Holderness School Today | Summer 2024

HOLDERNESS SCHOOL

LEARNING TAKES FLIGHT: 60 YEARS OF SENIOR PROJECTS

+ BULLS AT THEIR BEST + COMMENCEMENT 2024

Board of Trustees

John Hayes P ’15 ’18 – Board Chair

Bishop Rob Hirschfeld – President of the Board

Chris Keating ’81 P ’24 – Secretary

Richard Vieira P ’20 – Treasurer

Kat Alfond ’90 P ’23

Karyn Campbell P ’17

Chris Davenport ’89 P ’19 ’21

Andrew Davis P ’18

Paul John Ferri P ’18 ’19

Dr. Liz Gardner

Rob Kinsley ’88 P ’22

Flip Kistler ’85

Cecily Cushman Koopman ’11

Clarissa Lee P’26

Anne Lompo P ’22 ’24

Chip Martin ’88 P ’20

Wendy McAdam P’26

Joe Miles ’82 P ’11 ’13 ’18

Mike Murchie ’81

Simon Parmett P ’25

Courtney Peschel P ’26

Nell Reynolds P ’18 ’20 ’22

CJ Vincent ’06

Dix Wheelock ’87 P ’25 P ’25

Sung You ’01

Headmaster Emeritus

R. Phillip Peck

The Rev. Brinton W. Woodward, Jr.

Honorary Trustees

Warren C. Cook

Bob Hall

Jim Hamblin ’77

Piper Orton ’74

W. Dexter Paine III ’79

Will Prickett ’81

Trustees who recently retired from the board include Burgie Howard ’82, Sander van Otterloo ’94, and Katie Crumbo P ’21.

Holderness School Today is printed by RC Brayshaw & Company, LLC.

Please send notice of address changes to the Advancement Office, PO Box 1879, Plymouth, NH 03264, or advancement@ holderness.org. ©2023 Holderness School.

EDITOR: Greg Kwasnik

CONTRIBUTORS: Bruce Barton P’13’16, Marybeth Bentwood, Greg Kwasnik, Dr. Jennifer Martinez, Meghan McCarthy McPhaul.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Tessa Magnuson, Align Graphic Design, LLC.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Thea Dodds, Greg Kwasnik, Max Paro ’17, Dr. Carlos Villafane.

ON THE FRONT COVER: Soli Colon ’24 and STEM Robotics teacher Morgan Stepp prepare to launch a rocket on the quad this spring.

Photo by Greg Kwasnik.

FROM THE SCHOOLHOUSE

“ Holderness is a life-changing institution.” My heart swells when I hear this refrain repeatedly from our alumni and parent body. We seek to develop people the world needs most, and we are proud of just how many of our graduates have gone on to transform their communities for the better.

While every student’s journey here is unique, our Special Programs play an essential role in delivering the Holderness mission. At first glance, Special Programs appear to consist of four separate units: Project Outreach for 9 th graders, Artward Bound for 10 th graders, Out Back for 11th graders, and Capstone for seniors. In reality, these are four phases of an intentional, unified multi-year experience, with each unit laying the foundation for the next. They are four movements within a single symphony. It is all one song!

It’s no coincidence that Capstone, the culminating experience of Special Programs, is the longest and most intellectually challenging of these elements. As you’ll read in this edition of Holderness School Today, while it has gone by different names as it has evolved and grown over the years, we have offered some version of this 12 th -grade experience for nearly 60 years. When Holderness students are encouraged to be curious and ask questions, they are empowered to

take ownership of their learning journey and advocate for change.

Holderness alumni speak about Capstone with deep reverence. Some have found their life’s calling and professional purpose from their topic. Others have walked away with the confidence to pursue a different path but with that same tenacity and joy. The curiosity and communication skills honed during Capstone endure and transfer seamlessly to the real world.

Curiosity, the insatiable hunger to explore, understand, and question the world around us, is inherent to human nature and one of our core values at Holderness. In pursuit of making a difference and serving others, nothing is as crucial as nurturing a spirit of inquiry and fostering the habit of asking questions. Our seniors learn to ask nuanced questions and develop the grit and perseverance to find answers. In a world fraught with challenges and complexities, complacency is the enemy of progress. Holderness graduates who dare to question the status quo are the ones who drive change, ignite innovation, and push boundaries.

Curiosity is the antidote for uninformed certainty. There’s nothing wrong with conviction, especially regarding core values. But it becomes a significant issue when certainty devolves into judgment, stubbornness, and resistance to learning and growing. Curious students naturally embrace change, adapt to new situations, and learn from failure. By asking questions and seeking out new experiences, they develop the resilience to persevere in the face of challenges and the adaptability to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.

Equally critical are our students' communication skills. The ability to

convey ideas, thoughts, and emotions effectively is indispensable. In the digital age, where communication transcends boundaries drawn on a map, mastering communication skills has never been more crucial. We strive to provide experiences that serve as laboratories where students learn to articulate their thoughts, listen actively, and collaborate with others.

Capstone harnesses the fundamental and symbiotic relationship between curiosity and communication. Curiosity fuels the desire to learn, explore, and discover, while effective communication allows us to share our knowledge. A curious mind devoid of communication skills remains isolated, unable to express its wonderings or share its discoveries. Conversely, communication without curiosity lacks substance, depth, and insight. Together, curiosity and communication form the foundation of a well-rounded education, empowering students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

There is nothing quite like the moment when a student finishes their Capstone presentation. They bask in the warm embrace of their friends and family, standing in ovation and cheering them on. They exude the internal pride and satisfaction of a job well done, the successful completion of a meaningful year-long intellectual journey. This rush of palpable joy kickstarts their Commencement weekend and launches them into their future as they move on to be those very people the world needs most. As they step into their futures, they carry with them the harmonious blend of curiosity and communication, ready to compose their own symphonies in the world.

John

Head of School

McVeigh

Head of School John McVeigh poses with Senior Leaders after Commencement.

AROUND THE QUAD

HOLDERNESS SCHOOL’S DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES WINS NATIONAL AWARD

Director of Facilities Tony LeMenager at work in the school's biomass plant.

It’s no small feat to keep a school like Holderness in good working order. There’s literally no end to the upkeep that needs to be done, with dozens of buildings and classrooms, a hockey rink, biomass plant, snowmaking system, and other untold infrastructure to maintain. That’s why we’re happy to report that the man in charge of it all, Director of Facilities Tony LeMenager, is getting the recognition he deserves.

This winter, Tony received the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) Professional Achievement Award. He was one of 15 individuals nationwide to receive the award this year.

Tony not only oversees the school’s Buildings and Grounds Department—no small feat on a 600-acre campus with dozens of buildings— but he works tirelessly to help the school carry out major infrastructure and capital projects, such as the construction of the Davis Center for STEM, a state-of-the-art, 35,000 squarefoot academic facility that opened in 2021.

Read more online

GEORGE FORTIN ’24 COMPETES IN POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS

In March, our very own George Fortin ’24 finished second in the Poetry Out Loud New Hampshire State Finals. It was a huge achievement for Fortin, who advanced through several levels of school and regional competitions to reach the finals at the New Hampshire Statehouse. To put George’s accomplishment in perspective, more than 5,000 New Hampshire students competed in the poetry recitation contest at schools across the Granite State this winter.

“I am very honored to receive this award on behalf of the Buildings and Grounds Department,” Tony said. “In reality, what this award represents is all the great work done by the B&G Team. I am proud to work with them.”

George Fortin ’24 competes in the New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud Semi-Final on February 15.

HOLDERNESS ALUMS REACH PODIUM AT NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPS

Last October, nearly four years after they last rode together on Holderness School’s mountain bike team, Amanda Vansant ’20 and Lilly Magnus ’20 both found themselves on the podium at the 2023 National Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships at Ride Rock Creek, North Carolina.

Vansant, a senior at Saint Lawrence University, won the women’s club downhill race, while Magnus, a senior at Clarkson University, took third in the Omnium—or best overall rider—category. Both athletes also competed head-to-head in the dual slalom.

Amanda Vansant ’20 and Lilly Magnus ’20 (l-r) celebrate their successes at the National Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships.

“That was so special to be there together,” said Vansant, who, like Magnus, is president of her school’s mountain bike club. It was Vansant’s first time competing at nationals,

Magnus and Vansant competed against each other in the dual slalom at the National Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships.

so winning the club downhill title—and beating the second-place finisher by a whopping 8.3 seconds—came as a big surprise. “In the moment it was super emotional and surreal because I didn’t go to the event with those expectations,” Vansant said. “This is my first time going to nationals. This is the first time anyone in my school has ever gone.”

Both Vansant and Magnus, who are also competitive Nordic skiers, started mountain biking at Holderness during their sophomore year. It was camaraderie, not competition, that drew Magnus to the bike. “It’s kind of funny—the first year I did it, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I hate this,’” Magnus said. “But I just stuck with it because it was something my friends were doing. I wanted to have fun with my friends at Holderness, and I stuck with it.”

The pair’s friendship never lost momentum, even after both cyclists graduated from Holderness. Since both Saint Lawrence University and Clarkson University are in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference, Vansant and Magnus regularly competed against each other during their collegiate careers. Their trip to nationals last fall was just the latest stage in a friendship that got its start on the trails of Holderness.

“I love racing, but I really just like riding my bike with my friends,” Vansant said. “That is exactly what I think our coaches at Holderness did a really good job of instilling.”

HENNIYAH RIVERS ’25 COMPETES FOR JAMAICA IN WORLD JUNIOR OLYMPICS

Holderness School enjoys a welldeserved reputation as a skiing powerhouse, having produced 17 Olympians and 38 National Team members in its history. This winter, Henniyah Rivers ’25 added to that reputation by competing in slalom and giant slalom for Jamaica at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea.

In doing so, Henniyah became the firstever female alpine skier to compete for Jamaica in an international competition.

Henniyah Rivers ’25 competes at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea.

“I feel like this is just the beginning and I will continue to represent Jamaica, and hopefully go to the Olympics,” Henniyah said. “My ultimate goal is to compete so younger kids of color, if they want to ski or do any winter sport, can be motivated to keep going.”

JAZZ FELLOW Holderness Teacher Receives Prestigious Jazz Fellowship

By Greg Kwasnik

F or nine months out of every year, Dave Cosby, Holderness School’s director of music, lives his life immersed in sound. This summer, he’ll turn the volume down (temporarily) to study the history of jazz education at the Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies in Newark, where he is a recipient of a prestigious Morroe Berger—Benny Carter—Ed Berger Jazz Research Fellowship.

For one week this summer, Cosby will explore the Institute’s archives and holdings to research first-hand accounts of how jazz musicians learned, taught, and shared knowledge before the advent of formal jazz education in colleges and universities. This research will form the basis of

Cosby’s dissertation at Boston University, where he is pursuing his doctorate in music education.

We recently sat down with Cosby—a professional guitarist and band leader in his own right—to talk about the history of jazz education, his own musical influences, and how both have informed his 25year career as a music educator.

First of all, congratulations on your fellowship! What will you be researching?

My research is primarily centered around trying to find first-person discussions, accounts, thoughts, and conversations—essentially anything about how people from the 1930s through the 1950s learned to play jazz before it became institutionalized. Before you could

go to get a degree in jazz studies, how was it learned? My dissertation advisor at Boston University said there's really not enough African-American voices in music education. He wanted me to find a way to bring in some of my own culture as an African-American, and how I think about music, and how that influences the way I teach. For this study, it's really looking at how did I learn, and how did that influence how I teach?

So what were some of your early musical influences?

I grew up in a middle class home where food and safety were never an issue. A lot of people have these really tragic stories of things they've overcome to get to where they are. And I was like, “My story doesn’t really matter.” But

my dissertation advisor said “No, it matters.” And I think he really liked the way I’m carrying forward things that my father instilled in me. My father was a music lover. He wasn't a musician—I mean, he played through college—but that was his thing outside of school, outside of his own work as a sociologist. He just loved jazz. It was the stories he would tell when we were driving around and I just became fascinated with that whole era—the era before, during, and a little bit after the Civil Rights movement and the integration movement happened.

How has the teaching of jazz changed since that era?

I’m researching the period from 1940 to about 1965. When segregation became outlawed by the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954, jazz was still mostly a music of communities and neighborhoods and clubs. It wasn’t really in the universities yet. The University of Texas had a program and there were a couple other schools that had what were called ‘dance band’ programs, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that jazz really started to enter the universities and colleges. At the time, a lot of people felt that in order for jazz to fit into a model of higher education where you actually had to have a sequentially ordered curriculum where you could grade things, they had to systematize how it was taught. Of course, at the time, it was great. Everyone enjoyed it. And then in the nineties, a lot of social critics started to say, you know, it was great when it happened, but at the same time a lot of these special qualities that were unique to the way the music was learned before it went into colleges was lost.

So how did musicians learn to play jazz before it was taught in colleges and universities?

Jazz was really viewed as a music of community. It was taught through social engagement, just hanging out through mentorship and listening to records. We call it oral learning—orally and aurally—

through singing and spoken word and peer mentoring. It was people getting together and going “Ok, you figure out bar five, and I’ll figure out bar six.” It was really this communal effort to learn music. There are people who are trying to replicate that now. It seems to give students a deeper meaning, and connection to the music, which I find really interesting.

How have you incorporated some of these older methods into your teaching at Holderness?

Singing as a method of learning is really a big part of it. The idea is you can conceptually understand it if you can sing the idea. And then your job is to figure out how to play that idea on your various instruments. You give them a melody and they all can play it, but every instrument is different. It’s a beautiful way of teaching. If some people aren’t really good readers, they can play things that they can hear and technically have the ability to play, even though they can't read it yet. Or if they read it, it would take weeks just to learn it that way. But if you go and you break it down working in small groups, you can learn something in a class that would usually take months to learn. I'm a big proponent of that.

It seems like you’re fostering that old-school ‘music of community’ idea here at Holderness.

Quite a few times, kids who have free periods will come by and sit in on a class. They’re like, “Hey Mr. Cosby, I have a free period. Can I just sit in?” It was the same thing with Art in the Afternoon. By the end of the semester, there were usually two times the number of people there than were registered, because all these students who were injured would come by and just sit and jam with us. When people come just because they want to, it's very gratifying - to see that they love or enjoy what you love. Outside of my family, music is the greatest passion of my life. So it's nice when I see others having that same appreciation.

You can listen to some of Dave Cosby's original music at davecosbymusic.com |

Listen to the Spotify playlist Dave created for National Jazz Appreciation month in April.

Dave Cosby in the studio, teaching students.

LEARNING TAKES FLIGHT

Exploring the Evolution of Holderness's Senior Capstone Projects

By Greg Kwasnik

Senior Projects are introduced, laying the foundation for Special Programs.

Senior Projects endowed. Outward Bound, now called Out Back, is established.

Artward Bound begins.

Habitat for Humanity (now Project Outreach) begins.

How is the war between Russia and Ukraine affecting global food security? How can schools better support children with dyslexia? How does the science behind motorcycle geometry and build interact with aerodynamics? Believe it or not, all of these fascinating queries have something in common. Each is an Essential

Question that drives a student’s senior Capstone project—an intense, yearlong exploration that pushes Holderness seniors to dive deep into a topic that intrigues them.

“Capstone gives students an opportunity to follow an interest and follow it hard,” says English Teacher and Capstone Director Sarah Barton P ’13’16. It’s an intensive

project that all seniors are required to complete before graduation. That requirement, instituted in 2014, makes Holderness unique among its peer schools. “For a lot of schools, Capstone is offered as a choice or an honors program,” Barton says. “Or they might have everybody do it, but it’s for three weeks or one semester or one quarter. We’re very unusual.”

Renamed Senior Honors Thesis.

Renamed Capstone.

Renamed Senior Capstone, includes a written and a public presentation requirement

For her Capstone project, Soli Colon ’24 studied how the science of motorcycle geometry and build interacts with aerodynamics.

THE HISTORY

Capstone is also unusual for its longevity. Senior Projects, in one form or another, have been a part of the Holderness experience since the early 1960s. In those early years, seniors who opted to undertake a Senior Project were released from their final month of classes to study a topic of their choosing. Over the ensuing decades, students took on a number of ambitious projects, from constructing and flying a primitive airplane to building a campus blacksmith shop to establishing a lighted loop along the school’s Nordic trails.

In one of the more audacious projects, Will Parish ’71 flew a Cessna 150 more than 6,000 miles across the country, starting near his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, traveling south along the Mississippi River, east along the Gulf Coast, and then north to Washington, D.C. and Toronto. It was an epic adventure that took some convincing before school officials finally cleared him for takeoff. “I learned all kinds of lessons that have been important for the rest of my life,” Parish said. “Number one was, if you want something, push for it. The second was to follow through.”

Those first forays into experiential learning provided the foundation for what became the school’s Special Programs: 1969 marked the start of Outward Bound (later Out Back),

while Artward Bound and Habitat for Humanity (today’s Project Outreach) joined the mix in 1979 and 1990, respectively. Today, all students take part in Special Programs during a two-week period in March.

THE PROCESS

While Out Back, Project Outreach, and Artward Bound last for a short period in March, Capstone is a challenging, yearlong endeavor. Students choose a topic in the fall and then meet several times a week in their Capstone classes, where they refine their topics and develop

skills such as researching, writing, and public speaking. Over the course of the year, students will write a 10-page literature review, present in front of their peers every week, and interview experts on their topic. In many cases, those experts become mentors who help shape the student’s March Experience, when students leave school for a hands-on encounter with their topic in the real world.

THE RESULTS

By the time students present their Capstone projects to the Holderness community in May, they’ve undergone tremendous personal and academic growth. “The reward is just so fabulous when they're standing for 20 minutes to an audience of 40 people just beaming with pride,” Barton says. “No notes, no nothing.”

In some cases, a student’s Capstone project fuels college study and career trajectories. But in every case, the invaluable skills they learned through the project—researching, public speaking, and persistence—pay huge dividends in college and beyond.

“I get a lot of emails from kids in college saying, ‘My public speaking is far superior to everybody else's. I don't shy away from it,’ or, 'I know how to research,’ or ‘I was super well-prepared for my government class.’ Whatever it is, it was worth it.”

Capstone Director Sarah Barton counsels a senior during a Capstone class this spring.

With 85 students in this year’s senior class, Capstone projects cover a huge variety of topics. Here are just a few of the Essential Questions students are asking:

Q . How can we learn from indigenous people to better preserve the environment?

Q . What are the impacts of artificial intelligence, and how is it evolving in the medical field?

Q . How does social media marketing use algorithms to target the audience, and what is the future of it?

Q . 3D print construction: Why is it revolutionary, and where is it going?

Q . How are food allergies affected by genetics, and how will treatments develop in the future?

Q . How are short-term rentals impacting the residential real estate market?

Q . What does avalanche protection and prevention look like?

Q . How do the cyclical changes in seasons negatively impact the mental well-being of residents in seasonal towns?

“I think the best senior projects are the ones where they can find that sweet spot between a passion and a really interesting hands-on question. So much of most high school education is focused on book knowledge and intellectual discovery and is dictated by course curriculum. Capstone gives students the opportunity to go out into the world and get hands-on experience in something that interests them. That’s an amazing opportunity that few students get in high school.”

- Emily Magnus ’88

ANIKA DELLI COLLI ’24

Q. How is the overturning of Roe v. Wade impacting women's health?

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR TOPIC?

“I've always had a passion for women's rights, and I want to use my presentation to advocate for women's rights. I wanted to spread awareness on an issue that a lot of people don't know what's even going on.”

THE STORY

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the spring of 2022, it ended the constitutional right to abortion. Since then, dozens of states have instituted bans or restrictions on abortion—a national patchwork of laws that Anika Delli Colli set out to understand for her Capstone project. Over the course of the year, she interviewed a number of healthcare providers in several states to determine the real-life impact of the court’s decision. During her March Experience, Anika traveled across the country interviewing healthcare providers, including an OBGYN in Wyoming, which bans abortion at 2426 weeks; an emergency room doctor in Idaho, which has one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation; and providers at an abortion clinic in Florida, where she also engaged in a dialogue with abortion protesters. “I feel like this is so important. This topic is so important to touch upon, and everyone should know about this,” Anika said. “Everyone should care about this topic, no matter what field you go into. I feel like activism will definitely be part of my life moving forward.”

Q. How has new technology in the aviation industry affected pilot training?

HENRY ROE ’24

THE STORY

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR TOPIC?

“There’s no feeling like just accelerating down the runway and taking off. I can't really explain it, especially when you're in control of it. You can't compare it—there’s skiing and mountain biking, which I do, but it’s just not the same. It’s completely different. It’s just that feeling and that bug that every pilot gets that kind of drives them.”

Henry Roe’s senior year really took off once he decided to study pilot training for his Capstone project. He’d always loved flying, and had just begun taking lessons the previous spring in a 1960s-era Cessna. Eventually, he wondered: how is pilot training different in sleek modern aircraft that rely heavily on electronic displays and controls? To get his answer, Henry reached out to experts in the field of aviation to plan a whirlwind March Experience. First, he visited a private aviation company, where he boarded a brand-new Gulfstream G500, a state-of-the-art, fullycomputerized private jet with iPad-like touchscreens in the cockpit. He then spent a day at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he toured a KC-46 tanker aircraft and sat in a flight simulator used for pilot training. He then flew across the Atlantic to Weybridge, England, where he toured a decommissioned Concorde on display at the Brooklands Museum. Even the supersonic Concorde, which first flew in 1969 and was retired in 2003, relied on analogue controls, Henry said—a measure of just how far aviation technology has progressed in recent decades. And while Henry’s Capstone project ended in May, his learning won’t stop there: he’s headed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall where he’ll train to become a pilot.

JULIA FEENEY ’24

Q.

How divided are church and state in America, and why should we educate ourselves on our First Amendment rights?

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR TOPIC?

THE STORY

Julia Feeney ’24 had long known about the separation of church and state, an idea enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But for her Capstone project, Julia decided to ask: Just how separate are church and state, really? For example, how can one be sure that government officials aren’t making decisions based on their own religious beliefs? To answer that question, Julia began studying the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which states that Congress shall make no law “respecting an establishment of religion.” She then interviewed a number of experts on either side of the religious-secular divide, including Bishop Rob Hirschfeld, who leads the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire. She also interviewed Stephen D. Solomon, the author of “Ellery’s Protest,” a book about Pennsylvania student Ellery Schempp, a student who protested mandatory school prayer in the 1950s. That protest that led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision which found that compulsory school prayer violates an individual’s First Amendment rights. For her March experience, Julia - who hopes to study political science in college—wrote and illustrated a children’s book about Ellery’s case. The book is her way of teaching a younger generation what she learned about First Amendment rights—a topic that she learned is anything but clearly-drawn. “I've kind of had to come to the conclusion that sometimes it's better to inform people about the history and what they should know, the things that I wish I had known, so that they can take a step and advocate for themselves,” Julia said.

“I was really compelled by this idea of how would we know if Supreme Court justices were truly not letting their religious beliefs persuade them one way or the other when coming to the decision about Roe v. Wade? And in that, I ended up also being able to study other things like ‘In God we trust,’ which is considered the U.S. motto, or the Pledge of Allegiance, which states ‘Under God,’ and learning how that actually was never in the Pledge of Allegiance to begin with. That really intrigued me.”

Q. Do energy drinks have an impact on our cardiovascular system and sports performance, and how are they marketed?

KADEN FREELOVE ’24

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR TOPIC?

“I was driven to study this because of an incident that had happened at a local prep school that involved a sudden death and energy drinks. Pre-workout energy drinks grabbed my attention because I was kind of like, ‘Well, what is this actually doing to your heart?’ You see energy drinks all over campus here, whether it be Red Bull or Celsius.”

THE STORY

As a varsity athlete, Kaden Freelove had seen news stories of young athletes dying unexpectedly from sudden cardiac arrest. Last summer, he paid close attention when LeBron James’ son, Bronny, went into cardiac arrest at a basketball practice. While Bronny survived, Kaden was left wondering about the prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) in young athletes, and how energy drinks are sometimes a contributing factor. “I see a lot of energy drinks in the morning, like at an 8 a.m. class,” said Kaden, who studied the connection between energy drinks, cardiac health, and sports performance for his Capstone project. “I’ve seen a ton of them before games. Honestly, I’ve learned that consuming energy drinks before a game is actually very harmful.” To reach that conclusion, Kaden spent his senior year studying the effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system (caffeine increases heart rate and blood pressure, and can trigger cardiac arrhythmias) and visited athletic trainers at Boston University to learn about proper athletic nutrition. To learn about the world of sports marketing, Kaden spent his March Experience interning at Gameface Media in Boston. As part of that brief internship, he wrote an article on the health effects of energy drinks for Six Minute Mile, an endurance sports newsletter with 700,000 subscribers. It was a hugely informative experience for Kaden, who plans to pursue business management at Boston University—and play lacrosse for the Terriers. |

James Lawhorne ’24 hits the links against Proctor Academy on May 7.

BULLS AT THEIR BEST

It's been a busy winter and spring for Holderness student-athletes. They won Lakes Region Championship in hockey, sent 26 skiers and snowboarders to national championships, hosted several large regional Nordic meets on our new competition trails, and took home a second-straight Lakes Region Championship in lacrosse.

Here are just a few highlights of our Bulls in action during the 2023/24 winter and spring seasons.

Photos by Max Paro ’17

The crowd holds its breath as George Fortin ’24 takes the shot (above) while Valeria Santiago ’24 (below) competes against Middlesex.

again distinguished themselves on the field this spring.

The Boys and Girls Varsity Lacrosse teams once

The Bulls compete admirably this spring in softball, and baseball.

Girls Varsity Hockey players celebrate a goal this winter (above) while Boys Varsity Hockey celebrates their Lakes Region Championship win.

Annie Bergeron ’24 competes in a Nordic race on Dec 6 (above) while Charlotte Lehr ’24 practices running gates on the hill.

The Boys Varsity Lacrosse team celebrates their second-straight Lakes Region Championship (above), while Gracie Levy ’27 competes on the court.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

By Greg Kwasnik

I f you happened to find yourself on the Holderness School campus last winter, you may have seen one of America’s fastest young cyclists speed past you—on Nordic skis.

Like all Holderness students, Jack Diemar ’24 is a multisport athlete. He’s just taken it to another level. While he spends his winters racing for the school’s Nordic team, he’s also a national-caliber road cyclist who just signed with Primal-Audi Denver, a domestic elite cycling

team in Colorado, and was recently invited to a national development camp for aspiring track cyclists. After he graduates this spring, Jack plans to take a gap year to train and race on the roads with the national development team in Europe.

In addition to being a national-caliber road cyclist, Jack Diemar competed on the Nordic team in the winter and the mountain biking team each fall.

We recently sat down with Jack to talk about cycling, being a multi-sport athlete, and why he chose to come to Holderness.

You’ve been a competitive endurance athlete for a long time—you won several USA Triathlon Youth National Championships as a young kid. How did you get started?

Both my parents were super highend athletes. My mom ran and biked at the University of Florida— she won a couple of national championships there—and my dad raced pro on the track for a short while. Both of my sisters competed in NCAA D1 triathlons. One of them is currently at the University of Denver [Coco Diemar ’22] and then Hayley just graduated from the University of San Francisco. Growing up in a super competitive household has pushed me in that direction as it did to my siblings.

Why did you decide to come to Holderness?

I loved how at Holderness, I could do everything. At the time, I was focusing on hockey, but I was still able to do all the other sports and things that I loved. Sophomore year, I switched to Nordic Skiing in the winter, to help decide what to focus on, which was biking. This was definitely a big change and at times a rough one for sure. But I love biking now, and it's all I'm thinking about all the time.

How do you train for cycling during a New Hampshire winter? How do you balance cycling with competing on the Nordic team?

I have winter gear that I can wear so I can get out for some long, slow rides, but most of the time I was waking up and riding on the smart trainer. I’d ride for two-and-a-half hours or so in the morning, run to Weld for breakfast, run back to Nordic practice, and then get ready

for classes. It was a lot. Mr. Casey [Head Nordic Ski Coach Pat Casey] is a good coach and understands the cycling and the Nordic skiing part of my life. He's been there to help me make it compatible, especially this year when I've been racing down south in Florida, Texas, and Arizona early on in the season in January and February. He's been super helpful in making it work, which is not an easy task.

It sounds like you had a busy winter! Yet you somehow also managed to work cycling into your studies. Tell us about your Senior Capstone project.

My Senior Capstone focuses on nutrition in the pro peloton. I'm focusing on more specifically how carbs, supplements, meals, and recovery can affect a racer. It’s been super fun for me because I've been able to implement it in my training and also just talk more in-depth, whether it's with my coaches or other people… Ms. Feeney, who's my advisor and my Capstone teacher, always says it's cool when I present to the class because most of the time, I'm just going off the top of my head because it's stuff I'm so passionate about. I'm already thinking about it 24/7.

Looking back, how will you remember your experience as a Holderness student?

I think the cool thing about Holderness is it has made me a pretty well-rounded athlete, and obviously, it gave me a pretty good idea on how to follow a strict routine. But it's also made me a better, more well-rounded person, whether it's academically or personally. It has also allowed me to chase my dreams, which is pretty cool and pretty rare, I think. And having good people around like Mr. Nevins, Mr. Peck, Ms. Hamill, Ms. Feeney, and Mr. Casey always helps. I mean, they're all super supportive, always cheering loudly for me. It's great to have that network of people who will do anything for you to support your success. |

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024!

Scan the QR code to see all of this year's Commencement photos online.

On May 25 we watched the class of 2024 receive their diplomas and walk across the Holderness seal. We wish them the best in all of their future endeavors.

Grace Evelina Adams

Sarah Elizabeth Angevine

Alyssa Rae Barbossa

Emerson Jane Bell

Anne Macdonald Bergeron

Davis Ireland Blair

Ryan Carol Blanchard

Finn Boissonneault

Devan Rose Booth

Aaron Salah Borgani

Jake Robert Boulanger

Colin Townsend Butters

John Gavin Byrne

Gabriel Cicuttini Carvalho

Kathryne Ryan Cassidy

Rees Reynolds Chandler

Ruby Mae Cole

Solana Delores Colon

Sawyer Albee Cook

Eliza Cashman D'Agostino

Anika Mei Delli Colli

John Griggs Diemar Jr.

Alexander Bocock Doyle

Dean Johns Driscoll

Kasidish Duangnoi

Samantha Grace Edwards

Owen Clark Faldi

Julia Rose Feeney

George Alfred Fortin IV

Kaden Paul Freelove

Bryn Findlay Graff

Evan Matthew Gras

Zachary Michael Griffin

Shengchen Guan

Noah William Guglielmo

Asher Andras Hamori

Caeden Kelly Herrington

Henry Joseph Hood

Ethan James Howe

Barrett Laurence Hutchinson

Luke Joseph Keegan

Vivian Layla Kennell

Marissa Ryann Lafferty

Lucy Parker Lamoureux

Samantha Kassidy Lantz

James Arthur Lawhorne

Charlotte Emme Lehr

Pavit Prakash Mehra

Anna Eleanor Metzner

Kathryn Elizabeth Miele

Sophie Elizabeth Blehr Miller

Ryan Michael Nolan

Owen Edward Pethic

Chase Michael Picard

Hailey Kimberly Ramundo

Travis Cole Rebar

Molly Therese Rhatigan

Cecille Albright Robinson

Samuel Winslow Robison

Henry James Roe

Alexander Lawrence Roguet

Isabella Darcy Romero

William Henry Russell

Valeria Nicole

Santiago Dedós

Anthony Andres Seoage Jr.

Logan Morey Severance

Caitlin Slider

Kai Asher Small

Lily Katherine Spooner

Andrew David Stodden

Calvin Van Gessel Sweeney

Sitta "Gerry" Tantikul

Evan Gerald Vaillancourt

Aaron Thompson VanWie

Theodore Darrow Wallach

Ziying "Ally" Wang

Leah Marie Wareing

Charles Spencer Weiss

Caden William Wells

John Christian Whitham

Lillian Sabrina Wong

Martha Yam

Edward Oliver Zaldastani

Leyi Zhou

SPRING MUSICAL

This spring, students donned leather jackets and poodle skirts for an electrifying performance of "Grease: The Musical." It was a night of nostalgia, laughter, and unforgettable tunes as we all took time to jive, twist, and shout along with Danny, Sandy, and the whole gang. Photos: Thea Dodds

HOW DID YOU BECOME ROOMMATES?

“We became roommates through playing the same sports and being around the same groups at the same time. We have also lived together for two years!” – Samantha

FROM THE DESK OF...

WHAT’S THE ONE THING IN YOUR ROOM YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?

“One thing in my room I can’t live without is my fridge. It is so nice to be able to store food and drinks in my own fridge instead of the common room fridge.” – Meghan

“The one thing I can’t live without is probably my stuffed animal, and Meghan’s is probably the same. It just makes me feel at home!” – Samantha

Meghan Stodden ’25 and Samantha Edwards ’24

YEARS LIVING TOGETHER: 2

DORM : Hoit Dormitory

DORM PARENTS : Mr. Cabot, Ms. Wolf, and Ms. McClellan

“What I love most about Holderness dorm life is how close we all get in the dorm and how we bond over dorm food!” – Samantha

“What I love most about dorm life at Holderness is meeting new people and being able to hang out with my friends in the dorm after check-in.” – Meghan

“My favorite dorm memory is practicing and performing our Lipsync for winter carnival.” – Meghan

“My favorite dorm memory is tenney ball where we all got close in the first couple weeks and had a blast!” - Samantha

CATCHING UP WITH SHELLI AND MARK PERKINS

By Bruce Barton P’13’16 Assistant Director of Major Gifts

Arainy, windy and otherwise dreary April day did nothing to dampen the spirit of welcoming Shelli and Mark Perkins back to campus this spring. The two walked up the steps of Livermore Hall almost as if the intervening 30 years from when they last called Holderness home had somehow magically disappeared. Perhaps it was the fact that the two look ageless. “Trust me, we’re not,” quipped Shelli. Perhaps it was how easily the conversation flowed, as it can with old friends, like we had just seen each other last week. Or perhaps it was just that like so many in the Holderness family, the fact that the Perkins family has been away for some time does nothing to diminish the impact of or their enthusiasm for this little school in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Shelli and Mark came to Holderness in the fall of 1969, Mark having just graduated from Hobart College (All-American in Lacrosse) and Shelli having decided that her final year at William Smith was not enough to keep her away from the person she knew then she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. For the record, Shelli did get her degree from Plymouth State College shortly after arriving at Holderness. So, on to Holderness they came at the request of Head of School Don Hagerman, and then immediately under the guidance of folks like Ford and Alice Jane Hinman, Don and Pat Henderson, and Ed and Norma Cayley. After a brief 18 month hiatus in 1971 in Virginia at the US MIlitary Academy Prep School, which fulfilled Mark’s military obligation during the Vietnam War, they came back to Holderness in 1973. Little did they know at the time that they would spend the next several decades of

their lives here. Along the way four children were born and raised, Shelli worked expertly in the Admissions Office welcoming generations of new students, including some who are on the faculty today, and Mark taught math, coached (football, lacrosse and a variety of winter sports), and ran a dorm. Mark’s first administrative assignment was to take over the Athletic Department when Ford Hinman retired after 40 years in that role. If you ever wondered where the design came from for the iconic Holderness sweatshirt (HOLDERNESS in big block letters across the front and the big blue H on the back) wonder no more–it was Mark Perkins. “I was at Middlebury College for a game and saw the nice gear they were wearing and I thought, we should do that.” And so, the look that still endures to this day was born.

By the mid-1980s, Mark had moved into the Dean of Students role, a

position he would hold until he was appointed Head of School at the Forman School in Connecticut in 1995. After 13 years, Mark retired as HOS at Forman and joined up with old Holderness friend Jay Stroud (then HOS at Tabor Academy) and worked for six years before retiring for good in 2014.

Their easy manner, their concern for and interest in others, and their commitment to building community (big and small) are still in full view in 2024. Walking, recreating on golf and tennis courts, book reading, and various local community committees and initiatives fill their days. Having retired to Woodstock, Vermont,, Mark and Shelli also now spend much of their time immersed in the lives of their children and grandchildren. Son Jesse ’92 is a lifelong educator currently working at the Frederick Gunn school in Connecticut where he is, no surprise here, an Assistant Dean of Students and runs the school’s summer programs and

coaches basketball. Daughter Nina ’94, also a lifelong educator, is Associate Head of School and Director of Admissions at the King School in Connecticut, where she shepherds new students to her school the way her mom did at Holderness back in the day. Daughter Juley ’97 is currently in Phoenix working as a Managing Director for JP Morgan Global Asset Management. And son Christian (a proud alum of Forman) lives in Connecticut and works in the education sector for Alumnifire, a company building networks for school alumni populations. Five grandchildren also keep Shelli and Mark “on the run and connected to young people just like we have always been” adds Shelli.

Holderness memories endure with Shelli and Mark. Mark recalled building booths for students to sit in at the old snack bar in lower Weld with fellow teacher Steve Gaskill. “The room in lower Weld was big and empty, we needed a space for kids to gather, so Steve and I got to work–that was how things were done at Holderness.” Shelli offered that when it was time for Christian to be born, “it was pretty late in the night, so we drove around campus to see if anyone’s lights were still on and we found Bill Burke (current HOS at St. Sebastian’s School in Massachusetts) awake. We said, ‘Bill, we need to go to the hospital. Will you go over to our house and sleep there to look after our kids?’” And of course, he happily did. That was, for the Perkins’, the feeling here, ”we are all raising each other's children, and all our kids knew both the moms and the dads of the kids they were playing with on campus.” That community bond “ran deep and was so wonderful to raise a family in,” Shelli concluded.

Along with his talents as a “triple threat” faculty member (teacher, coach, dorm parent), Mark was innovative and forward thinking. It was Mark who created, at the urging of Pete Woodward, a Special Program we now call Project Outreach to go with Artward Bound (AB) and Out Back (OB). “I wanted the program to do for returning 10 th graders some of the things Out Back did for juniors— push them hard, get them off campus living and working together, and show them just how big the world is,” Mark said. The original name for the program was “Habitat for Humanity” because their mission and Holderness’ mission “were so beautifully aligned.” In the first five years of the program, Mark said, “we went to southwestern PA because they were the first place to say, ‘yes, bring your high schoolers down and let’s get to work’.” Living in church basements, preparing all their own meals and working 8 hours a day building homes, “we had the kind of transformative experience that fit Holderness.” And, not surprisingly, the program has endured. Mark also recalled serving as Director of Technology laying the first cable lines for campus-wide computer connectivity in the mid-1980s. “I would bring Jesse with me, he was all of 12 at the time, and he would get in the crawl spaces under places like Hoit and Rathbun.” Mark would look at Jesse and smile, “drag this with you, and I will meet you at the far end of the building.” Mark summed up Holderness this way, “I was always so happy to get up every day and go to work at Holderness. The students were wonderful, I was doing what I loved, my family was surrounded by great people–and I even got paid. What could possibly be better!”

Though 30 years separate Shelli and Mark from their active time at Holderness, and granting that they went on to do wonderful things at both Forman and Tabor, they remain firmly rooted in the soil of Holderness School. Legions of students here were the beneficiaries of their talents and care, and the sweatshirt they look best in will always say HOLDERNESS. |

Mark, Shelli, and family during their days at Holderness School.

Jack Saba ’10

THINKING SMALL TO SOLVE AMERICA’S BIG HOUSING CRISIS

At some point during his threeday Out Back solo—after he had scoped out his site, rigged up his tarp for shelter, and made himself reasonably comfortable—Jack Saba ’10 opened a letter from his father.

The letter, which all parents are encouraged to write to their children on Out Back, stuck with the younger Saba.

“What he said in the letter that really stood out to me was that even at the age of 18, I had the character of somebody he would start a business with,” Saba said. “That meant a lot to me because I've always grown up understanding that

your word is your bond, and your handshake means everything.”

Within a decade, his father’s words had come to pass.

Having left the woods of New Hampshire far behind, today Saba lives in a 390-square-foot Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Sacramento, California. It’s the model home for Bequall, the company he founded in 2019 with his father, Kevin Saba P ’5 ’6 ’10, and several other partners. It’s a modern and efficient living space that Saba has shown to hundreds of people—city and county officials, realtors, and potential clients. Many of his guests, skeptical that such a

$3,000 Estimated monthly cost of owning a median-priced home in the U.S.

+20% Increase in cost of owning a medianpriced home.

-42% Drop in supply of existing homes available for sale, since 2019.

*Data from The State of the Nation's Housing 2023 Report by the Joint Center of Housing Studies of Harvard University.

small space can be livable, quickly change their minds, Saba said.

“When they walk through the door and see the light, see the storage, see everything, they’re like ‘Wow, this is really nice! This is really comfortable,’” Saba said. “I think that people dispel their preconceived notions pretty quickly.”

The ADU in which Saba lives—a tiny house built in the backyard of a typical single-family home—sits at the vanguard of a growing national movement to make homebuilding easier and more affordable. In recent years, California has passed legislation to encourage the construction of ADUs to relieve the state’s severe housing shortage. That housing shortage isn’t unique to California: interest rates and home prices have skyrocketed since the

Jack Saba ’10 (far right) and his father Kevin Saba (second from left) with their Bequall co-founders Scott Bailey and Tucker Lyman.

COVID-19 pandemic, making home ownership unattainable for many nationwide. That, coupled with the rising cost of housing materials, means that construction simply hasn't kept pace with demand— especially for starter homes. In 2022, construction of single-family homes fell by 10.8 percent nationwide, according to The State of the Nation’s Housing 2023 Report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. According to that same report, the supply of existing homes available for sale has fallen 42 percent since 2019, when the nation’s housing stock was already at historically low levels.

That affordable housing void is something Bequall is trying to fill. Rather than building single-family homes like a traditional construction company, Bequall works with aspiring homeowners, real estate developers, and local contractors to build ADUs on existing home lots. “What we're doing is building studios so that one and two-person households have options in single-family neighborhoods and communities where they would be over-housed in a three-bedroom home,” Saba said. In many cases, Saba said, older homeowners looking to downsize have built ADUs in their backyards and rented out their larger homes or invited their own children and grandchildren to move into their old houses. “The parents move into

the ADU, and the young family gets the primary home,” Saba said. “So now you have a multi-generational household, but you have separation and privacy, and you're giving that young family an opportunity to get a foothold in a community.”

A big part of the reason Bequall is located in California is that the state has passed laws streamlining the permitting and construction of ADUs. In Boston, where Saba’s father began experimenting with building small apartments—an experiment that would eventually become Bequall— permitting a single-family home can take 18 to 24 months. Permitting an ADU in California takes one to two months. “We permitted this in 30 days,” Saba said of his Sacramento home. “There were about 20 days of on-site work, the unit was manufactured off-site in 30 days, and installed within a day and a half.”

Saba believes other states are likely to follow California’s lead. “Housing is becoming a really critical component of political platforms on both sides of the aisle, and I think that we're really going to start seeing zoning reform dominate local and national conversations, and that's key to what we're trying to do,” Saba said. “I truly believe we’re building the next great American company.”

Getting to that point won’t be easy, but Saba embraces the unrelenting

grind of being an entrepreneur. Prior to starting Bequall with his father, Saba helped found Ledger Atlas, a venture capital fund that brings blockchain technology to emerging markets. He also mentored scores of young entrepreneurs through Draper University, a startup accelerator backed by legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper. In a way, Saba said, entrepreneurship is a bit like Out Back.

“I was recently reflecting on Out Back’s motto, ‘Enjoy when you can, endure when you must,’” Saba said. “Entrepreneurship is one of those things where you have these huge roller coaster ups and downs. Being able to enjoy those highs when you can and keep navigating the lows is really challenging—but really important.”

What’s even more important, Saba said, is the fact that he gets to ride the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with his dad.

“I tell everybody I meet and everyone I talk with that the most important thing in life for me is starting this business with my father,” Saba said. “Regardless of whether we're successful or not, the memories of this and the time that we've spent together on this is something that I’ll never trade for anything.” |

A Bequall home near Sacramento, CA.

Brette Harrington ’10 REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul

Brette Harrington came to Holderness School for the skiing, but it was the climbing she found during her time here that inspired a lifelong passion, valuable lessons, and a career. Now, Harrington is renowned in the climbing world for her first ascents (45 and counting), versatility, and free solo climbs. Before she ascended onto the world stage in Patagonia and British Columbia, Harrington tackled Rumney Rocks and Cathedral Ledge. And the lessons she learned during her time

in New Hampshire have continued to resonate as she travels the world.

“There are so many things I learned during my time at Holderness that have been important to me,” Harrington said. “The biggest one is finding people who believe in you.”

Other lessons important in climbing— and in life—are to put in the work, understand the risk, get proper rest, and be willing to pivot.

Originally from the Lake Tahoe area, Harrington grew up ski racing out west and made the switch from racing to freestyle in high school. After a series of injuries, she abandoned

competitive skiing and joined the climbing program at Holderness, where found a new passion—and learned to overcome fear, to be a good partner, and to embrace exploration.

“We would go out every afternoon to climb in Rumney. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, we went to Cathedral Ledge in North Conway and climbed multi-pitches,” Harrington said. “I remember my very first multi-pitch climb. I was with my coach, Mr. Piper, and a friend of mine. That was my first time being super high off the valley floor. I was scared being so high. But my friend was way more fearful than I was, so

Brette returned to Holderness as this year's Commencement speaker -but before doing so, she took time to visit

I had to remain really calm. Of course, we were totally safe with our coach there, but it was still a pretty scary experience—in a good way. I loved it, and it was exciting.”

Learning to distinguish between rational and irrational fear—and how to deal with those in real time—is all a part of climbing, Harrington said.

“So much of our lives, we’re just living out of irrational fear—fear of things that might happen,” she said. “With climbing you’re always evaluating. How dangerous is this? Is it actually dangerous? And if it’s not, you have to be able to control that fear. I think it’s a really healthy way to see what you’re capable of.”

Harrington said Travis Piper, then an English teacher and the director of the climbing program, was one of the most influential people in her life during her time at Holderness School.

“Mr. Piper showed me a side of rock climbing that was in tune with the mind and the body and enjoying the movement of it. It was not about publicity. It wasn’t about attention or competition. It was just about connecting with yourself, and I really loved that,” she said. “He also gave me my first climbing rope, after the rock climbing season ended my senior year. That meant a lot to me, because it meant he trusted me to continue pursuing what I love. That showed me that he believed in me. It helped build this confidence in myself.”

After graduating from Holderness School, Harrington attended the

University of British Columbia. She expanded her climbing experience, spending lots of time in nearby Squamish, as well as traveling to climbing destinations. She graduated with a degree in Spanish—and a sponsorship from Vancouver-based Arc’teryx—and headed south to Patagonia.

“My first trip to Patagonia was a highly successful season for me,” Harrington said. “I ended up climbing tons of towers, and I did a bunch of free soloing. I gained a lot of notoriety for the climbs I did that year.”

One of those climbs was the first free solo climb of the coveted Chiaro Di Luna route on the Aguja Saint Exupery—a 2,500-foot climb with a rating of 5.11a. When she started climbing, Harrington didn’t have free solo aspirations.

“It just sounds so objectively scary and so dangerous,” she said. “The first time I did a free solo climb, it was because I was in a situation that made free soloing safer than putting on a rope. Then I just became really comfortable with (free solo) climbing terrain that was under my ability. I wasn’t climbing anything challenging. It’s always something I really feel confident on.”

That confidence comes from years of experience and carefully planning each climbing route.

“Every time I’m in a different mountain range, I’m analyzing the mountains and deciding which lines would be most interesting to me,

which ones haven’t been done before, which ones would be most suitable for my style,” Harrington said. “I keep these logged in my mind. Sometimes I write them down and take photos of them. Then it comes down to whether I can find the right partners, whether I’m feeling motivated for it.”

That planning has come in useful as Harrington and her partner, Elliott Bernhagen, embark on a new adventure: establishing and running Ascent Climbing Trips, a luxury travel company offering professional guiding in Sardinia, Mallorca, and Greece. Harrington said planning the climbing outings is easy for her, but the other aspects—arranging transportation, upscale hotels, and gourmet dinners—has required a lot of time and mental energy. Tackling diverse challenges is all in a day’s work for Harrington, though.

“My strength as a climber is versatility. I’m an elite athlete at all different styles, but I’m not the top tier of any of them. I can do ice climbing, rock climbing, endurance style, alpinism, ski mountaineering, bouldering, sport climbing,” she said. “Most climbers are specialists, where they can only do one. I can diversify. I can put up first ascents in Sardinia, or I can go climb in the Canadian Rockies in winter. I’ve spent tons of time developing all these skillsets. The downside to that is that you never really reach your full potential in one of them, because you’re always trying to maintain all of them. But in the end, that’s also a really great value in a climber—to be able to adapt.” |

Rumney Rocks with the school's climbing team.

POETRY OUT LOUD

Each winter, all Holderness students participate in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest. This year's contest featured amazing performances from many talented students—including George Fortin ’24, who went on to finish second in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals in Concord.

Scenes from the Holderness Poetry Out Loud Finals on February 1 include (clockwise from top left) Brooke Cippoletti '26, Henry Hood ’24, Rio Gladchun ’25, Sarah Angevine ’24, George Fortin ’24, and Lillian Holland ’26.

BULLS BEHIND THE SCENES

What does a typical day at Holderness look like for you and your colleagues in the Technology department?

Each day presents new challenges, keeping my job dynamic and exciting! My responsibilities usually include a diverse array of tasks, spanning from basic troubleshooting of laptops that are not working correctly, resolving printer and copier miscommunications, helping users with password resets and everything in between. Requests come in through various ways, including phone calls, help desk tickets, and in-person visits from our faculty, staff, or students. I'm also responsible for managing our new internship program, where I lead the training of our new interns, giving them a thorough understanding of the operations within the Holderness IT Department. When not directly assisting the community, we meet as a team to discuss ongoing projects, strategize for future endeavors, and brainstorm ways to enhance transparency and proactivity within our department. We prioritize delivering exceptional service and ensuring the security of both our infrastructure and data for our community. This commitment drives our daily efforts.

KAREN BOUTWELL

YEARS AT HOLDERNESS: 10

JOB TITLE : Technology Support Manager

Holderness School has more than 300 students and dozens of teachers and staff. What kind of technical infrastructure is required for a school our size?

In a nutshell, interconnecting all buildings are fiber runs grounded in the campus, leading back to the central data closet in Alfond. These fiber connections feed other network equipment, wireless access points, and security cameras across the entire campus. Within the data room itself, various hardware equipment is deployed to support our operational transactions, student information systems, and daily communications.

As Holderness has expanded over the years, our infrastructure has evolved alongside it. What was sufficient for the school when I first arrived a decade ago wouldn't meet our needs today. With the growth in dormitories, as well as the increase in students, faculty, and staff, we require a robust infrastructure. Our facilities now span across additional residential housing, new academic buildings, a new hockey rink, and the new turf fields. The scale of our infrastructure has grown significantly to accommodate these developments.

In essence, planning and maintaining this intricate network of technology requires the collaborative effort of a dedicated team. I deeply appreciate my colleagues, who tirelessly contribute each day. They not only assist me in my duties but also excel in fulfilling their own significant roles. Together, we function as a unified team, offering mutual support and encouragement. The leadership within our department is exemplary and greatly enhances our ability to perform at our best!

What's the most satisfying or fulfilling part of your job?

I'm lucky to have the chance to interact with a wide range of adult community members and students who stop by our office seeking help with all sorts of tech issues. Amidst the hustle and bustle, each day brings countless opportunities for learning! I make it a point to engage with them, listen to their concerns, and come up with solutions that fit their needs. It all boils down to the approach. These teachable moments I share with both staff and students are what really brighten my day, bringing a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Every interaction is a chance to share knowledge, provide guidance, and encourage growth. Seeing those "aha" moments when things click for someone is incredibly rewarding. Plus, these moments remind me of the positive impact I can have on others. Connecting with people from different backgrounds and experiences allows for mutual learning and understanding, creating a lively environment of collaboration and support. Ultimately, the joy of helping others grow and learn is unmatched, making these teachable moments the most fulfilling part of my workday. |

HOLDERNESS GATHERINGS

The Holderness School Alumni Association includes more than 4,000 people worldwide, and throughout the year there are plenty of reasons to get together and celebrate! The Holderness Advancement office plans events throughout the country, and sometimes even internationally. For the most up-to-date calendar of alumni events, please visit Holderness.org/alumni/events. Here are just a few of the events that have occurred over the past year.

Top Left: John McVeigh on his induction day, along with former Heads of School Phil Peck and Pete Woodward.

Top Right: Students getting in the spirit for Proctor Day/Homecoming Weekend.

Bottom: The Richards and Hinman dorm dedication.

Above: Our alumni parents with their students during Fall Parents Weekend.

Above: We were so thrilled so many alums and current parents joined us in Boston to help kick off Day of Giving 2024. It was fantastic to be celebrating 10 years of Day of Giving!

Bottom Left: Families and alums gather for a DoG celebration hosted by Amanda (Knox) ’96 and Tyler Hoffman P ’27.

Bottom Right: The Holderness family continues to grow in Salt Lake City, and alums and families did not disappoint at the Holderness event there this past February. Special thanks to Martha and Jory Macomber P ’11, P ’14, P ’19 for hosting the event.

CLASS NOTES

Seniors welcome new students to campus on August 31, 2023.

MILESTONES

MARRIAGES AND UNIONS

Geoff Bride ’86 and Meg: 2023

Cole Phillips ’11 and Sasha Boganovics: May 6, 2023

Lea Rice ’14 and Kevin Kiernan: June 10, 2023

Meg McNulty ’09 and Sabrina Bierer: August 26, 2023

Amanda (Ryan) Holland ’09 and Ben Holland: September 2, 2023

Carson Houle ’11 and Ashby Sussman ’10: September 2, 2023

Chris Grilk ’09 and Melissa Brodie: September 3, 2023

Jay Kourkoulis PEM and Natasha Belsky: September 9, 2023

Aidan Kendall ’13 and Sara Stockett: September 22, 2023

Matt Sopher ’03 and Deborah Lee: September 30, 2023

Pete Saunders ’13 PEM and Tracy Saunders: November 4, 2023

Jesus “Moose” Moore ’08 and Laura Moore

BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS

Elena Taylor ’10 and Victoria Poss: Theo, July 2023

Beckett Noyes ’08 and Ashton Noyes: Bronwyn Pope Noyes, July 16, 2023

Jonathan Merrey ’92 and Rebecca Allen: August 25, 2023

Laney (Hayssen) Forton ’09 and Robert Forton: Hayes Forton, August 26, 2023

Corinthia Benison ’05: DaniPearl Pearson, September 1, 2023

Brendan Murphy ’03 and Etif Ahmed: Eamon Dennis Murphy, October 2023

Abigail Kendall ’06 and Ahmed Alsaeedi: Amir Kendall Alsaeedi, October 10, 2023

Margaret Dembinski ’08 and Justin Lancaster: Matthew Lancaster, October 16, 2023

Channing Weymouth ’02 and Matt Scheufele: Scott Scheufele, October 16, 2023

Hadley Bergh ’09 and Margot Moses: Orion, November 2023

Anne Richardson ’06 and Gregory Williams: Sally Williams, November 1, 2023

Marshall Foran ’90 and Lauren Miller: November 1, 2023

Eliza Lockwood ’02 and Michael Schneider: Henry Schneider, November 3,2023

Morgan Frank ’08 and Catherine Westborn: Vera Frank, November 6, 2023

Casey Carroll ’04 and Megan Carroll: Emma Juliette Carroll, November 22, 2023

Christopher Nielson ’02 and Suni Dillard: Astrid Nielson, December, 2023

Mary Jo “MJ” (Germanos) Negroski ’10 and Alex Negroski: Harper Negroski, December 3, 2023

Lauren (Stride) Butts ’13 and Andrew Butts: Charlie Butts, December 14, 2023

Sacha Gouchie ’08 and Max Dannerup Marais: Noa, December 16, 2023

Kyle Krulac ’08 and Frances Krulac: Hawkins Krulac, December 18, 2023

Cynthia Cruz ’99 and David Laplanche: January 14, 2024

Elizabeth Wolf EM and Stephen Uhlman EM: Evelyn Uhlman, January 30, 2024

Katie (Smares) Edney ’05 and Ryan Edney: Phoebe Kera Edney, January 31, 2024

Jake Manoukian ’09 and Meredith Savatsky: February 2024

Julia Ford ’08 and Hal Gartner: Lou Gartner, February 5, 2024

Kenneth "Hazen" Woolson ’04 and Emilie Jones: Alma Bahr Woolson

We welcomed more than 250 alumni to campus for Reunion in early June.

DEATHS

Naomi “Wunnie” L. Jefferson P ’82 & TR: May 8, 2022

David G. Hapgood ’48: June 1, 2022

George “Bud” C. Hatch, Jr. ’55: February 25, 2023

Joseph B. McKinley ’71: March 16, 2023

Thomas M. Armstrong P ’76 & TR: June 4, 2023

Franklin “Mac” Page, Jr. ’47: August 18, 2023

George K. Huckins ’41: September 6, 2023

Charles L. French, III ’68: September 9, 2023

Henry “Hank” Nichols, Jr. ’59: September 30, 2023

John E. Goodhue ’67: October 7, 2023

Allen “Mitch” Perry ’72: October 9, 2023

Virginia “Ginny” Burnham PEM: October 17, 2023

Joseph B. Wennik PEM: November 26, 2023

David R. Scarborough ’75: December 4, 2023

Patricia S. Henderson PEM, P ’72 ’74: December 17, 2023

David K. Hull ’65: January 11, 2024

Beverley “Randy” Wellford, Jr. ’76: January 24, 2024

Adam George ’97: April 2, 2024

Want to connect with your classmates? Scan the QR code and submit a class note online today. Thank you!

’47

Class Correspondent

Bill Briggs kvanlingen@holderness.org

’48

Class Correspondent

Rik Clark

RCBCcapecod@aol.com

Bart Chase writes: “Things in the Northwest go very well and we wish everyone a special year. Our family is growing with another expected greatgrandchild due in the spring. The youngest lives but a 20-minute walk from us. Most of the family is within a short distance. We are blessed to have a close family. I thank Rik Clark for his continued outstanding care of our class of 1948. Only Rik and I are left out of the original 27. Holderness has really grown and I am amazed at the size of the campus. Good things done by many wonderful people. I will always be grateful for what Holderness did for me. Yes, there are many special memories.”… Rik Clark reports: “Time has flown by since our class of 27 graduated in 1948. Now, only two of us are left, Bart Chase in Oregon and the 1948 class scribe on Cape Cod. I am truly blessed to have been a Holderness student and now an alumnus. I will explain my love affair with Holderness in my 75th Reunion remarks in May. All of us are blessed by the people in our lives who have helped make our worlds go around. For me, many of these people have Holderness connections.

’50

Class Correspondent

Frank Hammond fhammond64@comcast.net

Frank Hammond writes: “I continue to occupy myself each day doing a lot

of reading, conducting ’casual research’ on my computer, addressing any subject or issue that comes to mind at any given moment. I had a nice chat with David Luce who now lives on the West Coast and keeps busy with his own projects. My daughter Bebe Casey and her family have taken over our house on New London’s Old Main Street. She is now one of the town’s Selectmen (Select Woman) and has been busy with the many community matters that have to be dealt with. I see news about Chico Laird on Facebook. He appears to be very active under the loyal support he gets from his family. On the international scene, some of us have expressed deep concern for the safety and welfare of the many Palestinian families that have suffered greatly in the wake of the IsraeliMiddle Eastern conflict. I have great faith in the leadership figures who are beginning to emerge from our younger succeeding generations. In my view, the future might appear to be bleak during these challenging times. However, I am confident that our unique democratic 2-party system will prevail against the background of an unsettling international community. Enough of your rambling, Hammond, your readership is beginning to nod off. Warm regards to the Holderness community as it faces the upcoming events of 2024, whatever they may be.”

’56

Class Correspondent

Dick Meyer richard419@roadrunner.com

Tom Anthony answered my request for notes almost before I sent out the request. Here is what Tom replied: “Just blasted my way through my 85th and came out safely on the other side. We will celebrate again this year by returning to Vienna for two weeks in

May. On our last visit in May ’23, we were standing in the downstairs door to the apartment we had rented but the landlord was nowhere to be seen. Along came an amiable Viennese woman who spoke good English and I warmed up my German and before long we had almost reached the ’exchanging pictures of the family’ stage, when she asked where we were from. When I responded with ’Maine,’ she said she loved Maine and named her favorite restaurant: The Dip Net Café in Port Clyde. Well, that happens to be four miles from where we have a waterfront summer place and we eat at the Dip Net a lot, or we used to. Sadly, we won’t be eating there again soon, as it was destroyed in a massive fire this past fall. Other than that, I’m starting work on another bas relief carving and doing more writing. I bike pretty much every day (in the garage during the winter) and otherwise chase an 11-mile route around York. Both daughters are doing well and Jess has just sold another short novel that will appear next summer, we think. Best to all.”…Dick Endlar also didn’t waste much time in responding. He sent this in: “I do not have much to report at this time. I just sold my Cape Cod home in East Sandwich. It was just too much for me to get around. I will miss it greatly, and will always have great memories of the wonderful July 4 th parties, and having my three daughters, seven grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren there. My oldest daughter loved it the most and came almost every weekend, which I loved. My fourth great-grandchild, Jack, was born April 18, 2023 and is growing rapidly. I bought a unit in a retirement community, North Hill, in Needham, MA. It’s small, but more than adequate. I still have my home in Naples, FL, but I’m not sure about next year. Getting around is getting more difficult. I wish you all a safe, happy,

healthy new year.”…Brad Hooper used the new GiveCampus website to reply so all I had to do was copy and paste his note. He has written before regarding his bagpipe playing. What is especially impressive is that he has played four times at Arlington National Cemetery. The following is his reply: “Hope your holidays were peaceful and fulfilling. Basically, I am coming up on living in West Virginia for 17 years in March. I work part time in a local grocery store called Tower Food in Barboursville, WV, 3-4 days a week for 4–5 hours respectively. I have a dog named Hope as a companion after marriages that did not work out. I have somehow survived having lost an 11-year job to bankruptcy of the company at 58. Out of work for 2 1/2 years took its toll. Did find a job working full-time until 68. On the brighter side, if I had not attended Holderness as a post-graduate, I would have never graduated from the University of Maine in 1960. The curriculum and instructors plus the recreational activities were wonderful.”…Dave Wiggins ’ reply was acknowledgement that my pleas for notes were at least being noted: “Sorry, but nothing for our class notes this time.”…Brud Folger sends this from a warm place (as I compile these notes it is snowing and 24°F): “This note is being written from Puerto Jiminez, Costa Rica where I am visiting my long-time friend from grammar school, David Horn. I always realize when traveling how lucky we, as Americans, are and have been to live in America. I wonder what ’Hammer’ (a.k.a. Don Henderson) would have to say about the world situation, or the dismal percentage of our population who will not bother to vote in the next election. I feel certain he would urge all eligible voters to get out and vote. It is not just a privilege but a civic duty. We owe it to the country, those who taught us to be

good citizens, and those who come behind us. Please don’t pass up the opportunity! I will get off my high horse and wish everyone a happy new year.”…Duncan Syme writes: Studied art history as an undergraduate, and then sculpture and architecture in grad school. I apprenticed for two years with one of the best wooden boat builders in Connecticut, Seth Perrson. Went on to teach drawing and sculpture at UMass and Bennington before I decided 4k a year was a little thin. Dad helped me by buying an existing boat building operation in Camden, Maine. Then I started a residential architectural design and build company. Built a bunch of houses including one for William Manchester the historian. I like to make things. Had a bunch of different companies. Some worked and some didn’t. The most successful was getting into consumer products with my business partner Murray. We opened the stove company, Vermont Castings. I was the designer and maker and Murray the financial end of it. While I was welding steel stoves to explore combustion issues, he was working on business plans. After finally getting one that worked and looked decent, I went to Murray and told him we weren’t going to be able to use steel as a medium. "What’s the alternative?" Cast iron. Then when I was about 46, Murray died of a glioblastoma (vicious untreatable brain cancer) at the age of 37. He was the CEO and I was the product development and marketing guy. We hired some replacements, but the ability to implement the "vision" was gone and after a few different financial backers, the company "went away" as far as I was concerned. It still goes on, but not with the innovative force which made it successful before. One of the most satisfying projects I did was modifying an ugly Tartan 27 sailboat I bought from my brother for a dollar. I

spent about 400 hours a year for 25 years on mods. In the end she was quite pretty as I was told many times by admirers of Æthereus. I showed Olin Stephens, who designed her, a picture and he said she was almost exactly what he had originally designed for the client, but they changed it afterwards. Olin was one of the best American yacht designers who drew up a number of winners for the America’s Cup contest. His inscription in an autographed copy of his book All This and Sailing Too, says "Nice work on the redesign." Friends, kids, grandchildren and my wife Dee Dee and I had tons of wonderful times and memories on board Æthereus. I sold her in 2022. Maybe all the improvements did pay off at some level for she brought about six times the selling price of any T 27’s on the market. What a great season it was. In fact, all the seasons of my life have been great. But I do regret never having made the effort to meet up with classmates which I remember fondly with our antics. My roommate, Philippe Coupey, from Monaco, had a record player. But it was European where they have 50 cycle electricity. It would run too fast on the US 60 cycle, so we took a jar with a wood lid and two nails driven in and cut the cord and put the jar in the circuit. Filled it with water and added salt until there was the right resistance and the speed was 78 or 45 or 33 or whatever is needed to be for our records. We also discovered that to cook hot dogs, all you needed to do was cut a lamp cord and strip the insulation back a bit. Stick a nail in each end of the hot dog and wind the wire around them and plug it into the wall socket. No one died or was electrocuted. I really liked the comments in the latest alum magazine by Trustee Chairman John Hayes talking about the mission of developing people the world needs most. This happens at Holderness at all levels of

activities including many which practically all other schools ignore. Encouraging curiosity is what human growth is all about. Don Henderson was probably one of the most important mentors for me. As a poor athlete, he encouraged me in Nordic events. Slow in cross country, but with decent stamina, I could catch up to some of the leaders after 5ish miles, and loved being airborne off the jump even if it were only half the distance others could do. Don Hagerman was apparently interested in my development and on his word, I was admitted to Yale with no real application on my part. There was no interview, essay or even a form to fill out that I can remember. I was asked to meet him in his office one winterish day in my senior year and he asked where I would like to go. I said that I hadn’t really thought about it. Don asked if I had thought about Yale. No, but that sounds fine and that was the end of the discussion. Several months later there was an acceptance letter. Now that is the definition of caring. I am currently living in Hanover, New Hampshire about an hour away from the school. Still skiing, although a long way away from shussing the Cannon Mountain tram run trying to beat it back down so we could always be on the same one. Have driven through the campus loop a couple of times, but there were never any students as the timing was wrong. I really need to get back at least once and chat up some of the kids and faculty. Best to all of you and to the spirits of those who have beaten us to having more discussions with Don Henderson , and Don Hagerman and all the other important people who have preceded us.…As for me, Dick Meyer, “we just fed NOC (Not Our Cat) a second meal for the day. I feel sorry for her because it is snowing and still only 24°F, as noted above, but Daphne does not want her

in the house so the food dish is placed on the deck and she eats outside. I had watched her come up the driveway and knew she would be at the glass door to the deck shortly. I let her in and dry her off with a towel, but she knows the drill and heads for the door as soon as the food dish appears. Our immediate neighbors think she is an abandoned cat. We see her come across our street from at least the next street over. Speculation says she has access to a garage that someone leaves open a crack. I’ve been told I’m the alpha because twice she has brought us a mouse (dead, thankfully). The head of the second one was carefully laid beside the body. If you are into anatomy, this would have been a refresher course. Unfortunately, it was before breakfast. After 35+ years of living on campus our son also bought a house in Massachusetts at just about the same time we bought our new digs. Since he is the central point between his daughter and her family in Rhode Island and his son and his wife somewhat west of him, and us in Maine we had a Christmas celebration shortly before the day and he then came to Maine to be with us on Christmas Day. We celebrate Thanksgiving with lobster, and Christmas with a roast beef standing rib. A friend came with him for lobster, but he doesn’t eat meat from large animals and he didn’t come for Christmas. In case you didn’t see the notification from Holderness, I want to acknowledge the passing of Gardner Lewis on October 7, 2021 (Holderness didn’t learn of his death until September 2023). He and I were both PG students. As such, we didn’t know the other ’regular’ students at the start of the school year, we became good friends, and often met up in the smoking room in the basement of Niles Hall.”

Our call for military information led to this great photo of Marine, Tom Henderson ’55 (shown on right) and President Richard Nixon.

’57

Class Correspondent

Bob Backus robertbackus05@comcast.net

We heard from Bob Lucas who writes: “We have moved to be closer to our children. During my working years, we lived in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and then back in Wisconsin. Our kids all were born in Pennsylvania but the company asked us to move to Wisconsin. That is where the kids grew up. Just as our youngest graduated from high school, we had another company transfer, this time to Massachusetts. After I retired, we decided to get closer to our children and moved back to Janesville, WI. Things are working out OK here. We have been here about 4 1/2 years and are pretty much settled in. Many of the contacts that we had back in ’86 when we moved out of Wisconsin have either moved to a southern climate, or have passed. Not as many contacts as we expected to have. You may not have anticipated it from my years at Holderness but I had a reasonably successful career, from a personal satisfaction perspective, as an engineer/scientist/inventor/computer programmer/applied mathematics guy or whatever was needed at a given moment. Although no longer doing any

consulting after my retirement, I still dabble with various esoteric things like understanding the computational fluid dynamics of our poorly designed condo gutters—really important stuff like that. Got to do something to keep my mind busy. We have been fortunate to have a place to go to in the winter. My wife, Ann, and I have been married for 61+ years now and have been going to a very nice place in the winter starting in 1970 in the Bahamas on the island of Abaco. The area was severely torn apart by hurricane Dorian in September of 2019 and has been struggling to recover. It will never be the same. We do have memories of what it was like. Still a nice place to go to for three months hoping that the dirty snowbanks will be gone when we return. Have not done any skiing since the ’90s and have not swung a golf club for three years.”…Dwight Mason sent the following note: “Life has been on the quiet side. Last summer we visited the Adirondacks, Canada and New Hampshire. Supported the medical profession. Our son Nathaniel who works at the State Department was assigned for several months last year to the economic section of our embassy in Kiev. He saw quite a bit of Poland on the way in and out. I did some minor consulting on US-Canada affairs.”…

And from me, Bob Backus: “To my own amazement, Carol and I will be shortly moving to Michigan; St. Clair Shores to be specific. It’s in the Detroit metro area (hey they got the Lions), and, yes, we know we won’t be escaping real winters, but there is a good family reason to be leaving New Hampshire. The good news is that we already have a home awaiting us, and it will be a big upgrade, having water views of the lake and a canal along the rear of the house. And, all one floor with a nice yard and, at last, a two-car garage. I will surely miss New Hampshire, my state of birth and home for most of my life, but it’s

going to be a positive change. I also will miss my frequent chances to spend time with my Holderness roommate and debate partner, Josh Young . I hope to find Holderness folks in my new home turf and that there may be an occasional event in Detroit.… Josh Young and his wife Hollis are doing well, and now live in North Andover, MA, but have a lovely and historic weekend home in New Boston, just a few minutes from where we live, where we always enjoy our visits.…Also, I was pleased to get a call from Jay Webster who just got in his first day of skiing at Aspen, but ended up with a broken ankle. He says he hopes to be back on the slopes before the end of the season. He added that he is heading to his Hawaii lodgings for warm breezes with his wife, Patti. He makes me envious on all counts, except the broken ankle. I asked Jay what generation Holderness he is, and I guess the answer would be four with him, but another Webster now makes it five. Someone should name a building in their honor, but of course that’s already happened, for the one that served as Headmaster.”

’58Class Correspondent

Bill Biddle

billbiddle2310@gmail.com

R. Brooke Thomas rbthomas@anthro.umass.edu

First week of the New Year and not winter yet in northern New England, but rather stick season, the in-between time when leaves have fallen in piles, but snow hasn’t. A prolonged warm spell and way too much rain have rutted our back roads and left us pondering which gear to remove and which to add to the mud room and the coat hooks. At our late autumn Zoom gathering we noted the absence from our screens of George Pransky, Bruce

Keller, Jim Collins , Don Latham , and Jon Wales—to say nothing of those of you who are perennially absent, whom we really do think about, worry over, and wish you’d check in with us. We’re all taking stock of our situations, some of us fending off ill health, facing decisions regarding downsizing, wishing we could remember the name of the town clerk, the phone number of our golf partner, my wife’s birthday.…Bill Biddle and his wife, Sharon, are both struggling with longterm, Kleenex-consuming effects of COVID but also making road trips to cheer their grandchildren playing in ice hockey tournaments (recently at Plymouth State’s super ice area, past whose site we all trudged on our way to Smiley Samaha’s store).… Brooke Thomas , hit with a mini-stroke, has had minimal speech impairment but, much more tragically, has also been hit with a bout of COVID that cost him his taste for Chinese food. Around Thanksgiving he and Shirley stopped by the Biddles’ before some closingup-for-the-season at their camp in Cabot and a visit with their son in Fayston, VT.… John Greenman and his Patty have moved from Norge, VA to a largely Mennonite assisted care community in the Shenandoah Valley. John is dealing with cancer and spoke at our most recent gathering of the spiritual strength and confidence with which he approaches inevitable death. We’d planned in advance, at Greenman’s instigation, to dedicate time in our meeting to a discussion of end-of-life matters.…Erl Solstad asked John Greenman why he’d left the ministry and John said, perhaps a bit obliquely, “People want to be saved, but they don’t want to do the work.”… Michael Kingston’s Louise, who was with us that day, and who is also an Episcopal minister, added, “You need to have ’trust’ to be effective” (in doing the work). What our Holderness

education prepared us to recognize was that there are many ways to be doing “the work” while doing our own work. John Greenman didn’t leave the ministry so much as found that there were other venues where his way of doing the spiritual work worked better. He told us of his telling a Bible discussion group, on the subject of the Book of Mark and the Last Supper, that Jesus had said that he could accept that he had to die, that “faith doesn’t have the right to be spared.”… About doing the work, Tim Dewart observed, “It all comes down to ’Be kind.’” Tim expressed his appreciation for our regular meetings and the sort of shared history and companionship they offer, but added that (and we think we’ve heard him right, here) very close and personal companionship works best in small clusters, at most three.… Bruce Leddy is also dealing with lifethreatening illness, he has weathered brain tumor surgery, immunotherapy, radiation, and doctors too busy to stop and talk with their patients about their medical realia. But Bruce also said it’s awkward talking with healthy people now and he avoids them.… Gordi Eaton and several others among us, spoke of the passing of Don Henderson who grew up in Berlin, NH and was wounded while serving in the Italian Alps in the 10th Mountain Division.… Steve Carpenter called Don “a Man’s Man.”… John Bergeron has just sent a copy of Pat Henderson’s obituary. She was one of those “Man’s man’s” wives, the sort of woman whom we see less of these days.…Erl Solstad spoke of missing a ski team session and, upon showing up very late, ready to be lambasted, heard Don say only, “Hello Erl.” “He was attentive to the feelings of underachievers,” Erl said.… Steve Carpenter summed up the general tone of this gathering: “These are tough conversations.”… Doug Rand’s mute presence was

perhaps the best comment on our times.…But then there’s our 65th (or 66th?) reunion, May 31–June 2. Let’s do it. We’re planning to be there. Bill Biddle and Brooke Thomas

’59

Class Correspondent

Jerry Ashworth

ashworth.kemah@gmail.com or jashworth617@gmail.com

Greetings from Longboat Key Florida. It’s mid-January and like most of the country it’s been a cold month here on Longboat. Cold on Longboat means 45° at night and 65° during the day; not bad when you look at United States weather maps. We spent the Christmas holiday in Maine and, along with that dog Piper, we left for Florida on New Year’s Day. Back in September I spent a day with my old roommate Bruce Vogel . I have to say he looks great, so great in fact that I didn’t recognize him at first glance. Holderness welcomed us with open arms. Bruce was totally surprised with all the changes that have occurred since our graduation. He is thinking of moving back to New England to be near his family. Reminiscing with an old roommate brought back many forgotten memories of lower Niles, some best forgotten. Well enough of me.…Lee Miller wishes all of us a happy new year (I write this on January 17) so as you read this in the summer you may think Lee is a little off base. He tells me to remind my classmates of our upcoming 65th reunion. Let’s try to make an effort to attend. You will be amazed at what you see.…Class agent Buster Welch is about to become a city dweller. The most interesting member of our class is leaving his home to move closer to town. He also wishes a happy new year to all. Thanks Buster, for doing the tough job of class agent for so many

years. Well done.…One more season greeting also arrived from Duncan Hunter. He remembers how we prayed for snow or how the hockey buffs prayed for preseason ice down behind the school on what was then called the moat. I wonder how many of us still pray for winter weather?…If anyone in our class was meant to be a Marine, I would have to nominate Charlie Murphy, a real digger if I ever knew one. As a paratrooper in that branch of the service one had to be a hard ass. Murph was more than proud to have served his country. He continues to serve as an aid to Iowa senator Chuck Grassley. Charlie shared the following: “In keeping with interest in veterans’ stories, the two lieutenant colonels in our class, and the fact that I have not had face-to-face contact with anyone in my class since the infamous graduation party on Cape Cod, I thought it was time to share my short story of life. There is also one corporal in the Class of ’59, Cpl. Murphy, USMC. After completing training in 1960, I was assigned to a helicopter unit based at New River, NC. Being part of the Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, we supported the infantry battalions at nearby Camp Lejeune. Our helicopters gave them capability to land behind the beach. As a member of four BLTs or Battalion Landing Teams, I deployed aboard the amphibious assault ships USS Boxer, Valley Forge , and Thetis Bay. Three of these ’cruises’ went to Haiti and the Dominican Republic to prop up dictators and one was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was a dangerous situation. In addition to my regular duties as a communications operator, I was a member of the Marine Corps Parachute Demonstration Team. We jumped at air shows all over the country, performing with the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. At a reunion in 2013, I made my 437 th jump with my Marine brothers. If I could have passed

the physical and gone to flight school, I would have stayed in. There was a snag with my blood pressure, which is very normal to this day. I am proud of my Marine Corps service and consider it a defining moment in my life. I learned many important lessons, starting with recognizing the goodness of people from all walks of life. After completing four years, I was released from active duty in 1963 and went to college. I struggled for a while but eventually received a Ford Foundation fellowship to study Chinese military affairs. Upon completion of my graduate studies, I began a government career that spans more than 55 years, including service in the US House, Senate, Pentagon, and Marine Corps. I continue to be an adviser to Senator Grassley on oversight and investigations. I have a wife, Robin, and two daughters from my first marriage, three grandsons, two great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter.”… Well, that’s about it for now. Try to remember our upcoming reunion. I hope to see many of you there. Take care and be well. ~Jerry Ashworth

’60Class Correspondent

Gerry Shyavitz g.shyavitz@comcast.net

So, as I close in on my 82nd year, I’m happy to say that I still feel young in my old body. Though I have been sick with COVID for several weeks and Pearl even ended up in the ICU. She is OK for now. This was all caused by a client who came in to see me, had COVID, and told me after he left. What a jerk! Before relating some of the news from our class I can report that Pearl is stable, which is my new word for her. She is tough. Some of my grandchildren are in school in Germany and another is studying to be

a doctor. Now that does make me feel old, but so very grateful. On or about November 10, 2023, I arrived at Holderness for the Homecoming/ Proctor Day which I believe was the first of its kind. As usual I was supposed to be there at 1 pm, but I was there at 12:30, the first one. (Why is that always so important to me?) While I was there, I saw John McVeigh walk towards Livermore, where I was stationed and he actually remembered me. The last time (and first time) I saw him was on a boat trip two years ago in Boston when Phil Peck was retiring. Coming back to Holderness is like coming back to my home. I am so comfortable there and I don’t even have to know anyone or bring someone with me, just being there is so comfortable. The day was cold and, as I will relate later, it became brutal. I am so excited when I get there that I cannot stop talking, my kids call me “loose lips" and as an attorney that may not be good. I saw Kelly van Lingen, a friendly and familiar face at check in. While I was waiting, I heard the old, familiar words ’Marshall House’ from someone’s lips. I was the house leader there and this temporary structure lasted eons. (It came from the family of Steve Hirshberg ’68 who lived in my hometown.) Also, I heard that my old friend from Haverhill, MA, and class of 59, Jerry Ashworth was coming. “Old home week.” Jerry was my best friend growing up into my early 20s. I shared many exciting adventures with Jerry mainly because of his nerve, imagination, etc. So, I was off and running. There was a full schedule, so I passed on the campus tour as I have taken it before, and instead walked up to the new (although six-year-old) upper turf to watch the girls’ varsity soccer versus Proctor. And boy are they good! We won, one to nothing. The temperature was about 37° with a strong wind, and I almost did not make

it. Cold, cold! I even saw Phil Peck , and we had a friendly conversation. A great guy, as all of the headmasters have been. Jerry Ashworth arrived and we all went out. Steve Hirshberg ’68 , Jerry and I for dinner at Squam Lake Inn. Thank you, Holderness, for being my dear friend. I stayed overnight in Plymouth at the Common Man Inn while Jerry and Steve made the long ride back to Maine.… John Despres responded with: “Thanks for your message. What a jerk indeed! I’m sorry you’ve been stricken with COVID as I was three years ago when I spread it to my family even though I tested negative. In the last year, I have been visiting quite often with our daughters’ families and friends in DC and LA. I am continuing to follow major trends and events around the world while living comfortably by the beach in Santa Monica, CA. I walk 5+ miles daily, practice yoga and Pilates weekly, have more frequent health checkups, serve as chairman of the board of the Phillips collection, visit other art museums in DC, NYC, Houston and Santa Barbara, go to major art fairs in LA, Mexico City, London and Paris, attend film and opera festivals in the UK and France, and I’m making new travel plans, including Japan in April, and Oregon this fall to celebrate our 60th anniversary. In sum, I’m still kicking and enjoying life even though not quite as actively as before. But, apart from you, I haven’t heard from any of our classmates. So, I’m sending you my best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery and personal thanks for keeping in touch.”… John Dunklee writes: “Happy to hear you survived COVID. We have had it a couple of times without any prolonged issues. I am still involved with the town as chair of the Historic District Commission and part-time assistant to the town administrator. I am now the oldest neighbor in our subdivision. It being

the result of Spike Hampson’s parents’ development on the lake. This makes me the chief historian when problems arise. The end of the month Pat and I are headed to Fort Lauderdale and a cruise in the Caribbean. Keep the faith.…Gerry Shyavitz spoke to Charlie Witherell and has this to report: “I have to say that Charlie Witherell and his long happy marriage to Pam is one to be envied. We talked for several minutes and I invited myself up to Vermont to visit them sometime; especially since my daughter and two of my grandchildren live in Vermont, just 10 miles from Middlebury College where I went to school and also not too far from Charlie. I say “envy” as his life with Pam seems idyllic in some ways. I may get some of the facts wrong, but for years he ran a tennis camp, and now he is about to work on the numerous trees on his property for maple syrup time. Charlie admits that we have a lot in common. That is being married to wonderful women in long-time marriages. I have met Pam and she is special.”…Rick Bullock writes: “No news here. Staying close to home. Have so far dodged COVID. Sorry to hear that you have not been so lucky. Best regards to you and our classmates. Appreciate your good efforts on our behalf.”… Alan Dewart promised to send a class note as long as I, Gerry Shyavitz , would share Spike Hampson’s email address. Information was exchanged and true to his word Alan sent the following: “I still work unlike most of our classmates. This is tax season which is our busiest time, and, on top of that, I’ve got several commercial properties that are in need of refinancing. Stressful and demanding times!!”… Spike Hampson writes: “Maybe one of these years I’ll manage to make it to an annual reunion. I did once before, but that was more than a decade ago. I remain untethered, still addicted to the open

road, but a recent health problem may actually force me into a more sedentary way of life. Not if I can help it, but it will take a few months to determine that. Back in April I returned to Hobo, my sailboat, in southern Florida and spent the summer and fall cruising northward up the coast to North Carolina. It was slow going because all sorts of problems and complications cropped up. Even so it was satisfying because I could reminisce along the way about having done the same passage in the opposite direction back in the fall of 2008. The fabulous network of islands, marshes and hammocks along the way are eye candy and everywhere you go creatures of the air and sea abound. A surprisingly large portion of the coastal zone continues to remain natural. Even when homes line the passage they tend to occur as threadlike developments separated from each other by rich, deep, subtropical forest visible in the distance beyond the lime green grasses of the tidal zone. If you’re ever down that way, make a point to visit places like Jekyll Island, GA; Beaufort, McLellanville, and Bucksport, SC; or Oriental in NC, the bigger cities (St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston) are of course the destinations of choice, but don’t overlook the back country gems. Hobo was returned to dry land storage in November at Hurricane Boatyard, a small and isolated facility, well up an estuary off Pamlico. A Greyhound bus got me from there up to my daughter Michelle’s in early November, where she, Karl, Rowan and Rosie gave me a break from my wayward wandering ways. After a couple weeks of doing walks in the woods of New Haven’s West Rock Park it was time to head overseas to Milan. I got Popeye (the motorcycle) out of storage and shadowed the Mediterranean coastline southwest to Barcelona where a ferry transported us to the island of

Majorca. There, I took up residence in the lovely village of Alaro. The plan was to stay in one place for two to three months and take day trips to all the interesting places around the island which is roughly round and has a, honest-to-God, mountain range along its northwest flank. Only a few days after arriving I woke one night so dizzy, I could not stand up without holding on to a piece of furniture, and quickly realized that I was also totally deaf in one ear. There was nothing for it, but to store Popeye and return to the States. I made it back in early January and will, in a few days, fly to Salt Lake City. There the agenda will be to find ways to overcome the residual dizziness, much diminished, but still severe enough to challenge the usual activities of skiing, motorcycling and sailing. The goal is to get back on skis, and then return to Majorca in April. If neither works out, I’ll shut those doors and decide which one to open next.”

What a nice surprise to see Jerry Ashworth ’59 and Bruce Vogel ’59 on campus!

Charles Murphy ’59 with his U.S. Marine Demonstration Parachute team just before take off for a practice jump at Fountain Drop Zone.

U.S. Marine, Charles Murphy ’59.

’61

Interim Class Correspondent Gerry Shyavitz ’60 g.shyavitz@comcast.net

From Gerry Shyavitz ’60: “So, I did not get a great response from the class, but was saved by John Cleary and Bill Seaver. I will try to do better next time. I think I should come up with some kind of an attractive incentive. Any ideas, anyone?”…Bill Seaver writes: “I feel much better this year than last year at this time. I am more aware of what is going on around me. My brain seems to be healing some. COVID is still present, but I am willing to meet with people inside, so long as they are vaccinated. My vegan, no salt diet appears to be working, and I am feeling more positive than last year. My strict diet means eating in restaurants is impossible, but I’m happy to have you over here for a meal. My tentative opening up started with an outdoor picnic with 15 people in the Buddhist group, then moved on to an indoor 80 th birthday celebration with a very few friends, followed by an 80th celebration with my daughter and son (plus his wife and their two children).

In November, I started hosting in person men’s group meetings at my house on alternate Sunday afternoons. Instead of going to a cold outdoor

Christmas party (as I did last year), this year we hosted an indoor one in our great room with a HEPA filter and cracked windows. Life is changing! I’m still enjoying life as much as I can although I need to take an aid with me everywhere after my fall in April. I’m grateful for the changing seasons, exercise, and Zoom.”… John Cleary shares: “Again, thank you for being our ’temporary’ class correspondent. I don’t believe that I have interesting news to share other than I believe, and hope, that I am still breathing. I no longer jump tall buildings in a single bound, nor am I faster than a speeding bullet. Instead of walking comfortably with ease, I now stumble, wobble and waddle. Yes, aging is the process that makes my life a little too interesting as my physical world slowly, but steadily decreases. I do continue dancing my local, Southern dances (Cajun and Zydeco) and other rhythmic, musical presentations, fulfilling my bachelor responsibilities. More than just moving to the beat, I try to translate the overall sound and instruments into definite moves on the floor with body isolations, while leading my partner. In doing so, I have amassed a dismal record of stymying myself with senior moments and not figuring out how to move smoothly into the next sequence. Oh well, at least I am up and avoiding just sitting and watching others. Meanwhile, my workload has decreased during the last six months and hopefully will resume this coming spring with interesting jobs of “pushing dirt around.” Aging has caught up with me in that my previous, least expensive, Texas commercial insurance company refuses to insure me because of my forthcoming 82nd birthday. So, I now have to insure my 3500 tow truck as a second personal vehicle. I greet my coffee buddies every Saturday morning with fat pills and challenging conversations as we attempt to solve

the world’s problems. Humor remains our most important ingredient. One proposal I offer to you and our schoolmates is that most colleges and universities cater strictly to their most recent graduates, and forget their older graduates facing retirement. I tried introducing this concept and remedy to St. Lawrence University by having them simply provide an electronic form where graduates themselves can swap information and advice, as we all face the later years of our lives. Ironically, most of the big donations originate with the successful older graduates, not with the new graduates but for whatever reason my proposal ran into a blank wall. I now suggest that our fellow Holderness classmates explore implementing this concept with their individual alma mater as I have more detailed information available if needed ( johncleary1@charter.net).”

’63Class Correspondent David Pope popemaine@gmail.com

This compilation may include some repeat information about military service. The school is not sure exactly how they will honor alumni military service. They are still collecting information. Thank you to those who sent in reports of service. I am including most of what I received this round to avoid missing things and also because keeping all this straight is getting to be a challenge. So, please notify me of oversights or slights, and I will do my best to make things right the next time around. As for me ( David Pope), I just got back from seeing our first grandson, now three months old; quite a trip. Our 18-yearold granddaughter is enjoying a gap year before entering Columbia next fall with a full ride. I don’t believe I

ever saw a more dedicated, organized student in my 20 years of teaching and 14 years of being a student. I don’t think she inherited the work ethic from me! Otherwise, I’m still skiing around the back yard looking forward to some real winter conditions. In my notes about military service, I may not have mentioned the formative year I spent in Alaska training for the US Biathlon Team. Besides the biathlon training, the best thing was the lifelong friendships I developed with other members of the team. There were two others there from Holderness: Dennis Donahue ’62 ; and Terry Morse ’64 . But there were many others from other schools (KUA, Middlebury, etc.) with whom we had competed in college that made for a very tight knit group that remain close to this day. One of them (John Morton, Tilton ’64) designed the recent improvements to the Holderness cross country trail system. The list of coincidences goes on and on. Most of us made it out of the Vietnam era unscathed, but it all was a difficult time.…George McNeil (USNR, active 1973–75, discharge rank LCDR) writes: “Avoided the draft through college and medical school but was called to spend two years as a family doctor at the Brunswick Naval Air Station.”…George LeBoutillier (USNR, 1969–73, Lt.) responded recently to my plea for class news. I enclose his news here verbatim: “As you know, Stepper, my bride of 56 years, passed away Jan. 1, 2023 as a result of a stroke she had while in a memory care facility. Minor cognitive impairment surfaced in 2016, and it was a long slow battle. In May of 2022, she transferred to the facility, where she kept the staff on their toes, literally. She was high kicking with staff, to Elton John, her favorite, the night before her stroke! In July 2022 I was diagnosed with a type A aortic

dissection, (I always wanted to be a type A!) which resulted in having open heart surgery to replace my aorta. I had no symptoms, and the condition appeared totally by chance when I had a body scan looking for something else, which I didn’t have anyhow. I’m in great health right now. I continue to row and work out on a regular basis. I’m blessed to have two daughters, and their families (three grandchildren) living on Lopez Island, with one son, and his family, in Portland, and my other son, who attended Holderness for one year, living in Perrysburg, OH. Holderness was a very special time of my life, and I remember it fondly. It’s grown and flourished, and frankly, I hardly recognize it due to the expansion of its programs and facilities. What an incredible institution. As you know, I’m rebuilding a house my father built in the Bahamas in the ’60s, and upon completion, by Thanksgiving, I hope to be spending my winter there rather than here on Lopez where the freak cold of the last few days lowered our temps to 8°. It’s usually in the 40s in the winter.”…I usually hear from Arthur Sleeper (USN, 13; Lt) each summer on his annual return to Maine. I think his visit was shortened due to exposure to a certain virus this year, so I can only report that he and wife Sandy are both water colorists in the Salt Lake City area of Utah.…And this from Sandy Hewat with whom I roomed in Rathbun sophomore year: “Your email asking for military service information struck a nerve, rousing me from my retirement reverie. After graduating from college, I enlisted in the Army Security Agency (ASA) for a fouryear stint (1968–1972), spending two years at Defense Language School in Monterey, CA, where I studied Russian, followed by two years in Germany, where I was stationed along

what was then the border with East Germany. Can’t really discuss my job (which required a Top Secret/Crypto clearance), but we were commonly referred to as ’spooks’ by our military colleagues. I enjoyed my years in service and the opportunities afforded me in living near the Bay Area during that period (saw some great concerts, needless to say), as well as enjoying living ’on the economy’ in Germany and exploring Europe for the first time. I consider myself fortunate, considering the alternatives faced by so many of our generation at that time. I was discharged as a Specialist 5th Class (Spec-5) in early ’72, traveling Europe for several months to ski, tour and generally decompress. I returned to the US as a civilian after about six months. After my military experience, I bounced around for a while in the Boston area, eventually traveling to Minneapolis where I met my soon-to-be-wife and decided it was time to settle down. We returned to New England where I got a job at a Boston hospital as an administrative intern. One thing led to another and we ended up moving to Durham, NC, where I got my master’s in health administration from Duke. For the next few decades, I worked as a healthcare administrator in hospitals, managed care, and mental health organizations in North Carolina, New York, Illinois and Michigan. After retirement in 2015, we moved from Michigan back to the Sunbelt, ending up in Apex, NC, just outside of Raleigh. We are close to my daughter, who teaches school in the area, and to Duke, where we enjoy attending sports events and other activities. To this point, we’re blessed with good health, so as long as we’re able, we are committed to staying active and engaged.”…And this from Nick Hadgis: “I have bought a home in Moultonborough, NH and have been

spending more time there, where the family can get together to enjoy the lake as well as all that the region has to offer. My grandchildren are beginning to ski so it looks like the home will remain open throughout the year. I hope to see you and the rest of our class at our Holderness reunion this year. Best, Nick”…And from Tom MacIlvain : “Happy 2024! Hope all’s well. Appreciate your efforts in soliciting us deadbeats. Claudia and I are celebrating 55 years together; our four children are married (two attended Holderness) and we have 13 grandchildren (five attended Holderness) who eat “like they’re going to the chair” when visiting us in NH. I’ve met our new headmaster, John McVeigh ; he has plenty of grit coupled with a good dose of humility—good stuff! Best to all our classmates.”…So, I had threatened to send a note to my college alma mater’s class correspondent if any of the Holderness Class of ’63 responded with notes. So, YAY a healthy handful did and I have to do it! I will, and I hope this will prod a few more of you to send me an update. I promise to do my best to adhere to any wishes other than sending money. Here’s to a good 2024. All the best, David Pope

’64

Class Correspondent Guy “Sandy” Alexander salex88@comcast.net

Woody Thompson got left out of the last issue but he did military service as follows: “In late 1968 I enlisted in the Army National Guard, based in the artillery unit in my home town of Plymouth, NH. We were a “firing battery” with large 155 mm howitzers that we towed to Camp/Fort Drum in New York for summer field training. In 1971 I transferred to another artillery

unit in Columbus, OH, so I could get my PhD in geology at Ohio State University and still attend monthly training at the local Guard armory. My six-year enlistment was completed in November 1974, by which time I held the rank of Specialist 5.” Thanks to Jeff Hinman for tracking down Woody’s service. In a subsequent note to Jeff, Woody let on that: “We consumed vast amounts of beer when daily training was done at Fort Drum, NY. As a glacial geologist I didn’t really mind digging fox holes in the sand plain out there! I still have my Army entrenching shovel which serves me well in field work. I hope to make our 60 th next June, but there is always the problem of many reunions happening the first weekend in June, which is the same time I’m expected to attend the Friends of the Pleistocene annual field conference!”…Terry Morse had a busy year. Lots of travel was involved to Chile and his son Peter ’s (“Hesse” Morse ’93) family, to Portland, OR, to daughter Sine Morse ’88 to see where her kids are in college and to Canada to visit Natasha (Morse) Frank ’91 and help with some house projects. If that wasn’t enough, Terry and Anne Vitte hopped in their vintage VW camper for a big swing through Wyoming and the Dakotas, exploring numerous national and state parks. Back home, Anne is staying incredibly busy with her art which has been enthusiastically accepted by the Moab community.

’65Class Correspondent

Tom Butler

Tom_Ryan@twcny.rr.com

From Tom Butler: “If Holderness has your up-to-date email, you know that we kicked off 2024 with a Class of ’65 Zoom gathering. I was joined on the evening of January 5th by John

Christy, Peter Claghorn , Chip Ellis , Judge Godfrey, Terry Jacobs , Jim McGill , Dave Nichols , and Charlie Reigeluth John French sent last minute regrets, having previously committed to refereeing some hockey games. (At our age! Kudos to John.) Anyway, we had two hours of fine conversation and reminiscing. Others who sent in notes regretting that they could not make it included Bill Carter, Cleve Patterson , Steve Smith , and Kevin Wyckoff . I am hoping to make this an annual affair so make sure Holderness has your updated email if this caught you unaware.”… Kevin Wyckoff also sent along the following: “I am still breathing, and living in Buffalo, NY, as always. I had a manufacturing business for 35 years. We worked in the sandpaper business making lots of odd items like sheets, belts, etc. The website is wesand.com. I sold it on March 20, 2020—good timing—and just hang around Buffalo.”…Hanford “Skip” Auten writes: I missed the request for the reporting of military experiences when you made it last spring. It was not until the Outdoor issue was received that I learned of it. I was drafted into the Army in September 1969, shortly after I graduated from college. I had been in Navy ROTC my freshman year at Dartmouth but resigned my sophomore year after having a political change of heart. I had basic training at Fort Campbell, KY and advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, LA ("Tigerland, home of the Vietnam bound Infantry Soldier" read a large billboard at the base entrance). From there, for some reason, I was sent to Fort Hood, TX where I was an armored personnel carrier driver in a mechanized infantry division and an anti-sniper in a domestic riot control unit. I also spent a couple of months at Fort Sill, OK providing infantry training to ROTC cadets who

were fulfilling their summer training obligations. In September 1970, I was sent to Vietnam where I was assigned to the Americal Division, 11th Brigade, 2/41 st Battalion, Delta Company as a rifleman. We were situated in the central highlands and I spent most of my combat time in what were known as free fire zones. During that time I was slightly wounded by a grenade, parts of which I still carry with me. After about four months in the field I was given a job as a battalion clerk because I knew how to type. I was a legal clerk and leave clerk in that capacity until my tour was over. I was discharged at Fort Lewis, WA on June 30, 1971, with the rank of Sergeant (E5) and the owner of a couple of bronze stars, a purple heart and constant ringing in my ears from too many explosions. In later years I also learned that I have cancer from Agent Orange. It was, as they say, a life changing experience.… Any time you can send along a note or a picture, I will be glad to put it in the column. It doesn’t need to be big news, and to prove the point I am including a photo of myself along with Dave and Charlie at my favorite beach bar in San Diego back in late October. My best to you all, Tom Butler

’67

Class Correspondent

Jamie Hollis

jameshollis@comcast.net

’68

Interim Class Correspondent

John Coles

johncolesart@gmail.com

’69

Class Correspondent

Jonathan Porter

jwport9537@gmail.com

’70

Class Correspondent

Ted Coates

Tedc33@outlook.com

Ted Coates writes: “In November, Chuck Kaplan ’72 and I had a great lunch in Boston with an old friend from Plymouth, Bertha Stumpf.”

’72

Class Correspondent

Dwight Shepard

shepdb@comcast.net

Got a lot of news this time around, folks, so I guess I’ll get right to it.…It was great to hear from Hank Jackson Hank and his wife, Mary Ellen, live in York, ME. They have less than a half-mile walk to get to Long Sands Beach, which, Hank says, is great for friends and grandkids. “We boat during the summer and still try to do some ’light duty’ skiing in winter,” he adds. “We are both mostly retired but take on selected work. I have two sons from my late wife and Mary Ellen has two daughters. From our kids we have the blessing of seven grandchildren.”

Hank says he did a lot of work at Colby College, back in the day, in addition to his economics and business majors. “At that time,” he writes, “I did a sketch of Henry Osborne (done 1974) that I sent to him this year. It was good to reconnect. Also had breakfast with Arthur Bradbury last week.” Hank says his eldest son flies corporate for Wayfair and is all over the globe with them. “My youngest is a builder here in the Seacoast and does some very nice high-end work. A recent completion was featured in the Friday, January 5, 2024 Wall Street Journal . Tyler Jackson, Haven Hill Builders.”…So good to hear from you, Hank.…It’s always good to hear from Peter Kimball , who now lives in Connecticut. “Like a growing number of classmates, a milestone birthday earlier this year has given me cause to join the Social Security club,” Peter writes. I feel fortunate to have survived the ’60s…twice. Required minimum distributions will be next, a sure sign that the aging process never rests. “My days in retirement are split between attending to activities at home in northeast Connecticut where my wife and I live with our two rescue labs and chickens, and providing care for my 97-year-old mother who aspires to live a life of independence in her home on Cape Cod,” he continues. “We visit with our seventh grade and fifth grade grands as often as we can, and watch, with pride and without too much interference, our two daughters as they grow personally and professionally.”… “I’m doing great!” Chuck Fisher writes from Occidental, CA. “Loving my grandkids, loving my work, loving life. Planning to drop to half-time and have already given the leadership of my nonprofit to others. Looking forward to spending more time with what I love most. I recently received my seconddegree black belt in Aikido, one thing I love most. Heading to Joshua Tree

Tom Butler, Dave Nichols and Charlie Reigeluth, all 65ers, gather in San Diego.

in April to go rock climbing with all my grandkids. Woohoo! How fun is that?”…It was also great to hear from David Nicholson , who splits his time between central MA, Cape Cod and FL. Dave says he had a wonderful summer playing golf most Wednesday afternoons with Will Graham . Will lives on the south coast of MA, not far from Dave’s Falmouth summer home. “Coach Graham’s instruction has greatly improved my game,” Dave writes. “Our family continues to grow,” he adds, explaining that the Nicholsons welcomed Oliver Henry on Sept. 1 of last year and Blake Alexander on Jan. 4 of this year, bringing his grandchild count to seven: one girl and six boys. “Our holidays are very lively,” he says. “Suzie and I now winter in Vero Beach so if any alums are in the Vero area, please contact the alumni office to get my contact info and get in touch. It’s always fun to catch up.”…Chris Latham shared that with his two grandkids, Archie (8) and Andie (6), just 10 minutes away they continue to enjoy a relatively quiet retirement in Marion. “Big news for us is we are getting ready to do a major renovation this winter. In early February we began work on converting our existing garage into a first-floor master suite and adding a new garage addition. Should provide us with additional guest space on the second floor; happy to host any visitors who would like to plan a trip to Marion and the Southcoast area. Best wishes to all for a great 2024!”…Henry Osborne shares he’s “still gainfully employed and planning to remain such for the foreseeable future. Also still gigging out weekends—if any players happen to be in Concord, NH on a Tuesday evening, let me know and I’ll find them a spot at my Open Mic. Of note for this year, my wife and I and both sons plan to visit Japan in the fall. I have been back only once since the ten years living there.”…Here in

Duxbury, I have had the pleasure of meeting a good friend of Phil Peck ’s. I am involved with a committee that runs adult education classes at the Duxbury Senior Center. Peter Rapelye is a retired history teacher who taught at a number of prep schools in the northeast, and as it so happens, he joined the faculty at Holderness the year we all left. He teaches classes for the Senior Center on great world leaders like Lincoln, FDR, Churchill, and Eisenhower. At any rate, I was sitting in one of his classes a couple of years ago and heard him say something that had a Holderness flavor to it— about Squam Lake—which caused me, always the consummate reporter, to start asking questions. Turns out, Peter eventually became the athletic director at Holderness, and when he later got married here in Duxbury, Phil was his best man. I love it when the small world comes full circle. I am fortunate to be able to call Peter a friend. Now I have some sad news to share. I recently learned of the passing of one of our classmates, Peter Dervis . I spotted this news, when reading an obituary from 2022 for Peter’s brother, Paul Dervis , that contained the line, “He was predeceased by his daughter, Kimberly, and his brother, Peter Dervis.” This was the first I had heard that Peter had passed on, so I immediately went online and attempted to find a death notice for Peter, but could find nothing. Next, I contacted Holderness, to see if anyone at the school knew anything but to no avail. I didn’t want to publish anything without some sort of verification. As I was compiling this column, I remembered that Peter and Stu Porteous of Seattle were good friends. I reached out to Stu and got the news I was afraid of: Peter passed on in July 2021 following a battle with MS. It did my heart good to hear that Stu had taken Peter to a Rolling Stones’ concert

sometime before Peter passed on. The last line of brother Paul’s obituary reads, “He will be missed by many beloved family and friends in New York, Boston, Maine, and Canada.” So will Peter, but I would add to that list of family and friends, those in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. I am sure you all join me in sending condolences to his family. Peace be with you all. ~Dwight Shepard

’73

Class Correspondent

Dick Conant

rconantjr@msn.com

Dear Classmates, rainy 50-degree day here in Mystic, CT. The bad news: I haven’t been skiing yet this year since conditions have been marginal at best. The good news: I was happy to hear from a mix of classmates this time around.…Tim Scott and Tom Carver have been battling torrential rains up their way in and around Jackson, NH.…Tom Carver writes that Jackson got it pretty bad and he almost had to evacuate as the Ellis River went wild. Standing waves in the river were 5’ at least! Surf’s up!…Tim Scott writes that they were marooned during the big rain and spent part of the day rerouting water so as to save some of their gravel driveway. Strange weather we’re having.…Chip Krakoff was in touch with Tim Scott and wrote: “Nice to hear from you. I vividly remember us singing ’Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie’ on the chairlift at Tenney Mountain. After Holderness, I graduated from Northfield Mt. Hermon, went to Reed College in OR, spent two years in the Peace Corps in Zaïre, got an MBA from Columbia, and have been a business and economic consultant since then, focusing mainly on international trade and investment and economic development. I’ve lived in about a

dozen countries and visited over 100. I’m still working, though trying to strike a more satisfying work-ski balance. My wife, Carlie, and I moved from the Boston area to Burlington, VT in 2021, in part to be nearer our two daughters. We are grandparents to a delightful two-year-old girl, whom we see all the time.”…David Ryder also checked in. He enjoys reading the class notes, but would like to hear from more classmates. He hopes to make it to class reunion in May.… Sam Richards writes that he is still vertical and still consulting and also hopes to make it to Reunion.…I couldn’t resist contacting Mike Mixter out in Durango, CO. He had made a facetious remark during our May call about not taking any responsibility for Lauren Boebert in his western CO district. Since she has now fled his district for greener (?) pastures in eastern CO, I figured it was all Mike’s doing. Mike responds, “Thanks for the congratulations on despicable ’Boobert.’ I wish I could take credit.”…Peter Garrison writes that he is glad to have 2023 come to a close and he is looking forward to the New Year and our 50 th reunion at Holderness to reconnect with many old friends. He points out that we need a big push to start asking people to commit! Registration is open!…As for me, I was out in Idaho and Montana in September to visit my eldest son and attempt a climb on Granite Peak north of Yellowstone. I came to the reluctant conclusion that I am not as young as I used to be—duh! It wasn’t the seven miles and 4,000 feet of vertical the first day, but the 50-pound pack that nearly killed me. Never did summit since rain/snow came in up on the “Froze-to-Death” plateau and I was frankly exhausted. In hindsight, I should have taken the guide service up on their Sherpa offer to shlep some of my gear up the mountain; oh well. Off for late season skiing and

a technical climb on Mt Hood, OR this May. Closing on a sad note, Pat Henderson passed away on December 17 at 97 years of age. What a life well lived! Best to all, Dick Conant

’74

Class Correspondent

Cindy Maclean cynthia.maclean@yahoo.com

’75

Class Correspondent

George Fox

georgesfox@msn.com

Ted McElhinny shared: “I left the Chesapeake Bay at the end of October with my brother and we sailed my boat to Antigua, a 13-day passage. Side note, my boat used to belong to my parents. Twenty-seven years after my father sold it, I bought it back and upgraded it and now I’m fulfilling a several-decadesold dream of sailing to the Caribbean. I’ve been slowly sailing south along the Leeward and Windward Islands eventually heading for Grenada where I’ll turn around and head back north. Lots of great trade wind sailing, mountains, hiking, volcanoes, rain forests, snorkeling and new friends. Plan is to stay down here until May and then sail back home probably from St. Thomas directly to Norfolk. All good here for me and thoroughly enjoying my retirement.”…Rodger Wolf is: “Looking forward to another successful tax season. Life isn’t easy; however, it does reward those with discipline. God bless Holderness prep school!”…

Steve Decatur writes: “Celebrated our 41 st wedding in September, and have lived in Hamilton, MA since 1985. My wife, Carrie, and I have three great kids, Emily, working in the virtual educational area; Pam, who is married with two kids, she and her husband

both work in the tech world; and son Tad, who is married and works with me and my investment group at Moors & Cabot. (Not planning on retiring anytime soon.) We have remained big skiers, having bought a home on the side of Attitash in 2000, and are found on the slopes most weekends. Now our almost three-year-old granddaughter is skiing with us too; what a blast! I played in an over-30 men’s hockey league for 25 years, but retired from that due to a bad hip—could have used George Fox ’s speed back then! Hard to believe so much water has passed under our collective keels—50 th reunion next year.”…Linda (Fogg) Noyes shared: “Pike and I are enjoying our five grandkids immensely. They sure make old age sweeter and more fun! Three reside in Florida and two are in Marblehead. We sold our sailboat last year and went to the dark side and bought a motor boat. We take the boat down to Florida in the fall and migrate home to Marblehead in the spring. It takes us about 45 days; we only go about 9 knots. Life is good! Time sure does fly by! Love seeing Ed Cudahy on FB with all his grand babies!”…Chris Fraker writes: “Hi all. Fraix here on windy Nantucket. Heart issues are fixed. Contracting and eight grandchildren are keeping me in a lot of trouble; throw in two four-monthold Jack Russells and that pretty much covers what I’m up to.”… John Putnam reports: “George Fox has harassed me unmercifully; therefore, I submit the following story of woe: Iowa is not America; I have been there. There is hope, but it takes a sharp eye to find it. We stay close to home, out of dairy now, thanks to Horizon, Danone, and the crushing food ’industry,’ but are raising an endangered species of mixed-use Randall Linebacks for brood stock. We’ll see. Anyone want to buy a starter herd? I can provide hay with them. Our own young stock

are returning home to Vermont, from Montana, Nevada, and California. We have enough farmland here to make houses and maintain hay land at the same time. They will be baling and stacking on their front lawns. None want to live in our house because their ’parents are there.’ I am completely out of law in all the jurisdictions where admitted, although I do consult on various issues, primarily business and agriculture. We still try to get the boats wet in the Thorofare between North Haven and our place on Browns’ Head, but last summer they stayed dry despite being invited to the regionals in the Eggemoggin Reach off Brooklin and a visit with Elibet at the end of the Reach. Maybe this coming summer? Crew is hard to get because I am a jerk, Janine can set a proper chute, and neither of us can keep time. Hope to see a mix of Holderness/ Middlebury alums at Susan and Perry Babcock ’s house over in the doom and pestilence of the Adirondacks soon. Should be fun. Perhaps they will have some snow to play with. A storm whacked Brown’s Boatyard two weekends ago and darned near killed it with a tiger tide. We were going over to help them, but the next storm got us with 65 MPH winds which took off my big barn doors. All fun and fixing.”…Ed Cudahy writes: “Susan and I enjoyed our 43rd anniversary with our four children (three spouses) and eight grandchildren. We are so blessed to have everyone within five miles of our home in Cherry Hills. I am still CEO of my Transportation Logistics business and have no real timeline as to retirement. I look forward to coming back to Holderness when the next reunion happens.”… Tom Cargill shares: “Hello to all of my now fellow Medicare classmates. Looking forward to seeing one another at the 50 th! Thank you, George Fox , for taking the lead. You always were

ahead of the societal curve in so many ways. I hear from John Sinclair on a fairly regular basis. Chris Carney on occasion. So long until spring of 2025.”

Cudahy ’75 and his wife Susan in Scottsdale with their eight grandchildren.

Ted McElhinny ’77 during his sailing adventure from Chesapeake Bay to the Carribean.

’77

Class Correspondent

Peter Grant pete@grantcom.us

daughter Emily.

Jef Sharp was the first to write in with the following: “I’m writing to inspire all classmates from ’77 to write, especially you, Collie. It was quite a class and I know you’ve all been doing interesting things and maybe raising interesting children who are now in charge. My wife of 37 years, Becca, is a psychologist, so full time free psychotherapy for me and she’s cool. My eldest daughter, Sophie, graduated from Barnard last year and is living in London and working to change the world in her own unique way. My younger daughter is a sophomore and has her own baking business. Contact me for cookie break orders. I have a software business that engineers steel buildings and reduces their carbon footprint, thereby changing the world in my own unique way. Reach out if you’re near Amherst, MA or if you need an efficient steel skyscraper.”… Next to submit a note was Schuyler “Randy” White: “I have been married for 44 years now to Sara. Our three grown children are Dr. Whitney White Ferguson, Schuyler R. White, Jr., and Jesse Oniel Ross. Schuyler has blessed us with two grandkids,

Ed

Steve Decatur ’75 and his wife Carrie on a hike near the top of a Mt. Eisenhower in Summer 2023.

Steve Decatur ’75 on Christmas walk in Marblehead, MA, December 2023 with daughter Pam, granddaughter Maisie, wife Carrie, grandson Finn, and

Schuyler the third (8) and Sierra White (6). Jesse Ross has blessed us with four grandkids: Tucker (8), Wyatt (6), Maverick (3), and Olive (17 months).

We have lived in San Diego County since 1984. Please look us up as I have plenty of room at Randy’s Ranch and Resort.” :D…Charlie Lunan reports: “I was recently appointed to a twoyear term on the Citizen Advisory Board for Keep Charlotte Beautiful, which advises the mayor for the City of Charlotte on beautification, recycling and other matters. I’ve been organizing cleanup brigades two to three times a year since 2020 to remove litter from a nearby thoroughfare through the city’s Adopt a Street program and volunteered on stream cleanup and invasive plant removal projects around the city. Hopefully, I’ll contribute something. I finally joined Charlotte Writers Club this year and began submitting chapters of a novel I’ve been piddling around with since 2017 to a critique group. First three chapters have been well received! I hope to be looking for some beta readers in a year, so please contact me if you enjoy the eco-thriller genre. I’m still kicking around despite a total hip joint replacement in June 2021. Deena, my wife of 37 years, and my two daughters are also healthy and employed.

Eldest lives in Seattle and her sister just moved into an apartment along Charlotte’s booming light rail corridor. Job growth continues to draw a lot of 20-somethings to our fair community. If you have any kids headed this way for their first job, I’d love to feed them dinner some night.”… Jody Collins shares: “After 35 years in St. Louis, my wife and I moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in January. We bought the house five years ago and she retired at the end of December. Bought a Jeep to drive on the beaches! Still planning on working for about a year and a half once we’re there. Still in touch with

several classmates, much to their dismay. Let me know if your travel plans include the Outer Banks! Email me at jodymcollins@sbcglobal.net .”

Ben Campbell ’77 and his wife (and Holderness trustee) Karyn, ran into a "nice group of kids" at Jackson airport on their way to "training free ride in Jackson."

’78

Class Correspondent Luther Turmelle lturmelle@sbcglobal.net

Old habits die hard for classmate Colin Bruce “Spud” Macleod . Spud checks in from Virginia to report he will be using the remainder of the winter to shape up for technical rock-climbing expeditions over the remainder of 2024. Back in the day, the quiet and unassuming Mr. Macleod was one of Holderness School’s resident rock jocks. When he’s not training for cliff side activities, Spud says he stays busy by running a private driving service and running a weekend charter boat booze cruise during the warmer months. Like I said, old habits die hard.…The chill of January brought JD Hale together with classmate Prescott Smith and one of our favorite upperclassmen from the 1970s, Rob Bacon ’77. Jud, Pres and Rob met for breakfast in late January in Lexington. Rob, who graduated from Holderness in 1977, holds a special place in the hearts of everyone in our class after hosting the Woods Hole “Treat Retreat,” a fall 2014 gathering where Holderness faculty and alumni from the 1970s celebrated the life of classmate Sandy Treat , who died a few months later.… Prescott “Preski” Smith’s folks live in North Andover and so he reports that he will be spending a fair amount of time in the Commonwealth. When he’s not in Massachusetts, Pres has a place in Charlottesville, VA and he says he’s looking forward to celebrating our 45th reunion this summer by the banks of the Pemigewasset. “It was great to see JD Hale and Rob Bacon ’77 this morning and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with more of y’all this summer,” Preski writes after pushing back from the breakfast table.

Jef Sharp ’77 signing the last beam to top off JPMorgan’s New York headquarters at 62 stories.

Schuyler "Randy" White’s ’77 wife, Sara, at Scripps Beach pier hunting for sea urchins with grandchildren Schuyler III, Siera, Tucker, Wyatt, Maverick and Olive.

’80

Class Correspondent

Jack Dawley jdawley@northlandresidential.com

’81

Class Correspondent

Peter Baker Peterabaker@gmail.com

’82

Class Correspondent

Chris Pesek chrispesek7@gmail.com

’84

Class Correspondent Craig Westling cwestling@gmail.com

To gear up for our 40th reunion this summer, I encouraged our class to respond to the query, “What is a fond memory you have of your Holderness experience?” Below are the responses, as well as a few updates and check-ins. Thanks to everyone who wrote in! I heard from a few classmates who have recently experienced some difficult times and don’t feel like sharing much. I hope that the reflections below begin to renew our sense of community and motivate folks to rekindle old connections and friendships, which are as important today as they were when we were teenagers.…Dave Finch writes: “Lordy, lordy, look who’s 40! I have so many great memories from Holderness, equally as many with classmates and friends as well as faculty. So many laughs and inside jokes with Dr. ’O’ Overaker in his apartment; having Calculus 2 with Fred Beams as the only student (we met in his house at times with his many opines on the virtues of a fine

cigar); family-style dinners with Mr. and Mrs. Burke , absorbing his great stories and ’truisms.’ Does anyone recall curating a ’clunk?’ As the school’s sole Minnesotan, I was grateful for the many special friendships with my New England classmates. I recall my first day sharing a shuttle from Logan Airport and having to explain to a NJ classmate that Minnesota was in fact a state, not a city. Marshall, Hoyt, Webster and Perkins, each had a different culture, vibe and all were wonderful experiences. I lucked out— Holderness was like four years of summer camp and I got to spend it with so many close friends (e.g. Pete Wensberg , Marc Cummings , Zach Martin , Bill Stringfellow ’83 , Jamie Gallop ’83 , Chris Hopkins ’83 , Chris DelCol ’83 , and Anna (Stein) Merker). Being a lifer with a freshman class of 28 students was a source of pride on graduation day. Out Back, sports, the jobs program, and dorm life were all sources of growth and development. My classmates broadened my horizons and exposed me to a whole different world. Holderness gave me the confidence to do my own thing, to find my own unique path, and to take risks (best when done with friends). Go Yankee Trail Nine! All of that has served me well in life. Unfortunately, I have a daughter graduating from USAFA on the day of the reunion. My best to the Class of 1984! See you at the 50 th.”… Joe Barbour writes: “Coming in as a PG my game plan was pretty simple: 1) do well in school, 2) mature a little bit, and 3) play hockey (I doubt that was the exact order in September ’83, but it sounds good now!). Breaking my leg the second weekend of school in a Bulls football game could have derailed my plans. Being on crutches for two months and not playing sports for three was not something I was looking forward to. But Holderness is a special place. The sense of community

I felt from the support I received from the student body and facility set the foundation for a great year. Now 40 years later, I would not change a thing.”… Matt Flaherty writes: “I remember learning a lot from Mr. Hinman. I still have the Harbrace College Handbook we used; it’s a small red book that sits on my bookshelf. I also have Catcher in the Rye that we read with Mr. Burke. Mr. Henderson was a fantastic teacher. He gave us a daily quiz where you would get a check, check plus, or check minus. He graded tests and papers based on a random number he would assign to eliminate bias. He was ahead of his time. US History was my favorite class at Holderness. I remember the timed three-mile run at the beginning of lacrosse season when we were seniors. We had to run out and back on the hilly country road next to Bartsch. Mr. Perkins told Craig Westling and me that one of us had to finish first and the other had to finish last to support the team. Craig immediately volunteered me to go first. I tried to keep up with Will Leschey, which was impossible; he was really fast and ran cross country. After finishing second, while gasping for air, Mr. Perkins looked at me and said, ’What happened?’ When I think about Holderness it is the relationships that have the most lasting impression. Craig is a lifelong friend. We had a lot of laughs living in the dorms, playing sports together, and riding on the bus to games. Spring break in Bermuda with Pete Wensberg , Zach Martin , and Dave Finch was also a total blast.”… Zach Martin writes: “Laurel and I are still in Wellesley, MA, and Blue Hill, ME. Our oldest three kids—Isabella, Emma, and Sam—are out of college and working in New York and Boston. Our youngest son, Henry, is a junior at New Hampton. I’ve retired from the banking business and spend my time in

the fall coaching football for St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, MA. Bill Burke is finishing his amazing tenure as HOS there this year. I coach with Bill and Patty’s two sons, Dan and Matt. Life comes full circle! I was fortunate to serve on the Board of Trustees at Holderness for ten years. I finally made it back to campus last spring, and it has never looked better or more vibrant. I hope to see a good turnout at our 40th reunion this year. My memories from Holderness in no particular order: Meeting my house leader and future colleague, Chris Del Col ’83 , on my first day on campus; playing football with Craig “River” Westling , Matt Flaherty, Dave Finch , Peter Wensberg , and Marc Cummings . We had a few good wins senior year but lost to Proctor in a tight game. Coaches Graham , Perkins , Hammond , and Elkins . What a staff! Good coaches and even better men. Being elected floor leader and seeing Mr. Hammond in the faculty row pumping his fist in excitement as I walked to the front of the chapel; Burke’s English class our senior year. He never settled for anything but our best, regardless of ability. He was a relentless educator and an inspiring coach (even though I didn’t play hockey or baseball!). Mr. Perkins , after suggesting I move from defense to attack in lacrosse, took his own time during the winter to work with me and teach me the fundamentals. What makes this most meaningful is that we both knew I wasn’t going to see any significant game time. My first leadership opportunity as floor leader of Marshall Dorm with my house leader, roommate, and good buddy, Peter Wensberg . Paul and Marty Elkins , our dorm leaders, had high expectations for us. I’d like to think we delivered for them. Returning home from OB and signing The Book. Taking some quiet time for reflection during

Sunday Chapel. Mixed feelings of sadness and elation at graduation. It was the end of a transformative two years. I knew I was much better prepared for life than I was before I arrived on campus.”…Ernie Milani writes: “Our Out Back trip is something I recall often as a wonderful experience. I remember Craig Westling and Matt Flaherty [and Peter Wensberg ] were waking up before dawn to get us all going, which I found difficult. We took a swim in the ICY waters on our third day out. But the thing I recall most was the night we climbed up Mt. Chocorua, only to have to turn around as it was getting dark and the top was frozen over with ice. We had to hike down the other side and there was a thick crust of ice on top of 12–18” of snow. This wasn’t much of a problem for those of us who were lighter but I recall seeing Will Graham ’72 get caught busting through the crust and doing two or three somersaults with a backpack and all down the steep slope we were descending. No harm done but maybe a little pride lost? He didn’t say. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at our 40 th this summer.”…Ed Canaday writes: “My 40 th reunion Holderness experience is an Out Back memory. I know that’s not original, but our group was so amazing with many stories. I’ve retold this one many times over the years. Led by fearless Don McNeil (was he a day older than 24?) our group included Suzi (Webber) Harley, Karen (Young) Lanman , Dave Kolk , Tom Maher, Dilcia (Pena) Hill , Whitney (Rogers) Schofield , Zach Martin , David Finch , and Max Saenger. Hope I didn’t forget anyone. Others may recall that we got the worst February weather the White Mountains could possibly deliver. One fine rainy, icy day we were headed up one of the Presidentials (Eisenhower?). I drew the straw to lead as we wound

our way up the solid ice trail. When I reached the top someone from behind asked me how it was, and I turned toward the voice and replied, “Not too bad!” As I turned, my feet suddenly went out from under, I slipped, landed on the ice on my backpack which turned into a bobsled propelling me down the trail. To my left was the mountainside, to my right was a 50-foot drop. Weighing my options, I aimed for the big maple on the cliff side, slammed into the trunk and held on for dear life. Several feet above at the top of the trail was good ole Dave Kolk laughing his head off when his feet went out and he went flying down the icy trail on his backpack bobsled. He managed to steer toward me and the tree and slammed into me and we held on for dear life. Now we’re both laughing hysterically. At this point, I think Don McNeil got a rope and tied it to trees along the trail so the rest of the group could rappel down safely. There’s no real lesson in this other than it helps to have a good laugh during times of adversity.”…Tom Lyons writes: “Jon Pirtle and I got together in Jackson Hole last summer where Jon lives. We went mountain biking, hiking, and paddle boarding in several different parts of the park. We also reminisced about the trip we took in the summer of 1983 hiking the entire Teton range from north to south with Tom Armstrong ’76 , Jen (Smith) Schiffman ’83 , David Pirtle (Proctor ’84) and Karin Clough ’83 . It was great to see Jon and his community!”… Amanda Houston reports: “Has it really been four decades? Gosh, I don’t feel that old but it certainly sounds old. So many great memories of Holderness. From the moment I arrived, (a month late, from Saudi Arabia, after recovering from a serious case of mono) to the last day. I remember the clockwork of our schedules that included chores, dining,

classes, sports or skiing, chapel, more chores, dining and homework. I can only appreciate all that structure now, as trying to create similar structure when I raised my kids at home took so much driving time and coordination. Underneath the serious regimen of why we were there (to prepare for college and strive for high SAT scores and high GPAs), there was a true sense of belonging and community. Despite being in a private boarding school, our chores kept us grounded like a family and taught us what it takes to run an operation. Chapel reminded us there is more to life than our teenage dramas. The daily sports built lifelong habits of daily movement and we were continually encouraged by staff to try electives that we loved. I remember singing with Prof. French , photography and nude drawing classes with Franz Nicolay, weekend hiking trips with Tom Armstrong , and the goofy softball games after dinner in the spring. I have been on lots of teams in 40 years, but never one with a name as outrageous as our recreation softball team, "The Heat Seeking Moisture Missiles". Trust me, as the token female, it wasn’t my idea, but I learned to go with the flow. I think we won. While there are many voices in my memories of Holderness days, the voice that comes up often is Professor Henderson in history class as he encouraged us to tell stories: “No like. No like. Don’t say like. EVER.” Of course, none of us can think of our time at Holderness without thinking of Out Back. I have been reminded how that single Out Back week has given me so much confidence over the decades. How living in nature, even briefly, teaches us about accountability, resiliency and self-determination. Now more than ever, I am reminded how important it is to get “green time” in every day and how taking moments of stillness brings some much clarity and

wisdom. For the past four decades, I have prioritized living with natural beauty surrounding me. For many of us, Holderness was our first experience living away from parents and home, testing what we could get away with without parental control and what we could handle on our own. Sneaking off campus, being dared to climb the bridge down in town, having Tait Plowden-Wardlaw carry me to bed before dorm call, when we all consumed more than we could handle. I remember the support of others when my grandfather died or when my twin sister, who was living in CA, was shipped out of country for mental health reasons and I thought I’d never see again, and how the staff and friends cradled me in support to help deal with life’s traumatic milestones behind the scenes. Joys and heartbreaks of first loves and the foundation of lifelong friendships. Yes, Whit (Rogers) Schofield , you’re still my BFF. We all grew up a lot there. Yes, Holderness was a small supportive community and while we all came from different places, with our own thing that we did or didn’t do, we were a unit... and always will be. Like a band of brothers (and sisters). I look forward to connecting with anyone when our paths may cross again. Cheers.”…As for me, Craig Westling: “It’s hard to believe we graduated 40 years ago. I often reflect fondly on my time at Holderness, which was an amazing experience that somehow wasn’t lost on my insecure-with-existential-angst teenage self. I think of how fun it was playing JV football for Mr. Hammond (the strongest man in the world!) and Mr. Brewer, who were total characters. I don’t recall if we won many games, but we sure had fun laughing at our mistakes as Hammond smoked cigars on the sideline. And Out Back was a transformative experience. Our Hagerman group was led by Will

Graham ’72 and included (to the best of my recollection) Matt Flaherty, Paula (Morrison) Simmons , Peter Wensberg , Tait Plowden-Wardlaw, Karin Clough ’83 , Ernie Milani , and Robin (Brackett) Sproule . I distinctly remember gaining confidence as the week went on and being vaguely aware that we were accomplishing something important as a team and individually. Something switched in me after that experience, like I was leaving childhood behind and choosing the adult path (a bit innocently, of course, because I’ve made lots of mistakes along the way). We also had some incredible teachers. Mr. Kesler must have watched with a bemused eye as he searched for the best in each of us so he could write college letters. And I remember explaining to Mr. Burke that I didn’t finish an essay that was due because Matt Flaherty and I had talked about life all night long. He gave me an extension without needing to know any more. It was a combination of shared experiences (many good and a few painful) with dear friends and classmates that created an educational environment that fostered learning and growth. What a journey it has been.”

1984 Out Back.

Photo credit: Suzi Weber

1984 Out Back.

Photo credit: Suzi Weber

Amanda Houston ’84, January 2024, leading Creativity Retreats and plein air painting classes in Oaxaxa, MX.

’86

Class Correspondent

Chris Zak chriszak@gmail.com

Bob Gregg writes in from Richmond, VA: After being Head of School at Green Hedges School in Vienna, VA, my family and I moved to Richmond where I’m now in my fifth year as Head at St. Michael’s Episcopal School. St Michael’s is a K-8 school of 400 students. My three daughters are all products of boarding schools (Mercersburg in Pennsylvania and Episcopal High School in Virginia).

Oldest Ellie graduated from University of South Carolina and now works for Bloomberg in NYC. Youngest Anna is a junior at Episcopal High School in Alexandria. Our middle daughter Ruby, who is a junior at Washington and Lee, was studying in Florence for

the fall semester, so my wife, Kathy, and I squeezed in a weeklong trip to visit.”…Laura (Cooper) Page writes in from Boston: “Anne Marsh Blair was back East in November visiting her family so I was able to have a quick visit with her. She left Montana at the beginning of the summer, and moved to Santa Cruz where her husband is from. I am looking forward to visiting her! My family went to Sun Valley after Christmas which was great fun but little snow. Dana Plasse ’87 hosted us for a great evening at her home in Elkhorn, and it was fun for my middle daughter, Mary ’22 , to connect with her as they are both Bucknell Bisons! My oldest daughter, Ellie ’20, graduates from Colby this spring, and we are just starting college visits with my youngest, Annie ’25.”… Geoff Bride writes in from Nashua NH: “Busy 2023 for me! I got married (Meg) and the company I work for went public (FLYX). My best to all!”

’88

Class Correspondents

Christina “Nina” (Bradley) Smallhorn nsmallhorn@me.com

It’s been a quiet response from 88ers; hopefully no news is good news and I am optimistic we’ll have a great turn out for our 35th reunion. I got a nice note from Geordie Elkins who says he is probably coming to the reunion and he shared that “it was awesome to have a trusted friend and realtor, Brett Jones , to help my daughter buy an apartment in Wilmington! Thanks for your help, Brett! It was great to reconnect. With the kids out of the house, now we can have fun. My wife, Lee, and I have been traveling a lot. I just returned from a two-week climbing trip in Ecuador. If you have the chance to go, I recommend it.”… Baja, a.k.a. Alex MacCormick , writes: “My daughter Molly graduated from USC in 2023 and is now working for the comedy touring team at LiveNation. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion.”… Matt Schonwald sent in the following: “Been happy to leave 2023 in the rearview mirror. Started the season with a trip to the Galapagos with my

Geoff Bride ’86 (far right) at the New York Stock Exchange.

Bob Gregg ’86 and wife visiting the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

daughter, a divorce and a hut trip—life never stops in the PNW! I bumped into Jen (Stewart) Crosby in Quito on her way to the Galapagos while we were on our way home! My daughter Charlotte is taking college classes. Still ski guiding with a few trips to Canada and Alaska this season. Still have two large dogs, Archer and Sadie, vying for attention and long walks!”…Brett Jones shared: “2023 was an exciting year for the Jones family. The second of our three boys set off for college, leaving us home with just one. My wife, Meredith, qualified for the ½ Ironman world championship in Lahti, Finland. I know at least one of our classmates has been there with the Nordic skiing world championship races! We took our youngest son, Cooper, with us at the end of August for the big race. Meredith had the race of her career, finishing 4 th in her age group, capping off a fantastic experience traveling with just Cooper. I am looking forward to seeing as many of the Class of ’88 as possible this May at Holderness!!!”… As for me, we officially moved to Greenville, SC in July and are LOVING it. My husband, Tom, is teaching undergrad business classes at Clemson and enjoying the challenge of a total career switch. The football games are something else, high energy and super fun—go Tigers! Greenville is a small city that has a lot to offer, great food, and close to the mountains of North Carolina. The girls, Sophie and Serena, have embraced this new chapter as well. They miss their friends in California but like the ease of getting up and down the East Coast. Sophie is a sophomore at Denison and is looking for an internship in Boston this summer (anyone?!) and Serena is starting her college search (Clemson?!). I walk the dog A LOT and am slowly making friends. Looking forward to seeing many of you at Reunion! ~Nina (Bradley) Smallhorn

’89Class Correspondent

Brad Greenwood brad@greenwoodbiz.com

Eric James writes: “Hello Holderness. I still live in Thornton, NH where my wife, Debbie, and I raised our two children.

Our kids are now out taking on the world. After nearly 28 years of full-time law enforcement service in central and northern New Hampshire, I “retired” at the end of July 2023. I ended my full-time career as a captain with the Grafton County Sheriff’s Department where I oversaw the criminal division, with many of our efforts focused and specializing in crimes against children. I celebrated my brief retirement by hiking the Swiss Via Alpina with my wife in August ’23. Upon returning from this amazing adventure, I went back to the profession as a part-time investigator with the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force where we continue to seek those who prey on our most vulnerable. It is a true honor to serve the communities around Holderness and New Hampshire. If you still have ties to the Holderness area please support my next challenge as I expect to throw my hat in the ring and seek election as sheriff in Grafton County.”…Brad Greenwood writes: “2023 is in the rear-view mirror and the Greenwood family had another great year packed with fun adventures both near and far. Cora is 15 and Charlie 13 now, and both girls are doing well and having fun wherever life takes us. Megan and I continue our journey representing Helly Hansen and Hestra here in NE which affords us a way to make a living with some nice flexibility. Right now, we are trying to spend as much time as possible at Jay Peak, VT skiing. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone who can make the reunion next May!”… Jennifer (Comstock) Reed reports: “Scott and I have been busy keeping up with our three alpine ski racing kids. Our oldest boy is skiing for Colby College, our middle child is on the Men’s U.S. Alpine D-Team, and their sister skis out of Green Mountain Valley School in VT. It’s so fun for us to ski and catch up with so many Holderness alumni at races all over the country!”…Matt Mole

Geordie Elkins ’88 climbing the mountains of Ecuador.

Matt Schonwald ’88 and Jen (Stewart) Crosby ’88 cross paths in Quito, Ecuador.

Matt Schonwald ’88 just chilling out in the snow.

shares: “Hey folks! I’ve been living in North Ferrisburgh, VT with my partner, Amy, for the last 15 years and continue to enjoy Vermont’s seasons and the outdoor activities we get to enjoy during each one. During warmer months we’re spending our time on bikes, hiking, and on our sailboat on Lake Champlain that we co-own with Tiaan and Lindley (Hall) Vanderlinde! It’s a nice way to make sure they get down from the Northeast Kingdom. Winter months are focused on skiing, when there is snow. Always seem to get a few days with Brad Greenwood up at Jay, and occasionally find myself picking a track through the Hobble Bush with other Holderness alums! The last several years I’ve enjoyed backcountry trips to British Columbia and Jackson Hole, WY where I’ve been lucky to see Ward Blanch. All of my three kids are in college as of this year. Anson (21) is a junior at Northeastern studying mechanical engineering. He has just moved back home to start an internship at Beta Technologies here in Burlington. Working on electric airplanes seems like a good choice these days! Grace (18) is in her first year at McGill in Montreal, only a few hours away, so it’s a great excuse to get up there and visit her and the city. Julia (18) is in her first year at George Washington in DC, studying international relations—a bug she caught after spending her junior year of high school living in Amman, Jordan. Happy to see them all growing as global citizens. I continue to spend as much time during summer on the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 Islands, and always happy to have visitors if you’re ever in the area! Looking forward to celebrating our 35th reunion this spring and catching up with all who make it!”… Chris Davenport writes: “Konichiwa from Japan, where I’m currently guiding ski trips for five weeks. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Kat Alfond ’90 and her family over the New Year here in Niseko. The snow has been

incredible, and of course the food and culture are great as well. I’m looking forward to visiting my youngest son Archer ’26 on campus this spring, and of course Reunion in late May. My best to everyone for a fun winter season!”… Tracy (McCoy) Gillette shares: “Had a wonderful ski weekend in Vail, CO with the Class of 1989. Loved seeing everyone and looking forward to our reunion in May.”… Amanda Black writes: “Hi, all! Am writing from the air—headed over to Cortina/Milano for a site inspection for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It has been great to see familiar names on the USSS roster this year—congrats to those athletes and their families! Work keeps me busy and often on the road. Harrison is a third former at St Paul’s this year and is loving his new adventure. We still split our time between the east and the west. Very much looking forward to seeing everyone in May. Cannot believe it’s been 35 years!!!!”

Amanda Black’s ’89 son Harrison with Lucy Lamoureux ’24.

Holderness Trustees Chris Davenport ’89 and Kat Alfond ’90 in Niseko, Japan.

Members of the class of 1989 in Vail, Colorado: Jen (Murphy) Robison, Sara (de Lima) Tansill, Tracy (McCoy) Gillette, Kim Gannett, Christy (Wood) Donovan, Sarah (Trainor) Pflaum.

Michael Erlanger ’89 (right) ran into Alex MacCormick ’88 at Vail.

Brad Greenwood ’89 with his family— Cora, Megan, and Charlie.

Jen (Comstock) Reed ’89 with her family, Brooks, Scott, Hadley and Sawyer.

Eric James ‘89 hiking on the Swiss Via Alpina.

’90

Class Correspondent

Pepper deTuro Pepper@woodwinds.biz

We received notes from Geoff Perham and Nate Beams . Both are doing well. They got together for a hockey game at Holderness. Nate Beams had also caught up with Meghan (Sheehan) Kristiansen .… Joel Nields says: He is living in Boca Raton, FL with his family. He has three boys in middle school, high school and college. They are enjoying the sunshine state and doing quite a bit of fishing.… Ren Chandler writes: Our oldest son Rees ’24 is currently doing a PG year at Holderness for lacrosse and absolutely loving it. It’s been so fun being back on campus as a dad for drop-off and parents’ weekend. Good to see David Gerasin ’91 , Rick Eccleston ’92, Chris Davenport ’89, and Bruce Barton among so many others. Holderness has been such a positive experience for Rees, he’s been to Bogota with the lacrosse team, is

working on a Habitat for Humanity house and will be going on Out Back. We’re excited to spend more time on campus this spring for lacrosse games and graduation.… Marshall Foran reports: He’s moved back east and living in central New Jersey with his wife and young child. We plan to hook up for lunch after the new year. That’s all the info I have received so far.…As for me, Pepper deTuro: All good in Princeton. Daughter Corley is coordinator of residential life at Florida Polytechnic while working on her master’s. Daughter Bailey is working in wealth management for Black Rock and spending her time between Princeton and Manhattan. Son Burke is playing hockey at Denison University and hopefully going to class. Son Locke is in fifth grade, playing lots of football and lacrosse. Hope Class of ’90 is doing well.

Pepper deTuro ’90 and Jim "Queenie" Queen ’90 spent some time on the golf course.

Pepper deTuro’s ’90 family.

’91

Class Correspondent Lex Leeming lleeming@nexphase.com ’92

Class Correspondent Nici Ash Niciash12@gmail.com ’93

Class Correspondent

Lindsay (Dewar) Fontana linds_dewar@yahoo.com

Geoff Perham ’90 and Nate Beams ’90 met to watch a Holderness hockey game.

Ren Chandler ’90 with his sons Rees ’24 and Win.

’94

Class Correspondent

Ramey Harris-Tatar rameyht@yahoo.com

Thanks to the few who heeded my plea for notes! Chris Terrien wrote: “In the midst of our fifth year here on the New Hampshire seacoast and we absolutely love living here. I’m working at Portsmouth Regional Hospital and our cardiac program is celebrating its 25th year! We usually get together with Bunge Cook on the beach in the summer. We see Eddie Pike and David “Webby” Webb occasionally too. Ryan Mullen has returned to the area—great seeing him as well! Looking forward to getting up to Holderness sometime this spring to catch a lax game!”…Travis Aldrich also wrote to say: “I am in my seventh year as the Head of School at The Peak School located in Frisco, CO. Peak is a 6–12 independent school that has a focus on personalized education and experiential learning. My wife, Sierra, works at a local public school and I have two children Denali (13) and Tyce (15) who enjoy all of the activities Colorado has to offer. Hope everyone is well.”…My team here is plugging away too. Ben is a junior in high school who loves soccer and Sam is a high school freshman who plays basketball, karate, and capoeira. I’m managing Lexington Pediatrics so I don’t get to see quite as many patients these days. Hope this finds you all well!! ~Ramey Harris-Tatar

’95

Interim Class Correspondent

Amanda (Knox) Hoffman ’96 bostonknox30@gmail.com

Chris Terrien ’94 with his daughter, Ellie (16), son Will (18), and wife Katie.

’96

Class Correspondents

Heather (Pierce) Roy Heatherbpierce@hotmail.com

Amanda (Knox) Hoffman bostonknox30@gmail.com

’97

Class Correspondent

Putney (Haley) Pyles putneypyles@gmail.com

Hi all—by the time this issue reaches our mailboxes, there will be leaves on the trees and gardens in bloom. For now, we cherish the coziness of winter. We put our youngest, Julia (almost 3), on skis for the first time two weeks ago—she lasted a good 30 minutes and loved it! I hope 2024 is off to a nice start for all. Notes were fairly quiet this time; our sole update came from Garrett Kemble: “Life’s always an adventure; I’ll share a piece of mine. Since the last reunion we bought a small farm in Hope Valley, RI. We have some goats and chickens. After that I decided I needed a more rewarding career and I am currently a rookie firefighter for the city of Woonsocket. I hope everyone is doing well and don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to play with the goats.”… Hope all of you are well. Talk to you next time, Putney (Haley) Pyles

’98

Class Correspondent

Zach Antonucci ’98 zach.antonucci@gmail.com

Hi all, Happy New Year (though you’ll be reading this in June!). There were no updates from your class this time. As a reminder, I’m helping out with the class correspondent role for your class, and if anyone is interested in stepping in, please reach out to me or Kelly van Lingen ( kvanlingen@holderness.org ).

Be well, Putney (Haley) Pyles (former ’98 temporary class correspondent)

’99

Class Correspondent

Darren Moore dmoore@holderness.org

Col. Bunge Cook ’94 and Brendan Falvey ’94 on an outing with their kiddos.

Travis Aldrich ’94, Sierra Aldrich, Tyce Aldrich, Denali Aldrich, Maple Dog ;).

Kate (Stahler) Starrett ’94 was coaching ski racing at Eldora with Jay Tankersly ’96 when they ran into Sam Bass ’94.

’00

Class Correspondent

Andrew “Sully” Sullivan MyIreland20@gmail.com

’01

Class Correspondent

Karyn (Hoepp) Jennings KarynPJennings@gmail.com

We heard from Patrick Regan who wrote: “Hi everyone, I had a busy end to the 2023 year. I retired from the US Army as a lieutenant colonel in May and changed jobs this summer. I am now a regulatory attorney for a fintech called Block, Inc. (formerly Square). I got the chance to catch up with Neal Frei ’03 in Richmond when he was visiting his brother for Thanksgiving. I’ll be taking my oldest son, Hayden, on a tour of NESCAC schools in January and I am looking forward to swinging by Holderness. I haven’t been back in more than a decade! Hope everyone is doing well.”… Jennifer Crane shared the following: About a year ago I moved from Maine to New Hampshire and now live not too far from Holderness! I’m working as development director for the Mayhew Program, a non-profit that helps at-risk boys across the state of New Hampshire through summer camp and year-round mentoring. I enjoyed seeing some familiar faces at Homecoming this year; it was especially fun running into Kerry (Douglas) Pearce ’02 and realizing we both have black labs from the same kennel in Maine!…I’m excited to share that I recently accepted a position as the Director, Marketing and Communications at Special Olympics New Hampshire. Special Olympics has been near and dear to my family’s heart as my sister, Lauren, has been an athlete for SONH for years. Otherwise, my family and I

are enjoying skiing every weekend at Ragged Mountain. My daughter, Avery, is on the ski team this year! I’ve run into several Holderness Alums there, which is always fun. Hope everyone is doing well! If you’re ever at Ragged, find me. :) ~Karyn (Hoepp) Jennings

’02

Class Correspondent Betsy Pantazelos b.pantazelos@gmail.com

Greetings everyone! It was wonderful to hear from you over the busy holiday season and hear your exciting updates. Keep them coming in the future! Things are going well for me in Reno, NV. My husband and I bought a house here this past year, but are still getting quality time on the east coast in the summer. We’ve seen so many Holderness folks in the course of the year—Ally (Keefe) Collins lives conveniently 10 houses down from us, Ariana Nicolay ’04 came to visit with her family, and we saw Joe Sampson , Christopher Nielson , and countless others when back on the east coast. I have a new job at Patagonia focused on learning and development, and it has been an exciting and welcome change for me professionally. Hope everyone’s new year is off to a great start!… Ally (Keefe) Collins writes: “We welcomed

our daughter, Harper, in August 2022 and it’s been quite the ride ever since! She’s now walking and talking, so we hope to get her on snow this spring.”… Kerry (Douglas) Pearce reports: “Life is still treating us very well in Stowe, VT and the close proximity to Holderness is an added bonus! Maddie (Rappoli) Fiumara and I had a great visit back to campus for Homecoming/ Proctor Day in November and loved showing our kids around our old stomping grounds. Looking forward to more trips in the future and hopefully we have a new generation of bulls in the making!”…Channing Weymouth writes: “In 2023, I got remarried to a fellow Middlebury alum, Matt Scheufele. We welcomed our son, Scotty, to the family in October. Scotty is now the youngest of our (combined) five children! I work in admission/ financial aid at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, coaching etc. We are in the area a lot hanging out with Rich and Kathy Weymouth , who continue to reside in the town of Holderness!”… Christopher Nielson writes: “Suni and I are excited to welcome our daughter, Astrid, to the world as of December 2023! We’re excited about our growing family and the future outdoor adventures we will have together. Auntie Betsy (Pantazelos) has already found Astrid her first bike!”

Ally (Keefe) Collins ’02 with her husband Shane and their daughter Harper.

Retired Lt. Col Patrick Regan ’01, his wife Katy and children Hayden (18), Brennan (13).

’03

Neal Frei writes: I am thrilled beyond measure to share that my beloved partner, the amazing Kieran Sequoia, and I embarked on the most enchanting journey this November in the sun-kissed lands of Portugal— where amidst the whispering olive trees and castles of Sintra, we were engaged. Our hearts, filled with joy, now eagerly anticipate saying "I do" and celebrating our wedding on New Years Eve 2024 in the land of enchantment, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Channing Weymouth’s ’02 wedding picture L to R: Oscar, Theo, Matt. Mikey, Channing, Siddie.

’04

Class Correspondent Kate (Kenly) Tith kate.tith@gmail.com

’05

Class Correspondent Brie (Keefe) Healy healy.brie@gmail.com

Nigel Malloch writes: “Wow 18 years. Man, it’s been wild. Just welcomed Indigo Skye Malloch to our home. Home birth for the third kiddo. Unreal experience and wish the best for all getting ready to have kids. Still living, surfing, and spearfishing in SoCal San

Clemente. Three kids and a border collie. Caught up with Jason Merrit the other day and chuckled about the Stoop and what a hoot we used to have on the quad. Holderness Bulls for life. Go Blue.”…Corinthia Benison shares: “I became a mom several months ago. I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Her name is DaniPearl. I am enjoying motherhood. Becoming a mother has been the happiest and most fulfilling experience of my life.”…Pete Schlech shares: “Things are great! Emily and I still live in Yardley, PA. We have a fiveyear-old girl, Ruby, and a three-yearold-boy, Michael, and are excited to announce we have another boy on the way (my parents’ 14 th grandkid!), due at the end of May. I’m a captain for Delta Air Lines, flying the Boeing 767 and 757 out of JFK airport in New York, and still in the Air Force Reserve at McGuire Air Force Base. We all made it up to New Hampshire this summer and got to see some familiar faces and poke around the campus (it looks great!)”… As for me, Brie (Keefe) Healy: My family and I live in Richmond, VT. I’m still teaching middle school students with the hopes of having a positive impact on the next generation. This winter I’ve been teaching my daughter (Lydia, 4½) how to ski around the corner at Cochran’s Ski Area, while her little brother (Elliott, 1½) loves chasing her around the house. They both love being outside no matter the weather. We spent the Christmas holiday with my whole family in Florida, including my parents, sister Ally (Keefe) Collins ’02 , her husband Shane, and their daughter, Harper (1½). I also ran into Ashley (Crook) Carlow ’04 at Shelburne Farms this fall; she lives in the area with her husband and two young kids.… Hannah Hickok writes: “I now live in Norfolk, VA with my husband and our two-year-old son, Remi, where we are loving planting roots in our

Christopher Nielson ’02 and his wife Suni with their new daughter Astrid.

Kerry (Douglas) Pearce ’02 and daughter Dylan along with Maddie (Rappoli) Fiumara ’02 and sons Sam and Pete.

Channing Weymouth’s ’02 children, Siddie (5), Scotty, and Mikey (6).

Neal Frei ’03 with his fiancée, Kieran Sequoia, in Portugal.

new community. Over the last year, I was able to catch up with Krista (Glencross) Officer ’06 and meet her new daughter Cece, as well as visit Helena Scott ’06 in Austin TX. <3”

Cousins Harper Collins (daughter of Ally (Keefe) Collins ’02) and Lydia and Elliott Healy (children of Brie (Keefe) Healy ’05).

(2).

’06

Class Correspondent

Casey Gilman clgilman5@gmail.com

’07

Class Correspondent

Taylor James taylorveronicajames@gmail.com

Matt Tomaszewski mctomaszewski@gmail.com

’08

Class Correspondents

Baird (Meem) Anderson bairdmeem@gmail.com

Jessica White

white.jessica.madigan@gmail.com

Annie Carney is happily living in Denver and going on fun adventures

with her bestie Polly Babcock .…Baird (Meem) Anderson is still loving life in Boston! She lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, Kyle, and their one-eyed, seven-pound, senior chihuahua mix they rescued in 2021. Baird has been working at Spruce Street Nursery School in downtown Boston since 2018 and is very happy there! In January, she started DJing kid birthday parties while also helping entertain the kids (doing Zumba, limbo, freeze dance, etc.)! She’s had a blast. Baird still talks to Haley Hamblin all the time and visited her in Ann Arbor in November. They explored Detroit together and visited the Motown Museum! Baird also works with Haley’s younger sister, Lily Hamblin ’15. Lots of love for those Hamblin sisters! She bumped into Annie (Hanson) Gilmore ’07 in the fall which was awesome! Baird is looking forward to another summer trip to Montana with Kyle to go fly fishing with Steve Smith ’09. Steve has an amazing fly-fishing guide business in Bozeman. Check out Stephen Smith Fly Fishing!”… Brett Phillips writes: “I still have two arms, two legs, and two Ts—life is good. My company, Create Awesomeness, is in its 10 th year of operation and going strong. I live in the Back Bay of Boston and my door is always open to any Holderness folks who want to drop in. I mourned the loss of my cat Tiger Beans in late September of 2023 and would like to dedicate this year’s class note to his paws. I’m considering getting another cat.”…Brittany Dove reports: “After 12 years in New York I suddenly moved to Las Vegas in July with my partner, Shawn. It was a last minute and quick decision—but ultimately a job offer he couldn’t refuse, and within six weeks we packed up everything we own and made the cross-country drive in four days. We have much more space than we did in Brooklyn, and hopefully having a guest room will entice everyone to come visit! Tim Regan was

Corintha Benison ’05 and her daughter DaniPearl.

Hannah Hickok ’05, her husband Jonathan and their son Remi

Nigel Malloch ’05 and his family.

Koa Sleiman, son of Lauren (Frei) Sleiman ’05 and her husband Ziad, sporting his new Holderness bib.

the first Holderness visitor; he came out in November and we went to F1. I am still working as a freelance artist and fabricator; my last project has been on exhibit in Saudi Arabia for the past year. I am also the community allies and sponsor coordinator for Horizons PBC, the longest running annual psychedelic conference and community event in the world. I have been traveling a lot for work conferences and family these last few months so I am looking forward to settling in to Vegas sometime after ski season travel is over. I bumped into Alex Escher ’09 at MJ BizCon in Vegas in November and bumped into Haley Hamblin at Burning Man in August. Rumor has it that Alex ’06 and Nick Martini were there also but I didn’t stumble upon them this time. If anyone is planning to go this year let me know and I’ll find you!”…Dan Marvin reports: “Just finished a little ski trip out in Idaho and Utah. Currently down in Miami where I will be seeing Jessie (Potter) King-Geovanis and her family. Great 2023 celebrating some Holderness graduates’ weddings— congratulations to Jack Dings ’09, Dave Grilk ’09 and Chris Grilk ’09. Looking forward to some reunion fun this summer.”…Greg Ramey shares: “I’m back in NYC and seeing all of the usual suspects! I’ve been lucky to run into many Holderness friends over the last year, coast to coast. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion this summer.”…Gretchen Hyslip says: “Hi everyone! I’m living in Portsmouth, NH for a little longer before moving back to Boston with my boyfriend, Ion. Sad to be leaving my seacoast friends and the massive Trader Joes, but I’ll be back!”…Haley Hamblin and her husband, Josh, have been living in Ann Arbor for the school year while Josh is part of The Knight Wallace Fellowship. Haley is still working for The Washington Post from Michigan. Not many Holderness alumni in Ann Arbor,

but she and Baird (Meem) Anderson obviously stay in constant contact— mostly with chihuahua memes.…Haley Wilich writes: “Hi Holderness family! I’m living in Newmarket, NH, still working in health insurance at Cobalt Benefits Group. This last year, my role shifted to focus on population health strategies. I feel very fortunate to be able to work remotely, which allows me to spend time with my mom in Mexico where she retired. I went twice in 2023 for a month each time. A bonus of that arrangement is that I’m using/ practicing my Spanish again. I’m writing this note from a plane—off on a three-week trip throughout Vietnam and Cambodia, also with my mom. Really looking forward to Reunion this summer!”… Jessica White spent a month traveling through Italy this fall and caught up with Andrew Reilly ’09 in London. She’s spending the winter skiing as much as possible while searching for her next job.…Kathryn (Cheng) Sullivan writes: “Still in Wellesley, MA with my kiddos (3 and 1). Drank some mudslides with Greg Ramey in Nantucket this past summer!”…Polly Babcock is coming up on her eighth year in Denver, still living in Capitol Hill with her dog Wiley and just a few miles down the road from her mom, Lucy. She is director of operations at an e-commerce photography studio that specializes in creating product content for outdoor brands such as The North Face, Outdoor Research, Obermeyer, Spyder, etc. She was the first hire at ShowLabs and while starting at the height of COVID in 2021, the company is almost three years old, has over 20 full time employees, and over 40 contractors in the Denver area. She mountain bikes in the summer and skins/skis the mountains in the winter with friends and family. She loves the beach and makes sure to travel several times a year to see friends, family, and enjoy some solo time.

Baird (Meem) Anderson ’08 with Haley Hamblin ’08 at the Motown Museum.

Kathryn (Cheng) Sullivan ’08 and her family.

’09

Class Correspondent

Allison (Stride) Lloyd stride.ally@gmail.com

’10

Class Correspondent

Elise (Steiner) Hacker eliseshacker@gmail.com

Earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to attend John McVeigh’s induction ceremony. What a fabulous afternoon spent connecting with old teachers, classmates (including Cecily (Cushman) Koopman ’11), meeting current students, and celebrating the new headmaster of Holderness. There’s something so incredibly

special about spending a crisp fall afternoon on the Holderness campus. I would encourage all of you—no matter the season—to try to make it back to campus for a visit, you won’t regret it. ~Elise (Steiner) Hacker

’11

Class Correspondents

Cecily Koopman cncushman@gmail.com Jamie McNulty jamcnulty20@gmail.com

Jaclyn Vernet writes: “This has been a year of excitement and change! Early in 2023 I got engaged to George Embiricos and left BLADE Air Mobility where I had worked for almost eight years. This fall I began pursuing a degree in interior design at Parsons School of Design. In my spare time, I am planning our wedding.”… Cole Phillips married Sasha (Bogdanovics) Phillips at Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake in Maine in May 2023. Many Holderness and St. Lawrence alumni were there to celebrate an unseasonably beautiful spring weekend on the lake. Cole reports, “We went to western Italy for our honeymoon and bumped into Cecily (Cushman) Koopman on a hike from Bomerano to Positano. Bulls who can’t go on vacation without getting out for a hike!”… Andrew Howe lives in Victor, ID and manages Hoback Sports in neighboring Jackson, WY.… Nat Shenton is an insurance data scientist and lives in Vermont. He is getting married to his fiancé Ashleigh Peterson in July 2024 in East Burke, VT.… Colton Ransom works and lives in New York City but comes up to Maine where he grew up to surf and ski with his friends whenever possible.…Paige Kozlowski shares: “Living in London, UK and lucky to have classmate Derek Pimentel living nearby!”…Carson

Houle writes: Ashby Sussman ’10 and I got married in Stowe, VT in September. We are enjoying living in NYC and are excited about a few fun ski trips this winter!

Olayode Ahmed ’12 and his family stopped by campus for a visit where he ran into Tobi Pfenninger.

’14

Class Correspondents

Phillips ’11 amd his wife Sasha bumped into Cecily (Cushman) Koopman ’11 on a hike in Italy.

’12

Class Correspondents

Kristina Micalizzi kmicalizzi08@gmail.com

Ian Ford lives in Jackson, WY and is a full-time fishing guide for Grand Teton Fly Fishing. In the winter months he works with Andrew Howe ’11 at Hoback Sports.…Kristina Micalizzi writes: “In celebration of Julia Potter ’s birthday, we had a miniHolderness reunion in New Orleans that included fellow Class of ’12 alums Sara Mogollon and Erica Steiner, as well as Jessie (Potter) KingGeovanis ’08 and Steve Potter ’07.

Alexandrea “Allie” Solms solmsallie@gmail.com

Mikaela Wall wallmikaela@gmail.com

Garrett Phillips is the wilderness tripping director and director of the Leadership School at Kieve Wavus Education in Nobleboro, ME. He has enjoyed putting his skills from the job program at Holderness to the test educating campers, young counselors, and students in Maine to be the best stewards of their communities and wild lands.

Pictured below is Andrew Howe ’11, Cole Phillips ’11, Ian Ford ’12, Colton Ranson ’11, Nat Shenton ’11, and Garrett Phillips ’14 at Cole’s wedding.

Cole

Lea Rice ’14 and her husbnad Kevin Kiernan, on their wedding day in June 2023.

’15

Class Correspondents

Hope Heffernan hopeheffernan@gmail.com

Jake Rosencranz jrosencranz1@gmail.com

Leah (Curtis) Rosencranz lcurtis1330@gmail.com

’16

Class Correspondent

Chris Sargent christopher.t.sargent@gmail.com

’17

Class Correspondent

Elizabeth Johansson ecjohansson17@gmail.com

Kayli Cutler writes: I am living in New York City working at Excel Sports Management as a manager across our golf and media talent divisions. I work closely with national broadcasters, creators, and athletes at the intersection of sports and entertainment to facilitate network opportunities and marketing endorsements. Notable Clients: Michelle Wie West (LPGA), Scott Hanson (NFL RedZone), No Laying Up (#1 podcast in golf), Jon Anik (UFC).… Connor Stull reports: I am living in Niantic, Connecticut and am currently employed at Johnson & Johnson. I specialize in orthopedic trauma consulting, providing valuable insight to surgeons and contributing to the advancement of medical solutions.… Elizabeth Johansson shares: Last year I had the opportunity to live in

Seville, Spain and work as an Auxiliar de Conversación (language assistant). I traveled around Europe and had some really amazing experiences. Now, I am living in Portland, ME where I am working as an inpatient pediatric nurse at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital!

’18

Class Correspondents

Stuart Clifford stugclifford@gmail.com

Bee McLaughlin writes "I am currently in my second year of teaching first grade in Anchorage, AK. I’ve decided to take a sabbatical from teaching to explore a different career path. I’m thrilled to share that I recently accepted admission to Le Cordon Bleu pastry school in Paris!"

’19

Class Correspondent

Lilly Patterson lgp011@bucknell.edu

’22

Class Correspondent

Rachel Storey rachelstorey11@gmail.com

’23

Class Correspondents

Evan Plunkett eplunkett31@gmail.com

Terry Zhu terry961616@126.com

Want to connect with your classmates? Consider becoming a class correspondent and encouraging your classmates to reconnect in the HST class notes. Contact us at alumni@holderness.org for more information. Thank you!

Students gather for the annual Senior Stones Chapel in May.

IN MEMORIAM

ADAM GEORGE ’97

It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of Adam George ’97, a revered mountain guide, loving husband, and devoted father who died tragically on April 2, 2024 in a helicopter crash while guiding clients near Verbier, Switzerland.

A native of New Hampshire, Adam, 45, discovered his love of the outdoors in the White Mountains. He began climbing at the age of 15 while a student at Holderness, and made his first ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite at 18. After graduating from Middlebury College, Adam climbed extensively in North America and the Alps, and traveled the world on expeditions to Alaska, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, India, Nepal, Norway, Thailand and Greece.

Some of his career highlights include a one-day ascent of The Nose on El Capitan, a summit of Denali, a summit of Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre in Patagonia, Argentina, guiding the north face of the Eiger and a free ascent of Moonlight Buttress in Zion National Park.

Adam was one of the most respected American mountain guides, known far and wide in this tight knit group for his incredible skill and genuine humility. He ran the guiding company Into the Mountains near the Swiss ski resort of Verbier with his wife, Caroline, also a professional alpinist and mountain guide. In addition to his wife Caroline, he leaves behind their daughter, Olivia, and numerous loved ones.

Lifelong educator and coach Robert C. Hall ’61 passed away on February 13, 2024, at the age of 81 after a life full of learning, teaching, and touching the lives of many.

A native of Ashburnham, MA, Robert’s life was one of service, dedication, and a deep love for education. His unwavering dedication to his country led him to serve in the US Army from 1965-1967 in Vietnam as an officer. Following his service, Robert embarked on a fulfilling career in education where he not only taught but inspired countless students in Jewett City, CT, and later at Cushing Academy. His passion for teaching was only paralleled by his

love for coaching basketball, football, and coordinating the ski program.

While a student at Holderness, Robert was President of Student Government, and was elected the permanent President of the Class of 1961. He also served as a class representative for the Holderness School Annual Fund, and his father, Richard R. Hall, was a trustee of the school. The Richard R. Hall Scholarship Fund, established in 1973, is awarded annually to "students or student in need who may or may not have honor grades but who are doing their best and are contributing to the betterment of the student body through their association." |

ROBERT C. HALL ’61

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Puerto Rico and Paul Washington Raymer, Jr. ’43

By Dr. Jennifer Martinez

Rican coffee. Café Alto Grande, traditionally known on the island as the “preferred coffee of the Pope” or “the coffee of kings” continues to be a staple every morning in our household, and it looks like coffee from Puerto Rico made its way into Holderness way before our time here! In a 1968 letter from the school’s director of development to Raymer’s mother, he thanks her for always sending money for the school to set up flowers in Chapel every December 12 in memory of her son. He also mentions coffee. “Mr. Judge, who you will recall is our chaplain, has selected poinsettias for this occasion. He remembers you all quite well and speaks with considerable animation about the virtues of Puerto Rican coffee which Paul used to bring back to Holderness” (AR.22.1.1). One only wonders which coffee Raymer brought to campus!

in case he left soon for war. This included the final commencement production of the Pirates of Penzance in 1943. In a document of recollections found in the school’s archives, Raymer’s late classmate, Charles K. Dodge, Jr., recalls:

“During Mr. Weld’s tenure as headmaster, brief prayers were said at morning assembly in the schoolhouse and in Livermore in the evening after dinner. A hymn was sung on both occasions and Paul or I were usually the accompanist after Mr. Rogers’ departure. Paul was but an average student, but here he was teaching Spanish and fulfilling the performance and conducting responsibilities of the music master at a time when the Armed Forces were claiming many of the Holderness faculty.”

I

n this edition of ‘From the Archives,’ we’re focusing on one of Holderness School’s earliest students from my home island of Puerto Rico: Paul Raymer, Jr. ’43. Also known as “Rico”, he was born in the capital of San Juan on 12 December 1925 and lived in Barrio Juan Domingo in Pueblo Viejo, Guaynabo. He was American but raised on the island as his father was an executive working with the Puerto Rico Railway Light & Power Company in San Juan.

At the time Raymer grew up, Puerto Rico was undergoing many changes, especially with industrial commerce, and electricity was part of an increasingly expanding agenda of the local government. Since then, some things have remained the same while others have changed drastically. Take, for instance, Puerto

Once at Holderness, it seems that Paul Raymer had some trouble adjusting to life in his second language, English. However, as our “first student instructor,” he flourished during his time at Holderness, assisting faculty member Dante Fiore in teaching his Spanish classes. Additionally, Raymer’s love of music was apparent to everyone who knew him. After Avery Rogers, the music director, was asked to serve in WWII, he instructed Paul how to conduct his responsibilities

Unfortunately, Raymer passed away in a tragic aircraft accident when the plane he was piloting collided with high-tension wires in Puerto Rico in 1947. His memory survives in one of our beautiful stained-glass windows in the Chapel of the Holy Cross—a window his parents gave “in memory of a guy who passed his happiest years at Holderness”. It seems fitting that this is reflected in the chosen subject to remember him: Saint Francis of Assisi and praying angels below. |

Paul Raymer, Jr. 1943 Yearbook. Reference Collection, Holderness School Archives.

A stained glass window (right) honors Raymer in the Chapel of the

Holy Cross on campus.

Students observe a near-total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. While portions of northern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine observed a total solar eclipse, the moon blocked 98.32% of the sun over campus. Photo by Dr. Carlos Villafane.