Gow Life 2017
The Gow School Magazine
Thank you! Thanks to the generous support of our alumni, parents and friends, the 2016-2017 Gow Fund was a huge success! These resources allow Gow faculty to utilize the very best in technology, training and classroom enhancements to ensure each Govian is given an opportunity to achieve academic and personal success.
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Gow Life
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38
18
4 Message from The Headmaster
18
Gow’s First Prom
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Reflections from an Old Boy
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Parent Association President Reflections
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Gow Parent Paves a New Path
23
Gow Gives Thanks
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Profiles in Excellence: Gow Faculty
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Class Notes
12
Stash Wislocki ’86
36
Remembering Alice Gow
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Welcome Back Gayle Hutton
37
Celebrating the Class of 2017
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Luke Salerno, New Middle School Head
40
Welcoming New Trustees
16
Brian Parsons ’85 Tree Dedication
40
We Remember
16
Dinosaur Dig
42 Message from Graeme Hepburn ’84
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Rob Marshman Lauded
2017
Gow Life
Gow Life is published by The Gow School Development Office. We hope you enjoy this issue of Gow Life. Please send any comments to development@gow.org or call 716.687.2075. TO SUBMIT ALUMNI NEWS: Email news and photos to development@gow.org For Change of Address: Call 716.687.2075 or email development@gow.org THE GOW SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 2491 Emery Road South Wales, NY 14139
Editorial Staff: Carol Bernat Coral Butler Brooks Gayle Hutton Brittany Lazickas Contributors: Marianne Benjamin Philip Gow Rick Ohler Design: Deb Bishop Graphic Design
Mission Statement A leader and innovator in dyslexia education with a commitment to the values of kindness, respect, honesty and hard work, since 1926 The Gow School has been helping students with language-based learning differences develop the skills and confidence to succeed in higher education and beyond as creative, compassionate adults and engaged citizens.
Cover photo: Calvin Nemec
2017
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Message from The Headmaster
Brad Rogers
with the Board of Trustees as we launch a strategic planning process, which you will hear more about in the year to come. Each day at Gow, we ask our students to do their very best- but we also demand it of ourselves. On campus, and on the cover of Gow Life, you will see a new welcome to our campus born of the hard work of our operations team. This new gated entry has been a vision for some time – and I am so proud to see the high quality and hard work that has made it a reality.
Greetings Gow Family, The Gow School community is guided and unified by a set of core beliefs, embodied in our Four Pillars of kindness, respect, honesty, and hard work. These pillars are absolutely critical for student success and as a community, we are committed to living them out each day on our campus. In my tenure of 14 years, I have noticed that one of these elements seem to take center stage for a time. For the past year, the students, faculty, Board and our families have focused on hard work. Our students have been diligent in their pursuit of learning and doing the hard work it takes to see results in their academics. The faculty and staff have joined me in the hard work of ensuring that each classroom, playing field, lab or art studio is a place where the students’ hard work will be met with excellence and opportunity. In any given year, we are always working toward improvement in providing a world-class education. This past year, we refined programs and processes behind the scenes. We also have been hard at work 4
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In this issue of Gow Life magazine, we take time to highlight a number of Govians that embody our Four Pillars, and that are central to our work day-today as well as our larger Gow story. We are proud to recognize those like Kathy Rose, Charlie Brown and Neil Howe ’91 – whose tenure alone is 89 years! We also remember with love and deep affection Alice Gow (p. 36), who was a mother to many of our students during the 57 years she spent on campus. We celebrate Gow alumni who have been successful in finding their life’s work and have remarkable adventures while doing it: whether it be the advertising career of Bill Hoke ’58, Stash Wislocki ’86 exploring the Alaskan permafrost or faculty member Neil Howe ’91 who opens doors of understanding for our students each day. We also shared here a first-time phenomenon on our campus: prom! I can assure you this was born of some hard work in negotiating. We also celebrate and wish a hearty congratulations to the Class of 2017 for their hard work and accomplishments. Please take a moment to enjoy commencement photos. Finally, we also celebrate the donors who make the life-changing experience of Gow possible for our students. They are named here and thought of often as we see their generosity make bright futures possible for our students that did not exist before Gow. I am incredibly grateful for the gift of hope and broadened horizons. Enjoy reading – and I hope to welcome you on campus soon. Best regards,
M. Bradley Rogers, Jr.
2017
Alumnus Profile
Reflections From an Old Boy By Bill Hoke ’58
I arrived at Gow at the beginning of my junior year, my academics in shambles and my self-confidence near zero. Early efforts to suggest a dog (none present) had eaten my homework failed from the start and the threat of additional study hall was sufficient incentive to do my homework.
founded a literary magazine, attended five colleges and universities and landed my first job as a daily newspaper reporter.
Occasionally, an ‘old boy’ would visit the campus and sometimes would join us on the soccer pitch where we could marvel at how old they were, how gray and slow they were and I would wonder how they became so apparently successful while I stumbled my way through Algebra I for the third time. David Gow ’41 was a very (very) patient Algebra teacher.
Perfect work for someone with dyslexia. News writing is direct and to the point, no adjectives Bill Hoke ’58 and no fluff or big words and the stories are usually short and there is no homework and no algebra involved.
Now approaching the (impossible to imagine) 60th anniversary of my graduation in 1958, I am officially an ‘old boy’ with all rights and privileges. I would love to return to the school and I promise to stay away from the soccer pitch or ski hill. I’ll be content to tour the dormitories, see real hot water showers and marvel at all the programs now offered. I know for a fact that many of my 11 classmates (then the largest senior class in school history) were really ‘saved’ by the time they spent at the school and we certainly bonded in study hall six nights a week. No one used the word “dyslexia” and all we knew was that, for some reason, we needed to be in a boarding school five hundred miles away while my friends at home were having way more fun and not spending six nights per week in study hall.
Why me? My older siblings were gathering advanced degrees and enjoying personal and financial success and here I was, now a senior, taking Algebra I again and feeling still pretty insecure about the Regents which resulted in a 65. Somehow, I passed! I have avoided Train A and Train B leaving the station at different speeds ever since. Life goes on and there is a world beyond Gow for which I was now better prepared. A master told me I had writing skills and gave me an A in English, my first A in anything and it was a miracle. The chemistry valance chart was way beyond my ability, but I became editor of my university newspaper, 2017
I stayed in touch with a few classmates. A roommate went to Vietnam, others had successful careers and I became a ‘mad man’ working for advertising agencies in New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles and finally, Seattle, which was close to the mountains I wanted to climb. However far I got from South Wales, Gow was always close-by and it became a touchstone over the years. I found I could work my way out of learning difficulties and some depression by remembering the ‘can-do’ lessons I learned: I am NOT dumb or slow; I think differently than most others; and I definitely learn differently. These are the blessings of Gow: a life-long reservoir of deep self-confidence from that first ‘A’ in english, gobbling up U.S. History, earning letters in soccer and baseball, and being on the ski patrol. Those are things I would never have attempted in a public school. Others say it and I pile on with conviction that Gow truly ‘saved’ me. I can only wonder how I would have turned out had I not gone there. Certainly I never would have attended college, become a newspaper editor or a broadcast writer-producer, a creative director, the author of three books, a mountaineer or a small business consultant. Gow gave me many gifts and if this sounds like a love letter, it truly is. So if you see an ‘old boy’ on campus, maybe kicking a soccer ball or walking through the library, it might well be me. I will be counting my blessings and forever grateful for those two life-changing years at Gow. Gow Life
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10 simple things
you can do to promote The Gow School
1. Tell a friend about Gow –
Invite them to check out www.gow.org or call 716-652-3450
2. Support the school –
Make a gift to The Gow Fund at www.gow.org
3. Like us on social media –
Including Facebook and Twitter
4. Come to an event –
Attend a Gow alumni/parent event or host one in your area. We love to get together!
5. Tell us what Gow means to you –
Send a few sentences to development@gow.org
6. Leave a comment on one of these websites to tell others about Gow – •
Great Schools: https://www.greatschools.org/newyork/south-wales/5239-The-Gow-School/
•
Niche: https://www.niche.com/k12/the-gow-schoolsouth-wales-ny/
•
Great non-profits: https://greatnonprofits.org/org/ the-gow-school
7. Come for a visit –
Return for a reunion, to talk to students, or visit classes
8. Don't forget about Gow's Summer Program -
Five weeks of coed classes, sports, friends and more!
9. Show your Gow spirit!
Put a Gow sticker on your car. To get one, email development@gow.org
10. Sign up for AmazonSmile –
A portion of every purchase you make goes to Gow!
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Parent Profile
Gow Mom Ensures All Kids Can Get in the Driver’s Seat Gow Trustee and Parent Daphne Uliana P ’14 and ’16 believes everyone deserves the chance to learn how to drive. That includes people with dyslexia. Uliana (pictured here with her son, Sam ’16) is one of two parents who successfully pushed the state of Pennsylvania to create an audio version of its driver’s manual. She first saw the need when helping her younger son Samuel prepare for his driver’s permit test. Samuel has dyslexia. “I kept asking Samuel if he read the manual,” says Uliana. “He kept saying ‘no,’ but then assured me he was taking online sample tests and passing.” But that wasn’t enough for Uliana. Although Samuel was passing sample tests, Uliana was concerned he might not be learning everything he needed to know about the rules of the road. Like her son, Uliana has dyslexia. She knows the challenges her son faces when it comes to reading. Uliana shared her concerns with Kathleen Hartos, a friend and educator. “Kathleen was tutoring a student for a driving test, and she had the same worries that I had,” says Uliana. “She also has a son with dyslexia.” The two moms decided to work together to get the state to make its driver’s manual available in an audio format. Doing so would make learning to drive more accessible for people with reading issues. The pair met with state senator Pat Browne and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to make their pitch. That led to what Uliana says was a yearlong advocacy effort. Having worked in politics in the past, Uliana knew it could take a long time to get a new policy passed. She and Hartos finally succeeded this April, when Pennsylvania published an audio version of its driver’s manual. Getting accommodations for people who are learning to drive has been an issue in other states as well. The 2017
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) recently surveyed its members from all over the U.S. on their experiences with driver’s tests. “LDA had heard that some students were having problems getting accommodations. But there is a right to accommodations like audio,” says Patricia M. Lillie, the president of LDA. “This is one of the ways the Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with learning disabilities. However,” she says, “people have to advocate and ask for the accommodations.” Samuel has since learned how to drive, and Uliana is turning her advocacy toward other goals. She is the Co-Founder of Pennsylvania Dyslexia Literacy Coalition, a group of parent advocates and education professionals that raise awareness for dyslexia. Hartos is a member of the coalition as well. The group is launching a pilot program within the state’s public school districts to do early literacy screenings. Looking back, Uliana traces her passion for advocacy back to childhood. “I struggled growing up because my mom just didn’t know I had a learning issue,” she says. Uliana wants to make sure life is better for kids today. “I think it’s really important that everyone has the opportunity to not only learn how to read,” she says, “but also to drive.” Thank you to Understood.org for sharing this blog post by Tara Drinks (August, 2017)
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For Veteran Faculty Member Charlie Brown,
Gow is Life Charlie Brown is often heard before seen on the Gow campus. An accomplished whistler, a happy tune is often the harbinger of the Director of College Counseling’s arrival. At Gow, whistling might be the only evidence of Charlie’s degree in vocal music from Amherst College – it is the degree in Economics that gets the most work as he teaches mathematics and was formerly Chair of the Mathematics Department before accepting his current role at the helm of College Counseling. Known for his willingness to tutor after classes, Charlie recognizes his greatest pleasure of being at Gow is “the ability to work with so many students. It’s like watching stop-action photography. Once they come to Gow, they really open up like a rose. I love seeing a student stop hiding behind some behavior they may have had at home and realize they can be themselves; that they have gifts and talents and can succeed here.” Charlie grew up in the Buffalo area and came to Gow to work at the summer program and quickly became friendly with Philip Gow, son of then Headmaster David Gow ’41 and grandson of Founder Peter Gow. Shortly after college, he was hired to teach Algebra I and Economics. Reflecting on 30 plus years of teaching, he considers the dramatic impact of technology’s tremendous growth. “When I began teaching, we did all calculations with pen and paper. I remember discussing with the faculty whether we should allow four function calculators to be used in the classrooms – how we were going to use technology to encourage learning.” Over the years, technology has become an indispensable tool of success for Gow students and is utilized in virtually every area of learning- with one exception in Charlie’s classes: “I still take them outside to learn trigonometry on the athletic fields. Once, it was February, and the snow was coming down and the students were struggling – but they figured it out! Not before a concerned neighbor brought them hot chocolate, but they still accomplished it,” he shares with a chuckle. 8
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Other fond memories come from his 33 years as Head Lacrosse coach which, in Western New York, isn’t without challenges. “Once it started snowing at the opening whistle and, by the fourth quarter, there were two inches of snow on the field! We were taking penalties by the end, but the kids pulled it together and won – we were so proud.” A humbler coaching venture was that of modified soccer, “We were awful!” So, when they won a particularly tough match, they were ecstatic. “We were so excited, we stopped at Niagara Falls on the way home and ate our boxed dinner on the overlook, did a Chinese fire drill around the bus and went home feeling on top of the world.”
On a personal level, Gow is home to not just Charlie, but his wife Alice and grown children Louisa and Roland. “I’m married to Alice, but very early on we understood that we were married to Gow as well. Even my children felt it. I can remember my daughter at four years old saying, ‘I’m going to play with my boys now’ – and that was how they felt about her. To us, it is about the personal relationship – looking these students in the eyes, knowing their interior lives. Students invariably knock on the door around 9 pm almost every night, but we know this is when we have the privilege of students sharing their insecurities, thoughts of college – sometimes for the first time – with hope. This is why I am here, and why – simply, Gow is life.” 2017
Faculty Profile
Neil Howe ’91 Inspires Today’s Govians Quiet, unassuming and thoughtful, Neil Howe has been teaching at The Gow School since 2000. His relationship with Gow began in the late ‘80s when his mother saw a special on television that featured the school while Neil was getting ready for high school in Ohio. Unlike many Govians, Neil was eager to join the Gow community for a chance to play on, as he says, “an even playing field”. Not long after, he enrolled as a freshman in the fall of 1987. Neil recalls his time at Gow as being very tough. In fact, one teacher in particular seemed especially challenging. Neil was his student in several subjects and it was a mental and emotional challenge for him as a young student. Now, a Gow faculty member himself for more than 17 years, he finds himself reflecting on the lessons of that faculty member in a new light. “Tough lessons you learn shouldn’t be shied away from. It was difficult, but over the decades, my view has changed on that experience and I now see the value and lasting impression that was made on me. I also can’t put an adequate value on my relationship with my peers from my time at Gow. They were instrumental in ensuring my success by being good friends and good people to be with.” Following Neil’s graduation from Gow, he went on to attend Muskingum University. Once finished, he began his vocational search and decided to put his interest in people to work selling AT&T cell phones.
“Let’s just leave it at that I was not so good at it,” chuckles Howe. Jeff Sweet, former long-term Director of the Middle School, invited him to campus to try being a tutor in English and History. Humble and intimidated, Neil nervously accepted. To Neil’s great surprise and delight – he loved it! “Jeff saw something in me and invested the time and energy in helping me to make the transition to an excellent teacher. He cared and developed the skills that needed help – while I was just so thrilled to be helping the students like me.” Neil married his wife Carrie about a year after returning to Gow, and they are raising three children on campus: David (14), Sarah (11) and Aaron (9). Neil relishes the special role he plays on campus as an alumnus and faculty member. Students seem amazed that they too could someday be teaching others when school has so often been such a struggle. When asked by students how he could come back, Neil’s answer is simple, “Gow has been an extraordinarily integral part of my life. I really don’t know where I’d be with The Gow School.”
Neil Howe with Chris Powell '14, Joe Mooney '14, Chris Mooney and Mark Bronner '14 at Commencement 2011. 2017
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For Kathy Rose, life at Gow has
Chair of Reconstructive Language Kathleen Rose was just 21 years old when she first laid on eyes on Gow while visiting her soon-tobe husband Paul Rose in 1978. She remembers that time fondly, “I fell in love with Paul – and then Paul and I fell in love with Gow.” It would seem that Govians were equally excited to have the Roses become part of the Gow family – the entire school boarded buses and attended their wedding in 1979.
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Faculty Profile
been “a blast and a half!” Paul and Kathy decided very early in their marriage that they were committed to spending their entire careers at Gow – and 38 years later, that commitment is still going strong for Kathy despite her husband’s recent retirement. What that career commitment would mean to Kathy has surprised no one more than Kathy herself: “I never wanted to be a teacher. But in the ’80s, after serving the School in different ways, the Headmaster asked me to teach.” Kathy hesitated, but not for long. Nervously, she prepared to teach her first students, but “the moment I stepped into a Gow classroom, I knew that I found my vocation.” With passion and joy, Kathy taught Govians Reconstructive Language. A few years later, the head of the department retired and Gow leadership asked her to accept the position. With her three young children now in school, it seemed a good time to go back to school, earning her master’s degree and training intensively for her new role. It wasn’t long before she was responsible for training all teachers at Gow, and advocated for Gow to become accredited for The International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council teacher training – which they did soon after. Kathy became a leader in the field, serving as President of The International Dyslexia Association, presenting nationally and internationally to other educators, Director and Vice President of Accreditation for the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC), and an adjunct instructor in the Canisius/Medaille Colleges Graduate Reading Program. Kathy has also served as a consultant to public schools and The International Dyslexia Association. She was content advisor to WNED Television (PBS affiliate) in 2006 for the documentary Demystifying Dyslexia and now serves on the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Youth Development 4H Public Presentation Committee for Erie County. One of the many important roles Kathy has played is that of dorm mother. She and Paul served in Main, Ellis and Cornwall before moving to non-dorm housing. She muses, “I didn’t really think about it then, but it was pretty funny to have these 18-yearold students calling me ‘Mom’ at the age of 22! Now when I see them and they call me Mom and are only a few years younger than I am, I wonder what people who hear them on campus must think about my age!” 2017
The Roses on their wedding day in 1979.
“There have been so many happy days here for my family and me.” She recalls fondly all the ways that the Gow community has been her life – the happy memories and the hard ones, too. Of the former, she laughs remembering acting in one of the Gow School plays, “I was a horrible actress, but I had so much fun!” Kathy expressed enthusiasm and satisfaction for seeing so many alumni come back to work at Gow over the years. Both Kathy and Paul have served as volunteer firefighters in town, which has allowed them to serve Gow in moments of crisis: whether it be a fire, a first aid need or any other emergency call. Being able to train young Govians as junior firefighters for South Wales is also very gratifying. “I should add to the list,” Kathy remembers, “keeping score for the Varsity Basketball team- that was a blast and half!”
A long, unexpected and noteworthy career at Gow has been a joy to Kathy, Paul and their children. “This school changed my life in profoundly wonderful ways. I love being a part of this community, I am proud to be a faculty member, and most rewarding of all is seeing the success of our graduates!”
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Life’s an Adventure for Stash Wislocki ’86 12 Gow Life
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Stash Wislocki ’86 often finds himself on the road less traveled. Seen here, the “road” was an expedition 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Alaska’s Yukon Delta. Stash is a producer, director and cinematographer for independent documentaries, films and television. In July 2017, Stash traveled with leading global scientists from Woods Hole Research Center to examine the impact of climate change on the Arctic’s permafrost, the always frozen ground below the earth’s surface that is rich with ancient organic materials. The WHRC team’s study of Permafrost was featured in the New York Times titled Alaska’s Permafrost is Melting, which ran on August 23, 2017. All of the photographs and film taken for the study were captured by Stash and included in the piece published by the NYT. He also produced the documentary No Man’s Land with Morgan Spurlock, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this last April. Stash’s career as a producer and creator of documentaries has taken him around the world, from refugee camps in northern Kenya, the Arctic Circle, the redwood forest in northern California, and much more. As the owner of Art Farm Media, he works hard to inspire people to take action about things that matter – such as fracking, world heath, global warming and more. Stash’s adventurous spirit and appetite for changemaking is arguably found in his DNA. In addition to having liberal minded and creative thinkers for parents (including George ’52), his grandparents became doctors in the early 20th century and educators at Harvard and Vassar at a time when less than 10% of Americans had college degrees, and .02% obtained medical degrees. Stash reports that his challenges with dyslexia never discouraged him, and he attributes that to both his family and his time at Gow. “I understood what I was good at, and what I wasn’t. I simply leaned into the things that I felt I excelled at and waited to see where the road led me.” In looking back over an unexpectedly diverse and exciting career experience, Stash claims no desire for more predictability, “I have trusted in hard work and being open to whatever comes next. I could never have mapped out the path I’ve taken and it has been pretty great so far. I think I’m going to keep looking forward and be open to what the next bend in the road brings.”
2017
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Gow Welcomes Gayle Hutton back to Development Office Gayle Hutton returns to The Gow School at the helm of the Development office this month, after three years of working at the University of Buffalo in Development. Gayle first came to Gow in 1999 and led a number of significant capital projects including the completion of our athletic facility, the Don Weston dining hall, the Alice R. Gow Science Center and launching the Rogers-Ivie Dormitory project during her fifteen year tenure. A resident of East Aurora, Gayle has maintained close relationships with Gow alumni and faculty and is thrilled to return as a member of the Administrative team. Gayle shares, “It is such an honor to return to Gow. The mission of this school and the life-changing education that our students receive is something that resonates deeply with me. I am more than thrilled to support our strong mission by ensuring that students can continue to benefit from a Gow education for many years to come.�
Welcome New Staff
From left to right: Brittany Lazickas, Development Assistant; Ashley Griffin, Instructional Assistant; Joel Bailey, Instructional Assistant; Meghan Mileham, Website Manager and Database Support; Tom Jolls, Buildings and Grounds Staff; Jenn Cannon, Math Instructor; and Lynne Duewiger, Staff Accountant 14 Gow Life
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GOW News
Luke Salerno Takes the Helm of the Middle School
“I’m incredibly thrilled to be the Head of the Middle School. When I arrived 17 years ago, the culture of professionalism and collaboration that Jeff Sweet (Director of the Lower School from 1990-2016) and others encouraged in the Middle School specifically, was something rare and special. I always wanted to be a part of it.” “During his career, Jeff was a mentor to so many of us who caught the ‘middle school bug,’ and played a key role in my development as a teacher and leader. I had the invaluable opportunity to shadow Jeff during his final year at Gow. He generously shared insights about the role that could only be gained with a career of experience.” “The responsibilities of this position which I most value are the continued opportunity to positively and directly support the faculty, students and their families. Our school culture fosters support, teamwork, and collaboration. Successes in my role will be a direct result of the efforts of many. I look forward to the journey.” 2017
Luke, a Youngstown, NY native had just graduated from college and had begun teaching in public schools when he received an invitation to tour Gow’s campus and consider teaching middle school history. At first Luke was apprehensive to accept the invitation due to the perceived rigors of boarding school life. Once he toured the campus, met school leaders and learned of the mission, the decision was simple. In his time at Gow, Luke has served as Academic Director of the Summer Program, Director of Student Activities, coached athletic teams, supervised dormitories, and was the 2005 recipient of the Lowell Lundell Award for Excellence in Teaching. He married his wife Michele in 2000 and lives on campus in Emery House with their two sons, Aidan and Gavin. Luke is grateful for the mentorship and leadership opportunities Gow has offered. Photo caption: from left to right: Michele, Aidan, Gavin and Luke with Benny on campus
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From left to right: James Swann, Matt Swann, Headmaster M. Bradley Rogers Jr., Doug Cotter ’87, Liam Devine ’84, Tony Inksater ’85, Graeme Hepburn ’84, Emily Parsons, Susan Parsons, Jeff Swann ’83, Dan Kelley, Paul Rose, Eric Halls ’82, Eric Shallhorn ’84, Rosalie Halls ’16, Dean Kennedy ’87, Dale Hazen, and Bill Parsons.
Brian Parsons ’85 Tree Dedication On April 22, 2017, Gow alumni and faculty gathered on campus to honor Brian Parsons ’85. Brian died in June 2016 following a valiant struggle with ALS. Following his devastating diagnosis, Brian worked tirelessly to fight for and secure additional benefits for Canadian families caring for critically ill relatives. Following Brian’s death, Liam Devine ’84 and some of Brian’s other Gow friends wanted to create a
permanent memorial to him on the Gow campus. They decided to plant a red Canadian maple tree next to Main Building. We are pleased that Brian’s wife Susan Parsons and their daughter Emily were able to travel from Ottawa to join us for the tree dedication. We extend our thanks for this beautiful tree that will serve as a lasting tribute to Brian.
Gannon Willson ’18 and his father Greg spent several days with Art Department Chair Bill Parsons at a dinosaur dig in Montana. The Willsons are among many Govians that have participated in this once in a lifetime experience. 16 Gow Life
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GOW News
Honoring Coach Rob Marshman, Recipient of the 2017 Floyd Peckham Memorial Award By Luke Loeffel ’19
The article below, written by Gow junior Luke Loeffel, was printed in Gow’s student newspaper celebrating Gow’s Head of the Upper School Rob Marshman and his recent recognition as the 2017 Floyd Peckham Memorial Award. In November, Mr. Rob Marshman received the Floyd Luke Loeffel Peckham Memorial Award. This award is given to a coach who has distinguished himself, his soccer program and has been coaching for a long time. The award is named for Floyd Peckham from Holland, New York, who is known as the father of soccer in Western New York. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Mr. Peckham organized the first interscholastic soccer league with seven public schools and three private schools. The Gow School was one of those original schools, making it one of the first schools in Western New York to compete in soccer. Mr. Marshman first started coaching at The Gow School in 1998. He coached modified soccer for his first year, then quickly moved up to head coach of the junior varsity soccer team for three years. After being the head coach of junior varsity, he became the assistant coach for the varsity soccer team for two years. After being the assistant coach, he became the head coach of the varsity team until 2016.
2017
Mark Szafnicki, Gow Direcor of Athletics, Rob Marshman and Mark Butler, Head of the Officials’ Association
One thing Mr. Marshman really enjoyed about coaching were the relationships he developed with his players and how much he grew to care about their success and ability to do well on the field. For Mr. Marshman, soccer came pretty late in his life. It wasn’t until he spent time in the United Kingdom that he started to learn about soccer. In the United Kingdom, soccer is a passion for everyone, and almost everyone has their own favorite team or player. For him, as time went on, his love for the sport grew more and more. He ended up playing soccer in school since he enjoyed the sport so much. Some of Mr. Marshman’s favorite memories of coaching over the years are watching the team winning a championship and overall seeing everyone’s growth as a team each year. Mr. Marshman ended his coaching career in 2016 with Mr. Zeis taking the varsity head coach position.
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The Start Of A New Era – Gow Prom! by Rick Ohler
The Gow School held its first prom in its 91-year history at the Old Orchard Inn in East Aurora in May, 2017. More than 60 young men and women dressed up in their finest and dined and danced the night away in the rustic, pastoral setting of one of the area’s most elegant restaurants. A good time was had by all - specially those who claimed they weren’t dancers and then proved otherwise as they boogied to the DJ beats. Even a few faculty members showed that they could still shake it when properly goaded by their students. The prom was organized by Student Council President Elizabeth Raiff ’17, Jenna Rosser ’18 and Grace Obletz ’18 with help and encouragement from teachers Mr. Cendrowski, Mr. Simms ’02 and Mrs. Bamann. 18 Gow Life
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GOW News
Gow’s First
2017
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Gow Welcomes New Parent Association President Karen Kopp P ’22 This October, faculty and students welcomed families to campus for the annual Fall Parents’ Weekend. Parents had the opportunity to hear from new Parents’ Association President Karen Kopp P ’22, whose son Michael is an eighth grader. We are pleased to share Karen’s remarks with you below. Good morning! My name is Karen Kopp and on behalf of the Parents Association, I would like to welcome all of you to Gow Family Weekend. I know that many of you have traveled quite a distance, and we appreciate your efforts to join us. I know that sending your child away to school is difficult, and often heart-wrenching. I hope that this weekend will offer you the reassurance that you have made the right choice. All of us in this room have a story of how we ended up here at the Gow School and I would like to share a bit about our journey with you. My son Michael is in his second year at Gow and is part of the eighth grade class. Michael is the youngest of five by a decade and our older children were educated in the traditional manner. Collectively, they attended Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Saint Lawrence University and Fairfield University. They have gone on to have remarkable careers in medicine, finance, publishing and Human Resources. We wanted no less for Michael. Michael has struggled lifelong, both 20 Gow Life
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GOW News academically and socially. He is not dyslexic but suffers from other learning disabilities that have been debilitating for him. When my husband and I realized that he was not going to succeed through traditional methods, we started looking at alternative options. Gow was at the top of our list for a number of reasons. We are a local family so we have met several families who have chosen Gow for their children over the years. Their stories have always touched us on how Gow positively impacted the paths of their children. Common themes expressed by Gow parents were the sense of community on the campus, the interaction of faculty, staff and students, the of mutual respect, the fact that their children were learning from the most dedicated educators there are, and that the school would stop at no length to allow their children the opportunity to do whatever it is that they ultimately dreamed of doing. My oldest daughter Kimberley dated a boy from the Gow School in high school. His name is Jake Tucker. He is a strong, charming, bright young man and we still keep in touch with him. My boys still roll their eyes at me when I mention how Jake would always hold the door, clear the dinner table or be the first to jump in when something was asked of my children. Jake went on from Gow to attend Saint Lawrence University and he is now a restaurateur back in Alaska. As for he and my daughter, they broke up during their freshman year of college, Kimmy got a great trip to Alaska and they are still great friends. Michael has grown tremendously over the course of the past fifteen months. Don't get me wrong, he's still very much a work in progress, and sometimes he takes two steps forward and one step back, but he is definitely heading in the right direction. He loves his teachers and has become eager to learn. Back at the small Catholic school he attended prior to Gow, he dreaded each day because he had such difficulty staying on task and focusing on his studies. The extra attention because of the small class size has allowed him to ask questions when he doesn't understand the material and go to tutorial each day when things still aren't making sense to him. Mandatory study halls 2017
provide more reinforcement of the days lessons and gives Michael the structure he needs. Michael is not what I would call the athletic type, but the daily after school athletics is one of the things at Gow he enjoys most. He has learned so much from being a part of a team and working hard for the greater good. Weekend activities are fun and a tough act to follow. My husband and I really have to pull out all the stops to convince Michael to come home for the weekend these days! We live a mere thirty minutes down the road – so I've become somewhat of a provisions provider in Whitcomb hall for the kids. Anything from Gatorade to batteries to chocolate chip cookies are common requests. I've gotten to know many of the students , and they are amazing kids! They all have their stories, and some of those stories are hard to hear. But I've watched these kids progress over the course of a year both academically and socially. I tend to be one of those drop in moms, much to the horror of my son, and I have watched these kids become brothers and sisters. The dorm parents provide the most incredible support and, when necessary, discipline for our kids. These people are here to do all of this to make our children the best they can possibly be – as Mr. Rogers has said on numerous occasions – they've got this! The Parents Association is here to assist you in any way we can to make your transition to Gow life as smooth as possible. I'd be happy to share my contact information with any of you, so please don't hesitate to ask. When Michael first started at Gow, there were so many questions and concerns I had. The current parents were so helpful and kind remembering their first days as Gow parents and trying to navigate uncharted waters. Our community spans far and wide geographically, so if you have any suggestions or recommendations that might help us to make the Parents Association more effective in keeping Gow parents connected, please let us know. I am hopeful that you will enjoy a great weekend, and safe travels to wherever home is. Thank you. Gow Life
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22 Gow Life
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HONOR ROLL
Through your
Generosity
The Gow School thrives
today because of the kind support of alumni, parents and friends. This generous investment serves to sustain the essence of what makes a Gow education so remarkable: research-driven programs, world-class faculty and a state of the art campus that allows the transformation of students into true learners with ever expanding possibilities in their future. The Gow School is most grateful to those listed here for their belief in the Gow students of today and those to come tomorrow. 2017
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Donors to The Gow Fund $20,000 +
Mr. Creighton B. Murch ’63 and Ms. Janice A. Smith
$10,000 - $19,999
Mrs. Dorothy H. Owen Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Scepkowski Tower Family Fund Inc.
$5,000 - $9,999
Mr. Christopher Arzoomanian Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brusco Duke Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Bob Eatroff Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Englander Mr. and Mrs. James Hilliard Mr. and Mrs. Steven J. Ibbotson ’80 Mrs. Patricia LeClere Mr. and Mrs. J. Gibson McIlvain III ’66 The Murch Foundation Mr. Lowell G. Powers, Jr. ’59 Mr. George M. Reid ’43 Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Smitheal 24 Gow Life
Mr. and Mrs. David F. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Isaac C. Van Meter, Jr. ’70 Mr. and Mrs. Norm Wangelin Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weinewuth Mr. and Mrs. Matthew M. Wilcox
$1,000 - $4,999
Mr. Raymond Arenson Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ayers Mr. and Mrs. Newton D. Baker ’53 Ms. Carol Bernat Mr. Jacques Bernier and Ms. Lynn Bilodeau Mr. and Mrs. James M. Binger ’57 Mr. and Mrs. Al R. Chircop Corson Family Foundation, Inc Mr. and Mrs. Douglas B. Cotter ’87 Mr. Jeffrey B. Dana ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Lowell B. Dana Mrs. Susan deWindt Mr. Edward deWindt Mr. Mark Diarbakerly and Ms. Regina Pusantian Mr. Martin Elias Mr. and Mrs. John D. Ellsworth Mr. and Mrs. Andrew W. Evans ’62 Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Evans
Falmouth Road Race Mr. and Mrs. Jared Fischer The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Mr. Tim Garrison The William and Harriet Gould Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy W. Grant ’90 Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey W. Grant ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Ariono Hadinoto Mr. Eric C. Halls ’82 Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil Hamilton Ms. Marcelle Hinand Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Hodder ’82 Mr. and Mrs. Jon H. Holt ’58 Mr. Robert Ittmann ’62 and Ms. Lila Lohr Mr. Scott Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Dean H. Jewett ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Johnson Dr. William Klykylo and Dr. Dorothyann Feldis Mr. and Mrs. K. Peter Knudsen ’59 Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Kopp Mr. and Mrs. Ted Koven Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Kuntz 2017
$500 - $999
Mr. and Mrs. Laren Addabbo Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Badders Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel R. Bowditch ’50 Mr. and Mrs. John Brinkworth, Jr. Trust for Colgate Matching Gifts Ms. Anne Collins Mr. and Mrs. James A. Corwin, Jr. ’57 Mrs. Mary Ann Coulson Ms. Nora Garza and Mr. Jose Cuesta Mr. and Mrs. Robert Denning Mr. Liam A. Devine ’84 Erie and Niagara Insurance Association Mr. and Mrs. Randy Fach Mr. Peter Johnsen and Ms. Janet Firth Mr. Matt Follett Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. Freemond, Jr. ’82 Ms. Pamela Furth 2017
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Giardini Mr. and Mrs. James M. Grenauer ’55 Dr. and Mrs. Harv Hegarty Mr. Robert Henry and Dr. Christine Henry Mr. and Mrs. Worth Hobbs Dr. and Mrs. J. Dale Howe Mr. and Mrs. James C. Kearns Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence F. Marshall Ms. Catharine S. Mehl Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Mohney Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mulligan Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Obletz Mr. and Mrs. James Perry Mr. and Mrs. Michael Polzler Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pulvermann, Jr. ’64 Dr. John Radford Mr. and Mrs. John Reuter Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Rosenthal ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sabol, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Schwier Mr. and Mrs. William M. Sharp ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Smith Mr. James S. Spitzley ’63 and Ms. Susan Higbie Mr. Jeffrey D. Spoon ’65 and Ms. Terri Ginsberg Mr. Adam Steinberg ’86 and Ms. Tracy Beckett Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Uliana
$499 and below
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Acquaviva Mr. and Mrs. L. Talbot Adamson Airport Taxi Service Mrs. Sarah Allegra Amazon Smile Anonymous Mr. George Arnett and Mrs. Serena Arnett Austin & Co., Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Todd Avis Mr. and Mrs. Derek Baiz Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Bamann Mr. Timothy B. Bates ’16 Dr. Michael Bates and Ms. Lorrie Bowen Benevity Community Impact Fund Mr. and Mrs. Frederick F. Bernard ’60 Mrs. Mary M. Besanceney Ms. Karen Bissonnette Honorable Peter W. Booth ’59 Mrs. John Border Mr. and Mrs. Mick Bowen Ms. Karyn Bowie Mrs. Rose Bridgman Dr. and Mrs. William M. Brierley Mr. and Mrs. Ted Briggs
Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Brisbin ’81 Mr. and Mrs. Lansing G. Brisbin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brown Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brunner Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Bryant ’66 Mr. and Mrs. Marc Buckley Mr. and Mrs. John R. Bullock II ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Capaldi Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Capone Ms. Beth Cardamone Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cendrowski Dr. Patricia Ceperley Mr. Drew R. Ceperley, Jr. ’89 and Ms. Amy Morris Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Chafin Mr. Zihao D. Chen ’16 Mr. Vince Chiles and Ms. Deb Kemmerling Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cieplinski Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Clark ’73 Ms. Katherine Coan Mr. and Mrs. John Comerford Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Constantine ’94 Mr. and Mrs. James Conway Mr. Robert N. Corrigan, Jr. Mr. Kevin A. Cotter ’85 and Ms. Susan Hanifin Mr. Jonathan W. Cowles ’87 and Dr. Josefa Apigo-Cowles Mrs. Ruth B. Cramer Mr. Frank Crane Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cross Mr. Isaak M. DeMaio Mr. and Mrs. Lowell L. Dexter ’64 Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Diehl Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Dietz Mr. Timothy S. Doherty ’85 and Ms. Leslie Eckel Mr. DaMar Dowell Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Doyle Mr. and Mrs. Paul Drechsler Mr. and Mrs. John Driscoll Mr. Peter Driscoll ’09 Mr. and Mrs. Tom Driscoll Mrs. Marjorie Dunn Mrs. Judith M. Dye Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Eakin Mrs. Joan Eisenhauer The Evans Agency Mr. and Mrs. Meredyth H. Ewing, Jr. ’60 Ms. Kathy Faltyn Mr. and Mrs. Mark Farber Mr. and Mrs. W. Scott Fernald Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ferrell Mr. Stephen M. Ferrell ’06 Dr. Joan Finucci Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Fisher Mr. Chris D. Fontana ’88
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HONOR ROLL
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Lainhart IV Mr. Jonathan Lamb Mr. Wayne LaRue Smith Dr. Jeanne Lejeune Mrs. Hilkka Leone Mr. and Mrs. Paul Loeffel Ms. Kim Lusk Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Maier Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Manice ’71 Morgan Stanley Foundation Morgan Stanley Matching Gifts Program Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Nelson Dr. Scott Nord and Dr. Phyllis Parcella Mr. and Mrs. Erik O'Neill Mr. and Mrs. Michael Openshaw Mr. Arthur Partridge Mr. Russell D. Pearlman ’79 Mr. John B. Pomeroy ’71 Mrs. Jane Pursell Mr. Robert E. Scanlon and Ms. Carol A. Neville Mr. and Mrs. Walton A. Silver ’67 Mrs. Phyllis Sleigh Mr. and Mrs. Jay S. Stevens IV ’90 Mr. Tanupong Suppipat and Ms. Nantimarat Tangpatrakit Mr. and Mrs. Dimitrios Vamvakitis Mr. and Mrs. John B. Van Meter ’74 Vanguard Charitable Mr. and Mrs. Willem Visser Mr. and Mrs. Robert Warner, Jr. ’64 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. White Mr. and Mrs. Ward Wilday Mr. Spencer G. Wilk ’11 Mr. David R. Woodside ’64 Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Wortmann Mr. Tom Xie and Ms. Betty Yeung Mr. and Mrs. Keith Zuckerman
Mrs. Joan L. Fontana Ms. Lindsey Ford Ms. Karen Ganje Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garcia Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Giallanza Mr. and Mrs. William Giardini Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Gilmor Mrs. Lori Gordon Dr. and Mrs. David W. Gow, Jr. Ms. Amy Greenbaum Mr. W. A. Grotz, Jr. Mr. and Ms. Joe Gullo Mr. and Mrs. Russell Gullo Dr. and Mrs. Aubrey C. Hall, Jr. Mr. Joseph C. Hallowell ’66 Ms. Rosalie Halls ’16 Dr. Nason Hamlin Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Frank Haner ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Harris ’49 Mr. Thomas K. Hart, Jr. ’90 Mr. Rick Hausauer and Ms. Heidi Baust Mr. Raymond C. Hauschel ’63 and Ms. Barbara Ahrens Mrs. Helen J. Heller Mr. and Mrs. George T. W. Hendrix, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Greg Henzler Mr. and Mrs. Graeme C. Hepburn ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Higgins Ms. Ashley Hoard Mr. Kenneth Hochman and Ms. Pamela Hutto Mr. and Mrs. George Hoffman Mr. and Mrs. Michael Horan Mrs. Jane Howland Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Huffman Mr. Richard D. Hughes ’15 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Hurley, III Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. Mrs. Wendy C. Husser Ms. Tamara Jackson Mr. and Mrs. K. Carson Jones ’92 Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin J. Jordan ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Joyce ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kantor, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Kelly Ms. Diane G. Kemmerling Mr. John A. Kendrick ’04 Mrs. Judy Kern Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Kern Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce King Ms. Katherine T. Klykylo Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Knight III ’68 Mr. Thomas A. Kolp Mr. John C. Kopec ’90 Mr. Willard Korfhage and Ms. Haruko Shino Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Kulla Dr. and Mrs. William A. Kutner, Jr. 26 Gow Life
Mr. and Mrs. Jon Langenfeld Mrs. Gail P. Langenfeld Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Lemaster Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Loehr Mr. Adam Macharia ’14 Honorable Steven Mahan and Ms. Kerry Dougherty Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Mahler Mr. and Mrs. David P. Maier ’92 Mr. Stephen Maloney Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Mariacher Mr. Robin Marshman and Ms. Jennifer Cannon Mr. and Mrs. Michael McGinnis Mr. Bill McIntosh Mr. Michael D. McKenna Dr. and Mrs. Ronald McMahon Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Mehl ’78 Mr. and Mrs. Paul Meyer Mr. and Mrs. William C. Mollet ’56 Mr. and Mrs. Joel A. Moore ’57 Mr. Edward R. Morris ’66 Mrs. Nancy-Gene W. Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Murphy National Fuel Gas Company Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Denis M. Neill Niagara Custodial Supply Mr. and Mrs. Tim Nolan Mr. and Mrs. Adam R. Oberkircher ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Odierna Mr. Robert E. Olson ’71 Mrs. Phyllis Orlowski Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Packham Dr. Theodore Paisley, MD Mr. and Mrs. William Parsons Mr. and Mrs. William F. Patterson Dr. and Mrs. John H. Peterson Mr. Jeff Poblocki Mr. Jacob J. Podyma ’12 Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Price Drs. Kimberly and Walter S. Ramsey Ms. Marci Rapp Mr. and Mrs. Bradley W. Rausch ’95 Judge and Mrs. John C. Reed III Ms. Halila Reisdorf Mrs. Amy Renaldo Dr. Mari Jo Renick Dr. Kirk Rhodes Mr. and Mrs. Mario Rodoni Ms. Aracelis Rodriguez Mr. and Mrs. M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rose Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rose Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Ross Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Rosser Mr. and Mrs. Luke D. Salerno Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sax
Mr. Lawrence Schnitzer and Dr. Lynn Brunner Mr. and Mrs. Peter Scocchi Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Seifert ’65 Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Shapard III Mr. and Mrs. John Shattuck Dr. and Mrs. Peter Shields Mr. Jonathan M. Siegel ’79 Mr. and Mrs. John D. Simms III ’02 Mr. and Mrs. Bruce F. Spenner Mr. and Mrs. Brian Spink Mr. and Mrs. Bruce D. Stoever ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Struzynski Ms. Lelaina J. Sullivan ’15 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Sweet Ms. Wendy Syed Mr. and Mrs. Mark Szafnicki Mr. Tony Tewes ’16 Mr. Andrew C. Thompson ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Thompson, Jr. ’72 Mr. Harrison R. Thompson ’74 Mr. Brian Thompson Ms. Katie Tierney Mr. James Trottman and Ms. Susan Sweet Mr. and Mrs. David J. Underdown, Jr. ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Vail ’68 Dr. Kathleen M. Wahler Mr. Benjamin D. Ward ’09 Wells Fargo Foundation Mrs. Anne D. Whitelaw Dr. Patricia J. Williams Mr. Jonathan Woo ’16 Mr. Mason C. Woody ’14 Mr. and Mrs. Lee Woody, III Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wysocki Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Zeis Mr. and Mrs. Brian Zolet
Trustees Mr. Newton D. Baker ’53 Ms. Lynn Bilodeau Mr. John Brinkworth, Jr. Mr. John R. Bullock II ’80 Mr. Al R. Chircop Mrs. Mary Ann Coulson Dr. David W. Gow, Jr. Mr. Graeme C. Hepburn ’84 Mr. Steven J. Ibbotson ’80 Mr. Robert Ittmann ’62 Mr. Carson Jones ’92 Mr. K. Peter Knudsen ’59 Mr. Creighton B. Murch ’63 Mr. Lowell G. Powers, Jr. ’59 Mr. John A. Pulvermann, Jr. ’64 Mr. Lawrence M. Ross 2017
HONOR ROLL
Mr. Wayne LaRue Smith Mr. Joseph Uliana Mr. Robert L. Vail ’68 Mr. Robert Warner, Jr. ’64 Mr. Ward Wilday
Current Parents Mr. and Mrs. Michael Openshaw Mr. and Mrs. Michael Polzler Dr. John Radford Ms. Marci Rapp Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Rosser Mr. Lawrence Schnitzer and Dr. Lynn Brunner Mr. and Mrs. Peter Scocchi Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Smitheal Mr. Tanupong Suppipat and Ms. Nantimarat Tangpatrakit Ms. Wendy Syed Mr. and Mrs. Dimitrios Vamvakitis Mr. and Mrs. Willem Visser Dr. Kathleen M. Wahler Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weinewuth Mr. Tom Xie and Ms. Betty Yeung Mr. and Mrs. Michael Openshaw Mr. and Mrs. Michael Polzler Dr. John Radford Ms. Marci Rapp Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Rosser Mr. Lawrence Schnitzer and Dr. Lynn Brunner Mr. and Mrs. Peter Scocchi Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Smitheal Mr. Tanupong Suppipat and Ms. Nantimarat Tangpatrakit Ms. Wendy Syed Mr. and Mrs. Dimitrios Vamvakitis Mr. and Mrs. Willem Visser Dr. Kathleen M. Wahler Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weinewuth Mr. Tom Xie and Ms. Betty Yeung Mr. and Mrs. Keith Zuckerman Mr. and Mrs. Douglas B. Cotter ‘87
Grandparents Mrs. Sarah Allegra Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Brunner Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Capaldi Mrs. Ruth B. Cramer Mr. and Mrs. Bill Giardini Dr. and Mrs. Harv Hegarty Mr. and Mrs. Worth Hobbs Mrs. Judy Kern Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce King 2017
The 2017 recipients of the Hyman Award were Jack Buckley ’17 and Nathaniel Archie ’17 Mrs. Gail P. Langenfeld Mrs. Patricia LeClere Mrs. Hilkka Leone Dr. and Mrs. Ronald McMahon Mr. and Mrs. Paul Meyer Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sax Mrs. Phyllis Sleigh
Alumni Mr. Christopher Arzoomanian Mr. and Mrs. Newton D. Baker ’53 Mr. Timothy B. Bates ’16 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick F. Bernard ’60 Mr. and Mrs. James M. Binger ’57 Honorable Peter W. Booth ’59 Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel R. Bowditch ’50 Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Brisbin ’81 Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Bryant ’66 Mr. and Mrs. John R. Bullock II ’80 Mr. Drew R. Ceperley, Jr.’89 and Ms. Amy Morris Mr. Zihao D. Chen ’16 Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Clark ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Constantine ’94 Mr. and Mrs. James A. Corwin, Jr. ’57 Mr. Kevin A. Cotter ’85 and Ms. Susan Hanifin Mr. and Mrs. Douglas B. Cotter ’87 Mr. Jonathan W. Cowles ’87 and Dr. Josefa Apigo-Cowles
Mr. Jeffrey B. Dana ’96 Mr. Liam A. Devine ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Lowell L. Dexter ’64 Mr. Timothy S. Doherty ’85 and Ms. Leslie Eckel Mr. Peter Driscoll ’09 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew W. Evans ’62 Mr. and Mrs. Meredyth H. Ewing, Jr. ’60 Mr. Stephen M. Ferrell ’06 Mr. Chris D. Fontana ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. Freemond, Jr. ’82 Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy W. Grant ’90 Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey W. Grant ’60 Mr. and Mrs. James M. Grenauer ’55 Mr. Joseph C. Hallowell ’66 Ms. Rosalie Halls ’16 Mr. Eric C. Halls ’82 Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Frank Haner ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Harris ’49 Mr. Thomas K. Hart, Jr. ’90 Mr. Raymond C. Hauschel ’63 and Ms. Barbara Ahrens Mr. and Mrs. Graeme C. Hepburn ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Hodder ’82 Mr. and Mrs. Jon H. Holt ’58 Mr. Richard D. Hughes ’15 Mr. and Mrs. Steven J. Ibbotson ’80 Mr. Robert Ittmann ’62 and Ms. Lila Lohr Mr. and Mrs. Dean H. Jewett ’61 Mr. and Mrs. K. Carson Jones ’92
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Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin J. Jordan ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Joyce ’75 Mr. John A. Kendrick ’04 Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Knight III ’68 Mr. and Mrs. K. Peter Knudsen ’59 Mr. John C. Kopec ’90 Mr. Adam Macharia ’14 Mr. David P. Maier ’92 Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Manice ’71 Mr. and Mrs. J. Gibson McIlvain III ’66 Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Mehl ’78 Mr. and Mrs. William C. Mollet ’56 Mr. and Mrs. Joel A. Moore ’57 Mr. Edward R. Morris ’66 Mr. Creighton B. Murch ’63 and Ms. Janice A. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Adam R. Oberkircher ’83 Mr. Robert E. Olson ’71 Mr. Russell D. Pearlman ’79 Mr. Jacob J. Podyma ’12 Mr. John B. Pomeroy ’71 Mr. Lowell G. Powers, Jr. ’59 Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pulvermann, Jr. ’64 Mr. Bradley W. Rausch ’95 Mr. George M. Reid ’43 Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Rosenthal ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Seifert ’65 Mr. and Mrs. William M. Sharp ’60 Mr. Jonathan M. Siegel ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Walton A. Silver ’67 Mr. John D. Simms III ’02 28 Gow Life
Mr. James S. Spitzley ’63 and Ms. Susan Higbie Mr. Jeffrey D. Spoon ’65 and Ms. Terri Ginsberg Mr. Adam Steinberg ’86 and Ms. Tracy Beckett Mr. and Mrs. Jay S. Stevens IV ’90 Mr. and Mrs. Bruce D. Stoever ’86 Ms. Lelaina J. Sullivan ’15 Mr. Tony Tewes ’16 Mr. Andrew C. Thompson ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick C. Thompson, Jr. ’72 Mr. Harrison R. Thompson ’74 Mr. and Mrs. David J. Underdown, Jr. ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Vail ’68 Mr. and Mrs. Isaac C. Van Meter, Jr. ’70 Mr. and Mrs. John B. Van Meter ’74 Mr. Benjamin D. Ward ’09 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Warner, Jr. ’64 Mr. Spencer G. Wilk ’11 Mr. Jonathan Woo ’16 Mr. David R. Woodside ’64 Mr. Mason C. Woody ’14
Parents of Alumni Mr. and Mrs. L. Talbot Adamson Mr. and Mrs. Laren Addabbo Mr. George Arnett and Mrs. Serena Arnett
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ayers Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Badders Dr. Michael Bates and Ms. Lorrie Bowen Mrs. Mary M. Besanceney Ms. Karen Bissonnette Mrs. Rose Bridgman Mr. and Mrs. Ted Briggs Mr. and Mrs. Lansing G. Brisbin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Capone Dr. Patricia Ceperley Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cieplinski Ms. Anne Collins Mr. and Mrs. John Comerford Mr. Robert N. Corrigan, Jr. Mrs. Mary Ann Coulson Mr. and Mrs. Lowell B. Dana Mrs. Susan deWindt Mr. Edward deWindt Mr. Mark Diarbakerly and Ms. Regina Pusantian Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Doyle Mr. and Mrs. John Driscoll Mrs. Marjorie Dunn Mrs. Judith M. Dye Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Eakin Mr. Martin Elias Mr. and Mrs. John D. Ellsworth Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Evans Mr. and Mrs. W. Scott Fernald Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ferrell 2017
Mrs. Jane Pursell Drs. Walter S. and Kimberly Ramsey Judge and Mrs. John C. Reed III Mr. and Mrs. John Reuter Mr. and Mrs. Mario Rodoni Ms. Aracelis Rodriguez Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sabol, Jr. Mr. Robert E. Scanlon and Ms. Carol A. Neville Mr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Schwier Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Shapard III Mr. and Mrs. John Shattuck Mr. and Mrs. Bruce F. Spenner Mr. and Mrs. David F. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. White Mrs. Anne D. Whitelaw Mr. Christopher Wilk and Ms. Christine Standish Dr. Patricia J. Williams Mr. and Mrs. Lee Woody, III Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Wortmann
Alumni Grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Mick Bowen Mrs. Joan Eisenhauer Mrs. Jane Howland Mr. and Mrs. Ted Koven Mr. Bill McIntosh Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Scepkowski Mr. and Mrs. Norm Wangelin
Current Faculty / Staff Mrs. Jennifer Bamann Ms. Carol Bernat Mr. Charles Brown Ms. Beth Cardamone Mr. Joseph Cendrowski Mrs. Lynn Chafin Mr. Jonathan Chafin
Mr. Douglas B. Cotter ’87 Mr. Isaak M. DeMaio Mrs. Jennifer Diehl Mr. Daniel Dietz Mr. DaMar Dowell Ms. Kathy Faltyn Mrs. Kelli Fisher Mr. Matthew Fisher Mrs. Mary Beth Giallanza Mr. Thomas Giallanza Mr. Joe Gullo Ms. Heidi Baust Mr. Rick Hausauer Mr. David P. Maier ’92 Mr. Matthew Mariacher Mr. Rob Marshman Mr. William Parsons Mr. Jeff Poblocki Mr. Jacob J. Podyma ’12 Mrs. Rebecca Rausch Mr. Bradley W. Rausch ’95 Ms. Halila Reisdorf Mrs. Amy Renaldo Dr. Mari Jo Renick Dr. Kirk Rhodes Mr. M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. Mrs. Kathy Rose Mr. Paul Rose Mr. Luke D. Salerno Mr. John D. Simms III ’02 Mrs. Cindy Spink Mrs. Julie Struzynski Mrs. Cindy Sweet Mr. Jeffrey Sweet Mr. Mark Szafnicki Mr. Brian Thompson Ms. Katie Tierney Mrs. Julie Wysocki Mr. Gerald Zeis Mrs. Ula Zolet Mr. Brian Zolet
HONOR ROLL
Mr. Matt Follett Mrs. Joan L. Fontana Mrs. Lori Gordon Ms. Amy Greenbaum Mr. and Mrs. Russell Gullo Dr. and Mrs. Aubrey C. Hall, Jr. Mr. Eric C. Halls ’82 Mrs. Helen J. Heller Mr. and Mrs. George T. W. Hendrix, Jr. Mr. Kenneth Hochman and Ms. Pamela Hutto Mr. and Mrs. Michael Horan Dr. and Mrs. J. Dale Howe Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Hurley, III Mrs. Wendy C. Husser Mr. and Mrs. Timothy R. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. James C. Kearns Dr. William Klykylo and Dr. Dorothyann Feldis Mr. Thomas A. Kolp Dr. and Mrs. William A. Kutner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Lainhart IV Dr. Jeanne Lejeune Honorable Steven Mahan and Ms. Kerry Dougherty Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Mahler Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Maier Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence F. Marshall Mr. Michael D. McKenna Ms. Catharine S. Mehl Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Mohney Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mulligan Mr. and Mrs. Denis M. Neill Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Nelson Mr. and Mrs. Tim Nolan Dr. Scott Nord and Dr. Phyllis Parcella Mrs. Phyllis Orlowski Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Packham Mr. Arthur Partridge Mr. and Mrs. James Perry Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Price
Rethinking Learning Reigniting Lives Support The Gow Fund now.
2017
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Friends of The Gow School Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. Anonymous Mrs. John Border Ms. Katherine Coan Mr. and Mrs. James Conway Mr. Frank Crane Dr. Joan Finucci Ms. Lindsey Ford Ms. Karen Ganje Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garcia Mr. Tim Garrison Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Gilmor Mr. W. A. Grotz, Jr. Dr. Nason Hamlin Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Higgins Ms. Ashley Hoard Mr. and Mrs. George Hoffman Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kantor, Jr. Ms. Diane G. Kemmerling Ms. Katherine T. Klykylo Mr. Jonathan Lamb Mr. and Mrs. Jon Langenfeld Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Loehr Mr. Stephen Maloney Mr. and Mrs. Michael McGinnis Mrs. Nancy-Gene W. Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Odierna Mrs. Dorothy H. Owen Dr. Theodore Paisley, MD Mr. and Mrs. William F. Patterson Dr. and Mrs. John H. Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rose Dr. and Mrs. Peter Shields Mr. James Trottman and Ms. Susan Sweet Mr. and Mrs. Matthew M. Wilcox
Corporations and Foundations Airport Taxi Service Amazon Smile Austin & Co., Inc. Benevity Community Impact Fund Trust for Colgate Matching Gifts Corson Family Foundation, Inc 30 Gow Life
Duke Family Foundation Erie and Niagara Insurance Association The Evans Agency Falmouth Road Race The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies The Friends of the Gow School The William and Harriet Gould Foundation Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. Morgan Stanley Foundation Morgan Stanley Matching Gifts Program The Murch Foundation National Fuel Gas Company Foundation Niagara Custodial Supply
Tower Family Fund Inc. Vanguard Charitable Wells Fargo Foundation
In Honor Of Mr. and Mrs. Todd Avis in Honor of Paul Rose Mr. Tim Garrison in Honor of Laurent Bernier ’17 Mr. Tim Garrison in Honor of Simon Dietrich ’17 Mr. Tim Garrison in Honor of Courtney Wilday ’17
2017
$1,000 - $4,999
Restricted Gifts
Mr. Jay Mandarino ’79 and Ms. Lorena Urrutia Mr. and Mrs. Alton Schadt Ms. Caroline McIlvain Dr. John and Dr. Betty Lyon Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey W. Grant ’60 Mrs. Marianne Rogers
$20,000 +
$500 - $999
Dr. Nason Hamlin in Memory of Vincent Barrett Mr. and Mrs. Lee Klingenstein in Memory of Alice Gow
Anonymous Ed Co of WNY Mrs. Anne L. Hyman Tower Family Fund Inc.
Miss. Suzanne Langworthy Mr. and Mrs. John B. Remar ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas S. Kurten ’56
$10,000 - $19,999
Anonymous Dr. and Mrs. David W. Gow, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Carl H. Hirsch Ms. Jaime Baum Mr. and Mrs. James Campbell Larwood Pharmacy Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Brisbin ’81 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Cardamone Mr. and Mrs. Richard Caruso Mr. Thomas C. Haydock, III, ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jacobi
The Rathlyn Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Graeme C. Hepburn ‘84 Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Ritchie Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Scepkowski
$5,000 - $9,999
Dr. Emmanuel Simantirakis and Dr. Voula Karamanos-Simantirakis Mr. and Mrs. A. Douglas McCallum
2017
$499 and Below
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Mann Mr. and Mrs. Donald Meissner Ms. Merry Barbara Peck Mr. Adam Steinberg ’86 and Ms. Tracy Beckett Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Makey Melaleuca, The Wellness Company Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Batt Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Campbell Mr. and Mrs. James Conway Mr. Liam A. Devine ’84 Mr. Howard J. Glassman Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Gommel Mr. and Mrs. Lee Klingenstein Mr. and Mrs. Edward McMurdo Mrs. Patsy Shotwell Ms. Anne L. Smith Ms. Judith M. Atkinson Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Holmes ’84 Ms. Brenda Peeples Mr. Matthew Shaffer ’86 Mr. Eric A. Shallhorn ’84 and Ms. Jenny Ing Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey D. Swann ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gutkind
Gow Life
HONOR ROLL
In Memory Of
31
Class Notes 1940s
1970s
1980s
George Reid ’43 celebrated his 90th birthday in September with a party at a Minneapolis restaurant for 60 friends. George and his daughter, Molly recently returned from a two week trip to Europe. While there, he met with a scholar at Oxford to discuss a book that George is writing about 14th century tapestries.
Rollin White ’70 was invited to join the mixed doubles USTA (US Tennis Association) 18 and over amateur tennis team at his club in Dedham MA. Rollin and his first doubles partner, Chi Nguyen were awarded a trophy cup.
Sam Cosmano ’84 took his family to the Outer Banks for the third time to visit his classmate, Trafford Hill ’84 and family. Sam regularly plays hockey with another classmate, Eric Halls ’82.
1960s
Pete White ’85 and his family recently moved to Portland, OR for a new job. He and his family are enjoying this new adventure. Pictured: Peter with his wife, Leigh.
Alexander Bruce Mansfield ’60 recently visited The Gow School for the first time since he graduated in 1960. Alex was astounded by all of the new buildings and programs. He lives in Charleston, WV. Pictured: Alex joined Duncan ’19 for lunch.
Bert Parrish III ’78 married Tram Clark on May 20 in Savannah, Georgia.
Gow friends gathered at the home of Jamie Spitzley ’63 in Cambria, CA for a visit. Pictured: Robert Ittmann ’62, Andy Evans ’62, John Pulvermann ’64 and Jamie Spitzley ’63.
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Jonathan Siegel ’79 celebrated his son Carson’s Bar Mitzvah on August 26 in Cleveland, Ohio at Suburban Temple. The Siegel family celebrated with family and friends from around the country. Pictured: Jonathan Siegel’s ’79 son, Carson.
Peter Mark ’86 and John Simms ’02 (pictured below at Peter's home) attended a Gow lunch in Chicago. Henry (Hank) Minis ’09 also attended the event.
Doug Cotter ’87 and his son Andrew ’19, a junior at Gow, show off their matching Gow School rings (pictured).
2017
Stay connected all year on Gow’s alumni Facebook page: facebook.com/gow.connect
1990s Jeremy Grant ’90 works for USAA Bank as a Senior Business Support Analyst in the Risk Mitigation and Centralized Supervision Department. He and his family live in Helotes, TX.
Keith Breisch ’96 and his wife April are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Jaina Etain Breisch on February 15, 2017. The happy family resides in Buffalo, New York.
Kenna Tierney ’90 (pictured below) is currently working as a chef on the Indy Car Circuit. He travels with the race teams and ESPN employees to prepare meals for them.
Brian Yarosh ’90 took an early anniversary cruise in April with his wife, Rebecca. The Yarosh’s also stopped to visit with Pete Ketchum ’88 and his wife Elena in Tampa on their way back from a trip to Marco Island in August.
Joshua Johanson ’99 runs Woody Salvage and Creations, a salvage and odd job company in Crossville, Tennessee. Joshua runs the crew with his partner Steve and is enjoying this venture. Pictured: Steve Gibson and Joshua Johanson ’99.
Spencer Simms ’05 and Gabriela Polak (pictured) were married October 14 in Wisconsin.
Will Wick ’05 received a BS degree in May 2017 from Texas Wesleyan University, with a major in Psychology and minor in Criminal Justice. Previously, Will served in the US Army for nearly 5 years, including a yearlong deployment conducting long range surveillance in Iraq. Will received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Specialist 4 in June 2011. Will and his wife Neda, a medical student at UT Southwestern, live in Dallas, TX. Pictured: Neda and Will Wick ’05.
Peter Diarbakerly ’08 is Director of Retail Sales at One Energy in Boston, MA.
2000s Doug Alexander ’03 is an Archaeologist in California. Doug and his wife live in Oakland, CA.
Ross Hardigan ’08 has been living and working in Bluffton, SC for nearly two years. He was recently promoted to Food and Beverage Manager at Montage Palmetto Bluff where he was previously the Beverage Manager. Jordan Walker ’08 is the Captain of an 82 Viking Princess yacht travelling through the Caribbean.
2017
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Class Notes 2010s Tyler Bischoff ’11 has spent the past year as an intern at the Saratoga Clay Art Center for ceramic artist, Kill KovachickFishor. Tyler finished the summer working for Sheldon Fine Arts and is now an artist-in-residence at Craigardan in Keene, NY. Tyler plans to go back to university to pursue his Master of Fine Arts. Pictured: Tyler Bishoff ’11.
Ian Hynes ’12 graduated from SUNY Purchase, finishing his last semester with a 4.0 GPA. Ian has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Pictured: Ian Hynes ’12 and a friend.
Aaron Ivie ’13 married Lyndsie Ratchford in Spring Branch, TX on August 4, 2017. In attendance were some of Aaron’s classmates from 2013, Porter Follett and Reece Jones, and Gow faculty members Lynn and John Chafin who were thrilled to participate in the festivities.
Mark Bronner ’13 graduated from Morehouse College in spring 2017.
Brandon Devine ’11 recently moved from his hometown of Orchard Park, NY to Los Angeles, CA to pursue his film career. Brandon started working in the film industry in Buffalo shortly after graduating from Gow in 2011. While at Gow, he developed a love for the arts, thanks to theater teacher Peter Weisenburger.
Izer Martinez ’13 graduated from The University of Pennsylvania in spring 2017. Pictured: Izer Martinez ’13 and his mom, Michele Tuohey.
Sam Diarbakerly ’11 is a Private Wealth Portfolio Manager at Merrill Lynch in Burlington, MA. Spencer Wilk ’11 will be traveling to Munich, Germany to complete his education in Brewing Sciences at Doemens Brewing Academy through the Siegel Institute of Technology. Once finished with the program, Spencer will have a degree in Brewing Sciences as well an International Brewing Certification.
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Ron Capone ’14 recently participated in the Bahrom International Program (BIP) in Seoul, South Korea. Highlights of the trip included lectures, sightseeing, visiting the DMZ and delivering the farewell speech at the University’s closing ceremony. He is currently a senior at Niagara University where he has been on the Dean’s list multiple times. Pictured: Ron in the subway station in Seoul.
Sam Tayler ’13 graduated from Davis and Elkins with a BA in Hospitality Management.
2017
Stay connected all year on Gow’s alumni Facebook page: facebook.com/gow.connect Kevin McNamara ’14 graduated Cum Laude from New England College with a major in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Business. He graduated in three years and is now finishing up his Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems. Pictured: Kevin McNamara ’14.
Tham Limpanonda ’15 is attending Manhattanville College and will soon begin a hospitality management internship at one of his family's properties. He has taken an active role in running the family business. Pictured: Tham and his mom with Gow faculty members Mr. William Schnaithman and Dr. Reyna Vergara.
Rosalie Halls ’16 took a year off before starting college to work on her art and is now enrolled and thriving at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. Rosalie is on the debate team and participating in other clubs on campus. Rosalie and her father Eric Halls ’82 credit The Gow School, especially the college advisors, for helping Rosalie make the best decision for college.
gow.org/alumninews
2017
Edward Wu ’17 and his family are pictured with Mr. William Schnaithman and Dr. Reyna Vergara during their vacation this past summer in Shenzhen, China.
Lorenz Schnitzer ’17 and Sora Sekiguchi ’17 pictured at Davis & Elkins College new student orientation in West Virginia.
I just...
Sasha Witvliet ’17 graduated from high school in Denver. Because his years at Gow helped him to succeed, he wore his Gow blazer at the ceremony. Pictured: Sasha and his mom Jolanda.
graduated returned to school saw the world got married had a baby developed or produced .... started a new job retired to….
Whatever you have been up to, we want to know. Send us an email or share your stories and photos and we will include them in class notes. Gow Life
35
Remembering Alice Gow
Editor’s note:We were saddened to lose Mrs. Alice Gow on March 28, 2017. Alice was the daughter– in-law of our School’s founder Peter Gow and wife of our third Headmaster, David Gow. To pay tribute to Mrs. Gow, we are honored to share some thoughts her sons David, Jr. and Philip prepared for her memorial service at Buffalo’s Westminster Presbyterian Church this past April. The Gow Family – David Jr., Alice, Philip, Alex, Pur, David and Peter
Headmaster M. Bradley Rogers Jr. with Alice and David Gow in 2004.
One thing that everyone seems to agree about is that Mom had a kind of grace. She made life look easy, even when we know it was hard. Grace is all about appreciation. She appreciated the blessings in her life. She loved her family and friends, the natural beauty of our little valley in South Wales, and the good people and good work done at the Gow School. She was an optimist who enjoyed the adventures and opportunities presented throughout her lifetime and could find humor and wonder in almost any situation. Imagine the twelve year old boy arriving at Gow for a full day and a half of one-on-one admissions testing in the 1960’s and 70’s. Young, anxious and far from home, they were introduced to a place that took pride in its inescapably masculine and “Spartan” identity. Enter my mother. If you were being tested by my father, your first break would
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Alice and her sister Susan Bean
be lunch in her kitchen. Many alums may remember the whir of her Waring blender and the whiff of ozone from its overtaxed electric motor as she turned out milkshakes, always accompanied by a sandwich, apple slices and a mound of potato chips. She had an honest interest in the kids, and a knack for putting them at ease with just the right question. She was a surrogate mother to many students and more than a few young faculty members over the 57 years she spent on the Gow School campus. In later years, many of her happiest hours were spent on her back porch hosting visiting alumni, now as dear old friends, who returned to check in, show off spouses and family, and often to thank their old teachers for a life changing education. She was immensely proud of them, and of the good work done at Gow. We will continue to honor and remember her always.
2017
The Class of 2017 – Well on Their Way Fast Facts: 38 Class of 2017 graduates
140.5 total years at Gow
4 years average at Gow
143 total college acceptances
$4,082,288 awarded in college cholarships
Tyler Baiz: SUNY New Paltz
Taylor Kulla: Roanoke College
Max Balcom: Alfred State College
Anthony Meyers: Wingate University
Laurent Bernier: Concordia University
William Morris: Drexel University
Nicholas Brierley: Ave Maria University
Aditya Nijasure: Western New England University
Gabriel Chandon: Lynn University Anthony Clarke: Brock University *taking gap year and then attending Brock
Max Polzler: Trent University Elizabeth Raiff: Ithaca College
Brenden Cook: Virginia Tech
Adam Sabuda: John Carroll University
Charlie Cross: Brock University
Zachary Sax: Alfred State College
Jose Cuesta: Tecnologico de Monterrey
Sora Sekiguchi: Davis & Elkins College
Matthew Dell’Agnese: Seneca College
Lorenz Schnitzer: Davis & Elkins College
Gordon Diamond: St. Francis Xavier University
Joshua Starr: Fairleigh Dickinson University
Simon Dietrich: Virginia Military Institute
Adam Syed: University of Arizona
Benjamin Fullerton: Seneca College
Noah Syed: University of Arizona
Stone Giardini: Alfred State University
Michael Vajo: Brock University
Max Hadinoto: Adelphi University
Zakariya Veasy: Morehouse College
William Hobbs: Limestone College
Cole Wahler: Mercyhurst University
Conner Jackson: Arizona State University
Jared Wangelin: Niagara University
Kade Keesee: Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Courtney Wilday: Mercyhurst University
Robert Korfhage: Ithaca College
Edward Wu: The Academy at Harvard Square
2017
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Class of 2017 On May 18, 2017 the Gow senior class and their families gathered in downtown Buffalo at Asbury Hall, Babeville for their Senior Dinner. This was a special opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments and futures. 1. Asbury Hall, Babeville 2. Michael Vajo with his family 3. AJ Meyers with his family 1
4. Cresting Ceremony 5. Doug Cotter ’87 P ’19 and Adam Sabuda 6. Gabe Chandon with his family 7. Members of the class of 2017 Branden Cook, Charlie Cross, Tyler Biaz, Adam Sabuda, Noah Syed, Headmaster Brad Rogers, Adam Syed, Simon Dietrich, Kade Keesee, Jose Cuesta
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6 7 2017
Commencement Congratulations to the class of 2017! 1. Gordon Diamond, Adam Sabuda, Simon Dietrich, Charlie Cross, Tyler Biaz 2. Jared Wangelin 3. Elizabeth Raiff receives her diploma from Headmaster Brad Rogers while Trustee Board Chair Graeme Hepburn ’84 looks on
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4. Max Polzler, Gabe Chandon, Zach Veasy, Zak Sax, Cole Wahler 5. Elizabeth Raiff and Courtney Wilday 6. Class of 2017
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The Gow School Welcomes New Members Tamara Baker
Tamara Baker is an accomplished Silicon Valley engineering executive. She has held a number of executive and management roles over the past fifteen years, including Vice President of Engineering at Encanto Networks Inc., Vice President of Engineering at E-Color Inc. and Vice President of Product Development for the Americas at Weathernews.com. More recently, Tammy was the Vice President of Engineering for the open source software company Untangle, Inc. She has led teams across the U.S., India, Japan, Romania, Mexico and Europe. Currently, Tammy serves as the Vice President of Engineering and Chief Security Officer at Cantaloupe Systems.
We Remember... Gardner R. Anstice ’64 of Carlton, New York, passed away on November 25, 2016. Vincent “Vin” Barrett, former Faculty, of Orchard Park, New York, passed away on April 21, 2017. Bernard Crystal III ’60 of Maplewood, New Jersey. We were recently notified of his passing in December 2015. 40 Gow Life
Lynn Bilodeau P ’17
Lynn was born and raised in Quebec City. She holds a MSc. in Industrial Relations from University of Montreal, Canada and worked in the Human Resources Department of an international corporation. She and her husband, Jacques Bernier live in Toronto with their three children. Maxime studies Mechanical Engineering at University of Guelph, Ontario. Laurent ’17, attends Concordia University in Montreal, where he is studying Electro Accoustics in their Fine Arts Department. Nadia (GSSP ’17) is in Grade 10 at Greenwood School College in Toronto. Lynn joined the Board of Trustees after a year at the Parents’ Association. She is thrilled to participate in enhancing the co-ed experience at The Gow School and preparing the school for the future.
Thomas E. Foorman ’10 of Winnetka, Illinois passed away on May 23, 2017. Alice Gow of South Wales, New York passed away on March 28, 2017. Edward “Sandy” Mehl ’75 of East Aurora, New York, passed away on September 17, 2017. Earl Reed Silvers III ’71 of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, passed away on June 11, 2017. 2017
New Leadership
to the Board of Trustees John Brinkworth P ’18
John, wife Anna and their three children Margaret (21), Jack ’18 and Claire (17) have been residents of East Aurora for 25 years. John grew up in Eden, New York, a small rural town in Southern Erie County. He attended SUNY Geneseo and graduated with a BS in Accounting and later earned an MBA from Canisius College in Buffalo. John, Margaret and Jack are all dyslexic and have had a strong relationship with The Gow School for nearly two decades. John shares, “I always had the theory that I had to work twice as hard as everyone for the same result. When Margaret began having the same hurdles, I knew we needed to address it. We went to The Gow School for help and she began attending the GSSP in 3rd grade. Now she is the head of evening and weekend events for Gow’s summer program and is attending Marist College to become an elementary special education teacher.” John’s son Jack became a Gow student in seventh grade and is now a member of the Class of 2018.
Bob Warner ’64
We are delighted to welcome Robert Warner ’64 back to the Gow Board of Trustees. Bob has served on the Board twice before, and once as Board Chair. A native of Buffalo, Bob attended the University of Denver and has remained a resident of Colorado since. He is retired from a career in real estate development but continues to stay busy in other business ventures. Bob’s commitment to land conservation is manifest in his involvement with the Eagle Valley Land Trust. When not engaging in their first love, skiing, Bob and his wife Jill enjoy bicycle trips to Europe and spending time with their children and grandchildren. According to Headmaster Brad Rogers, “Bob Warner has been a steadfast and loyal Gow supporter and Trustee. We look forward to his wisdom and leadership on our Board.”
“As a family, we wholeheartedly support the philosophy of Gow and know that our children are prepared to have a full, successful life because of their education here. I am excited to share our experience. If dyslexia is understood, students can accomplish and achieve greatness!”
2017
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Message from Board chair Graeme C. Hepburn ’84, Board Chair
Fellow Govians, My role as a Board member and volunteer at The Gow School allows me to interact and observe the many people that teach, coach, guide, serve, mentor and live their lives in South Wales. It is a remarkable vantage point from which to witness the depth of service that occurs daily for our students. I certainly wasn’t as aware of it when I was a student here more than thirty years ago. Likely, our students today aren’t as aware either. Therein lies the gift. The Gow community works very hard to provide our students with the very best resources so they can achieve success in the classroom, conduct experiments, build robots, score goals and feel on top of the world on our playing fields.
All of that giving and service is about allowing Gow students to be as unburdened as possible, despite the challenges working against them. We must work harder, give more, and stretch further so they can be young men and women who are well equipped to do their best, achieve their success and move forward into a brighter future because of their Gow experience. This experience is one that they will appreciate, as I did, more deeply with time. For those listed on these pages, from the remarkable and inspiring faculty, to the generous donors, I thank you. Indeed, we all thank you for inspiring our community and reminding us over and over again that the extraordinary is always possible and happens often in the town of South Wales. I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season,
Graeme C. Hepburn ’84 Chairman, Board of Trustees
The Gow School Board of Trustees 2017-2018 Executive Committee
Trustees
Newton D. Baker ’53 Maineville, OH
Tammy Baker San Jose, CA
John R. Bullock II ’80 Vice Chair Cincinnati, OH
John Brinkworth, Jr. P ’18 East Aurora, NY
Al R. Chircop P ’06 Treasurer Northfield, IL Lawrence M. Ross Secretary Williamsville, NY 14221
Lynn Bilodeau P ’17 Toronto, Ontario, Canada David W. Gow, Jr. Belmont, MA Steven J. Ibbotson ’80 Canmore, AB Canada
Mary Ann Coulson P ’04 Orchard Park, NY
Robert W. Ittmann ’62 Gulf Stream, FL
Graeme C. Hepburn ’84 P ’19 Chair Toronto, Ontario, Canada
K. Peter Knudsen ’59 P ’98 Harbor Springs, MI Palm Beach, FL
K. Carson Jones ’92 Dallas, TX
Creighton Murch ’63 P ’23 ’23 Kirtland, OH
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Lowell G. Powers, Jr. ’59 Middletown, RI Daphne Uliana P ’14 ’16 Bethlehem, PA Robert Vail ’68 Moreland Hills, OH
Ex-Officio M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. Headmaster The Gow School South Wales, NY Emeritus
Robert Warner, Jr. ’64 Edwards, CO
Edwin T. Bean, Jr. Buffalo, NY
Skip Wilday P ‘17 ’21 Cuba, NY
Joseph C. Giallanza Elma, NY
Honorary Board Member
Dean H. Jewett ’61 East Aurora, NY
Liam Devine ’84 President Alumni Association Strathroy, Ontario, Canada
J. Gibson McIlvain, III ’66 Lincoln University, PA George M. Reid ’43 Minneapolis, MN
2017
Kindness
Honesty
Respect
Hard Work
Each day at Gow, we put our four community pillars to work as the foundation of student success: kindness, respect, honesty and hard work. These critical ingredients allow students to learn and grow in confidence and ability in ways they didn’t think possible. By doing your best, we can help Govians do theirs. Please make your gift today.
Gifts may be sent to: The Gow School 2491 Emery Road South Wales, NY 14139
Or make a gift online at www.gow.org
2017
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The Gow School Development Office PO Box 85 South Wales, NY 14139
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