you know that our faculty are what make Worcester Academy the outstanding place it has been for decades.

They truly do go Above & Beyond for their students.”

—Ron Cino, Head of School

FOR WORCESTER ACADEMY SUPPORTS FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BENEFITS STUDENTS

by Neil R. Isakson

WA parents, alumni, and other friends are gearing up for what is easily the most anticipated event of the school year—Above & Beyond—the 2015 Auction and Gala for Worcester Academy to fund professional development.

The auction, to be held November 14, will take place at The Historic Armory at 44 Salisbury Street in Worcester. The castle-like Gothic revival armory is on the National Historic Register and currently houses the Massachusetts Military Museum and Archives, with documents and memorabilia dating back to 1636.

“It will be a night to remember in what is a beautiful and historic venue,” said Stacie Lavine P’16,’18, who is co-chairing the event along with June Carroll P’16,’18, and Erin Lundgren P’19,’20. “We have a wonderful dinner planned with music, silent and live auctions, and many fabulous auction items.

It will be lots of fun.”

The co-chairs noted that Auctioneer Paul Zekos of the Zekos Group in Shrewsbury would conduct the live auction portion of the evening. Mr. Zekos, who is known for his fast pace and lively style, has previously conducted auctions for Worcester Academy.

Former auction venues have included the Crowne Plaza Hotel in 2006, Mechanics Hall in 2009, Union Station in 2011, and St. Spyridon Church in 2013.

The co-chairs said that while the event is sure to be memorable, the most important takeaway would be the message sent to WA faculty.

“The auction represents our school community’s commitment to the faculty,” they said, noting that the event is parent-sponsored and parent-run.

“We want teachers to know that we appreciate them for all that they do for our children every day, but also want to give teachers everything they need to

continue to excel and to be experts in their fields.”

Head of School Ron Cino agrees.

“Whether a parent or a graduate—you know that our faculty are what make Worcester Academy the outstanding place it has been for decades,” said Mr. Cino. “They truly do go Above & Beyond for their students.”

Over the years, Worcester Academy auctions have raised nearly $500,000 for faculty professional development.

Dr. Cynthia Sabik, dean of faculty at Worcester Academy, said the monies have benefitted faculty, but, more importantly, they impacted the student experience in the long run.

“In the last two years, we have had some of America’s brightest and most celebrated educational innovators speaking and presenting here at Worcester Academy,” said Dr. Sabik.

“They’ve presented on best practices

and innovations in education, and they have offered coaching to bring those concepts into our classrooms directly to our students.”

Speakers have included Expeditionary Learning CEO Ron Berger, High Tech High founder Rob Riordan, curriculum designer Suzie Boss, and acclaimed author Grant Wiggins.

The message: Today’s classrooms, like today’s teachers and students, are fluid, allowing for creativity, divergent thinking, inventive thinking, and the creative use of all sorts of technology—from paper and pencil to Smart Boards, iMovies, and podcasts, said Dr. Sabik.

“Clearly, ongoing professional development for every teacher, on everything from teaching methodology to technology to lesson design to community connection, to elements we have not yet conceived, is imperative in today’s educational culture,” she said.

To volunteer for the auction, to make a gift in support of the auction, or to donate an auction item, please call Nancy Osborn, director of parent relations, at 508-754-5302 x209, or email her at nancy.osborn@worcesteracademy.org.

Worcester Academy

27

from the archives DANIELS GYMNASIUM 100TH ANNIVERSARY

by Frank Callahan ’71

2015

marks the 100th anniversary of the Daniels Gymnasium, the last of the historic buildings on the Academy’s campus built under of the guidance of Principal Daniel Webster Abercrombie. In addition to building the spirit and improving the academics of the school, Abercrombie created the interscholastic athletics programs that are so much a part of the rich history and culture on the Hilltop. This strong tradition dates back to 1885 with the creation of the Athletic Association.

Over his decades of leadership, Abercrombie had lobbied Board President Joseph Walker about upgrading the facilities to support athletics. Unfortunately, Walker was an old-fashioned businessman who did not understand that more space was necessary to support the various forms of team play. Thus, the needed facilities did not come to fruition until after Walker stepped down as president in 1906.

Three years later, the school purchased the 10-acre parcel less than a half a mile south on Providence Street that within a year was transformed into Gaskill Field, and its opening in 1910 had an additional benefit. The field on the main campus, known as the Oval, provided the space to build an up-to-date facility that could compare with the gyms of other boarding schools.

The Boston architectural firm Peabody and Stearns was selected largely because the firm had designed the gymnasiums at Phillips Andover, Groton, and other preparatory schools. Part of the design took advantage of the flat land of the Oval with the gymnasium and running track above. In a lower level, where a tennis court had been, they placed a swimming pool with a gallery at the upper level. In the middle was a Norman tower with a prominent clock.

When it was built, the gymnasium was state-of-theart, but it was not built with the sport of basketball in mind. While conceivably there is enough floor space for the dimensions of a regulation court, the running track above the floor made this challenging. First of all, the backboard nets had to be affixed to the edge of the running track, shortening the length of the court; more 28 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

from the archives

Frank Callahan ’71 is Worcester Academy’s Director of Planned Giving and a member of the American Antiquarian Society.

DID YOU KNOW?

The piano that Cole Porter, Class of 1909, played in the Megaron is stored in a room at the top of Daniels’ Norman tower.

Worcester Academy

Lane V. Erickson/shutterstock.com

importantly the overhang of the curves of the track blocks shots to the basket from the sides. In Worcester Academy lore, this undersized court is the stuff of legend. Alumni love to talk about the great games that took place in this bandbox—especially in the days when Coach “Dee” Rowe ’47 built up the great basketball program at the Academy.

At first, the gymnasium was not named. It was actually more than three decades later that it was named for F. Harold Daniels, Class of 1905. Daniels had served on the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees since 1922 and, during the Great Depression, had been one of the leaders who kept the Academy from going out of business by negotiating workouts with the banks and personally paying off the school’s operating deficits each year. He became the President of the Board in 1939, and, in 1950, the gymnasium was named for him in celebration of the retirement of the mortgage, which went back to the Depression years.

The four-lane swimming pool continues to serve the school well. Worcester Academy has produced dozens of great swimmers each year—even during World War II when there was no coach and the boys had to coach themselves, since the faculty were in the service. More recently, the strong coaching is a hallmark of the program, as faculty member Barbara Gould has served as the coach of both the boys and girls teams since 1992.

Coach Gould is certainly the longest serving swimming coach and, at nearly a quarter of a century, one of the longest serving coaches in the 180-year history of the Academy. The school can boast of numerous Academic All Americans.

In the 1980s, Daniels Gymnasium was transformed by a major addition necessitated by the school’s return to coeducation. However, finding the space for the addition in an urban area was complicated. In order to accomplish this, a block of a Worcester city street, Penn Ave., was closed and deeded to the Academy. Along with locker rooms for the girls, the Rowe Court for basketball and volleyball was constructed. In addition, the wrestling room, Athletic Director offices, and a suite for trainers were added. Overall, this addition has greatly enhanced Worcester Academy’s athletics programs— particularly in girls’ sports.

Today, Daniels Gymnasium serves many purposes beyond athletics. The Upper School student enrollment has outgrown the Ross Auditorium of Warner Theater, so assemblies are held in the Rowe Court. Final exams and SATs are held at the Rowe Court, and Advanced Placement tests are held in the wrestling room. In the summer of 2013, the exterior of Daniels was greatly improved with a new slate roof and repointing and cleaning of the brick exterior. Daniels is now able to continue to well serve Academy students for years to come.

29

donor profile DONOR HOPES NEW SCHOLARSHIP WILL SET RECIPIENTS ON PATH TO SUCCESS

by Caroline G. Reich

When Matt Finkle ’87 was approached to make a gift to the Academy for the Capital Campaign, creating a scholarship was clearly where his philanthropic interests led the conversation. He’d had a terrific personal experience at WA, and he wanted to make an Academy education available to students who might not otherwise be able to have access to the life-changing opportunities it offers.

“After visiting the campus, I knew WA was the right place for me,” Matt explains. “I was attracted to the freedom that the school gives it students, the rich curriculum, the strong athletic programs, and the urban location,” he says. While on the Hilltop, Matt was involved in athletics, theater, and student government, serving as senior class president, and was voted “most likely to succeed” by his classmates. Matt graduated from Georgetown and spent a few years at GE Capital before earning his MBA from Columbia Business School.

Today, he is president of Related Affordable LLC, one of the largest owners of affordable housing in the nation.

Matt is also a Worcester Academy Trustee.

Why a Scholarship?

“I always appreciated the diversity of the student body at WA while I was a student there. Students came from all walks of life and from all over the globe,” Matt notes.

The idea of creating a new scholarship that could add to that mix was very attractive to Matt, especially in light of his being intimately involved in the affordable housing business, where he spends a great deal of time in lower income and otherwise challenged cities and neighborhoods, such as Yonkers, NY, where his firm owns property. Matt says his company seeks to become involved in bettering the communities in which they own properties, which in turn improves properties and the lives of the residents who live in them.

“In Yonkers, for example, I became involved with Yonkers Partners in Education, a tremendous nonprofit 30 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

that provides college counseling and other services to students at nine high schools there. A lot of students in Yonkers excel academically and athletically, but they (and their parents) fear leaving home to go away to college,” Matt explains.

In response, Matt established the Matthew K. Finkle ’87 Scholarship, which allows a graduate from a Yonkers high school to come to the Academy for a postgraduate year.

The goal is to help a student from a disadvantaged background but with great potential become comfortable away from home, in a supportive college-like setting, so that he or she can develop the confidence to be successful in college. “Of course, they also get far more exposure to more college and more educational and cultural opportunities, which broadens their horizons even more,” Matt says. The Finkle Scholarship covers tuition, room and board, and books, and provides a stipend for travel and incidental expenses.

Success in First Year The first Finkle Scholar, Brandon Tate ’15, arrived on campus last fall and quickly became a fixture on campus, participating in many campus events and engaging in all aspects of student life. He was an important contributor on the football team and worked hard in the classroom. In fact, Brandon improved his SAT scores by nearly 200 points while at WA, gaining admission and a scholarship/aid package to Ithaca College, where he will matriculate this fall. He received the Outstanding Postgraduate Award at Senior Night, as well. “Brandon set the bar very high,” Matt says.

“He is the very definition of what I was hoping the Finkle Scholarship would accomplish, and I am very

Matt Finkle ’87

Inaugural Finkle Scholar Brandon Tate ’15

proud of him. I think Brandon’s future is limitless, and I only hope that one day he can come back to WA and share his future success with others.”

Establishing a scholarship is a very personal kind of philanthropy. Each year, it is one donor and one recipient, but as the years go by, the number of recipients grows and donors can see the impact their gift has made, life by life.

“My goal with this scholarship is to impact individual lives in a deep and meaningful way. I have been blessed in my own life to have the opportunity to help others, and I believe this scholarship accomplishes that. I also hope that recipients of the Scholarship will go on in their own lives and accomplish amazing things—and remember how WA put them on the path to success.”

giving news

making a difference J.F. RUSSO SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT ALEXIS HACKETT ’16 Alexis “Lexi” Hackett ’16 loves WA: “It’s a school that gives you many opportunities and encourages you to be the best that you can be. The teaching staff is always looking for a way to help you in your classes, and everyone on campus is very welcoming and friendly.

The school challenges you both in academics and athletics.”

Lexi is a three-sport athlete, but it is in basketball that she excels. In her junior year, she scored 20 or more points

in 13 games and in one game alone had 41. Soon after surpassing 1,000 points in three varsity seasons, Lexi was profiled in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

In soccer, she is either a forward or midfielder and, in track, runs 100-yard dash and competes in the high jump.

She hopes to be a 12-letter winner, yet somehow, she finds the time to be a student ambassador for WA and volunteers in a community garden.

Lexi has been awarded the J.F. Russo

Scholarship, which was established in 1993 to honor Jake, Class of 1922, for his lifelong affinity for athletics, “I’m so thankful for this scholarship. It helps my parents out a lot. Thank you so much!” writes Lexi.

For information on contributing to or establishing a scholarship at Worcester Academy, or to make a gift, please contact the Worcester Academy Advancement Office at 508-754-5302 x172.

Sharing

the joy of discovery

Worcester Academy Annual Fund

Through the innovations of dedicated teachers, we deliver on our mission to cultivate progressive, forward-thinking leaders with a global perspective.

It is the Academy’s Annual Fund that lifts us from good to great.

Help us by making your contribution to the Annual Fund today!

www.worcesteracademy.org/givenow Worcester Academy

31

WA ATHLETICS

Hannah Kelley ’16 a “poster girl” for perseverance, grace, and good sportsmanship

by Susan Colleton

Her soft-spoken, china doll persona belies an inner strength of grit and unparalleled determination that she shares with all World Champions. As a multi-titled equestrian, Hannah Kelley ’16 of Sutton personifies both the athletic talent and the intense focus that make her one of the most successful junior exhibitor competitors on the highly touted Morgan and American Saddlebred show horse circuits, where she competes at events throughout the country. As a third-generation horsewoman, Hannah grew up in the horse world, but it wasn’t until a pony ride at a friend’s birthday when she was eight that she caught the horse “bug” and was “hooked.”

Hannah’s journey from that pony ride to World Champion is a tribute to her dedication and keen understanding of what it takes to win, and her willingness to put forth the world-class effort necessary to achieve her goals. It’s something that her teachers at Worcester Academy, where she is proud to be a student, see first-hand every day. She knows that wanting to win isn’t enough, and it is her consistently putting in those long practices after school that makes her stunning victory passes so spectacular. Her list of stellar accolades began in her first year of competition when she won two World Championships, then segued seamlessly into the next age group where she won three more World Championship titles. Now showing in the hotly contested senior division, where she is currently a World Champion, Hannah continues to be a dynamic competitor and is always on the cutting edge of pushing the standard of excellence even higher.

Inherent in showing horses is the fact that unlike a sport that requires “inanimate” equipment, showing a horse adds the additional element of creating an intuitive bond

32 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

varsity club between horse and rider that enables each to maximize every performance.

Hannah has that ability, which is the true gift she brings to all of her riding.

As in all sports, World Champion status does not automatically guarantee another title, and each competition demands renewed focus and attention to even the most minute details. Hannah is keenly aware of those “challenges” and articulates that she enjoys everything involved with being around her horses. From the very beginning, she has loved “each minute of the learning experience” and continues to relish the consistent learning and tweaking that each ride demands. Hannah’s status as a “rock star” in the show horse world brings the accolades one would expect but also marks her as the “one to beat” each times she enters the ring. However, Hannah’s quiet demeanor never wavers as she knows that every ride won’t be perfect “but that you always have to ride it out.” She also never backs away from riding a tough horse. She loves the challenge that riding a new horse presents and is quick to point out that the “challenge” is part of the fun, and always part of the learning curve. Working out the “quirks” of a new horse not only improves her horsemanship, it gives her a great sense of accomplishment, regardless of the color of the ribbon. “Life lessons” are always an integral part of any competitive activity, and for Hannah, “the biggest lesson is to never quit. You have to finish your class so you just ride hard until they call you in.”

Hannah Kelley is a poster girl for all that is positive in the contemporary youth culture in our country.

She brings dedication, commitment, perseverance, grace, and good sportsmanship to all that she does.

She is a natural ambassador for the Morgan and Saddlebred worlds and brings World Championship style to all that she endeavors.

Katrina Gangi ’16 breaks school long jump record Academy junior and North Andover resident Katrina Gangi demonstrated outstanding athleticism in May as she broke a 13-year-old school Long Jump record with a 16-foot, 8.5-inch leap at Belmont Hill vs Thayer, Rivers, Middlesex, and Belmont. Congratulations, Katrina!

WA varsity boys baseball team wins

2015 CNEPSBL championship Congratulations to our Worcester Academy Varsity Baseball Team, 2015 Central New England Prep School Baseball League (CNEPSBL) Champions! The boys beat Phillips Andover Academy 11–4 to clinch the victory, following a spectacular regular season with 25 wins and 6 losses! Players included Peter Bovenzie, Alex Brickman, Jonathan Crimmin, Gus Culpo, Connor Donahue, Mary Kate Drinkwater (MGR), Collin Duffley, Brian Eddy, Michael Ferraro, Devin Fitman, Kevin Haley, Troy Hansen, James Harizi (MGR), Cam Heiser, Robert Ivatts, Ryan McDermot, Morgan McSweeney, Alex Mitchell (MGR), Dante Ricciardi (CAP), Mariano Ricciardi, Bryce Santos, Camden Santos, Bradley Waddell (CAP), Jonathan Wolf, and Austin Young (CAP, MVP).

Coaches were Mark Gafur and Dana Forsberg ’94.

Worcester Academy

33

The 17th annual

2015

Rowe Scholarship Classic celebrates 50 scholarship recipients Worcester Academy hosted the 17th annual Rowe Scholarship Classic on June 8 at Worcester Country Club. Despite predictions of rain, it was a beautiful day. The 2015 Rowe tournament was particularly exciting as it celebrated the naming of more than 50 scholarship recipients since 1998! The festive occasion was highlighted by a fun-filled awards ceremony that followed a day of golf. Led by Committee chairman Bob Hall ’62, the planning of this special event occurs throughout the year

34 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

thanks to a loyal and dedicated group of Worcester Academy alumni.

Established in 1998 as a lasting tribute to Academy alumnus Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47, the Rowe Scholarship Fund is named in honor of Dee and his family for their more than 60 years of love and devotion to Worcester Academy. The fund has awarded annual scholarships to new or returning students of outstanding character who, in addition to participation in athletics, exhibit strong

leadership both at school and in the community.

The 2015 scholarship recipients are: Turner Geenty ’16, Alexis Hackett ’16, Timary Malley ’16, and Lucio Nicoletti ’16. Special guest speaker was Kamille Hampton, a 2011 Rowe Scholarship recipient. Worcester Academy coaches introduced the four 2015 recipients and the program concluded with a moving speech by Dee. We look forward to the 2016 Rowe Scholarship Classic to be held on June 6, 2016! Join us if you can!

varsity club

Varsity Club honors Katrina Lacher ’94 and Obinna Ekezie ’95 The Worcester Academy Varsity Club honored two alumni this year at its annual Varsity Club Dinner on April 30. Those receiving 2015 Varsity Club Awards were Dr. Katrina Nelson Lacher ’94, an assistant professor of U.S. history and environmental history at the University of Central Oklahoma, and Obinna Ekezie ’95, founder and managing director of Wakanow.com.

Nearly every year since 1965, the Academy has honored a graduate who, while at the Academy, excelled in sports, and then has gone on to experience success in athletics and in life. The honoree is selected from nominations submitted by alumni and other members of the school community.

Dr. Katrina Lacher ’94 Dr. Katrina Lacher is an assistant professor of U.S. history and environmental history. She received her undergraduate degree from Sewanee (The University

of the South) and her master’s in History from Boston College. After several years teaching high school history, she earned her doctoral degree from the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on the politics and culture of direct-action environmental organizations such as Earth First, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and the Earth Liberation Front.

While at Worcester Academy, Dr. Lacher was head monitor, as well as being one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the school. She earned six letters in track & field, five letters in cross-country, and four in basketball. She was captain of the track & field team, was MVP twice in cross-country, and was cocaptain and MVP of the basketball team in her senior year. At Sewanee, Dr. Lacher continued her success as a four-year, two-sport varsity letter winner in crosscountry and track & field. She was a four-year academic All-American, a 10,000 meter SCAC Champion in Varsity Club Award recipients Obinna Ekezie ’95 and Katrina (Nelson) Lacher ’94.

1995, three-time All Conference SCAC Team, twotime All-Regional Team, and NCAA Student-Athlete Representative on Championship Committee.

Obinna Ekezie ’95 Obinna Ekezie, an entrepreneur and a former professional basketball player, is the founder and managing director of Wakanow.com, Nigeria’s first online travel booking platform. A graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park, he studied mechanical engineering, business, and the IBM Total Quality Management process. Following graduation from Maryland, the 6'9" center played basketball in the NBA, as well as other professional leagues.

At Worcester Academy, Mr. Ekezie’s athletic successes on the basketball court were validated in the record books. In 1994, he received the Lawson Riley Award. In 1995, his senior year, he received the MVP Award. At Maryland, he played for legendary coach Gary Williams and his teams made four consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament, reaching the Round of 16 his junior and senior years. He was the 37th pick in the NBA draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies, went on to play 143 games in the league and had a distinguished eight-year professional career across three leagues and two continents.

past honorees Past Varsity Club honorees include: Dave Gavitt, former general manager of the Boston Celtics; Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47, director of athletics and basketball coach; Bill Toomey ’57, Olympic decathlon champion; Armand LaMontagne ’58, noted sculptor; Steve Adelman ’64, Boston College hall of famer; Bill Reynolds ’64, longtime sports writer and columnist; Chet Gladchuk ’69, U.S. Naval Academy director of athletics; Yvonne Goldsberry ’78, pioneer of women’s athletics at WA and a member of the Brown University Hall of Fame; Rick Carlisle ’79, head coach, Dallas Mavericks; Stephanie Abodeely Carlson ’80, former head women’s soccer coach at WPI; Joe Philbin, head coach, Miami Dolphins; and Donn Nelson ’82, general manager, Dallas Mavericks.

Worcester Academy

35

scoreboard

Melina Economos ’15

pitches perfect game

spring 2015 team

The Worcester Academy Varsity Softball Team mercied Deerfield Academy 12–0 in the 5th inning at New Balance Fields April 15 but not before pitcher Melina Economos ’15 could pitch a perfect game!

Melina is attending Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.

wins

losses

ties

Varsity Baseball

25

6

0

JV Baseball

10

2

1

Varsity Golf

3

4

0

Varsity Boys Lacrosse

7

3

0

Varsity Girls Lacrosse

9

4

2

JV Boys Lacrosse

2

3

0

Varsity Softball

13

6

0

JV Softball

5

3

0

Varsity Boys Tennis

9

5

0

Varsity Girls Tennis

4

8

1

Varsity Boys Track & Field

14

5

0

Varsity Girls Track & Field

14

3

1

James “Jim” McNamara ’07 named

head varsity baseball coach Worcester Academy is proud to announce the hiring of Worcester’s James “Jim” McNamara, a member of WA’s Class of 2007, as Head Varsity Baseball Coach. McNamara replaces Dana Forsberg, who is leaving his post after seven highly successful seasons, including two Class A Central New England Prep School Baseball Championships—one in 2011 and another in 2015.

“We’re excited to welcome Jim McNamara back to Worcester Academy,” said Ed Reilly, Worcester Academy Director of Athletics.

“As an alumnus and former player, his familiarity with our school and the baseball program will be a major asset.”

McNamara is equally enthusiastic about his new position.

“I am excited to return to the Hilltop as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach, and I really look 36 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

forward to continuing the excellent baseball tradition at the Academy,” he said.

The Worcester Academy Varsity Baseball Team finished the 2015 season with an 18–4 record. The team beat Phillips AcademyAndover at the 33rd Central New England Prep School Baseball League Thomas Blackburn Tournament after having been atop league standings all season long.

McNamara, who teaches physical education at West Boylston Middle/High School, is a graduate of Anna Maria College, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management in 2011 and his Master of Business Administration in 2014. At Anna Maria, he was a three-year captain and holds the school’s all-time wins record (20) as a pitcher. As a hitter, he graduated 2nd all-time in hits and RBI.

He pitched professionally in the Independent CanAm League for the New York Federals following his graduation from Anna Maria in 2011.

Most recently, McNamara was Head Varsity Baseball Coach for three seasons at Burncoat High School in Worcester. He is also a pitching coach for the New England Ruffnecks Baseball Program, which had seven former players drafted in the 2014 MLB amateur draft. Previously, he was pitching coach at Anna Maria (2011–2014).

In addition to coaching, McNamara serves as an associate scout for the Chicago Cubs.

Jim is the younger brother of Dave McNamara ’00, Head Baseball Coach at Anna Maria, and Shaun McNamara ’02, a professional scout for the New York Mets.

varsity club

girls hockey awarded good sportsmanship award Worcester Academy’s Varsity Girls Hockey program was awarded the 2015 Good Sportsmanship Award from the Central Mass Hockey Officials Association (CMHOA).

The award, made by vote of the membership, is given to those teams and coaches who, in the opinion of officials, have “conducted themselves in an exemplary manner throughout the season.” We’re proud that our Girls Hockey Team and coaches have represented us so very well!

Gunnar Siegel ’18

Hilltoppers called up in

Gunnar Siegel was selected to represent the AS Roma U.S. Soccer Development Academy at the 2015 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland this summer. The prestigious tournament, which took place July 26–31, featured some of the greatest youth talent from around the globe. The Milk Cup’s legacy includes such youth players as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Ryan Giggs. Way to go, Gunnar!

Two Hilltoppers—Nick Economos ’13 and Dante Ricciardi ’15—were selected in America’s Major League Baseball Draft in June. Nick, a pitcher, went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 21st round and is now at training camp. Dante, a shortstop, went to the Seattle Mariners in the 39th round. He attends Georgetown University. Congratulations to both of these talented young athletes!

MLB draft

Dante Ricciardi ’15

Eunice Yang ’17 making waves and breaking records Worcester Academy Swimming phenom Eunice Yang, center, a junior, has done it again. In March, she broke the New England Prep School Swimming Association (NEPSSA) record in 100 Breast with a time of 1:08.63! Prior to that, Eunice broke both WA school and pool records in the 100 Breast, as well as having broken swim records at other independent schools. Congratulations, Eunice!

Nick Economos ’13 Worcester Academy

37

varsity club

REUNIONS

1 alumnae soccer On May 31, alumnae soccer players took to the field and afterward said their thank yous to John Liller for his 30-year dedication to the program and its players. Participating in the reunion were: Kelsey Irish ’04, Meredith Davis ’03 (and her parents), Laurie ’04 and Michelle Boland ’05 (and their father), Kelcey ’08 and Carly Heman ’14, Allyson Rivard ’10, Emily Barbato ’11, MaryClaire Pelletier ’11 (and her mother), Daley Baldwin ’12 (and her mother), Emily Doherty ’12, Jill Marois ’12, Bridget McCarthy ’12 (and her parents), Marissa Endow ’13 (and her parents), Maddy Ojerholm ’13, Julia Piwowarski ’13 (and her parents), Olivia Dalton-Hoffman ’14, Gina Doyle ’14 (and her parents), Jackie Feraco ’14, Caroline Kelleher ’14, Jenna Pike ’14, Nikki Wilson ’14 (and her mother), Maddie Evangelous ’15, Coach Jen Marino, Coach John Liller, Director of College Counseling Jonathan Baker, Head Trainer Jamie Mili and Mike Kaczynski (father of Kristen ’97 and Stephanie ’00), who refereed the game.

2 1

2

4 38 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Kelcey ’08 and Carly Heman ’14 with John Liller.

3 alumni basketball Participating in the reunion were: Charlie Clay ’17, Sean Collins ’10, Bill Littleton ’73, Dave Mack ’11, Tyreik McCauley ’14, Matt Mobley ’13, Eddie Reilly ’09, Tommy Rivard ’13, Anthony Weeks ’08, AD Ed Reilly, Coach Jamie Sullivan, and Coach Dan Sullivan.

4 alumni soccer 3

More than 40 alumni soccer players and coaches participated in the annual game played during Reunion Weekend.

class notes 1941

1949

75th reunion May 6–7, 2016

JORGE BLANCO of Key Biscayne, FL, writes

ELLIOTT HALE of Plymouth, NH, writes that he is “rich in family and good health.”

1947 The ECAC honored DEE ROWE with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival in December, which also featured a men’s basketball doubleheader. Dee was the men’s basketball coach at UConn from 1969-77 and was a two-time New England collegiate Coach of the Year.

that after graduating from Georgia Tech, he worked for 46 years and has now been retired for 15. He says he and his beautiful wife, Mayita, have been married for 61 years, and they have five children. He still goes to the gym three times a week. He remembers the good years he spent at WA.

Here are just a few ways that you can stay connected:

1955 DAVE SKAFF reports that he and Sylvia have

Visit Worcester Academy on Flickr to see the latest photos from games, performances, and school life. www.flickr.com/photos/worcesteracademy

moved back to Pennsylvania to be closer to their children. All is well.

RON SMITH writes that he is enjoying retire-

1947

1959 DWIGHT RITTER’S book, “Growin’ Up White,” was featured at the 35th Annual Book and Author Luncheon to benefit Christamore House, a Family and Community Center in Indianapolis, on April 17, 2015. A work of fiction, it was published by Iron Press (copyright 2015).

DR. GORDON MCMURDO ’47

Worcester Academy has a variety of social media channels to help you stay up to date with the latest news from the Hilltop. Whether you still live in the area and want to know about upcoming events, or you live overseas and want to see what is happening in our classrooms through videos, social media is our way of bringing the Hilltop to you.

Become a fan of the Worcester Academy Facebook Page. See posts about upcoming events and connect with the Worcester Academy Online Community.

ment in The Villages, FL.

continues to enjoy the good weather in San Antonio, TX, which allows him plenty of time to tool around on his motorcycle. After serving his country for 23 years, Gordon proudly flies the flag everyday. To all WA graduates who serve, Gordon says, “Thank you for ‘Achieving the honorable’ in this way.” He would also love to hear from fellow class of ’47 mates.

get connected

1961

55th reunion May 6–7, 2016 ALLAN HUBERMAN invented a revolutionary growing medium called WaterGrip, “saving the water of the world.” Read more about it at his website, watergripmedia.com.

Watch videos of students, faculty, alumni, and parents experiencing a real-world education. www.youtube.com/user/WorcesterAcademy Catch breaking news about events, lectures, and more when you follow @WorcesterAcdmy on Twitter.

1964

1965

GARY HUTCHINSON reports that he

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1965, ANGEL ESPINOSA-LOPEZ fondly remembered Ma Grogan’s Spa, Bonton Cleaners, Cheppy Zsetzenwol, Feingold’s late night pizzas, Prof. Lawrence Smith’s MG up on the theater’s steps, Ma Nagle (who welcomed his PR elixir bottles), Chet Chaisson at the athletic field, Headmaster Piper, of course, his two dorm faculty proctors, Profs Small and Macko, and so many others, not to mention his classmates including Chico Fernandez, Eddy Leal, and Jose Moscoso.

has been retired for seven years and loves splitting his time between Cape Cod and Naples, FL.

KEN PAYSON is still racing cars! He won the Masters Championship and the regular championship for the New England Region of the Sports Car Club of America, as well as the Central Florida Region Runoffs.

Worcester Academy

39

1966

50th reunion May 6–7, 2016 DAVID MULLER retired in July 2014 and now lives full-time in Lexington, VA, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. After finishing a major renovation of his home, he is now pursuing a new career in freelance writing.

His daughter, Abigail, is studying nursing at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, where she is also in Army ROTC. Younger daughter Bethany will pursue a Fine Arts degree in college.

MICHAEL REIDY retired from Bespoke Publications Ltd. after 25 years and is now operating his own editorial services business in Kent, England. He says it’s wonderful not having to commute anymore. Michael was commissioned by two Irish theater companies to write some short plays. Everyone at WA’s Alumni House always enjoys Michael’s visits when he is in Worcester to see his mother.

1967 CAPT. PHILIP CAHILL wrote, “Time keeps on passing and with more regularity I find myself reflecting on my time on the ‘Hill.’ Presently, I am based out of Zanzibar, Tanzania, where I keep my tuna vessel, the F/V JANNA. Generally we work the Madagascar Channel and at times along the Kenyan Coast giving a wide berth to Southern Somalia for the obvious reasons.” He says that he still finds joy in his occupation and any sense of retirement will be predicated on the physical limitations imposed by industrial fishing. He wishes all of his classmates joy and good health.

40 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

1970

1975

RICHARD FOX’S book of poetry, “Time

PROFESSOR THOMAS OUELLETTE

Bomb,” was published in 2013. He retired after a bout with cancer in 2010 and now writes full-time. Richard is in a bi-weekly poetry workshop with Ralph Hughes and Janet Shainheit. For more information on his book and readings, see smallpoetatlarge.com.

teaches acting and directing at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. He recently directed “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre; “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; and (with Tina Packer from Shakespeare & Co.) “Julius Caesar” in the Czech Republic at the Prague Shakespeare Co. This year, Thomas celebrates 30 years (though only one official one!) with his husband, Richard Russell, a founding partner at Resilient Philanthropy.

Follow Thomas at thomasouellette.com.

The timing worked out well for STEFAN LANO to attend reunion in May. He had been in Worcester the previous day conducting a recording session at Worcester’s worldrenowned performance venue, Mechanics Hall. The recording is the chamber opera “Tempest” by Joseph Summer. While his home is in Switzerland, Stefan’s professional life takes him around the world. He plans to return to Worcester in 2017 to conduct “Hamlet,” also composed by his college friend, Joseph Summer.

CHUCK RUDNICK is enjoying his retirement from AT&T, where his last position was as senior vice president of Data-Global Applications. He now volunteers at SCORE, an organization of retired business executives who mentor entrepreneurs. Chuck enjoyed the Dallas Alumni dinner last year, hosted by WA’s Director of Donor Development, Kim Stone.

1974 After earning his master’s in Management at Anna Maria College in 1982, THIRAVAT SRISOMBOON has had an interesting and varied career. He worked in the banking industry in Thailand as a senior dealer in FOREX. Living in Bangkok, he is now CEO of Int. Agro Growth Ltd. and Andromeda Petroleum Trading Co. Ltd, which supply specialty fertilizers and petroleum and lubricant products. He has a son, who is in business with him, and a daughter attending school in the U.S. Thiravat has recently been in touch with WA’s Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship URSULA ARELLO ’85 and remembers visiting her family when he was a student at WA.

1980 STEPHAN RODOLAKIS’ wife, Karyn Polito,

1985

DAN MERLIN ’85 and Kimberly Jaffar-Merlin

were married in May 2015 on Cape Cod. They reside in Merritt Island, FL.

was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in January 2015. The new governor is Charlie Baker, brother of WA’s Director of College Counseling, Jonathan Baker.

1988

1984

“The Good Wife” won accolades recently in a TV Writing Competition. Richard “RB” Botto, Founder and CEO of Stage 32, called McCarthy one of the “new voices in television.”

FELICITE (HENRY D’AULNOIS) BEAUDOIN says she is “living the dream” in coastal Maine. Her daughter, Genevieve, graduated from NYU in the spring; son, Nicholas, finished his freshman year at Hofstra University; and her daughter, Camille, has just started middle school.

CAITLIN MCCARTHY’S screenplay

RICH POWELL lives in New Rochelle, NY, with his wife, Christine, and their two boys, Nicholas, 10, and Christopher, 8.

He has worked in digital media sales for the past 18 years since the inception of online advertising.

class notes

1990

1995 GIL FRIEDEN is a certified financial planner working towards his MBA in financial planning. He says he loves the sun in Los Angeles, but that they need some of Worcester’s precipitation!

MICHAEL PASSEY is living in Bangladesh Ana and VICTOR SIERRA ’90 welcomed a son, Nicholas, into the world on April 18, 2015.

Although Victor had to miss his 25th Reunion, he has visited campus on several occasions in the past year and sends greetings to classmates.

with his wife, Jennifer, and their four sons: Eamon, Liam, Colin, and Declan. Michael works for the State Department at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka. Michael’s brother, SEAN ’02, and his wife, Lauren, live in Virginia.

1992

1997

CHRIS SMITH and his wife, Jacqui, live in

Congratulations to DRS. ALEX CUTLER and May-Tal Cutler on the birth of their son, Micah Samuel, on Dec. 6, 2014. The family lives in Astoria, NY. Alex is a child psychiatrist and May-Tal is an obstetrician/gynecologist.

Scituate, MA, with their three boys—Tyger, 8; Ace, 5; and Burke, 2. Chris is president at Boston After School & Beyond.

Marisa C. Peacock ’97 “In April 2012, I traveled to Worcester Academy to attend my 15-year class Reunion.

There were only two of us that showed up, but it turned out to be a very successful reunification! My classmate, JILL HOURIHAN, and I caught up and realized that we were both small business owners. Hers, Running the Pack, a successful dog walking company in the Boston area. Mine, The Strategic Peacock, a social media consultancy in the Washington, D.C., area. After we left reunion, Jill and I stayed in touch via Facebook. Jill invited me to present at a consortium of pet sitters she had organized in October 2013. Through Jill, I expanded my client base to include many pet sitters and dog walkers! Then one day in 2014, Jill reached out to me to see if we might be able to partner for the launch of a new pet boutique she was opening in Natick. Together, a few hundred miles apart, we began developing a social media marketing strategy for the new business. On April 12, Jill successfully opened Metro Pets in the heart of Natick, MA. I am thrilled to have been able to partner with an amazing woman like Jill, made all the more awesome by the fact that she’s a Worcester Academy alum and beloved classmate of mine! See, it really does pay to go to reunion!”

1999

1995

EUGINE OH has a son, Kevin, who was born in 2014. They live in Seoul.

2000 LAUREN SHATTUCK DOLAN and her husband, Dave, have a “wonderful twoyear-old” named Brooke. Lauren works as an Instructional Coach/Specialist for grades 2-4 in the Northbridge Public Schools. The Dolans live in Johnston, RI.

2000–01

WorcesterScene calls DAVE HOWLAND ’00 a “driving force” in the local craft beer movement. Dave’s 3cross Brewing Company collaborated with WA alum

LUKE VAILLANCOURT ’01 on their latest creation, Hilltopper Blonde. The sunny yellow Belgian wheat ale was on tap when 3cross hosted the WA Alumni After Hours event in April.

WA welcomed CAMERON GARRIEPY ’95 back to campus on May 7 for the launch of her latest novel, “Damselfly Inn,” her first full-length novel, set in Thornton, the fictional town inspired by her college years in Middlebury, VT. WA vocal teacher Don Irving and many other curent and former faculty were on hand to congratulate her and to get a copy of her book, which Bannerwing Books describes as “lush and whimsical.” Read more about it on Amazon.

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2001

DAVID METZ and Juliette Wallack were married in 2013 in New York City. Juliette helps develop marketing for new products in the media licensing and distribution group at Bloomberg, the financial news service in New York. She graduated from Brown and received an MBA from Columbia. David is a consultant in the New York office of ZS Associates, a sales and marketing consultancy. He graduated cum laude from Bates College and received an MBA from New York University.

2005

COREY BROWNELL and his fiancée, Alice

CHARLIE DEWEY is relocating to Los

Kellogg, are planning a May 2016 wedding.

Alice is an ELL teacher in Framingham, MA, and Corey is the Lead Special Education teacher for the Nashoba Regional School District’s middle school therapeutic program.

Corey also coaches cross-country and track at the Florence Sawyer School in Bolton, where his girls track team won the State Class C Championship in 2014. He says he has also had the privilege of coaching five runners that have placed in the top 25 at the state cross-country championships in the last two years! Corey plans on pursuing his C.A.G.S. in Special Education, having already earned his master’s degree in Moderate and Severe Special Education in 2013. He will be running a marathon this year in Burlington, VT. Alice and Corey reside in Bolton, MA, with their dog, Zeus.

Angeles, where he will be working for the TV show “Criminal Minds,” assisting one of the writers. He found his recent internship with Ken Burns very interesting.

2007 MAGGIE AMORELLO has been teaching 4th Grade at the Fessenden School.

AVA PANDIANI is pursuing her master’s at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

2008 WENDY MCGOVERN TALCOTT ’80 let us know that COURTNEY TALCOTT has earned her nursing degree at Mass. College of Pharmacy and is job hunting.

2009 SEAN SWEENEY graduated from the University of Vermont in 2013. He played professional soccer in Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Bayamón Soccer Club. Sean is now working in Connecticut for Webster Investment Services.

2003 42 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

JOSHUA LOPEZ ’10 of Worcester is working as a Compliance Officer, investigating complaints made to the Worcester Office of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). A 2014 graduate of Gordon College with a degree in Communication Arts, Josh says he is passionate about his work at MCAD, which he loves. He appreciated the opportunity to return to WA last May to celebrate his 5th Reunion.

SARI POGORZELSKI graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She is teaching Pre-K at the Fessenden School.

ELLSBETH THORN CUNDALL ’03 taught for seven years, first at St. Mary’s School in Worcester, and, more recently, at the Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, MA. Ells, who is now home with her daughter, Virginia Rose Cundall (born in November of 2013), is married to Joseph Cundall. The photo was taken in August of 2014. The Cundalls have bought a home in Paxton, MA.

2010

15th reunion May 6–7, 2016

2003

2010 After graduating from Emory University, WEIRAN “BILL” LIU is now living and working in Hong Kong.

After attending nursing school at UPenn, ALAINA STOCHAJ has been working outside D.C. as a pediatric medical/surgical nurse.

She will be starting her two-year labor and delivery fellowship before heading back to school for midwifery.

Music faculty member Donald Irving attended an opera in Somerville, MA, this spring, accompanied by TOM XI. Mr. Irving commented that the cast was first rate, as was the conductor, STEFAN LANO ’70. Tom has completed a music program at Boston University and plans to go onto NYU for a master’s in Music. Tom had attended a training session with Stefan when he was on the Academy campus in 2009 to accept the Cole Porter Award, presented on the 100th anniversary of Cole Porter’s graduation from Worcester Academy.

HOK YUNG “TIFFANY” YIU, a graduate of Emory University, is working as an executive assistant for Creative Cultural in L.A. She manages projects with local Chinese partners and helps the company communicate in Chinese, including assisting with translating and business transactions.

class notes

2011

2013

MADISON ROSENWALD graduated from Rollins College with a B.A. in Healthcare Communications. She is planning to stay in Winter Park, FL, for at least the next year.

5th reunion May 6–7, 2016

ALEX SIVITSKIS planned to run from San

USA Today called Mugatunes, DREW MEAGHER’S collaboration with seven friends at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, “the next big thing in music sharing.” Drew and his partners call it the “most efficient and simplistic tool for hearing the best songs first.” The website allows the seniors to share their own musical preferences, as well as to promote lesser known artists. The website, which launched in November, has been praised for its simplicity and lack of ads. Any artist or music lover can contact the team to have their own music, or music they like, featured on the site. Check out mugatunes.com!

Francisco to New York City this summer on a 49-day, 4,000-mile run dedicated to the memory of his father, who died of leukemia when Alex was 10. Running with a group of friends from Johns Hopkins University, Alex hoped to raise $10,000 for 4K for Cancer. To view Alex’s fundraising page, Google “Alex Sivitskis—Every Mile Matters.”

ABIGAIL SMALL, a recent graduate of Marist College, spent several college semesters studying and working in Italy and in London.

She has also been able to sing internationally with her choir and has been invited to sing as a soloist throughout the Hudson Valley region.

After interning in NYC at Tory Burch corporate offices, she has taken a position with TJX at their headquarters in Framingham, MA. Abigail’s sister, KATHARINE OIKLE ’05, is married and is a social worker, also in Framingham.

2012 JESSE PELLETIER is a member of the class of 2016 at the U.S. Naval Academy.

2013

2013

While on a tour of Temple University in Philadelphia in March, Director of College Counseling Jonathan Baker ran into AJ

SULLIVAN ’13.

2014 Freshman LAUREN ABBENANTE was named ECAC Women’s East Rookie of the Week in December as the Holy Cross women’s ice hockey team went 1-0-1. This is Lauren’s first ECAC East honor. In the Crusaders’ 4-0 shutout victory over Wesleyan, she scored a power-play goal that helped Holy Cross seal the deal versus the Cardinals.

Through nine games, she had four goals and two assists for six points.

HANNAH BARNES is doing well at Union College, where she ran cross-country this past fall, and competed at the NCAAs, ran indoor track, and is now running the 400 and 4X400 relay outdoors.

JAKE STEWART ’13 has been promoted to the ranks of Platoon Sergeant, and Regulations and Discipline Officer for Echo Company at The Citadel for the 2015–16 academic year. A, double major in Spanish and Criminal Justice, he has also been a Gold Star recipient for 3 terms, having a GPA of 3.7 or higher, and is one of only 20 cadets per class inducted into the Honors College.

MIN-KYU “PHILLIP” EO is studying finance and economics at China University of Hong Kong.

2015 DANTE RICCIARDI was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 39th round of the Major League Baseball draft in June. “I was surprised I got the call,” said Ricciardi, an infielder who has committed to play baseball at Georgetown University in the fall. This summer, he is playing for the Worcester Bravehearts. “It was awesome. You think about spending days playing Wiffle Ball in the backyard, playing games over and over, and then you hear your name was called. It’s awesome.” (Photo on page 37)

NICK ECONOMOS was drafted by the

2011 TAMANI JAYASINGHE ’11 met Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen in Boston during their speaking tour in March. Since Tamani is pursuing a degree in international affairs and economics with a focus in communications and journalism, maybe someday she will get to meet Anderson Cooper again.

Pittsburgh Pirates in the 21st round in June.

Nick, who has a fastball that tops out at 95 mph, says he will follow his dream and turn pro. “This has always been my main focus, and this is what I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so I’m going to try to pursue this,” he said. (Photo on page 37)

tell us what’s new with you!

To submit a class note, please send note and/or image to Greg Cappello at greg.cappello@worcesteracademy.org.

Here are some tips for sending us digital photos that will look fantastic in print: > set the photo size to 4 x 6 inches or larger, in 300 dpi > set your digital camera to the best photo setting > save files as JPG or TIF > identify everyone left to right in the photo and provide a caption

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passings 1933 JOSEPH C. ARBORIO of Grand Island and New Smyrna Beach, FL, formerly of Poughkeepsie, NY, passed away on May 31, 2014. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1937, and from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business in 1938. In 1937, he and his father started Dutchess Quarry & Supply Company in Pleasant Valley, NY. He remained the CEO until it was sold to John Peckham Industries in 2012.

When Lt. Arborio was a bombardier navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he was captured when his plane went down over Yugoslavia in 1944; he remained a German prisoner of war until the end of the war. Upon returning to the States, he married Vera Dillard in 1945, and they settled in Poughkeepsie. Mr. Arborio was on the Board of Directors of both the Marine Midland Bank and the Salvation Army and was a lifetime member of the Dutchess Golf and Country Club, all of Poughkeepsie. In Florida, he was a member of the Smyrna Yacht Club and a life member of the BPOE of Eustis. Mr. Arborio is survived by Vera, his wife of 68 years; as well as by a large extended family.

1937 JOSEPH KAHN JR. of White Plains, NY, and Palm Beach, FL, passed away Feb. 8, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Mimi; a daughter and two sons; and two grandchildren.

Mr. Kahn served in World War II, followed by a long and successful career in the textile industry. He led an active life, which included traveling around the world.

1938 BAYARD T. CRANE JR., a resident of Basking Ridge, NJ, for more than 50 years, died on Feb. 9, 2015. He received his law degree from Boston University and was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. Mr. Crane served in the U.S. Army beginning in 1942 and was among the first wave of soldiers landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day in 1944. He received the Purple Heart for wounds that he sustained while fighting in France. For most of his working career, Mr. Crane was an attorney for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He also volunteered for many years with the Chaplain’s office at the Morris County

44 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Jail, and served as an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Bernardsville. A lifelong learner, Mr. Crane enjoyed reading, bird watching, and visiting historic sites. He is survived

by Phyllis, his wife of 68 years; a son and two daughters; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. Mr. Crane was a member of Worcester Academy’s 1834 Society.

1940 FRANCIS C. ROONEY JR. of Rye, NY, whose leadership of HH Brown Shoe Co. prompted Warren Buffett to buy the Massachusetts manufacturer in 1991 for Berkshire Hathaway, died on March 24, 2015. Mr. Rooney was in the shoe business for more than a half-century, boosting the revenue of Melville Corp. almost 40-fold as chief executive before a three-year retirement. In 1990, he reemerged as chief executive of HH Brown, one of America’s most recognized brands for safety-toe footwear worn by builders, soldiers, and cowboys. “Like most of our managers, he has no financial need to work but does so because he loves the game and likes to excel,’” Buffett wrote of Mr.

Rooney in his 1992 letter to shareholders. “Managers of this stripe cannot be ‘hired’ in the normal sense of the word. What we must do is provide a concert hall in which business artists of this class will wish to perform.” After earning his bachelor’s degree in Economics from UPenn’s Wharton School in 1943, Mr. Rooney served for two years as a gunnery officer on the battleship USS North Carolina in the Pacific. Mr. Rooney began his business career as a sales trainee at John Foote Shoe Co. in Brockton in 1946 before moving to Florsheim Shoe Co. In 1953, he joined Thom McAn Shoe Co., a unit of Melville, as a buyer and stylist, becoming president in 1961. Mr. Rooney took over as chief executive of Melville in 1964, remaining there until his retirement in 1987. Mr. Rooney, who was chairman of HH Brown at the time of his death, was a founding trustee and longtime benefactor of the Inner City Scholarship Fund in New York City. He and his wife of 65 years, Frances, divided their time between homes in Rye, Nantucket, and North Palm Beach, FL. Mr. Rooney is also survived by four sons, four daughters, 27 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. In 1990, Mr. Rooney was inducted into Worcester Academy’s Hall of Fame.

former president, WA board of trustees KARL LOMBARD BRIEL ’40 of Worcester died June 18, 2015. Following graduation from Worcester Academy in 1940, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. During flight training, he attended the University of Saskatchewan. After the United States entered World War II, he transferred to the United States Army Air Corps. A B-29 bomber pilot, he flew 38 missions over Japan. For his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Presidential Citation with two Oak Leaf Clusters. At war’s end, he returned to the U.S. and received a regular commission as Major in the USAF. After leaving the USAF, Mr. Briel became managing partner of the C.D. Whitney Insurance Agency in Millbury, later becoming owner, president, and CEO, serving the agency during a 48-year career. He was also a chairman of the board of Millbury Savings Bank for 28 years and a trustee for 46 years; a partner in Briel, Jones & Whiting; president of the board of trustees and treasurer of Worcester Academy; and president and secretary of the Worcester Club. He was a corporator of the Worcester Art Museum, and a member of the American Antiquarian Society. Directorships also included the Family Service Organization, the District Nursing Society, the Performing Arts School of Worcester, and the Homestead Hall/Goddard House.

Additional trusteeships included the Trustees of Reservations, Worcester County Music Association, Old Sturbridge Village, and Salisbury West. His beloved lifetime partner, Dorothy Mayne Briel, predeceased him in 2008. He is survived by his daughter, Julie Briel Thomas, and son-in-law, Clive R. Thomas, of Paris; by his great-niece, Jennifer Fisher Weiss, and her two children, Lindsey and Daniel; and by the many friends whose lives he brightened and enriched, some of whom should be counted as extended family.

passings RICHARD M. SARGEANT, of Exeter, NH, passed away

MAURICE “MO” FRYE of Portsmouth, NH, and Cape

on Jan. 22, 2015. He is survived by his sons Richard, WA Class of 1967, and Stephen, WA Class of 1970; by two granddaughters; and by nephews Stanley Kirdulis, WA Class of 1971, and Philip Kirdulis, WA Class of 1974, who died the following week (see 1974 Passings). After a career in sales with IBM, Mr. Sargeant became a pilot as well as an accomplished carpenter of fine period furniture. Dick was a longtime Class Agent for the Class of 1940 and was also a member of the 1834 Society.

Cod, died on Nov. 23, 2014. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, he served as a Massachusetts State Representative on Beacon Hill.

Though he was a Republican, the minority party during the Dukakis administration, he was able to get a bill passed that expanded rail service to the North Shore from Boston.

1941 DR. FRANKLYN PHILIP BOUSQUET JR. of Savannah, GA, died on April 17, 2015. Dr. Bousquet resided in Savannah for more than 40 years, where he was an eye surgeon and partner in Ophthalmology Associates, P.C. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Marguerite, in 2008. He attended Dartmouth College and Tufts Medical School and served his residency at The New York Hospital at Cornell Medical School in New York City. Dr. Bousquet joined the U.S. Navy as an officer the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, signing his commission on the campus of Dartmouth College while still a student. He remained in the Navy, serving in the Korean War as a medical officer on both a U.S. Naval medical vessel, and in a MASH ground medical unit. After the Korean War he remained in the Naval Reserve until the late 1950s. He held numerous leadership roles at local hospitals and also served as chairman of the board for Savannah Country Day School. He was a member of the Alliance Francaise, and many other civic and social organizations during his years in Savannah.

He leaves behind four children and five grandchildren. Dr. Bousquet is also survived by his three younger sisters.

DEAN G. CHRISTIE of Naples, FL, passed away on March 10, 2015. A graduate of Babson College, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and served as a bombardier until his discharge as a 1st lieutenant. Mr. Christie was very active in the food and restaurant industry. He was the founder and president of Christie Food Products Inc.; a member of Les Amis D’Escoffier Society of Boston; Confrerie De La Chaine Des Rotisseurs, Baillage De Boston; the Massachusetts Epicurean Club; a member of the Institute of Food Technologists; a member of Pleasant Valley Country Club; and an Associate Member of the PGA Tour. He loved spending time with his family and friends.

He also loved golf, and played until he was 92 years young.

Mr. Christie is survived by his wife, Katherine; his six children; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

BRADFORD S. WILSON, a 63-year resident of Clifton, NJ, died on May 9, 2013. Mr. Wilson was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was employed as an assembler for the Bendix Corp in Teterboro for 30 years prior to his retirement. Mr. Wilson was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Dorothy, in 2009. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

1942 CLYDE STUART GOULD of Spartanburg, SC, died Feb. 1, 2015. A U.S. Navy veteran and member of American Legion Post #28, Mr. Gould was retired from Draper Corporation and SACM Textiles Inc. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia and a lifetime member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He was also an avid golfer and a volunteer for Mobile Meals Service. Mr. Gould is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret; four daughters and a son; 10 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.

1943 JOHN REESE’s daughter-in-law, Peggy Reese, emailed WA to inform us of his passing in May of 2014. Mr. Reese was a resident of Columbus, NC, and was a loyal and generous Annual Fund donor for many years. He let WA know that he felt “truly blessed to have received such a wonderful education at WA.”

1944 GEORGE R. KALAT of Worcester passed away on

Theatre and later retiring from the Massachusetts Naval Reserves. He began his career in the family grocery business, Kennedy Butter and Eggs, eventually running several locations in the Worcester area before moving to Pennsylvania to continue his career at Weiss Supermarkets. Mr. Kalat returned to Massachusetts in his retirement. He was a longtime member of All Saints Church, the Greendale Retired Men’s Club, and the Holden Senior Center, and was active at the J.C.C., where he enjoyed participating in water aerobics. Mr. Kalat was also an avid walker. He enjoyed traveling to Europe, especially to Vienna, to visit family.

1945 SHERMAN LYON BALDWIN of Bass River, MA, Peru, VT, and, formerly, Greenwich, CT, passed away in March 2015 on Cape Cod after a brief illness. He had spent the previous weekend celebrating his 87th birthday with family and friends. Sherman, or “Sir,” as he was known to many, attended Dartmouth College. He proudly served two tours of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. A songwriter and aspiring novelist, he was a born prankster and joker, who rarely left a room without a trail of laughter. Sir, an accomplished athlete, played football, hockey, and baseball throughout school. An avid golfer, he could play, talk, or watch golf all day long. Mr. Baldwin began his career as a radio announcer on WEIM—Worcester. He later joined the Worcester Telegram & Gazette as a reporter, where he met his fun-loving wife, Beth Tucker. They married in 1954 and enjoyed 54 years of marriage until Beth’s death in 2008.

When his business took him to New York City in 1964, the family moved to Greenwich, CT, where they resided for 39 years until his retirement in 2003 from Arcata Graphics. Both Beth and Sherman enjoyed spending their time with their four children and 12 grandchildren, who adored them. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren; as well as by dear friend Monique Crowley and her family.

RICHARD J. MELCALFE, a resident of Charlottesville, VA, passed away on Sept. 22, 2013.

March 11, 2015. He was predeceased by his wife, Joan, and two of their three daughters, as well as by three siblings. He is survived by a daughter; a granddaughter; and four nieces and nephews. A graduate of Worcester Junior College and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Mr. Kalat served proudly in the Navy during World War II, seeing action in the Pacific

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1946 DAVID CHARLES BARTLETT of Buckland, MA, passed away on March 10, 2015. After attending Worcester Junior College, he received his B.A. and M.S. in civil engineering from UMass Amherst. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1954. Mr. Bartlett was a Bridges and Buildings Engineer for the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad from 1957 to 1960.

He taught at Worcester Junior College from 1960 to 1968, and Greenfield Community College, where he taught Civil Engineering and Computer Science from 1968 to 1985. He was the engineer for the replacement Greenfield Pumping Station covered bridge. Mr. Bartlett was a founding member of the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, and a driving force in its development and maintenance, working as a passenger agent, chief engineer, and clerk. Among his joys were his family, spending time in his woods and garden, traveling, and train watching. He was well known for his sense of humor. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary; a son and two daughters; three grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

1947 EDWARD J. DELUCA SR. of Rotonda West, FL, passed away on Nov. 14, 2014. Mr. DeLuca served in the U.S. Army during World War II as an infantryman with the 87th Infantry Division. He was wounded and captured during the Battle of the Bulge and remained a POW until the end of the war. Mr. DeLuca was a proud member of the American Legion. He worked as a supervisor and plant manager for several companies, mostly in the textile coating business, starting off at Delco Rubber, his family’s business in Millbury, MA. After his retirement, Mr. DeLuca enjoyed doing yard work, and he worked as a groundskeeper in Florida. Survivors include his wife of nine years, Leora DeLuca; four sons and one daughter; two brothers, one of whom is Robert DeLuca, WA Class of 1957; two sisters; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Burial took place at Arlington National Cemetery.

1950 DAVID K. BEACH JR. of Rutland, MA, and a longtime resident of Paxton, MA, passed away on Dec. 27, 2014.

His wife of 59 years, Ella, passed away in 2012. He leaves a son and two daughters; two sisters; nine grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters. Mr. Beach attended

46 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and owned and operated Beach Engineering Sales Associates in Worcester for many years, retiring in 1994. Previously, he was a sales engineer at Coppus Engineering in Worcester. Mr. Beach was a member of First Congregational Church of Paxton, and was very active in the Paxton community. He was a woodcarver, a piano player, a lifelong skier, and a Tennessee Squire.

DR. F. BENJAMIN CARR of Hancock, ME, died on Feb. 21, 2015, at his winter home in Nevis, Eastern Caribbean. While he was at Worcester Academy, he was class president for four years, served as head monitor, and captained the soccer and winter and spring track teams. He received his A.B. from Cornell University, B.D. from Union Theological Seminary, S.T.M. from Andover Newton, and his Ph.D. from New College, University of London. He was an ordained Presbyterian minister, but spent the majority of his working career in education, first as a professor at Mt. Holyoke College, and later serving as principal of the Washington County High School in Addison, ME, until retiring. He divided his time among Hancock, ME; Bustins Island, ME; and Nevis. Dr. Carr is survived by his wife, Cecily; his three children; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his brother, Calvin Carr, WA Class of 1955.

JARRELL DAVID RITTER of Paris, KY, died on Dec. 12, 2014. He attended Babson Institute before enlisting in the U.S. Navy, where he served for four years. Mr. Ritter is survived by his wife of 60 years, Emma Lou; a son and a daughter; and five grandchildren. His brother and two sisters predeceased him.

PAUL DE WOLFE WADE of Brunswick, ME, passed away on Dec. 5, 2014. He was the son of former Worcester Academy Headmaster Harold H. Wade and his wife, Meta. A 1954 graduate of Bowdoin College, Mr. Wade was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in Korea during the Korean War. An avid sailor and longtime summer resident of Bustins Island, ME, he enjoyed many a sail around Casco Bay and cruise Down East. Mr. Wade loved music, was a talented musician, and played guitar in a seven-piece Dixieland jazz band called Mamma and the Red Hot Pappas. In later life, his interests turned to flowers. Known as the “Lavender Man” to many, he established a business in Brunswick that supplied florists throughout New England with fresh flowers from Maine for many years. With the support and help of many local friends, his dream was to establish the Museum of Maine Wildflowers and, although not fulfilled, it brought him

many years of joy. Mr. Wade was predeceased by brothers Alan Wade, WA Class of 1940; Harold Wade Jr., WA Class of 1940; and sisters Anne Wade and Virginia Sampson.

He is survived by his sister, Miriam Butts; two sons and a daughter; and six grandchildren. Paul was a member of WA’s 1834 Society.

1951 MICHAEL P. CURRAN ESQ. of Canton, MA, passed away May 11, 2015, after a long illness. He is survived

by Marilyn, his wife of 56 years; four children; and eight grandchildren. He also leaves behind two sisters and his “brother” of 76 years, Charlie Smith of Holyoke/Chicopee, MA. Mr. Curran served in the Army in “Big Red One” during the Korean War. He was a graduate of UMass-Amherst and the New England School of Law. Beginning in 1967, he engaged in the general practice of law, specializing in what became his career-long passion: municipal organization and bylaws, for which he was hailed as a “small time Thomas Jefferson.” He served as counsel to elected charter commissions in more than 60 cities, towns, and counties in Massachusetts. Attorney Curran was very active in the town of Canton, serving in a variety of capacities over the years, including as town moderator, town counsel, and as president of the City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association. He was awarded the Association’s President’s Award in 2000. Atty. Curran was proud of his Irish roots and was passionately committed to the Democratic Party, as well as to the Knights of Columbus and his parish, St. Gerard’s. A voracious reader, he was an avid follower of current events.

1953 ROBERT C. NABHAN of Worcester passed away on Feb. 9, 2015. He leaves his wife of 57 years, Annmarie; a son and a daughter; and seven grandchildren. Prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1954, Mr. Nabhan attended Norwich University. He and his family owned and operated Nabhan’s Beauty Supplies, which was established in 1937. He then founded Beauty Works Salon & Retail Center in Worcester. Three generations of family members had celebrated 78 years in the beauty industry the month he passed away. Mr. Nabhan was a 30-year member of Pleasant Valley Country Club and also a member of Mount Pleasant Country Club. He was chairman of the St. George’s Orthodox Cathedral Golf Tournament and served for 10 years on the Massachusetts State Board of Dentistry.

passings

former president, WA board of trustees RUSSELL E. MANOOG ’52 of Worcester and Falmouth, MA, passed away on May 24, 2015. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Bettejane; his children, Charlie, WA Class of 1987; and Sarah, WA Class of 1983; and three grandchildren, including Charles, WA Class of 2019. Mr. Manoog was a 1956 graduate of Harvard University and earned his M.B.A at Boston University. After serving in the U.S. Army for three years in Japan, Mr. Manoog worked for more than 40 years at Charles Manoog Inc. and retired in 2004 as chairman. He was proud of the growth and continuation of The Plumbing Museum, started by his father, Charles, and its dedication to the education and professionalism of the plumbing trade. Mr. Manoog especially enjoyed giving annual tours to the graduating classes of future licensed plumbers from many of the vocational schools around New England.

Also, on two separate occasions, The Plumbing Museum sponsored tours overseas, including visits to England and Paris. Mr. Manoog was a lifelong member of All Saints Episcopal Church and was proud to be included in the American Antiquarian Society, The Bohemians, The Worcester Club—where he had served as president—and the Harvard Clubs of Worcester and Boston. He also served terms as president of The New England Wholesalers Association. From 1980-83, Russ served as the president of the Worcester Academy Board of Trustees. He enjoyed skiing, traveling, sailing, and spending time with his family and friends.

1954

1955

WILLIAM JOSEPH “JOE” HEFFERNAN II of

JOSEPH A. LENARD, a longtime resident of LaGrange,

Worcester died Jan. 26, 2015. He leaves his wife of 54 years, Mona; four daughters, including Courtney Clark, WA Class of 1990; two sons, including Aidan Heffernan, WA Class of 1988; nine grandchildren; and one sister.

In 1958, Mr. Heffernan graduated from the School of Printing Management, Carnegie Institute of Technology (Carnegie Mellon University), where he was a member of the Delta Epsilon fraternity. After graduating from college, he joined the family business and became president of Heffernan Press Inc. at the age of 32. He ran the business until it was sold in 1992. Mr. Heffernan later joined Columbia Tech of Worcester and at age 71 was honored nationally by the 2006 Experience Works Prime Time Awards Program in Washington, D.C. He was active in printing industry organizations as well as in community organizations, such as the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Heffernan also spearheaded fundraising efforts for the UMass Diabetes Center in Worcester, the American Diabetes Association, and the Boy Scouts at Treasure Valley. He also served on the Board of Governors at Worcester Country Club, where he was a member for 50 years.

NY, died on Dec. 22, 2014. In 1951, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he coordinated air support on the front lines as sergeant in 2nd ANGLICO, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines Division. After the war, he continued his service in a NATO exercise from 195354 under the command of Capt. Don Conroy (aka “The Great Santini”). He also was Sergeant of the Guard, rendering military honors, when the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, was commissioned

by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower in 1954. Mr. Lenard received numerous commendations and decorations for his service, including the Korean Service Medal with three battle stars. While earning a B.S. in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he married Irene Deptula. After graduating in 1959, he accepted a job offer from IBM Corp., so he and Irene moved to LaGrange. He was the first engineer hired at IBM’s East Fishkill microelectronics facility and was an expert in process engineering. Mr. Lenard grew the first silicon crystals and designed processes at the site that evolved into the mammoth Advanced Semiconductor Technology Center. From 1976 to 1978, he worked at IBM’s Sindelfingen facility in West Germany. Mr. Lenard retired from IBM in August 1992 after a 33-year career there. Active in the community, Mr. Lenard was elected

to two terms as councilman for the Town of LaGrange in the 1970s and helped shape the next several decades of the town’s growth. Mr. Lenard is survived by his wife, Irene; three children; and three grandchildren.

1957 DAVID WAINWRIGHT LYALL of Haines City, FL, died May 16, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Ann HeathLyall; his three children; four stepchildren, and their families. Mr. Lyall was an avid tennis player and won several singles tournaments, as well as doubles tournaments where he partnered with his father. He served for six years in the Army Reserves. Mr. Lyall was retired from a career with NCR (National Cash Register), where he worked from 1961 to 1993. He retired to Florida in 2004.

ROBERT “BOB” PEARSON of Pensacola, FL, passed away on March 24, 2015, after a long illness. Mr. Pearson graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with an engineering degree. He served his country for 10 years as a fixed wing and helicopter pilot at various air stations throughout the U.S. After an honorable discharge, he was employed by, and eventually purchased, Veteran’s Gas Company in Pensacola. He is survived by his brother, Ron, WA Class of 1961; his wife, Linda; two sons; and seven grandchildren.

DAVID SILVER of East Hampton, NY, passed away on March 3, 2015. He attended Babson College. Mr. Silver was the founder and CEO of Regency Home Fashions, a privately held company which he ran from its creation in 1968 until his retirement in 1997. He also partnered with Jerry Dellafemina in the Red Horse Market in the early ’90s. Mr. Silver had a generous spirit and spent five years raising $4 million to build the East Hampton REC center. He believed in giving back to the East Hampton community that had brought him and his family so many years of joy. Along with his wife, Patricia, he supported the college education of 11 East Hampton students through the PDS scholarship fund. The couple also donated several playgrounds in honor of their parents and were generous benefactors of the Ross School, as well as the Chapin School in NYC. Mr. Silver was known for curiosity and his boundless passion for life. After his retirement, he volunteered for many years with Learning Leaders of NYC, mentoring and educating NYC public school children. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patricia Walton Silver; his four children; and 10 grandchildren.

Worcester Academy

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passings

1958 JOHN FRANCE CORRIGAN passed away on Feb. 12, 2015, in Venice, FL. After graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in l962, he attended Officers Candidate School in Newport, RI, then served in the U.S. Navy until 1966. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. In l966, Mr. Corrigan joined Dean Witter, and he retired from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in 2004. A resident of Venice, he was an active member at Waterford Golf Club. He spent the summers in Skaneateles, NY, where he was a member of the Rotary Club, the Skaneateles Country Club, the Bandits Golf Group, and St. Mary’s of the Lake Church. Mr. Corrigan is survived by his son; three grandchildren; his brother; two nephews and a niece.

1959 MICHAEL A. LITTIZZIO of Worcester passed away on Dec. 9, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol; her daughter, and her three grandchildren; his three brothers and a sister; and many nieces and nephews. A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mr. Littizzio was retired from his career as an engineer and plant manager for Rodney Hunt and Metso Automation, formerly Neles-Jamesbury Corp.

1965 ALFRED “JERRY” GERALD HARTSON of Mt. Desert, ME, died on Jan. 19, 2015. Jerry earned his B.A. in Environmental Sciences at the University of Vermont.

After he moved to Maine, he worked as a carpenter and later as a caretaker for private estates. He was a member of the Somesville Union Meeting House, UCC. Mr. Hartson is survived by three sons; a brother Robert C. Hartson, WA Class of 1963; a sister; and two grandchildren.

1966 HENRY “HANK” FOSTER SPINNEY JR. of Salem, MA, died Feb. 15, 2015. He is survived by his son, Alexander Spinney of Nantucket, MA; a brother and a sister; nieces and a nephew. Mr. Spinney attended Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and received a B.A. from Franklin Pierce College and a Master of Public

48 the HILLTOPPER : summer 2015

Administration from the University of New Hampshire.

He worked as a direct support professional, assisting others in their daily living activities.

1974 PHILIP RICHARD KIRDULIS of Springfield, MA, passed away unexpectedly on April 22, 2015. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army Reserves for 10 years. Mr. Kirdulis attended Boston University and graduated from Curry College with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He was employed by the Massachusetts Department of Probation as a Community Corrections Officer for the past 17 years.

An avid reader, especially of military history, he participated in Civil War and French and Indian War reenactments. Mr. Kirdulis enjoyed playing backgammon and cards, traveling with his wife, Anne, and spending time outside with his dogs, Daisy and Lily. He leaves his wife; a daughter and a son; a stepdaughter; a granddaughter; and his brother, Stanley, WA Class of 1971, of West Virginia.

1978 NAMVAR MANSOURI of Worcester passed away on April 30, 2015. He leaves his wife of 35 years, Maria; a son and a daughter, all of Worcester; and his mother; two brothers and two sisters, all of Semnan, Iran. He was predeceased by his father. Mr. Mansouri was born in Iran and immigrated to Worcester in 1976. He attended Wentworth Institute of Technology, earning his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and his master’s in Business Management in 1985. Mr. Mansouri was self-employed, owning several successful businesses throughout the years. He enjoyed time spent with his family and friends. He was known for his wit and his infectious laugh.

1996 CHRISTIAN C. MAHONEY of Hyannis, MA, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 28, 2014, from complications with diabetes and heart-related issues. He attended UMass-Amherst on a football scholarship, and, in 2000, he received his B.A. from Eckerd College. Mr. Mahoney was known as quick-witted and fun-loving, and as an outspoken person who always did his best under quite

challenging circumstances. He was also a passionate debater on a wide range of themes including all things sports, particularly “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. Most important was his love for his wife, Charlene, and family. He had been eagerly awaiting the upcoming birth of his daughter, Hazel Marie, who was due December 12. He is also survived by his parents; a son; two stepsons; his sister; his brother; and his nieces and nephews.

1999 MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER EVANS of Worcester died on Dec. 27, 2014. He leaves his mother, Judith Evans, and her husband, Jeff Fraser; father, Christopher Evans, and his longtime companion, Leslie Rusell; a brother, Jonathan Evans, and his wife, Miriam; his paternal grandmother, Ruth Evans; his uncle, Rexford Evans, WA Class of 1967; two aunts; and his cousins. Mr. Evans was a graduate of Trinity College and the UPenn Graduate School of Social Work. He was a licensed social worker.

2008 ETHAN KAVANAUGH GRAHAM of Sutton, MA, passed away unexpectedly on April 7, 2015. He is survived by his parents, Steven and Heather Graham, as well as by a large extended family and many friends. A “Lifer” at Worcester Academy, Mr. Graham was a varsity soccer player for four years; the leading scorer his sophomore year; the goalkeeper throughout their undefeated season his junior year; and a team captain as a senior, all the while amassing an incredible group of friends. In 2008, Mr. Graham moved on to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, where he was a member of their varsity soccer team, which reached the NCAA final in his freshman year. While at Stevens, he enjoyed the company of many new friends and met Gabbie Gordon, the love of his life. Mr. Graham was a registered organ donor, showing what a giving person he was in every phase of his life, a life which ended far too soon. Mr. Graham was remembered at Worcester Academy’s Alumni Soccer Game, which took place on May 2.

Did you know that MORE THAN HALF of our Admission inquiries credit “word of mouth” from current students and alumni as the reason they’re considering a WA education?

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