The Campaign for Nichols School exceeds $60,000,000 Goal

On March 15, 2023, Chair of the Nichols School Board of Trustees, Kate Roach ’83, welcomed a crowd of past and present school leaders and community philanthropists at the Saturn Club to celebrate the successful completion of All iN, the largest campaign in the 131-year history of the school.

Campaign Co-chairs Kristan C. Andersen of Buffalo, NY, and Nelson S. Walsh, of New York, NY, both alumni and members of Nichols’ Class of 1980, described the road from vision to completion.

“When we started in 2018, we set an overall goal of $35 million for a comprehensive campaign: $17 million to secure and expand the School’s financial aid program; $7 million to increase endowed support for faculty salaries, professional development, and innovative curriculum; $4 million to create a Student Commons building on campus; and $6 million for the Nichols Fund in support of day-to-day operations of Nichols School.” stated Walsh. “By 2021, it became clear that the Nichols Community was indeed “All iN” in support of these priorities and the overall goal was expanded to $60 million.”

“We are thrilled to report that as of today, Nichols has received $66.3 million in commitments that will have a significant impact on the lives of countless students and faculty and will secure the future of Nichols School for generations to come.” said Andersen.

Through the efforts of the All iN Campaign, Nichols has raised over $47 million for student support, including the Chispa Scholarship Program, the Lytle Scholarship Program expansion, the creation of the Gelman Scholars Program, the Gisel Family Scholarship, Walsh Family Scholarship, Duffy Family Scholarship, 1892 Scholarship, Richard G. Stratton Memorial Scholarship, and many additional generous gifts to the overall financial aid program at Nichols School.

Additionally, transformational gifts were received in support of teaching and learning, including the Dr. Lewis F. McLean ’51 Science Department Endowed Chair and the Richard C. Osborne ’61 STEM Fund, the Wadsworth Family Fund for the Arts, Nichols’ Academic Enrichment Center, the Digital Foreign Language Lab, the Class of 1961 Student Commons, the Jacobs Scholars Program, an exciting Faculty Appreciation Award, and so much more.

Head of Nichols School, Chris Burner, explained, “Major campaigns are about securing the future. This campaign was focused largely on building our endowment. When we started the All iN Campaign in 2018, our endowment was $28.5M. Today, the Nichols School Endowment is $49M, and when the commitments from this campaign are fully realized, our endowment will be almost $74M, providing millions of dollars each year in support of Nichols’ faculty, programs and most importantly, our current and future students. This is a true testament to the passion and generosity of the Nichols community!”

“More than 50% of the commitments have been received and are currently benefitting our students, faculty, and programs,” said Burner. “The remaining funds will come to Nichols over time through multi-year pledges and deferred gifts.”

When asked, “What’s next?” Burner replied, “Nichols School recently completed a new strategic plan setting goals and aspirations for the next 5-10 years. We’ve done a remarkable job expanding support for our students and our faculty through the efforts of All iN. Our next campaign will focus on providing faculty and students with the very best facilities for teaching and learning.

“We are excited to celebrate the enormous success of the All iN Campaign. Nichols is a remarkable school with an incredible alumni and parent community. Thousands of lives will be changed because of the generosity and passion demonstrated by the more than 500 donors who stepped up in support of this campaign,” stated Assistant Head of School for Advancement, Leslie Garcia. “To remain the preeminent educational institution in WNY, we must always be thinking about the future. We look forward to the next chapter in the philanthropic history of Nichols School.” n

David C. Laub ’56

Memorial – August 15, 2022

On a crisp fall afternoon in September 2022, alumni, family, and friends gathered in the Class of 1961 Student Commons to celebrate the life of David C. Laub ’56.

At the celebration, people were able to pay their respects, share their stories, and reflect on the impact David made on the Nichols School community and those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

The memorial featured remarks by Laub’s three children, David Jr. ’84, Derek ’89, and Alexa ’00. Those in attendance were reminded of David’s love for all things sports, including the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills, “his” NY Yankees, golfing, and being a proud parent in the stands watching his kids play sports and giving unsolicited commentary afterward.

David came to Nichols in the fall of 1948 and was an honors student all four years of upper school and served on the news staff and the charities committee. It was his athletic career over the years that was something to behold as he played soccer, hockey, and baseball and was later inducted into the Nichols Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. When describing David in the 1956 Verdian, it states, “For many years coaches have watched this spirited blonde kid batter, bruise, and befuddle the opposition on the field, rink, and diamond and in the process win no less than nine major letters as well as the captaincy of the ’56 hockey team. His fiery, competitive drive complimenting ideal coordination, won him berths on the All-Interstate soccer link for two straight years. David’s flashy stick-handling and scoring punch on the ice, and his consistent clover work and pesky hitting on the diamond have made him a mainstay of both the hockey and baseball teams.”

After Nichols, David was on the vaunted ’Nichols line’ on the Brown University hockey team. He graduated from Brown University in 1960 and and the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1965. He went on to practice Civil Law in Buffalo for over 50 years.

He coached his sons in hockey for many years in the Shamrock organization, could be found playing Old Timer hockey up and down the QEW well into his 50s, and loved to cheer on the Nichols hockey squad long after his children had graduated.

David served his alma mater with pride as a Class Agent and an Alumni Board member for many years and rarely missed a Nichols event. He was an active participant in the Nichols Golf outings for several years and made a point of taking a golf trip each summer with his kids to somewhere new.

David will be remembered for the grand stories he told, the smiles and laughter he elicited, and his children who loved him dearly. He is survived by his brother, Richard Laub ’59; three children, David (Jocelyn) Laub Jr., Derek (Michelle) Laub, and Alexa (Chris) Gibson; and his six grandchildren, Dylan, Elle, Creighton, Tyler, Kennedy, and Hayden.

J. David Schnatz ’49

Memorial – October 27, 2022

Written by his son Peter Schnatz

J. David Schnatz, M.D. was born on April 16, 1932, to Frederick T. and Edith Hubler Schnatz. Growing up in Buffalo, Dave attended Nichols as a part of the class of ’49. Dave loved Nichols School and always gave credit to Nichols for giving him the solid foundation and start to his successful career. While at Nichols, Dave received the Nichols Headmaster’s award in 1949. Dave had many close friends at Nichols, in fact, his wedding party included many former Nichols students. Among these were brother Paul ’53, Hamilton Ward ’49, Reginald ’Vic’ Williams ’49, Chuck Rogers ’49, and Bob Dillon ’49. On Dave’s first day at

Nichols, Vic Williams loaned him a pencil, so began a lifelong friendship. As well as being best friends, Dave and Vic played on the varsity hockey team at Nichols as defense partners. Vic and Dave made a great team and used to love talking about the opposing offensive players, who, approaching the 6’4” defenseman on one side and the little 5’9” defenseman on the other side, would skate away from big Dave, and then get a whopping hip check from Vic at the blue line, sending them flying.

Dave and Vic went on to play defense together for four more years as partners and roommates at Princeton University, where they were two-time title champions. Dave was a clean but hard-hitting defenseman, so much so that some of their rival teams nicknamed him “Dirty Dave” and would boo him as he skated onto the ice. He was recruited to play professional hockey. Instead, he returned to Buffalo to attend the University of Buffalo (UB) medical school. During his UB years, Dave met Carolyn Larter. Carolyn was the love of his life and steadfast partner for over 65 years.

After an endocrinology fellowship, Dave returned to Buffalo, establishing and heading a diabetes program at the Buffalo Children’s Hospital. As a Professor at the UB Medical School, Dave loved caring for patients, teaching, and training residents as well as medical students. Dave and Carolyn immersed themselves in Buffalo with work, faith, and family (daughter Julie and son Peter, both of whom attended Nichols School). After growing professionally restless, Dave and Carolyn made the difficult decision to uproot from Buffalo, a place where they both had deep roots and lifelong friends. In 1977 the Schnatz family left Buffalo and moved to West Hartford, where Dave joined Saint Francis Hospital as the Director of Medicine and Professor at the UCONN Health Center. Despite moving away from Buffalo, they maintained close friendships and relationships in the city they loved so much. In fact, Dave and Carolyn never stopped supporting the school, which Dave credits as having catapulted his career.

Dave died peacefully on October 27, 2022, at home with his family in Bloomfield, CT. Dave is survived by his soulmate, partner, and wife, Carolyn. He leaves his daughter, Julie Schnatz Rybeck, and her husband Dean Rybeck as well as his son, Peter F. Schnatz D.O. and his wife, Melanie. Dave was a proud grandfather to six grandchildren he deeply loved: Margo and Lincoln Rybeck, Rebekah, Abigail, Sarah, and David Schnatz. He is also survived by his brother Paul T. Schnatz M.D. and his wife Libby Brough.

Alumni

Peter Andrews ’43 – August 24, 2022

Cameron Baird ’89 – May 31, 2023

Ann Duffy Bellows N’67 – July 16, 2022

Peter Boer ’57 – October 3, 2022

Robert B. Brown ’53 – April 11, 2023

Edward Bush ’79 – April 15, 2023

Timothy Butzer ’78 – March 31, 2023

Julia Ladds Clauss ’75 - May 6, 2023

Neil Ehrenreich ’51 – November 1, 2022

James Forman ’56 – November 1, 2022

Neil Goodman ’75 - May 8, 2023

Stephen ’Randy’ Gretz ’66 – January 21, 2023

Dale B. Haidvogel ’67 – March 14, 2023

Richard O. Hopkins ’52 – August 25, 2022

David Laub ’56 – August 15, 2022

John McLean ’54 – September 23, 2022

Nathaniel S. Norton ’46 – April 5, 2023

J. David Schantz ’49 – October 27, 2022

Dale P. Skoog ’55 – February 20, 2023

James H. Smith ’44 – January 20, 2023

Tracy Straub ’83 – July 21, 2022

Frederick Terry, Jr. ’49 – January 13, 2023

Thomas Webb ’55 – August 23, 2022

Raymond Weil ’71 – May 18, 2022

Former Faculty And Staff

William Fedchak – September 14, 2022

Charlie Hoff – April 27, 2023

Friends

Sheldon Berlow P’84 – January 12, 2023

Father of Eric Berlow ’84

Heather Williams P’07,’09,’10,’14 – February 15, 2023

Mother of Nora Williams ’07, Joseph Williams ’09, Theresa Williams ’10, Ian Williams ’14

If you would like to serve as a Class Agent, please contact the Alumni Office at 716-332-5152 or alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org.

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Thomas Harriman turned 101 on November 26, 2022.

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Tim Norbeck published his book, No Time for Mercy, in 2022. Tim began writing novels at the beginning of his retirement, and his first, Two Minutes, was published in 2018. His third novel, Almost Heaven, was published in late 2022. 59

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Richard Goldberg, Professor (Emeritus) of Psychiatry at Brown University, has recently published a golf book, Better Golf Better Life, describing the transformational power of golf.

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Dr. Nick Hopkins was honored with the Kaleida Lifetime Spirit Award as an influential physician who has impacted the WNY community for the better.

Jeffrey Linsky traveled to Western Australia to see the April 20 total solar eclipse. It was his 12th solar eclipse, and he plans to be in Buffalo and at Nichols to share his knowledge on these events for the next total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

John Yochelson and his wife Diane enjoyed a 10-day trip to the South of France in the Fall of 2022, their first real vacation since 2017. John writes, “We’ve had the opportunity to go to Cannes several times over the years. This was the first without renting a car and perhaps our most enjoyable. We just hung out in an apartment with a view of the Mediterranean, did plenty of walking, enjoyed the restaurants, took the train to Nice, etc.”

John Eaton’s horse, Goodnight Olive, won the grade I Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga in August 2022, followed by the Breeders Cup Filly/Mare Sprint in early November 2022 at Keeneland. She received an Eclipse Award as Champion Sprinter in January 2023 at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Mark Kelley won first place in the portfolio category for the 2022 National Wildlife® Photo Contest with his collection of ten images of the bears of Anan Creek.

Ted Walsh was appointed the new Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). An active champion of community development and growth, Ted brings over 44 years of experience in leadership to the BNMC Board and is poised to lead the organization as it advances the next wave of Buffalo’s economic development.

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Dan Lieberman published a book titled Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind. It bridges the gap between modern neuroscience and ancient traditions of the supernatural to reveal the workings of the unconscious mind and its profound effects on our lives. It describes strategies for learning to accommodate this hidden force within us and make it our ally.

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Harry Cohen, author of Be the Sun, Not the Salt, met with students, administration, alumni, and friends throughout the day on April 13, sharing his wisdom and insights as part of the 2023 Prince Lecture Series.

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Erik Grosof is now the Chief of the Special Operations Division at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) headquarters in Washington, DC. His division is responsible for the agency’s evidence management program, unmanned aerial systems program, law enforcement liaison program, and 24/7 Response Operations Center.

Joan Saab has been named executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Richmond, effective July 1. Saab is currently the Susan B. Anthony Professor of Art History and interim dean of faculty in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (AS&E) at the University of Rochester.

Amy Bortner has been living in Baltimore, MD, for 15 years with her husband and three children. She enjoys working in development for the neurosurgery department at Johns Hopkins. She returns to Buffalo almost every Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with her brother, Doug Bradley ’83, and his family. She loves being back, catching a Sabres game, running the Turkey Trot, and enjoying some wings!

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Allison Emily Grande received a Juris Doctor magna from Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, at its 133rd commencement in June 2022. Allison began articling in July 2022 and was sworn in as a crown prosecutor in the Ministry of the Attorney General of Canada.

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Gary Wilson was appointed by Mayor Byron Brown to serve as a Buffalo City Court judge. Wilson is the first openly LGBTQ+ judge to serve on the City Court bench.

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Nandita Shenoy returned to campus as part of the Smith Writer’s Program. Nandita, an accomplished playwright, actress, and activist, addressed the Upper School, spent time with the English faculty and students and met with the Middle School Theatre Club.

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Susan Shipman Shingledecker (right) and Lourdes Vera ’08 (left) met each other at an Environmental Data Science Summit workshop in Santa Barbara, CA. Shingledecker runs a national and international nonprofit organization, Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP), and Vera works at SUNY Buffalo and is involved with the Environment Data Governance Initiative (EDGI).

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Matt Miller was appointed to the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation Board of Directors. Matt said, “It’s an honor to be among such distinguished individuals in a great organization and to dedicate time and resources to the betterment of our amazing community.”

Jeremy Witt is a business manager at the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

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Capt. Samuel F. de Castro, a U.S. Naval Academy Class of ’96 graduate, wrapped up command of Military Sealift Command Far East during a ceremony in Singapore in October 2022. MSCFE ensures approximately 50 ships in the Indo-Pacific region are manned, trained, and equipped to deliver essential supplies, fuel, cargo, and equipment to warfighters, both at sea and on shore.

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Katie Campos, a Certified Pommelier, launched her cider, Wild Apple, in March 2023. Wild Apple is a traditional English cider made from untamed local fruit. Crafted from a blend of Dabinett, Baldwin, and Chisel Jersey varieties, along with foraged apples from Western New York’s forests and hunting lands, Wild Apple combines centuries-old techniques with an ability to bring you a funky, full-bodied flavor that’s as pure as it is timeless.

Brian Gatewood and his longtime writing partner Alessandro Tanaka released the movie “Sharper” in February on Apple TV+.

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Matt Felser gave a TEDxBreckenridge Talk in October 2022 and shared the story of how downsizing his life and moving into a van enabled him to thrive in a mountain town—all while living and working on a teacher’s budget. 06

Harry Zemsky and his team at Hydraulic Hearth did an outstanding job hosting the Nichols Alumni holiday party on December 22, 2022.

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Olivia McManus joined Rivalry Projects, owned by Ryan Arthurs ’01, as Director. Olivia brings over 10 years of experience in the arts to Rivalry, having worked for institutions and commercial art galleries in Chicago before returning to Buffalo.

Lourdes Vera is an assistant professor in sociology and environment and sustainability at the University at Buffalo.

Aliena Aubrecht, Will ’17, and Alex ’21 were all introduced to service during their time at Nichols and continued to give back to WNY as volunteer firefighters.

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Alexandra Merritt Mathews made her network TV debut in the fall finale of NBC’s Law and Order in December 2022. 12

Tarik Erk spoke in Korea on the cryptocurrency regulatory landscape in Busan, Korea, at the Upbit Developer Conference. Erk is based in Singapore and works for Crypto.com as the Head of Regulatory Compliance and Government Relations for AMEA (Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific).

Sarah Washington received the Trailblazer Award at the University of Buffalo School of Law’s 32nd Annual Students of Color Dinner. The award honors the achievements of outstanding individuals in the legal community who have helped pave the way for minority legal professionals.

Sydney Muggia married Collin Hinson in Buffalo on October 15, 2022.

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Troy Ludtka is a senior U.S. economist at SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

Elizabeth Cappuccino, James Grachos, and Michael Thompson returned to campus to use Nichols as the setting for a short film inspired by the Japanese folktale, “The Mirror of Matsuyama.” They shot scenes throughout Mitchell Hall and Albright Hall and even used current students as crew, in speaking roles, and as extras.

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Lily Verbeck passed the D.C. bar exam and was promoted to attorney at the Federal Trade Commission. 17

RJ Gicewicz has been named Director of Nichols Boys Youth Hockey Program and 18U Prep Head Coach.

Alexandra Montesano played Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street at the Historic Palace Theatre in Lockport during the summer of 2022.

Armen Soukiazian is an account executive at ZoomInfo. 15

Elena Ciotta worked as a Showrunner’s Assistant on the Netflix animated comedy series Mulligan.

Myles Hervey received the Talal-AbuGhazaleh Award at the Canisius Accounting Banquet in April 2023. This prestigious award is given to a graduate student who has not only excelled in the rigorous academic programs of Canisius College but has demonstrated the potential for contribution to the accounting profession.

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Spencer Bacon has two animated releases coming out in June 2023. Spencer is currently the Production Manager on Disney’s new television series Hailey’s On It! which premiered on June 8. Before that, he worked on the animated feature Nimona as a Coordinator and then Consultant, which will be released on Netflix on June 30.

Allison Gasuik started her master’s in clinical mental health counseling at St. Bonaventure University.

Sam Stark was part of the Forbes 30 under 30 class for social impact! Sam started the Green Project to provide companies with an affordable and easy-to-use platform to track, understand, and reduce their carbon footprint.

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Hanna Prince graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2022 and has earned her commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy! In July 2022, she moved to England to study for an MPhil in Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge as a member of Newnham College.

Dylan Lugris was the driving force behind the Penn State men’s hockey inaugural ‘Sled Hockey Classic’ scrimmage game against the Happy Valley Coyotes. The Coyotes came away with a 6-5 victory and raised over $20,000 for charity.

Mirann Gacioch earned All-Big Ten accolades as she was named to the All-Freshman Team. Gacioch made a significant impact in her first season at Ohio State. She played in 16 games, making 15 starts, and played a key role on the Buckeyes’ back line.

Lucas Suero won first place at the Hospitality Business Plan Competition at Cornell. The Cornell Business Plan Competition is an annual entrepreneurship competition that began in October and ended in April. Most of the finalists were teams comprised of graduate students and upperclassmen. Lucas is the first solo freshman ever to win.

Jesse Adamu was awarded the Heart of SUNY Erie student award. This award exemplifies traits of generosity, teamwork, compassion, and ethics.

Alex Musielak has committed to Boston College to play hockey. He recently completed his first and only season with the Kemptville 73’s of the Central Canada Hockey League and posted a .905 save percentage.

Tremiya Giddens was honored at the Buffalo State Theater Department’s end-of-year banquet with the “Donald Savage Actor of Promise” scholarship for her outstanding contributions to the program.

Faith Walh was awarded the Robert M. Cumnock Scholarship at the Northwestern University School of Communication Honors Convocation Ceremony.

If you have a class note and/or photo that you would like to share to be in one of our upcoming monthly newsletters or end-of-year magazine, please email it to Janelle Zera, Nichols Alumni Director at alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org.

Participate in the Nichols Fund by visiting www.nicholsschool.org/give

James Hamilton ’24

“Nichols has allowed me to make meaningful connections with my classmates and has fostered a real sense of community since I started in 5th grade. The variety of clubs that are offered here has allowed me to explore many interests. Nichols has provided me with the opportunity to join several extracurricular activities including, Mock Trial, robotics, and the sailing team – three things I wouldn’t have been able to do elsewhere. The engineering courses offered at Nichols have sparked a passion for me, and I plan on pursuing a major in mechanical engineering after I graduate.”