Remembering Dr. Vanderlyn Pine ’55

Many alumni have done remarkable service to Northwood, perhaps none more so than Dr. Vanderlyn Pine ’55, an eloquent, witty and wise trustee. His leadership leadership and work with Head Ed Good left his lasting imprint on the School. For this tribute, an old classmate and fellow board member, Gary Green ’55, and Ed offer their memories of Van.

Gary tells of his time together with Van as a student and, much later, as a fellow board member:

“I met Van on the first floor of Northwood’s West Wing in 1952. We were fifteen-year-old sophomores. He was one day younger than I, and we joked about the coincidence many times over our long friendship. I recall that Van was an early riser. To avoid waiting tables (In those days students had two-week assignments at tables of eight students and a teacher; all except the waiters wore ties and jackets), Van cannily took the role of waking the waiters. Van excelled in the classroom and was an eager athlete, our football center and hockey goalie.

I often visited his house in New Paltz when we were students. His mother smothered us with good food, including my first pizza. Our mothers lived to 106 and 102 respectively. After we left Northwood, he to Dartmouth and I to RPI, we stayed in touch with occasional phone calls and visits. When Van was a sophomore in Hanover, his father died and he left to take over his father’s funeral business. He later completed his Dartmouth degree and earned a Ph.D from NYU before becoming a sociology professor at SUNY New Paltz and a prolific author.

Van joined the Northwood Board in the mid-80s and asked me to join about two years later. Over the years, he, Ed Good and I worked closely together on planning and development of facility upgrades for the School. In the next few years, $15,000,000 was raised, and many projects were completed as the student body grew from about 140 to 170.

In 2021, Van developed health issues. About a week before he died last November, I had lunch with Van and his companion Lorry, and we reminisced about our time as students and Board members. I miss him greatly.”

Ed Good talks of his collaboration with Van, who served as Board Chair during Ed’s tenure:

“Van Pine enrolled at Northwood in 1951 and remained deeply involved with the School until his passing — an incredible span of seventy years. A Northwood alumnus, a Northwood parent, and a Board member from 1985-2021 and Board Chair from 1996-2016. I rather doubt that anyone associated with the School served with a greater love for his alma mater over such a lengthy period.

We all knew Van as bright, articulate, sociable and funny. As a trustee, Van wanted to be informed of the most mundane of school happenings, and we agreed right off that there would never be any surprises between us and that we would build a partnership founded on trust. As Board Chair, Van was keenly interested in and involved with the New York and National Associations of Independent Schools. It mattered to Van that the School complied with all standards: he was an active participant in all of the School’s recurring accreditations.

He was fully invested in the strategic plan that led to the comprehensive renovation of the School’s buildings and grounds. He also led the Board to improve faculty salaries and benefits, helping us attract and retain the best and brightest minds. All the while, Van collaborated on institutional fundraising and assisted in balancing the School’s budget for eighteen consecutive years.

I knew no finer independent school trustee in my 42 years in the school business. There is no doubt as to Van Pine’s legacy of dedication and commitment to his family and his beloved Northwood.”

Roger Loud

1938–2022

Beloved teacher and colleague Roger Loud passed away on April 29. A brilliant and witty teacher of mathematics, Roger joined Northwood’s faculty after a distinguished career as Head of North Country School. Beyond the classroom, he was a celebrated climber, card player, and square dance caller. He leaves behind his wife Pat and four children: David, Jennifer, Patrick ’99 and Brigit ’00. A full tribute was published on Northwood’s Facebook page in May.