alumni ClassNotes 1943 Art Kingsbury writes, “Best news I have is that I’m still around at 94! Hope the Academy has a great year!”
1951 Ray Handfield is still conducting the Callanwolde Concert Band. A June 3rd concert honored all military service members and included Morton Gould’s “West Point Symphony.”
60th Reunion 1952 Bert Barton writes, “I retired from Union Carbide, Dow Chemical, in 2001 after 37 years. Diana and I now live in Westborough, Massachusetts, near three of our four children and three Bert Barton ’52 grandchildren, who live within 25 miles. Diana retired after 50 years as a registered nurse. We both are members of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Westborough and are very involved in many church boards and groups. We travel to Naples, Florida, for February and March each year, but return in early March so I can do some spring skiing in New Hampshire. Soon I will be able to ski for FREE. At LA, I remember smoking in the area outside Waters House, driving Mr. Grant’s car on errands for him, and having Mrs. Grant (Catherine) be like a mother to me and keep me on the correct path. She remained a close friend to both of us until she passed away a
few years ago. We always called Mrs. Grant. Many thanks to Bob Shepherd and others for guiding me to Bowdoin College Class of 1956. I served as 1st Lt. in the US Army, Ranger Airborne during the Korean War.” Bob Kessler “Currently I split my time between Florida and Massachusetts. I continue to work and am now involved in my son's business. I truly enjoy the day-today connection I have with our future and current customers. I have great positive remembrances of Lawrence Academy. Even though I do not have continuous contact with all of my classmates, I particularly enjoyed Gerry Silverstain ’52, Jack Whittier ’52, Connie Michel ’52, Phil Tierney ’52, Larry Chester ’52, Ed Hunt ’52, Fred Nickerson ’52 , Nils Larson ’52, and most recently Reid Wiseman ’52. I also have positive memories of all of our masters. I look forward to seeing you at the reunion.” Doc Murphy taught in Florida for four years and in South Carolina for 26, retiring in 1994 from Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, as a Professor Philip Tierney ’52 Emeritus. He lives in Florida for the winter and in Maine for the summer. He writes that he likes to “fish, bike, walk, drink whiskey, read, and gamble on horse races. Mr. Arthur Ferguson was my favorite teacher. He was my inspiration to go to college at age 26 years, eight years after leaving LA. Mr. Ferguson was truly a remarkable human being.”
Class of 1962: L–R: Jim Sokolove ’62, Jeff Simmons ’62, Ken MacAuley ’62 (P ’87, ’88, ’91), Stephen Jones ’62, Jim Harley ’62, former faculty Richmond Baker (P ’74), Rod Eaton ’62, Edi Baker (P ’74) and former faculty George Peabody (P ’84, ’86, ’88) ACADEMY JOURNAL / FALL 2012
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1960 Elliott Zide has retired as a Fitchburg judge after 26 years on the bench. He did not want to leave, but at age 70, he has to under Massachusetts General Law. In a recent interview he stated that what judges primarily do is meddle in people’s lives. He went on to say that you must have good reason to do it and be very careful how you do it. As he is quoted in the Sentinel and Enterprise, “A judge’s role is to make fair and impartial judgments free from influence and bias in a deliberative way.” Elliott was a notable debater while at LA. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Duke University in 1964 and worked as a chemist in a paper company in Fitchburg for a year before going to Boston University to study law. He graduated and passed the bar exam in 1968. After working at small law offices in Boston and Gardner, he opened his own law firm in Fitchburg in 1971 and became a judge in 1986. Daughter Shanna Zide graduated from LA in 1991.
50th Reunion 1962 Jim Sokolove became the class scribe for this reunion. He and Ken MacAuley gathered a wealth of information from many of their classmates. Many thanks to both of them for all of their efforts.
Jim Sokolove ’62
Derek Brown lives near Berkeley and works in sales in the wine industry. He is a political activist and enjoys outdoor hiking. He has three children and his oldest daughter is getting married this summer. Mike Chase received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was the director of operations for Harris Corp. in the Information Systems Division and then ran operations for several high-tech start-ups until 2007. Mike then started his own small business running recreational adult ice hockey activities—NH Redline Hockey LLC. He has a wife, three sons, one daughter, and 15 grandkids. Mike’s two sons attended Lawrence Academy, Steven Chase ’93 and Andrew Chase ’94.
