Loomis Chaffee Magazine Summer 2023

The Meadows were under water for much of July — the wettest July on record in the Greater Hartford area.

This page: Seven seniors share their stories on the eve of their graduation. Chemistry teacher Koby Osi-Mensah keeps a few atoms on his desk. John Rogers ’67 and his wife, Nancy, pose at Rogers Orchard. A Philip Little painting donated to the school nearly 100 years ago.

Cover: John Rogers ’67

Seven members of the Class of 2023 share highlights of their respective Loomis Chaffee journeys.

The Fruits of Their Labor

There is something about Rogers Orchards that takes root in you. Just ask the family members who came back to work the land.

EDITORIAL & DESIGN TEAM

Lynn A. Petrillo ’86

Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing

Mary Coleman Forrester

Interim Managing Editor

Becky Purdy Managing Editor

Kelley Albert

Senior Graphic Designer

Jeff Otterbein

Obituaries Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

Heidi E.V. McCann ’93

Jeff Otterbein

Karen Parsons

Tim Struthers ’85

Deidre Swords

George (Koby) Osei-Mensah’s desk teaches us something

PHOTOGRAPHY

Kelley Albert

Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies

Andris Briga

Nicole Bushey

Defining Studios

Megan DuPlessis

Stan Godlewski

John Groo

Thomas Honan

Makhala Lynn Huggins

Catherine Johanna Photography

Jeff Otterbein

Lynn Petrillo

Cloe Poisson

Jessica Ravenelle

Facebook (@loomischaffee)

Twitter (@loomischaffee)

Instagram (@loomischaffee)

LinkedIn (The Loomis Chaffee School)

A Season to Read

by Sheila Culbert

Piles of new books lie by my bed, on my chair, on my desk, and in the “cloud” (my collection of unread ebooks and yet to be listened to audiobooks). The books are all over the place, but in my mind all of them— physical and electronic—fall into one of five categories, all competing for equal attention. They are the books I have to read, the books on birds, the books that I bought for my husband, Richard, and who is now insisting that I also read them, the beach books I want to read, and the books that I am currently reading but that need to be finished so that I can move on to the other categories.

Every year, we choose a school theme (this year it is the Wonders of the Natural World) and a book to go along with it. The book can be fiction or nonfiction, but it needs to appeal to a broad range of readers aged anywhere from 14 to 60+ years and must help stimulate cross-campus conversations related to the theme. This year’s selection is An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong. In the book, he talks about the interconnectedness of life on Earth, while also exploring the myriad ways animals sense the world with chapters on “Ways of Seeing,” “Pain,” and “Magnetic Fields.” After reading the chapter on “Smells and Tastes,” I found myself being much more patient with my two dogs, Zoe and Gracie, on their daily walks around campus, allowing them more time to sniff and smell and explore and enjoy the full olfactory experience that I (fortunately?) do not experience. In other chapters, the author details the migration of monarch butterflies, how the star-nosed mole navigates its world through touch, and the ways in which owls use their powerful hearing to precisely pinpoint their prey. The book is a delight, and I am excited that Mr. Yong will come to campus in the fall to speak at an all-school assembly.

The second must-read book for this summer, Suzanne Nossel’s Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All, is the required reading for all faculty. As we head into another season of presidential campaigning (did it ever stop?), it is vital that we as the adults in the community are nuanced and sophisticated in the ways in which we approach issues of free speech. As a school we are committed to enrolling students from a multitude of backgrounds and experiences, and we strive to create a community where students and faculty embrace the robust exchange of ideas and perspectives and where engaged citizenship is a given. Ms. Nossel, the CEO of PEN America, provides great advice and

thought-provoking suggestions on how exactly we can continue to ensure that our on-campus community is respectful of and open to a range of ideas in an increasingly divisive national environment.

While I will need to reread and refresh my memory of both books before the school years starts, I also found time for those other piles. By early July it had already been a productive summer. I started with The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, in part to motivate me to start decluttering in preparation for the big move next year, and The Birdwatcher by William Shaw, a mystery set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and the Kentish coast in England, which I loved. Then there was Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, an author particularly popular with many Loomis Chaffee students. The main protagonist is particularly unlikable, so that posed a challenge, but it was thought provoking and fast paced.

On the docket for the second half of the summer was Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle, one of Richard’s favorite recent books of the summer so far (whose female protagonist, he tells me, is so likeable); Those Who Forget: My Family’s Story in Nazi Europe by Géraldine Schwarz, the History Department’s recommended read; Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, a much-recommended beach book; and The Wife of Bath: A Biography by Marion Turner, the J.R.R. Tolkien Professor of English Literature and Language at the University of Oxford. I have been intrigued by the Wife of Bath since I first encountered her in Geoffrey Chaucer’s prologue in my own high school years. Finally, of course, there are the bird books; I am especially looking forward to Jennifer Ackerman’s What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds. So many books, so little time!

A Day to Remember 107th Commencement

Senior Nathan Ko stood at the podium surveying classmates who were looking at him in anticipation of what he might say on this important day, May 28, Loomis Chaffee’s 107th Commencement.

Four nights earlier, he was in the Black Box Theater in the Nichols Center for Theater and Dance, performing a play he had written for his Senior Project called “Some Jazz Was Playing,” and now Nathan was singing the praises of his fellow graduates as the class speaker.

“The main reason why this class is full of winners is not because of the titles we hold, but rather the type of people we are. Ever since my freshman year, I’ve always felt that our class was special in its friendliness,” Nathan told the 203 graduates, 10 of them children or grandchildren of alumni.

Nathan recalled how the seniors supported one another in all areas of campus life. He reflected on graduating from not just any high

school, but Loomis Chaffee, where education enables students to ask “provocative and probing questions and attempt to answer them profoundly.”

Nathan and the other speakers addressed the Class of 2023 in the dappled sunlight of the traditional Commencement location overlooking the Farmington River and flanked by the Loomis Family Homestead

and the Head of School’s House, where the peonies had popped and the rhododendrons were in full color. Before the ceremony, the graduating class had processed from Grubbs Quadrangle and through Founders Hall before settling into their seats. Duncan MacLean ’90, chair of the Board of Trustees, provided the greeting and Pastor Ryan Heckman the benediction.

In her remarks, Head of School Sheila Culbert reminded the graduates that with the privilege of a Loomis Chaffee education “comes a responsibility to live your lives with purpose — to think of others, to care about those less privileged, and to be good citizens.”

Commencement Speaker Fred Seebeck, a faculty member from 1983 to 2020, echoed those sentiments by quoting theologian John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Top: Commencement Speaker Fred Seebeck greets members of the Class of 2023 on the Senior Path. Above: Members of the Class of 2023 with alumni family members: (front) Seniors Sam Tishler, Zoe Alford, Kinsey Kranjcec, OIiver Vulliez, Sam Kurian, Jaelyn Walsh, Mattie McCann, Grace Coyne, Kate Stevenson; and (back) Mia Griffiths ’20, Emma Tishler ’20, Darren Tishler ’89, Skip Alford ’64, Ethan Alford ’20, Sterling Roper-Kranjcec ’89, Martin Vulliez ’90, Andrew Kurian ’87, Carol Toppin Walsh ’63, Heidi Erdmann McCann ’93, Emily Brown Coyne ’88, Lisa Johnson Stevenson ’88, David Stevenson ’88

Part of the mission of Loomis Chaffee is to strive to be your best self and serve the common good, and part of being able to do that comes from taking care of yourself. To that end, Sheila urged the graduates to seek out the natural world. “There is a lot of evidence for the healing power of nature,” she said. “A walk in the woods, or along the beach, a hike in the hills, time spent outside can make you happier. As Henry David Thoreau put it so perfectly, ‘Heaven

is under our feet as well as over our heads.’”

In closing, Sheila invited the graduates to return. “We will always be thrilled to see you,” she said. A walk around the Loop, a visit to the Meadows, a glance at the river might be what the doctor ordered.

Nathan left his classmates with a challenge. “When I was preparing to write the end of this speech I wanted to include a profound

quote, and I realized that there’s nothing better or wiser I could do than include words from a truly spectacular teacher: [English teacher Will] Eggers. During rehearsals for Cabaret, Dr. Eggers would continue to repeat this one reminder: ‘Make a memory, every day.’”

A memory — more than one — had been made on this day.

Commencement

and Class Night Prizes

THE

LOOMIS FAMILY PRIZE

Alessandro Mocciolo

Awarded to the first scholar of the graduating class.

THE CHARLES HENRY AND MARY CHAFFEE WILLCOX PRIZE

Quan Le

Awarded to the second scholar of the graduating class.

THE AMMIDON PRIZE

Sofia Mansilla

Awarded by the faculty to a student of the graduating class who has made an outstanding commitment to the common good through concern for others, both on and off the Island.

THE FLORENCE E. SELLERS PRIZE

Ignacio Feged

Awarded to a student of the graduating class whom the faculty has judged to have the characteristics of Mrs. Sellers: a quest for excellence, self-discipline, and a concern for others.

THE JENNIE LOOMIS PRIZE

Kirsten Lees

Through this prize, the faculty recognizes a student in the graduating class for outstanding contributions to the school community.

THE BATCHELDER PRIZE

Samantha Tishler

Sculptor Evelyn Longman Batchelder designed the medallion through which the faculty recognizes a student within the graduating class for industry, loyalty, and integrity.

FACULTY SELLERS PRIZES

Inari Barrett and Emily Khym

Given by the faculty in recognition of personal achievement and service to the school community.

Above: (front) Emily Khym, Samantha Tishler, Ignacio Feged, Alessandro Mocciolo, Quan Le, Inari Barrett, Sofia Mansilla, Kirsten Lees; (back) Trustees Martin Vulliez ’90 and Unsoo Kim; Director of Studies Timothy Lawrence; Interim Dean of Faculty Adnan Rubai; Trustee John “Temp” Keller ’94; Religious Life Coordinator Ryan Heckman; Head of School Sheila Culbert; Commencement Speaker and former faculty member Fred Seebeck; Trustees Jonathan Kelly ’81, Marc Rubenstein ’82, and Pauline Chen ’82; Chair of the Board of Trustees Duncan MacLean ’90; and Trustee Fridolf Hanson ’85

Reunion Weekend An Experience for the Mind, Body, and Soul

Bill Sullivan grew up in Windsor, Conn., a four-year student from the Class of 1953. He returned home for Reunion on June 9–11, where, among other activities, he had the honor of leading the Parade of Classes through campus to the Grubbs Quadrangle for lunch on Saturday.

A short time later he sat under a tent in Rockefeller Quadrangle for the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’s panel discussion and Q&A with students, just one of the many events on campus during Loomis Chaffee’s Reunion Weekend. “My mind will never shut off. Can’t help it,” Bill says. “The day I die it

will, but that’s it.” Like so many Loomis Chaffee alumni, Bill is a lifelong learner.

He also was one of approximately 600 people who attended Reunion Weekend, where there were new things to learn, friends to see, memories to be shared,

First Row (left to right): Johnny MacRonald, Susan Brady Miles, Cynthia Dodd Walls, Gina Arons, Tally Tripp, Lisa Vogel, Paula Kasler, Susan Bernhart Scott, Peter Labau, Nina Savin Scott, Wendy Cohn Termini, George Brown, Joanne Ball Artis, Peter Kern, Steve Russell Middle Row (left to right): Phil Van Wyck, Bob Litter, Pete Anderson, Connie Packard Kamedulski, Jacqueline Harris, Sheila House, Phyllis Halpern, Lucy Lonning, Steve Tufty, Cecil Prescod, Steve Cohen, Jib Chapman, Ben Dobbin, Jay Wiener Back Row (left to right): Doug Arnold, Ben Warren, Mark Underberg, Rob Kohl, Jeff Hurwitt, Carey Bartram Meltzer, Jill Wawro Weatherhead, John Rubinow, Jay Fisher, Chuck Schwartz, Harry Broadman, Pam Valentine, Darcie Cashman Watson, Bill Rowland, Ed O’Connell

dancing to be done, and even a little bit of magic. Many of the weekend’s activities were led by alumni, including an early morning yoga and meditation session with Nancy Covello Murray ’83. Bill English ’78 and former faculty member Mat DeNunzio discussed the Federal Reserve and current monetary policy. A screening of a documentary about Chesley Bonestell was hosted by the producer, director, and writer of the film, Douglass Steward Jr. ’68. Cecil Prescod ’73 officiated the annual Remembrance of Alumni service in Founders Chapel. And Search Committee Co-Chair Rachel Kort ’78 and committee and faculty member Courtney Jackson presented a Head of School Search update.

With Reunion, of course, comes a lot of reflection, which was the name of the game at a panel discussion entitled “The Times They Are A-Changin’” about what the school — and the world — was like in the late ’60s into the early ’70s. Karen Parsons, Loomis Chaffee’s archivist and a history teacher, moderated the discussion that included Susan Brady Miles ’73, Bill Rowland ’73, Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Kitty Johnson Peterson ’72, and Nat Follansbee. (See the story about the discussion on page 10.)

Head of School Sheila Culbert hosted a 50th Reunion reception for the Class of 1973 on Friday and the Reunion Leadership Reception on Saturday. She took interested alumni birding early Saturday morning and then gave a State of the School presentation later that day. For sports enthusiasts there was a golf tournament, Frisbee golf, a lacrosse game, and tennis round robin. And Chaffee alumnae gathered for their annual breakfast at the

Sill House. Late night burgers on Friday and s’mores on Saturday offered a special treat at the end of each day.

In a weekend filled with great activities, one of the highlights was a performance by Gerard Senehi ’78, a mentalist, mind reader, and motivational speaker, who thrilled the audience Saturday afternoon. Who knows how he did what he did. His website says he pushes the edge of what is possible, fitting for a school such as Loomis Chaffee that is doing the same. And has been seemingly forever.

As Bill remembered fondly, “I had instructors here who were absolutely fabulous at stimulating the mind to start thinking — and thinking differently.”

Below (left to right): The Parade of Classes traverses The Way from Ratté Quadrangle to Grubbs Quadrangle; Spencer Julian, Julian Snyder, Eli Allick, all class of 2018, on the dance floor; Callista DeGraw ’18 and Abby Forrester ’18 reconnect; alumni and their families enjoy another great meal under the Grubbs tent; Lu Cascio ’53; Josh Sussman, Phil Shannon, Rowan Rice, all class of 2013, share a laugh.

First Row: Steve Matzie, Norell Hall Liddell, Rachel Kort, Devon Suozzi, Casey Ryan, Andrew Wiechmann Second Row: Malcolm Brown, Jesse Smith, Megan Rath, Nehal Harley, Megan Gremelspacher Swindal, Nell Solley, Dede Dixon Arnold, Darcy Pulitzer Goldstein, Scott Kilpatrick Back Row: Ben Williams, Erich Mühlanger, Valerie Rose Belanger, Dan Marchetti, Stephen Owens, Jesse Sugarman, Sam Huleatt, Dan O’Reilly, Rory O’Halloran, Torrey Thompson, John Guill, Rob Turner, Matt Abramson, Connor Kriegel, Tom Casey, Brian Mylod

The Times They Certainly Were A-Changin’

Memories, laughter, and applause filled the Nichols Center for Theater and Dance on June 10 as a panel of alumni took to the NEO stage to share their experiences of Loomis and Chaffee and the newly merged school of the early 1970s.

The aptly named “The Times They Are A-Changin’” panel discussion was held during Reunion Weekend and coincided with the 50th Reunion celebration for the Class of 1973, the first class of Loomis-Chaffee graduates to celebrate this reunion milestone.

Kitty Johnson Peterson ’72, Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Susan Brady Miles ’73, and Bill Rowland ’73 engaged in a fascinating discussion moderated by Karen Parsons, Loomis Chaffee archivist and history teacher. Bob Hurwit ’53, who was a Trustee for 33 years beginning in 1971, was scheduled to join the discussion but was unable to make it at the last minute so Nat Follansbee, associate head for external relations, stood in and shared thoughts that Bob had forwarded.

To set the stage for the discussion, Karen gave some historical context. The Loomis Institute was founded as a school for boys and girls. The Girls Division closed in 1923, reopened off the Island in 1925, and then was

“We were all day students [at Chaffee] and they [Loomis] were day and boarding, so we had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country. I think that was a fantastic advantage to having both here.

Top: A day of remembrance, reflection

renamed the Chaffee School in 1927 with the move to the Palisado campus. The Loomis Institute Board of Trustees governed both Chaffee and Loomis.

In 1967 a small group of Trustees, President of The Loomis Institute Frank Grubbs, and architect Hideo Sasaki met at Winrock, the Arkansas ranch of Trustee Winthrop Rockefeller ’31, to talk about challenges facing both schools. One of those challenges was the need for significant upgrades to both schools’ libraries, but the endowment would struggle to fund two first-class libraries. The decision at that meeting was to move the Chaffee School to a new building on the Island that would open in 1970. Among other things, the move would enable the schools to share a library, known today as the Katharine Brush Library, which also opened that year.

Of course, bringing the two schools onto one campus brought challenges and opportunities at a time when the United States and the world had its own challenges. “The war in Vietnam was huge, kind of a cloud over the school the whole time,” remembers Bill. “In some ways the school was isolated and protected from the war, but in other ways people were very aware what was going on. People thought about it all the time.”

All these years later, Anne remembers a particular response to the times. “It was a time when everyone was serious about what was going on in the country and the world. I remember one thing: We didn’t want to have a prom,” Anne shared. “It was too frivolous for us to think about dressing in formal wear and going to a dance when boys were dying in Vietnam. I think everyone was political to some extent, and you felt it was your responsibility to be active in some way.”

Kitty remembers hearing about the daily body count in Vietnam every night on the evening news. “It was a steady drumbeat — night after night after night — so it was very salient, what was going on over there,” Kitty said. “And some of us, like myself, had two brothers of draftable age, so that also hit home.”

When the Chaffee School moved to the Island campus there were, of course, adjustments. “Suddenly having guys everywhere … the male gaze was not a part of our Chaffee experience,” Kitty remembers. “What came with that was a certain lack of relaxation. Adolescents always think everyone is looking at them anyway, but that was heightened that there were now males and females in the same space.”

I never felt like there was conflict, just adjustment.”

— SUSAN BRADY MILES ’73

… and more than one laugh: Kitty Johnson Peterson ’72, Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Bill Rowland ’73, Susan Brady Miles ’73, and Nat Follansbee. Above: Archivist Karen Parsons set the stage for a lively discussion.

The nature of classes changed, too. “Instead of being surrounded by females, you could be one female in a class of 15, and depending on who you were, that could be intimidating,” Kitty says.

Anne remembers that when the girls came over, a thought was to have some cheerleaders for football. “Nobody from our class wanted to do that,” Anne explained as the audience laughed. “Maybe it was the beginning of feminism … as soon as we have boys cheerleading at our field hockey games, then maybe some of us would volunteer to cheer at football games.”

With all the changes and adjustments came many more opportunities. “When we were queried for our 50th Reunion book,” Anne says, “I think most people agreed we had the best of both. We started out with that small, nurturing atmosphere [at Chaffee] and got to know our classmates, and then came over here and had so many more options in terms of activities and classes.”

Says Susie: “We were all day students [at Chaffee] and they [Loomis] were day and boarding, so we had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country. I think that was a fantastic advantage to having both here. I never felt like there was conflict, just adjustment.”

The times really were a-changin’. The girls at Chaffee wore skirts of a certain length and tie shoes referred to by some as brogues. All of a sudden jeans and sandals were fine. The

Chaffee girls used to sit down to a formal lunch that started with a faculty member on a pitch pipe, setting the tone as the girls sang grace in Latin. At Loomis Chaffee, they could sit with whomever they chose in an informal setting.

“We had formality at Chaffee, but that left partly because of the merger but more likely because of the times,” Susie said. “There was internal change and external change. I can’t say as I felt the feminist movement because the senior girls when I started as a freshman were so spectacularly smart and independent and confident, and I thought that is what you should aim to be. That might be a version of feminism but to me it was the standard, the old Chaffee standard, that carried forward.”

Behind the scenes, Nat said that the Board was dealing with the economics of the times. High interest rates and sharp stock market declines affected the school’s endowment. There was a lot of volatility with inflation in the ’70s, and the economy was hit hard by the oil crisis of 1973. The school began to charge tuition, and the Trustees had to balance increases there with inflation and faculty salaries. Furthermore, under the circumstances fundraising was extremely difficult.

All the while, classes were changing, too. Kitty remembers four days spent in conversation about race relations in the United States. “That had not happened before,” she says. “The curriculum was much more expansive.”

She took a Black history course taught by Bud Porter for an entire year. The assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy had occurred months apart in 1968, and the Civil Rights Movement was coming to the forefront.

Kitty was in three plays her senior year and called the theater her favorite place on campus. One of the plays in which she acted featured a largely Black cast — “quite an accomplishment and departure from the past,” she said. “This was a time and place that it could happen.”

Still, for all the sobering moments of the late ’60s and early ’70s, Bill reminded the audience that they were just high school students at the time. “Some of these questions we’re being asked might overestimate the high level of thinking on campus,” Bill said.

The audience laughed. Bill went on. “We were 15, 16, 17,” Bill said. “It wasn’t like we were going out on the quad and debating high-level economics and foreign policy. Some of us were just really interested in having a lot of fun. And we really did have a lot of fun. I remember thinking I enjoyed every single day I was here at Loomis Chaffee.”

Susie remembers those days, too. Music blaring in the quad. Students hanging out. As if they had been going to school together for years.

Above: Snapshots from the 1972 Loomiscellany

Head of School Search

In early May, Chair of the Board of Trustees Duncan MacLean ’90, P’24, ’27 announced that the Head of School Search Committee had selected the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller (IM) to partner with Loomis Chaffee in the search for its next head.

The announcement followed a search process that included weeks of research and initial conversations with several search firms. The Search Committee invited six firms to submit a response to its request for proposal. The committee received proposals from and interviewed all six firms, narrowed the field to three, and conducted extensive reference checks on the finalists. Among the criteria the committee used in the selection process were finding a firm with an extensive track record of building deep and diverse pools of qualified candidates for its clients and a proven ability and desire to actively engage school communities in the search process.

Isaacson, Miller impressed the Loomis Chaffee Search Committee on all these points and more. As Duncan shared in his email, the firm has an expansive preK–12 education

practice and one of the nation’s most robust practices in higher education. Isaacson, Miller partners Katie Rockman and Sheryl Ash co-lead the IM team working with Loomis Chaffee’s Search Committee. Katie leads the firm’s PreK-12 Education + Education Improvement practice. Sheryl leads the Arts + Culture practice and brings extensive experience in the areas of higher education, preK–12 education, philanthropy, and the environment. Sheryl and Katie are joined by Berkley Burke, a managing associate and co-lead of the PreK-12 Education practice, and Miguel Santiago, a senior associate.

Immediately following its appointment, the Isaacson, Miller team spent two days on campus talking with faculty, staff, and students to help IM get to know the school and understand community members’ aspirations for Loomis Chaffee’s future, along with the traits and qualifications that the community believes the next head of school should possess. IM followed these in-person visits with online sessions for alumni and parents. All members of the Loomis Chaffee community were encouraged to share their thoughts and any nominations

for the head of school position through an online survey. Using the information gathered through the survey and listening sessions, IM and the Search Committee drafted the head of school position profile, which was approved by the Board of Trustees and shared with the school community in early June.

“With the head of school position profile in hand, IM will spend the summer building the candidate pool in close consultation with the Search Committee,” explained Rachel Kort ’98, co-chair of the Search Committee, in June. “Our goal is for the committee to select from that pool a group of semi-finalists to interview in early fall.”

Building a deep pool of candidates who are excited about the position and Loomis Chaffee and will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the role is critical to this process. And this is where the school community has already played an important role. “One of the best ways to source candidates is through Loomis Chaffee’s network of alumni, parents, and friends of the school,” said David Rogan ’76, co-chair of the Search Committee. “We have received several nominations for the position to date and thank everyone who has been in touch with us and with Isaacson, Miller.”

The Search Committee invites all Loomis Chaffee community members to visit the Head of School Search webpage for more information about the search (www.loomischaffee.org/about/headof-school-search). The page includes links to the head of school position profile and communications from the committee to the school community. The page also includes more information about the Isaacson, Miller team and a link to the IM webpage dedicated to the Loomis Chaffee search (www.imsearch.com/open-searches/ loomis-chaffee-school/head-school). That page includes a form to use for nominations and a form to contact IM team member Miguel Santiago if you would like to share any other thoughts about the search.

A Community Says Thank You

When you walk into Nat Follansbee’s office in Founders Hall and look straight ahead there are portraits of Colonel James Loomis and Abigail Sherwood Chaffee Loomis, the parents of the founders of the Loomis Chaffee School. To the right are portraits of Hezekiah Bradley Loomis, James Chaffee Loomis, Osbert Burr Loomis, John Mason Loomis, and Abigail Loomis Hayden, four brothers and a sister who envisioned and founded the school.

Nat’s desk once belonged to the school’s first headmaster, Nathaniel Horton Batchelder, and then to another longtime headmaster, John Ratté. And the view out the window behind that desk is of the Loomis Family Homestead. Years and years of Loomis Chaffee School history are represented within those walls and just beyond.

school. In her remarks, Head of School Sheila Culbert shared that under Nat’s leadership of the Alumni/Development Office the school raised more than $300 million.

“He is a phenomenal fundraiser. The numbers speak for themselves. Watching him at work … is a master class in fundraising,” said Sheila. “He is charming and engaging. Charismatic and has a great sense of humor. He can talk to anyone. Remembers everyone’s family and time at Loomis and is genuinely interested in and likes everybody.”

Into this history almost 50 years ago stepped Nat Follansbee. He carved out a rich career at Loomis Chaffee and became a witness to and an integral part of the school’s growth and maturation during his two stints on the Island (1975–2003, 2010–2023). Teacher, coach, advisor, dorm head, director of development, associate head of school for external relations — Nat’s impact has been far-reaching, from every corner of this campus to across the country and the world.

On May 5, many current and former faculty and staff, heads of school, and Trustees gathered in Tisch Dining Hall to celebrate and thank Nat for his years of service to the

Ever humble about his role at the school, Nat was quick to add, “Loomis Chaffee has given me much more than I have given it over my four decades.” He spoke of working with students on writing in Chaffee and Founders halls; with athletes on skills and strategies in the Meadows, in the Savage/ Johnson Rink, and on the tennis courts; and with young men in Batchelder and Taylor dormitories as they navigated life away

from home. He called the school a gorgeous place to work with outstanding colleagues.

Nat’s retirement celebration was held in the Scanlan Campus Center, one of the many buildings on campus constructed during his time here. In addition to Sheila, speakers at the event included Chair of the Board of Trustees Duncan MacLean ’90; John Ratté, headmaster from 1976 to 1996 and a mentor to Nat; longtime friend David Dini, whom Nat met at an advancement conference; and two of Nat’s children, Rob Follansbee and Laura Richard Milligan ’99 as well as a few grandchildren who shared fond memories of their “NaFo.”

Nat closed the doors to his office one last time on June 30, but his presence on the Island will never fade away. In honor of Nat’s extraordinary service to Loomis Chaffee, the school has established the Nathan Follansbee Scholarship Fund. (See story on page 64).

Left: Nat with Head of School Sheila Culbert and former Head of School John Ratté. Above: Nat, with his wife, Sally, at right, and son Rob at left, enjoys a moment at his retirement dinner.

Trustee News

Three Trustees rotated off the Board in June while four new Trustees and a new secretary were elected.

Those stepping off the Board in June are John Templeton Keller ’94; Neville S. Bowers ’01; and Gardner F. Gillespie III ’63, P ’93.

During his 12 years as a Trustee, John “Temp” Keller served on the Buildings & Grounds, Finance, and Salaries & Benefits committees and chaired the Committee on Mission & Program. Neville served for eight years and was a member of the Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Finance Committee, the Salaries & Benefits Committee, and the Head of School Search Committee. He also chaired the Committee on Mission & Program. Gardner served for six years, contributing as a member of the Admission, Financial Aid & College Guidance Committee, the Building & Grounds Committee, the Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Committee on Mission & Program, and the Finance Committee. The three were honored at the May Board meeting.

Newly elected to the Board as of July 1 are Britt-Marie Cole-Johnson ’00 of Farmington, Conn.; M. Scott Havens ’91 of New Canaan, Conn.; Jessica N. Paindiris ’01 of West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Xin Tang of Shanghai, China.

Britt-Marie is a partner at Robinson & Cole in Hartford, Conn., serving in the firm’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration group and as a member of the Managing Committee. She has served on Loomis Chaffee’s Head’s Council since 2016 and her daughter Giselle is a rising freshman. Britt-Marie earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree at Emory University.

Scott is CEO of Bloomberg Media, Bloomberg LP’s global multi-platform media organization. Prior to Bloomberg, Scott was SVP of Digital at Time, Inc. Scott is a member of a three-generation Loomis Chaffee family: his father is Sam ’61 and his three children are current students: Tommy is a rising junior

and Catherine and Lizzie are rising freshmen. He has been a member of the school’s Head’s Council since 2020. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Hamilton College and a masters degree at NYU Stern School of Business.

Jessica is an art market entrepreneur. From 2014–2021, she was co-founder and CEO of The Clarion List, a leading online developer of art service companies worldwide. Previously, she worked at Christie’s in New York City. She has been a reunion volunteer and

established the Paindiris Libert Family Scholarship Fund in 2021. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Yale University.

Xin Tang is a director of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (China) where he has been employed for 15 years; previously he was co-founder and business development director of Anjia Group. He has served as a Trustee at The Rectory School in Pomfret, Conn. His daughter Nessa is a rising senior and his daughter Gillian is a rising freshman. Xin holds a bachelor’s degree from Fudan University, a masters of law degree from East China University of Politics and Law, and an Executive M.B.A from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

The Board of Trustees now totals 28 members, including Head of School Sheila Culbert. In addition, with Nat Follansbee’s retirement, Lynn A. Petrillo ’86 was elected Secretary to the Board. Lynn is Loomis Chaffee’s Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing and is in her 19th year working at the school.

Above (clockwise from top left): Britt-Marie Cole-Johnson ’00, M. Scott Havens ’91, Jessica N. Paindiris ’01, Xin Tang

A Batchelder Family Treasure Shared

Renowned sculptor Evelyn Longman Batchelder, wife of Nathaniel Horton Batchelder, the first headmaster of The Loomis School, designed the 18-karat gold bowl. The occasion, in 1927, was the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. Batchelder’s parents, Henry Morrill Batchelder and Martha Osgood Horton Batchelder.

The bowl has been in the family for nearly 100 years, often present at important family events, such as weddings, funerals, and christenings. Now the bowl resides at Loomis Chaffee, a donation from siblings Hope Batchelder Stevens, Susan Blaine Plimpton, Nathaniel Horton Batchelder III, Carol Batchelder Barans, and Edward Weare Batchelder — all grandchildren of Nathaniel and Evelyn.

“It has been used as a symbol of family unity. We wanted to honor our grandparents’ memory and their devotion to their parents and thought having it here at Loomis was the best way to do that,” shared Carol.

Hope and Nathaniel (“Batch”) and his wife, Pat Hoerth, joined Carol at Head of School Sheila Culbert’s house for a May 22 gathering hosted by Sheila, Associate Head for External

Relations Nat Follansbee, and Loomis Chaffee Archivist Karen Parsons. Nathaniel Batchelder resided in the same home for 35 of his 37 years as headmaster.

Nathaniel married Evelyn in 1920 after the death of his first wife, Gwendolen, who was also a strong presence during the school’s early years. Several of Evelyn’s sculptures can be found on the Island, including “Victory of Mercy”; allegorical figure, “Destiny”; and memorials to six early faculty members, Trustee John M. Taylor, and donor Virginia Palmer. Across the country you will find more of Evelyn’s sculptures, including “Spirit of Victory” in Hartford’s Bushnell Park; “Spirit of Communication,” now in Dallas, Tex.; “Illinois Centennial Memorial” in Chicago, Ill.; and the “Allison Memorial” in Des Moines, Iowa. Evelyn also worked on the Lincoln Memorial with Daniel Chester French. Plans are underway to display the bowl in the Richmond Art Center rotunda gallery alongside five of Evelyn’s sculptures.

The family also donated a book noting some of the important family events at which the gold bowl appeared and a copy of a poem written by Nathaniel Horton Batchelder to his parents on that 50th anniversary.

That poem opens:

Fifty years lived well and wisely, Fifty fruitful years and free! All your children and grandchildren

Sing your praises joyously.

Half the changes that you’ve witnessed Would fill up a mighty tome — Gas lamps flickered then on corners, Now th’ electric lighted home.

Graham Bell’s crude apparatus Yields the palm to wireless; Horse drawn cars, displaced by Buicks, Their oblivion confess.

Mr. Batchelder then continues the poem by writing about family members and their changes over time.

And now it’s nearly a century since that June 5, 1927, wedding anniversary. With apologies to Mr. Batchelder’s poetry:

Timeless is the gold bowl

Another part of the LC heart & soul

To the grandchildren a mighty thank you A piece of yours is now part of our history too.

Above: Pat Hoerth, Katharine Brush Library Director Eric Styles, Hope Batchelder Stevens, Archivist Karen Parsons, Carol Batchelder Barans, Head of School Sheila Culbert, Nathaniel Horton Batchelder III, and Associate Head for External Affairs Nat Follansbee Right: Details of the gold bowl’s interior and inscribed base

Alvord Center Trips Offer Students Different Perspectives

This year about 60 students took the sort of trip that leaves a lasting impression. The Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies organizes International Education Programs annually as part of a broader mission to develop globally and environmentally engaged student leaders. This year there were four such trips: Costa Rica (March), Italy (two separate trips in June), and Scandinavia (June).

This Page: Lego House in Denmark; a bike tour in Copenhagen; and Nyhavn, one of Copenhagen’s most iconic sights. The art of making bread and the Coliseum in Rome. Isabel Bedoya-Rose ’23 and Malcolm MacPherson ’23 paint handmade souvenirs. Opposite Page: A fruitful trip can be had in the marketplace in Sardinia. Six students carry lunch to the group’s communal meal. They were walking from a worksite where they were pouring concrete for a new playground.

SCANDINAVIA

COSTA RICA

ITALY

Students on the two trips to Italy visited Sardinia — an island in the Mediterranean Sea and a designated “Blue Zone,” one of five such geographic areas in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. They also made a stop in Rome, the site of so much history and culture.

“We all witnessed firsthand the profound impact of factors such as a wholesome diet, active lifestyle, and strong social connections,” reads a blog post about Sardinia. “Certainly, visiting with a 102-year-old resident was an inspiring highlight for us all.”

Those on the Scandinavia trip visited Denmark and Sweden and explored why and how this region has become a leader in sustainable urbanism.

“It has been a wonderful opportunity to explore the themes of sustainability and innovation firsthand in areas of the world leading the way,” a blog item from the trip read. “From Copenhagen’s bike-ability and older buildings to Aarhus’s more modern architecture, Samso’s farms and energy infrastructure to Malmo’s innovative thinkers, students asked good questions, made astute observations, and were fully present for each experience.”

Students met with an entrepreneur who created a baby stroller that can be taken on and off a bicycle. They saw a trash-to-energy plant with an artificial ski slope down the side. Copenhill in Copenhagen has a massive climbing wall and a hiking trail. They saw apartments made from what had been shipping containers.

COSTA RICA

In March, another group of students traveled to Santa Maria de Dota, a small mountain town in Costa Rica. Part of the trip involved working on gardens that help supply healthier lunch options for schoolchildren, painting the school, and helping construct the surface of a playground.

Stacy-Ann Rowe ’97 Creates an Experience

Known to all on the Island as “Ro,” Stacy-Ann Rowe ’97, artist and head of the Visual Arts Department, exhibited her most recent work, Freedom of Thought, in the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery, April 25–June 12. The show was two years in the making. “The students and faculty approach me daily and thank me for sharing the work,” Ro said shortly before the end of the school year. “For some, it was their first time seeing my work in different mediums. I know it had the intended impact because I hear comments like, ‘It makes me happy when I enter the exhibition’ or ‘I keep coming back to look at it.’ I have even had co-workers come up to me to share the experience they had when walking through. Classes have been held in the space, and more importantly, students have used the space to study, work, and gather. That is what I wanted to create, an experience.”

When she started planning the show it was going to be based on the seven deadly sins — lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. “Then COVID hit,” Ro said, “and I said I am not going to focus on sin and death for two years. So, I said, let’s do the opposite, the seven heavenly virtues — chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, forgiveness, kindness, humility.”

She focused on what she felt when thinking about each theme. One part of the kindness exhibit was a glass installation with images of kindness from around the world. There were many to choose from, and each had a story. She chose a pelican, an elephant, and jasmine. “I didn’t know pelicans were a sign of kindness, and it is great since we are the Pelicans,” Ro said of the Loomis Chaffee mascot. “And an elephant. My mom is obsessed with elephants so it was great that I could find that. Jasmine is my niece’s name, so that came to me.”

Ro said she could have gone in several directions regarding temperance. “I decided to go with a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. … It’s about carrying on … this phase that might not be the most beautiful part of

yourself but making sure you just stick with it, you are focused, and you have that willpower to move on.”

But there was a second, more powerful meaning. “My dad passed away in 2021 of COVID and my mom always says she thinks he comes back to her as a butterfly,” Ro said. “Every day she goes outside there is the same purple butterfly. Purple was his favorite color. So, it’s always there, and butterflies are always on my mind. I think of my dad.”

In one part of the gallery a brightly covered table and chairs were not just to look at but a place to gather. There also was a live piece created with the audience on opening night. The words “Freedom of Thought” were on a blank background, which would become filled with designs and names. It all added up to the experience Ro wanted to create.

“I am proud that the outcome was exactly what I had in my head. It doesn’t often happen that everything comes to fruition,” Ro said. “I am proud of the live piece created in collaboration with the audience on the night of the opening. And I am proud to have come full circle in the place that cemented my interest in the arts — the Loomis Chaffee Richmond Art Center.”

Above: Stacy-Ann Rowe (top photo at right) created a space for students to gather and take part in a live piece on opening night.

Artists and Musicians Flock to the Island

VISITING ARTISTS

A working artist in a messy world: The Loomis Chaffee community first came to know Sammy Chong through his exhibition Sammy Chong: Removed in the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery, February 9–April 11.

Mr. Chong then came to the Island the week of April 3 as part of the Adolf and Virginia Dehn Visiting Artist Program. He worked on new pieces and with students. Mr. Chong shared that his goal is to make art that is not in a bubble, art that deals with issues affecting all of us, such as immigration, global warming, and endangered species. “I believe artists have something to say, and we are engaged with the world,” said Mr. Chong. “We can create visuals that hopefully trigger the imagination and dialogue.”

Breaking rules to create something different: Erika Santos visited campus the week of April 24. While in the Richmond Art Center she worked on cyanotypes, a lowtech photographic medium that uses printed film negatives to expose images onto paper and other materials. She presented to students interested in film photography and gave an artist talk to CL Art Seminar students. Ms. Santos’ visit was made possible by the Adolf and Virginia Dehn Visiting Artist Program.

VISITING MUSICIANS

Iraqi composer showed no fear: Iraqi composer Ameen Mokdad worked with the Loomis Chaffee Orchestra on May 9 on his piece “Fear.” Mr. Mokdad composed “Fear” as part of “The Curve,” a collection of 19 original pieces, while he was hiding from the Islamic State for about two years starting in 2014. Students performed the song at the Orchestra/Wind Ensemble Spring Concert.

Musician composes for a special talent: With all that senior Benson Wang has accomplished as a tuba player, Wind Ensemble Director David Winer knew he wanted Benson

to have a featured solo in the spring concert. The problem is there are few quality pieces for a tuba solo with a band or orchestra that have an accompaniment that is playable by a high school ensemble. Enter Terry Jones, a musician, composer, and good friend of David’s. They were talking about Benson and Mr. Jones said he would write something. He came to Loomis twice to work with the Wind Ensemble in preparation for the Orchestra/Wind Ensemble Concert on May 21. “Benson is really special, and a high school tuba player of this caliber is very rare — definitely in the top few in my 46 years of teaching tuba,” David said.

GUEST MUSICIAN SERIES

Netta and Tamila … and Tina: Loomis Chaffee Orchestra Director Netta Hadari (violin) and Tamila Azadaliyeva (piano) performed on March 28. Tamila teaches piano at various places, including Loomis Chaffee, and is the accompanist for the Concert Choir. There also was a special guest, Tina Lee Hadari, Netta’s wife, on violin. She teaches at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Tamila also played the piano on April 29 at Carnegie Hall, performing with distinguished cellist Misha Quint.

The Azul String Quartet: On April 3, the Azul String Quartet performed a program featuring contemporary, pop, and classical pieces. Janet Jacobson (violin), Sarah Washburn (violin), Eugenio Figueroa (viola), and Pablo Issa (cello) make up the quartet. Pablo is the Loomis cello instructor. He performs chamber music internationally and serves as the principal cellist of the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra. The group’s performance was sponsored in part by the Joseph Stookins Lecture/Guest Musicians Fund.

Ken Fischer and Friends: Keyboardist, pianist, and Loomis Chaffee Jazz Ensemble Director Ken Fischer performed with his group, Ken Fischer and Friends, on April 11. He was joined by Drew Voghel ’15 (tenor sax), Tido Holtcamp (drums), and Lou Bocciarelli (bass). “It’s a fantastic feeling to meet up and play with a former student,” Ken said referring to the opportunity to play with Drew. “The experience of having a student share a musical experience with you is very gratifying.” Ken and Drew often play together in various groups, but performing at Loomis, of course, is special.

Above: Composer Ameen Mokdad offers advice to sophomore Everett Denaro.

The Loom Celebrates 100 Years

June 7: First issue of The Loom appears and is hailed as a success.” So noted the 1923 Loomiscellany, which with one sentence marked the birth of the school’s now century-old literary magazine.

Chaffee also had a number of publications starting with The Perigon in 1929 that featured short stories and poems. When Loomis and Chaffee were separate schools, there was some collaboration between The Loom and Chaffee students, and beginning in 1973, The Loom was produced together by boys and girls.

The 100th anniversary of The Loom was celebrated this year with a centennial edition of the literary publication and a Senior Project presentation by Dora Lin and Nandini Ramanathan.

“The Loom contributors of the past often seem to be far removed from us, and our modern concerns; yet in so many ways their works mirror our own. They, like us, dreaded finals week; like us they worried about college prospects, current events, and the future of the world,” Dora and Nandini wrote in the opening of the centennial edition published in May.

College prospects? Finals? Grades? This from a 1930s edition of The Loom:

On Getting A’s

I fear that I shall never lay Low the lovely mark of ‘A’; An ‘A’ that will not get disease From keeping the company with D’s; An ‘A’ that shouts that I am wise And gives the masters a surprise; An ‘A’ that irons out the ills That gladdens Pa who pays the bills; Whose acquisition leaves me time, Exam exempt, to write this rhyme. I, fool, will get my ‘D’ today.

The first issue of The Loom was thought to be too somber; thus, on April Fool’s Day in 1924, editors first published a parody called The Gloom, which spoofs much of the content in The Loom.

This year’s Gloom carried a message just before school was ending: “Finals week looms over the campus. Depression pervades the crowds of people tanning on the quad. In this time of fear and stress, we felt that it was imperative to publish an uplifting supplement to our spring edition … The Gloom. Don’t enjoy.”

Current events often found their way into The Loom. During World War II appeared “Prophecy, 1942, October,” which brought

the war that was miles and miles away to the banks of the Farmington River where few were on campus at the time: “The first bombs landed on the riverbank behind the Old Homestead.” The story would go on to say, “By this time the other planes were dropping their incendiaries all over campus.” The gym was hit, Founders was hit, the dining hall was hit. And then it was over. Or was it? The final sentences: “Loomis was quite the site the next day. There haven’t been any raids since; that is, up to now. The siren has sounded again.”

A special edition of The Loom marking the 60th anniversary in 1983 was divided into six decades from the ’20s through the ’70s. The Loom’s editors noted some of the people who had contributed over the years and would make their name known down the road, such as Arthur Sulzberger ’45, who would become publisher of The New York Times, and songwriter/humorist Tom Lehrer ’43. The special edition also noted that The Epilogue, the Chaffee yearbook that at times included literary work, had been graced by the work of Ella Tambussi Grasso ’36, Connecticut governor, 1975–1980.

Another sign of the times occurred in 2017 when The Loom appeared online for the first time. And in the fall 2021 issue, faculty advisor Sangyeop Kim wrote: “Renaissance. A rebirth from the ruin of the Dark Ages … As we approach the mid-point of our return from the penumbra of quarantine The Loom invites you to consider these meditations on rebirth and new beginnings.”

Through the years formats have changed, but there has been one constant.

“Throughout the years, Loomis students have always cared. They’ve always cared about the world around them,” Nandini said at the Senior Project presentation.

from June 1923 and Spring 2023, and The Loom online from fall of 2017.

Left: The Loom (printed publications)

AI Symposium Generates Much Discussion

Loomis Chaffee is not shying away from artificial intelligence. The challenge is how to best use it to help students.

To that end, the school hosted a Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Symposium on April 25 for educators from New England and beyond that featured presenters from various private schools, including Loomis Chaffee.

There were three sessions with four choices in each session. The event was sponsored by the Kravis Center for Excellence in Teaching.

As people gathered to start the day, Sara Deveaux, the director of the Kravis Center, said, “We will learn from each other and figure out how other people are using ChatGPT, how faculty are using it in a positive way, how our students are using it in a positive way.”

Kate Seyboth, director of digital and computational learning, and John Morrell, director of writing initiatives, were the Loomis Chaffee presenters.

Kate’s presentation was called “Neural Networks for Everyone,” a discussion of the basics of computer science neural networks that are modeled from the human brain and provide the core learning power of today’s AI models. John’s presentation, “Still Processing: Preliminary Thoughts on Writing Instruction in the Age of AI!” offered reflections on a recent collaborative effort writing assignment incorporating ChatGPT as a writing tool. The session also spoke to general reflections on teaching writing and using writing as a teaching tool in the age of AI.

From the content of many of the sessions, one thing was clear. As with any new technology, using AI in the most effective way will be a learning process. At this point, there are many questions and cautions.

“The best analogy I read that I repeat over and over again is that it is like your unreliable friend,” Sophie Luxmoore of the Dublin

As with any new technology, using AI in the most effective way will be a learning process. At this point, there are many questions and cautions.

School said of a tool such as ChatGPT in a session on integrating technology ethics in the classroom. “You go to a dinner party. Maybe there is a member of your family that can take any topic and tell you all about it.”

She stretched out the words all about it and caught herself.

“The way I said it is negative … but in my family it is my dad. He’s the patriarch of our family and knows a lot about a lot of things. He can fix the window and plant a garden, and he was an engineer and can do a lot of math I could never do. He was a tremendous resource growing up, but I cannot cite him. He has to be fact-checked. I think that has been a really helpful analogy for our students.”

The lesson here: ChatGPT is useful as a brainstorming tool, but it cannot be taken as fact.

Ms. Luxmoore also spoke about having students critique what comes back to them.

“Here is the prompt, here is what generative AI says. What would you do to improve this?”

In another session Maureen Gassert Lamb of The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury offered ways to make generative AI work for teachers, such as lesson plans for question generation, image creation, and study resources/ flashcards. She also offered a dozen other useful AI generators for teachers, ranging from Quillbot (online paraphrasing tool) to Promt Storm (creating powerful prompts for GPT) and Superchat App (talk with experts, historical and fictional characters).

One comment from another presenter might have summed things up.

“The key word in humanity is human. It is not chat,” said Mandy McCubbin of the Fairfield Country Day School in a session on generative AI in the middle grades.

Yes, we all need teachers. Their care, concern, compassion, commitment.

A Reason to Speak

Ruth Weiner sat on the stage of the Hubbard Performance Hall on the evening of May 11 and began by saying what a beautiful day it had been. It was one of those bright, sunny, warm days of spring that feels like summer. But, Ms. Weiner said, she would be talking about something very dark. “I can think of an awful lot of things you could be doing for fun at the end of the day, but I thank you all for coming here,” she said before a large gathering of Loomis Chaffee students.

Ms. Weiner is a Holocaust survivor who lived her early years in Vienna. She described her early life as idyllic. That all changed for Vienna’s Jewish population in March 1938 with the Nazi’s annexation of Austria.

By 1939 Ms. Weiner, then 8 years old, had fled the Nazi regime through the Kindertransport (children’s transport), which rescued children from Nazi-controlled territory in the months before World War II. Ms. Weiner and her family reunited and moved to Hartford in 1940. After Ms. Weiner’s presentation, the audience screened Nicky’s Family, a film based on the stories of survivors like Ms. Weiner.

Ms. Weiner is 92 years old. She had no notes. She needed no notes. Her experiences are

inside of her to stay. For her, there is no blocking them out. Over the years she has often spoken to groups. “Not talking about something does not make it go away,” Ms. Weiner said. “So, the only thing worse than talking about bad things is not talking about bad things.”

She spoke of the millions of Jews who were murdered. “Six million,” she said. “That is a lot of zeroes. Think of every single person you know, everybody in this school, everybody in Windsor, everybody in the town you come from, everyone in the state of Connecticut. Every man, woman, and child. And that is not nearly enough.” About 3.6 million people live in Connecticut.

“Just think of the talent lost to this world. Think of the families,” she said. “Two, three generations have passed, and the pain has endured.”

She suggested that the students read the book Night by Elie Wiesel based on his Holocaust experiences with his father in the Nazi concentration camps. Not that it would be easy. “You almost don’t want to turn the page because you don’t want to find out what is on the next page and the page after that,” Ms. Weiner said.

After she had spoken to the students, she was asked how difficult it is to constantly relive the Holocaust. “It’s not easy,” she said. “Not easy, but it is like anything else you do that you consider important in your life. You come to gather yourself together and do it.”

She glanced at the audience. “And this is why I do it,” she said, “the fact that all these beautiful young people are responding.”

The event was sponsored by the Rubenstein Family Holocaust Education Fund through the Norton Family Center for the Common Good. Richard ’65 and Lea Rubenstein were at the event. The fund supports the education of Loomis Chaffee students on the horrors of the Holocaust. The History, Philosophy & Religious Studies Department and its teachers incorporated the Ruth Weiner event into the curriculum in several classes this spring, and seniors from the Global & Environmental Studies Certificate program hosted the event.

Above (left): Ruth Weiner captivated the audience while on the stage and again when talking with students after the event.

“So, the only thing worse than talking about bad things is not talking about bad things.”

— RUTH WEINER

Walk the Talk

More than 50 years after the first Earth Day, Loomis Chaffee celebrated Earth Month this past April. The school community marked this time with a variety of events, including a school-wide convocation, a sustainability summit, and a rally on the Windsor Town Green.

During the Earth Month convocation with environmental activists Dan Kinzer and John Francis on April 14, a Loomis Chaffee student asked a question that might have been on the minds of many. In essence, how do we engage in environmental policy change when large corporations driven by profit have much of the power?

“I kind of like capitalism in the sense of the motivation it brings, but I am looking for something more enlightened,” shared Dr. Francis. “As long as people are suffering for someone else’s profit, that has to change in the [capitalist] system.”

At many points in the discussion, Dr. Francis and Mr. Kinzer spoke about being on a journey together on Earth, that we need to treat each other with kindness, care, and compassion. In the end, they believe that will make a difference. “You have to be patient,” Dr. Francis said, “but if we practice kindness, it will get into those places of economic power and decision-making that it needs to get into for the system to change. If you are kind and you vote that way, it will take a while, but it will change.”

After the convocation, Dr. Francis and Mr. Kinzer led a Sustainability Summit on campus for approximately 20 Loomis Chaffee students and 50 additional students from

about 10 other schools. The day closed with a walk to the Windsor Town Green, where students read poetry, sang, performed spoken word, and gave testimonials. The walk was inspired by Dr. Francis’ “planetwalk,” his years-long effort to take time to reflect, immerse himself in history, and connect with the environment.

At age 25 Dr. Francis, moved by the effects of a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, chose to stop using motorized vehicles and started walking wherever he went. That lasted more than 20 years. Then, on his 27th birthday he took a vow of silence that lasted 17 years. He felt he had been arguing too much with friends about his decision to make his feet his transportation. He said he learned to listen to others, which gave him a wealth of

knowledge. He began talking again on Earth Day 1990, the 20th anniversary of the event. He said he felt he had something to say once again about the environment.

After he started talking again, Dr. Francis helped develop oil spill regulations following the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, in which nearly 11 million gallons of oil was spilled off the coast of Alaska. He also was appointed as the United Nations Environmental Program Goodwill Ambassador in 1991.

“Listening taught me to understand,” Dr. Francis said. “When I first started, I thought the environment was just about pollution, oil spills, and loss of species and habitat. Those things seemed important to me, and they are, but what I learned on my journey across the country through the kindness of people is that we are on the same journey together.” As he likes to say, “The environment is who we are. … We are the environment.”

Dr. Francis and Mr. Kinzer, a biomimicry professional, are like-minded. They have walked together all over the world in the name of the environment. Mr. Kinzer also was on campus on April 13 for an “Evening of Science” session for students and faculty. During the day he spent time with environmental science classes and Literature and the Environment classes.

Other events during Earth Month included a Farmington River cleanup, an upcycling contest, and a challenge to reduce food waste in the dining hall.

Top: Dan Kinzer, left, and John Francis shared their vision during Earth Month. Middle: Students take the environment seriously with an upcycling effort and a river cleanup in honor of Earth Month.

Senior Projects From

Sextants to Cell Biology

After COVID forced cancellation of Senior Projects in 2020 and 2021, and allowed for just a limited return in 2022, the program was back in full force in 2023. Three nights of presentations. Eighteen projects.

Students interested in pursuing Senior Projects must submit project proposals. If their projects are approved, they must work at least eight hours per day for the last two weeks of classes to bring the projects to fruition. Students are excused from classes those two weeks, but the program description notes that these projects “are as challenging and substantial as completing the typical work of a regular course load — but usually a lot more fun.”

What came through in each presentation was the passion students had for their projects, their ability to adapt along the way, a bit of self-reflection, and a lot of enjoyment.

“This is an incredible program,” said Senior Projects Coordinator and Science Department Head Neil Chaudhary ’05 on the final night,

which included an original play with music, a visual and auditory journey, and multiple art projects. “What we are doing is making space for students to spend two weeks doing something they really love. In some ways it is your school career in microcosm. There is the planning, the execution, the overcoming of any hurdles, and the ultimate fruition of the project.”

Projects presented ranged from building apiaries for access to composing community poetry and from constructing a sextant to

researching the cell biology of neurodegenerative diseases.

Helping Neil coordinate the projects were Adam Alsamadisi from the Mathematics and Science departments and Rachel Engelke from the History, Philosophy & Religious Studies Department.

“The projects are a testament to the driven and diverse skill sets that all these kids have … this is what makes it so exciting,” Adam said. “They are so eager to pursue their interests.”

Above (left): Nathan Ko performs in “Some Jazz Was Playing.” Above (right): “Exploration, the Self” by Julie Kang. Left: Umu Diallo working on the piece “Harmony Across Borders.” Right: The finished product from Umu, Angelina Amastal, and Isabel Bedoya Rose

“I am blown away by the talent of these students,” Rachel said. “The students were freshmen in 2019, their whole high school career has been affected by COVID, and this brings it back full circle. They went through a rough period in the middle, and to have

this be the bright light at the end of it … it is almost like the optimism they might have felt as freshmen in 2019 when the world was a different place. To bring it back around and celebrate the rebirth of it all has been fun to see.”

Mobile Forensics

Being a state police officer — there are about 900 in Connecticut — is one of those jobs where one never knows what the day will bring.

That especially holds true when an officer is part of the Major Crimes Division. Connecticut State Police Detectives Brian Connolly and Tim Curtis visited Forensic Science classes on May 8. In tow was the crime scene investigative van.

The students met with the detectives in the classroom and outside at the van, a classroom on wheels.

2023 SENIOR PROJECTS

Building Apiaries for Access | Inari Barrett and Delaney Denno

Injury vs. Genetics: How Tau Proteins Function in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Auden Sandberg

Microaggression Quest: A Racism Response Game | Serena Kim

The Sextant: A Celestial Navigation Tool | Ailin Chinn

A Passion Project: The Arts at Caring Connections

Anika Ahilan, Maggie Hamel, and Madison Oh

PeliHealth | Karly Saliba and Kate Stevenson

The Menu: A Tour Through China | Annie Sun and Jamie Zou

A Community Poetry Collection | Alli Benthien

Bringing a Display to Life with a Raspberry Pi | Edouard Dupont

“The Loom” Centennial | Dora Lin and Nandini Ramanathan

Rethinking Tours at Loomis: A Data-Driven Analysis | Ignacio Feged

Some Jazz Was Playing: Original Play with Jazz | Neil Grover and Nathan Ko

Dresses in Wonderland | Abhi Muthavarapu

Harmony Across Borders | Angelina Amastal, Isabel Bedoya Rose, and Umu Diallo

Toad in a Hole: An Expressive Self Sculpture | Kirsten Lees

Exploration, the Self | Julie Kang

The Four Vessels: An Homage to My Loomis Years | Rebecca Fowler

Emotions Through Art: A Visual and Auditory Journey

Calvin Pan and Ella Xue

“What I hope the students get is an idea of what they are learning here in their classroom and how we apply it out on crime scenes,” Det. Connolly said.

He showed various crime scenes asking the students questions along the way. From evidence documentation and collection to blood splatter and analysis to bullet trajectory to name a few, there is much to do.

“You might gather 200 pieces of evidence and only three are important,” Det. Connolly said. “You just never know.”

Inside the Mobile Crimes Scene unit, Det. Curtis showed the students some of what is in this lab on wheels, which carries equipment and supplies needed to record and document the evidence, ranging from photography and video equipment to chemicals that can illuminate blood.

“Forensic science is an applied science,” said Science Department Head Neil Chaudhary ’05, who teaches the Forensic Science course. “Some who apply it are law enforcement, so to have them come and talk about the way it actually is done in practice is extremely valuable for folks who are learning theoretical material.”

Above: Senior Project participants and coordinators gather in the RAC for the final night of presentations.

I-Tri Students Conquer Each Challenge

Now in its fourth year, this year’s Innovation Trimester (I-Tri) set records for most participants (18), most girls (8), and most projects (6 over 10 weeks).

“That is a lot of time and a lot of work,” said Jen Solomon, the associate director of Innovation and a science teacher, to those gathered for the I-Tri final presentation and wrapup on May 24. “That’s amazing that this group was able to do all that and push through to the end. Some of you I have known for four years … some of you four months … it is amazing to have had any amount of time with these kids that are really special.”

I-Tri students step away from their regular classes and daily schedule in their final term to tackle real-world challenges and offer innovative solutions to problems faced by local businesses and nonprofit organizations. They learn so many skills, and in response to a question from the audience at May’s celebration wrapup, they shared some of them off the top of their heads:

Project partners, in order of when the students worked with them:

Unknown Clothing (New Britain, Conn.)

Cinder+Salt (Middletown, Conn.)

Gentle Bull Shop (Hartford, Conn.)

Ruthie Davis ’80 (New York City)

Balebe (Windsor, Conn.)

Walk Worthy Brands (Windsor, Conn.)

Loomis Chaffee Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing

Innovation. Teamwork. Collaborating. Communication. Confidence. Learning about themselves. Trusting the process. Brainstorming and sharing ideas. Public speaking and presentation. Working in a group. Letting others do some of the work while also taking initiative. Realizing it’s OK to go back to the drawing board. Holding themselves accountable.

All of this was happening in the Pearse Hub for Innovation, known to all as the PHI, a home away from home to many students. It is an example of one of the many places on campus in which students can explore their passions. As part of the final celebration, some students spoke about their passion projects for the common good, a value often cited at Loomis Chaffee.

Above: (seated) Nathan Amani-Luiri, Quincy Briggs, Jake Berman, Avery Martin, Ashley Valdez Rodriguez, Sofia Mansilla, Nell Williams, and Savannah Mills-Hall; (standing) I-Tri teacher Jake Leyden, science and I-Tri teacher Naomi Appel, Malcolm McPherson, Ömer Kizel, Jaden Small, Charlie Chen, Fernando Flores, Maeve Dowd, Ethan Wood, Colin Sim, Mattie Wright, Mattie McCann, and Associate Director of Innovation and science teacher Jen Solomon

Above (left): Quincy Briggs, Sofia Mansilla, and Maeve Dowd work on a project.

THAT’S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

GLOBAL & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CERTIFICATE GRADUATES

Thirty-six members of the Class of 2023 earned Global & Environmental Studies Certificates (GESC). The GESC recognizes coursework, cocurricular engagement, and experiential learning focused on fulfilling the mission of the Alvord Center to develop globally and environmentally engaged citizens through programming that enhances understanding and teaches action-oriented skills. This year’s recipients were Ellie Abrams, Sangwook Ahn, Allison Benthien, Drew Biller, Hana Bois, Grace Coyne, Edward DeVos, Fay El-Jeaan, Hana Elmousely, Fernando Flores, Josephine Foley, Rebecca Fowler, Terrence Fuller, Alexandra Fuller, Gillian Grant, Maggie Hamel, Bridget Hickey, Madison Hua, Grace Johnson, Nathaniel Judson, Xiyuan (Dora) Lin, Dhruv Mahajan, Avery Martin, Martha McCann, Malcolm McPherson, Alessandro Mocciolo, Abhiram Muthavarapu, Gautham Narendar, Madison Oh, Calvin Pan, Rene Russell, Karly Saliba, Z Santilli, Yerkezhan Smagulova, Nell Williams, and Susan Wright.

FLASH FICTION WINNERS

Congratulations to this year’s Katharine Brush Flash Fiction contest winners. Stories had to be 1,000 words or fewer and based on one of three prompts from Katharine Brush’s own writings. Gold medal winners were seniors Aitana Dudley-Gervilla and Vlad Miloserdov, junior Rumi Schottland, and sophomore Victoria Amador. Silver medal winners were senior Serena Kim, juniors Mercuri Lam and Jessica Luo, and sophomore Ellen Chen. Bronze medal winners were senior Chinelo Osakwe, sophomores Sydney Hallowell and Yilian Jiang, and freshmen Robin Bushley, Alex Park, and Cathy Zheng.

A COLORFUL TRADITION

The Pelican Service Organization (PSO) donated the proceeds from its annual Color Run to Our Companions, an animal rescue and sanctuary in Manchester, Conn. This year’s event was held on May 19 and saw faculty and their children running alongside varsity athletes and students of all ages. “We hope our contribution can help support [Our Companion’s] valuable work and provide more animals with a better future,” shared senior Ella Xue, one of the four PSO leaders.

STOCK MARKET GAME

Junior Luke Daughtery took a fictional $100,000 and in about 10 weeks turned it into $202,000 to win the top prize in this year’s Loomis Chaffee Stock Market Competition. Senior Annie Sun finished second and freshman Shane Lischin finished third. The game is one of the ways that the school helps to expand students’ financial literacy.

PLAY FOR PLATES

Senior Will Howley, a leader in the Pelican Service Organization (PSO), organized Loomis Chaffee’s participation in the “Pay for Plates” fundraiser. Loomis teamed up with Taft, Philips Exeter Academy, and Northfield Mount Hermon for this event. T-shirts and stickers were sold at each school, and purchasers were encouraged to wear them at all sporting events on the four campuses on Saturday, May 13. The event raised funds for End Hunger New England, which is part of The Outreach Program, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation that organizes food packaging events around the country.

STUCO BENEFIT CONCERT

At the annual Student Council Benefit Concert on March 24, 20 students performed in front of a packed crowd in order to raise money for Harc Inc., a Hartford-based organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Each year, the Student Council selects a worthy organization to support at this event.

SECRETS & LIES — IDEA THEATER

The theme of this year’s IDEA Theater Festival at Loomis Chaffee was “Secrets & Lies” as interpreted by each show’s director and writers. All of the student-written plays began with the same line, “I can explain,” and all plays end with the line, “Oh, yeah, that’s it.” What came in the middle of each play was up to the imagination of the students. The following students participated in this year’s festival: seniors Jade Silverstein, Serena Kim, Quinn Bernardin, and Arthur Beaugeard; juniors Sophia Li, Jonathan Sullivan, Lauren Sonnenfeld, Mina Ruffle, Cameron Rodgers, Mike Hoffman, Nana Achiaa Donkor, Brigham Cooper, and Lilly Clark; sophomores Madeline Shani, Iris Sande, Cindy Lin, Ellen Chen, Natalie Poole, and Boden Bubb; and freshmen Angelina Wang, Natalie Pereira, and Aanum Khan.

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE

The Annual Spring Dance Revue in mid-May showcased Loomis Chaffee dancers and choreographers on the Norris Ely Orchard Theater stage in the John D. and Alexandra C. Nichols Center for Theater and Dance. The show offered a diverse collection of choreography by faculty and students in a range of styles including jazz, contemporary, ballet, hip hop, flamenco, traditional Indian dance (Bharatnatyam), and step dance. Dancers: seniors

Hana Elmousely, Madison Hua, Madison Oh, Julie Kang, Sophia Prendergast, Anna Roth, Princess Davenport, Taylor Labrie, Nandini Ramanathan, Z Santilli, Anusha Satheesh, Inari Barrett, and Delaney Denno; juniors Chloe Pendergrass, Emma Korn, Mina Ruffle, Jazmyne Ahipeaud, Kayla Anderson, Jaleen Kairys, Mercuri Lam, Destiny Pond, and Kwame Tuva; sophomores Penelope Struthers, Hannah Smith, Rachael Budd, Eugenie Kim, Riley Ostroff, Hannah Smith, Legare Charney, and Farrah Kanorwalla; freshmen Claire Cen, Ella Kahn, Izzy Broegger, Simone Link-Staenberg, Gracie Chen, Mariam Ali, Aster Conway-Reppert, Sophie Daileader, Seya Henzell, Eli Somberg, and Jaden Williams; and Sam Wellbeck ’09

MUSICAL REVUE

Eight students led by senior Maggie Hamel and juniors Lily Clark and Brigham Cooper, and including sophomores Ellen Chen and Victoria Kenton, juniors Jason Chen and Chloe Pendergrass, and senior Nandini Ramanathan, took to the Hubbard stage in April to put on the annual Musical Revue. This year the show featured songs from The Greatest Showman; The Lion King; Beetlejuice; Tick, Tick… BOOM!; Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog; Anastasia; Hadestown; Big Fish; and Rent.

SPRING RECITALS

The depth and variety of musical talent at Loomis Chaffee were on full display this spring as 11 students gave recitals in Hubbard

Performance Hall: sophomore Oscar Kong, violin; junior Jessica Luo, flute; junior Max Jiao, clarinet; senior Calvin Pan, piano and composition; junior Brigham Cooper, piano, voice, and composition; senior Benson Wang, tuba; senior Nandini Ramanathan, violin; junior Preston McNulty-Socha, voice; senior Amy Song, voice; junior Angela Ye, flute; and senior Anika Ahilan, piano.

Faculty and Staff News

Science teacher George (Koby) Osei-Mensah was honored by the Student Council as Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made in May at the annual Celebration of Excellence convocation to a standing ovation and raucous cheers. In the nomination essays received by the council, students wrote that Koby is “always willing to make time for a student,” “accepts feedback and wants to improve as a teacher,” “cultivates a positive and diverse environment,” and provides “an unconditional support system for the community.”

the Loomis Chaffee community in December 2022, Jeff was an associate director of communications at Xavier High School in Middletown, Conn., and the sports editor at the Hartford Courant for 25 years. As noted by the Hall of Fame, the Courant’s sports section under Jeff’s leadership “consistently produced award-winning content,” and was recognized as the Associated Press Top Daily Section, Sunday Section, and Special Section over four consecutive years.

On May 7, Betsy Conger received a service award from the Western New England Prep School Girls Softball Association in recognition of her 32 years as head coach of the Loomis Chaffee softball program and for her “dedication and longtime effort in helping girls on and off the field.” Betsy started the softball team in 1986 with fellow faculty member Karen Parsons. The team went on to win the New England championships in 2001 and 2003. Westminster School head coach Mitch Overbye, who worked at Loomis with Betsy for 11 years, presented the award to Betsy at the association’s all-star game and remarked, “Betsy mentored hundreds

of young girls, and to this day she is remembered fondly not only for her tireless work serving as the president and the secretary for the Western New England Prep School Girls Softball Association, but for her help in growing prep school softball and giving young girls the chance to play and compete and make lifelong memories.”

Four faculty members were honored for excellence in teaching with named and endowed instructorships. Fiona Mills received the Norris E. Orchard Instructorship in English; Neil Chaudhary ’05 received the Seymour C. Loomis Instructorship in Science or Mathematics; Katharine Loughlin received the Robert P. Hubbard ’47 Instructorship in Performing Arts; and Eric LaForest received the Jennie Loomis Family Instructorship in History.

History teacher Lori Caligiuri received the Lena M. Chen M.D. ’87 Faculty Prize for Mentoring. Established in 2020 by the family of Lena M. Chen ’87, this prize is awarded annually to a member of the faculty who excels in their role as a mentor to students.

English teacher Jane Wanninger’s article entitled “‘Riddling Shrift’: Confession, Speech, and Power in Romeo and Juliet and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore,” was published in Early Theatre, Vol. 25 No. 2 (December 2022). Jane also wrote a chapter in Liberating Shakespeare: Adaptation and Empowerment for Young Adult Audiences, edited by Jennifer Flaherty and Deborah Uman, published by Arden Shakespeare, and released May 2023. Jane’s chapter is entitled “‘Hello, people of the Internet!’: Nothing Much to Do and the Young Adult Creators and Communities of Vlog-Shakespeare.”

Jeff Otterbein, a writer in the Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing, was inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame on April 23. Prior to joining

Left: Koby Osei-Mensah, Teacher of the Year. Above: Betsy Conger, shown here in 2018, helped start the softball program and made it a point to help grow the game during her distinguished career.

At the annual Community Honors Ceremony, faculty and staff celebrated the retirement of three colleagues. Beginning her time with Loomis Chaffee in February of 2017, Mary McGoldrick was an invaluable member of the Alumni/Development Office in her role as an administrative assistant. Mary will be remembered for her insatiable desire to be busy and helpful — whether it was merging, printing, stuffing, and posting countless letters for the Annual Fund, answering the Alumni/Development phone line, or tackling complicated data projects. Patti Loomis, database manager in the Alumni/ Development Office, served the school for 21 years. Patti was the consummate teammate, always eager to help with lists and reports,

managing the multitude of requests with efficiency, accuracy, and a smile, while often anticipating what other colleagues needed before they knew themselves. She was dedicated and committed to excellence in everything she did and was often the last person to leave the office at the end of the day. The community also celebrated Nat Follansbee who retired after 41 years of service to the school. Please see page 13 for a story about Nat.

Lilian Castillo Hutchinson and Andrew Hutchinson were both honored for 20 years of dedicated service to Loomis Chaffee. Since her arrival on campus, Lilian has invested her whole self into the many different aspects of her job: Spanish teacher, head coach of the girls varsity track & field team, in-dorm resident and dorm affiliate, and associate director of diversity, equity & inclusion. Passionate about her work as an educator, she sets high expectations for her students because she cares deeply about their learning and development as people. Andrew served as the dorm head of Taylor Hall for 15 years, worked as an affiliate in Batchelder Hall, and has coached soccer and/or wrestling in each of his 20 years on the Island. Currently, “Hutch” serves as the “master carpenter” in the Pearse Hub for Innovation where he collaborates with students as they bring their ideas to life through design and construction.

The Austin Wicke Prize, given in memory of Austin by his parents, is awarded to Loomis Chaffee faculty members of less than 10 years of service who have demonstrated a dedication to the discipline of teaching and a commitment to fostering the growth and development of young persons. This year’s recipients were science teacher Hannah Insuik and English teacher Kimberly Randall

Assistant Director of the Kravis Center and English teacher Matt Johnson received a Palmer Fellowship. The Keller and MacLean families established Palmer Fellowships in honor of Ann and Keith Palmer to recognize superb teaching at the Loomis Chaffee School, with the specific goal of fostering innovative pedagogy. Palmer Fellowships are awarded to Loomis Chaffee faculty members who possess a record of exemplary service to the boarding school to support professional or curricular development.

Associate Director of Studies and science teacher Bob DeConinck and Director of Innovation Scott MacClintic were each awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award. Named for Dom Failla, a former longtime philosophy teacher, the award recognizes outstanding teachers with more than 10 years of service to the school.

Service to the School awards recognize staff and administrative faculty for their significant contributions to the school over the past year. This year’s recipients included Housekeeper Tracy Cycenas, Carpenter Shop Foreman Andy Dowe, Campus Safety Officer Santos Garcet, Administrative Assistant in Athletics Brenna Marquis, Network Administrator Geoffrey Mattheis, Housekeeper Takeya Perry, Associate Director of Digital Communications Jessica Ravenelle, Director of Learning Access & Student Achievement Lena Sadowitz, and Associate Director of College Guidance Kathleen Wiggenhauser ’95.

Faculty leaving the Island to pursue new opportunities at the end of the 2022–23 school year included Spanish teacher Em Adrain, Head of Ammidon Hall Jaci Cardwell, Spanish teacher Marc Cardwell, social science teacher Griffin Cunningham, Sports Information Director John Cunningham, Associate Director of College Guidance Mary Pat Gritzmacher, history teacher Kevin Guevara, mathematics and performing arts teacher Scott Hsu, Assistant Director of the Annual Fund Marcus Hudson, Spanish teacher Martha Ince, science teacher Jacob Marchesi, Director of Summer Programs Jim O’Donnell, Associate Director of College Guidance Ethan Percy, Admission Fellow AJ Poplin ’13, French teacher Sandrine Sebag, Associate Director of the Alvord Center Megan Blunden Stoecklin, and science teacher Scott Tumperi

Art teacher Mark Zunino was one of 36 artists to have artwork on display in an exhibition at the Prince Street Gallery in New York City in August. Also this summer, art teacher YoonJee Kwak had work on display in ‘‘Where Land Meets Sea,” a pop-up group exhibition in East Hampton, N.Y.

Left: Mary McGoldrick, above, and Patti Loomis, below

VARSITY RECORDS

1: Junior Sofia Rincón

2: Freshman Adeline Roper

3: Junior Connor Bankoff

4: Junior Joe Hobot

5: Junior Grace Lund

6: Senior Ellie Abrams

7: Senior Quincy Briggs

8: Senior John LaFleur

9: Junior Lily Magliacano & Senior Turner Brode

10: Junior Christopher Chun

11: Sophomore Aiste Bardauskaite

BASEBALL 15-5

Founders League Championship finalist

BOYS GOLF 10-5-1

GIRLS GOLF 14-4

BOYS LACROSSE 12-5

Founders League Championship finalist

GIRLS LACROSSE 7-8

SOFTBALL 9-6

BOYS TENNIS 13-4

NEPSAC quarterfinalist

GIRLS TENNIS 3-6

BOYS TRACK & FIELD 8-1

Founders League Champions

3rd Place NEPSAC Div. I

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD 10-0

Founders League Champions

3rd Place NEPSAC Div. I

GIRLS WATER POLO 11-4

NEPSAC Championship finalist

Grateful for the Journey

By Jeff Otterbein

Students in the Class of 2023 did not have a traditional journey through Loomis Chaffee. The start of their freshman year in the fall of 2019 was in many ways typical — orientation, making new friends, and getting adjusted to high school life. Then, midway through March 2020, COVID-19 brought the world to a halt. The next 18 months included at least one term of remote classes for everyone (sometimes more, especially for students living abroad), a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning (once unfamiliar terms that every student now knows), canceled athletics seasons, masks, social distancing, and isolation. Still, in talking with the seven students featured in this year’s annual senior profiles, it is clear that the challenges of the pandemic, in many ways, afforded them opportunities to reimagine their high school experience and to truly appreciate the relationships they formed with their peers, faculty, advisors, and coaches. All are grateful for the journey and excited for what lies ahead.

HOMETOWN: WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

Carys Baker

When Carys Baker was in eighth grade, she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in one of her knees, an injury that has become all too common for female basketball players. She was 13 years old and headed into surgery. Carys had a support system around her, and she was told she’d come back stronger than ever.

“It was really hard to know when I was 13 that I would come back from this,” Carys says. But she did, starting for the varsity team as a freshman at Loomis Chaffee. That gave her confidence.

And then another ACL injury sidelined her in her sophomore season. Having come back from one, she knew she could do it again, and her final two years of Loomis basketball could not have gone much better. Carys helped lead the school to back-toback New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) Class A titles in 2022 and 2023, and she was named Most Valuable Player of each title game. She was also a 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game nominee and was named to the 2022–23 Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year Trophy Preseason Watchlist.

“The first time we won [the NEPSAC title], knowing all the hard work we put in, was awesome,” Carys says. “And to do it again was crazy. To win it for the coach [Adrian Stewart ’90] and the team meant the world to me.”

Adrian said Carys always had the physical talent, and when her confidence caught up, she became a dominant force on and off the court. Carys was “a true player/coach in the locker room over the last two seasons,

but even more this season,” Adrian says. “She skillfully straddled the line and was incredibly effective at helping the team develop overall.”

As much as winning those back-to-back titles means, Carys is equally proud of many other aspects of her time on the Island. That starts with “becoming my true self.”

“Coming in, I was having a rough time figuring out how would I be in high school,” Carys says. “My biggest question was, ‘How will I turn out when I get to be a senior?’ And freshman me would never have expected this at all, in the most positive way. Where I was as a freshman is nowhere close to where I am now, not even turning out the way I did as a basketball player but turning out how I did as a person, being able to open up to people, make so many friends that aren’t even on the team. I’ve been able to build so many close relationships in the community.”

For three years she was a mentor in the Pelican Support Network, which helps underrepresented students in their transition to Loomis Chaffee. “My freshman year I had a mentor on the basketball team,” Carys says, “and that really helped me navigate campus and to feel comfortable in the environment I was in. So, I wanted to do that for other people.”

Carys is the daughter of Vin Baker, the former University of Hartford and NBA player, and Maura Rodgers, a standout player at Northwest Catholic who also played at Hartford. When you are the daughter of two very good basketball players, there are expectations from the

outside world that you will follow in their rather large footsteps. But that pressure disappears when you become confident in your own game, Carys shares.

“I took elements from them, but we’re different players,” she says. From her mother, she says, she inherited aggression and fierceness. “She would always say she wasn’t the tallest on the court, but she would be super fierce in what she did,” Carys says. “That’s where I get my mentality to work hard, and she was mentally strong in high school and college and beyond.”

At 6-foot-1, Carys got some of her height from her 6-11 father. She also got some of his hybrid game. “He could play in and out ... he could shoot, and he could post up,” Carys says. “Being versatile is something I took from him, and I worked with him a lot on being able to shoot and dribble the ball. As a taller player to be able to handle the ball has helped get me to where I am.”

Looking ahead, Carys will play basketball for Virginia Tech, a Division I school that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “I am comfortable going to Virginia Tech knowing if I stay true to myself and my beliefs and build relationships, I can blossom there too,” Carys says.

She certainly has blossomed at Loomis, off and on the court. Carys has earned numerous basketball honors, a list as lengthy as her wingspan. She plans to major in communications at Virginia Tech and would like to be a sports analyst. “I can talk sports for hours and hours,” she says.

But first there are hours and hours of college to enjoy and basketball to be played.

Quick Takes

College: Virginia Tech

Favorite spot on campus: “Outdoors it would be the quad. I just like people watching, so the tables near the SNUG … just sitting there, you can get a feel for the campus. And inside I’d say the library, a nice quiet space where you can get work done.”

Favorite spot on the court: The wing … I love the wing. I like the top of the key, too, but I just like the wing because you can do so much there. You can shoot it, you can drive the basket.”

If you could trade places with one person for the day, who would it be and why? “Kevin Durant. He’s been my favorite NBA player since I started playing.”

Three things you could not live without: “My phone because that is how I communicate with everyone, and it provides a lot of entertainment. A basketball. I feel like I always have a basketball in my hand or around me. And my family.”

Favorite weird food combination: “I really like sweet and salty, so maybe bacon and yogurt. It sounds really weird but is really good. My teammates always think it is so strange when we have shootaround and go to brunch and I combine the two.”

Hobbies: “I like to cook and bake. I started to cook a lot in 2020 during COVID and when I was injured.” Her go-to meal for the family: chicken parm sliders and a s’mores dip for dessert.

HOMETOWN: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Nathan Ko

Nathan Ko remembers being intimidated by the thought of getting on stage when he was a freshman taking an acting class with theater director David McCamish. By the end of his junior year, Nathan had written and performed a one-person play.

“Throughout my four years here Mr. McCamish continued to tell me the same lesson — keep the judge off your shoulder. Be comfortable with vulnerability and trust yourself,” Nathan says. “After four years of working with Mr. McCamish in acting classes or on main-stage productions, the biggest lesson I’ve gotten from theater is don’t worry about being judged.”

That lesson carried over to all aspects of Nathan’s experience at Loomis Chaffee. “I remember my freshman year,” Nathan shares. “I was scared to meet people and say hi to my classmates.” Four years later he was chosen by his peers to be the Commencement class speaker.

“My mother had no idea how this happened,” Nathan says. “I went from that anxious kid to public speaker, and I thank the Theater Department so much.”

Nathan had little acting experience before coming to the Island from South Korea. The writing program at Loomis fueled his initial interest in the school. He wanted to improve his writing and critical thinking skills. “Being a writer at Loomis … has been a huge part of my identity,” Nathan says.

Nathan wrote opinion pieces and feature pieces for The Log, the student newspaper,

and as a senior he was a theater critic for the paper. He also entered a New York Times student contest for profile writing as a junior and was one of the 10 winners. His piece was on Kim Gyoo-sik of South Korea, an artist who found out he was dying from cancer.

“As I interviewed him, he was talking about the necessity of creating art when you feel like you are in the moment, and he felt like he did not have much time after his diagnosis,” Nathan says. “That spoke a lot to me. He talked about how many people pose a hypothetical: ‘If you only have a few months left what would you do with your life,’ but that was his reality. It was a moving story.”

Nathan’s writing skills and his development as a critical thinker played key roles in his first one-person play. “I had no playwriting experience, but I knew that due to the writing instruction I received here, I could do a pretty good job,” Nathan says.

He pointed to his creative writing class with English teacher Sangyeop Kim. “He is so knowledgeable and able to explain complicated writing concepts in easy ways to grasp,” Nathan says. “It is one of those classes — you get out of it what you want — and I cherished it so much.”

Nathan’s one-person play in May of 2022 was the first theater production in the Black Box Theater in the newly opened John D. and Alexandra C. Nichols Center for Theater and Dance.

“I remember when the Nichols Center opened and Mr. McCamish was giving me a tour,” Nathan says. “For some reason he

was telling a story of Whoopi Goldberg doing a one-woman show on Broadway a few decades ago.”

Something clicked. “I just wanted to do a one-man show,” Nathan says. “I had never seen something like that before and didn’t know how to do it but felt I needed to do it. And later that week in my environmental science class we were talking about certain events we wanted to do to highlight environmental issues. And for me the most potent way to explore issues is theater. To me theater is a political weapon. It is a tool to fight injustice.”

He says he was disturbed by politicians who ignored climate change and by the role that profit and personal greed played.

“I remember showing up at the theater, and I was so nervous, and I hear people coming in, and I don’t know how many people are there,” Nathan recalls. “I enter the stage and I still don’t know how many people are there because it’s just a spotlight on me. It feels like I am by myself, and I go with all the things I have learned through the years. And then when the house lights go up at the end, and I see all my friends and all the teachers, and some people I don’t even know, that’s when I felt I was truly at home.”

Nathan also wrote a play this year for his senior project. He is attending Columbia University in the fall.

“I am really excited to be in a city where I can access the arts … Lincoln Center, Broadway, off-Broadway ... and I thank the Loomis faculty,” Nathan says. “They have made me a critical thinker and someone who has confidence as an artist.”

Quick Takes

College: Columbia University

Favorite spot on campus: “This may sound random because it might be expected of me to say the balcony of my dorm, which I love, and the theater, which I also love. But there is something about the hallways in Chaffee that I find particularly interesting. Most of our English classes took place in Chaffee, and I remember my junior year going through the halls of Chaffee and entering English teacher Mr. [Scott] Purdy’s classroom, and we’d talk about whatever book we were reading, and everyone had something insightful to say and challenged the ways I thought about the book. Every time I walked down the halls of Chaffee, I felt the intellect; I never felt so much energy from a hallway.”

Three things you could not live without: “The bookstore. I always went to the bookstore to get a snack before [theater] rehearsal, and it always was a granola bar and some rice crackers. And another thing I need is a book. I enjoy reading books beyond what we read in the classroom. And the people. It is always a joy seeing the diversity on campus. The people at Loomis are your caffeine. You don’t need coffee in the morning when you have the students at Loomis, and the teachers, too.”

Favorite food: “Oh, it’s easy. I love cookies. I have always loved cookies. ... I have always tried to stay away from too many sweets, but this year our pastry chef has been amazing. She has been a blessing. I don’t want to say it’s her work. It’s her artistry.”

HOMETOWN: WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT

Delaney Denno

It is fitting that Delaney Denno’s favorite place on campus is the greenhouse in the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics which is maintained by science teacher Julia Hinchman. “Not only have I taken some amazing sun naps up on the bench, but I love being surrounded by all the plants,” Delaney says. “Ms. Hinchman does such a great job of diversifying the area. There are cacti, succulents, and flowering plants. It’s such a great, quiet place to be on campus.”

Given her predilection for the greenhouse, it should come as little surprise that her favorite course was College Level Environmental Science and that in her four years at Loomis Chaffee Delaney became a champion of the environment. “Loomis has fostered my sense of what I can do to help in many different ways,” Delaney says. In her role as an environmental proctor (e-proctor), a student leader in the Community Work Program whose focus is on-campus environmental sustainability initiatives, and in other capacities, Delaney made a real impact at Loomis. She worked in the maple sugaring program and completed a senior project with classmate Inari Barrett that involved the construction of apiaries. She also helped lead a multischool sustainability summit as part of Earth Month at Loomis.

Delaney’s commitment to helping the Earth was strengthened her junior year when she took the environmental science class taught by Ned Heckman. “We were

learning such important and crucial things that I believe everyone should be aware of,” Delaney says. “I was always excited to go to the class because I knew I’d be learning something that I’d need to know for my future, and that I’d use in my future. That class opened my eyes to how connected we are to the world and how much we are a part of Earth.”

Delaney said she also was inspired by the solar field on campus, which went live in 2020. Jason Liu ’17 was the driving force behind that project when he was a student at Loomis Chaffee. “I love all the opportunities campus offers [to address] environmental issues,” Delaney says. “I think our generation has a good understanding of the importance of preserving the environment, and I appreciate that Loomis helps encourage that.”

Delaney’s involvement with the school’s maple sugaring program required her to be constantly aware of the campus environment. “I was always thinking, ‘What is the temperature today, and because of that how much sap is coming out and how often do we have to collect?’” Delaney says. “I always had trees in mind. You sort of have pet trees all over campus.”

The apiary project considered how beekeeping can become more accessible and equitable for marginalized groups, merging Delaney’s commitment to the environment with her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was a president of People Rising in Support of Multiculturalism (PRISM) as a senior.

“This community allows for a lot of diverse ideas and for people to speak the truth,” Delaney says. “I appreciate PRISM because it allows a platform for that.” In recognition of her efforts to create and promote an inclusive school environment, Delaney was awarded the Matthew Whitehead Award.

Delaney’s father, Tom, is a plumber/ heating technician at Loomis Chaffee. Her brothers Connor ’10 and Jeff ’08 are graduates. “I loved having my father on campus,” Delaney says. “We are close.” This spring, Tom watched with pride as Delaney led the ceremonies for the April rally on the Windsor Town Green, where students who had participated in the sustainability summit spoke, sang, and read poetry.

“I could not have done that as a freshman,” Delaney says, “but I think PRISM helped me with my speaking skills, having to get up in front of an audience.”

Delaney plans to attend Middlebury College in Vermont after a gap year in which she would like to participate in a program with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a network of organizations that facilitates homestays on organic farms.

As she prepares for life after Loomis Chaffee Delaney shares, “I leave with a better sense of who I am as a person, and what my values are, and I think Loomis helps cultivate that because it gives a voice to anyone who wants to speak.”

Quick Takes

College: Middlebury College — but first, a gap year!

What’s on your bucket list? “I’d love to go sky diving. … [T]o be in the sky would be an exciting experience. I’d love to look at Earth from a bird’s-eye view.”

If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

“English teacher Sangyeop Kim. I’m thinking of this as you would like to gain that person’s mind, and he has so much knowledge, and we had such fascinating conversations in class [CL Creative Writing].”

Three things you could not live without: “I couldn’t live without a digital camera. I like to take pictures and be able to go back to the places I might forget. … My family. I don’t know what I’d do without them and who I’d be. … Probably nature. I’m not sure I could live in a city because I love being surrounded by nature, and running water is such a lovely place to be near.”

Favorite food: “I’m not a picky person, and I love food. Something that will never fail to satisfy me is an everything bagel from The Bean [local restaurant] with cream cheese, cucumbers, salt, and pepper.”

Advice to a freshman: “Don’t be scared to go to events alone. When I was a freshman, I went where my friends migrated. But if you’re interested in something — just go. It’s also an opportunity to talk to new people. So that is something I’ve learned. Go to the places I want to go.”

HOMETOWN: MALVERNE, NEW YORK

Aidan Healy

When Aidan Healy addressed the baseball team on Senior Night in May, he closed with these words: “A lot of you might be sitting here right now thinking you have it all figured out, but the reality is you probably don’t. Life can change a lot in just a couple of years, so never let an opportunity pass by, always give your best no matter what you embark on, and be OK with your plans changing. You have no idea what tomorrow will bring, so be adaptable and always be grateful for the journey.”

Aidan knows whereof he speaks.

Aidan was cut from his high school baseball team his freshman year in Malverne, N.Y. Then COVID-19 knocked out his sophomore year. “So that was two years with some unfortunate circumstances that led to me having a real hate for the sport of baseball,” Aidan says.

When he arrived at Loomis Chaffee for the 2020–21 school year, hockey was top of mind. It had always been his favorite sport. His father had encouraged him to play both hockey and baseball so long as he was enjoying each. But COVID interfered again and forced the cancellation of Loomis’ hockey season.

Frustrated at the prospect of the anticipated shortened baseball season ahead, Aidan almost went home at the start of the spring term of 2021 to take classes online and forgo baseball altogether. Fortunately, both his father and Baseball Head Coach Donnie McKillop urged him not to give up on the opportunity to stay at Loomis and play baseball.

“For those two I am so grateful,” Aidan says of his dad and Coach McKillop.

“Looking back, I am grateful that I had those important people in my life to help keep me here for those three months because it altered the trajectory of my future. Playing baseball here made me fall in love with the sport again.”

That spring he also applied to reclassify for a second junior year at Loomis, a decision primarily driven by the cancellation of the hockey season and the shortened baseball season. “Also, being young for my grade with an August birthday, it just made sense to give myself another year given the circumstances,” Aidan says. “The extra year turned out to be the best thing for me as it opened so many doors and … allowed me to mature so much as a young man and really take ownership of the leadership positions I was taking on.”

Aidan was a prefect in Kravis Hall, an underclassman dormitory, during the 2021–22 school year and a resident assistant in Warham Hall, a dormitory with juniors and seniors, in 2022–23. The two positions appear similar but require different skills, he discovered.

“It’s easy to lead people younger than you because I suppose you have a built-in power dynamic and you’re a little wiser in your years,” Aidan says. “But the challenge is leading your friends, especially those you have built a relationship with prior to being in that position. How do you straddle the line of keeping people doing what they are supposed to and being a friend? How do you maintain both? That’s something I learned that was beneficial.” He put these lessons to good use in his role as a hockey captain this winter as well.

Loomis won the Founders League hockey championship this year with Aidan as a

captain. At the winter sports award banquet, he received the Joe Birarelli “Living the Dream” Scholarship Award, which was started in 2014 in honor of Joe, his love of watching his son Tim ’16 play hockey, and the place Joe earned in the Beverly, Mass., hockey family before his passing in 2014.

“Aidan has been one of the best leaders Loomis hockey has seen,” Head Coach John Zavisza said when presenting the award. “He truly embodies the team’s leadership creed that includes authenticity, humility, and generosity. His commitment to being at his best is evident every day through his efforts on the ice, in the locker room, and on campus.”

In baseball, Loomis finished 18-2 and won the Founders League championship in 2022. This season the Pelicans finished 15-5, losing in the Founders League championship game. Aidan hit .423 and was the Founders League Player of the Year. “Aidan is an amazing human,” Coach McKillop says. “The way he attacks life, team, dorm, and sport is incredible. He has excellent character and integrity and is mature beyond his years.”

At this year’s annual Celebration of Excellence, the boys varsity coaches awarded Aidan a Frank Grubbs Prize, a honor that goes to “the young man or men in the senior class whose skill and devotion to sport embodies the ideals of sportsmanship.”

Now Aidan takes all the accumulated lessons from the classroom, dormitories, ice rink, and baseball field to the next stop on his journey, Annapolis, Maryland, where he will attend the U.S. Naval Academy … and play baseball.

Quick Takes

College: United States Naval Academy

Favorite place on campus: “The balcony attached to my dorm room. My roommate and I have Adirondack chairs out there. In the warm weather, especially, it’s a great place to hang out.”

Three things you could not live without:

“My toothbrush … if I don’t brush my teeth in the morning, I feel nasty. Got to have that. ... My family. I talk to them all the time. Can’t live without them. … And sleep. I value my sleep.”

Describe yourself as a first-year student and now as a senior: “When I first got here, I’d say immature, a little more reckless, and I lacked a little bit of the big-picture perspective. … Now I’d say I’m wiser, more mature, and just more composed.”

If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and why? “My more sentimental answer would be my Uncle Ted. He lived in Chicago and passed away four years now. I didn’t get to see him too much, but he was a fascinating person. He had a lot of layers to him I’ve heard since his passing, so it would be good to get to know him more. On a lighter level, [seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback] Tom Brady. He’s had great success, so to soak up things from him as much as possible would be great.”

HOMETOWN: NORTHPORT, NEW YORK

Kirsten Lees

On May 23, Student Council President Kirsten Lees stood at the podium in the Olcott Center before an audience of approximately 800 students, faculty, and staff at Loomis Chaffee’s annual Celebration of Excellence. In a few moments, she would pass the gavel to the next Student Council president. “Speaking to you in this position for the last time seems surreal,” she shared. “As many people know, coming into Loomis I never imagined myself being part of Student Council, never mind leading it.”

She took the opportunity to give special thanks to all her peers on the council. “I believe this group has transformed the goals of Student Council at Loomis,” Kirsten told those gathered. “We have opened doors to new conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion; medical leave and mental health; ... and so much more. This group has truly demonstrated a genuine concern for student well-being.”

The Student Council is just one channel through which Kirsten has made a positive difference in the community. She was a resident assistant in Howe Hall as a senior and a prefect in Flagg Hall as a junior. She was a head tour guide, a member of the girls varsity soccer team, and an artist who could often be found in the Richmond Art Center (RAC) working on ceramics.

Just one day later, she presented her senior project, “Toad in a Hole: An Expressive Self Sculpture,” culminating her enthusiasm

for ceramics at Loomis Chaffee, a passion she discovered during her junior year. “I fell in love with [ceramics] very quickly,” Kirsten says. “I realized it was a passion when I was coming to the studio after hours, making random things, and practicing on my own. This is something I would plan my day around … do my homework and make time for it.”

She created countless pieces that reside in the RAC, her dorm room, and her home. Her senior project was named “Toad in a Hole” in part because in the middle of the piece is exactly that, a toad in a hole. The expression comes from when her father would make a hole in mashed potatoes for gravy to fill. To Kirsten the piece also means much more: poise, confidence, embracing emotions, individuality, family, and the unconditional love of close friends.

When she was deciding on how to glaze her piece, she discovered colors that reminded her of a chameleon. That spoke to her. “One way to think about chameleons is they are very adaptable, embracing change rather than rejecting it,” Kirsten says.

The girl who never saw herself leading the Student Council embraced so much in her time here. Just as Kirsten molded clay into her final ceramics piece, she molded herself into a leader and helped shape many parts of campus life.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the school community, the faculty

honored Kirsten with the Jennie Loomis Prize at Commencement. A few days earlier her artistic and academic accomplishments were recognized with a Sanford B.D. Low Senior Art Prize and her induction into the Cum Laude Society.

“I’m just incredibly proud of Kirsten and what she has and will accomplish,” says Tim Jeon ’06, her advisor all four years and an associate director of admission. “I’m also happy to have witnessed this chapter of her life. Though I had my suspicions Kirsten would be an awesome Loomis kid after reading her admission file, I was pleased to see just how much she exceeded my expectations. … I was pleased, but not surprised.”

Kirsten will attend Stanford in the fall and is interested in neuroscience. She is deeply analytical, taken to evaluating the pros and cons, sticking to her beliefs. So, what would we find if we went inside her brain?

“Probably a collection of Outlook,” she says with a laugh. “A bunch of emails asking me to do things, emails to other people … you’d find my friends … different ideas I have for making clothes, different ideas for ceramics projects. My advisor would be there. Every time something happens, especially things that are funny, my first thought is to tell him. … What else is in there? Probably a lot of analyzing questions. Ruminating. I like doing things and experiencing things. There’s a lot going on in there.”

Quick Takes

College: Stanford

Three things you could not live without: “Honey Nut Cheerios, YouTube, and my mom and dad.”

More on those Honey Nut Cheerios: “You have to put the milk first because that makes it so much better. I hold strong to that decision. It’s just better. You have more control; you are not putting the initial sog over it.”

Weird food combination: “I like ranch [dressing] a lot. I’ll eat ranch, well, not with everything, but ranch is good with many things.”

Favorite course: “I’d say Harlem Renaissance [in the fall of her senior year].

I was fortunate to be in a very good class with people who were active participants, and to have a teacher, Dr. [Fiona] Mills, who knew how to balance the discussion and have students take the lead. And I appreciated the material, the literature, the music, the dance.”

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

“Maybe a contortionist. Just because I’m not flexible at all. Someone from the circus. You could do the trapeze and fly around; that could be cool.”

HOMETOWN: MCLEAN, VIRGINIA

Calvin Pan

There is Calvin Pan the piano player. Calvin Pan the cross country captain. Calvin Pan the resident assistant. Calvin Pan the Model United Nations and Debate Society team member. Calvin Pan the entrepreneur.

During his time at Loomis Chaffee, Calvin’s influence and presence was felt in almost every corner of campus and even halfway around the world in China. If a piano player was needed at a school event, Calvin was there. He performed at about 10 events a year. Calvin joined cross country as a freshman “on a whim” and was one of the captains as a senior. He says he went to more debates and Model U.N. events than he can count. He also started his own nonprofit called Huishuo English, or HSE, which matches tutors with aspiring English learners from China.

Calvin started HSE with some friends in China in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was a Loomis freshman and studying remotely. Before Loomis, he had attended an international school in Shanghai. “The environment [at the international school] was very different than the public school system,” Calvin says. “We had a lot of resources available to us, a lot of access to English instruction.”

That is not the case in public schools in China, he says. “Even though English is a required subject, it is not taught that well,” he says. “During COVID I reached out to some old friends, and we wanted to do something while everything surrounding COVID was going on. We connected to a public school in Shanghai and asked if they wanted us to give some English lessons to students over Zoom. Over time we found out there was a lot of demand for this, that so many wanted to learn English. So, we formalized this into something much more structured.” Today HSE is a nonprofit that has recruited about 300 tutors and taught more than 400 students across China.

Calvin also discovered something else about himself during COVID. “Through the isolation, I found out that running was something I enjoyed and was a very reflective opportunity for me, and I started running more,” Calvin says. “Eventually my times got faster and faster.” As a captain this year he says he concentrated on the younger members of the program, much as he had as a prefect in Harman Hall during his junior year. As a senior he was a resident assistant in Taylor Hall.

Calvin says his Model U.N. and debate experiences have taught him useful life skills, such as “how to respectfully disagree

with someone and understanding the power of civil discourse. There is a tendency for inflammatory rhetoric, especially given our current political climate. Make your point but no personal attacks.”

These skills should serve him well at the University of Virginia and beyond. He is interested in international relations, global studies, and human rights law. “I want to, as cliché as it sounds, change the world,” he says. It’s little wonder that Calvin received a Jefferson Scholarship from UVA. More than 2,300 students were nominated but only 38 received the prestigious scholarship that covers the cost of all four years of college.

All seems right in the world when he sits down to play the piano, no matter what is going on around him.

“Music is a natural part of human existence,” Calvin says. “Humans are very self-expressive people. We like to talk, we like to use gestures. And music is one of best and most natural ways to communicate. It is just natural that people pick up their instruments, maybe as a response to tragedy or in the face of tragedy, to produce something good for themselves and the community as a symbol of resilience and commonality.”

Quick Takes

College: University of Virginia

Describe yourself as a freshman and now as a senior: “I’d probably use the same words but the extent to how I embody those words has changed. Empathetic, curious, and warmth. For empathy, as a freshman I was someone who very much wanted to be there for my friends and now I have been able to take that to more of a community level as a prefect and resident advisor, trying to be there for as many people as possible and have an impact on their lives. My freshman year I wanted to know more about everything, and I’d spend hours on Wikipedia going down rabbit holes. As a senior, I have been able to do that by channeling it into class work. Warmth, that probably has not changed.”

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

“Someone living a completely different life than me ... maybe a farmer or a fisherman. It would be insightful to see the life I am living, and how it contrasts with a different way of thinking, community building, interacting with the world. Maybe I’d see am I doing the right thing with my lifestyle or is there a different way?”

What are three things you could not live without? “My piano, my running shoes, and my computer.”

What’s on your bucket list? “Drive a formula one car. I’m not that good of a driver, but I’d want that feeling of acceleration.”

HOMETOWN: DELICIAS, MEXICO

Everardo

Lujan Lalieu

Everardo Lujan Lalieu IV grew up on one of the largest dairy farms in Mexico. Agricola Ganadera los Lujan (AGL) started in 1968 with a herd of about 40 cows. “Now it is around 25,000 dairy cattle,” Everardo says. “It’s a 24/7 operation.”

It’s also a family business, started by his grandfather and now run by his father and grandfather. Someday Everardo, who also goes by Lalo, is likely to take the reins. “But I do not want to go straight into it after college,” Everardo says. “I want to do something on my own first. I want to make my own mark in investments.”

Everardo is headed to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences program. As keen as he is on the dairy industry, he is equally interested in business and plans to explore both subjects at Cornell. This year he helped found the Loomis Chaffee Finance Club. “The financial world interests me because there is always something to do, a problem to solve, and investments to be made,” Everardo says.

One of four children in the family, Everardo grew up surrounded by horses, dogs, and cows. “From a young age I knew how to drive tractors, plow the fields, take care of the calves, milk the cows,” Everardo says. “Coming from a rural environment to the Hartford area was eye-opening, and meeting so many people from other countries here at Loomis has been quite nice.”

Everardo’s piece of advice to a freshman

would be to soak it all in. “Enjoy your time. Enjoy every single day. Enjoy your friends,” he says. “The time it takes to go from a freshman to a senior goes by very quickly.”

Everardo has packed a lot into that time. Over the course of his four years, he has played soccer and hockey, competed on the swim team, and been part of the crew team associated with Riverfront Recapture in Hartford. Back home he was an equestrian and enjoyed show jumping, but he wanted to pursue other interests here.

“My passion for rowing began when I was 12 years old. My father was the one who taught me the basics,” Everardo says. “But it wasn’t until I went to summer camp where I truly fell in love with rowing; it helped that I already knew how to row, and therefore I was placed among the best at camp.”

He hadn’t rowed competitively, however, until he joined the Riverfront team in the spring of his junior year. “I was the first rower in the program to join the varsity team without any previous experience in competitive rowing,” he says. “I guess my father taught me well.” So well that Everardo became captain, competing as a senior in the fall and spring.

“What I love about rowing is the elegance, the determination, and that it does not compare to any other sport,” he says.

In addition to his leadership role in the rowing program, Everardo was a resident

assistant in Kravis Hall this year, a reflection of his growth over four years. “As a freshman I would describe myself as somewhat insecure but eager to learn,” Everardo shares. He says he became much more confident as a senior.

“I am determined and hardworking,” Everardo says. “I know that the process from freshman to senior year has shaped me in a way that I am eager to take in more knowledge, take on more responsibility, and enjoy what is going on in my life.”

Everardo’s growth over the past four years has been witnessed by many on campus, including Associate Director of College Guidance Kathleen Wiggenhauser ’95. “What strikes me about Lalo is how thoughtful he is,” Kathleen says. “He thinks carefully before he speaks or responds so as to consider all perspectives and voices. Despite his many accomplishments and leadership roles on campus, Lalo is unassuming and respectful in every single interaction. He is interested in the lives of his peers and teachers and always asks how someone is doing and carefully listens as they respond. It is easy to walk around campus and see the respect he has earned from our community.”

“Loomis gave me the right tools,” Everardo says, “and I am grateful for all the great relationships with students, all the great courses, and the opportunity to grow as a person.”

Quick Takes

College: Cornell University

Favorite spot on campus: “The back of the Meadows looking forward to the school. That became my favorite spot after a few times in soccer practice, and the sun was setting, and the school just looked gorgeous. ... I go sometimes when the sun is setting, sit there, read a book, or go with friends and just enjoy the amazing scenery. It is quite impressive.”

What’s on your bucket list? I’d like to hike the biggest mountain in Mexico or the U.S. My father hiked the biggest in Mexico a few years ago and he has pictures, which are amazing. “

Three things you could not live without: “I could not live without my family. They have been the pillars of what I have done here, even though I have been living away from them for a while. Christ, and what he’s done in terms of the opportunities he has given me. And my friends. I rely on them a lot. I have made great relationships, and the fact I can rely on them in good and bad times has been great.”

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? “Mark Cuban [owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a TV personality on the Shark Tank]. He has had many opportunities to invest in companies that have gone through the roof, and the knowledge he acquired from that would be quite interesting.”

Favorite weird food combination: “A sandwich with Nutella, peanut butter, and banana.”

The Fruits of Their Labor

Rogers Orchards Produces Generations of Apple Farmers

By Jeff Otterbein

Take care of the family. Take care of the land. Eight generations of the Rogers family have done that.

“This is not a forced march back to the farm,” says John Rogers ’67, retired president of Rogers Orchards, Inc., in Southington, Conn. “My dad [Frank ’42] did other things before coming back, and I did other things before coming back. And Greg, Peter, Jeff, and Martha certainly did other things before coming back.”

But there is something about that farm, that land, that takes root in you.

John fully retired in 2019 so he gets to spend more time with his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy. Inside John’s head there is so much knowledge about the business that can be tapped anytime. He’s just up the road from the Shuttle Meadow Farm location on Long Bottom Road, one of two retail locations.

John and Nancy’s son Peter ’98 and their sonin-law Greg Parzych ’95 are the co-presidents of Rogers Orchards. Peter’s specialty is the financial side; he also is the CEO. Greg’s specialty is the growing side. Greg is married to John and Nancy’s daughter Martha ’95 who also works for the family business as the assistant treasurer and secretary. John and Nancy’s son Jeff recently stepped in to start a new venture, making hard cider.

“My father, myself, and those involved in the business now all have bought into this idea that we are just stewards of the land,”

John says as he stands near some of the more than 100,000 apple trees at Rogers Orchards. “And our intent is to pass it on to the next generation. We have eight grandchildren — that’s the ninth generation — and we hope someday one or more of those will come back and make this their life’s work. That is the vision we all have.”

It’s hard to think that it will not happen. As they say, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Each generation has learned from the previous one. John’s father, Frank, died in 2008. Martha and Greg had come back in 2007, and Peter joined them in 2008.

“Seeing that gave my father so much pleasure and appreciation for his life’s work,” John says. “And I had joy and pride and satisfaction when I stepped down on a full-time basis knowing that I had passed down the farm in the black as it was given to me by my dad for the next generation to take it and run with as they saw fit. And I knew that when I retired, the family had the same focus as I had, and their grandfather had. I can’t say enough about how proud and thankful Nancy and I are that they are committed to

the success and sustainability of the farm for the next generation.”

Frank worked for an insurance company in Hartford, John taught in Massachusetts, Greg and Martha taught at The Forman School in Litchfield, Conn., and Peter and Jeff worked in New York, but they all came back.

“I remember John’s father, Frank, telling a story about when he worked in Hartford at an insurance company and someone from the company came up to him and said, ‘You have a chance to go back and have your own family business. You’d be a fool not to think of it,’” Nancy recalls.

John jumps in for a second. “My father worked two jobs,” John says. “He also opened a frozen food business in West Hartford when freezers just became a thing and frozen food was big back in the ’40s.”

That is the type of foresight still seen in the family.

Greg could see down the road, too. Before he and Martha taught at The Forman School, he had worked in environmental consulting. He had not yet found his place. Now he has.

Left: John ’67 and Nancy Rogers are in the middle of it all, surrounded by family: Martha ’95 and husband, Greg ’95 Parzych (seated), Peter ’98 (next to dad) and Jeff (next to mom).

Right: Frank Rogers’ senior photo from the 1942 Loomiscellany and a scrapbook he made from his days at Loomis.

“I was always interested in agriculture and was interested in the orchard because it is a lot of science,” Greg says. “It is like a giant lab classroom — but the stakes are higher.”

Says Martha, “We came back after our first child was born. You start thinking more long range. We thought about where we wanted to raise our family.”

Peter interjects.

“We have always had a connection to the farm, but it was a natural cycle for all of us to explore other things,” he says. “And to come back in a way that was right for all of us.”

And to do what is right for all of them.

“I like the challenge of growing and changing the business model in a way that we can pass it down a little healthier, a little stronger for whoever takes it over next,” Peter says. “I think that challenge and that long-term thinking has always been at the core — bad

pun, sorry — of what we have done for over 200 years.”

Now there is the latest addition: hard cider, Jeff’s venture.

“The idea to contribute to the family business was always something on my mind,” Jeff says, “and I recognized the potential of a

value-added extra product. Hard cider is a part of the business we can grow.”

Jeff was introduced to making hard cider when he was a teacher at The Lycée Français, an independent bilingual French school in New York. He started experimenting at home in Brooklyn, New York.

This Page: Greg (left) and Jeff (right) in the tasting room. An assortment of goodies inside the retail shop at the Shuttle Meadow Farm location. Opposite Page: Harold Rogers stands in front of a “Fruit-a-Matic” as he inspects apples. Workers load harvested apples into trucks circa late 1940s. The retail shop’s exterior.

Staying One Step Ahead

Farms do not get to the next generation without foresight, and Rogers Orchards now produces about $10 million in revenue a year.

When Frank came back to the farm in 1948, the business was in the red. The city of New Britain told him it needed some of his land to build a reservoir. He said no, but the land was claimed by eminent domain.

“My father took the money from the negotiated settlement and used that money to buy a second farm [Sunnymount on the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike],” John says. “That enabled us to open a second salesroom, and that was great vision because it opened up another way to retail, which is a far better return than wholesaling. It also enabled another u-pick-it operation that catered to towns close to there — Cheshire, Waterbury, Wolcott. That kind of forward thinking was all about growing the business, but also

A Brief History of the Farm

1809: Chauncey Merriman, an early settler of Southington and a veteran of the Revolutionary War, starts farming the land now known as Rogers Orchards. The Rogers name comes into play in 1888 after three generations of the Merriman family worked on the farm.

1888: Elijah Rogers marries Sarah Merriman. By 1916, Elijah expands the operations by planting 3,500 apple and 7,000 peach trees.

1940-1950s: Harold Rogers tries selling apples in vending machines and helps develop an apple concentrate called the “Apple Dapple.”

1960s: Frank “Bud” Rogers opens a second location at Rogers Orchards’ Sunnymount Farm, one of the first all-electric salesrooms in Connecticut.

1980s: John Rogers assumes the role as president of Rogers Orchards and expands the retail and wholesale business.

2008: Peter Rogers, Greg Parzych, and Martha Parzych join the business.

2009: Rogers Orchards celebrates 200 years!

about taking care of the land and making sure you were only enhancing the land and not turning it into houses, giving the next generation to do what he enjoyed doing all his life. That was me and now it’s the kids.”

John looks at those “kids” gathered in the house once lived in by Elijah Rogers, who was born in 1861 and died in 1949. Elijah is John’s great-grandfather. Elijah married Sarah Merriman and they purchased land adjoining the Merriman farm, which started in 1809, the year Abraham Lincoln was born. Nancy has documented the Merriman-Rogers history, producing a book when Rogers Orchards had a bicentennial celebration in 2009. That book also thanked the many people who have worked at Rogers Orchards through the years.

“Elijah is very important to the story,” John says, “because two farms became one.”

Greg and Martha and their three children live in Elijah’s house, which is located on

Long Bottom Road not more than an apple’s throw from the orchard.

“The farm is the anchor for the connection to the community, but the kids’ involvement in town has made that connection even stronger,” Martha says. “I’ve always been very proud of what work my family has done here, and more and more appreciative of how unique it is the older I got and wanting to share it with my children.”

She pauses and laughs.

“They’re probably at the stage now that it is embarrassing that dad shows up in a pickup truck,” Martha says. “But they will get it eventually, if they don’t already, and I think they do get it. They are having their turn, slowly, working in the store. For me the farm was a wonderful place to learn about work ethic, and what is important and what is not important, and something we wanted to raise our family around.”

The Apple of Their Eye

Peter Rogers: “Favorite apple to eat or the one that helps the business?” We will take both. “I like Honeycrisp, but there are a lot of new varieties coming out, so I like to keep up with consumer preferences while also staying with the heirloom apples we grow and know we grow well.”

Martha Rogers Parzych: “A Roxbury Russet, which is an old-fashioned apple that looks rusty. In terms of year-round eating, we have been eating a lot of EverCrisp. If we are going to walk next door and get apples for the fridge it has consistently been EverCrisp.”

Greg Parzych: “Have to go with Macoun. Nothing beats a Macoun in the season. Through the winter, anything sweet, a Honeycrisp, a Fuji.”

Nancy Rogers: “My favorite apples for pies are a combination of Cortland, Macoun, and McIntosh because the Cortland holds some body, but the Macoun and the Mac give it a lot of flavor; they kind of melt down. So that is a good combo … My favorite to eat is EverCrisp, but there is nothing like a Mac or a Macoun right off the tree.”

Nancy’s secret ingredient for the crust of her apple pies is vodka. “Might have to try hard cider,” she says with a laugh about the newest venture at Rogers Orchards.

John Rogers: “I’m going with Nancy, a Macoun off the tree in the fall. EverCrisp … and an Empire in winter and spring.”

Jeff Rogers: “My favorite for making hard cider is the Roxbury Russet, America’s oldest known cultivar [first grown in Massachusetts in the 17th century].”

A business such as Rogers Orchards does not reach the next generation without innovation, even if the ideas do not always work. In the 1940s Elijah’s son Harold had the idea of selling apples out of vending machines. “Fruit-O-Matics” were placed in the area, but the idea didn’t work out.

“I’ll tell this story,” Peter jumps in when the Fruit-O-Matic story comes up. “I worked in New York in finance, and the vending machines by the elevators had chips and candy. As I was leaving the investment bank to come back here what was in there … apples and oranges ... he was just ahead of his time.”

Peter’s financial mind is put to effective use in the family business.

“Loomis prepared me in so many different ways, starting with [former teacher] Jim Wilson’s economics class,” Peter says. “The responsibility you have, yet the independence and freedom … it’s your job to get to school on time, do the homework, do your work job, make practice on time, all of which set me on a course to succeed.”

As Peter says, he and Greg form a complementary duo as co-presidents.

“Our approach and strategy [are] to diversify the farm more and try to take the seasonality out of the business,” Peter says. “Over 60 percent of our revenue comes in three months, the end of August to the end of November. People have apples on their mind in the fall, and they want to visit a farm, but there are things we can do as a business to diversify and smooth out the cash flow.”

And there are plenty of things they have done. There’s the weekend u-pick-it season. The farm stores. Gift boxes are shipped. Fruit from Rogers Orchards is in many popular area supermarket chains.

“Our direct store delivery program runs six days a week to over 135 stores, and it is getting longer and longer into the business year,” Peter says. “So that is helping us grow the business and serve the community.”

That is just one way the community is served.

Peter Martha Greg Nancy John Jeff

We just had to know the favorite apples of the members of the Rogers family.

Left: Inside the retail store at Long Bottom Road it is never a long walk from one enticing product to another. It’s as easy as pie.

Rogers Orchards Facts

Size: 275 acres

Number of apple trees: 101,904

Varieties of apples: 29

Lifespan of an apple tree: About 30 years. They do not die at this age but have a lower yield and smaller fruit.

Oldest apple tree: 60 years old, which means it took root in 1963

Most popular: “Our calling card is a Mac [McIntosh],” says co-president Greg Parzych, “but we also grow a mean Macoun. I think Macoun is most popular if you look at New England. Lately, in the last 10 to 15 years, Honeycrisp is a very popular apple. Pain in the butt to grow, but …”

Total apples: “Apples like to go biennial,” Greg says. “If they have a big crop one year, they have a small crop the next year. You try to address that with different techniques. We produce between 75,000 and 150,000 bushels a year; 2021 was a record year with 148,000 bushels … 100,000 is great. Anything less, we’re looking for apples. Anything more is gravy, so that is what we shoot for.”

Number of peach trees: 4,000 with 15 varieties

Also grown on the farm: nectarines, apricots, pears

Personnel: 40 to 45 salaried employees. With seasonal workers and extra help in the fall for harvesting, packing, and distributing, the total number swells to about 160.

Automated packing line facilities: There are two that leverage camera imaging to assist in sorting fruit by size, color, and external defects. This specialized equipment comes from the Netherlands and has been a strong return on investment, co-president and CEO Peter Rogers says, because the equipment improved quality by reducing human error, cutting back on labor, and increasing packed output per day.

Cold storage: There are four cold storage units and six low-oxygen, long-term storage units. Each room averages about 12,000 bushels or about 250 tons of apples. The inventory ranges from a few thousand to more than 125,000 bushels depending on the time of the year.

Retail locations: The Home Farm is located at the west end of Shuttle Meadow Reservoir in Southington, Conn., on Long Bottom Road. Sunnymount Farm is at the top of Southington Mountain on the Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike. There are pick-your-own options at each on the weekends during growing season.

A scholarship honoring Frank Rogers is given each year to a student in the area who is continuing an education in agriculture/ environmental science. Each year Rogers Orchards hosts countless school groups from kindergarteners picking apples to high school environmental classes. Apples, pies, and cider are donated yearly to nonprofits and food shelters throughout the state. Rogers Orchards also is a founding member of a nonprofit outreach group that provides and distributes fresh fruits and vegetables to areas considered food deserts.

The land is everything

Near the store on Long Bottom Road are 700 solar panels that provide 102 percent of the farm’s annual average usage, Peter says. Rogers Orchards has EcoApple certification, which represents one of the highest standards of ecological orchard management, using advanced Integrated Pest Management practices that rely on careful monitoring and minimal risk.

“This sticks to our family philosophy of sustainability and keeping a close tab on how we grow our fruit and take care of the greatest asset we have, which is our land,” Peter says.

Rogers Orchards does not exist in a vacuum. John says farmers, especially apple growers, are willing to share information.

“We’re in close contact with our local Connecticut apple growers,” John says. “We can call them, and they can call us when there are questions.”

There are other resources, too, such as the UConn Cooperative Extension Service, which in part works to advance innovative and sustainable agricultural methods, and the Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, which created its first agricultural extension program in 1894.

“We stay in touch with what is going on around the world, too,” John says. “Pete has traveled. Nancy and I have been on a fruit tour in New Zealand. Greg and Martha have been to Europe. We also have a Dutch fruitgrowing family that I worked for coming out of college and Peter worked for coming out of college, and their family has come and worked with us. That is the kind of thing that has helped us keep on top of changes in the business and make the right decisions.”

Top: Peter Rogers in the solar field, which produces the energy needed for the massive operation that looks to churn out at least 100,000 bushels of apples a year.

Leasing or buying land in Connecticut is expensive, Peter says, so he and Greg have looked for ways to increase production on the land they have.

“We researched intensive planting systems in Europe, brought back a concept of highdensity planting to increase yield per acre,” Peter says.

That system is called tall spindle, and it averages about 1,600 trees per acre. Planting regular trees, depending on the variety, provides only about 200 trees per acre. Rogers has converted about 45 percent of its acreage to the tall-spindle system, which has yielded almost two times the harvested fruit per acre. The trees grow on a trellis system. While the Rogers family can control much of the operation, no one yet has been able to harness the weather, an issue that turns a smile upside down in a hurry. This year’s peach crop will be about one-fifth of a normal year because of the mild winter and then a cold snap in February that wiped out many fruit buds. On May 18, frost and subfreezing temperatures caused statewide damage in the millions of dollars to some crops, though Rogers Orchards saw only minimal damage.

“Something we have always done across the generations is to operate the business in a fiscally conservative way, avoid debt whenever possible, and very much know that farming is risky,” Peter says. “When you think about it, the farm has been through World Wars, depressions, recessions, supply chain issues, economic meltdowns.”

“And the pandemic,” Nancy says. “Pandemic, right … probably two,” Peter responds.

“You’re right … 1918,” Nancy says. Rogers Orchards has been around seemingly forever.

“Any business to come out of those events, and then you layer the risk around weather events, makes [the business] truly unique,” Peter says. This year marks the 50th wedding anniversary for John and Nancy.

“We are very fortunate,” Nancy says. “I immediately saw how great it would be to raise a family here.”

And maintain a piece of family — and Connecticut — history.

The Orchard Cycle

WINTER

After all the apples are picked in the fall and the orchards are cleaned up, the trees are pruned as soon as it gets cold enough. Every tree needs to be pruned; it is one of the most important first steps in managing the trees and next year’s crop.

SPRING

Once March rolls around and the trees start to come out of dormancy, pest and disease pressure needs to be considered. As soon as the trees show green tissue, they are vulnerable. Once the apple tree starts to bloom, bees are brought in to pollinate (85 to 90 large hives, which is over 5 million bees). Each flower can make six apples. Yet, as co-president Greg Parzych says, “If we let every flower make six apples, we’d have billions of marble-sized apples.” They make sure that does not happen. Apples are thinned to the right crop load using hand, chemical, and mechanical thinning.

SUMMER

Summer months are dedicated to maintenance, from pruning to irrigating and mowing, making sure trees have enough water and no pests are popping up. “We do summer pruning,” Greg says, “which is the second round of pruning of the lush new growth that comes in. It makes the tree focus its energy on the apples. But it also gives a lot of light penetration to color up the fruit when the time comes.”

All the while, a close eye is kept on what is going on in the orchard. “So that’s in-person scouting,” Greg says. “In addition to myself and our own personnel spending a lot of time in the orchards, we have scouts that we employ that come once a week and check every block on the farm. Also, we have weather stations that feed into computer models so we can see what we’re going to be vulnerable for and what the weather’s doing.”

FALL

As harvest nears, judgments are made as to when the various parts of the orchard get picked, how many bins are needed in the field, and in which building the apples will be stored. “When the apples are really firing,” Greg says, “we’re using two 16-person crews six to seven days a week until everything is picked. Every apple is picked by hand by professional fruit harvesters.”

Above: John, left, and Greg know the importance of walking the land to see things for themselves.

OBJECT LESSON

A Room with a View

By Karen Parsons Loomis Chaffee History Teacher & School Archivist

James Lockwood Wilson ’33 was keenly interested in the technical details of photography. In addition to serving as two-year photo editor of The Loomis Log, Wilson kept a scrapbook of his own photographs with handwritten captions recording aperture settings and light exposure times. One of his images depicts a student seated in Taylor Hall’s common room with the fireplace behind and a painting hung above the mantel. The painted landscape on the wall beckons the viewer even further into the photograph with its pine grove leading out onto a rocky coast, water, and an island beyond. Wilson selected camera settings for focus across the depth of the entire photograph, including the very background of the painting. Cleverly placing this landscape within his viewfinder, Wilson also, probably unknowingly, enacted a longheld ambition of Loomis Institute Founder Osbert Loomis.

Phillip Little exhibited the painting at the 1928 Loomis School Art Club’s one-day annual student-organized exhibition. Titled variously as August or Cloud Shadows, it represents much of Little’s art depicting the coasts of northern Massachusetts and Maine. The Loomis Log described the landscape as “a striking and truly realistic conception of an August afternoon ... characterized by a free technique, brilliant coloring, and fine composition.” Just two years earlier, the Boston Globe observed that this was an era when marine and shore paintings were “the vogue,” and that Little was “one of the artists who ha[d] stimulated public interest in such pictures through his own paintings.”

The Globe published numerous glowing reviews of Little’s art during the 1910s and 1920s, suggesting that Little’s successful picture-making was derived in part from deep familiarity with the terrain and ocean

so prominent in his paintings. His family’s long history of North Shore “sea rovers” and Little’s own studio overlooking the harbor at Salem, Mass., combined with “study and research” and “the imagination required to visualize such scenes [to] make them of vital interest.”

When Little donated the painting to the school directly after the show, he asked fellow exhibitor, sculptor Evelyn Longman to deliver the gift. He might just as well have approached Longman’s spouse, Loomis Headmaster Nathaniel Batchelder, whose own family had a long history in Salem. In fact, Mr. B’s parents and siblings may have known Little who was highly regarded in Salem for decades of public service in numerous roles,

including ward representative and School Board member. On a national level, Little, as reported by the Globe “took an active part in acquainting the United States Government [during World War I] with the need of camouflage in American vessels and was appointed a member of a commission in New York to develop the possibilities.” His previous career in design and his service and rank as a major in the Massachusetts Militia, now part of the National Guard, may have informed this interest.

In 1928, The Loomis Log praised efforts to place art around campus, some “framed and hung to be carefully preserved for posterity.” Less than 50 years earlier and during the last decade of his life, Osbert Loomis labored vigorously to collect books, historic relics, minerals, and paintings for use and study at the future Loomis Institute. In his 1886 letter to the Superintendent of the Navy Department, Osbert noted the success he’d had in acquiring and creating this collection, having been “specifically deputed” to this work by his sibling Founders after the school’s 1874 chartering. Wilson’s playful use of Little’s landscape to create a picture within a picture focuses our view on a single 1930s moment in Taylor Hall. His photograph also invites us to wonder about a deeper field of narratives centered on making, studying, collecting, and appreciating art. Today, Phillip Little’s painting hangs in Loomis Chaffee’s Burton Room alongside landscapes painted by Osbert Loomis.

Opposite Page: Phillip Little’s painted landscape was donated to the school almost 100 years ago, but the beauty of it never gets old. Above: The painting shows up in a photo of a 1930s moment in Taylor Hall by James Lockwood Wilson ’33.

Science teacher George (Koby) Osei-Mensah has taught at Loomis Chaffee since 2011. He teaches organic chemistry, advanced chemistry, and college level (CL) chemistry. His office on the third floor of the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics is a place to meet with students, plan lessons, grade, and “catch my breath after teaching. I like how quiet it is

on the floor.” He says what excites him about chemistry is how it can help us better understand the world around us and its connections with other branches of science. “I use everyday examples in my teaching; I try to make clear the relevance of the material we’re studying and how it can help us solve big problems for the betterment of human life.”

Faculty Desks

GEORGE (KOBY) OSEI-MENSAH

Koby grew up in Ghana and picked up this artwork a few years ago. It reminds him of home, where his parents still live.

The periodic table of elements. Koby’s favorite is carbon, because of its versatility. Millions of carbon compounds have been discovered.

Koby met his wife, Mary Duame, in Ghana in 2013 when he was back home for his sister’s wedding. They were married in Ghana in 2015.

Koby brought the LC Science Team to the Northeast Regional Science Bowl at UConn on March 7, 2020, and came home with a trophy, just days before COVID shut everything down.

A peer sent Koby a note congratulating him on being named Teacher of the Year for the 2022–23 school year.

Koby coaches the girls thirds soccer team and has been known to say “one more time” more than once when he doesn’t like what he sees in a drill. At the end-of-the-season “plate awards” ceremony his plate read: Most likely to say “one more time” 3 times.

Koby and his students use these molecular model kits in his organic chemistry classes.

NEWS FROM THE ALUMNI/DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

Members of the Class of 2018 enjoy dinner with science and mathematics teacher Liz Bucceri ’07

(center) at Reunion: Robert Lotreck, Kimberly Ma, Liz, Suzy Ryckman, and Julia Thompson.

Annual Fund Raises Over $4.8 Million

Thanks to the Loomis Chaffee community, the school raised a record-breaking $4,801,311 for the 2022–23 Annual Fund. We are so grateful for the collective generosity of our alumni, parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, and friends who are partners in supporting the mission of our school and the value of a Loomis Chaffee education.

Every year, Loomis Chaffee relies on the Annual Fund to provide almost 10 percent of the school’s operating budget, enabling us to fulfill a range of needs and allowing us to provide our students with a truly transformative educational experience. Because tuition alone cannot cover the full cost of educating and empowering our students, philanthropy is essential to the Loomis Chaffee experience.

On behalf of our entire school community, thank you!

Chaffee Class of 1958 Scholarship

The women of the Chaffee Class of 1958 share a special bond. It all started when Florence Sellers, the director of the Chaffee School for 18 years, chose each of them to be a member of the class. These women would represent the last class to be handpicked by Mrs. Sellers’ discerning eye, for it was her final year as headmistress. This special status has stayed with the class through the years.

When asked what Chaffee means to them, many of the members of this class share that Chaffee changed their lives and prepared them for the future even better than their college experiences did. Their shared time at Chaffee also created a special bond that they felt as classmates and that continues to this day. It is clear that the women of the Class of 1958 share a deep affection for each other.

When asked what Chaffee means to them, many of the members of this class share that Chaffee changed their lives and prepared them for the future even better than their college experiences did.

In 2012, Maureen Sullivan Crandall ’58 initiated an effort to establish a scholarship fund in her class’s name. Although there was some interest from other members of the class, not enough money was raised at the time to reach the required amount to activate the scholarship.

Ten years later, Joan Thompson ’58 stepped forward and encouraged her classmates to join her in giving what they could to enact the scholarship fund in honor of their upcoming

65th Reunion and in memory of Maureen — who passed away in 2019, a little less than a year after their 60th Reunion.

Over the course of a year, 94 percent of the class gave what they could to help formally initiate The Chaffee Class of 1958 Scholarship. This endowed fund honors the legacy and spirit of the Chaffee Class of 1958 and will be awarded to a deserving girl whose family qualifies for need-based financial aid starting in the 2023–24 school year. Members of the class are thrilled that so many of them — as well as several of their husbands, who saw firsthand what Chaffee meant to their wives — enthusiastically supported Maureen’s original vision of a class scholarship and that the scholarship will help make a significant difference in the lives of future Loomis Chaffee students.

Above: Members of the Chaffee Class of 1958 during Reunion Weekend 2023: Joan Thompson, Penny Kline Bardel, Cindy Clements Arrouet, Deanie Sullivan Davis, Ginny Wardner Davis, and Sally Crowther Pearse.

ALUMNI GATHERING

LEAVE A LEGACY WITH A NEW GIFT PLANNING OPPORTUNITY

“Lea and I read about the changes to the IRA/QCD rules last year which essentially allows a donor to satisfy a required minimum distribution (RMD) with a one-time charitable gift annuity. We have made several contributions to Loomis Chaffee over the years through our IRA as well as our donor designated funds at the Jewish Community Foundation of Hartford and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. We saw this as another way to help Loomis and at the same time derive a small benefit for the future.

MARCH 7, 2023 • LOS ANGELES

We were very pleased with the help from the Development Department as they walked us through the steps and handled all the paperwork. This gift will benefit our two established funds for Holocaust education and a Loomis Chaffee scholarship. We expect to continue with donations in the future to benefit the school.”

—

RICHARD RUBENSTEIN ’65

Until the enactment of the omnibus bill, only IRA transfers for outright gifts qualified as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). The new omnibus bill allows a transfer of IRA funds for a life-income plan that pays income to the IRA owner and/or the owner’s spouse. The transfer can be made in only one tax year, and the contribution limit is $50,000. But like outright gift transfers, it is adjusted for inflation. Provided it meets these requirements, the IRA transfer will be treated as a QCD.

For more information about planned gifts and the John Metcalf Taylor Society, please contact Heidi E.V. McCann ’93, P ’23, ’25 at 860.687.6273 or heidi_mccann@loomis.org

www.loomischaffee.giftplans.org

Above: Head of School Sheila Culbert, hosts Jamie Widdoes ’72 and Mer James, and Associate Head for External Relations Nat Follansbee Below: Christina Baker ’18, Owen Chang ’19, Julie Ivanitski ’12, and Ellis Gould ’12 Bottom: Mike Giorgio ’84, Laurie Perez ’89, Jeff Collette, Erica Hoitsma ’89, and Dalhia Schuette ’89

JUNE 18, 2023 • FENWAY PARK BOSTON RED SOX VS. NEW YORK YANKEES

Pelicans at the Ballpark

JUNE 24, 2023 • DUNKIN’ PARK HARTFORD YARD GOATS VS. ERIE SEA WOLVES

Above: Nick Miceli ’13, Peter DeLalio ’15, Tyler Mulberry ’15, Barnaby Horton ’87, Carl Francalangia ’16 Top Right: Larry Pflume, Theresa Pflume, Carrie Wagner P ’24, and Craig Wagner P ’24 Right: Matt Covello ’15, Ben Suski ’15, Aidan Dunlavey ’15, Teddy Lyons ’15, Adriana Lebowitz, and Matthew Page ’15

Above: Suzanne Cohen Hard ’80, P ’08, ’10, ’13 and Eric Hard P ’08, ’10, ’13 Top Center: Mary Rita Curran Killelea ’61 and James Killelea Top Right: Sarah Williams Niemiroski ’13 and Joe Niemiroski ’12 Right: Bob Karp ’65, Scott McGee ’65, and Bud Bigelow ’65

Scholarship Named in Honor of Nat Follansbee

In anticipation of Associate Head of School for External Relations Nat Follansbee’s retirement, a generous anonymous donor provided seed money in 2022 to establish the Nathan Follansbee Scholarship Fund. The fund’s description states: “The Follansbee Scholarship will honor a teacher, coach, and administrator who built a lasting legacy at Loomis Chaffee. The funds raised for the scholarship will support annually at least two students whose families are unable to provide the full tuition to cover a Loomis Chaffee education.”

Raising money for financial aid remains a top priority for the school whose original charter included a desire to be tuition-free. This scholarship fund is fitting in that it honors an individual who was instrumental in raising money for financial aid for more than four decades.

More than 20 alumni and past parents have added to the fund, which as of this writing stands at $1.7 million in commitments. Gifts and pledges to the fund of $50,000 or more have been matched by 50 percent thanks to the Scanlan Financial Aid Initiative. The school will continue to solicit gifts for this fund in the year ahead.

MARCH 8, 2023 • SAN FRANCISCO

For more information about how to contribute to the fund, please contact Chief Advancement Officer Tim Struthers ’85 at 860.687.6221, tim_struthers@loomis.org or Director of Campaign Initiatives Mitch Linker at 860.687.6860, mitchlinker@loomis.org.

Reconnect with fellow alumni at regional receptions across the country. Visit www.loomischaffee.org/alumni for event information. We look forward to seeing you soon at one of the upcoming gatherings.

Above: Mischa Lassow ’09, Adrianne Francisco, Erica Chenard ’09, and Eleanor Struthers ’18 Below: Reception host Neville Bowers ’01 with Associate Head for External Relations Nat Follansbee and Head of School Sheila Culbert Bottom: Carlos Trujillo ’90, Emma Abernathy, Murad Mamedov ’06, William Meng ’16, Ariana Washington ’04, and Dena Trujillo

JOIN LC Connect

Loomis Chaffee’s alumni engagement platform

LC Connect is an online community and resource for alumni that makes it easier than ever for Pelicans to stay connected to each other and with the school. LC Connect is an opt-in networking platform, powered by Graduway, that enables alumni to:

• Find and reengage with fellow alumni through the online directory and groups;

• Expand professional connections through mentorship opportunities and a job board;

• Stay up to date with Loomis Chaffee news and activities through an alumni events board and the school’s social media channels;

• Have on-the-go access through the LC Connect mobile app. Register at www.loomischaffeealumni.org

Loomis Chaffee Alumni

Loomis Chaffee Alumni @lcclassnotes

LC Connect replaces Loomis Chaffee’s Evertrue app and Career Network, upgrading the alumni experience by providing several resources in one platform.

1939

Elliott B. Sweet on February 28, 2023, in his home at Somerby of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. He was 101 years old. Elliott spent his childhood in West Hartford, Conn. At Loomis he was a four-year student and a member of the rifle and squash teams, and played Allyn hockey, Allyn baseball, and Allyn junior and senior football. He enrolled at Dartmouth in 1939, and after two and a half years joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. As the lead navigator for the 465th bomb group, 781st squadron, he flew 40 missions over southern Europe during World War II. His plane was shot down on a mission to Germany in February 1945. He was able to navigate the disabled plane to Switzerland and the entire crew successfully parachuted and became prisoners of war in Adelboden. He earned first lieutenant rank and received the Distinguished Flying Cross during his service. After returning to the U.S., Elliott met the love of his life, Army nurse Mary Frances Smith, while finishing his service in Texas. They were married on March 2, 1947, in Charleston, W.Va. He finished his college degree and began medical school at Dartmouth College. He finished medical school at University of Virginia and completed his specialty in orthopedic surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. He began his private practice in 1956 in Hartford, Conn., and then became the 10th generation of “Bonesetter Sweets” in New England. In the 1970s, Elliott founded Orthopedic Associates with his partners, a large surgery group that served all of Southern New England and continues to this day. Elliott retired from surgery at 68 years old. He continued working for an additional 10 years at Kaiser Permanente in Connecticut. He and Mary Frances remained residents in West Hartford and active in the community. After Mary Frances died in 2007, Elliott moved to Somerby of Mount Pleasant, S.C., to be closer

OBITUARIES

to his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. He made many friends in his community while at Somerby from 2009 to 2023. He was predeceased by his wife Mary Frances, and their daughter Beverly, and his three sisters, Deborah, Barbara, and Phyllis. He was survived by his daughter Ann (Sweet) Fink ’74 and Dr. Gary Fink of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and their daughter, Jessica Fink of Asheville, N.C., and son, David Fink of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Burial was planned for Arlington National Cemetery.

1940

Marion Showalter of Voluntown, Conn., on December 25, 2022, at the age of 100. Marion was born in Windsor, Conn., and was a four-year student, president of the Athletic Association, and chairperson of Spring Day in her senior year. She also was captain of the basketball and soccer teams. After graduation, Marion, her brothers, and a few friends jumped in a 1930 Model A Ford station wagon (Woody) and traveled westward. They explored the back roads, slept under the stars, and visited places like the Redwood Forest and Glacier National Park. In 1941, Marion married her first husband, the late Frederick Parker, a close friend of her brother Norman, and they started a family together. She dedicated her life to raising her children and worked in a bakery and restaurant after they were grown. Marion was an independent woman with a wonderful sense of adventure. Her family owned property in Voluntown, and she spent her summers growing up at the family cottage, part of the Briggs Estate, on Beach Pond. She and Fred, with help from friends and relatives, started a cottage on a piece of the estate in 1941 and enjoyed many summers with the family there. In 1960, Fred was transferred to Florida with his job at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. Marion moved to Voluntown in 1992 after her second husband, Roger Showalter, passed to be

closer to her family, and spent the rest of her life there. Marion loved to garden, read, do puzzles, and was an avid bird watcher. Marion was survived by her daughters, Patricia “Patsy” Leonard and her companion, John Sarapina, of Vernon, Conn.; and Linda Reynolds and her husband, Donald, of Indian Harbor Beach, Fla.; her grandchildren, Hugh Bruce and his wife, Amber; Brett Reynolds; and Patricia “Tish” Gross and her husband, Eric; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. In addition to her first two husbands, she was predeceased by her son, Christopher Parker; and her brothers, Arthur and Norman Green.

1944

Foster Bam of Greenwich, Conn., at age 96, on May 11, 2023. Foster was a three-year student active in sports (football, hockey, wrestling, tennis, track) and clubs (photography, music, and glee club among them). With a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Yale University, he served as assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York before co-founding the private practice firm of Franken Kramer Bam & Nessen, now known as Kramer Levin LLP, and numbering 400 lawyers. He was a member of the American, Connecticut, and Greenwich Bar Associations. His career became manager and chief investment officer for Foster & Foster, LLC, a fourth-generation family investment firm. Other leadership positions included board of directors, Cities Service Corporation; chairman of the board, American Museum of Fly Fishing; Trustee, Phoenix Science Center; Trustee, Bermuda Biological Station for Research; and Trustee, Steinhart Aquarium. Foster’s avocations were as varied and noteworthy as his professional accomplishments: aerobatics pilot, expert scuba diver, underwater and wildlife photographer, 3rd degree karate black belt, accomplished angler, ardent Shakespeare

aficionado, dazzling writer, and brilliant investor. He was predeceased by his daughter Sheila C. Bam. He was survived by his wife, Sallie A. Baldwin; his daughter S. Carol Bam of Rutland, Vt.; son, Eric F. Bam of Charlestown, R.I.; stepson, Eric T. Schultz ’75 of Storrs, Conn.; and seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

1945

Alan C. Snelgrove, on May 9, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. He was 95 years old. A fouryear student, Alan was involved in many activities including band, rifle club, and glee club; and he was on the football, basketball, and baseball teams. Alan was born in Windsor, Conn., and he resided in the state until health issues required him and his wife, Lois, to be closer to family. He served in the Army Air Corp toward the end of World War II. He was intently patriotic and sometimes roused his young children with the sounds of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” “God Bless America,” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” He graduated from Boston University with a business degree and had a long and successful career in sales with Burroughs (Unisys) and a decade with a physician/dentist management practice. Alan’s greatest role was as a hands-on father of four busy children. With Lois working part-time evenings until age 65, he became the bedtime bather, storyteller, house supervisor, and chauffeur. He exhibited a quiet patience, acceptance, and stoicism in all his life experiences including child rearing, being a supportive spouse, coaching sports, wallpaper hanging, and eventually in dealing with his own declining health. Alan was forever amused, tortured, and thrilled by his beloved Red Sox, UConn women’s basketball, and the New England Patriots. Alan’s passion in life was music. He sang in the BU Glee Club, in barbershop quartets, with the South Methodist Church Choir, and with his cherished Wapping Community Church Choir where he was an occasional baritone soloist. He enjoyed a diverse genre of music which comforted him greatly in his final hours. In addition, he volunteered for church-related activities and as a coach for his sons’ sports. He happily spent every summer holiday visiting family on Lois’s beloved birth home of Prince Edward Island, Canada. He shared the family’s reverence for it and chose to make it his final resting place with Lois. Alan was predeceased by his wife; his brother, Edwin Snelgrove ’42; and his cousin Shirley

Snelgrove Currie ’49. He was survived by his children, Judy (Larry) of Toronto, Canada; Steven (Joyce) of Maryland; Helen (Jim) of New Jersey; and Geoffrey (Polly) of North Carolina; and his grandchildren, Andrew (Julia) and Emily Phillips; Scott Snelgrove ’13; Evan and Shane Quinn; Caitlin (Peyton) Ford; and Ian (Allie), Brendan (Cecelia), and Kelsey Snelgrove. Also left behind were his great-grandchildren, Hayden, Carter, Jackson, and Tara Ford.

1947

William B. Hawke, 94, of Essex, Conn., on June 8 at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn., surrounded by his wife and daughter. Bill was a four-year student who played football, baseball, and hockey among other sports. He served as vice president of the junior and senior classes. Bill graduated from Bryant College and then served in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict. He later met his life’s companion, Mellicent (Whitlock) Hawke, at B. Altman and Company in New York City and they were happily married for 68 years. He worked for the textile industry while living in Cleveland, Ohio. Bill was transferred to New York City in the 1960s and the family moved to Basking Ridge, N.J. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church there and then became owner of Hawke’s Village Hardware. After selling the store, he and Mellicent moved to Essex to enjoy boating. He worked part time for several businesses before retiring. The First Congregational Church became a large part of his life as he served in so many ways, including mission trips, the soup kitchen, moderator, treasurer, and deacon. He installed lifelines for Middlesex Hospital, was a FISH driver, one-time member of the Lions Club, an honorary member of the Essex Fire Department, a member of the Essex Boat Club, a docent at the Essex Historical Society, and a faithful member of the Ancient Order of Essex Weeders. His favorite volunteer activity was reading to a class at the Essex Elementary School each week. Bill loved gardening, bridge, woodworking, and, most especially, his family. Bill was survived by his loving wife, Mellicent; daughter, Tracy (Scott) Perrapato, son, Chris (Charmaine) Hawke; grandchildren, Kyle, Jenna Perrapato, Ryan (Karla), and Casey; and great-grandchildren Simon, Elliott, and Olive Hawke. A celebration of life was held at the First Congregational Church in Essex.

1949

Peter Bellinger Reich Sr., on March 21, 2023, at his residence, Regency Park Oak Knoll in Pasadena, Calif. He was 92. Peter was a three-year student and was president of the junior class and part of many committees. He lettered in football, wrestling, and track, and was awarded the Evelyn Longman Batchelder Prize for Sportsmanship at Commencement. Peter graduated from Dartmouth College, Class of 1953, where he was captain of the football and rugby teams. Peter and his brother, Alan, helped found the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club in 1951. Following college, Peter served honorably in the Marine Corps. He had a successful career in commercial real estate that spanned the better part of six decades with the firms Grubb & Ellis, Coldwell Banker, and CB Richard Ellis. Peter had a deep appreciation for nature and spent countless hours fly-fishing. He was well-known among his fishing buddies for his meticulous fly-tying skills, and his love of the sport inspired many others to take up the art of fly-fishing. Peter was a valued member of the Pasadena community where he coached Little League Baseball, taught fly casting at the Pasadena Casting Club, and was a fixture on the tennis courts at the Valley Hunt Club. He was known for his generosity, his corny sense of humor, and his willingness to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Peter was predeceased by his wife, Louise; his son John; and his brother, Alan Reich ’47. Peter was survived by two children, Pete Jr. and his wife, Michelle, and their sons, Arlo and Jesse; and Caroline and her spouse, Lisa, and their sons, Skylar and Bodhi. A celebration of Peter’s life was held April 15, 2023, in Pasadena.

Mike Newton, on August 30, 2022, after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. The youngest of four siblings, Mike grew up on a 200-year-old farm in West Townsend, Vt. He was a one-year student who played football, wrestled, and was on the track team. After Loomis, Mike went to University of Vermont at age 16, where he majored in dairy science with a minor in forestry and played on the football team. Mike’s sister, Mary, had a roommate at nursing school named Jane. They were soon married on the farm. Mike was in ROTC, then joined the U.S. Army, where he served at Fort Riley, Kan., and in Germany on the Russian border. In the Army he was an expert in explosives and also taught marksmanship. He served

two years, and then arrived in Corvallis, Ore., in 1957 to begin his master’s degree in botany and forest ecology, graduating with a doctorate. His research was primarily in weed science and silviculture. Mike became a beloved professor at Oregon State University, where he taught and did research from 1959 until 1999 when he retired. Known worldwide as a legend in forestry, he published over 400 papers on forest science, taught 67 graduate students from 11 countries, and will be remembered for his unconventional teaching techniques. He was known as a “dirt forester” who would spend more time in the field with hands-on teaching, critical thinking, and humor. Mike was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Jane Webster Newton; his parents, Margaret and David Newton; siblings, John Newton, Marg Mechanic, and Mary Western; daughter Melanie Newton; and grandson, Andy Pederson. He was survived by his children Dan and his wife, Kathy, and their children; Linda and her husband, Mike, and their children; and Tom and his wife, April, and their children; and great-grandchildren. A celebration of life was held Oct. 29, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church of Corvallis.

John D. Nichols Jr., June 14, 2023. Please see page 78 for his obituary.

1950

Marston Kinsey “Skip” Grevatt, on April 3, 2023, in Redding, Conn., after a brief illness. Skip was a one-year student who played Allyn club soccer and club tennis, was on the rifle team, and on the senior reception committee. In 1955, Skip graduated from Cornell University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He met his wife, Margaret, a student at nearby Elmira College, while at Cornell. Skip began his mechanical journey in earnest with J-Class motorboat racing, building engines with outboard racing champion Don Whitfield of Verona, N.J. This was certainly one of the major factors in his pursuit of a mechanical engineering degree at Cornell. He went on to work at several companies including All American Engineering, where he worked on the design and testing of arresting gear for large aircraft; and Thiokol, where he was involved in the design of the 2nd stage retro rockets on the Saturn V used in the Apollo missions. He finished his career in the pharmaceutical industry with jobs of increasing responsibility with Richardson-Vicks and Boehringer Ingelheim; he retired in 1997.

He applied his talents to developing tools that allowed dentists to treat tooth decay with restoration rather than extraction on the volunteer medical/dental trips he and Margaret went on for many years to remote areas of Honduras with Cape Cares. With the exception of the time he forgot his 4-yearold son at the airport, he was meticulous in everything he did, from the mandatory 2 down, 1 up, 1 down brush stroke procedure the family had to employ during a painting operation to his complex spreadsheets for tracking household finances. It may have seemed like he enjoyed doing things the hard way, but the results always spoke for themselves. He was predeceased by his younger brother, Rev. Edward B. Grevatt of Gilford, N.H. He was survived by his wife of 65 years, Margaret K. Grevatt, and their dog, Lizzie; his son, Douglas Grevatt and wife, Elisa (Bybee) Grevatt, of Norwalk, Conn.; sister-in-law, Mary Louise (Myers) Grevatt of Gilford, N.H.; nephew, Richard Grevatt and his wife, Mandie Grevatt, of Franklin, N.H; niece, Carla (Grevatt) Jackson and her husband, Scott Jackson, of Bridgewater, Mass.

1951

John Ward Hager, 89, of New Bern, N.C., on January 8, 2023. John was a two-year student who wrestled, played football, and was on the track team. John graduated from Colby College with a degree in geology. After serving as a radio repair technician in the Army, John began a 40-year career as a geodesist for the Defense Mapping Agency near Washington, D.C. John was active in Boy Scouts, both as

a scout and then a troop leader for his sons. He loved outdoor activities that included hiking, camping, and canoeing. John enjoyed tinkering about in his workshop and became an avid collector of antique hand tools. He was a skilled sewer, making his daughter a full-length goose down coat among other things. He caught the travel bug from his spouse, and travelled the world on ocean cruises, small boat excursions, and more recently crisscrossing the U.S. on various trains. John spent volunteer time at church running the sound board and teaching the youth how to do the same. He also ran the lighting for shows all around town — from plays in the schools to the local playhouse. Working on genealogy consumed his spare time as he was frequently chasing down each clue. He enjoyed a good dram of single malt whiskey, even more so with friends and family. He was survived by his loving wife, Jackie; his children Heather (Don) and Ross (Tara); and his grandsons, Thomas Z., Andrew, Thomas H., William, and Patrick. He was predeceased by his first wife, Rita; son Rusty; and sister, Betty. A Celebration of Life Service was held on February 18 at Christ Episcopal Church of New Bern.

Henry H. Van Vleck, of Granby, Conn., on April 23, 2023. He was 90. Henry was a fouryear student who was in the jazz club, choir, and glee club, and played football, basketball, tennis, and wrestled for the Pelicans. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1955 and served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, primarily stationed in Germany. In 1959, he graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA. He then worked for

two years at the Boston Safe Deposit Company before changing careers and becoming an elementary school teacher, mainly in West Hartford, Conn. After retiring, he was treasurer for the West Hartford Retired Teachers Association, served on the Granby Library Committee and Granby Educational Foundation, and was president of the Granby Community Fund. One of his cherished roles was as the emcee for the Granby Senior Men’s Group where he could always make someone laugh. Additionally, he served on the board for the Granby Tennis Club, where you could find him on the court even at age 88. He also loved being a class agent at Loomis for many years. Henry will be missed for his warm, gentle, kind disposition, and generous attitude. He enjoyed many activities, especially tennis, but also gardening, walks in the woods, cycling, and classical music. He leaves behind his wife, Gail, to whom he was married for 56 years, now residing in Melrose, Mass.; his daughter, Valerie Van Vleck ’86, of Boston, Mass.; his son, Christopher Van Vleck ’89 of Bozeman, Mt.; and grandsons, Travis, Will, and Charlie. He also leaves his sisters, Sarita, Mary, and Nancy; a nephew, Joseph Van Vleck IV ’73; and a large extended family. He was predeceased by his brothers, David Van Vleck ’47 and Joseph Van Vleck III ’45. A private service was planned for the summer.

1952

Richard Hillyer Heym, on January 22, 2023, at home. Rick was a four-year student from West Hartford, and he was in the ski club, glee club, press club, and Christmas choir, and played baseball, track, and Allyn senior football and basketball. A graduate of Principia College, Rick taught high school math and coached basketball for a year in Turkey and the following year in France, after which he completed his Bachelor of Architecture at MIT. He then began his career in London working for Fry Drew and Partners for four years, helping design a hospital for the island of Mauritius. The company appointed him to be the onsite architect for three years where he made many lifelong friends. Returning to Cambridge, Mass., Rick became a registered architect and continued to practice architecture at the firm he founded, Richard Heym Associates. Rick and his first wife moved from Cambridge to Newton, Mass., where they were known by friends and neighbors for their Kentucky Derby parties. His varied interests brought him close to many people with whom he kept in touch. He enjoyed participating in many sports: skiing, scuba diving, golf, and he was a stalwart Red Sox and Patriots fan. Rick’s love of the arts was clear. As a longtime subscriber to the Boston

Symphony Orchestra and the Huntington Theatre he looked forward to their programs. Rick joined the board of the Friends of Fenway Studios and chaired it for several years. Even as his health began to limit excursions, he still went to museums and immersed himself in their offerings. That he truly enjoyed life was evident in everything he did and in how Rick managed illness. He was survived by his wife, Connemara Wadsworth, his stepchildren, and their children; his sister, Lynn DeWolfe, of Fort Myers, Fla.; and his brother, Douglas Heym ’57 of Sun City Center, Fla. Rick was predeceased by his first wife, Sally Merke Heym, in 1995. A memorial was held on April 8, 2023, in Newton, Mass.

David M. O’Brasky, on April 13, 2023, in his home in Peoria, Ariz., after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. David was a four-year student who was sports editor of The Log and the Loomiscellany as well as on the editorial boards of The Log, Loomiscellany, and The Loom. He also played football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. David was an advertising salesman for most of his career beginning shortly after graduation from Yale as a salesman with Esquire magazine. He followed that experience with Gentleman’s Quarterly in 1973, executive vice president of PrimeTime magazine in 1979, New York magazine in 1980, Vanity Fair in 1983, as executive vice president of Hanson Public Company in 1985, and ending his career as a vice president with United States of America Today beginning in 1986 until his retirement. David wrote in 2006 in the 50th Reunion Yearbook of the Yale Class of 1956 that he was then living in Savannah, Ga., and was serving as advertising director of The Skinnie Magazine serving the community of Skidaway Island, Ga. He is listed as “Noteworthy Advertising Executive” by Marquis Who’s Who. He was survived by his wife, Joan; children, Daniel, Jeffrey, and Martha; and grandchildren, Jaryd, Erin, Jack, and Bo. His cousins Richard E. Press ’56 and Thomas J. Press ’62 are Loomis graduates.

1954

John J. “Jack” Roach, Jr., on February 20, 2023, at the age of 86 in El Cajon, Calif. He was a four-year student who lettered in baseball and was co-captain of Allyn football and played Allyn senior basketball. Jack attended Brown University on a Naval ROTC scholarship, and after graduation served as

a Navy officer in a carrier group for three years, attaining the rank of lieutenant junior grade. Once out of the Navy, Jack decided to go into banking, and to make his home in Southern California, initially Long Beach, and then later Pasadena. He was a longtime banking executive in San Diego. Jack married Jollee Ann Chambers in 1959 and had a son, John J. “Josh” Roach III in 1961. Tragically, Jollee Ann died of cancer, leaving Jack widowed with a 3-year-old son. In 1967, he met and married Judy Legrand, and they were married for the duration of Jack’s life, celebrating nearly 56 years together. In 1968, he moved his young family to San Diego, where in 1969 his second son, Jason Earl Roach, was born. San Diego (and a second home in Palm Desert) would be where Jack and Judy settled in to raise a family and build a far-reaching professional and social network. Jack was passionate in his professional and personal life at everything that he undertook. He rose through the leadership ranks at Home Federal Savings & Loan (later Home Fed Bank), and retired at age 55, having held various executive level positions at that company. After leaving banking, Jack spent several years developing and building homes in San Diego and Orange counties. Jack was well-known and respected in the San Diego banking and business community and was also an avid member of several tennis and golf clubs in San Diego and Palm Desert, Calif. His other passions were gardening, travel, military history, and fly-fishing. Jack left behind his loving wife, Judy; two sons, Josh Roach (Beth) and Jason Roach (Micha); and two grandchildren, Michael Roach and Brett Roach.

1955

William Ross Clark, Jr., in Audubon, Pa., on March 23, 2023, at age 89. He was a threeyear student who earned a rifle letter and played soccer and tennis. Bill was on numerous committees and in the orchestra. He grew up near Storrs, Conn., where his father was an English professor at UConn. After high school he attended Princeton where he played clarinet in the marching band, competed on the rifle team, and was a member of the Charter Club. After college and Army service in Germany, Bill got his law degree from UConn School of Law and then joined the Trust Department of Philadelphia National Bank, eventually (after surviving several Pac-Man type mergers) retiring from Wells Fargo in Philadelphia. For several years

he participated in Princeton Project ’55 and found it very satisfying. Bill enjoyed skiing, target shooting, and flying, and he apparently passed along these interests to his two sons and five granddaughters. Son Cameron, a San Diego businessman, bought into the California coastal lifestyle and traded black diamond skiing for surfing. Son Douglas, now a retired Air Force officer, early in his career was the rifle coach at West Point and later for several years the captain of the U.S. Air Force rifle team. Twin granddaughters, recent college graduate engineers, are newly commissioned Air Force officers enrolled in flight training. Bill also was survived by his wife, Sue, and three more granddaughters who are still in school preparing to make their mark on the world.

Frederick Redmond Davidson on November 10, 2021, after complications due to Parkinson’s disease. A two-year student from East Hartford, Conn., Frederick was 16 when he received a full scholarship to Loomis where he studied hard and excelled at varsity football, varsity wrestling, and tennis. He was forever grateful for the opportunities Loomis gave him, later establishing two endowed scholarships at the school to help others develop their full potential. Frederick graduated from Dartmouth and started his career on Wall Street before serving as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. He then developed a 20-year distinguished international career in senior executive management with Borden International and later Canada Packers where he specialized in making businesses profitable. His work took him to Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Australia, and Canada. A meeting with Canadian career transition pioneer Murray Axmith in 1980 inspired Frederick to take a new direction with his own career. Frederick had seen first-hand the human impact of job loss on employees affected by mergers, acquisitions, and restructures and he knew that a new service was needed to support those affected to successfully reestablish their careers. In 1983, he and his wife, Mary, returned to Melbourne where he founded the first career transition company outside North America — Davidson & Axmith, later called Davidson & Associates (D&A). Over the next two decades, Frederick worked with 70 percent of Australia’s top 200 companies and opened offices in Australia’s major cities. D&A then expanded to Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and New Zealand before merging with Right Management Consultants in 1997. His legacy in the sector

is extraordinary — he created a foundation of impeccably high standards for an industry that has supported millions of people impacted by job loss for more than four decades. Frederick’s wider business acumen was highly sought after. He was a former deputy president and governor of the council of University College at The University of Melbourne; a former board member of the Australian Dairy Corporation and the Royal Children’s Hospital; a former chairman of the Co-operative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid Innovation; and a former member of the council of Scotch College (a large boys’ school). He was also heavily involved with St. John Ambulance Victoria, where he was chairman, then president, and later a board member of the National Council of St. John. Frederick was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012 for his service to business and commerce in the human resources and outplacement industry, and to the community through his roles with service, health, and educational organizations. He was knighted by the Order of St John for his vital contributions. Loomis inspired a lifelong love of learning in Frederick. He spoke fluent Spanish and Catalan, read literature widely, was an expert in European history, and became a patron of many arts organizations including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Ballet Companies. Always looking for new challenges in life, he took up show jumping and dressage at 59, and fencing at 72, representing Australia in veteran fencing competitions overseas. Frederick was survived by his wife, Mary; daughters, Sarah and Jenny; son-in-law, Rob; and beloved grandchildren, Sophie, Lucy, and Balthazar.

Thomas Blake Day, Sr., on May 24, 2023, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Tom was a three-year student who played multiple sports, including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis. He graduated in 1960 from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. At Cornell he dated his future wife of 64 years, Elizabeth Hathaway Dunbar. Tom started working for the family catering business, Robert Day Deans, when he was a teen, and his first job out of college was managing the restaurants in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, operated by the family company. Tom had an entrepreneurial spirit. In 1972, while living in Katonah, N.Y., he partnered with two Dartmouth undergrads who felt the Upper Valley needed a Rock ‘n Roll venue.

“Eleazar’s” was born in White River Junction

and would become somewhat infamous, and most would say a good time. Tom had visited his Dartmouth friends frequently while at Cornell in the 1950s and loved the area. He and his family traded the city for the mountains that year. In 1975 Tom would move on and partner with others to revive a foundering swimming pool business. Northeast Pools and Spas custom built residential pools and pools for many major ski resorts and hotels in northern New England. The business thrived through his retirement in 2002 and still operates under ownership of one of the partners. After retiring from the pool business, he remained busy running several rental properties. Shortly after they married in August of 1959, Tom and Beth discovered Hulett’s Landing on Lake George in New York by responding to an ad for a cottage. They not only discovered a beautiful location but a wonderful family compound. Tom had a deep respect for the military. His father served in World War I and his brother during World War II. He was a voracious reader of military history. His grandfather instilled in him a love of history, particularly the Civil War. Some of Tom’s interests had been reinforced by his participation in the Boy Scouts as a scout and as a leader. His favorite charity was The Wounded Warrior Project. Tom was predeceased by his brothers, Robert K. Day and Richard H. Day. He was survived by his wife, Beth Day; and three children, Thomas Day Jr., Cynthia Day, and Linda Day Colgan (Mark Colgan); three grandchildren, Marco Day (Mariel Day), Jack Colgan, Drew Colgan; two greatgrandchildren, Ryder Day and Hadley Day; and six nieces and nephews, Bob Day, Barbara Holmes, Carol Brockunier, David Day, Susan Brown, and Priscilla Day. A service was held at the First Universalist Society of Hartland, Vt.

1956

Charles Adelbert “Del” Babb, 86, on April 23, 2023, at Windward Gardens in Camden, Maine. Del was a three-year student who played football (lettering in his first year at tackle), basketball, and baseball, and was on the track team and the student endowment and study hall committees. Del was a dedicated family man and could not have been happier that all four daughters have homes in Camden. During monthly family dinners out, Del would always to say to the server, “Aren’t I the luckiest man

alive?” He was a fourth-generation Camdener who attended Camden public schools until grade 10. After graduating from Loomis, Del joined the Class of 1960 at the University of Maine at Orono, where he played three years of football, was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, and majored in business and economics. After Orono, Del moved back to Camden with his first wife, Roberta, to work at the Knox Woolen Mill. He enlisted in the Maine Air National Guard, completed basic training in San Antonio, and served in the reserves for six years at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine. Del began his long career in the paper industry at 16, working summers at the Knox Woolen Mill. After almost three decades with Knox, Del became New England sales representative for Appleton Mills (headquartered in Appleton, Wisc.). Del’s love for the arts and painting started in grade school. At Loomis, under the guidance of Sanford Lowe, Del continued to develop his interest in drawing, sketching, and watercolors. His favorite classes in college were the studio art classes. With family and work keeping him busy, Del put aside painting until retirement. His artwork could be found around town, proudly hanging in the homes of family and friends, even local businesses. Del gladly gave away his paintings in exchange for a donation to the Penobscot Bay YMCA. Del’s commitment to and love for his community was never ending as he served in many capacities, among them president of the Board of Directors of the Camden Area YMCA; and president of the Board of Directors of

Camden Outing Club. He loved sailing and exploring Penobscot Bay with family and friends and was involved in the Maine sailboat racing circuit for many years. Since the 1980s, Del and his wife, Isa, had been co-owners of the local sail loft, Bohndell Sails and Rigging, with the Chase Family. Del was predeceased by his first wife, Roberta Anderson Babb; his parents, Charles W. Babb, Jr. and Helen Bird Babb; and his sister, Janan Babb Vaughan. He was survived by his wife of 47 years, Isa Graber Babb; his daughters, Rebecca (Deerin Babb-Brott), Jennifer (James M. B. Wickenden), Andrea (Peter Conover), and Johanna (Jonathan Lamm); and his grandchildren, Alison, James Jr., Evan, Anya, Charles, Olive, Robert, and Charlotte. A celebration of Del’s life was planned for July 16, 2023, at Camden Yacht Club.

1957

Carroll P. “Ozz” Osgood, 83, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., on May 7, 2023, at Conemaugh Nason Medical Center, Roaring Spring, Pa. Ozz was a four-year student who earned letters in soccer and baseball. He was in the sailing club and a reporter for The Log Following his undergraduate studies at Williams College, Ozz graduated from Jefferson Medical School in 1965, completed his residency at Emory University, and then practiced as a neurosurgeon in Bangor, Maine, and Altoona, Pa., for nearly 50 years. After

his residency, Ozz volunteered as a doctor with the medical corps of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star with a “V” for valor. In 1991, he joined the Army Reserves and served in Texas for three months during Desert Storm. A grateful resident of Hollidaysburg for over 40 years, Ozz particularly enjoyed the 24 years that he and Diane spent on “the farm.” He was known for his voracious reading habits, his love of dogs, and his sophomoric sense of humor. Over the years, Ozz gave back to his community in numerous ways. He volunteered with the Blair Regional YMCA, where he was Board President Emeritus. He also belonged to the Quaker Prison Visiting Society and was a deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Hollidaysburg. After retiring, Ozz worked on a research project measuring cognitive impairment with Penn State Altoona and Cove Forge Behavioral Health. His last gift was to donate his body to the University of Pittsburgh for teaching and research purposes. Classmate John Stevens wrote: “Back in the 1950s when the entire student body and faculty could fit into the dining hall for the noon meal, Headmaster Frank Grubbs would often offer a few bits of news and encouragement before the afternoon classes began. Near exam time his pep talks occasionally focused on the Loomis motto, ‘Ne Cede Malis,’ which in Latin means, ‘Yield Not to Adversity,’ but in Grubbs’ homey formulation meant, ‘Keep a stiff upper lip.’ Carroll “Jay” Osgood was one of the thousands of Loomis boys who was sent off to college (and in his case to medical school) with a Loomis education as well as the headmaster’s entreaty. As with so many young men of his generation, real education began at the conclusion of his formal schooling. … He risked his life for his country in July 1967 and donated his body to medical science upon his death. Frank Grubbs would have been so proud of Ozz and so should all who aspire to the life he exemplified.” Ozz was survived by his loving wife, Diane; two daughters, Susan Osgood of San Francisco and Polly Chamberlain of State College; his first wife, Emily Osgood; two stepdaughters, Lisa Fetchko of Los Angeles and Betsy Fetchko of Ellicott City; his son-in-law, Lucas Rios-Giordano; and four grandchildren, Will T. Fetchko (Rachel), Ivan Rios-Fetchko (Kathryn), Francine Rios-Fetchko, and Ian Robert Chamberlain. He was preceded in death by his sister, Judith B. Osgood. A memorial service with military honors was held on May 13, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church.

1959

John “Jack” Marcus Lathrop III, of Barre, Mass., on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the age of 81. John was a one-year student who played football, basketball, and baseball. He graduated from Stonington High School. His childhood in White Plains, N.Y., and Stonington, Conn., instilled a lifelong passion for golf and boating and a strong work ethic. Jack became the local club champion. While at Northeastern University, where he studied electrical engineering, he interned at Electric Boat in Groton, Conn. He then joined the firm Stone and Webster where he learned the basics of investing and worked his way up the ranks. He then joined the firm Alex Brown where he became the No. 1 salesman. Jack later joined Kidder Peabody in Boston, Mass., and retired as a stockbroker while working for UBS in Barre, Mass. As a member of the Congregational Church, Jack served on the investment and church committees. Beyond philanthropic work, he also maintained a passion for singing, and acting in the Gilbertville Players. Jack met his first wife, Leatha, during their childhood in Stonington and had a daughter, Molly Connor Lathrop, who passed away in 2020. He met his second wife, Mary-Beth, while he was a director of a barbershop chorus. Together, they raised Mary-Beth’s three sons, Robert, Christopher, and Jeffrey Condon. Jack met his wife, Kate, on the internet in 2002. Their love of travel took them to Hawaii, Peru, Puerto Rico, and throughout the northeastern United States. They started a farm called Great Rock Alpacas with four animals eventually getting to 72. While in Barre, Jack retired as a stockbroker and founded L+B Realty where he and friend Fred Berk acquired residential and commercial properties. He was survived by his wife, Katherine (Kate) Lathrop; son John Marcus Lathrop IV and wife, Rebecca; and grandson John Marcus Lathrop V. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Molly Connor, and his brother, Jim Lathrop. A service was held June 10, 2023, at Barre Congregational Church.

1966

Anne C. Stone, 74, of Bloomfield, Conn., on April 13, 2023, at Touchpoints of Manchester, Conn. Anne was a four-year student who was secretary-treasurer of the senior class. She graduated from Cazenovia College in New York. Some of Anne’s hobbies included

sewing and crocheting. Anne lived in Bloomfield most her life where she raised her two boys and was a devoted soccer mom who never missed any of her son’s games. Before retiring she worked in the insurance industry. She was survived by her eldest son Jason Stone and his significant other, Joanne Kosiorek; son Trevor Stone and wife, Marianne, and their children Megan and Kyle; and sisters, Linda Day-Strutz and Marybeth Chambers. As an animal lover, she also left behind her beloved cat, Rudy. A Celebration of Life was held May 4, 2023, at the Manchester Elks Lodge.

1969

Steve Book, on April 24, 2023, at his current home in Napa, Calif., at 72, after enduring a long journey with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Steve spent most of his formative years in West Hartford, Conn. He was a fouryear student who played soccer and lacrosse, was the business and advertising manager for The Log, a member of the Student Council and was awarded the J. Newfield Prize in Chemistry. He attended MIT and met his soulmate, Maureen, while she was attending nursing school in Cambridge. Their marriage and love lasted 52 years. After college, they moved to San Francisco with two suitcases and a Martin guitar, with plans to explore the beautiful and innovative city, which they savored and enjoyed. They learned transcendental meditation through which they developed a rich interior life that lasted a lifetime. They moved from San Francisco to Upper Rockridge in 1987 and then to Piedmont five years later following the loss of their home in the Oakland Hills Fire of 1991. Steve and Maureen spent 25 years in Piedmont, where they raised their children, Ben and Annie. Steve was blessed with a curious mind and an imaginative spirit. He was playful, smart, athletic, humble, and kind. He wrote Maureen love poems throughout the years, poetry which she will always treasure. While Steve initially studied to become an actuary, he quickly shifted to computer science, becoming a successful software engineer. He was one of the few people to work from home in the 1980s, allowing him to also enjoy being with his family. Steve was a consultant and employee of large firms like Charles Schwab and Visa. However, he enjoyed small, start-up companies most, where he took on various positions. His greatest accomplishment was developing

software for the New York Stock Exchange. Steve played sports his entire life, including ice hockey, biking, swimming, lacrosse, and soccer. Later in life he helped organize an international soccer team in Piedmont and started a men’s support group following the Oakland Fire of 1991. Steve was survived by his wife, Maureen; son, Ben and his wife, Daniela, and their children, Natalie, Jackson and Nicholas; and daughter, Annie, and her husband, Pete, and their children, Kalber and Otis. He was predeceased by his parents; brother, Chris; and sister, Lisa. His niece Julia E. Stubbs ’09 and his nephew Michael R. Stubbs ’04 also are Loomis Chaffee graduates.

James Parton III, Mill Valley, Calif., on June 4, 2023, at home from ocular melanoma. He was 71. Born in New York City to James Parton II ’30 — founder and publisher of American Heritage magazine and former Loomis Chaffee Trustee and Board chair — and Jane Bourne Parton, the family relocated to Westport, Conn., where Jim spent his early years. Jim enrolled at Loomis in 1965; he was a four-year student who excelled at getting into trouble and lettered in hockey and lacrosse. As an alumnus, Jim was a reunion fundraising volunteer and Common Good Society member. After graduation he attended Uppingham School in Rutland, England, then a traditional all-boys boarding school. He returned to the U.S. and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in 1973 with a double major in history and literature. After graduating, Jim moved to Washington, D.C., where he met Diane King; Jim and Diane married in 1976. Jim continued his studies and earned a law degree cum laude from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1977. In 1980, Diane passed away leaving Jim to raise her two boys, whom he adopted in 1981. In 1985, Jim married Maureen Ann Brown, and they settled in Mill Valley. Together they explored the joys of hiking and mountain biking. They enjoyed traveling, journeying to Europe and New Zealand. After five years, they expanded the family to include two more children. Following law school, Jim joined the firm Lynch & Loofbourrow (ultimately Lynch, Gilardi & Grummer) where he started as an associate, achieved partnership status in 1983, and practiced for 25 years. In 2008, Jim formed the law firm of Parton & Sell in San Rafael, Calif., with Jim Sell, a partner from the Lynch firm. They were soon joined by Ralph

Rhoades to become Parton, Sell, Rhoades. Jim specialized in employment law, product liability, and commercial litigation and was honored as a “Super Lawyer.” A member of the Defense Research Institute, Jim was also program chair of the 2008 Employment Law Committee seminar. He retired from the practice of law in June 2016. Jim was dedicated to outdoor recreation and the arts. He served on the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation Commission, including one year as chair, and on the boards of Antenna Theater, Chris Hardman’s experimental theater group, and of the Acoustic Vortex, a storied houseconcert series in Larkspur, Calif. The pinnacle of Jim’s community service was at his “happy place,” the West Point Inn atop Mount Tamalpais. In retirement, Jim vigorously pursued the things he loved best: travel, gardening, hiking, family history and genealogy, and photography. At his 50th Loomis Reunion, asked for a piece of advice for new Loomis Chaffee graduates, Jim wrote, “Stay active and healthy. Find a physical fitness regimen that works for you and stay with it. Forty years from now you will be glad you did. Remember that health is the crown that only the sick see.” Jim was predeceased by his first wife, Diane; son Phillip Parton ’81; and Jim’s brother Dana Pelgrift ’75. He was survived by his wife, Maureen Brown Parton; his son from his first marriage, Christopher; and two children from his second marriage, Jane and Nathaniel. In addition, Jim was survived by his sister, Sara Parton Pelgrift ’77, a former Trustee, and her husband James Pelgrift ’76 of Danbury, Conn., and their three children, Samuel Pelgrift ’06, Elisa, and Daniel; and an infant grandniece, Elinor Marie Wallace. A Celebration of Life was held on July 20, 2023, at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club.

1974

Andrew Graham Lowe, 66, of Suffield, Conn., on April 25, 2023, in his home on Cape Cod after a courageous multi-year battle with cancer. Andy was a four-year student who lettered in soccer, golf, and swimming. He was a member of the first swim team at Loomis Chaffee, which would influence the rest of his life. He went on to Stanford University, where he graduated with a degree in history, was a member of the swim team, and started the squash team. Andy made lifelong friends at Loomis and Stanford with whom he kept in close contact throughout

his life. Andy retired this winter after 44 years at his beloved Suffield Academy, where he was a teacher, coach, and mentor to thousands of students. He will be remembered for his passion as a swim coach, his tenacious belief in his students, and his willingness to go above and beyond for all those whose paths he crossed. Andy’s impact on the members of the Suffield Academy community was profound. He was deeply honored in 2021 when Suffield Academy dedicated the school pool as the Andy Lowe Pool. He was equally honored when Suffield Academy further dedicated a classroom in his name. Over the years Andy coached varsity swimming, tennis, soccer, and water polo at Suffield. Through his dedication and passion, his teams won numerous New England Prep School Division 1 championships in each of those sports. Andy was inducted in the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame for his success in coaching. As a history scholar and teacher, Andy enjoyed exploring the world, never missing an opportunity to see a new country or city. Andy led numerous trips for students and faculty to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. His family often joked at how Andy had an annual “once-in-a-lifetime” travel opportunity. Andy was survived by his loving wife and lifelong partner, Andrea; his son Graham and daughter-in-law Paige; son Geoff; and daughter, Emily. He also left his brother, Derick Lowe, and his wife, Barbara; his sister, Ginny Connors, and her husband, Marty Connors; his sister-inlaw, Beth Rondinone, and her husband, Joe; his brother-in-law, Jeffrey Scanlon ’79, and his wife, Victoria. Andy also leaves many nieces, nephews, “third sons,” and considerable extended family of former students and swimmers who will no doubt carry on his legacy.

1980

Gordon I Ulmer III, 61, of Lyme, Conn., on May 1, 2023, at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Gordon was a four-year student who lettered in hockey and was sports editor of the school yearbook. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Connecticut College in New London, Conn. He married his wife, Audrey, on October 11, 1997. Gordon was a dedicated and hardworking man who worked most of his life in managerial positions at various site construction companies. He enjoyed fishing with his cousin Stephen and his closest friends, spending time at home

with his family and many rescued animals, and listening to and dancing to his favorite music of the 1950s and 1960s. He also loved the television programs from the 1950s and 1960s, especially the “Munsters.” He enjoyed tending to his beautiful rose bushes and vegetable and flower gardens, visiting his mom at her home in Northern Vermont on weekends, and skiing Burke Mountain in the winter months. He loved classic and muscle cars and attending car shows. He was an amazing chef who made a delicious pasta dish like no other at gatherings at home that would rival the best of restaurants. Gordon was a genuinely kind soul who loved his family and friends very deeply and had a way of speaking with anyone with ease. Gordon loved ice hockey and was a great player in his Loomis days. Jim Rice ’80 wrote of Gordon: “As a fellow classmate, I always looked up to Gordon; he exuded confidence and was such a naturally gifted student athlete. Day students, which Gordon was, and boarding students, which I was, during our time together on the Island was a student dynamic that didn’t easily lend itself to develop close friendships, yet that’s what we had. As hockey players, too, Gordon helped and encouraged me on the ice, before and after games and practices, not to mention in the classroom. I’ll dearly miss my friend.” Gordon was survived by Audrey, his wife and soul mate of 26 years; his daughter, Kiera, who was his pride and joy and he loved with all of his heart; his mother, Sandra; cousin Stephen Grimes; aunt Sheila Grimes and her husband, Edward Grimes; aunt Joyce Stange and his cousins Kim and Maggie; cousin Lisa Valente Tabak and her husband, Bruce; his godfather, Roy Moise; his brother, Craig; and all of his friends that he considered family.

1981

Peter Bradley Coley, 60, on May 27, 2023, at home in Cambridge, Mass., after a fouryear, hard-fought battle with glioblastoma multiforme. Peter was a four-year student who earned three letters in skiing and one in lacrosse. He was also on the yearbook staff and the staff of The Log. Peter’s career was in financial management, most recently serving as a senior financial advisor at Citizens Investments Services. His family legacy of medicine and science (his parents were doctors as well as his grandfather and great-grandfather) informed his interest in the promise of biopharmaceutical companies to harness the immune system. Peter earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Colby College in 1986 after a Katz Fellowship through Brown University teaching ex-guerilla soldiers in Zimbabwe, a life-changing chapter in his life and the beginning of his love story with Africa. Peter’s inquisitive intellect and passion for the natural world could be found in learning about birds and mimicking their sounds, fly-fishing pilgrimages to the Riviere Cascapédia in Quebec for salmon, and joining a scientific research expedition in Kamchatka, Russia, for the Wild Salmon Center. As a wildlife enthusiast and conservationist, he guided bird watching and fishing tours in his cherished Block Island, R.I., and supported many organizations, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the New England Salmon Association, Boston Fly Casters, and the Charles River Conservancy. An avid skier and downhill racer, he founded the ski team at Colby College. He was proud to be a shareholder of America’s only skier-owned mountain, Mad River Glen, Vt., where he was a ski instructor. He ran seven marathons,

five in Boston, raising funds for cancer research. He went on a 100-mile bike trek for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Peter had an endearing quality of connecting with people and making friends anywhere in the world. This included his serendipitous meeting with his wife-to-be, Sandrine H. Deschaux, at the Charles Street T stop in 1999. His skills, pursuits, and favorites included photography, writing, singing, sketching, painting, acting, watching old movies, Christmas, his community garden, Bob Marley, Jeopardy, etc. He will be remembered as an adoring, uplifting father and papa bear to Juliette S. Coley, and a loving empowering husband to Sandrine. He was survived by his brother, Christopher M. Coley ’74 and his wife, Diane Suda; his sister, Susan L. Coley; his nephews, Alex Coley and Sam Audette; his uncle, Pete Coley; many cousins; his families in France, the Deschaux and Clavels; and the many friends throughout the world who were enriched by his love of life. A memorial service was held.

1987

Alexander P. Robertson III, M.D., 54, of Barrington, R.I., on May 24, 2023, surrounded by his loving family at the Hope Health Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Alex was a three-year student and excelled academically and athletically, graduating cum laude in 1987. He was a member of the soccer and lacrosse teams and was a nationally ranked squash player. Alex spent his childhood in West Hartford, Conn., where he was introduced to the medical field at an early age by his father, Russell, who was an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Hartford Hospital. Alex shared his father’s passion for healthcare and chose to care for those in need above all else. Following high school, he completed his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1991. He played varsity lacrosse and squash, was a member of the Chi Herot fraternity, and graduated cum laude. Before entering medical school, he spent a year working on the ski slopes in Telluride, Colo. Alex earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia in 1997 before completing his residency and trauma fellowship in orthopedic surgery at Brown University in Providence, R.I., in 2002. He furthered his medical training at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, where he completed a fellowship in spine. Alex joined University Orthopedics in 2004 as an

orthopedic spine surgeon. He received the 2022 Excellence in Teaching Award at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Department of Orthopedics. He also won the award in 2015; this recognition underscores his exceptional dedication to teaching and mentorship. In spite of all of his medical success, he was most proud of his three daughters. A devoted father, he was always there for his girls, coaching them all in numerous sports over the years and attending their events and games. He was also a loving son and brother who cherished family traditions such as the annual Robertson Thanksgiving soccer tournament. He enjoyed skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, and hiking, especially with his wife, Michelle, and beloved dogs, Clyde and Dublin. He also enjoyed all racquet sports including tennis, paddle tennis, and squash. Alex was the beloved husband of Michelle (DeRoche) Robertson and proud father of three cherished daughters, Anna S. Robertson of Mashpee, Mass.; Hope K. Robertson of Boston; and Katherine T. Robertson of Barrington, R.I. Alex was the son of Prudence (Prescott) Robertson of Vero Beach, Fla., and Dublin, N.H., (a former Loomis Chaffee Trustee) and the late Russell W. Robertson, M.D. He is also survived by his two sisters, Katherine R. Tarrant ’90 of Darien, Conn., and Elizabeth R. Sheehan ’93 and her husband, William, of Fairfield, Conn.; as well as three nieces, Lily P. Tarrant, Louise P. Sheehan, and Katherine M. Sheehan, and a nephew, Russell R. Tarrant. A memorial service was held on June 8, 2023.

1991

David Y. Choi, of New Canaan, Conn., on March 26, 2023, after a courageous battle with colon cancer. David grew up in Windsor, Conn., and was a four-year student inducted into the Cum Laude Society in his senior year. David graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics and received his law degree from Cornell University. David was a partner at Kurzman, Eisenberg, Corbin, and Lever, where he enjoyed a successful career as an attorney specializing in trusts & estates and tax. He was designated Super Lawyer multiple years, a selection made through peer recognition and professional achievement. He had a brilliant legal mind and relished collaborating with his partners, and he was dedicated to mentoring younger lawyers in his firm. David was happiest

spending time with his kids, much of which he did through youth ice hockey and lacrosse. He spent hours coaching and practicing sports with his kids, and sometimes, as in the case of lacrosse, learning along with them. David and his family were avid members of the youth hockey community through Darien Youth Hockey Association where David served as volunteer coach and team scheduler over many years and across many teams. He was often tying skates, strapping goalies into pads, assisting on the bench, cheering (loudly) from the stands, and sharing scouting reports and analyses on Darien teams and the competition. David prided himself in helping others in all spheres of his life, and his true joy was in seeing others develop into better versions of themselves, be it as athletes, students, lawyers, and human beings in general. David was survived by his wife of 18 years, Hannah Kim Choi; his three beloved children, Henry, Abby, and Jack; his parents,

Doug and Helen Choi; his sister, Julie Choi ’89 and her husband, Christopher Stack; his parents-in-law, Robert and Nam Kim; sister-in-law, Susan Kim Rudsenske and her husband, Todd Rudsenske; nieces, Blair and Whitney Rudsenske; and brother-in-law, Kevin Kim. A remembrance service was held on March 31, 2023.

1996

David Philip Famiglietti, 44, of East Hampton, Conn., on March 11, 2023, following a brief and courageous battle with appendiceal cancer. David was a four-year student who was in the German Club, was a tour guide, and the director of a spring one-act play. He was awarded the prestigious Congress/Bundestag Scholarship and spent his junior year abroad in Germany living with a German family. He attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and returned

to Germany in his junior year to attend the University of Tubingen as a Tufts University student for the year. After graduation from Colby College, David went back to Germany as a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in a German school. The German school requested that he remain for a second year. He took advantage of the opportunity to visit many parts of Europe and was known for taking spontaneous trips throughout his life. He even vacationed in Cuba. Most important to David was spending time with family; he adored his nieces and nephew and will be remembered for the numerous outings with them to Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. In addition to his parents, David left behind his sister, Kristine LaVoie ’98 and her husband, Keith, of Norton, Mass.; his beloved nieces and nephew, Olivia, Kaylee, and Colin; his maternal aunts, Judith Chapman and Patricia Murphy both of Windsor Locks, Conn.; his paternal aunts, Joan Bologna and her husband, John, of Enfield, Conn.; Linda Disney and her husband, Richard, of Bellport, N.Y.; Donna Behrman of Moorpark, Calif.; his paternal uncle, Charles Famiglietti and his wife, Kelly, of Longmeadow, Mass.; as well as many beloved cousins and dear friends. Funeral services were held in March 2023.

2007

Kathleen Alecia Lennon on March 13, 2023. Kathleen was a four-year student from Amston, Conn., and was president of the Community Service Club and was on the swimming and water polo teams. She was awarded the Senior Community Service Prize and was a National Merit Commended Student. Kathleen was admitted to Purdue University’s Vet Scholar Program as one of three students in the country, which led to her acceptance into the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine; she graduated summa cum laude in 2015. She was awarded the ACVS Foundation Student Surgery Award for Excellence in Large Animal Surgery and IAEP Award for Exceptional Proficiency and Professionalism in Equine Practice. Kathleen’s professors in veterinary school encouraged her to pursue residency and become a board-certified equine surgeon, but Kathleen chose to pursue her true passion and became a renowned horse show veterinarian. Kathleen did her postgraduate externship at Elgin Veterinary Hospital after which she went on to private practice at The Pony Express Veterinary Hospital in Xenia, Ohio. She lived and set roots in New

Albany, Ohio, but she spent most of her time traveling to horse shows in Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Florida as an equine veterinarian working in the Quarter Horse show industry. Kathleen started her own practice, Lennon Equine Services, in August 2022, and worked diligently to help her many loyal clients. Kathleen never silenced her phone and almost never took a day off. Not only did Kathleen love the veterinary practice, but she loved competing in the show horse industry where she was an accomplished rider. Since she was 13, she had competed at the prestigious All American Quarter Horse Congress. She achieved higher goals, including Reserve Congress Champion Hunter Under Saddle as a two-time Congress Champion in Western Pleasure and Horsemanship, respectively. She was also an NSBA World and Reserve World Champion and a Level 1 AQHA Champion. In her obituary, Kathleen’s family shared that she died by suicide and that “[v]eterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession.” The obituary asked for people to be kind to veterinary help and referred readers to NOMV — Not One More Vet — a foundation to prevent suicide by veterinarians, https://www.nomv.org/. Kathleen was survived by her parents, Maria McKeon and Will Lennon; her brothers, Craig Lennon ’10 and Kevin Lennon ’14; and her beloved, always smiling dog, April May. Services were held at Irongate Equestrian Center, in Croton, Ohio, on March 19, 2023.

2008

David T. McKie, 33, of North Syracuse, N.Y., on September 9, 2022, at St. Joseph’s Hospital. David was a postgraduate student who participated in cross country, hockey, and golf. He was the owner and operator of the Onondaga Lake Parkway Bike Rental. David looked forward to work and being around all members of the community. Dave will be remembered for being kind and patient, and having a big heart. He loved to give and would do anything for anyone. Above all, he loved his family, especially his children. He was a great teacher and coach to them, coaching hockey and baseball. David was survived by his loving wife, Ashley McKie; children, Lucas Peck, Cayden McKie, Tyler McKie, and Jackson McKie; parents, David and Cathy McKie; sisters, Shayna McKie and Cindy (Colby) Field; and several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Services were held on September 15, 2022.

Former Faculty and Staff

Roseanne “Rosie” Massaro Lombardo, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, on June 13, 2023. Rosie’s warm smile, infectious laughter, and adventurous spirit inspired the lives of the many people she encountered. She was deeply committed to helping others, which she did as the leader of the community service program at Loomis Chaffee for 17 years, from 1999 to 2016. The school will remember her lifelong commitment to the common good and her captivating laugh. Before that, Rosie worked for the State of Connecticut as a probation officer, where she became active in several civic organizations. Rosie exemplified servant leadership. Rosie was most happy when relaxing at the beach with her friends, asking them numerous questions about all aspects of their lives. Nobody was more curious — or inquisitive — about others. She particularly adored Block Island and Hawks Nest, where she would lounge on the beach until sunset with her fiction books and crossword puzzles. When Rosie wasn’t relaxing at the beach, she was busy traveling the world with her son, Jonathan, and her many friends. She was fond of saying, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” Rosie was a social butterfly. She was famous for her love of birthday parties, Christmas parties, and beach parties. She always seized the opportunity to dress up — or in the case of her 60th birthday “dress down” — and to be first on the dance floor to “cut the rug.” Rosie was lucky to live in a big Italian family with four boisterous brothers and countless cousins. Sunday dinners were peppered with lively conversation and salted with the occasional “minor disagreement,” but always served with a healthy portion of love, laughter, and joy. Family was the main course in her life.

Rosie was a devoted mother and grandmother. The bond she shared with her son, Jonathan, was one of pure love and affection, and her presence in his life will forever be treasured. Rosie and Jonathan were also best friends, travel partners, and enthusiastic foodies. Later in life, Rosie was overjoyed to welcome a precious granddaughter, Sadie Rose, into her world. Rosie and Sadie instantly developed a profound connection that fulfilled Rosie’s lifelong desire to be a “grammy.” Roseanne was survived by her son, Jonathan Lombardo ’99 and his wife, Louisa; her granddaughter, Sadie; and her four brothers, Jerry Massaro and his wife, Carol; Anthony Massaro and his wife, Valerie; John Massaro and his wife, Nanki; and Marty Massaro. She also was survived by her nieces and nephews, AJ, Brittany, Lisa, and Abby. She was predeceased by her loving parents, Eleanor and Jerry Massaro; her close cousins, Eleanor and Michael “Mayor Mike” Peters; and, finally, her famous

John D. Nichols Jr. ’49

Former Loomis Chaffee Trustee, 1985–1997

pug, Sabrina. Funeral services were held on June 17, 2023.

Thomas “Bud” Stevenson of Londonderry, Vt., and Venice, Fla., on April 23, 2023, after a brief illness. Bud was a proud Marine and served during the Korean Conflict. After discharge he attended The Culinary Institute of America graduating in 1956. He spent over 20 years in food service, including managing a Howard Johnson’s restaurant, executive chef and food service director at Loomis Chaffee, and for the school system in Simsbury, Conn. Bud was born in Boston and grew up in Needham, Mass., and Jaffrey, N.H. It was in Jaffrey that he grew to love the food service business while working with his mother in her restaurant, Oribe Tea Barn. He also was inspired to become a volunteer firefighter in Jaffrey as the firehouse was next door. His love of skiing brought the family to Vermont. He joined the ski patrol at Okemo Mountain as a volunteer and later became ski patrol

director. In 1984, under his leadership, the ski patrol won the “Friends of Minnie Dole” NSP trophy for outstanding ski patrol, eastern division. He later transferred to Bromley Mountain where he worked in the first aid room. During his time as a patroller, he was inspired to further his first-aid knowledge and became a volunteer EMT. He wore many hats and was a lifetime member of the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad, and a member of the Phoenix Fire Department in Londonderry. He learned the skill of building houses and built several chalets in the area including his home on Reilly Road. He also started his own business of snowplowing, caretaking houses, and mowing lawns. He excelled in whatever endeavor he pursued. After his marriage to Martha, he very enthusiastically helped her with her folk-art business and learned the art of grain painting frames and framing her artwork, in addition to doing many shows and farmers markets in the area. He loved traveling to

India, and Burma, feared the Japanese were soon going to invade China and he wanted his family to be safe. John grew up in New Jersey and Westport, Conn., before attending The Loomis School.

While on the Island, John was president of the senior class and involved in many clubs, activities, and athletics. He was in the cast of Hamlet and a member of the jazz club, bridge club, and ping pong club. John was vice chairman of the Allyn Club, on the Student Council, and on the senior executive committee among his many undertakings. He earned three letters in football and three in basketball, and at Commencement received the Parents Association Award for Athletics and Scholarship.

John married Alexandra Curran Nichols on December 4, 1971, in New York City. Alexandra moved from New York City to Newport Beach, Calif., where John had a home. From 1969 to 1979, John served as executive vice president and COO at Aerojet-General Corporation, a subsidiary of General Tire and Rubber Company. In 1979, John was recruited by Silas Cathcart, president and CEO of Illinois Tool Works, to come to Chicago and serve as executive vice president and then president and CEO of Illinois Tool Works. He moved to Chicago in 1980 and was followed by his family in 1981 at the end of the school year. It was a huge move — his mother, his mother-in-law, his wife, two children, and two cats.

Former Trustee John D. Nichols Jr. ’49 passed away quietly on June 14, 2023, following a long illness. He was surrounded by his wife and his children.

Born in Shanghai, China, on September 20, 1930, John and his mother and sister returned to the United States when he was just an infant because his father, who was the director of the International Red Cross for China,

Following Loomis, John attended Harvard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1953 and a Master of Business Administration with distinction from Harvard Business School in 1955. John served as an officer in the U. S. Army Finance Corps from 1955 to 1958 and then as director of financial controls for International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. He also held several finance and operating positions with Ford Motor Company, including program manager for the construction and operation of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas.

After months of looking, John and his family settled in Winnetka, Ill., in a home where they have lived for 42 years. In addition to serving as president and CEO of Illinois Tool Works, John was invited to join the corporate boards of directors of Philip Morris International; Hyatt Hotels; Household International, Inc., where he was the lead director; Morris Companies Inc.; Rockwell International Corporation; Stone Container I.U.; Borg-Warner Inc.; Kraft, Incorporated; Trans Union; Illinois Tool Works Inc.; and Ravenswood Winery, Inc., which he founded.

Maine and eating lobsters. During his lifetime he visited most of the U.S. states, the Caribbean, Nicaragua, and Switzerland, and loved visiting friends and family. Bud was survived by his wife, Martha; daughters,

Nancy Smith (Peter), Wendy Adams (Bruce), Jean Stearns (Paul); five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; stepdaughter, Lisa Reid (Jeff); stepson, Donald Rowley (Kelley); and three step

grandchildren. He was also survived by his nephews, James Ziegra of Durham, N.H., and Ames Ziegra of Exeter, N.H. He was predeceased by his first wife, Gertrude Pfister Stevenson; his parents; and his sister, Alice Ziegra Calvert.

More News

The alumni office has learned of the passing Elihu H Berman ’40 on January 8, 2018; J. Augustus Cadwallader ’40 on January 1, 2015; Curtis H. Brown ’42 on April 16, 2016; Ralph Huntington Foulds ’43 on August 3, 2015; William Owen ’49 in March of 2020; L. Kent Babcock III ’58, better known as Skip to family and friends, on June 4, 2023; and former staff member Margaret (Rose) Tustin on June 16, 2023. More information, as available, will be published in future magazines.

He was also very active in civic activities as a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago; the Civic Committee; the Economic Club of Chicago; and the Illinois Business Roundtable (retired).

John also had many noncorporate board affiliations. In addition to his 1985–1997 tenure as a Trustee at Loomis Chaffee, he was director and past chairman of Junior Achievement of Chicago; chairman and founder of the North Lawndale Charter School; Trustee of the University of Chicago, 1986–1994; Trustee, Argonne National Laboratory, 1987–1994; chairman of the board at Teach For America, 2000–2005; Harvard University, Board of Overseers, 1994–2000; Harvard Committee on University Resources; Harvard Visiting Committee on Athletics; Harvard Graduate School of Education; director, Museum of Science and Industry; Chicago Community Trust, past vice chairman; chairman and Life Trustee, Art Institute of Chicago. He was also elected to the Junior Achievement of Chicago Hall of Fame.

John was deeply committed to the cultural arts in Chicago. He was a Trustee and then Life Trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

John will always be remembered for his wit, great sense of humor, kindness, integrity, and exceptional intelligence. He was also an outstanding athlete and leader. At Harvard he was the captain of the Harvard varsity football team. He became a talented tennis player and very good skier. He was not an outstanding skier, but that did not stop him from going down the most difficult hills, whether that was a good idea or not. He taught his wife to play tennis and to ski. This could have been a disaster, but it was not, and John and his wife played tennis and skied together for many years. John approached tennis and skiing how he approached everything in life — with passion and competitiveness.

John loved art and was a passionate collector of the Han Dynasty (200 B.C. to 200 A.D.) tomb figures — hundreds of them — and the exceptional prints of Edgar Chahine — hundreds of them, too. Chahine was an Armenian artist who lived in Paris at the end of the 19th century. John was disappointed that he was not able to go to New Guinea, but he enjoyed collecting many artifacts from that country.

A Renaissance man, John has left a legacy of philanthropy at Harvard, at Loomis, and throughout the Chicago area. At Loomis, John and his wife, Alexandra, committed to the lead gift for the John D. and Alexandra C.

Nichols Center for Theater and Dance, which was dedicated on April 8, 2022. The 17,000-square-foot facility houses the renovated and expanded Norris Ely Orchard (NEO) Theater, a black box theater, the Jocelyn Marshall Wallace Dance Studio, a state-of-the-art control booth, a suite of required backstage spaces, the Linda Rhodes Gallery, and spacious lobby. John also created the Frances D. Nichols Instructorship in Art, and he was a major donor to the NEO Theater Renovation Fund. In 1991, John was the Commencement speaker at Loomis Chaffee.

John was a devoted and loving husband to his wife, Alexandra, to whom he was married for 53 years; father to his daughter, Kendra Nichols Wallace ’91, a current Loomis Chaffee Trustee, and his son, John Doane Nichols III ’94. He was also survived by his daughter-in-law, Brenna Kathleen Nichols; son-in-law, Thys Wallace; and his grandchildren, Loomis Chaffee rising senior Mandarin Brooke Wallace, Stella Marine Wallace, Denym Thys Wallace, John Doane Nichols IV, and Bauer Michael Nichols. His niece P. Evelyn Baker ’82 (deceased) graduated from Loomis Chaffee, and his cousins John A. Baker Jr. ’44 (deceased) and Patrick N. Baker ’53 graduated from Loomis. A family memorial service will be private.

Finding the Way

In the Loomis Institute’s early years, a public roadway, which existed before the school was built, ran north to south through what we now know as the interior of the campus, between Founders Hall and the gym, past Mason Hall (now Howe Hall) and behind Loomis Hall, to the farm (where Chaffee Hall now stands) and further south to the farm’s fields. As the Island’s physical plant expanded, this public road closed, the Loop Road became the main roadway around the campus, and travel through the interior of the campus became a combination of walkways and shorter school-owned roadways lined with parking.

Fast forward to 2017. As plans for the new Scanlan Campus Center and updated Rockefeller Quadrangle took shape, a vision formed of a pedestrian pathway that would flow through the campus like a river connecting the northern and southern ends of the Island. The Way, as it has become known, would remove the last bit of roadway from

the interior of the campus and provide all those who traversed it a safe and scenic pathway through the heart of campus.

Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects conceived of and designed the concept and oversaw construction of the first section which ran from Howe Hall to Harman Hall through Rock Quad. This portion of The Way was completed in fall 2018. The remainder of the new pathway was completed under the direction of Lance Hall, director of the Loomis Chaffee Physical Plant, with the second section of The Way — from Harman Hall to Chaffee Hall — completed in spring 2022. The final section from Howe Hall to the north entry of campus near the Head’s House was completed in spring 2023. The Way may be new to campus but much of the path it follows is not. It is a path that one can envision many generations of people — even those that predate the school — traveled as they made their way though our Island landscape.

Opposite Page: An early footprint for The Way in the 1920s. Students walk The Way in Rockefeller Quadrangle. This Page: A 2023 bird’s-eye view of the Island and The Way. The red circles marks the northern end of the pathway.

4 Batchelder Road

Windsor, Connecticut 06095

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Performing to “Way Down We Go” by KALEO, senior Madison Oh soars after walking across and leaping off the backs of fellow members of the Loomis Chaffee Dance Company at the Spring Dance Revue in May. The piece was choreographed by Dance Director Kate Loughlin and the dancers.