Class Notes

CLASS NOTES

1943

“I could not help but notice that Class Notes in the summer 2019 issue began with the Class of 1947,” writes Bill Gehron. “So I thought I’d put in a plug for my Class of 1943.” Bill notes that his book Ramble: A Memoir, published in 2010, devotes pages 107 to 125 to his time at Loomis. “A great school — and your magazine shows it continues to be,” he adds.

1949

Albert Hurwit reports on the performance of his Symphony No. 1, “Remembrance,” by the Palm Beach Symphony with guest conductor Michael Lankester on January 31. The symphony, which was awarded first place in the American Composer Competition in 2009, was inspired by the history of Albert’s ancestors, who fled from Russia to the United States at the turn of the 20th century. “Its story is timeless,” Albert notes. “For centuries, the persecution of various ethnic groups has forced younger generations to separate from their elders in order to seek safety and freedom in foreign lands, and that story continues today.”

1950

Dick Murphy sends this update from Leisure World of Maryland, an active retirement community in Silver Spring, Md., where he and his wife, Luda, have lived for the last 13 years. “Fortunately, we are blessed with good health and still able to travel,” he writes. “In 2016, we took a Rhine River cruise from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, after spending a week in Switzerland. In 2018, we took a 10-day Tauck trip to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City. Last summer, we spent two delightful weeks in Baden-Baden, Germany, a charming town known for its mineral baths and outstanding cultural institutions.” He adds, “I still have fond memories of Loomis and am grateful for the superb education I received there.”

ABOVE: Dick Murphy ’50.

1957

George O. Schneller IV turns 80 this year and still teaches one or two math courses each semester. “It’s Calc III this semester,” he writes. “This week I show them one of my favorites: power series e^(iπ) + 1 = 0.”

1962

Our condolences go out to Alison Schuchard Forbes on the loss of her husband, Jim, who passed away on September 17, 2019, after a 12- year battle with cancer. “He will be missed as a husband, father of three, grandfather of nine, physician, and friend to many,” she writes.

1963

Stephen Dahl has written a new book, Harry and the Madman: A Mayhem & Murder Mystery, part of the Harry Saybrook Mysteries series. The independently published book is available in paperback or on Kindle.

1975

Bob Bannon and his wife, Lisa, spent two weeks in Australia and New Zealand at the end of last year, taking the opportunity to travel Down Under when they picked up daughter Shelby Bannon ’15 at the end of her college senior spring semester in Sydney, Australia.

Bob Bannon '75 and daughter Shelby Bannon '15 in Sydney, Australia

1979

After 27 years with the National Institutes of Health’s Office of the Director as a policy analyst and subject matter expert on accessibility information and communication technology, Gary M. Morin has been selected to serve as the Section 508 coordinator of the National Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health’s and the country’s premier research institutions and research funders. Gary will help ensure that all digital content and other information and communication technology is accessible to people with disabilities, including both employees and members of the public. “I’m incredibly excited to start this new stage of my career,” Gary writes. “On the home front, I continue to celebrate my granddaughter Penelope (Penny), who’ll be 3 this May.”

Penelope, granddaughter of Gary M. Morin '79

1980

After 30 years in banking and financial services, Alan Klibanoff retired in July 2019 to become a full-time professor of finance at Grand Canyon University. The change gives Alan more time to spend with his 2-yearold granddaughter, train for marathons and Ironman triathlon events, and enjoy summers in California. Alan was looking forward to returning to the Island this year for his 40th Reunion, now postponed to 2021.

1981

San Diego Deputy District Attorney Mary-Ellen Barrett Evans was one of nine prosecutors nationwide recently chosen to serve on the National District Attorney Association National Human Trafficking Advisory Board. The group will assist Tanzanian prosecutors by providing strategic and legislative guidance. “I am very humbled and excited to work with the Tanzanian prosecutors for the benefit of the victims and survivors of trafficking in Tanzania and in the United States,” Mary-Ellen shares.

Mary-Ellen Barrett Evans '81

1996

A new and revised edition of SinceI Moved In, a book of poems by Trace Peterson, who was known as Timothy Peterson at Loomis Chaffee, was published in 2019 by Chax Press. The new edition features an introduction by poet and critic Joy Ladin.

2008

Patrick Meggers shares the happy news of his marriage to Katherine Gent on August 31, 2019, in Newport, R.I. The couple lives in Stamford, Conn., and Pat recently started a new job in New York City with DAZN.

CHAFFEE BOOK CLUB

Attendees included: (front) Sue Fisher Shepard ’62, Katie Cox Reynolds ’45, Jenefer Carey Berall ’59, Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Priscilla Ransom Marks ’66, Betsy Mallory MacDermid ’66, Beverley Earle ’68, and Lynn Hayden Wadhams ’61; and (back) discussion leaders Kate Saxton and Jessica Hsieh ’08, Jane Torrey ’67, Kate Butterworth Valdez ’67, and Kathy Kerrigan ’68.

The winter gathering of the Chaffee Book Club on February 19 was led by a duo of English teachers, Kate Saxton and Jessica Hsieh ’08, who facilitated discussion of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. With good food, stimulating conversation, and Chaffee camaraderie, it was another successful event.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE Send your news to us!

Email the Class Notes editor at magazine@loomis.org to share news with classmates and friends. High-resolution photographs are welcome; please clearly identify all people.

Michael Petroni contributed to the series “Polluter’s Paradise,” published by ProPublica, about the growth of the petrochemical industry in Louisiana and the inadequacy of the state’s environmental regulatory response. Michael helped the reporting team to model potential toxic releases from planned petrochemical manufacturing facilities. Michael is a Ph.D. candidate in environmental and natural resources policy at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry.

For a link to the ProPublica series, visit www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

2012

Taylor Low and Stephen Picard ’13 were wed on September 28, 2019, in Longmeadow, Mass. “Having met in Phyllis Grinspan’s sophomore year English class, Stephen and I had the pleasure of sharing our special day with some of our fellow Loomis alums,” Taylor writes. The couple live in Longmeadow.

2015

For news of Shelby Bannon, read her father’s class note under the Class of 1975.

Class of 1972 friends Bill Foley, Chris Wallace, Carlo Cella, and Dave Flynn gathered at Loomis Chaffee on February 1 for the boys varsity hockey game against Andover, a 4-1 win for the Pelicans. “We might not have been the youngest Pelican fans in the crowd, but we were certainly among the most enthusiastic,” Chris says.

’04

Zoe Mindell Abrams ’04 and her husband, David, show off their adorable newborn daughter, Deborah Leah Abrams, who was born on January 24 in Philadelphia, Pa., and joins big sister Evie, 2.

’12

Fellow Pelicans helped to celebrate the wedding of Taylor Low ’12 and Stephen Picard ’13 on September 28, 2019, in Longmeadow, Mass.: Peter Falsey ’12, Zachary King ’12, Stephen, Taylor, Molly Pitegoff ’12, and Luke Stone ’12. Attending but not pictured were Jamol Lettman ’12 and Vijay Mansukhani ’12.

Franci Vinal Farnsworth ’69

I wanted to do something special in honor of my 50th Chaffee Reunion. I wanted to be able to give at a leadership level, and giving a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) was the best way for me to do so. I had learned about the concept of a CGA partly from my mother, who had contributed one to her alma mater. I am now taking a part of my inheritance from my mother and gifting it to Loomis Chaffee in a similar way. Giving a CGA allows me to move assets that were making very little interest, continue to receive a revenue stream during my lifetime, and feel good that Loomis Chaffee will receive the contribution someday. I am thrilled that my CGA will play a part in the establishment of The Chaffee ’69 Leadership Fund, which was established by members of my class on the occasion of our 50th Reunion in 2019. I owe more to Chaffee than I do to my college: As a student at Chaffee, I felt validated and comfortable with myself as a girl who loved to learn. I was surrounded by classmates and friends who appreciated academic discussions. As a student at Chaffee, I learned how to write. I am so happy to commit to a gift that will someday help current Loomis Chaffee female students.

interested in gift planning?

Join The John Metcalf Taylor Society For more information, please contact Associate Director of Development Heidi E.V. McCann ’93 at 860.687.6273 or heidi_mccann@loomis.org.

SAVE THE DATE June 2 nd & 3 rd CAN WE COUNT YOU IN?

Your gifts help provide an exceptional experience for all current and future Pelicans.

STAY ENGAGED UPCOMING EVENTS

SUNDAY, MAY 31

PELICANS AT THE BALLPARK Hartford Yard Goats vs. N.H. Fisher Cats 1:10 p.m. game Dunkin' Donuts Park

SATURDAY, JULY 11

PELICANS AT THE BALLPARK Hartford Yard Goats vs. Harrisburg Senators 6:10 p.m. game Dunkin' Donuts Park

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

PELICANS AT THE BALLPARK Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees 4:05 p.m. game Fenway Park

As this publication goes to press, these events are still scheduled to take place. To check on the events, find out more, or register, visit www.loomischaffee.org/alumni or email michelle_carr@loomis.org.

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