IN MEMORIAM We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the following members of our extended school community. To read more, please visit www.countryschool.net/milestones. You may also submit a notice on the website or contact Director of Alumni Affairs Holly Donaldson Casella ’04 directly at hcasella@countryschool.net or (203) 801-5687.
Alumni
Patricia Edwards Dennis ’42, 91, formerly of Beckwith Lane, Old Lyme, and New Canaan, died Aug. 12, 2019, at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Following Country School, Patricia graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College. She married David Wood Dennis on Oct. 2, 1948; he predeceased her in 2008. She was employed for many years as a librarian at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme. Her family celebrates her devotion to her loved ones and service to the community as a Girl Scout leader, volunteer librarian at her children’s schools and Chapter President of American Field Service. She was an avid reader and gardener. She loved theatre and music, especially opera. Patricia is survived by her children, Patricia “Kylie” Dennis of Saint Louis, MO, Charles Dennis of Hanover, NH, David Dennis Jr. of Lolo, MT, five grandchildren, and a great-grandson. In lieu of flowers, contributions may made to the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Pamela Miller Gerard ’49, passed away peacefully on Aug. 18 at the age of 85. A lifelong New Yorker, Pam had a career in retail fashion that spanned over 50 years, working for many of the industry’s great names. She was one of the first women to
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NEW CANAAN COUNTRY SCHOOL BULLETIN • Spring 2020
be named a Vice President at Saks Fifth Avenue. A patron of museums, ballet and theater, Pam also cherished dinners and travels with friends. Pam is survived by her sisters Gail Miller Stoddart ’51 and Dixie Miller de Koning ’63 and her husband Joep; nieces Penelope Potter (Ted), Liska Yealland, Daria de Koning (Theo) and nephew Tim Stoddart (Pam); grandnieces and grandnephews Gus and Maggie Potter, Perry, Isabel and Miles Stoddart, Cairis, Tristan and Freya Yealland. All greatly loved and treasured by their “Auntie.”
Edward Tuckerman Esty II ’54, 80, of Chevy Chase, MD passed away peacefully on Aug. 23, 2019, with his wife of 56 years, Mary Lee, at his bedside. Following Country School, Ed attended Deerfield Academy, then graduated from Harvard College in 1961 with a major in mathematics, and received his master’s degree in education the following year. His doctoral dissertation explored Piaget’s writings about conservation of space in young children. Ed’s academic work was awarded the Phi Delta Kappa and Pi Lambda Theta prizes for Distinction in Studies for the Degree of Doctor of Education by the Harvard Graduate School of Education Faculty in 1970. After briefly teaching, Ed served as a research scholar in mathematics
education for the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program, one of the early innovative mathematics curriculum projects that focused on problem-solving rather than rote drill, and subsequently became an influential figure in American mathematics education. He was a senior project director at the Mathematical Sciences Education Board at the National Academy of Sciences, and later was a mathematics and research consultant for Square One Television, an educational series that the Children’s Television Workshop produced for PBS. Ed also consulted with the John Glenn Commission, chartered by the U.S. Secretary of Education, which produced a well-known report, “Before It’s Too Late,” on preparing the math and science teaching force for the 21st century, and also with Change the Equation, a nonprofit launched at the White House by President Obama. A talented composer and pianist, he wrote several accompaniments for the Suzuki violin repertoire that continue to be used regularly by violin students around the world. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Scott and Elizabeth Esty, and his five grandchildren, Sophie, Isaac, Willem, Odin and Julia. In lieu of flowers, the family asks to please consider contributing in Ed’s name to the ACLU or the American Lung Association.
