Fondly Remembered

Former Faculty & Staff News

Bonnie Amelotte

(Development Office Assistant) is living in a retirement community in Suwanee, GA near her son, David. Her husband, Al, passed away several months ago, and she is keeping busy with friends and activities in their community. Todd Avis (Faculty) lives in Empire, MI and enjoys riding his bike. He is the CEO of the Leelanau Education Group which owns and manages two schools. His wife, Sandy, passed away this spring. Pictured: Gayle Hutton and Todd on a bike ride in MI.

Steve Higgins (Faculty) is president and CEO of Carter, a consulting firm in Vero Beach, FL. He and his wife, Char, have three children.

Rosemary Shields (Director of Finance) and her husband, Peter, are living in Marco Island, FL, and enjoying playing tennis and golf with friends.

Jeff Valance (Faculty) retired after 16 years as principal of The Lyme School in Lyme, CT. Jeff taught at Gow in the ’90s and then served as associate principal at DoverFoxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, ME before going to Lyme in 2006. Enjoying Fun in the Sun! Kim Meissner (Assistant to the Headmaster), Kathy Rose (Chair of Reconstructive Language), Cindy Sweet (Librarian), Zandy Barrett (widow of Vin Barrett, Technology teacher), Paul Rose (Director of Buildings and Grounds), and Jeff Sweet (Head of the Middle School) enjoyed vacationing together in FL this past winter.

FONDLY REMEMBERED

ALUMNI

Don Krausman ’49 passed on August 3, 2020, in Olympia, WA. He is survived by his wife, Jean, a son, and five grandchildren.

Clarence “Cip” Paulson ’50 passed on June 11, 2022, in Sandpoint, ID. A widower, Cip is survived by three children.

Clifton Hawkins McMillan III ’54, passed at the age of 83 on March 4, 2021, in Klamath Falls, OR. He is survived by his wife, Patsy, and two sons.

William Green Burnett ’57 passed on May 7, 2021, in Bainbridge Island, WA. He is survived by Vivian, his wife of 59 years, three sons, two daughters, nineteen grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren. Bill started his career in banking, then the food exporting business, and as a founder of Northwest Family Life which offered help and healing to families experiencing domestic violence. In 2019 he was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in this field. In retirement, Bill became an avid sailor and was involved in the Puget Sound racing community. The height of his racing career was the Victoria to Maui race which he did twice.

Theodore “Baird” Wiehe ’59 passed at the age of 78 on April 11, 2020, in Shaker Heights, OH. He is survived by his wife, Sarah, two sons, two siblings, and six grandchildren. John C. Ridley Jr. ’62 passed on April 26, 2008, in Waterford, MI.

Gordon Trent ’62 passed on March 26, 2022 in Alpharetta, GA. He is survived by his wife, Christy, two daughters, four sons, and two stepchildren.

Charles H. Dunning ’63 passed on October 23, 2009 at the age of 65.

William H. Gordon ’65, passed at the age of 68 on March 25, 2014, in Plymouth, MN after a short battle with lung cancer. Bill is survived by his wife, Susan, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

Mitchell W. Hedstrom ’69 passed February 9, 2022, in Greenwich, CT. Born in Buffalo, Mitch attended Gow and graduated from the DeVeaux School in 1970. He graduated with a BS/BA from Northeastern University and an MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked for Citigroup for 30 years, and as the Managing Director and Business Executive at TIAA in New York City. He is survived by his wife, Zoe, and daughter, Lulu.

Robert “Bo” Allison ’70 passed on January 17, 2022 at the age of 69, in Carrara, Italy. Bo spent most of his adult life as an artist, primarily in the mediums of photography and sculpture. After working in Gloucester, MA, and New York City, he resided in Europe. Bo’s sculptures were commissioned by the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and the Waldron Church in Germany, among others. Over the years, his work has been featured in exhibitions throughout Europe.

Albert “Bert” Elliott Parrish III ’79, passed at the age of 60 on December 27, 2021, in Nashville, TN after a long battle with cancer. Bert is survived by three sisters.

Brian Tucker ’85 passed on August 12, 2009, in Falls Church, VA.

Jonathan Andrew Fick ’90 passed on February 21, 2022, in Reston, VA at the age of 49. After graduating from Gow, Jonathan earned a BS in accounting from the University at Buffalo and worked in accounting and finance.

Christian Harbom ’01 passed May 1 after a courageous battle with kidney cancer in Mt. Airy, MD. He is survived by his wife, Melanie, their three children, his mother, and siblings.

Alexander M. McElwee ’05 passed suddenly on March 27, 2022 in Solon, OH. He is survived by a son, parents, siblings, and grandparents.

FORMER FACULTY

Sandy Avis (Former Dorm Parent) passed on April 20, 2022, in Empire, MI after a courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, Todd, and three sons, Elliot (Meredith), MacKenzie, and Gabriel.