NMH Magazine 2014 Spring

NMH Magazine

14 spring

volume 16• number 1

Northfield Mount Hermon

OUT IN THE

WORLD

NMH Magazine SPRING 2014 Volume 16, Number 1 Editor Jennifer Sutton P ’14 Class Notes Editor Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 Contributors Susan Pasternack Katie Beth Ryan Mary Seymour Design Lilly Pereira Class Notes Design HvB Imaging Director of Communications Cheri Cross Head of School Peter B. Fayroian Chief Advancement Officer Allyson L. Goodwin ’83, P ’12, P ’14 Archivist Peter H. Weis ’78, P ’13 Northfield Mount Hermon publishes NMH Magazine (USPS074-860) two times a year in fall and spring. Printed by Lane Press, Burlington, VT 05402 NMH Magazine Northfield Mount Hermon One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3247 Fax 413-498-3021 nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org Class Notes nmhnotes@nmhschool.org Address Changes Northfield Mount Hermon Advancement Services Norton House One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3300 addressupdates@nmhschool.org

NMH Magazine

14 spring

volume 16 • number 1

features COVER STORY

18 NMH in the World Students and teachers hit the road in India, Brazil, Italy, China, Qatar, and South Africa.

On the cover: New Zealand.

26 Man on a Mountain The first person to scale North America’s highest peak was a Hermonite named Walter Harper.

30 Hope in the Desert Near the Iraq-Syria border, Emily Dakin ’97 helps refugees begin rebuilding their lives.

36 Dream Big NMH trains basketball players to do more than shoot hoops, and the Ivy League is paying attention.

departments

3 Letters

5 Leading Lines

6 NMH Postcard

8 NMH Journal

14 Movers & Makers 16 In the Classroom 42 Alumni Hall 44 Class Notes 96 Parting Words

<< Hogapella, NMH’s male a cappella group, hams it up during a concert in February.

ON T HE COV E R Gennie Siegel ’13 explores Marokopa Falls on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

C O V E R PH O TO : G L E N N M I N S H A L L TA B L E O F C O N TE N TS PH O TO : G L E N N M I NS HA LL B A C K C O V E R PH O TO : B R I TTA N Y PE R L M UTER

Think about your NMH education.

Feel the difference NMH has made in your life.

Give to the NMH Annual Fund.

Head, heart, and hand.

Your support today matters in every way. community.nmhschool.org/annualfund 413-498-3600 2 I NMH Magazine

LETTERS

THE LEGACY OF BEN HARRIS ’85

Thank you for the story on the last years of Ben Harris ’85 and his struggle with ALS (Fall ’13). His diligent attempts, as a scientist, to help find a cure for the terrible, debilitating disease—and to help others—speak of many ways we can live our own lives better. Harris worked hard to the end.

He tried to live a normal family life, and he kept records of his work to help solve the ALS puzzle someday. His legacy is one to remember.

Ernest F. Imhoff ’55 Baltimore, Md. When I read about my friend Ben Harris in NMH Magazine (Fall ’13), I felt that it was the most powerful story (and photo) the magazine has ever published. I am impressed and grateful that you did this, and that Ben’s story is being told. I am heartened that NMH did not shy away from a difficult subject. Thank you very much.

Ellen McCurtin ’85 New York, N.Y. Thank you for your article on Ben Harris. We worked together in a niche market, and I only knew him for a few years, but we were close during that time. I just hated to see him go. I think Ben’s last meal “out” was with me: I

arranged with a high-quality restaurant in Bloomington to have all the dishes puréed for Ben, so he would not have to chew them. He got to have that meal with his wife and son, too, which was a blessing.

Scott Mark Elkhart, Ind.

NMH Farm Products

Download an order form at nmhschool.org/nmh-farmproducts or return a copy of this order form, along with a check payable to Northfield Mount Hermon, to: Farm Program, NMH, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354. Please attach mailing instructions to your order.

All prices include shipping. Please note: The minimum order for each mailing address is $25.

FALL ’13

There has never been a better, more interesting NMH Magazine than the Fall ’13 issue.

Thanks.

Jean Munro Bedell ’52 Lafayette, Colo.

The Fall ’13 NMH Magazine is the best edition in recent years. A compelling cover, good selection of articles, great graphics and photos. The cover story on the alum with ALS was very moving, and I loved the feature on how to feed the NMH community.

In the years that I served on the editorial board of NMH Magazine, we all worked to build a publication that presented many facets of the NMH experience to many different segments of the NMH community. The current edition really reached a high point in the magazine’s history. Kudos to all!

Mark G. Auerbach ’68 Longmeadow, Mass.

Name Address (please, no P.O. boxes) City State Zip Telephone

❑ day ❑ evening

MAPLE PRODUCTS

QUANTITY

Half pint syrup (Grade A)

$12.00

Pint syrup (Grade A)

$20.00

Quart syrup (Grade A)

$30.00

Half gallon syrup (Grade A)

$48.00

Pure maple sugar candy $3.50 (One box contains two 1-oz. maple leaves) Maple cream (8 oz.)

Maple body scrub (8 oz.)

$9.00 $15.00

FRUIT & FLOWER PRODUCTS Cider syrup (12 oz.)

$15.00

Cider jelly (8 oz.)

$15.00

Raspberry jelly (4 oz.)

$10.00

Lavender oil blended with almond oil (1.3 oz.)

$10.00

Lavender soap

$6.50

Lavender lip balm

$6.00

Lavender moisturizingSpring/Summer cream (2 oz.) | 11$15.00 3 Lavender body scrub (16 oz.)

$25.00

Lavender body scrub (8 oz.)

$15.00

Lavender hydrosol (8 oz.)

$10.00

TOTAL

spring 2014 I 3

LETTERS

Keep Calm and Carry On THE SCHWINGEL MODEL

The NMH bookstore can help outfit you and your family.

Visit the NEW and IMPROVED online store for great gift ideas.

nmhbookstore.com

Northfield Mount Hermon Summer Session june 28–august 2, 2014

Earn credits to advance in school.

Build skills and accelerate academic progress.

Sample boarding school life or come as a day student.

A year ago, Louise Schwingel retired from NMH (Spring ’13), following her husband, Dick. Forty years ago, the three of us started at NMH together.

I vividly remember my first dorm meeting in Wilson Hall on the Northfield campus. A small woman did all of the talking, and a big, tall, bearded guy—a giant in my 14-year-old reckoning—stood right behind her. That was Louise and Dick. She was laying down the law. He had her back.

I was terrified. New school, new rules, first time away from home, lots of strange kids from all over the country and the world.

Louise and Dick made sense of it all. They were a formidable team.

They created a civil society in Wilson, and ran it with rationality and fairness. Their bottom line was that everyone deserved to be treated with respect and as an adult unless they proved themselves unworthy of it.

And we wanted their respect.

They were smart, funny, open people who treated all of us, including baffled 14-year-olds like me, with generosity and humor, and to some extent, as peers. It was a revelation to me— about what being an adult could be.

Their only expectation was that you were responsible for yourself and your behavior. As long as you owned up to that responsibility and

Louise and Dick Schwingel in the late 1980s.

whatever consequences flowed from a failure or a rule violation, you got their respect.

Their indulgence of my peers and me developed into real affection over our NMH years and beyond.

Dick and Louise were my first adult friends, and they remain a cherished part of my life. We’ve traveled together.

We’ve stayed in each other’s homes.

They were honored guests at my wedding. We commiserated over family losses and celebrated milestones. We talk books and theater and politics and relationships. We talk about disappointments and happiness. Like all my best friends from NMH, they continue to enrich my life 35-plus years beyond that first meeting.

Graydon J. Forrer ’77 Washington, D.C.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? NMH Magazine welcomes correspondence from readers.

Letters and emails may be edited for length, clarity, and grammar, and should pertain to magazine content. Reach us at NMH Magazine, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354, or email us at nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org.

www.nmhschool.org/summer Northfield Mount Hermon Summer Session

STAY CONNECTED! Follow NMH on:

One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3290

summer_school@nmhschool.org

4 I NMH Magazine

PHOTO: LIONEL DELEVINGNE

LEADING LINES

Sustaining the Essence of NMH We must preserve our 134-year-old history and ready the school for the future.

by PETER B. FAYROIAN, Head of School

Last spring, I prepared a traditional Armenian meal for three current icons of NMH teaching: Dick Peller, Lorrie Byrom, and Jim Block, the latter two of whom will retire in June. I wanted to absorb what they believe is the essence of NMH—what has remained, and what must remain, essential to the student experience. If you know these three, you won’t be surprised to hear that there was much conversation about how we teach and learn, how to best support students, and how we must meet the needs of a changing educational landscape by remaining students ourselves. Dick, Lorrie, and Jim have each done that. It’s why they are among NMH’s most vital and relevant teachers.

When it comes to the NMH mission—to educate the head, heart, and hand—they agreed that two out of three isn’t good enough. Our students should be nurtured and challenged by the best teachers we’re able to attract and retain; they should learn within a community that is culturally and socioeconomically diverse; and they should be immersed in a set of values that challenges them to be better human beings.

To do those things, we must provide teachers with competitive compensation and benefits.

We must maintain a robust financial-aid program to cast as broad a net as possible. Our interest in diversity should be reflected in our student and faculty composition and in our travels abroad. And Dick Peller emphasized our current efforts to rethink the way we teach math and science and use technology, which will inform our plans for a new math/science building on campus.

My wife, Rachael, and I have also been hosting seniors in Ford Cottage for dessert, and after a few rousing games of pool and Ping-Pong, we pull chairs into a circle and I ask similar questions: What brought you to NMH? What is unique about the school? How would you like to see it improve? The students talk about diversity, both international and domestic, and they emphasize the quality of their relationships with teachers and classmates. They say NMH has fostered their growth toward who they want to be, rather than molding them into what NMH thinks they should be. These seniors say they haven’t seen an

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

arts center like ours at any other school, though they do find our science building lacking (and regret they won’t be here for the new one), as well as a few of our athletic facilities. And this is the first school in which I’ve worked where I don’t hear students complaining about the food.

As we dive into NMH’s next chapter of strategic planning, these conversations have helped shape my thinking about the school’s current and future needs, as have my conversations with alumnae and alumni. Many of you have also participated in an online survey that will help us further define NMH’s distinctive strengths. I appreciate your guidance, and look forward to sharing our strategic thinking with you in the coming months.

NMH has changed and adapted over the past 134 years, as a great institution should. In the 1930s, Elliott Speer clamored for improved faculty salaries and housing, made the first case for a robust endowment, and ushered in interscholastic athletics. Like Moody before him, Speer wanted to make his school relevant in a modern world.

NMH’s unique history, traditions, and mission add up to an overwhelming amount of love and affection from the largest independent-school alumni body in the country. But love and affection alone won’t sustain NMH. Funding the school’s programs and facilities to meet the needs of future students, and supporting the Byroms, Pellers, and Blocks who will teach them—that’s what will sustain NMH. That’s what will both preserve our 134-year-old history and ready our school for the future.

spring 2014 I 5

NMH POSTCARD MORNING AT M E M O R IAL C H APE L

6 I NMH Magazine

P H O T O : D AV I D WA R R E N

NMH JOURNAL

spring 2013 I 7

NMH JOURNAL

A Leader Moves On Assistant Head of School Charles A. Tierney III, who came to Northfield Mount Hermon in 1998 as a history teacher and dean, will leave this summer to become the ninth head of The Tatnall School in Greenville, Delaware.

Tatnall is an independent, coeducational day school for 640 students in preschool through 12th grade. The Tatnall Board of Trustees announced Tierney’s appointment in late January, citing his “experience, passion for education, and strong character,” as well as his “leadership skills, vision, and commitment.”

At NMH, Tierney has been a steady, compassionate presence, taking on new responsibilities almost every year. He assumed the role of interim head of school from 2011 to 2012, steering the school’s dayto-day operations and managing its Charles A. Tierney III $43 million budget. Before becoming assistant head in 2004, Tierney was a dorm advisor and rowing coach in addition to teaching European history and serving as a dean. He also has stepped in as interim plant facilities director and interim communications director. He has been responsible for curriculum development, fundraising initiatives, faculty oversight, and a campus task force that is preparing for the construction of a new math, science, and technology facility.

Tierney says his 16 years at NMH have prepared him to lead Tatnall, which he believes shares many similarities with NMH. “Both institutions value warmth, challenge, and support; excellent teachers and staff; engaged, curious, and unpretentious students; and loyal and supportive

8 I NMH Magazine

alumni,” he says. Prior to working at NMH, Tierney was director of studies at St. Stephen’s School in Rome. He began his career in independent education as a history teacher at the Berkshire School and also taught history at his alma mater, Choate Rosemary Hall.

NMH Head of School Peter Fayroian praised Tatnall as “a wise and lucky institution” for choosing Tierney as its new leader, but also admitted that the NMH community “shares mixed emotions” because of Tierney’s extraordinary commitment to the school over the years. “We will miss this man deeply,” Fayroian wrote in a letter to faculty, staff, and students after the appointment was made public. “But I am confident that Tatnall will receive Charlie and his family with an NMH-like embrace.”

Tierney and his wife, Gina Onushco, will move to Delaware with their three children after NMH holds its Reunion Weekend in June. Their son, Finn, who just finished his sophomore year on campus, will stay to complete high school at NMH. “After 16 years, this place will always feel like home to my family,” Tierney says. “Yet the tide is high, the saw is sharp, and the time feels right for our next major adventure.”

What will Tierney remember most about the school where he has spent nearly a third of his life? Besides NMH students, and staff and faculty colleagues and their families, he says: “The hills, the woods, and the Connecticut River; the remarkable night sky in Gill; and Alumni Hall soup, of course.”

PH O TO : E D WA R D J U D I C E

Football Program Will Be Eliminated In early April, Head of School Peter Fayroian announced that Northfield Mount Hermon will end its football program, beginning in the 2014–15 academic year.

NMH has fielded an interscholastic football team since 1933, with more than 1,700 players participating over the years. “This was not an easy decision,” Athletic Director Tom Pratt told the Greenfield (Mass.)

Recorder on April 4. “It didn’t happen without a lot of careful thought and consideration, and appreciation for all the alumni that have played football here.”

Fayroian and Pratt sent a letter to NMH’s former football players, explaining that interest in the sport has been declining in recent years. Many of NMH’s student-athletes, especially boys, arrive on campus already specializing in a single sport. Interest remains high in soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and hockey, among other sports, but fewer boys are choosing to play football. “As the athletic demographics of our students change, we must be accordingly thoughtful about how we adapt, just as we have been in the realms of academics and the arts,” Fayroian says.

Trustees and administrators have been evaluating NMH’s entire athletic program as part of their development of a strategic plan that will chart the future of the school.

“We are committed to maintaining a wide range of teams in support of our mission to provide a balanced education for all students,” Fayroian says. NMH currently has more than 60 teams in 20 sports.

To honor the dedication of NMH’s football players, Fayroian and Pratt will oversee the development of a permanent display on campus that highlights the role that football has played in the life of the school.

“We are proud of football’s place in NMH’s history,” Fayroian says. “However, like all institutions, we must be prepared to make difficult choices such as this one in order to adapt to a changing educational landscape.”

NMH donations went to Filipino families who lost their homes during Typhoon Yolanda.

Analee Bellosillo (above, left), cousin of Metta Dael ’93, hands out supplies in Roxas City.

After Typhoon in the Philippines, NMH Community Rallies Last November, when Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines, Director of International Admission Metta Dael ’93 watched the news on television as her mother’s home flooded and lost its roof. Then she mobilized.

NMH faculty and staff members and students quickly raised $3,500 and turned to Dael, who helped distribute the funds in her hometown of Roxas City. Dael’s family was able to collect food, water, hygiene products, and medicine to give to hundreds of local families who had lost their homes.

Six NMH faculty and staff members and seven current students have ties to the Philippines, so the relief efforts felt necessary, says Luis Locsin ’15, who comes from Manila. Immediately after the typhoon, Locsin shared photos of the devastation with the NMH community, as well as electronic links to international relief organizations where people could make donations. He also helped spearhead a campus fundraiser. “I am incredibly patriotic, so it was imperative that I do as much as I could,” he says.

Most of the international aid that poured into the Philippines after Yolanda was diverted to the city of Tacloban, where the typhoon first made landfall. As a result, other areas, such as Roxas, were left with scant support, despite getting directly hit. Because Dael’s extended family includes a former head of the Department of Social Welfare and, perhaps more important, a gas-station owner, they were able to bypass logistical red tape that often blocks aid from reaching people in need.

Using hundreds of private donations in addition to the NMH contributions, Dael’s family assembled more than 2,280 “family packs” of food and clothing, hired trucks to deliver the supplies, procured a solar generator for a local elementary school so people could charge cell phones, and brought in a doctor and nurse to provide medical care to more than 100 Roxas residents. They were able “to deliver aid within 24 hours of the disaster—weeks before any government aid could reach these families,” Dael says.

P H O T O: C O U R TE S Y O F M E TTA D A E L ’ 9 3

spring 2014 I 9

NMH JOURNAL

THE SHOT

GOING THE DISTA N C E Srishti Sunil ’14 holds NMH’s record in long jump (above) and high jump, and she went into the spring track season with two New England Championship high-jump titles (2012 and 2013), as well as 2013 runner-up honors in both long jump and triple jump.

HEAVY HITTE R S

Basketball forward Ruthie Zientek ’14 scored her 1,000th point for the girls’ varsity team—the first NMH player in 19 years and the second in school history to do so.

Swimmer Heidi Nocka ’14 took first place in the 100M Free (55.63) at the Western New England Championships.

Wrestler Aidan Conroy ’15 became a New England champion and an All

10 I NMH Magazine

American and placed sixth at the National Prep Tournament.

Hockey goalie Conor O’Brien ’15 was selected for the All New England East hockey team.

Swimmer Nolan Hill ’14 swam the fastest 200M individual medley (2:02.06) in NMH history—for the second time—at the New England Championships.

The boys’ Nordic ski team won the Lakes Region Championship for the first time in 20 years.

The girls’ Alpine ski team won the Mount Institute Ski League championship for the second year in a row—with a perfect 35–0 record.

Runner Mohamed Hussein ’14 was named the 2013 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

PH O TO : R I S L E Y S PO R TS PH O TO G R A PH Y

NMH JOURNAL

Green Revolving Fund Takes Root NMH’s sustainability efforts got a boost last winter when it joined dozens of colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations in establishing a Green Revolving Fund.

A Green Revolving Fund (GRF) is a loan fund that finances campus conservation projects, decreases a school’s environmental impact, and allows schools to save energy and money. It’s “part of a broader, holistic approach to sustainability on campus,” says NMH science teacher Becca Leslie, who has coordinated the school’s sustainability efforts for the past six years.

With the GRF’s median 28 percent return on investment, it’s also a “nobrainer,” Leslie says. “We will have more money available to do projects we’ve been wanting to do for years.”

That includes insulating pipes, retrofitting old windows, and purchasing energy-efficient light bulbs.

The GRF model has fueled energyefficient building and remodeling projects at institutions throughout the U.S., mostly in the past five or six years. At NMH, an initial gift of $10,000 jumpstarted the GRF, and the school will earmark $1 million over six years for conservation projects. Software provided by the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) will monitor any savings the school accrues; half will be returned to the school’s operating budget, while the other half will cycle back into the GRF to support future projects. “It’s not only self-sustaining, it’s self-perpetuating,” says Jonathan Crowley, NMH’s associate director of capital giving.

Because NMH is among only a handful of independent high schools in the U.S. to adopt a GRF, it’s a bold move, Crowley says. But it’s one that highlights the school’s “leadership in sustainability—and our willingness to try new things.”

FOR THE RECORD

“ We should be wise enough to know we don’t know everything. Not knowing is part of the excitement.”

HASOK CHANG ’85, the Hans Rausing Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, who delivered NMH’s annual Science in the 21st Century lecture on Feb. 25.

Making an Academic Splash When the international Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, based at Indiana University, held its annual conference in February, Paul Hwang ’15 was among the presenters. Joining college professors, business ethicists, and graduate students, Hwang delivered a talk titled “Parfit on Aggregating Future Utilities for Environmental Policy.”

An NMH student delegation returned victorious in February from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service Model United Nations conference in Doha, Qatar. Out of 600 international delegates, Siddharth Sachdeva ’14 won a Best Delegate award, and Molly Riehs ’14 and Ismini Ethridge ’14 both won Honorable Mention Delegate awards.

NE W ARRI VAL

S P R I N G BRE AK BABY “Tim” is the first of two calves that joined the herd on the NMH farm in March. An entire crew of workjob students helping out with the school’s annual maple sugaring operation witnessed the birth of “Hans,” the second calf.

P H O T O : E VA L A U B A C H ’ 1 5

spring 2014 I 11

NMH JOURNAL

WHO•WHAT •W H Y

Beyond Algebra

“Menu” Lists all possible functions according to subject, such as calculus or statistics.

W

½

12 I NMH Magazine

½

½

When John Christiansen introduces the TI-Nspire CX CAS calculator in his math classes, he tells students, “This is a tool. This is only a tool.” But for the past few years, it’s been a tool that nearly every student on campus has laid their hands on.

NMH is one of the few high schools in the country that makes the Nspire CX CAS an integral part of its upper-level math curriculum, including algebra II, statistics, and numerous levels of calculus.

At roughly $150, it’s not cheap, but Christiansen says it allows teachers to “ask more interesting questions much earlier” in a student’s development.

Once students acquire certain skills, such as performing basic algebra calculations, it makes sense to use a calculator for that work—to save time and avoid errors as students explore more challenging problems. Not using the calculator would be “like me telling you to go get a glass of water, but saying that you need to crawl across the floor to get it,” Christiansen says.

The Nspire has a computer system that helps users “manipulate and visualize data” in ways that aren’t possible with other calculators. They can collect and save information, plug it into various mathematical functions, and create graphs showing their results. One of Christiansen’s students created a project that analyzed data from ESPN about scoring patterns in basketball games. Another examined how the price of gas correlated to a service station’s distance from a highway. “We’re trying to move on from rote memorization to investigation and deeper understanding,” Christiansen says.

Even with the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets—and applications that give them the same capabilities as the Nspire—there still is a place for the calculator. Students are permitted to use it while taking standardized tests, while Internet-capable devices remain off-limits. That’s just fine with Christiansen. “We don’t want a tool that learns math for students,” he says. “We just want to make math as engrossing as possible. Our goal is to go farther faster and have more fun.”

“CAS” Stands for “computer algebra system.” Performs calculations such as solving a function.

YX

“Variables” Gives access to data sets for analysis.

“Catalog” Lists every command in the calculator.

“Template” Allows students to use correct notation when solving advanced problems.

“Control” Activates a second keyboard; doubles the functionality.

PH O TO S : G L E N N M I NS HA LL

Agreement Reached for Possible Sale of Forest Lands, Water Company Northfield Mount Hermon has reached an agreement on the possible sale of the Northfield Forest and the East Northfield Water Company to the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit land-conservation organization. The 1,650acre Northfield Forest property lies along the northeastern border of the town of Northfield; the school has owned much of the land, which is located in Northfield and Warwick, Mass., and Winchester, N.H., for nearly a century.

The property is managed as a working forest, with more than 300 acres protecting the water quality in Grandin Reservoir, the water source for the East Northfield Water Company, which provides water to more than 200 customers in Northfield, as well as to the former Northfield campus. The purchase of the Northfield Forest would enable the Trust to complement lands already conserved by the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, the Town of Northfield, and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The agreement allows the Trust to raise substantial public and private funds for the purchase and stewardship of these properties, and to find a permanent owner for the water company. The Trust will work with the town of Northfield, state agencies, and other conservation partners to plan for the future use and management of the land and for the operation of the water company.

According to NMH Head of School Peter Fayroian, “The ultimate goal of this agreement is to ensure the community’s enjoyment of the forest lands, and safe and reliable management of the water company.”

READING LIST

Custer and the 1873 Yellowstone Survey M. John Lubetkin ’56, ed.

The Arthur H. Clark Co., University of Oklahoma Press

This One Day K.A. Delaney (aka John Corrigan, English department chair) Five Star Publishing Gale Cengage Learning

The Beauty of Ordinary Things Harriet Scott Chesman ’68 Atelier26 Books

Renunciation John D. Barbour ’69 Resource Publications Wipf and Stock Publishers

NMH recently replaced several of its utility vans and trucks with eight new energy-efficient vehicles, including five Club Car Carryalls (above). Rick Couture, director of plant facilities, estimates that the new vehicles, which are used to transport tools, equipment, and supplies around campus, will cut the school’s fuel costs between 20 and 40 percent.

GAS MONEY

On My Watch: Leadership, Innovation, and Personal Resilience Martha Johnson ’70 Dudley Court Press

spring 2014 I 13

MOVERS & MAKERS

Vernon Jones ’05

Visionary Touch

by MARY SEYMOUR

Vernon Jones ’05 is a fast-track kind of guy. He started selling real estate in New York City the summer after his freshman year of college, figuring it beat clerking in a supermarket. He was right. Jones brought in more than $10,000 in commissions during his first two months on the job—enough to keep him going to the office almost daily while he studied finance at Seton Hall.

After his first few deals, he saw a void in the real estate industry. “Naturally, I thought it would be easier for clients to view a video of prospective apartments

14 I NMH Magazine

than to actually take the time to physically view them,” he explains. “I began to create and distribute my own realestate videos, and I saw a clear return on the investment.”

Jones envisioned a marketing firm that would revolutionize the traditional realty storefront with its giant glass window plastered with real estate listings and nose smudges. Backed by an investor and working with a product development team, Jones created the Vision Realty Touch Screen—a supersize touch-through glass technology that can be mounted in real-estate agency storefronts. By strategically touching the storefront glass, people view videos, photos, and floor plans of real estate listings; explore different neighborhoods; and connect with agents through social media.

Jones launched Live Open House (LOH) in 2012 to bring Vision Realty Touch Screens to the real estate world.

Located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, LOH is a small firm of tech-savvy realtors, marketing experts, and software engineers. Lee Moulton ’03, a former Goldman Sachs wunderkind, came aboard in April 2013 as head of business development and quickly grew LOH’s client base. Although Moulton has since moved on, for a few months, one-fifth of the company was composed of NMH graduates.

Right now, LOH has clients on both U.S. coasts and in Canada, including the billion-dollar agency Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and NestSeekers

PH O TO : A L E X G O R D O N

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Jones envisioned a marketing firm that would revolutionize the traditional realty storefront with its giant glass window plastered with real estate listings and nose smudges.

International. Jones would like to see the client base triple in 2014.

“My partner and I have bootstrapped this thing,” Jones says of Live Open House. “The biggest challenge is the intense amount of start-up capital needed.”

He’s learned a few other lessons along the way, too: “As CEO of a company, everything comes back to you. You need to have mental strength and a certain level of humility.”

Eventually, he’d like to get those storefront touchscreens into markets beyond real estate, such as hotels, the fashion industry, commercial banks, and restaurants. For example, instead of simply peering at a taped-to-the-glass menu, people could interact with it, learning about ingredients or looking at pictures of potential meals.

For now, Jones is sticking with real estate. He and the Vision Realty Touch Screen have a few competitors, but not many—a situation he expects will change. “Right now it’s a novelty,” Jones says of the storefront touchscreen concept. “Before long it will be the norm.” [NMH]

ZERO FEET FROM STARDOM Producer Caitrin Rogers ’00 stood onstage at the 86th Annual Academy Awards with her hands wrapped around the golden statuette. That statuette. Oscar.

She was collecting the award for best documentary feature for 20 Feet From Stardom, the story of backup singers who toil just outside the spotlight.

One of the film’s subjects, Darlene Love, was onstage, too, along with director Morgan Neville and the widow of the film’s late coproducer, Gil Friesen. Love stepped to the microphone and belted out the gospel hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” Actor Bill Murray led a standing ovation.

You couldn’t ask for a more dazzling Oscar debut for Rogers, whose producing credits include The Tillman Story and I Am a World Champion. Her documentary The Sound of Silk—another partnership with Neville—will open in 2015. It highlights the Silk Road Ensemble, with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, while tackling larger questions about cultural identity.

Meanwhile, 20 Feet From Stardom is reaping the benefits of critical and popular acclaim.

Since it was first shown at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary has made more than $5.3 million. It has also improved career opportunities for the backup singers in the film. Rogers says, “It’s brought them a little closer to the spotlight.” You could say the same for her.

P HO TO : G E TTY I M A G E S / FR A Z E R H A R R I S O N

COUNTRY COOL Layng Martine Jr. ’60 is an old hand at writing country music— old enough to be inducted as “veteran songwriter” in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2013.

How veteran? His song “Way Down” became a gold single for Elvis Presley and was at the top of the charts the day Elvis died.

Martine’s “I Don’t Want to Be a One Night Stand” helped launch Reba McEntire’s career.

The guy’s a legend, but a humble one. He told The Tennessean that joining the Hall of Fame made him feel “as though I’ve been allowed into the coolest clubhouse in the universe.” The club includes such luminaries as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, and Dolly Parton.

At his induction, he thanked his wife of 48 years, Linda, and remembered how she believed in him when he wasn’t so sure of himself. He described failing in business, losing their house, and wondering whether he should work unhappily on Madison Avenue or shoot for the moon and move to Nashville. His wife replied, “Nashville. No choice.”

Forty-two years and one Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction later, the choice appears to have been the right one.

Producer Caitrin Rogers ’00 shows off her Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

spring 2014 I 15

IN THE CLASSROOM

“ The goal of this project was to make people take a second look.

At first glance, the selfportrait appears normal, but something off about it catches the viewer’s eye, and they go in for a more detailed look.”

—PA IG E FE NN ’ 15

PAI G E FEN N ’15

Anatomy of a Face Forget “selfies.” These abstract self-portraits are the real thing.

by JENNIFER SUTTON

16 I NMH Magazine

There are no rules. That’s how Lila Livingston ’14 sees the AP Drawing course she took last fall—and visual art in general. “I learned over and over in that class that the most challenging thing about art is that it is all up to the individual,” she says.

Livingston and her classmates found that especially true about halfway through the semester, when teacher Bill Roberts assigned an abstract self-portrait project. Until then, the students had been drawing from still lifes or models. Now “they

F R AN S CI S B ALK EN ’15

LILA LIVING S TO N ’ 14

had to exercise their cognitive skills and their ability to conceptualize,” Roberts explains. “That’s not an easy thing to do, particularly when it’s their own likeness.”

As he does each time he teaches the class, Roberts first introduces the students to the work of portrait artist Chuck Close. Then he takes head-andshoulders photographs of each student.

They choose an image, photocopy it multiple times, cut up the copies, and move the pieces around to create a kind of puzzle of their own face—one that’s

different from the original photograph.

“I want them to really manipulate, but it’s a balance, because if you go too far, the face blows apart and it’s not recognizable,” Roberts says. The students draw from the manipulated image, using crow quill pens and India ink to “translate values with definitive linear or cross-hatched or stippled marks on the white page,” Roberts says. “That’s a lot harder than shading with a pencil. It’s old school.”

The assignment pushes the students into new terrain, and not just because

pen and ink is the “easiest medium to mess up,” according to Paige Fenn ’15.

The abstract element forces them to make design choices that aren’t part of drawing an accurate still life, and the personal subject matter can make some uncomfortable. “Anytime I consider doing a self-portrait, I worry about how other people will perceive my face,” Fenn says. “But that is something I shouldn’t be concerned with.

A self-portrait is a chance for artists to show the rest of the world how they see themselves.” [NMH]

spring 2014 I 17

NMH I N TH E WO R L D â&#x20AC;&#x153;At school, you can get so busy with your schedule that you kind of store yourself away; you reserve a part of yourself.

Traveling really breaks that shell open.â&#x20AC;?

Model U.N. Students on the dunes near Doha, Qatar

spring 2014 I 19

ITALY

CHINA

BRAZI L PHO TO: ELEA N O R CO N O VE R

INDIA

These travelers found people, landscapes, and histories that changed the way they see the world—and the way they see themselves in the world.

Byrom has led NMH trips to a dozen countries, and each one challenged cultural stereotypes that were embedded in her mind. “I became a better teacher of world history and a better diplomat in my work,” she says. Byrom sees the same changes in students, too. “They return with a desire to share insights that could, in the long run, help bring about a more peaceful world.”

QATAR

In these pages, we’ve highlighted six of NMH’s numerous study-travel experiences, with snapshots and reflections from both teachers and students. There are sophomore humanities classes in Brazil and South Africa, a language immersion program in China, a Model United Nations delegation in Qatar, student singers performing at the Vatican in Rome, and NMH students-turned-volunteerteachers at an orphanage in India.

SOUTH AFR ICA

T

HERE’S NO BETTER TIME than high school to start traveling and learning about the world. That’s according to Lorrie Byrom, director of NMH’s Center for International Education.

“High school students have fewer preconceived ideas about the world than college students, so they’re more open to possibilities,” Byrom says.

Drema, age 7

JOYBELLS SCHOOL AND ORPHANAGE I N DI A

DEHRADUN, INDIA J ULI ET KIM ’ 16 During a service trip to the Joybells orphanage last March, Drema and the other kids welcomed us with bright smiles and dazzling eyes. I fell in love with them at first sight.

Our job was to tutor them, so we taught various subjects in the morning, and during the afternoon, the little boys and girls brought out colorful cups of delicious chai tea for us to drink.

I still find myself craving that tea. I miss the taste. But what I miss more is the warmth and generosity that were poured into those little cups, and the shy smile of the little girl who carried the tea, and the little hands that held the cups. It was those little things that taught me the most in India; they filled my heart.

20 I NMH Magazine

I’ll be returning to Joybells this summer. I cannot wait to smell that sweet chai tea, or to see the unconditional smiles of those same little boys and girls when we meet again.

AT TA KU RZ M A N N Director of Service Learning Thirteen of us arrived at the orphanage after many hours of travel by airplane, bumpy train, and crowded bus. We knew the children who lived there came from harsh circumstances of loss, deprivation, and starvation, and we were prepared to find them challenging— detached, perhaps, or shy or unwelcoming. But we would be their teachers for the next two weeks and we would have to make it work.

With our anxiety and excitement building, we turned off the dusty roads

of the village and drove into the orphanage compound, past shacks, gardens, and fruit trees. In the distance, we spied a group of children in bright T-shirts, cheering and smiling, holding flowers they had picked for us. The cheering grew louder as we got off the van. They circled around us and took our hands, two or three little children on each of our arms. They walked with us to their school, where we dove into two weeks of hard work, fun, laughter, and affection.

Each day, we were touched by their eagerness to learn, the way they cared for one another, their gratitude and sweetness, their pride in sharing with us what they had. It didn’t take us long to realize that even though we had come from afar with the goal of teaching these children, they were the ones teaching us.

PH O TO : J U L I E T K I M ’ 1 6

QUILOMBO SCHOOL

SUSAN KENNEDY Religious Studies and Philosophy Teacher When we arrived at the Quilombo school on the island of Itaparica, in northeastern Brazil, the students and faculty were waiting for us. They were playing drums, singing, and clapping, and soon everyone started dancing. The Quilombo are descendants of African slaves, and the school is for people who want to go on to higher education. It costs a ton of money to take the test that’s required for college in Brazil, and most of the Quilombo people 1) don’t have the money for the test, let alone higher education, and 2) don’t have the knowledge to do well on the test. So the school operates in the afternoon and on weekends. Some of the students are going to regular high school, too; some have already graduated. They’re basically giving up their free time in order to better themselves.

We shared presentations about our countries, schools, and cultures, and we learned a lot about each others’ backgrounds. Most impressive, however, was how quickly and easily the Brazilian and American kids became friends.

That set the stage for the ease with which NMH students interacted with Brazilians throughout the trip.

T YM IR SI M PS ON ’ 16 This was my first time traveling outside the U.S., and I did not know what to expect. I thought maybe the Quilombo students would see us as outsiders—like “those Americans.” In fact, it was the opposite. As soon as we got there, they wanted to talk to us. We all had so many questions for each other. I don’t speak Portuguese, so most of the time I could not understand what they were saying. We learned to communicate without a lot of words.

In another part of the trip, we did activities with some young children in

P HOTO: JAVIER ESC U D ERO

their neighborhood. We served them dinner afterward, and lots of the children took the plates of food we handed them back to their homes and then returned for their own meal. When we first began serving, most of our group was hungry, and I was thinking, “I can’t wait to eat.” But these kids were worried about their families first, even before themselves. When I saw that, I wasn’t hungry anymore. I offered my plate to many of the children, but not one would take it.

I really want to travel more now.

I want to see more places and cultures around the world. I hope to go back to Brazil in the future and maybe lead travel groups—lead people to more awareness. At school, you can get so busy with your schedule that you kind of store yourself away; you reserve a part of yourself. Brazil really broke that shell open. It was an experience so new that I wanted to be in it as much as I could.

BRAZIL

ITAPARICA, BRAZIL

Dancing with Quilombo students and teachers (top); eating dinner with children in Lençois.

spring 2014 I 21

ST. PETER’S BASILICA ITALY

VATICAN CITY, ROME M OLLY RIEHS ’ 14 After walking through the Vatican museums, I thought there could not be a more beautiful collection of artwork and a deeper connection to thousands of years of history. When I walked into St. Peter’s Basilica, I knew I had been wrong.

The intense feelings of amazement and excitement were overwhelming. We were the featured guests, preparing to sing for a Mass that would be broadcast around the world.

Looking out at the crowd, I saw nuns, strangers in suits, and tourists. I felt goose bumps rise on my arms and along my spine. When our guide pointed at us to start singing, we opened our hearts with “Adoramus Te,” and I knew we were

meant to be there in that glorious space, uniting people through song.

The Mass was in Latin and Italian, so although I did not understand it, the words sounded fluid and beautiful. Just when I thought the service couldn’t get more emotional, the cardinal looked right at us and repeated his sermon in English—a language rarely spoken in St. Peter’s. He translated for us so we could feel a part of the spirit we helped create. At that moment, I felt so proud of my school and so connected with my choir and friends: my singing family.

SH E IL A HEFFER N O N Director of Choral Programs Ever since I first visited the Vatican 23 years ago, I’ve had the dream of taking NMH choirs to sing during Mass in the superb acoustics and physical beauty of St. Peter’s Basilica. But when that dream

became a reality, I began to worry that I had idealized the experience too much. Would the students be intimidated by the history and size of the Basilica? Would they connect with this extraordinary edifice and testament to centuries of people’s faith?

The moment they began to sing, I could see they knew this was a cathartic moment. They filled the historic space with the beautiful music, full tones, and ringing chords of Palestrina and Lotti, sharing what they love and do so well with the pilgrims who had made their way to Mass.

After the final cutoff, their voices echoed through the Basilica for several seconds. Those seconds seemed to last forever, giving me time to look at the singers. Each of their faces wore an expression of sheer joy. The professional choir members who were there to sing the responses for the Mass erupted in applause, but even before that, I knew my worry had been unnecessary.

The students not only understood what they had done, but they were transformed by it and by one another. The reality was far more glorious than my dream had been.

NMH student singers, including Molly Riehs ’14 (top), perform during Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.

22 I NMH Magazine

PH O TO S : S TE V E B I S G R O V E

At the Kaifeng Night Market, vendors cook dinner on the spot for throngs of people.

Kaifeng night market

PAUL POLK ’ 1 4 Kaifeng is a big city, but not like Beijing or Shanghai. We got to the night market early, when the vendors were just setting up. It was a normal Saturday, and people were coming for something to eat before they went out to do something else. You could get all sorts of food—meat, vegetables, dumplings. I got noodles and they were excellent.

A lot of our time in China was pretty scripted, with a set itinerary and schedule, but I really wanted to feel what it was like to be a regular person instead of a tourist. When we went to the market, it was different. There was nothing scripted about it. There was no touristy stuff. It was just everyday life.

P HO TO: PAU L POLK ’14

We weren’t looking for anything in particular; there was no statue we had to visit or anything like that. We just wandered from one end of the market to the other, seeing what looked cool. The vendors were cooking food right out in the open, families were eating dinner, and it felt really authentic.

J IN G L IU Chinese Teacher The Kaifeng Night Market is very famous because Kaifeng was the capital city of the Northern Song Dynasty more than 1,000 years ago—and also because the food is wonderful. It’s local food, not restaurant food. One of my favorites is xiao long bao; it’s a steamed

CH I N A

HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA bun, and inside, there is meat but also soup. Sometimes you have to drink the soup with a straw.

At NMH, students learn Chinese in the classroom from a textbook, and they don’t get the chance to understand average Chinese people’s lives. In some cases, we bring the culture into the classroom—talking about the ancient cities of China, for example. But on this trip, the students get to see the real ancient cities of China. Seeing the real China is exciting for them. They go to the night market and speak Chinese, they go shopping, they try to negotiate in Chinese. That is the most exciting part for me: seeing the students use their language skills, after all our hard work.

spring 2014 I 23

MODEL UNITED NATIONS QATAR

DOHA, QATAR “ The debate of a Model U.N. conference is incredibly exciting, but it doesn’t compare to becoming friends with people from the other side of the world.”

A LEC S H EA ’ 14 When I traveled thousands of miles from New York to the Model U.N. conference in Qatar, I dragged along a copy of the International Herald Tribune. It served as a pillow, notepaper, and reading material: On the long plane ride, I read the front-page stories about places like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Egypt.

At the conference, it became clear that the NMH students were the only Americans in attendance. The delegates around us were Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, and Tunisians. I debated a relatively basic international nuclear

question, acting as North Korea in the International Atomic Energy Agency, but it was between debates that the conference got really interesting. All the delegates would talk to whoever was nearby, about everything from movies to ideal systems of government.

It’s one thing to read a country’s name on the front page of a newspaper.

It’s another to talk to someone from that country, especially when their homeland often is reduced to an enemy.

The debate of a Model U.N. conference is incredibly exciting, but it doesn’t compare to becoming friends with people from the other side of the world. I

remember Qatar most when I read a news story about some far-flung corner of the world, and think of a friend who calls that place home.

GRA N T GO N ZA L EZ Arabic and HistoryTeacher The authenticity of a place is often the Holy Grail of a traveler. “I want to experience the real [fill in the country],” is a common tourist’s refrain.

In Qatar, though, authenticity is tough to define; 90 percent of its nearly 2 million inhabitants are foreign workers.

Our NMH students tried to learn from everyone they met in Qatar, including Qatari citizens; our guides, who came from disparate countries; and, most important, their peers from around the world at the Model U.N. conference.

While tourists might be shielded— or might shield themselves—from the complex realities of a place, the NMH students asked good questions about the sustainability of the fast-growing city of Doha, and its visible inequality and dismal record of protecting workers’ human rights. A taxi driver from Nepal told us: “Ten years ago, I could count on one hand the number of skyscrapers in Doha.” Today, the city resembles New York in the desert.

I’ve traveled extensively in the Middle East, but these students pushed me to see Qatar through their eyes and as part of their future. “Is Doha a portent of our globalized future?” one student asked. “Or will it be viewed as a relic of modernization?”

Model U.N. delegates, including NMH’s Ismini Ethridge ’14 (center), get to know one another during breaks in the debate.

24 I NMH Magazine

PH O TO : E L E A N O R C O N O V E R

GA RY PA RTENH E IME R Religious Studies and Philosophy Teacher We traveled to South Africa to feel what it was like, however briefly, to be the minority—to reconcile our “book learning” with experience.

In Soweto, there were children everywhere. They seemed to materialize on cue from every corner of the township, from the narrow alleys of the shantytowns—the “informal settlements”—to the open squares, where they joined our pickup soccer games. So much energy, so much joy! It was tempting to conclude that they needed nothing from us or the rest of the world, that they were somehow content with what they had, despite the injustices imposed by history and circumstance. But where, I wondered, would these kids be in 10 years, or 20?

At the end of that day in the townships, we sang a South African folk song as a farewell, and our hosts clapped and danced along with us. It occurred to me then that the kids whose voices and bodies harmonized with ours could teach us something about resilience. In the face of overwhelming odds, they pointed toward a future in which sharing is the answer to the ageless cry for social justice.

SOWETO

JOHANNESBURG, South africa B E A DOW DY ’ 1 5 When we got to South Africa, our tour guide, Joe, greeted us by saying, “Welcome home.” He explained how our ancestors had come from Africa, and so we were truly home. That felt rare to me, to be welcomed home to a place I had never been before.

Joe described to us how he had been tortured during apartheid, but he had forgiven his persecutors because he knew there was no point in dwelling in the past. His courage and willingness to forgive floored me. And it wasn’t just Joe. People waved to us, welcomed us with hugs—they seemed determined to move on and be united.

PHOTO S: B EA DO WD Y ’15, ISAB E L L E L O T O C KI D E VE L IG O ST ’15

South Africa changed the way I thought about what I can do.

Everywhere we went, we saw people building up their communities and helping others. We worked with an organization called Soil for Life that teaches people how to grow their own food; we visited the House of Homework, which helps children after school; we played pickup games at Grassroots Soccer, which provides constructive activities for children.

Individuals were taking it upon themselves to be the change. I’ve heard my whole life that one person can make a difference, but for the first time I was witnessing it in real life. [NMH]

spring 2014 I 25

S O U T H A F R I CA

NMH students meet neighborhood children in Soweto.

When the climbers reached the summit of Denali, they hoisted a homemade American flag in a frigid wind.

T H E F I R S T H U M A N T O S TA N D AT T H E T O P O F D E N A L I , NORTH AMERICA’S HIGHEST PEAK, WAS A YOUNG IRISHA T H A B A S C A N I N D I A N N A M E D WA LT E R H A R P E R . H E M A D E THE CLIMB IN 1913—JUST A FEW MONTHS BEFORE HE E N R O L L E D AT T H E M O U N T H E R M O N S C H O O L F O R B O Y S .

MAN ON A MO UNTAIN B

Y

J

A

N

H

A

R

P

E

R

H

A

I

N

E

S

DENALI, IN ALASKA—also known as “The Great One”—is among the most difficult mountains in the world to climb. At 20,320 feet, it is the tallest peak in North America, and at least half of the climbers who attempt it turn back, thwarted by avalanches, shifting crevasses, temperatures that plummet below minus 100 degrees, and a vertical rise that is greater than Mount Everest’s. More than 60 climbers have lost their lives on the mountain.

The first person to reach Denali’s summit was a Mount Hermon man: a 20-year-old Irish-Athabascan Indian named Walter Harper. He made his ascent in June 1913, 101 years ago—just a few months before he traveled east for his first formal educational experience at the Mount Hermon School for Boys.

Harper was a handsome 6-footer from Tanana, Alaska, who joined a climbing party organized by the Episcopal missionary Hudson Stuck. Neither of them had much mountaineering experience, nor did they have maps of Denali’s treacherous terrain, just a few photographs from a previous expedition attempt. Their eventual and unprecedented success made them celebrities in Alaska, in Native and white communities alike.

As Walter Harper’s great-niece, I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s hearing stories about him. He seemed larger than life, and he provided my mother’s family with hefty bragging rights at a time when most Alaskan Natives were suffering from poverty, disease, and racial discrimination. Lacking education and opportunity, they struggled to assimilate into white communities, to transition from subsistence living to a cash economy. Harper’s achievement was—and still is—a point of great pride.

Several years ago, in Denali National Park, I got a glimpse of what he had accomplished when a pilot offered to fly me up the mountain in his Cessna 180. As the single-engine plane rose and then leveled off, all I could see was a rugged wall of rock, purple and white and gray, icy and forbidding. We were flying at 125 miles per hour but it felt like we weren’t moving at all. This was only a small part of Denali, yet it felt like a universe—overwhelming and stunning.

P H O T O : C O U R T E SY O F D E N AL I2013.O R G

spring 2014 I 27

CCORDING TO stories my family told me, Harper was 16 and spoke only his mother’s Koyukon Athabascan language when he met Hudson Stuck, known as the “Archdeacon of the Yukon.” Impressed with the boy’s friendly manner and quick mind, Stuck took on Harper as his dog handler, boat engineer, and interpreter when he visited remote villages in central Alaska. He taught Harper to read and write English, as well as history, arithmetic, and geography.

After several years of working together, Stuck began envisioning Harper as one who might follow in his footsteps. Local girls who admired the charismatic Harper—including my own grandmother—understood that he was out of reach, that Stuck had plans for his education. When he enrolled Harper at Mount Hermon, Stuck wrote to Dr. Henry Cutler, Mount Hermon’s headmaster: “The church’s goal is to groom him for later service to Alaska’s people.”

But first came Denali. When Stuck, an amateur climber, began planning his expedition, he included young Harper among his recruits because of his “strength, pluck, and endurance … and his kindliness and invincible amiability,” Stuck wrote in his book, The Ascent of Denali.

After months of preparation, the climbers started out in March 1913. The

28 I NMH Magazine

During the 1913 ascent, Harper (right) and his fellow climbers found Denali’s Northeast Ridge shattered by an earthquake that had occurred a year earlier. They spent weeks chopping a three-mile staircase into giant blocks of ice before they could advance.

setbacks began almost immediately. At Muldrow Glacier, the group discovered that an earthquake had altered the ridge that appeared smooth in their photographs. Before they could advance, they spent weeks chopping a three-mile staircase into giant blocks of icy rubble.

And much of their equipment, ordered from Seattle, turned out to be unusable: “The ice-axes were gold-painted toys with detachable heads and broomstick handles … the points splintered the first time they were used,” Stuck wrote. The alpine boots had arrived too small, so Stuck attached leather soles and nails to the men’s regular rubber-soled boots, which they alternated with large-size moccasins worn over five pairs of socks.

Harper documented the expedition in a diary, in passages that were brief and matter-of-fact, revealing little about the majestic landscape and the momentousness of the occasion. He focused on the weather, which ranged wildly between bright sun and heavy snow and sometimes halted the climbing for days at a time. On May 11, Harper wrote, “This morning … we had heavy packs on our backs and we toiled up the ridge, gasping for breath.” May 17: “We heard an avalanche … it was rolling down the mountainside like a roaring of thunder … raising a cloud one thousand feet or more.” May 18: “Snowing heavily … it is very tedious staying in the tent all day waiting for the weather to clear.”

“ H E WAS AT O NCE T HE STR O NG EST AND T HE GE NTL E ST, TH E M OST CAPAB L E AND R ESOU R CEF U L MAN I HAV E KNOWN I N AL ASKA .”

On June 7, Harper and his fellow climbers finally reached their goal.

“I was ahead all day and was the first ever to set foot on Mt. Denali,” Harper proudly wrote that night. Within a few days, he and his group were back at their base camp. A few months later, he was on his way east, to start a new life in Massachusetts.

BOARDING SCHOOL presented challenges quite different from the ones he had experienced on Denali.

At Mount Hermon, Harper struggled to adjust, writing to his mentor Stuck, “I think the chief trouble with me is that I do not know how to apply my mind properly.” But it was more than a lack of formal education hindering

P HOTOS: C O U R TESY O F D E N AL I2013.O R G

Harper; cultural differences were significant, too. As an Athabascan, Harper had been taught to avoid conflict, which was considered rude, yet debate was part of his English class.

In the same letter to Stuck, Harper wrote, “My mark in English is so low because it is so hard for me to grasp it as quickly as the others, besides, I’m not a good debater. I dislike arguing and that is what our English course consists of this term.”

Over time, Harper’s work at Mount Hermon improved. He developed a desire to become a doctor. Stuck, however, felt the school’s curriculum didn’t relate to the young man’s future as a missionary, so he decided to take Harper back to Alaska and help him prepare independently for university.

Tragically, Harper’s life was cut short before he could do any of those things.

He survived typhoid, and married a young nurse he met at Fort Yukon’s Mission Hospital. But in the fall of 1918, after the couple boarded a ship bound for Vancouver, they sailed into a ferocious storm and ran aground on a rocky reef.

A blinding snowstorm, surging waters, and 50-mile-per-hour winds forced back a fleet of rescue boats. All of the 343 passengers onboard the ship died.

In March 1919, Archdeacon Stuck sent news of Harper’s death to Mount Hermon. “He was at once the strongest and the gentlest—the most capable and resourceful man I have known in Alaska,” Stuck wrote. “He has left behind him the light of a bright example.” [NMH]

spring 2014 I 29

Near the IraqSyria border, Emily Dakin ’97 helps refugees begin rebuilding their lives.

Hope Desert BY MEGAN TA DY

IN THE

F

R OM A D I S TANC E, the Domiz

refugee camp in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region looks like a sprawling desert city.

Originally built for 20,000 people, the camp is now home to 45,000 refugees who have fled the civil war in Syria. Tents branded with the names of aid organizations rustle in the occasional breeze. Metal water canisters glint in the fierce sunlight. Lacking trees, women string clotheslines between the tents to dry bright, colorful shirts in the heat. Trash litters the ground, and children jump over little canals of fetid water that trickle around the tents.

The Domiz refugee camp is located in the Kurdish province of Dohuk in northern Iraq. It was built in 2012 to accommodate 20,000 people; it currently houses an estimated 45,000. Emily Dakin ’97 oversees the International Rescue Committee’s operations at the camp.

PH O TO : C H R I S TI A N J E PS E N / N O R W E G I A N R E FU G E E C O U N C I L

T

he enormous task of providing food, clothing,

clean water, and shelter to the refugees—not to mention medical care, education, and sanitation— falls in part to Emily Dakin ’97, who serves as the Iraq Country Director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The IRC is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that offers humanitarian relief to refugees and people affected by conflict and natural disasters, with aid workers functioning in more than 40 countries and 22 American cities. It is among the groups helping displaced Iraqis rebuild their lives after the Iraq War as well as responding to the massive influx of Syrian refugees that began in 2012.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Refugee Agency estimated that of the 2.5 million Syrians who had fled their country, roughly 225,000 went to Iraq.

At the IRC, Dakin manages a staff of 240, splitting her time between Baghdad and Erbil, a city in northern Iraq.

She also monitors the front lines at camps like Domiz, where she and her colleagues hand out emergency “dignity kits” (headscarves and hygiene products) to women, and at the Iraq-Syria border, where they scour the crowds to help reunite family members who were separated as they escaped the violence.

Dakin and her staff also bear witness to astonishing stories of survival. One frail 78-year-old Syrian man stumbled across the border, exhausted and terrified, after fleeing the village where rebels had beheaded his neighbors. A Syrian teenager recognized his mother in a crowd of refugees after wondering for a year if she was dead. “We’re working with people who have experienced significant trauma,” Dakin says. “We have to do our job very, very well because they are depending on us.”

32 I NMH Magazine

Turkey Domiz

Syria

Erbil

Iran

IRAQ

Saudi Arabia

Baghdad

Kuwait

At 34, Dakin is relatively young compared to other NGO directors.

She has an infectious laugh and a warm smile, and though she dons a headscarf and dark sunglasses when she’s in Baghdad, in Domiz she sports a baseball cap or lets her curly red hair fry in the heat. Despite a comfortable, upbringing in Chester, Vt., Dakin says her job, with its often-gritty surroundings, long hours, safety hazards, and high-stakes tension, is a good fit. “It’s extreme to work in this environment,” she says. “But I know I can do it. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility.

I was raised in a way that instilled in me that, as humans, we should do what we can to help other people.”

D

akin first worked for the IRC several years ago as a “protection manager” in a refugee camp in Iraq that housed 11,000 Turkish Kurds. She woke up giddy every morning. “I’m not exaggerating—I loved getting up,” she says. “It was an amazing feeling of going back to what matters most,

Emily Dakin ’97 (above, center) oversees IRC efforts at the Domiz refugee camp near the Iraq-Syria border, and in Baghdad and Erbil, a city in northern Iraq.

which is: How can we improve the lives of these people?”

It was a far cry from the corporate law job Dakin had left behind in Washington, D.C.—but not so far from the aspirations that took root when she was a teenager. As an NMH student, Dakin went on a six-week trip to China that ignited a passion for international travel.

“It was so formative for me to see the world beyond my life,” she says.

She graduated from the University of Virginia and worked for a year for Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in Washington, but hated the partisan nature of the job. She joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Mali for two years. “It was outstanding. It was everyone’s Peace Corps story: live in a very small village, become part of the village,” she says.

Back in the U.S., Dakin went to law school at Georgetown, where she specialized in refugee and humanitarian crisis law. She spent a summer working for the United Nations at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

P HOTO: METRO G R APHY/J AN T IN E VAN H E R W IJ N E N

“ When I wake up in the morning, 90 percent of my brain is on security. Where is my staff?

How many blasts have there been this morning?”

After graduation, she took a job at a large law firm in Washington, but within a year she knew it wasn’t the right place for her. Searching for more direct public-service work, she responded to an IRC job advertisement and soon found herself en route to Iraq.

Dakin’s boss and mentor was Laura Jacoby ’83, another Vermonter, who has worked with the IRC since 1999.

Jacoby is now IRC’s Country Director in Turkey, where she’s also involved

with the Syrian crisis. “The communities [we work with] are incredibly resilient,” Jacoby says.

“When you see what’s happening in Syria and how the Syrians are responding, you can’t help but be energized by that.”

Before Dakin took the reins from Jacoby in Iraq, she developed an IRC program for Iraqis who were refugees in their own country, forced from their homes following the U.S. invasion. Dakin’s program trained

spring 2014 I 33

“ We’re working with people who have experienced significant trauma. We have to do our job very, very well because they are depending on us.” women to become more financially literate and business-minded. “Women were standing up and saying, ‘I’ve been cooking out of my house, and now I know what I need to do and how to invest money,’” Dakin says.

As the country director, Dakin spends less time in the field and more time overseeing a variety of initiatives, including the construction of schools, offering legal assistance to refugees, running “listening centers” for women survivors of violence, and helping create business opportunities for families.

Dakin also is tasked with making sure her staff is safe. “When I wake up in the morning, 90 percent of my brain is on security,” she says.

“What’s going on? Where is my staff?

How many blasts have there been this morning? Trying to keep my team as secure as possible takes a lot of brainpower.”

I

n b agh da d, Dakin lives and works alongside other NGO staffers in a three-squarekilometer compound surrounded by 12-foot steel-reinforced concrete walls that are common throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. There are checkpoints both outside and inside the compound. Dakin leaves only for “official, necessary, critical” reasons, such as meetings with donors or U.N. agencies, or to travel north to Erbil and Domiz. Two of her IRC colleagues are marathon runners, and they have to settle for a treadmill rather than the road.

34 I NMH Magazine

Yet the guesthouse that the IRC rents for its international staff has a small garden and a date tree. Dakin can watch the sunset from a roof deck, and she invites other NGO staffers over for barbeques. “We try to scrape together a semblance of a life,” she says.

To “de-stress,” Dakin likes to bake while sipping tea in her kitchen and streaming Vermont Public Radio on her computer. She discovered her knack with flour and butter during her NMH work job in the school’s kitchen, and now she loves to feed everyone—her staff, her neighbors, her guards. Sometimes it’s a simple batch of scones; other times, it’s a more elaborate creation, such as a roasted cauliflower tart with caramelized onions.

But it’s still Baghdad, and Dakin is still on lockdown inside her compound. She used to buy her baking ingredients at a nearby grocery store, but after the store was bombed last year and seven people were killed, she was no longer permitted to shop for herself.

D

a k in is c lea r : Her confinement is luxurious compared to the lives of the refugees she works with. As of January, eight new camps had sprung up to house the 200,000 Syrians who had registered as refugees in Iraq. At the same time, Al-Jazeera was reporting that 14,000 Iraqis had fled the Anbar province in the western part of the country for the northern

Kurdish region after al-Qaeda-linked militants took over the city of Fallujah.

Last winter, as sub-zero temperatures set in, Dakin was preoccupied with how the Syrian refugees, most of them women and children, would survive in their noninsulated shelters. “Every day brings a new challenge,” she says. “It’s frustrating, heartbreaking, and exhausting.”

Water is trucked into the Domiz camp, but NGOs such as the IRC have struggled to meet the basic needs of the skyrocketing refugee population.

Yet when people ask Dakin— and they do often—if she really believes that conditions in Iraq will get better, she says, “Fire me if my answer ever becomes no. If you don’t remain hopeful that people’s lives can change, you have no business being in this industry.”

One example of hopefulness became reality last March, when Dakin presided

over the opening of a new school— the first secondary school to be built in the Domiz refugee camp. The IRC completed construction in December.

At the opening ceremony, Dakin recalled that when she began working in Domiz with the IRC in November 2012, there was a single school for a skyrocketing population of children.

“We met with groups of refugees and

P HOTO: C H R ISTIA N JEPSEN /N O R W E G IAN R E F U G E E C O U N C IL

asked what they needed, and so many responses were asking for more educational opportunities,” she says.

“Over the past 17 months, schools have been built, safe spaces have opened, and finally we have an environment that allows older Syrian refugee children to continue their education.” The school has room for 600 students, and classes began in April. [NMH]

spring 2014 I 35

DREAM

BIG

NMH TRAINS BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO DO MORE THAN SHOOT HOOPS, AND THE IVY LEAGUE IS PAYING ATTENTION. On a Friday night in early February, the Northfield Mount Hermon boys’ varsity basketball team hosted Proctor Academy in Forslund Gym. It was a Winter Family Days weekend, so the stands were packed for what turned into a raucous blowout. A few minutes before the final buzzer, Collin McManus ’15 stole the ball and charged upcourt for a slam-dunk. The crowd and the team—even coach John Carroll ’89—jumped to their feet as McManus swung from the hoop.

The referee called a technical foul. Carroll, arms outstretched in disbelief, challenged the call. The ref felt McManus hung on for too long. While Carroll argued in support of his player, he had a slight grin on his face, and he didn’t push the issue. He and his team were having fun. The final score: NMH 100, Proctor 52.

BY DAVID PETRIE

36 I NMH Magazine

PH O TO : R I S L E Y S PO R TS PH O TO G R A PHY

Forward Josh Sharma â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15 (No. 42) rattles the rim in Forslund Gym.

M

ost of NMH’s opponents pose more of a challenge on the court, which is part of the reason McManus and his teammates have come to play in Forslund in the first place. That, and the fact that NMH has been ranked among the top-five prep-school teams in the country for the past five years—and held the No. 1 spot at the beginning of the 2013–14 season. In 2013, the team brought home its first National Prep Championship, and in 2012, it won its first NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Championship and AAA regular-season title.

Then there is NMH’s reputation for sending players on to prominent basketball teams at esteemed colleges and universities. That became crystal clear during the 2013 NCAA championship game, when Spike Albrecht ’12, a rookie freshman point guard at the University of Michigan, wowed the entire country by scoring 17 points in the first half. Besides Albrecht, NMH had 25 alumni playing this year on Division I teams at the University of Illinois, the University of Vermont, Boston College, George Washington University, Bucknell, the University of Maine, Siena, and Tulane.

Eleven NMH graduates were playing in the Ivy League, three times more than

Coach John Carroll ’89 offers his advice during a game in 2012.

38 I NMH Magazine

any other high school in the nation.

Four of those were at Harvard, including Zena Edosomwan ’13, the first top-100 high-school recruit to ever commit to an Ivy League school. The sports website Deadspin has called NMH “the official pipeline to Harvard for highly recruited basketball players,” and a Bloomberg News story published in March stated that Harvard “owes much of its newfound basketball success, highlighted by four straight league titles and a first-round victory in last year’s NCAA tournament, to Northfield Mount Hermon.”

But NMH is more than just a pipeline. It’s got what Cox Sports calls “the top combination of academics and basketball in the United States.” Carroll calls that combination “balance,” and says it’s not easy to find. “At other schools, kids need to sacrifice one area to succeed in another,” Carroll says. “Here, there’s no sacrificing academics to be in athletics or the arts. There’s no bleeding of academics to have a social life.

Everything a student does here feels significant and valued.”

As senior assistant director of admission at NMH, Carroll spends a lot of time thinking about why students choose to go to prep school. In some cases, it’s because they’re looking for deeper connections—say, if there are 30 kids in biology class and the teacher doesn’t know everyone’s name.

Or they want to go to a school with a history of placing kids in better colleges. Or maybe they want a new peer group, new opportunities—a special “flavor,” Carroll says. “Our basketball kids think we’re a basketball school, and they’re right,” he explains. “Our dance kids think we’re a performingarts school, and they’re right, too.”

Mostly, though, students come to NMH because they are looking for

PH O TO S : R I S L E Y S PO R TS PH O TO G R A PH Y

a new challenge. “They’re straight-A students who aren’t being challenged academically at their current schools,” Carroll says. “Or with athletics, we have a saying that if you’re the best kid on the playground, then you need to find a new playground.”

That’s the case with many of Carroll’s current and former players.

Anthony Dallier ’13, who was selected as the MVP of the 2013 National Prep Championship, left his hometown high school in western Pennsylvania to attend NMH and join a higherstakes high-school league. When the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote about Dallier’s move, he explained how he had been the focal point of every opposing team’s defense at his old school. But at NMH, “I was probably the third or fourth scoring option for our team,” he says.

Aaron Falzon ’15, a current forward on the team, who transferred from St. Mark’s School outside of Boston, says, “I was comfortable at my last school.

But being comfortable may be the worst thing for people. It won’t help you succeed.”

Hoop Dreams Magazine has called Falzon “one of the best shooters in the country,” but he went through a rough stretch earlier this year. “I had a couple of bad games,” he says. “John told me to stay confident. ‘Know you’re going to make the next play,’ he told me.

‘Know you’re going to make the next shot.’ John had more confidence in me than I did.”

Like most of his teammates, Falzon calls Carroll “John” or “JC” instead of “Coach.” “Calling him John speaks to his relationship with his players, his personal connection with us,” Dallier says. “But every year, some kids would be uncomfortable. Spike Albrecht ’12 always called him ‘Coach Carroll.’ So John would call him ‘Player Spike’ in response.”

NMH wins the 2013 National Prep Championship at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn.

HARVARD OWES MUCH OF ITS NEWFOUND BASKETBALL SUCCESS TO NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON.” Carroll believes that being on a first-name basis with students and players is an important part of success at NMH, on and off the court.

“I want to get beyond the coach/player relationship. Elite success for athletes comes from collaboration. When people call me ‘coach,’ I call them ‘player’ so they hear how fake it sounds. It’s the same thing with many of the teachers at NMH. It’s not ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ It’s a first-name basis because, academically, the teachers and students are involved in a deeper relationship. If it were ‘Mr.’

or ‘Mrs.,’ you’d have a ceiling set up that could block the collaboration.

Instead, the student’s goals and your goals for them blend into something bigger. Remove the ceilings—that’s when you see dreams happen.”

For Dallier and others, the dream typically starts at middle- and highschool showcase events, where coaches from prep schools and colleges and universities scope out potential players for their teams. Ian Sistare ’16 met Carroll at the Elite 75, an invitationonly New England showcase. “After

spring 2014 I 39

the day was done, I saw John walking toward me,” Sistare says. “You see that ‘NMH’ on the jacket and it is so exciting.” The thrill quickly evolved into something more. “When John pulled me aside, the first thing I noticed was how genuine a person he was,” Sistare says. “He cared about me as an individual.”

As Falzon explains, Carroll “asks so many questions about why I want to do things. The ‘why’ is a tough thing to be asked. When I first met him, he really wanted to know why I wanted to be at NMH.” Carroll asks tough questions of his players because that’s what happened to him when he arrived at NMH as a postgraduate student in 1988. “At my old school—a good place, with good people—I was an athlete. I was OK with that,” he says. “Then I came to NMH and everyone said, ‘Great, you’re an athlete. What else are you going to be?’ And I didn’t know.”

At NMH, coached by English teacher Bill Batty ’59, Carroll averaged 27 points per game and was named most valuable player of NMH’s 1988–89 team. Carroll went on to play at Assumption College, where he finished his career as one of the most prolific three-point scorers in NCAA history. He became Assumption’s No. 6 all-time scorer, with 1,551 points, and still holds many of their threepoint records.

Carroll started coaching at NMH alongside Batty in 2001, after working at Morgan Stanley in Boston for more than five years. He became head coach in 2007. Just as Batty had pushed Carroll hard on the court nearly 20 years earlier, Carroll now

does the same for Falzon, Sistare, and their teammates. They play more games each season than a college team—and in 50 fewer days.

But Carroll emphasizes that academics always come first. His players take on challenging work, such as AP-level literature, calculus, and chemistry classes. Dallier’s favorite was a senior English seminar with Dennis Kennedy called “The Future.”

“We studied utopias and dystopias,” Dallier says. “I really improved as a writer. I used to ramble on about things, but Dennis Kennedy taught me to say what I wanted to say in the fewest words possible.”

Falzon’s favorite class is statistics.

Sistare liked Algebra II, but says his ninth-grade performing-arts class last year was a perfect example of how NMH’s academic culture pushes students to try new things. “I hadn’t had much drama,” Sistare says. “That theater class let me get away from all the standard academics. I realized that sometimes it’s OK to look like the fool.”

Looking like a fool in a performingarts class, improving as a writer—it’s all part of the balance, the challenge, and the flavor that Carroll wants his players to internalize as they play their way through game after challenging game. It’s what will prepare them for life after NMH, he says. When Edosomwan, who’s from Los Angeles, chose a postgraduate year at NMH and Harvard over top basketball teams such as UCLA and Texas, he told Sports Illustrated that he was looking for “opportunities to be successful on and off the court” and that he wanted people to see that he “had a higher purpose than just basketball.”

NMH forward Aaron Falzon ’15

40 I NMH Magazine

PH O TO : R I S L E Y S PO R TS PH O TO G R A PH Y

This year, NMH made it to the semifinals in both the NEPSAC Championship and the National Prep Championship with the youngest team in NEPSAC history. Of the nearly 50 players competing in the National Prep Final Four, 16 were underclassmen. Eleven of those 16 played for NMH. And several of them are already weighing college offers, including Sistare, who still has two years of high school ahead of him.

The pinnacle—so far—of NMH’s influential role in the high school and college basketball world was perhaps last year’s college championship game between Michigan and Louisville.

That night, Carroll’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Reporters from NBC Sports, ESPN, the New York Times, and other national media outlets wanted to find out about Michigan’s mystery player. Was his name really “Spike” Albrecht? More important, how could this nonstarter sink so many three-point shots?

While the NMH team gathered in Tron, Albrecht’s old dormitory, to watch the game, Carroll wanted to watch it alone. “We were the only high school in the country to be represented by a player on each team,” Carroll says—Albrecht with Michigan and Mike Marra ’09 with Louisville.

“It was Mike’s dream to play for Pitino, and he was playing for Pitino.”

And Albrecht, no matter what the venue, “plays like it’s his backyard. It’s all the same to him.”

The night was special for Carroll.

“I’m not a guy who talks to his television, but that night I was screaming.

I was so proud of the moment Spike was having on the stage he was on.”

He paused. “Every moment I get to watch someone living his dream is something special.” [NMH]

Ivy athletes: Zena Edosomwan and Anthony Dallier led the NMH basketball team last year and now play for Harvard and Yale, respectively.

WHERE THEY PLAYED AFTER NMH 20 13

2 01 2

2 01 1

2 01 0

Anthony Dallier Yale University

Spike Albrecht University of Michigan

Jvonte Brooks Dartmouth College

Matt Brown Harvard University

Aaron Cosby University of Illinois

Josh Elbaum University of Vermont

Sam Donahue Boston College Zena Edosomwan Harvard University Michael Fleming Dartmouth College Josh Hearlihy Tulane University Pete Miller Princeton University Luke Poulsen Macalaster College Skyler White George Washington University

P HOTOS: H AR VAR D ATH LET IC S/G IL TAL B O T, YAL E SP O R T S P U B L IC IT Y / S A M R U B I N

Tommy Carpenter Dartmouth College Evan Cummins Harvard University Seitu Morel Wheaton College Ethan O’Day University of Vermont Ryan Oliver Sienna College Lucas Van Nes Southern Connecticut State University

Armani Cotton Yale University John Golden Dartmouth College Ethan Mackey University of Maine Joe Sharkey Brown University Vince Van Nes Fairfield University

Chris Fitzgerald Columbia University Hector Harold University of Vermont Majok Majok Ball State University Greg Payton Williams College Laurent Rivard Harvard University Clancy Rugg University of Vermont

spring 2014 I 41

ALUMNI HALL

All Your Classmates In One Place Want to know what happened to your Northfield Mount Hermon teammate or workjob partner? NMH can help.

The school recently launched NMHConnect, a mobile app for smartphones and tablets that allows alumni to tap into a network of more than 30,000 fellow graduates around the world. “We often get inquiries from alumni who have moved to a new city and want to connect with classmates and others in the NMH community,” says Marggie Slichter ’84, NMH’s director of alumni and parent giving and programs. “NMHConnect will put that information directly in their hands.”

The new app is intended to be more flexible and userfriendly than NMHCommunity, the school’s online alumni database. NMHConnect uses information from that database as well as from social networks, such as LinkedIn. Alumni can search for one another by name, class year, hometown, college, and company, and maps show the location of alumni according to their home addresses. “You can see what the NMH network looks like in Chicago, or who works in finance in New York City,” says Jesse Bardo, a former NMH admission counselor and a founding team member of EverTrue, the technology company that powers NMHConnect.

The app also connects participants with the school’s social media feeds as well as with a calendar of campus events and alumni gatherings.

Only NMH alumni have access to NMHConnect, and every participant can control how much personal information is shared. The app is available free for both Apple (iOS 5 and higher) and Android (OS 2.3 and higher) devices.

June 5–8 Reunion 2014

42 I NMH Magazine

Every year, the NMH Alumni Council holds a “leadership weekend” for its volunteer members—to build support for the school, foster strong connections between the school and alumni, and plan future events and initiatives for all alumni.

Learn more at www.nmh school.org/alumni/get-involved.

The weekend’s stats:

2 53 7 38 D AY S

V I S I T I N G A L U MN I

C O MMI T T E E S

CLASSES REPRESENTED (1 9 5 2 – 2 0 0 8 )

CALENDA R

May 25 Commencement

Alumni Council Gets It Done

June 28–Aug. 2 Summer Session Sept. 1 School begins

October 17–18 Fall Family Days November 11 Pie Race

4

DOZEN BISHOP’S B R E A D MU F F I N S

New Trustees Join Board CARMEN RODRIGUEZ ’79

Carmen Rodriguez practiced corporate and real estate law for several years before turning to educational and charitable endeavors. She served on the Corporation of Brown University from 2006 to 2011 and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Emeriti Trustees.

She is a member and a former chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity. In 2012, she received the Brown Bear Award and is a recipient of a Brown Alumni Service Award.

Rodriguez currently serves on the Board of Literacy, Inc. (LINC), a notfor-profit corporation that provides literacy opportunities in low-income communities and supports efforts by parents, teachers, and students to improve literacy rates.

After graduating from NMH and Brown, Rodriguez attended Columbia Law School and received her J.D. in 1986. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

STEPHEN W. GAUSTER ’88

After graduating as valedictorian of the Class of 1988, Stephen Gauster earned bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from Harvard and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He began his legal career at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP, and then joined Prudential Financial, Inc., as legal counsel to the treasurer and general counsel of Prudential Funding, LLC. In 2008, Gauster became senior vice president and chief corporate counsel of Assurant, Inc., where he oversees the company’s corporate

legal and corporate secretarial functions. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Securities Regulation and the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals Policy Working Group. He has served as gift co-chair for his NMH class, and his NMH relatives include Dr. Wilhelm B. Gauster ’57 and Eric R. Gauster ’90. Gauster lives in Manhattan with his wife Kari, a financial analyst and a former opera and oratorio singer.

SUMITA AMBASTA

The parent of Siddharth ’14 and Mira ’18, Sumita Ambasta transformed a career spanning IT, financial services, human resources, and consulting into a leadership role in the world of education and development. In 2006, she launched Flowering Tree, a private foundation that supports children’s education and women’s development in Asia. She has worked on several projects in the areas of education, governance, business, and the arts.

Ambasta holds an MBA in human resources and a master’s degree in sociology. An undergraduate physics major, she also has a strong interest in science and technology.

She has studied film and Hindustani classical music, and is interested in cross-cultural dialogue and fostering understanding through the arts. She writes and speaks on development and education.

Ambasta is married to Rajesh Sachdeva, an investment professional who runs an equity fund in Asia.

She divides her time between India, Singapore, and the U.S., and is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Secure your future ... and the future of NMH

A charitable gift annuity gives you: • Fixed lifelong payments • Favorable interest rates • A secure investment • Tax benefits • A gratifying legacy Sample rates based on a single life CGA* Age 65 75 85 Rate 4.7% 5.8% 7.8%

Visit nmhschool.org/plannedgiving or contact:

Jeff Leyden ’80, P ’14 Director of Planned Giving 413-498-3299 jleyden@nmhschool.org

Sue Clough P ’06, P ’08 Senior Associate Director of Planned Giving 413-498-3084 sclough@nmhschool.org *Rates displayed are for illustrative purposes only.

spring 2013 I 43

CLASS NOTES

VITAL STATISTICS page 92 / IN MEMORIAM page 94 KEEP IN TOUCH Help us save paper and keep you connected with NMH. Send us your current email address and we’ll make sure to update you on major school happenings.

Address updates addressupdates@nmhschool.org Send news for the magazine nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

42

MH

LOREN BULLOCK 1 Arch Place #120 Gaithersburg MD 20878-6600 mlbullock9@gmail.com

Violet Ayres ’31 (101) with her great-granddaughter, Violet Ayres (6 months), granddaughter of Warren Ayres ’65.

39

N

EDITH BENDER SOUTHWICK 395 N 70th Street Springfield OR 97478-7206

40

N

(B. J.) ELIZABETH JANE SMITH JOHNSON 167 Main St Wenham MA 01984-1446 robert.johnson53@comcast.net

40 41

MH

N

DORCAS PLATT ABELL 30 Walden Lane Pittsfield MA 01201-1572 sabell3@nycap.rr.com

41

MH

CARLETON FINCH 612 Rindge Rd Fitchburg MA 01420-1310 zeke137@aol.com

42

N

CORA LEE GETHMAN GIBBS 355 Blackstone Blvd, Apt 554 Providence RI 02906-4953 coraleegibbs@aol.com

PHOT O: CO U R TESY O F N MH A R C H IVE S

We’re all about 89 or 90, and so this is what old age is all about. Many of us are still active. Some still travel. Do you remember seeing some of the old alums back on campus in our time? They even knew D.L. Moody. It’s an even greater school now.

The young students today are indeed an impressive group. We wish them well. Jean and I are wonderfully settled in our new three-bedroom, groundfloor condo—no steps and no yard.

Bob O’Donoghue celebrated his 90th birthday last June with a party with 125 guests, food and wine, and entertainment by three generations of children. “Am still in good health with hiking and dancing every week.”

Tom Asquith writes: “I lived a long and happy life with my musically talented wife Edith, singing together in choruses and the SW Florida Symphony.

Retired at 62 and traveled extensively. When my wife died after 57 years, my daughter moved in to keep an eye on me.” So the “Lord Chancellor” is still active. Delightful memories of Iolanthe, Tom. Paul McGrew has two grandsons who married gals from the Philippines. The newest couple were on their honeymoon there last year when the hurricane hit, but they were safe. Paul writes that Paul Allen’s wife, Blanche, died this past year.

Bob Sharp is retiring from the American Kennel Club judging, having judged in every state and in every country in South America, plus Westminster KC in Ireland, Europe, and Asia, plus the world show in Australia and Africa. Not much left.

Art Miller has rehabilitated from a knee replacement and is ready to take part again with his hiking group. He and Marge enjoy their retirement community in Auburn, Pa. Ed Obert will be celebrating the 450th year of the founding of Milford, Conn., after being part of the committees planning three earlier celebrations.

Gordon Pyper took a road trip with a companion, driving from Florida to New England and taking a shortcut back through Illinois. Traveled over 5,000 miles. “Live life to the fullest.”

NMH’s online community community.nmhschool.org

STAY CONNECTED Facebook www.facebook.com/NMHschool Twitter www.twitter.com/NMHschool flickr www.flickr.com/photos/ nmhphotos NMHSocial www.nmhschool.org/nmhsocial Alumni Events www.nmhschool.org/alumni 2013–14 ALUMNI COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Carrie Niederman ’78 President Ty Bair Fox ’59 Molly Talbot ’93 Nominating committee co-chairs Dorrie Krakower Susser ’56 Secretary Stuart Papp ’93 Strategic advisory chair J. Peter Donald ’05 Annual Fund chair Dave Hickernell ’68 Awards committee chair Wendy Alderman Cohen ’67 Reunion advisory chair Lloyd Mitchell ’57 Diversity committee chair Kate Hayes ’06 Young alumni committee chair Mike Stone ’95 Area club chair Marggie Slichter ’84, P ’10, P ’11, P ’12 Ex-officio, staff

spring 2014 I class notes I 45

43

NMH ROBERTA BURKE BURPEE 3220 River Villa Way #121 Melbourne Beach FL 32951-3035 bobbieburpee@gmail.com

After a year of consideration, Victoria Garbutt Ruwitch gave away her ’98 Subaru Forester, had an estate sale, sold her home, and moved into The Balfour, a retirement community just two miles away. With three of her four children close by and transportation service provided, she knows it was a good choice. She is still involved in writing, reading, luncheons, fiber arts, and Unitarian Fellowship, and is sampling the many opportunities at her new location.

Ruth Keating Hyde wanted to attend reunion; however, her husband is almost blind due to macular degeneration, so they do not travel. Now Ruth’s chief outings are to seminars at the conservative “think tank,” the Heritage Foundation. She is very interested in NMH’s future and is pleased to learn that our school had a record number of applications last year.

Barbara Schott Van Waes still enjoys the breathtaking view she has in Fountain Hills, Ariz. Bobby did mention that she misses her home in Maine.

Frances White Church was sorry to miss our reunion, but her husband (91) is in the early stages of dementia. Fran says they enjoy watching their horse grazing on the hillside and the deer, wild turkeys, and even a bear in the back 40.

Janet Bassett Gretzler hasn’t made much headway on restoring the old homestead in Mt. Dora, Fla., but is hoping now that all the permits are complete they can start soon. Jan attended her granddaughter’s graduation from college in Boon, N.C., in December.

Other than aching joints, Jan is still doing well.

I tried to reach many classmates, but it seems many phone numbers are not correct. Please notify the school with any changes. I would love to touch base with everyone.

Since the last column, I have been getting settled in my condo, where I can watch the yachts go by during the day and the sun set in the evening.

Driving to New Smyrna Beach, Fla., for Thanksgiving with my brother Jack Burke ’42 and his wife, Carolyn, was exciting. They arrived from Richmond, Va., and we stayed at his daughter’s home on the ocean. His grandson and wife, who live in Hawaii, were there for the holiday.

It’s been about a year since I received a thank-you letter from the recipient of our class scholarship. He is a sophomore from Dublin, N.H., and is thoroughly enjoying NMH. He knows he is fortunate to be a part of the community and does not take this experience lightly.

Richard Criswell and his wife, Mirta, went to his grandson’s wedding in Villahermosa, Mexico, in November. They enjoyed a fun-filled, tequila-based, salsa-dancing reception that continued through the night. However, they had the weekend to recover and face the 13-hour return to Miami. Dick would like to hear from his classmates. You may write to him, as well as to me.

Allan Attwater sends late wishes to those who attended reunion. He was recovering from a cardiac

46 I NMH Magazine

bypass. Al hopes to get to the Hill in ’14. He is enjoying many of his eight great-grandchildren and June’s seven grand- and great-grandchildren.

Eliot “Red” Gordon regrets he hasn’t any news.

Red is still basking in the afterglow of our 70th reunion by revisiting the multitude of online photos on the NMH alumni pages.

Robert Krueger recently had surgery to remove a cancerous intestinal growth. Bob is doing well and ready for a trip to Colorado to visit his daughter.

William Arrott enjoyed reading the last column about our reunion, even though I made a mistake saying he has a daughter. He tells me it must have been his brother’s (Tony ’45). Bill missed reunion because he had surgery on two brain tumors (fortunately both were benign) not his heart, as I reported.

In addition to his public relations practice, Bill is a minister in a Religious Science church in Chicago.

Elizabeth, his wife and also a minister, wrote a prize-winning book, Shortcut to a Miracle: How to Change Your Consciousness and Transform Your Life After moving to Lake Worth, Fla., Bill and Elizabeth started an Internet marketing company, BeneVita Distributors, LLC, to market products from around the world exclusively through Amazon.

44

ings you’ve received this spring, have persuaded you to join us for a “last hurrah” reunion—our 70th, June 5–8, 2014. A number have already said they intend to be on hand. NMH wants to honor us, and other classmates there will be especially grateful for your presence. The arrangements for our stay will be convenient, comfortable, and almost costfree to Grands—that’s all those with class numerals as ancient as ours. The trip to and from campus should be most convenient for those of us who live relatively nearby. If you can come for just one day, make it Saturday for travel around campus by student-driven golf cart, for sports events, art and music happenings, and lots of information about the NMH of our day and of today. Plus, there will be a special reception for us, along with the family member or friend who may have brought you. If you can be there for more of the weekend, bed and board will be available on campus and at other overnight accommodations nearby in Bernardston or Northfield.

Anne Webb Burnham, Mt. Hermon class president Pete Leyden, other classmates, and I all hope you have registered. If not, last-minute registration is welcome, and easy. Call NMH at 413-498-3600 or email alumni@nmhschool.org and ask for Reunions 2014.

N

ANNE WEBB BURNHAM 44 River St Rehoboth MA 02769-1314 awburnham@aol.com

Not much to report, but fortunately, no obituaries. Barbara “Bobbie” Fink Renfrew sent me her Christmas letter, which shows at least one of us is hale and hearty.

“I play shuffleboard once a week, not painting as much but sketching a lot (a cute Santa and snowman on her letter), composing articles and limericks for the in-house retirement newsletter, play lots of bridge, and go to an exercise class regularly.” She sees her children often. Hope those of you out there are as lucky.

My good news is that our grandson, Daniel Packard ’14, is having a great year and just heard he got into Yale for next year. He was in the fall musical, Good News, and does a lot of singing. The family is very happy, as is he. We all had Christmas dinner together at my daughter Louise Burnham Packard’s ’78 home.

There are 20 of us, and we even had room for a couple of extras. Dave and I went back for New Year’s Eve with a much smaller gathering.

I hope you’ll consider coming to our 70th and final reunion at NMH, June 5–8, 2014. Please see Charleton Price’s column for more details.

And finally, please send me your news.

44

MH

CHARLTON R. PRICE 1501 17th St, Apt 514 Seattle WA 98122-4103 charltonrp@gmail.com

I hope this column, and the adjacent one from Anne Webb Burnham, along with the other urg-

I deeply regret to report that Peter Leyden III, the only and permanent president of our Mt. Hermon class of ‘44 for three-quarters of a century, died suddenly in Annapolis, Md., in March. This very sad and untimely news came just as this issue of NMH Magazine was about to go to press. Jim Babcock, Ken Kolkebeck, and other ‘44 classmates had been in touch with Pete frequently this spring and earlier. He had planned to be with us for our 70th reunion; he had made his travel reservations to come north. There will be more information in the next issue of NMH Magazine.

45 N

ARLENE FINCH REYNOLDS 273 Erie Rd Columbus OH 43214-3600 arlenerey@aol.com

45

MH

PETE DEVENIS 9 South Meadow Ridge Concord MA 01742-3000 ingadevenis@aol.com

Cal Swan’s wife, Jodie, a special education teacher,

passed away on 11/16/13 after a 12-year battle with pulmonary disease. They were married almost 59 years and lived in California, Michigan, and Bluffton, S.C., near Hilton Head. We will miss her at NMH reunions, which she enjoyed attending.

We have not seen Charlie McVeigh at the last several reunions. He has kept in touch with Cal Swan and has gone fly-fishing with him in Bozeman, Mont. Charlie was left wing on our soccer team, but his politics were definitely right wing. After two years of agricultural college in New Hampshire and

two years in the Navy, Charlie operated a large dairy farm in Cumberland, Md., with his father. When high-fat meats and milk became unpopular, they got out of farming. Charlie went back to college and graduated with honors in liberal arts and worked in university administration, retiring in 1987. He has a large collection of antique guns, military uniforms, and other artifacts from the Spanish-American, Civil, and world wars. Sometimes he uses them with others to reenact battles. His favorite course at Mt. Hermon was English with Bill Morrow. His class read an anti-war book by H. Cobb, Paths of Glory.

He misses his wife, Roberta, who passed away a few years ago.

On a trip to Las Vegas last December, I telephoned Ed Wyka, who lives only a short hop from the Las Vegas Strip. He couldn’t see us because he was expecting an eye operation shortly and could not go out. We missed getting some gambling tips. Ed attended Long Beach University in California. He enjoys reading as a hobby. Aside from my phone calls, he has not heard from NMH since leaving school.

After attending Mt. Hermon for two years, David Quinn graduated from Northfield High School.

His uncle had a funeral home in Northfield, which he turned over to David, who ran it for many years. His son and grandson now run it. Living in Northfield with his wife, Julia, David has firsthand observation of the changes in the schools that we only hear secondhand. David is recovering from a stroke.

Clarence Ross served three years in the Army, took a course in electronics, set up his own TV repair business, worked for the U.S. Postal Service, and retired in 1983. He continued the TV repair business and hospital volunteer work after retirement.

He is now confined to a wheelchair and lives in East Arlington, Vt., where his son takes care of him.

Ferdinand Schoch received a bachelor’s in economic geography from Harvard, where he also played soccer and rugby. After graduation, he was an infantry sergeant with the Royal Netherlands Army under United Nations’ command. After returning from Korea, he immigrated to the U.S. and worked 31 years for Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), first in mine management and later in human resources. After early retirement, he became a developer of large custom homes, an arbitrator, and a realtor. Ferdinand is a sports car enthusiast and has raced a 1953 MG TD and a 1960 MGA in vintage races. He has lived in California with his wife, Elizabeth, for 30 years, and enjoys making and drinking Zinfandel wine from a small vineyard he owns near his home in Santa Rosa.

Ted “Wobble” Wright is emeritus professor of biology at the University of Virginia. He lives in Charlottesville, Va., but enjoys going to his summer place on Lake Damariscotta in Maine every summer for two months to fish for small- and large-mouth bass.

Buzz Spellman joined a fitness program to help his balance and walking ability. He has a grandson graduating in landscape architecture who is a very good golfer. Buzz hopes his grandson will become a golf course architect.

After his moped accident, Colin Selley no longer drives but is picked up at home and returned from

his office by taxi four days a week. “Bermuda” still enjoys an occasional “dark and stormy,” which is a mixture of dark rum and Guinness.

Carnot Evans tripped on some steps at home and had a bad fall requiring surgery to repair bones in his leg. He and his wife, Judy, go to the British Virgin Islands every winter, where he hopes to resume his golf game. Sharpen up, Carnot; otherwise, Cal and I will trounce you at our 70th reunion.

After leaving Mt. Hermon, Ed Hampson joined the Navy and was in boot camp when World War II ended. He served in the Navy as an electronics technician, and then entered Northeastern University’s co-op program to study electrical engineering.

He writes: “My co-op program put me into the manufacturing side of electronics in the Boston area.

The program was very good but was more oriented toward setting up enterprises, hiring technical people who developed computers. They were the geniuses of our time. There were no computer courses in schools, and the word computer did not exist. I looked around at opportunities and made an entry into computers at the right time, setting up manufacturing subsidiaries for computers in the Peterborough, N.H., area.” Ed married Anna in 1960, and they have a son living close by in Peterborough.

Ed has been retired for several years and enjoys flying radio-controlled airplanes. He says Mt. Hermon gave him a great education. His favorite teacher was the old guy who taught physics (Roy Hatch).

46 N

BETTY BOLGER FLEMING 456 Riverside Dr Princeton NJ 08540-5421 bettyb.fleming@verizon.net

Joan Litchard Wyon writes: “I can only report

that I am thriving after my annus horribilis, with an acute virus for a month in the hospital and then major back surgery.” At her granddaughter’s school last fall, Joan met Nancy Tinker De Long’s son, Mark Harrington, who teaches math with a delightful style—small world. She had a wonderful visit with Isabel MacLeod Walker in the fall “marching onward with our canes.”

Isabel MacLeod Walker writes her own report on walking with canes: “Joan and I managed a get-together when I was in the Boston area, and on a beautiful crisp afternoon we took a walk with our canes on the rural street where my brother lives. Reminded us of Mountain Days in our past.”

Izzy went to Seattle last spring and to Alaska in the summer on a small ship along the inland passage.

They were able to kayak along the shore and get close to glaciers and seals. In September, she went to Ashland, Ore., for the Shakespeare Festival. “My normal routine is to see a few clients midweek, be the backup sitter for some grandchildren, and spend long weekends in Santa Cruz on the shore. I finally earned some time to read books and commune with nature.” Having read Izzy’s report of kayaking, I asked how in the world she could do that, while needing a cane. Here is her vibrant response: “Yes,

I am better at driving than walking. Actually, just don’t want to stumble again on a sidewalk, and it is easier to try to stand up straight with a cane than bending over to watch each step. Walking companion won’t join me sans the cane. I have fake knees, hips, and a reverse shoulder, so should be in working order for a few more years, thanks to the marvels of modern medicine and surgical techniques.” Izzy spent 30 years at the Stanford Medical Center in the oncology department and continues some counseling as a psychiatric social worker. She still runs a group of cancer survivors, and sees a few patients/clients and family members.

Priscilla Adams Moulthrop says that although she walks with a cane, she is “in a completely good state.” Her husband, Don, is still battling bladder cancer. Priscilla was very happy to find Christmas Vespers on their PBS station.

Janet Pinney Shea writes: “I am still in my big house, although it is too big for one person and two dogs. I do not travel as much as I used to. I have taken up bridge and yoga again, both after 30 years and both of which I am not good at, but they are good for me. Since I live in southern New Hampshire, I drive past the Northfield campus from time to time and always feel sad about it. The buildings are there, pressed into their foundations, the lawns are mowed, but it is totally quiet—no people. No school seems to want it. Retirement community?

Someone suggested that once.”

Bill Haslun reports that he and his wife, Jane Everett Haslun, “had the wonderful experience to go back to Christmas Vespers, thanks to Ted ‘Bud’ Jacobs and his wife, Sheila. It was a 2013 highlight for us. The singers still come down the aisle, walking not swaying, to ‘Dost Thou Remember the Prophets of Old?’ The pews are still lit with candles.

The Mt. Hermon chapel was packed, mostly by alums. A highlight for our year. I am sorry to say the students don’t seem to know what they are missing, but that’s 13–18-year-olds. I suppose if we weren’t required it might have been the same. The concert was wonderful with the mighty organ. Sheila Heffernon is still directing and may hold the school record for this position. If you live in New England and have a chance to go to school, go.”

Alice Elder Leake would certainly agree. The days she remembers most vividly are Sacred Concert and Northfield plays and musicals. In August, Alice’s daughter and family invited her to join them in the Canadian Rockies, and she had a grand time.

She feels fortunate that her granddaughter and family live nearby. Her grandson, who is a student at Yale, is having an excellent year abroad in Budapest.

Alice is looking forward to hearing his tales of visits to Budapest and Vienna, as well as his stories of red tape and the courses he has taken.

And that ends the very upbeat news for our class. I was grateful that so many of our classmates responded, and I hope that starts a new trend. I’d love to hear from you anytime.

spring 2014 I class notes I 47

46

MH

HUGH FINDLAY 500 Ocean St Apt 152 Hyannis MA 02601-4766 hughf@occia.com findlay22@verizon.net

47

N

JOAN PEARSON TURNER 49 Seymour Ct Concord MA 01742-5753 turnerjoan4@gmail.com

47

MH

CHARLES A. KENNEDY PO Box 112 Newbury NH 03255-0112 chask@myfairpoint.net

This is the time of life when downsizing and recycling come knocking at the door. Karl Fezer writes that he shipped about 200 pounds of files to the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, Calif., for their archives on the creationism/ evolution controversy. He was the editor of their newsletter during some of its early years. This is in addition to two truckloads of magazines, etc., taken to the dump. Medically, when he had his pacemaker battery replaced, the surgeon cheerfully told him that he was completely dependent on it, since he had “flat-lined” during the battery switch. Glad the new battery is working.

David Gray and Liz have moved to new quarters in Wellesley, Mass. They celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary last July. David continues to be involved with his Roundtable Press. His book, I Want to Remember: A Son’s Reflection on His Mother’s Alzheimer Journey, is a welcome addition to the literature on this affliction.

Harper Lohr keeps me smiling with his occasional albums of pictures and gag lines. The latest subject was old geezers, which he admits he is.

Included was a photo of W.C. Fields and his famous quote: “I spent half my money on booze, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.” Keep the laughter coming; it’s good medicine.

Some of us continue to be involved with adult learning programs. Brad Bond writes that he did a course on insects for the Marietta, Ohio, Institute for Learning in Retirement last winter, and then repeated parts of it for Central Ohio Technical College and a group in Chillicothe, Ohio. He and friend Becky Wright did a tour of the Galápagos Islands to see what Darwin saw 250 years ago. “Those finches do look very much alike except for their bills.” Brad has also published a book on the plants of Kroger Wetland and is working on an insect story there. He also volunteers in outdoor education for school kids, among other things, and still sings in his church and college choir. In his spare time he does the column for his college class (Cornell ’51) six times a year.

Roly Coates did his annual “March Mooch” trip south to get away from the New Hampshire winter, with the cooperation of Jack Dagget and Ev Clement along the way. As a member of the local Fall

48 I NMH Magazine

Foliage Art Studio Tour, he had an open studio day last fall. When he averaged out his sales and time, he found that his rate of pay skyrocketed from $.25 to $.27 per hour. Write when you get work, Roly.

You can go on Facebook (sfbonedoc) and keep up with George Becker. He practices ortho/psychiatry, serves as the assistant organist at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, and enjoys his family. George helped install the new organ in Memorial Chapel a few years ago, and it sounded fantastic at the Christmas Vespers last December.

Some sad news to report: John Plant died 11/15/13, in Conroe, Texas. He had been in an Alzheimer’s ward for over a year and had a stroke the week before he died. His wife reported that he treasured his years at Mt. Hermon, where he was the captain of the only undefeated cross-country team in school history.

Herbert Hansen died 12/15/13, in Hopkinton, N.H., after a period of declining health. At his funeral, with his extended family present, the music was all taken from Herb’s vast piano repertoire that he played at nursing homes and the VNA Hospice.

The postlude began with “Tea for Two.” It was a wonderful celebration for his family, which includes 21 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Finally, I must report that Virginia, my wife of 62 years, passed away on 11/11/13, after a long illness. Fortunately, our daughters and their families could gather to celebrate her life, but the house still sounds hollow without her.

48

NMH

PHIL BAKER 1900 N Signal Hills Dr Kirkwood MO 63122-6831 bakpn30@earthlink.net

Bill Wilcox writes that he and his wife, Shirley, have five daughters between them. All are married and contemplating retirement. In December they took a trip to NMH with two of their girls, one of whom had been there previously as a child. Both were amazed at the beauty and the educational dedication of the school. For Bill, it was an inspirational homecoming. He notes: “Mt. Hermon taught us that the spiritual is where we harbor those qualities that defy undesired change.” Returning to the school gave him a new increase in spirit; the former Northfield site, sorrow. He admits he now needs to make a change and lose weight. He has joined Overeaters Anonymous based on the 12 steps of AA, which emphasizes physical, mental, and spiritual growth through relationships.

As previously noted, Connecticut Yankee Henry Hamlin is now a West Coaster. He was east last spring visiting family and friends. A widower for 10 years, he has three great-grands. His recent travels have been on the West Coast—California, Canada, and especially Vancouver, B.C., as a result of doing something he swore he would never do: online dating. His home base is Ashland, Ore., home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He sends blessings to all classmates.

A brief note from David Keast claims that he is staggering and currently too old to travel “but maybe next year.” He has a granddaughter, of whom he is clearly and properly proud, at Bryant University with athletic and academic scholarships. He says she is working hard. Outstanding.

Dick Reeves and his wife, Bobbie, are in good health and don’t do much from day to day except keep their condo neat and eat out sometimes. He works out regularly and plays golf twice a week, weather permitting—18 holes from the forward tees.

He says they don’t travel far from home but have a daughter and family locally who see that they attend neighborhood functions. Two sons, who aren’t too far from retirement , visit occasionally.

Phil Huber’s big news is that his novel, Return to Coronado, is finally published. Set in the final year of the Korean War, the Kindle version is on Amazon. com and smashwords.com. The paperback will be available soon. He’s been put on Facebook and Twitter for marketing purposes, but somewhat to his embarrassment, can’t think what to tweet. I will let canaries do what they do and watch for the book, which is coming to the stores.

Received a nice note from Jeanette “Hotch” Hotchkins, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M. She was one of the East Gould girls that included good friends Jan Hibbs Testa and Marge Ingham Stahl Warren, both now deceased. She has directed a contribution to the Northfield School for Girls Scholarship Fund in their memory and hopes others will also.

I was delighted to get a phone call after Christmas from Bob Ball, who reported that he and Joanne have moved to the Villages at McLean in Simsbury, Conn. Not able to sell their house by the end of the year, they took advantage of the lease program. It was wonderful talking with them both.

Owen Sutton writes that he and his wife, Marilyn, live in Longmeadow, Mass., his birthplace.

They have been married 55 years and have five children and four grands. A CPA with his own practice, Owen still works part time. He inherited a home on Ocracoke Island, N.C., which they visit infrequently and rent during the rest of the year.

He’s in good health, takes winter tennis lessons each week, and plays indifferent golf in the summer.

Charlie Drummey ’50, who died in April ’13, was a friend for 77 years. Owen says that, aside from the normal ups and downs, life has been good.

My wife, Bev “Sandy” Anderson Baker, and I now have three great-grands. Sandy, a daughter, and a daughter-in-law are active and talented watercolorists. For exercise, I lurch a local shopping mall from time to time. We live in a hilly area, which keeps me off the streets. We flew east for a long weekend in September ’13. We visited my West Hartford sister and her extended families, which include nephews, nieces, and grands. We also enjoyed seeing the Westerly beaches again, and had seafood at Matunuck Restaurant near Wakefield, R.I. A St. Louis grandson and his wife joined us, she for the first time in New England. They drove to Boston for a day—not nearly long enough for either to start talking funny. We look forward to three weeks in Florida in February. Best wishes to all.

49 N

CAROLYN “CARRIE” NOBLE SANTORO 88 Henry Ave Harrison NY 10528-4421 doncary@optimum.net

my daughter Susan, with her two children, could not come from Illinois.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our 65th reunion, June 5–8, 2014.

49

MH

Carroll McConnell Manning writes: “I’m

relatively healthy for an old bird. Abby-dog and I walk a mile each day. She’s an old bird, too, at 12.” Carroll goes to Palmyra weekly to knit and chat with friends. Her attendance at Embroider’s Guild and church is somewhat dictated by weather and will. She enjoys classical music and listens to National Public Radio most of the day. Carroll doesn’t drive at night but goes to the Garden Club, which is usually fun. She still knits mittens for the Salvation Army and friends.

Barbara Holzka Judge enjoys her 10 grandchildren. She says her life has narrowed a bit.

She no longer travels further than Massachusetts, where she visits two families. Barbara meets friends for meals and goes to the gym three times a week. She says: “All things are good except my youngest daughter has just been diagnosed with breast cancer, but the outlook is favorable.” Barbara had breast cancer in ’01 and is doing well. She often remembers her Northfield years and the life lessons learned there.

Joyce Heissenbuttel Neill reports that ’13 was a good year in their family. Her husband, Clark, completed his three-church stewardship term and continues his duties of ice and building maintenance at Cape Cod Community College. In June, Joyce and Clark attended her 60th college reunion at Connecticut College, and then in November they had a relaxing two-week “repositioning” cruise from Boston to the Caribbean with old friends on the Norwegian Dawn.

My year started off with preparations for Don’s daughter’s wedding. In June, two grandsons graduated from Brown and the University of Ottawa. We spent the summer, as usual, at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. We took a side trip to Ogunquit, Maine, to soak up some sea breezes. In September, I had another unsuccessful operation on my little finger. Now I have adjusted to the fact that I can no longer play the piano. In October, I attended my 60th class reunion at Syracuse. I was able to connect with several classmates and then enjoyed a visit with my daughter in Clinton, N.Y. After leaving Clinton, Clark and I headed to Quebec City, Canada, and had five delightful days enjoying the French atmosphere. We fell in love with the narrow streets, painted houses, and sidewalk cafés. Thanksgiving was special this year because we gathered most of my family at my daughter Joan’s house in Middlebury, Conn. Three of my daughters were there with five of my grandchildren. We were sorry

JIM HANCHETT 300 1st Ave, Apt 8B New York NY 10009-1844 jch46@cornell.edu

DAVID DURHAM 149 Ontario St. Honeoye Falls NY 14472-1139 dedur@aol.com

The (somewhat) older boys of Hermon ’49 return to the old school on the Hill June 5–8 and the tuition is even less than it was those short 65 years back.

This time there’s no charge at all for ’49ers except for a modest housing fee. We’ll stay at the onestory O’Connor infirmary. There will be optional classes—no quizzes—a class dinner, a Ford Cottage reception, the revered Friday-night hymn sing, and above all, the pleasure of the company of old friends.

Meanwhile, George Byers reckons he’s been in Houston for 40 years now and sees no sense in leaving it. He’s pleased to report that he leads a very busy life and can still manage stairs. Summer trips to Colorado underscore his mobility.

Paul Rikert (White Plains, N.Y.), of the many Northfield and Mt. Hermon Rikerts, ran in one more Pie Race last November. He gets to most of the Hoggers (that’s what our teams proudly proclaim themselves these days) football games.

You may have noticed that the basketball team is working wonders these days and helping Ivy League schools—and others—stock up with top round-ball talent.

Harry MacLaughlin (Katonah, N.H.) donates time and energy to a worthy cause. He and his wife, Rosemary, have for many elections helped the League of Women Voters get its “Voters’ Guide” to the local citizenry. “It seems to pay off,” he says.

And besides, “it keeps me from feeling sorry for myself “ about the drawbacks of octogenarianhood.

All in all, he guesses we (and our contemporaries) have been pretty lucky. He credits his Hermon experience for much of that. Harry, “an aviation nut since third grade,” had his college days shortened by his local draft board. He was fully Army-trained for forward observation but wasn’t needed in Korea.

The 1953 truce ended that police action and grim prospects. He became an Eastern Airlines pilot for many rewarding years.

Jack Shultis (Manahawkin, N.J.) pursues pastimes that require precision-tooled hands, like woodworking, not to mention golf. He, like many, was deeply saddened to learn of the demise of ol’ buddy Bob “Heimer” Payne—on the golf course.

Speaking of remarkable hands, artist extraordinaire John Semple (North Pomfret, Vt.) says he’s “still drawing.”

Now it can be revealed. Retired M.D. Paul

Jaques and Beverly (Meredith, N.H.) celebrated

Christmas ’12 and their 60th anniversary in Maine with 22 family members.

Ron Meikle (Tucson, Ariz.) clearly recalls Bible courses from Chaplain Buchanan (an introduction to philosophy senior year). He says he’s grateful to the Buch for steering him to Oberlin. Don Swicker (South Deerfield, Mass.) told Ken Hungerford (West Hartford, Conn.)—a prized donor of time and energy in the interest of 1949, and third-term commander of American Legion Post #96—that he is “active around the house and the community.”

Kerwin Stotz (Charlottesville, Va.) remains “thankful to the school for helping him get into a good college” (RPI for electrical engineering).

Add retired industrial arts teacher Harland Williams (Syosset, N.Y.) and Bill Mellin (Houston, Texas) to your list of those who have been planning to join the 65th reunion crew in June.

50

NMH

JANET-MARIE FITZGERALD WHITLEY 6794 Willow Rd Vacaville CA 95687-9425 janwhitley@aol.com

ROBERT C. WHITE 100 Old Amherst Rd Sunderland MA 01375-9558 rcwhite@admin.umass.edu

From Jan: Janie Heywood Brown is one of our class reunion chairs for our 65th, to be held in June ’15. She will attend Reunion ’14 as an observer. Please contact Janie or me if you have any suggestions on what you would like to have included in our reunion. Janie will be getting ideas in ’14 but appreciates any and all of your help. Janie encourages all of you to consider our 65th.

Margaret Brown Fleming sent her annual Christmas letter written by their cat, Maui, who is quite literate. Margaret and John celebrated their 40th in March. They attend a health club every day. Margaret lost her brother and turned 80 in January ’13. She must be one of the youngsters in our class. (Now I feel old. I turned 81 and was married 60 years in ’13.) The vacant lot beside their home is going to be used by Habitat for Humanity to build eight houses. John is into gardening, but his tomatoes didn’t do well so he is considering going back to hydroponic gardening next year. Margaret and John have five grandchildren. One grandson is a senior in college, planning to become a teacher; another started at the University of Arizona in January; and twin grandsons are seniors in high school. Their granddaughter, who hopes to become a doctor, spent a semester in England.

Marion Clausen Gray responded promptly to my request for volunteers to call dorm mates for our 65th reunion. She will do East Gould. Marion reports that they gave up mowing the lawn this past year as her knees aren’t what they were. She still

spring 2014 I class notes I 49

exercises twice a week, and her schnoodle keeps her walking every day. Their entire family gathered in Darien, Conn., after Christmas, the first time the family has been together in more than two years.

Katie Jente Siebel, who lives in Kenner, La., continues teaching piano to 11 youngsters and 3 adults. These students put on a Christmas program at her home and compete in jazz festivals. Katie belongs to the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists and enjoys their dinner meetings and musical programs. She also enjoys birding trips around Louisiana. Friends take her to more distant weekend ornithological meetings. She continues to play competitive bridge. In November, she welcomed a great-grandnephew. Katie extends an invitation to all who may travel in her area to come and see her.

Jean Cook Glidden and husband Dick moved to Lititz, Pa., in October ’13. One daughter remains in Portland, Ore. Another daughter is in Delaware but will be moving to Pennsylvania when her husband finishes his training to be a nurse anesthetist.

Daughter Jennifer now lives in Harrisburg, Pa. When Dick and Jean moved to Delaware several years ago, Jennifer had a horse farm where Dick and Jean helped muck stalls and feed stock. It was a bucolic change they loved. Jennifer now has another horse farm called Heartwind. Jean came from an equestrian-type estate in New Jersey. She never mentioned it while she was at Northfield. This move to Pennsylvania is like going home and gets them closer to family.

Kay Waller Springwater was pleased to read a letter in the most recent NMH Magazine about Miss Wilson written by Sibylle Gerstenberg Ehrlich ’44. Kay met Sibylle in the late ’50s but never knew she was a Northfield girl. Kay was teaching German at Morgan State College in Baltimore and Sibylle’s husband also taught there. She visited them in their home several times and in spite of talk on many topics, Northfield never came up. Kay lost touch with them when Sibylle’s husband moved to another school. Kay found her address and plans to write.

Constance Streeter Reilly enjoys living in Homestead Village. She and her husband are still healthy, and she continues to golf but plans to give up skiing. She has four grandchildren and one great-grandson (1). One granddaughter is teaching and two others are in college. Connie goes to Peaks Island, Maine, each June to visit a widowed friend who lived near her in New Hampshire. Connie’s son has moved from California to Oregon and loves it there. She hopes to make our 65th.

I, Janet-Marie Fitzgerald Whitley, am still recovering from the loss of my only sibling, my sister Marilyn. So often I reach for the phone to call her when something good or bad happens. I find myself closer to her children. We visit more than in the past.

Gene and I had the whole Whitley family for an early Christmas celebration on 12/21. The last time we hosted the family was 14 years ago. There are 20 of us now, and I insisted on doing the whole meal myself. I did it, but I will allow help next time. The eldest son of our deceased son has been hired by the City of Pinole, Calif., as a fireman/EMT. Brian will continue to work part time as an emergency room

50 I NMH Magazine

technician at Kaiser Permanente in Vacaville, Calif.

He has two sons (4 and 7 months). The second son (21) of our deceased son looks more like his father every day. Our granddaughter will attend the University of San Francisco this fall. That is where I received my bachelor’s degree. Our six greatgrandsons range in age from 7 months to 10 years. I wrote last time about the eldest, who races box stock carts. Although he has raced only one year and is racing with kids with five and six years of experience, he is ranked ninth out of 28 in his class.

I want to encourage all of you to attend our 65th.

The 65th reunion is notorious for few returnees. I know the class of ’50 will do better. Please call me if there is anything I can do for our class.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Stay safe and healthy until we meet again.

From Bob: Jim Lacey has taken his technology know-how and launched a business called JAMAR Associates, developing small-business and personal websites. An example is his own Lacey Family Photo Gallery (photos.jamarassociates.com).

I’ve been encouraging classmates to plan on attending our 65th in ’15; not only does Al Higgins plan to attend, but also our 70th. In October, he spent a week in Provincetown with former faculty colleagues and then back to Maine for the winter.

He asks that all singers from ’50 join him in singing at Sacred Concert in May; rehearsals start on Friday.

They will be staying at the French King Motel. His good health supports his many activities and good spirits.

For 20 years, Dick Gilder has hosted some classmates at his summer residence in Ilseboro, Maine.

Those who made it this year were Jim Whitton, Ed Smith, and Bill Brink, along with their wives.

Dan Hopkins reports that he and Madeline are still living in an RV full time, spending winters in Florida and out west in the summer, where they spend time on jeep trails in Utah and Colorado. A side trip to the coast allowed a hook-up with his cousin Virginia Hopkins Hillegass. Our 65th is in their sights.

Jack and Shirley Forrest Fenner have moved to Dallas, Texas, to be near a younger daughter and

her family, allowing them to reconnect, especially with the grandchildren. Other greats reside in Maine, “which makes them feel old and keeps them young at the same time.” Jack laments giving up golf but says that it’s “getting too hard looking for balls in the woods.”

Bill Usher has “pretty much retired” after 31 years in the Air Force (major general, ret.), 14 years in the private sector, and a dozen years consulting, but at his 80th birthday, “retired” has a good ring to it. He and Fran now travel widely, visit family, and attend George Washington’s historic church in Alexandria, Va. He reminds us to support NMH, “recognizing how much all of us owe to the start we began there.”

John Stabler echoes that thought: “Mt. Hermon was, and still is, a profound influence on my life.”

Although his past stroke makes spelling difficult (thus thankful for spell check), he is still intent on completing his memoirs for his family, lamenting on not having such a source from his ancestors. He is now encouraging his children to add information for their children to have.

Stu Lohr reports that he and his wife, Kathy, continue to make the 1,200-mile trip between their summer home on the coast of Maine and their residence in Keowee Key, S.C. Stu is an active USTA tennis player and recently helped his community start a Pickleball Club. A lifelong friendship with his roommate at Mt. Hermon, Tim Craig, continues.

Tim, who has battled Parkinson’s disease for more than 12 years, lives in Hilton Head, S.C. Count on Stu and Kathy to return to celebrate our 65th. Stu is thankful for “the best of health to live a full and active life, and most important, having had the opportunity to spend four years at Mt. Hermon with so many great classmates, where the best foundations were laid for all that followed in my life.”

Phil Dietterich continues to create and perform music on Martha’s Vineyard and nearby Cape Cod. With lyricist Vivien Cook, he wrote a song called “Sex Appeal,” which won first prize in the theater/ novelty category at the 15th annual songwriting competition produced by Eventide Arts in Dennis, Mass. He says: “If I weren’t such a Neanderthal with computers, I would record it with my female singing

Members of the Mt. Hermon class of ’50 and their wives gathered in Maine last summer. Front row: James Whitton, Barbara Whitton, Barbara Brink, Ed Smith, Lois Gilder, and Mary Smith. Back row: Bill Brink and Dick Gilder.

Bob White ’50 had an unusual Christmas dinner while his family had more traditional fare.

Stu Lohr ’50 caught this fish off Marathon, Fla., last year in a fishing expedition with his two sons.

partner and put it on YouTube.” The song makes humorous commentary on the changing attitudes regarding sex appeal and human relationships from the 1950s to the present. Maybe we can get him to perform it at our 65th. Wouldn’t that be a treat.

George “Chirp” McLeod has moved to a new address in Bellaire, Fla. Contact me for that and his phone number. Chirp is working for Hospice and for junior golf. He enjoys doing junior golf tournaments.

Charlie Voll left the warm sands of southern Arizona and has accepted the realities of a new topography and climate in northwestern Iowa. He moved from “palm trees, cactus, and mountains to flat plains, green grass, corn, and soybeans.” The adjustments include assisted-living accommodations in his wife’s hometown of Sibley. Contact me for his new address and phone.

Walt Hirsch sent an interesting recap covering their 25 years in Old Saybrook, Conn., and beyond. Both he and Jan (married 52 years) have been experiencing health problems, and daughter, Nancy, convinced them to move to the San Diego area, where they now reside in a total-care retirement community. He writes: “Life goes on, and we are now again in a new chapter.” You can be in touch at wandjhirsch@sbcglobal.net.

Dick Whelan, unfortunately and with sadness, has decided to quit flying cold turkey (after flying for 56 years) a “year too early rather than a year too late.”

He has turned to fly-fishing and shooting at the West Branch Gun Club as often as possible. He still works out and is catching up on reading the many books acquired over the years. “Life is generally good, with no real health problems.” He and Carol report they will be at our 65th.

Although Louie Barber was in the class of ’51 (a day student from Gill), we were instrumental in facilitating his receipt of a Mt. Hermon diploma in ’01 as a result of his life’s successes, which include being an author, organ musician and teacher, a radio announcer, and an Army test pilot/trainer who saw active combat duty. “I credit my successful military career (from private to major) to two years at Mt. Hermon, where I learned to study and pay attention in class.” Visit his website at www.louiebarber.com.

I regretfully refer you to the magazine’s Vital

Statistics pages for lost classmates, as I’ve just learned that Richard “Pete” Lanoue has been added, having succumbed after a fight against many illnesses.

Roland Smith continues to treat the environment with respect and TLC in many forms in his part of Vermont. Although he dislikes killing anything, the deer herds have been expanding too rapidly, so he has reluctantly removed a six-pointer, which is being preserved in his freezer. He thinks of his Mt. Hermon experiences often and warmly, as he does the values that have led to a satisfying career, life, and the all-important family.

51 N

PAT MCCORMICK HOEHING 7125 San Benito Dr Sylvania OH 43560-1129 sylv.snail@bex.net

Happy spring. That was my wish as I sat putting this column together last December.

A welcome ’13 holiday newsletter arrived from Mary Erickson Perry and her husband, Gardner.

Mary had a bad case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome more than two years ago from which she is still recovering. She still needs a cane or a walker to get around, but get around she does. Not only did they enjoy numerous fun events during the year near their home in Idaho, but they also visited with family and friends on opposite sides of the country, from Seattle in May ’13 to New England during the fall foliage season. Mary has hopes to get back to square dancing in ’14.

Cindy Taylor Ruttig checked in from her home in Alliance, Ohio. She is active in the local senior center and spends two months in Florida, relaxing and renewing friendships. The crochet group in which she is active has donated 8,000 afghans to various charities and shelters. Another plus in her life is the joy of living near her daughter, two sons, and their families.

Lyn Johnson Olson writes from New Mexico: “It’s with great sadness that I write of the death of Pat Johnson Bell. She died suddenly on 6/13/13 in New Jersey. The Johnson twins were in South

Hall with those of us who started as freshmen and then went on to East Hall.”

Carol “Maxie” Maxham Whittall stays healthy and active in Braintree, Mass. Her family, which started with three children, has grown to include five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. All live in Massachusetts, making family gatherings frequent and fun. Carol continues to volunteer at the senior center and at church.

After some early ’13 medical problems for both Ed and Judy Ives Hubbel, they stayed on the healthy track and were able to enjoy the cultural events that draw tourists to Lexington, Mich. “The boys and their families were here for Thanksgiving. It was a great time, with a houseful of joy and laughter.”

Marilyn “Skip” Smith Noll writes: “Walter is still working on an important scientific paper to be published on his website. Marilyn continues as an active participant of the Mad Woman in the Attic writing workshops at Carlow University. She’s joined with her church Agape group and others in efforts like reducing poverty, preventing gun violence, and supporting gay rights.” Her latest writing was an account for Agape of her own experience at the historic March on Washington in 1963.

There is one recurring theme in news sent to me.

We can’t believe we have celebrated our 80th birthday. Because we can’t believe it, we don’t always act it. Many of us are fortunate to still be independent, active, and enjoying life’s many opportunities. However, that is not always the case. I have received confidential information from some that we also have classmates who are struggling with issues so commonly found in our age group, such as declining health, loss of independence, dementia, illness, or death of a spouse, family estrangements, etc. If you are aware of a classmate or friend dealing with any of these issues, please step up and offer a helping hand where needed.

51

MH

FREDERICK W. MILLER 479 Carleton Ave Glen Ellyn IL 60137-4705 fwcemiller@sbcglobal.net

Art Schuman writes: “Received a wonderful phone call from Bob Owen, wishing me well on my 80th

birthday (9/25/13). We had a great conversation.

My wife and I took all our kids and grandchildren, 12 in all, for a week to Puerto Rico to celebrate. We had a wonderful time. It is sometimes hard to realize that I have children who are already adults, and grandchildren who are growing up too fast.” (The sentiment of many of us.)

Don Russell writes from Charlotte, N.C.: “I sent Dwight Emanuelson a card on his 80th birthday (9/25/13) and received a nice note and a telephone call. It is the first contact in over 50 years.

He is living at Hilton Head, S.C., and is still active as a senior vice president, investments, with Wells Fargo Advisors.

Bo White and his wife, Joan, moved off Cape

spring 2014 I class notes I 51

Cod, and are living in Norfolk, Mass., about 20 minutes from the Patriots’ stadium. Same email address. Anyone in the area should call and stop by.

Reporting from Atlanta, Bill Butler writes:”Congratulations on another year of bringing news to the dwindling numbers of the class of ’51. My granddaughter, Ava (8), has been invited to join the Mohawk Mountain Racing Team–CN. I’m sure my genes had no effect on her skiing ability, as I couldn’t make the Hermon ski team after not being able to handle a three-foot jump, and switched to a safer sport—wrestling. I am still playing the role of Omar the tent maker in providing my big and tall clients with suitable svelte clothing that endears them to me.”

52

NMH

JULIE TAYLOR CLEMENS 2258 Lamberton Rd Cleveland Heights OH 44118-3552 jtclemens@cs.com BRUCE G. HOLRAN 80 Sycamore Dr, Apt 313 Elizabethtown PA 17022-3016 (10/1–5/31) PO Box 293 Lake Clear NY 12945 (6/1–9/30) bruceholran@comcast.net

53

NMH

WILL LANGE 1309 Towne Hill Rd E Montpelier VT 05651-4143 will@willemlang.com ABBY “AJ” NICHOLSON HODGES 2300 Totem Trail Minnetonka MN 55305-2242 ajhodges@comcast.net

From A.J.: Big news in the Hodges household. By the time this is printed, our daughter Betsy will be mayor of Minneapolis, Minn. She spent the preceding eight years on the city council, the last four as chair of the ways and means committee. She and the retiring mayor wrote the ’14 city budgets, lowering the tax rate for the first time in more than 20 years. There were 35 candidates in the race, and since ranked choice voting was used, it took two days to get the results. She won by 17 percent. A.J. had a great time working the phones all summer and early fall, while Morry devoted as much time as possible door knocking all over town.

From Will: It’s the last day of ’13 here in Vermont. Eight degrees above at 9:30 in the morning, but we already have four minutes more daylight than we did 10 days ago. What’s not to like? My thanks to all of you who’ve sent me news.

From Bob George just after Christmas: “We’re now driving to Palm Desert, Calif., for three months of warmth. Happy New Year to all.”

Deane Lanphear moved across the street in Topsham, Maine. He writes: “I finally got sick of cooking for myself. Telephone number will remain

52 I NMH Magazine

the same but don’t yet know the email address. The kids are all fine, and I performed two weddings this past summer for two granddaughters.”

Holly Goodhue VanLeuwen is on my Facebook page, so we hear about each other several times a week. She sent a lovely holiday card. She’s looking far too good and appears to be having way too much fun: picnics, family holiday gatherings, boating parties. We’re occasionally at the same places, but so far never at the same time.

Howard Stiles, like Deane, is also on the move: “Eileen and I have moved from Raymond to the Highlands in Topsham, Maine. This is where Deane lives, and I see him from time to time. He’s moving soon to the main lodge, where he can get his meals without having to cook. His COPD is slowing him down and he tells me his legs are also an issue.

“We’ll be in Portland, Ore., in January. We have two timeshare weeks for skiing, one at Sunday River and the other at Loon. Our goal is to make it to 80 so we can ski free. It ain’t easy downsizing.

I’m having a hard time, especially going from a monster garage to a tiny one-car garage. Eileen tells me we’ll be all right once we find a place for the remaining stuff.”

Gus White was featured as the presidential guest speaker at the Western Orthopaedics Association annual conference held in Lake Tahoe, Calif., last July. He was also recognized as an honorary member.

Gus accepted the invitation to serve as an associate editor of the newly formed publication Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. In August, he was presented the Charles Hamilton Houston Justice Award at a meeting on Martha’s Vineyard sponsored by the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. Gus presented on a panel reviewing major issues of health in the context of human rights and social justice.

Karen and Bob Holton are traveling, too. I wrote to invite them to join my June tour of Iceland, and here’s what I got: “Sorry, we just booked a trip to Poland, Prague, the Elbe River, and Berlin for May. That will do it for 2014.” Not bad. We wish them a bon voyage.

Aileen and Bob Chutter toured Chile and Patagonia this past fall (spring down there), and are now safely back in midwinter Vermont.

Ida and I are keeping pretty well. We had a lovely visit with my old roommate, Stewart Crawford, and his wife, Nelva, at their summer cottage in the Adirondacks. We’re looking at a February trip to Arkansas for a daughter-in-law’s 50th, and then maybe a run to the North Carolina mountains in April. My TV show contract has been renewed for another year, and the show’s now reaching four states and Quebec, which means it takes longer to dine out, but we get through customs quicker.

Hope you’re all having a wonderful year.

54

NMH

DENNIS KELLY 668 Main Ave Bay Head NJ 08742-5346 dskelly1935@gmail.com

BE JAY FROEHLICH HILL 747 Water St Apt 349 Framingham MA 01701-3236 bhill24@juno.com DAN FRICKER 165 King St Waterville CQ, Canada J0B 3H0 dcfricker@videotron.ca

From Dennis: Even though I am crafting this edition of the class notes on 1/1/14, by the time you get the spring edition of NMH Magazine, I hope you will be planning the trek back to campus for our 60th reunion, scheduled for June 5–8. We will be housed in MacKinnon Cottage, which is located right behind the chapel. The great news is the total cost is only $100. We will be having a private dinner party on Saturday evening, and I have engaged Will Lange ’53 to regale us with his wonderful stories once again. Last September, Stan Peck and I, along with Gail Schaller Storms and Bobbie Helmle Simon, were back on campus for an intense planning session with the NMH alumni staff.

Susie Craig Hastings is escaping the snows of Norwich, Vt., and coming to Hilton Head Island, S.C., where she rented a place for the winter.

Her brother Tim Craig ’50 lives on Hilton Head permanently. I have a home on Hilton Head, and I normally come down in January to get it ready for the coming rental season. We plan to meet for cocktails and dinner, if schedules permit. She plans to help me address envelopes for invitations to reunion.

And speaking of Susie, I spoke with Ed Snyder recently, whom Susie used to date at Northfield some 60 years ago. Ed maintains a home in Pittsfield, Mass., where his daughter lives, and she forwards his mail, but Ed has escaped to Tucson, Ariz., with Lois, his significant other. Ed’s son, Zack Snyder, is now a big-time Hollywood director and producer and will be shortly releasing his next movie, Rise of an Empire. Ed is still in the executive recruitment business and uses Skype and online teleconferencing to interview and select executive candidates. Ed will be returning for our 60th.

Last November, Toni Browning Smiley and Ann Newman Sundt traveled from their homes in the Washington, D.C., area and met up with Betty Vermey, who lives in Bryn Mawr, Pa. They traveled south to Havre de Grace, Md., for lunch. Havre de Grace is a lovely little village at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and is home to the world’s largest duck-decoy museum. Though recommended, I don’t think the girls visited the museum. All three are planning to be at our 60th.

I spoke with Bob Ackroyd recently. Bob was our star running back on the football team. He went on to the University of New Hampshire and then

into the U.S. Air Force. Bob settled in Ft. Worth, Texas, where he has been for the past 42 years. His son is Scott ’84. Bob promises to return for our 60th reunion. Bob was a classmate of Dick Hassel at UNH, where they both played football. I tried to reach Dick at his home in Atkinson, N.H., but discovered that Dick had passed away on 1/17/13.

In addition to playing on the NMH football team, Dick was also a teammate of mine on the track-and-field team, where he threw the shot put and discus.

I had a nice phone conversation recently with Mercer Curtis, who is also planning to be back for our 60th. Mercer lives in Gilbert, Ariz., a town just east of Phoenix, and spent his career in the semiconductor business, retiring from American Micro Devices. In fact, Mercer said he has retired three times but is still in the game. He has recently developed the technology to cut silicon wafers into LED microchips.

I received a Christmas card from my old roommate Ralph Perry, who lives in Pasadena, Calif.

He and his wife, Betsey, are planning a cruise to Antarctica. Let’s hope they don’t get trapped in the ice and can enjoy all the frozen margaritas and the swaying palm trees. We expect to see Ralph at NMH in June.

We’ve received several nice Christmas letters from the West Coast contingent of our class. Judy and Charley Blatchford celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with approximately 65 old friends last March in Spring Valley, N.Y. Since Charley and Judy live in Fair Oaks, Calif., outside of Sacramento, they checked off an item on their bucket list by taking a cross-country train ride on Amtrak to New York. Charley finally retired this past year from his part-time job in the Rudolf Steiner College bookstore but still remains a member of the local Rotary club. We look forward to seeing Charley in June.

Phil and Deborah Adams McKean ’56 have ended their third Christmas season in their winter home in Claremont, Calif. Deborah became a licensed deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and serves as a deacon for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Claremont. Last August, Phil and Deborah went to Bali, Indonesia, with their family to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, which actually occurred in ’11. Phil and Deborah will be back at NMH in June.

I recently spoke with Dave Jansky, my old roommate at Hermon during our junior year. Dave has been one of our outstanding fundraisers. Dave lives in Sunbury, Pa., and volunteers three days a week in the local hospital. He also umpires for local girls’ softball leagues. Several times a year he travels to the Harrisburg, Pa., area for major softball tournaments. He is planning to come back for our 60th.

Dave has been in touch with John Ostrom, who said he is planning to come to reunion for the first time. In addition, Dave reports that Jay Crawford and Dex Jones also will be returning in June.

I’ve been in contact via email with Don McComb, who lives in New York City but has some medical issues that cause him to use a walker. I offered to pick Don up on my way up to NMH

in June, and he accepted. Don and I used to work on the afternoon milk crew during our junior year, and I worked on the Hermonite with Don when we were seniors.

Thank you all for making such generous contributions to the McVeigh Scholarship Fund. The fund now has well over $150,000 in it. I receive a nice thank-you letter from the recipient each year.

I look forward to seeing everyone in June. Oh yes, my email has been badly hacked, so some of you may be getting sales pitches from me for weight-loss programs. Just delete them. My new email address is dskelly1935@gmail.com.

55

NMH

DONALD HILLER 102 Javelin Ct Cary NC 27513-5110 dhiller@nc.rr.com LISA TUTTLE EDGE 1110 Cooperskill Rd Cherry Hill NJ 08034 (11/1–5/31) 180 Main St Chatham MA 02633-2424 (6/1–10/31) etedge@aol.com DON FREEMAN 23 Avery Brook Rd, PO Box 132 Heath MA 01346-0132 d.freeman4@verizon.net

From Lisa: In May ’13, Bonnie MacGregor Snow was named Orleans (Massachusetts) Citizen of the Year, a recognition of her years of volunteer work on behalf of the town. As town historian, she gives walking tours of historic sites, plans lessons and field trips to educate schoolchildren about Orleans’ history, and gives cemetery tours incorporating her research into the lives and accomplishments of people buried there. The Orleans Historical Society as a cultural and educational center thrives because of her tireless energy. Bonnie and I have been friends since childhood, and I have taken the liberty of submitting this to surprise her.

Jerry Moskowitz ’55 and Efrim Adnopoz ’55 last September at Ef’s home on Lake Keuka, N.Y.

Last December/January Sylvia Barnard went to Sicily with the Virgilian Society and in June/July she and her daughter, Siobhan ’87, took a Viking River cruise up the Danube from Budapest to Passau. In August, she began treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but she did get to the U.K. briefly in September. She still teaches Latin as a volunteer to a few students at the Doane Street School and is involved in Amnesty International. She sees Barbara Zschiesche Cooley at peace events and Mernie Heywood Tedrow at hunger action events.

Following Sylvia on Facebook, I often see her reading from her book of poems at various venues.

Diane “Dini” Woods has seen Mary Senter Hart’s lovely new “digs” at Ocean View in Falmouth, Maine. “She has been helpful in getting me to look into continuing-care retirement communities, and I have finally settled on Brooksby Village in Peabody, Mass. There are lots of activities there that I am looking forward to getting involved with.

Who knows, I may revive my early theater career.

These CCRCs are certainly known for keeping folks young and active. I am looking forward to that.”

Dini had planned on spending three winter months in ’14 on Hilton Head Island, S.C., where she has loved to winter for the past several years, but she needs some major eye surgeries, so she plans to take care of that this winter while continuing to downsize her home in Durham, N.H., in preparation for moving in the second half of ’14.

She has lived and been very active in the New Hampshire seacoast area since 1990. Her former foster daughter (27) is doing reasonably well, and a number of her volunteer commitments have been winding down, so Dini feels it’s a good time for a change.

Don and Elizabeth “Lisa” Tuttle Edge took a tour of Portugal, southern Spain, Gibraltar, and Morocco in September. The Alhambra is magnificent, but the cathedral in Cordoba was just as fabulous. Built in the center of an immense mosque, which has been carefully preserved, it has striking red and cream interior arches. The monkey-sized apes (no tails) on Gibraltar and St. Michael’s cave inside “the rock” were a welcome surprise, as were the labyrinthine medinas of Marrakesh and Fez. Lisa took a camel for a long ride in Marrakesh;

Janet and Fred Howell ’55 hold their certificates received in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, after they completed walking the El Camino de Santiago.

spring 2014 I class notes I 53

phy of the African American actor Ira Aldridge, Ira Aldridge: Performing Shakespeare in Europe, 1852–1855, was published in ’13; a fourth is in progress, Ben reports.

Svein Arber’s daughter, Gyda, was married on 12/28/13 at Wiggins Tavern in Northampton, Mass. Among the attendees were Margaret and Don Freeman.

56

NMH

Svein Arber ’55, far right, enjoyed his daughter’s wedding on 12/18/13. From left: Steve Sabaugh; Svein’s daughter, Gyda Arber; and his neice, Zora deRahm.

NELSON LEBO 1046 Millers Falls Rd Northfield MA 01360-9622 nlebo@nmhschool.org

once is enough.

From Don Freeman: In August ’13, Sharon and Dick Fitts took a trip to Alaska, visiting the Denali

area and sailing down the inland waterway. Dick is looking forward to our 60th reunion.

Dave Guarnaccia still works for Trinity Industries, a firm in Dallas, where he is responsible for contract fulfillment by 40 railcar repair shops.

Larry McAtee is busy with his wife of 52 years, their three daughters and their husbands, and 12 grandchildren. Last year he was elected to his fourth four-year term as an Oklahoma City councilman. In addition to his consulting business, Larry teaches and speaks on biblical principles contained in his recently published book, Rebuilding Your Financial Wall God’s Way. Janet and Fred Howell celebrated Janet’s 75th birthday last August by walking the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, the Way of St. James, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Fred writes: “The physical challenge and accomplishment is obvious, but the daily interactions with hundreds of other walkers from all over the world was far beyond our expectations.

There is no better way to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of our earth.”

In September, Jerry Moskowitz visited Efrim Adnopoz at his home on Lake Keuka, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, boating and visiting the local wineries. Jerry reports that he’s still working in real estate in San Francisco and occasionally sees Reverdy Johnson.

The third volume of Ben Lindfors’ biogra-

Sue Shaffer McGown ’56 (left) and Martha “Muffy” Sampson Naismith ’56 in their dorm room at Northfield.

54 I NMH Magazine

DEBBY ADAMS MCKEAN 633 Leyden Ln #203 Claremont CA 91711 (Oct–May) 13 Osprey Ln Cushing, ME 04563.(Jun–Sep) deborah.mckean39@gmail.com

From Nelson: The class of ’56 held another minireunion in mid-September at the home of Betsy and Bruce Zimmerli in Falmouth on Cape Cod. Approximately 30 classmates, spouses, and friends attended, and of course a great time was had by all.

Harlan “Hi” Baxter visited campus on parents’ day this fall along with his two daughters. His granddaughter, Shannon Duffy, is a member of the class of ’17. He and I had a nice chat on a bench in front of Beveridge, and then I gave him a tour of the Rhodes Arts Center. The ceramics instructor was in her studio, and she and Hi had a lengthy discussion about ceramics/pot throwing. Who knew.

I received a letter from Dick Hamar in early December in which he enclosed an old article from the Concord, N.H., Monitor about my son, also Nelson, and his close-to-the-earth lifestyle on his little New Hampshire farm. Dick reports that he has been in Norwich, Conn., for 34 years. “I help colleagues in my trade as well as some of my own projects with pipe organs. Christmas tune-ups are on the immediate horizon for the next week or so.”

Steve Clapp reports that he retired in August as senior editor of Food Chemical News, a weekly news magazine covering food policy in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Bette, sold their condo in Reston, Va., and consolidated their earthly belongings in their single-family home in Jeffersonton, Va., which is about 50 miles southwest of D.C. From Linda and John Lubetkin’s holiday letter: “Other news, John’s nonfiction Custer and the 1873 Yellowstone Survey was published in mid-October and is already three-quarters sold out. This is, of course, far less a reflection of John’s turgid writing style than it is an affirmation that anything with Custer on the title still sells.” Could Linda have written that quote? Another nonfiction book might be in the offing.

Carol and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on 8/11/13 (actual wedding date was 6/22/63) with a gathering in the backyard here in

Northfield sponsored by our sons and daughters-in law. Many family and friends from throughout the years attended, including our New Zealand family. Before our last grandchild was born in New Zealand, I had put in an “order” for a red-headed granddaughter (mother has red hair), and our 16-month-old Kiwi girl’s hair has developed a copper tone.

From the Alumni Office: Martha “Muffy” Sampson Naismith writes of the unexpected

passing of her junior-year roommate and lifelong friend, Sue Shaffer McGown, on 6/29/13, after a sudden illness. “Over the years, Sue regularly came to Maine for visits during the summer, and I usually extended visits to family in Dallas to spend a few extra days with Grey and Sue in Fort Worth.

In between, Sue was the kind of a friend who called frequently to check in. I so miss those calls, her selfless interest in me and my family, and her upbeat view of life and life’s challenges.

“This past summer, I especially treasured the gift reminders that Sue brought when she visited, which surround me in my Maine home. I also spent time reviewing old photos that go back to past visits, even to our teenage years.” Sue is survived by her husband of 50 years, Grey, three children, five grandchildren, and her sister, Linda Shaffer Dupuy ’59.

57

NMH

DAVID C WILLIAMS 619 East Side Dr, PO Box 6 Alton NH 03809-0006 revdcwms@metrocast.net

JEANNE SWARTZ MAGMER 12705 SE River Rd Apt 103A Portland OR 97222-9701 jeannemagmer@comcast.net From Dave: Given our age, it’s not surprising that many of our classmates are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Sarah and Lloyd Mitchell found themselves surrounded by family and friends at a surprise party earlier in ’13 in Philadelphia. Gay Ann and Mike Doudoroff celebrated their big 50th in August ’13 with friends in McCall, Idaho, traveling from their home in Kansas. Barbara and Steve Springer crossed the threshold in Mexico on 12/12/12 with s’mores cooked and beach bonfire in contrast to their wedding day in a Boston snowstorm. Their home is in Silverton, Ore., near their California kids, but they frequently get back to Randolph, Vt., which they used to call home and where they still have a home and forestland being harvested. How about sending me a note to add your names to the 50th anniversary list?

We know that Malcolm Peck waxed eloquently at the time of Robert Pease’s early and tragic death. Now he’s done the same for his juniorand senior-year roommate and longtime hiking companion, Richard Frohne, who passed away on 3/3/13. When they came back to our 50th reunion in ’12, they became good couple friends and

Members of the class of ’57 and their spouses got together at the botanical gardens in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, last October. L. to r.: Darrel Cooper ’57, Bob Mansfield ’57, Bob Arthur, Joyce Moore Arthur ’57, Bruce Johnson ’57, Marsha Johnson, Judi Mansfield, Dave Williams ’57, Pat Williams, and Judy Cooper.

vacationed together in Williamsburg and Hilton Head before Dick’s passing. Mal’s remembrance concluded with these words: “Dick’s loss reminds me how important it is for those of us who are left to keep alive our ties with one another and to seize what opportunities we have to enjoy each other’s company.”

I believe Lloyd Mitchell sent classmates a copy of Mal’s remembrance of Dick, but if you want it, send me an email.

Fair warning to our Northfield and Mt. Hermon classmates that our 60th reunion is coming up in ’17. This is the reunion when our alma mater foots the bill for us. Please put it on your calendars—no excuses this time around.

58

NMH

CLAIRE KURTGIS-HUNTER 7595 Solimar Cir Boca Raton FL 33433-1034 mizzengift@bellsouth.net WILLIAM HAWLEY PO Box 91927 Anchorage AK 99509-1927 hawleys@acsalaska.net

From Claire: It is with sadness that I report the passing of Martha Hill South on 11/28/13 from complications of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Martha received a degree in art history from Pembroke College and took many courses in studio art at the Rhode Island School of Design. She pursued her art interest, both as an accomplished artist and by volunteering for art organizations, including 16 years as a board member and volunteer for the Longmont, Colo., Council for the Arts. She spent her life creating beauty, including acrylic paintings, ink drawings, and delightful cards featuring whimsical birds. Martha’s travels included moving 25 times. She lived in 10 states and four foreign countries. In her later years, she enjoyed traveling the world and visiting her kids and grandkids. Martha’s strong faith sustained her through the heartbreaking diagnosis of ALS, as well as the difficulties as the disease progressed, with a smile and positive

outlook that inspired everyone who met her. She is survived by her husband; two daughters and their husbands; four grandchildren; her sister, Leland Hill Goddard ’53; three nieces and a nephew. A memorial celebration will be held in Hanover, N.H., in the summer.

Steve and Joan Millett Walker both had medical issues in ’13 that are happily resolved. They sold their house on the wharf in Nantucket in April, allowing them to continue work on the geodesic domes of their home in Bell, Fla. They were unable to attend our 55th reunion last June, but Joan writes they did “manage to get in a marvelous train ride with Linda and Tom Chase during a visit with them in the fall.” Steve and Joan sold their 32' sloop for a 23' Stonehorse, and then in October bought a 32' trawler, the Jack B. They plan to make the trip from Jacksonville, Fla., to East Greenwich, R.I., via the intracoastal waterway, arriving on June 1. They will take some shakedown cruises to see how their cats fare onboard. Meanwhile, Steve continues enjoying his miniature steam-driven trains and flying experimental planes.

Helen Engelbrecht Ownby writes: “This has been Dennis’ first official year of retirement, as of 12/12; however, he was rehired 2/13 to continue work on his program project grant and a few other studies that will pay him for the next few years.

Meanwhile, we’ve spent some great times on the intracoastal and creeks around Point Peter and Cumberland Island now that we’re living in St. Marys, Ga. Since we lost Smudge (14), our rescue kitty, in June, I’ve promised Dennis not to bring a new one home until we make a couple trips in ’14.

Our big trip this year was a return to Small Hope Bay on Andros, Bahamas, for the ninth time. We had David ’91 and his family with us, and I made my 400th scuba dive.” Helen also helped make new choir stoles and quilted a children’s quilt to go to the Thornwell Home for Children.

Iris Bauer Larsson writes: “My young grandsons are the light of my life and mean even more to us because we lost a son so many years ago.” She had a wonderful time at the 55th reunion and especially enjoyed Head of School Peter Fayroian’s address at the special ’58 Northfield luncheon.

Geri Neeland Cook writes that although she is still recovering from the loss of her husband in ’10, she has plenty to be thankful for. She tutors French, volunteer teaches computer classes at the local employment center, takes dance classes, and goes out dancing once a week. For Christmas, she went to Yosemite with friends to go cross-country skiing.

Ellen Watson Payzant writes with new eyes.

Ellie has a new lens in each eye and is seeing well after cataract surgery. She and Tom drove crosscountry and back from their Oregon home to our 55th reunion, stopping to see family and friends en route. They spent Thanksgiving in San Diego with their daughter and the Utah side of the family, and then “back to Boston to get ready for the ‘holidaze’ and travel to Minneapolis and Utah. Tom continues with some consulting work, and I with my community boards and activities.” Ellen and Tom were on campus in October for the trustees’

meeting. She confirms the students are fun to talk to, “are polite, respectful, committed to helping others, and take seriously their academics, sports, and music. It was also exciting to tour some new faculty homes being built. I am always amazed at how many people I meet in our travels when I am wearing my NMH visor. Many are former students or have relatives who attended. NMH has a very long reach.”

Jane Hougen Fast is enjoying her “Senior as Stars” acting group and her new love interest: studying Italian. She will link her Italian studies in Perugia, Italy, with a classmates’ reunion at the International School of Geneva in May and June, as well as attend another Hougen family reunion in Tacoma, Wash., in July. This past year, she traveled to England, Ireland, and Mexico, and back home, to Utah, Tahoe, and Raleigh, N.C., to see her son and his family. Her daughter lives nearby.

Jane states,“She manages her home and life very well, and she participates extensively in my life.

Wouldn’t/couldn’t stay in my home without her.”

Jane adds, with typical Northfield aplomb: “I am still in my wonderful large home in Springfield, Mo., anticipating your visit. While I am waiting to see you, I’ll tackle my list, as I want to learn Japanese flower arranging, fine photography, this blasted computer, how to make a flaky pie crust, shrink closet contents, and memorize the map of Africa.”

Dana “Dee Dee” Tiley Cleary writes from Marco Island, Fla. She was the caregiver of her father, who has lived with her since age 97. He passed at the age of 102 in August. With her new flexibility, Dee Dee is “planning another trip to North Carolina in February, hopefully to see some snow.” In May, she will go to the final reunion of the school she attended before Northfield. The school districts consolidated years ago and the plan is to demolish the high school building. Her oldest step-grandson will attend the University of Florida next year. Her youngest grandchild is 6.

Lynne Bodry Shuman grew up to be an author as well as a born traveler. Her travel book, Travels with Time Share: Extraordinary Adventures by Ordinary People, is based on 25 years of vacations with family and friends in North America and abroad. Lynne describes the book as “the unfolding of a life of unforeseen adventures that started out to be simple routine vacations, but turned into the stuff of which great memories are made. In Janu-

John Patten ’58 with his rig after he had changed and mounted 12 tires in Alaska 32 years ago.

spring 2014 I class notes I 55

ary ’13, I began a travel podcast at our local radio station featuring two weeks of traveling by car in Britain. The result was a podcast series featuring 24 15-minute episodes.” Then, Lynne enjoyed a three-week book tour of New England, speaking at libraries and book clubs, with a brief appearance on an NBC affiliate in Springfield, Mass. During a September girl’s getaway, Lynne was inspired to conceive a 15-episode podcast about Marietta, Ohio. Lynne has placed all 15 episodes on The Untethered Tourist Facebook page. If you do not use Facebook, Google The Untethered Tourist and click on the Facebook listing. Lynne’s next trip will be to Oahu in May to visit her grandson, Morgan. She notes that “Morgan has taken up the ukulele. Can’t wait to sing along…. Shades of Arthur Godfrey.”

Audrey Wolff Luth writes that she and her husband, Phillip, enjoyed a Rhine River cruise in April. She adds: “Two weeks later, with some local master gardeners, I traveled to Ireland for 10 days to see many public and private gardens. If you like gardens, it was breathtaking.” She and Phillip enjoy son Peter’s two very athletic boys, 7 and 11. In November, great friends Jacques and Astrid Lundberg Naviaux visited.

Your humble class secretary comments: Isn’t it refreshing hearing that kids want to learn? Students today are so engrossed in their social media. Can you imagine our being preoccupied with iPhones and iPads in any of our classes? Miss Horn’s glasses would’ve flown off her face. Who could’ve survived Miss Ellison’s stare, Mr. Raymond’s raised-abovehis-glasses eyebrows, or Mam’selle’s gentle but penetrating blue eyes announcing, in perfect, formidable French: “You’re dismissed from Northfield, my dear”? We never needed a word; just one of those looks would have paralyzed us. We were always so angelic, right?

Still, it’s great to see Northfield links reaching back 55 years. We really love hearing about each other’s friendships—how they stretch us all across the years, keeping our ties flexible and loving.

Keep your news coming.

From Bill: John Abel, professor emeritus of engineering at Cornell, was awarded the Eduardo Torroja Medal by the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures. This is the highest award of the association and is given for “outstanding and distinguished contributions to design, construction or research of shell and/or spatial structures.”

This winter, Norm Barstow and his wife, Jane, spent two weeks in Moab, Utah, babysitting their grandson (8) while their eldest daughter was on a delayed honeymoon with her new husband. Norm and Jane enjoyed sledding with the grandson, cross-country skiing by themselves, and the winter weather. Norm has reclaimed his Westerly, R.I., condo that they had previously rented, and plans to sell their house in Bulgaria. Norm volunteered for the Westerly Land Trust and helped clear trails for the trust. Norm says that now that we are past our 50th high school and college reunions, it’s time to think about what we are going to do with our lives.

Trevor and Linda Shaffer Dupuy ’59 are both busy—Trevor with political activities and Linda

56 I NMH Magazine

with volunteer activities. They celebrated Christmas twice this year, once with their daughter’s family in San Antonio and also with their son’s family in Austin, Texas. Trevor and Linda plan to have the entire family together in February to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Dave Eberhardt is scheduled for a hip replacement. Dave must be a trusting soul, as he is permitting a Deerfield graduate to perform the operation.

John LeBaron writes that he and Faith are both retired, splitting their time between Acton, Mass., and North Hatley, Québec. They now have five granddaughters (2–12), all living in New Canaan, Conn. John’s daughter runs a successful urban gardening and landscaping business in Brooklyn, N.Y. John reports that all are, of course, smart, talented, generous, good-looking, of impeccable comportment, and above average in a “Prairie Home Companion” sort of way.

John Patten sent in a 32-year-old picture of himself taken in Alaska with his rig after he had changed and mounted 12 tires. He was one of the original “Ice Road Truckers.” John says he would live in the frigid North except that his wife considers eight miles north of Tucson cold. They live in western Washington as a compromise.

Claire has already reported on Tom and Ellen Watson Payzant’s travels to see their kids and grandkids. Tom and Ellie plan to be back on the West Coast for the trustees’ meeting in San Francisco. They are very pleased with our new head of school and the leadership he is providing.

John Robinson cares for horses used at the Equine Therapy for Autistic Children. He is on their condominium board and “plays in the woods around the condo property, cutting out Asian honeysuckle and other invasive growth.” He is also the database manager for Better Marriages. He and Diane are mentoring a new marriage-enrichment group.

Claire has already reported most of the news from Steve “Seaweed” and Joan Millett Walker.

They bought their 32' trawler in Port Townsend, Wash., and towed it back to Florida. Seaweed and Joan spent a pleasant day with Linda and Tom Chase on a rail fan trip from Putnam, Conn., to Willimantic, Conn. Steve reports that his mind still thinks his feet are 21, but they don’t always cooperate.

Gordon Wosak writes that he is “sorting out his approach shots.” Gordon says that retirement “seems mostly a matter of finding ways to keep out of trouble.” He is assisting in the restoration of an 1880s water turbine drive at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, Del., doing restoration work for the Hay Creek Valley Historic Association, and taking continuing education courses to maintain his PE license.

Evan Freund and Nan are active and well. Evan assists several service organizations in their strategic planning as a volunteer. Nan is still practicing educational therapy. They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in Los Angeles, and son Max’s 10th anniversary in Tepotzlán, Mexico. Evan is active in the Rotary District 6450 Peace Committee, dedicated to developing mentorship, job readiness, and conflict resolution programs for youth in

the Chicago area. He also volunteers as a strategy consultant for the Cara Program, a vocational rehabilitation program in Chicago. Evan says: “My Mt. Hermon experience continues to contribute.”

Your reporter retired from practicing law on 7/1/13. Betsy and I have since enjoyed trips to the Phoenix area to visit our grown children and grandchildren, and to Cape Cod for a family reunion of sorts with cousins, nieces, and nephews, many of whom we had not seen for several years. Last spring, we toured Indochina, unfortunately missing the 55th reunion. We are looking forward to more visits with our family and additional trips.

59

NMH

NANCY BISSELL GOLDCAMP 2002 Chantilly Dr Sierra Vista AZ 85635-4866 ngoldcamp@cox.net

PETER WELSH 10246 Old Shiloh Rd Pefferlaw ON, Canada L0E 1N0 peter@cantope.ca FRANK PARTEL 90 Pocha Rd Edgartown MA 02539-4620 fpartel@msn.com

From Nancy: With all the excitement about the website Betty Blake Hinkley created for our class, it’s still possible to send me information via snailmail. And that’s what usually happens at Christmas, when several of you faithfully send your year-end cards and letters.

First, I wish to express my condolences to Bill and Elana Brown Anderson regarding the death of their daughter, Maysie (41), on 7/3/13. She leaves behind her parents, siblings, and her fiancé and his four children. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.

Elana wrote me a very nice note after our 50th.

“Bill and I were glad we went to reunion. Bill enjoyed getting to know Sue Brown Dana’s husband, Howard, and Connie Carey Smith’s husband, Rich; they had fun playing golf together. We both especially enjoyed the hymn sing. It was great that so many Merrill-Keepers were present. That said, it was somewhat difficult calling it a reunion, returning to a campus where I had been, perhaps, three times during my two years at Northfield. I didn’t date there at all, so all the guys were complete strangers to me. But Northfield was a very important part of my life, and where I first felt that I might be an independent grown-up in the making.

I wanted to reinvent myself and cast off my high school persona. I was pleased to leave home, and I loved the intellectual atmosphere in the English classes of Mr. Hayes, for example. I know I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate what was put before me, such as squandering the chance to learn from Dr. King about the Bible. I didn’t take that class seriously, which I now regret. I felt sad that the

Northfield campus looked so forlorn and question the decisions made by the trustees in years past that brought about the necessity of closing that lovely old school. I was pleased, though, that the town and its environs still look pretty much the same, not ruined by strip malls, etc.”

Christmas cards and letters came from Jim, Honorary ’59, and Barb Mackin Kondras, Nancy Johnson, Chris and Sue Hay Kapsalis, Emily Smith FitzRandolph, and David and Ginger McCann Giammattei. Medical concerns kept Barb and Jim closer to home than usual in ’13. They did visit us in Arizona and their relatives in January, taking a welcome break from the cold of central Pennsylvania. Nancy went to England in ’13 after an absence of three years and had a great time visiting old friends and old haunts.

Sue sent a photo montage of various family gatherings in Vermont and Florida. Emily’s main adventure in ’13 was adopting a dog from the Bahamas. A quasi-feral dog, having spent two years in a shelter and birthing nine puppies, she has turned out to be a loving companion and even successfully completed, with Emily, a training program to become a therapy dog. Emily continues to volunteer at a local mental health center, sorts clothes and serves lunch at a day shelter, as well as prepares and serves a monthly dinner at an overnight program for homeless women.

Ginger and David did their usual “commuting” between California, enjoying visits with their children and grandchildren, and taking short trips to various favorite places in the East.

The “blasts” that our reunion committee members sent out after our September planning meeting recapped what we discussed and accomplished during our days together. It should come as no surprise to anyone that, even though our upcoming reunion isn’t one of the usual milestones, the representation from our class was greater than that of any other class, even those preparing for their 25th and 50th reunions. We hope to have a record turnout for a 55th reunion. We’ll work hard to make it worth your while to join us.

Several of you took advantage of the website and posted class notes entries on it. Thank you. I hope this tool will work well for us in the future.

Jane Johnson Fanning is on the board of directors and the executive committee of the Florida Orchestra, as well as being chair of the governance committee. She’s also on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg. Jane has traveled with Garrison Keillor on many of the “Prairie Home Companion” cruises. Her husband, Kent, has just retired as professor of marine science at the University of South Florida. Jane and Kent have a new grandson, and in June ’13 took a grand family tour around Hawaii to celebrate family and their 50th wedding anniversary.

Retirement is the main recent change in Sue Taylor Gillespie’s life. She has three grandchildren who live in the East, and since she lives in Missouri, she regrets not seeing them as often as she’d like. One daughter is a design professor at North Carolina State in Raleigh, and her other daughter is

an Iyengar yoga instructor in Newton, Mass.

Nancy Goode Treadwell’s father celebrated his 100th birthday in April ’13 with a large party of family and friends. “He still lives independently. Go, Dad. My daughter remarried in September ’13.”

Ty Bair Fox writes: “My travel in ’13 was to London and Cyprus. Cyprus was fascinating, with evidence of many cultures. We saw Roman mosaics from the third century B.C., visited a monastery high in the hills, and enjoyed swimming in the Mediterranean.”

From Frank: I’m pinch-hitting for Pete Welsh as class correspondent through reunion. He is, was, and will forever be the MH ’59 class secretary. So look for frequent emails from me. Note bene: Given our privacy policy, unless you specifically provided a personal response to Do you have recent news that you’d like to appear in Class Notes? on the website or in a separate communique, we have honored our commitment to your privacy. Many of your comments seemed otherwise publishable, but we erred on the conservative side and held strictly to our promise. Please note this for future reference.

If you would like restricted news to be in a future email, copy and paste it into an email to me at fpartel@msn.com.

Here is news that Pete gathered and his dialogue before I signed on. Pete sent Randy Foster congratulations on the Red Sox triumph. Randy replied: “We are enjoying the ‘moment.’” Randy and his wife, Lynn, saw Ty Bair Fox and her grandson before the D.L. Moody luncheon. On 10/26/13, Bill Batty was inducted into the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame. Everyone had a great time at a brief get-together in the new admission building. Linda, Rocky ’86, and Mary ’84 were all there. Randy met Tom Draper’s ’60 daughter, Mariah Draper Calagione ’89, who has a son applying to NMH next year. Randy’s grandson will also be applying.

John Warn reported Tom Bethea had some news. So, I asked Tom for his news and he replied: “Umm…well, same as last winter. Bonnie and I swapped Chicago gray for Tucson sunshine, through April ’14. Not much else, except Neal Ketcher checked in from Prescott, Ariz., saying he had rotator-cuff surgery that turned out less successfully than he’d anticipated.”

Now, Frank’s report: I exchanged emails with Jane and Brian Sedgwick, who regrettably will not make the 55th.

I had a pleasant phone conversation with Charlie Wantman, who is contemplating making documentary films in retirement. I thanked Charlie for that wonderful gift five years ago—1958 Christmas Vespers on CD. Many wonderful moments of nostalgia. Can’t thank you enough, CW. “Dost thou remember....”

Via Betty Hinkley, who created our excellent class website, www.nmh1959.com, I have learned more about taciturn turned loquacious Tom Bethea, who plans to make the 55th reunion. Tom says: “My junior-year roommate, first cousin Dick Holt ’58, and I both were on campus in early October while en route to the Massachusetts wedding of our niece, daughter of brother David Bethea ’66.”

I’ve also heard from Kim Boyle and indirectly that Larry Eastwick, Joe Watterson, Ty Bair Fox, et al., reminisced about the postgraduation Jones Beach Party, which continued at Merrill “Mel” Wadsworth Smith’s home on Long Island—symbol of personal freedom, adult independence, and a rite of passage. There’s a topic for conversation at the 55th.

If you recall the pre-Christmas ’13 ice storm across the northeastern U.S. and Canadian border and Pete Welsh’s thriving breeding and kenneling business, you will appreciate his note. “I am very thankful that the worst of the storm was south of us, as we’re full to the rafters with boarders—all breeds and poodles. No power would have been a disaster.”

Dave Winchester writes: “I’m proud that my wife, Aloha, has put up with me for 50 years. We celebrated our 50th in October.” Congratulations, David and Aloha—and we will have a piano at Shea Cottage for you at the 55th, David.

Reunion co-chair Tom Baxter files this report: “In October, I returned to campus for parents’ weekend and to watch my great-niece, Shannon Duffy ’17, play a jv soccer game. Shannon is from Vermont and chose NMH over Vermont and Kimball Union academies. My brothers, Harlan ’56 and Jim ’62, also returned, as did my niece Melinda Baxter ’88. It was fun to meet Shannon’s friends and see the school through her eyes.

We enjoyed walking the campus and seeing the changed and the unchanged parts. We learned that our brother, Jim, worked on the preliminary design of the expanded cottages. We checked out the memorial to Recitation Hall and the faculty, our parents included, who taught in that building. We wondered why there is not a similar memorial to Silliman Hall. We walked down to our home on Gill Road and picked up hickory nuts like we did when we were young. Then we walked to the lower fields to watch Shannon’s game. We ate in West (Alumni) Hall. The food was excellent. I am enjoying the work of our reunion committee and getting reconnected with classmates. Getting back to the campus has permitted me to become reacquainted with Karen Forslund Falb, whom I have known since kindergarten, and even my 8th-grade teacher.

I also found a college friend who lives in Northfield and a friend with whom I worked on the grounds crew during summer vacations.” Tom spent time with the class of ’58 at their 55th reunion last June. At home he is a volunteer with Cumberland County Habitat for Humanity and is working on his 10th quilt.

Bob Meyers lives on the Chesapeake Bay and sails a Corsair trimaran, interspersed with visits with kids and grandchildren. “With all the political promises being made, I’m looking for a candidate who will promise longer days that don’t pass so quickly.”

Clark Loth retired on 5/31/13 but retained the corporate board memberships and the educational and charitable trusteeships. He has been named treasurer of the New England region of a national charitable organization, which is part of an international charitable organization, which is a nongovernmental organization of the United

spring 2014 I class notes I 57

Nations. Clark has provided more recent updates on our website and a hotlink for a very tricky and exquisitely beautiful approach to the Auckland, New Zealand, airport. Pilots, in particular, will like this.

Steve Cohen, negotiation skills consultant and renowned subject-matter expert, has authored The Practical Negotiator, a compendium of advice to people who sent him questions from the U.S. and around the world.

Bill Shaw still has that no-sweat style and writes: “We enjoy playing golf, traveling, and spending time with our children and our grandchildren.”

Joe Watterson just became a grandfather for the first time when his younger son and his wife had a boy in November. His older son, Jonathan, is finishing his master’s in landscape architecture at SUNY Syracuse (at the age of 42—like father, like son).

Bill Sihler took a Carnival Lines cruise to the western Caribbean in October and reports: “We made it back to port in Galveston without incident.”

Finally, Mary Ellen and I returned from Basque country after three weeks in early October. (One must see Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.) We spent the holidays in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and returned to Vero Beach, Fla., in January. After reunion, we will head to France, where we have rented a house, with our children and grandchildren. After that, Mary Ellen and I will proceed to Penzance and Land’s End in Cornwall, England, for a week before returning to Chappaquiddick, with a brief stopover in Iceland. My third novel, Down in Laos, about a Navy pilot taken prisoner by the Pathet Lao in 1968, will be out this spring.

A final note: If you haven’t registered at www. nmh1959.com, do it now. It’s a cinch to do, and you can leave news for the next edition of NMH Magazine, Pete, your classmates, and me. Adios.

60

NMH

HANNAH SIBLEY GRAY 306 Cotuit Bay Dr Cotuit MA 02635-2916 hsgray@verizon.net AL CHASE 1141 Kumukumu St Apt A Honolulu HI 96825-2645 nmh60uh66@yahoo.com

From Al: Congratulations to Layng Martine for being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last October. The Connecticut native was honored in the veteran songwriter category. His initial top-of-the-charts song was “Rub It In,” which was Billy “Crash” Craddock’s first No. 1 song. In 1976, Layng wrote “I Don’t Want to Be a Onenight Stand” that became Reba McEntire’s first career single. A year later, his“ Way Down” became a gold single for Elvis Presley and was listed at No. 1 the day Elvis died. Layng has a number of other hits to his credit, including “The Greatest Man I Ever Knew,” “I Don’t Think Love Ought to Be That

58 I NMH Magazine

Way,” “Should I Do It,” “I Wanna Go Too Far,” “Maybe She Is Human,” and “I Was Blown Away.”

Paul Sheldon writes that he and his wife, Fran, have moved to a century-old, sixteen-foot-wide row house in downtown Media, Pa. Their goal is sustainable living. Sheldon writes: “We now have half the books, clothes, furniture, and stuff in general than we had a year ago. There is bus, train, trolley, library, market, and a public park all within walking distance. With chickens and buried cold storage in the back hillside, life is good.” Sheldon still teaches part time at Villanova. He continues to practice civil disobedience that supports peaceful revolution.

61

NMH

GRETEL PORTER P.O. Box 369 Damariscotta ME 04543 sangam1008@yahoo.com CRAIG WALLEY 573 S 6th St Columbus OH 43206-1272 operacraig@aol.com

From Gretel: Kate Alling Throop writes: “No news is good news.” All is well on the medical front.

Cynthia Van Hazinga is buried in snow, feeling isolated (anyone near?) but she did escape for a week to Merida, Mexico, possibly the oldest city in North America. She also visits New York City frequently.

Sally Johnson Ackerman finally made the move from Houston to Chatham, Mass., a car ride from their younger daughter and near relatives and old friends, not to mention NMH. “Monte is worried he’ll freeze to death, but going through a whole Houston summer is something he hasn’t done in years.” Contact me for Sally’s new addresses and phone.

Barbara Baldwin Joe and her husband, Lightning Joe, rented a house for three months in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s big island. “Volcanic National Park, cavorting dolphins, luaus, and manta rays lit up at night make it hard to go home to Tennessee. Hawaiian sunsets are awesome.”

Susan Meader Tobias and her husband, Bob, have purchased a cottage on Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. She writes: “Lakefront and a red pontoon boat are a draw for the four grandchildren and for Captain Bob to lure him from the dubious pleasures and pressures of Washington, D.C. I’m writing, active with kids and grandkids and in our church, where I always sing William Blake’s words when the sanitized Episcopal version of the passionate Methodist hymn is sung.”

Susan Poling Smith has left Atlanta and is concentrating her energy on life in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Patty Howell Jones and her husband, Ralph, celebrated his 90th birthday. Many more to come— congratulations on a life well led. Patty is working hard, as always, but at least she’s not shoveling snow.

Linda Harlow Robinson writes that life is “somewhat boring, but the last thing I need is drama. I see clients as a psychotherapist three afternoons a week. Husband David volunteers for Hospice and finds it deeply satisfying. Also care for two grandkids several days a week. They live 10 minutes away. My love to all.”

Lucinda Benjamin Hazler lives in Vienna, Austria: Because of osteoporosis, she goes to a special exercise class weekly and to a women’s circle fitness center another two to three times. She is in her fourth semester studying Italian. She also tutors children and reads a lot. “I don’t know if Mr. Freeman would approve, or if he would even say it is literature. I also babysit new granddaughter, Eleanor, born 10/21/13.”

Susan Swartwood Berk writes: “I’m freezing and I’m not even outside. I don’t want to drive around since the streets aren’t plowed and I could kill myself slipping into a snow bank. There’s only so much I can do inside. I’m not into Sochi so much and how many reruns of ‘Downton Abbey’ can I watch? The basement is too cold to do laundry and I’ve given up shoveling the back steps, since the snow keeps coming back. I’m hunkering down, praying that the furnace stays on, and that I don’t run out of food.”

Judy Howland writes from her computer, watching a major snowstorm expected to bring a fluffy foot: “What will the rest of my life be like?

How will I be affected by global climate change or by the political gridlock in Washington? Will I lend my time and energy to any new causes? What old familiar causes will I be letting go? Stay tuned.”

Tobey Hiller just turned 70—no longer middle-aged. She is writing poems and short stories, publishing here and there, and grandparenting four kids with great joy. Her husband, Phillip, plays guitar, dresses as Darth Vader, and loses many battles.

“Life is wonderfully renewing and reminiscent. I’ve taken up oil painting—not as a hobby but as a gorgeous pasttime. Plein aire and still lifes, studying with painter friend Bruce Katz—a wonderful teacher. The fly in the ointment: hip replacement surgery in March. All those Aikido high falls, which I loved, took their toll, not to mention years of running and dance. But Sally Hemenway Hall assures me, having had this surgery herself, that it is easy-peasy.

I’m counting on you, Sally. Love to you all.”

Gail Buerger Kerr plans for Vietnam and Fulbright work in the fall. She’s especially proud that she helped Elizabeth Warren get into office by working on a regional organizing committee for her campaign. Gail writes: “She is terrific. Our kind of person.”

Rumor has it that Gail Phillips Fairfield visited Maine to see Connie Bloomfield and Barbara Joy Hare. As a result, Gail and husband Nick are relocating to Portland from Gloucester, Mass. Well done.

Gretel Porter: Always glad to hear from your varied lives. What do you think of a yearly literary magazine produced by NMH ’61? Feedback, please.

From Craig: Chuck Bennett writes: “I finally retired in June at 70, although we are still working out what that will mean. The third time must be a

Marilyn Attwater Grant ’66, second from left, and Anthony Hill ’61, far right, were volunteer research assistants with the Puffin Project in outer Penobscot Bay, Maine, in July ’13.

charm, since I had considered it in ’00 and ’07 as well. We celebrated with much travel, seeing grandchildren, other relatives, and friends, including Nancy and John Hann in New England; spending time at our place in Colorado; and—a highlight— finally getting to the Santa Fe Opera to formally celebrate the decision.”

John Berlin and Audrey moved to Gainesville, Ga., in January. John reports: “We talk frequently with our former NMH wrestling champ, Jim Sarvis, and he is also well. I have written five novels and one memoir. The memoir is titled, The High Catcher. I read the chapter “Prep School” at our reunion and received a standing ovation.

Somebody asked me if I had considered being a standup comic. I only mention this because I do use the NMH name in the manuscript. I sent it to Peter Fayroian, our head of school, and said I’d like to use the actual name of Mt. Hermon because the story vis-à-vis NMH is totally positive. He read it, said nice things, and agreed to let me use the name.”

Ron Calef lives in the San Francisco Bay area, and with two daughters in college, he is still gainfully employed with the Philadelphia firm Diversified Search.

Richard “Dobbs” Hartshorne continues his fine work concertizing in prisons and in other places rarely visited by musicians. He writes: “Yes, a single concert in the right place for the right audience can have an effect that lasts a lifetime.” His organization, “Bach with Verse,” deserves our support.

John Bryan writes: “2013 was the year of the big downsizing. We sold our house of 35 years (35 years of accumulated stuff to deal with) and moved from the New York area to Cambridge into a condo half the size. We chose Cambridge because our daughter is here, but turns out it’s a very happening place, and we’re quite enjoying ourselves. It wasn’t a bad year for the World Series, either.”

Allen Myers retired from the ministry (United Church of Christ) in ’12, and has increased his work on restoring pump organs and parlor organs.

You can check it out at his website: mudfogreedorgan.com. He writes: “I enjoy not only the tactile and practical aspects of shop work on 100-plusyear-old musical instruments, but also the research questions that come up with each instrument— how (or why) did they do this or that? How is this company related to that one, etc.?” Allen is secretary for the Reed Organ Society and continues

Art Erickson ’62 and his wife, Judy, in Uganda at a school/orphanage near Kampala last August.

Mt. Hermon ’62 classmates Jock Bethune, Peter Shapiro, and Tony Johnson in Seattle in spring ’13.

to teach geology and marine science at the Ellsworth branch of the University of Maine. Alice Hildebrand ’69 and Allen are in the third year of a commuting marriage. She is pediatric chaplain at Maine Medical Center in Portland, and Allen tends her father and his organ shop and teaching gig in Brooklin, 150 miles away. “We’ve done that before over the last 19 years, but as I get older, it gets old sooner. Having arrived, however unwillingly, at 70, I am made thoughtful.” They have four grandchildren in Maine and Pennsylvania.

From the Alumni Office: Anthony Hill and Marilyn Attwater Grant ’66 were volunteer research assistants with the Puffin Project, the National Audubon’s Seabird Restoration Program at Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge in outer Penobscot Bay, Maine, last July. They were delighted to discover the NMH connection. Among other things, the research team explained the Puffin Project and the work on Seal Island over dinner with the guests on a birding by schooner cruise.

Anthony has been a volunteer with the Puffin Project since ’96.

contributing her talents to NMH’s cultural life.

Cindy writes: “Former NMH theater teacher David Rowland and Mary “Boots” Bannister Roth ’61 are launching a summer theater company at NMH, beginning this June. The company, to be called the Silverthorne Theater Company (in grateful memory of our old theater on the Northfield campus), will eventually be a fully professional company—we’re working on a five-year plan to get to that point— with all performances at the Rhodes Arts Center.”

This summer the company plans to produce three shows with a main-stage core company performing Peter Shaffer’s farce Black Comedy. Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle will include adults in the main roles and NMH Summer School students in minor roles. Finally, the NMH Summer School students will perform their own show (David Ives one-act plays) at the conclusion of the term.

“We’ve been most encouraged by the school’s willingness to go along with our plan. Both David and I will be teaching theater in Summer School, and we hope to have as many students as possible for this launch. Down the road, the program will expand and the goal of a fully accredited professional theater will contribute much to the school’s image as a cultural hub.”

Cindy would love to hear stories from classmates about their experiences working in the old Silverthorne Theater.

62 N

SUE SAUNDERS CHANDLER 3/50 Walsh Street South Yarra Victoria, 3141 Australia susanchandler1@mac.com

We were pleased to hear from Ruth Panofsky Morgan-Jones, who writes: “My husband, Chris, is retiring after 40 years as a priest (vicar) in the Church of England and honorary canon of Canterbury Cathedral. I am not retiring, but will continue to work for the charity I founded 11 years ago, the HearSay Charitable Trust. As a psychotherapist, I also see people in my private practice. As our current house goes with Chris’s job, we will be moving in February to Whitstable, Kent. This will be 20 minutes away from our son and twin grandkids.

Our little house is also a five-minute walk from the sea. You are most welcome to stop by if you should ever be in the southeast of England. While I may be an ocean away, I continue to hold NMH close to my heart.” You can email Ruth at ruthmorgan jones@gmail.com.

It was great to hear that Lucinda “Cindy” Kidder is back from the West Coast and again

62

MH

E. SCOTT CALVERT 440 Terrace St Ashland OR 97520-3004 scottcalvert@mac.com

The bulk of us will be 70 this year. That should encourage more news from you. At least my fall ’13 plea for news bore fruit.

Bill Arnold is in his fifth year as a full-time professor at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, teaching the geopolitics of energy to grad students from business and the sciences. He has just accepted a position on the Energy Advisory Committee of Lloyd’s Register in London. He and his wife, Cathy, get to New York as often as possible to see their three grandchildren.

Travel highlights for John Dunn included a trip to the Holy Land and then to Auckland, New

spring 2014 I class notes I 59

Zealand. “It was great to visit the sites that Judson Stent, Reverend Kelley, and Chet Seamans used to be so enthused about. I was fortunate enough to be in Auckland sufficiently ahead of the America’s Cup to witness the New Zealand team practicing in their AC72s. As a sailor, I was thrilled. I am concerned that our classmate, Ted Thompson, has more medical receipts than I do and that he needs our best wishes. I enjoy reading almost anything about anyone in our class of ’62, so I plead: Come on guys. Let’s help Scotty out.”

Art Erickson writes: “Although I only attended two years, I had many valued experiences, met a lot of great guys, and always look forward to hearing about their life activities. I don’t have regrets, since the two years I had in high school were equally valuable, and in a most unusual way, these events set me up for a college where I met my wife. This September we will celebrate our 50th anniversary with our three married children and eight grandchildren. This past year, Judy and I led a mission trip to Kenya and Uganda. We are both in good health, although I am not ready for a Pie Race but, perhaps, some serious doubles matches. My middle son keeps suggesting I join him in a triathlon, but that may be a real stretch.”

Ted Lenz writes: “Amid the normalcy of our lives comes the realization that we’re getting older and that leads to health problems. While I’m in good health, I find myself seeing obituaries of people I know. Now it’s hitting close to home. In the last 18 months, my wife, Anne Walker Lenz, has had four surgeries, the last of which caught a problem that came very close to being fatal. So, this Christmas season, Anne and I cherish the gift of life itself, the joy of family and friends, and the simple pleasure of simple pleasures. We’ll let others do their part to lift the economy this year.”

Dick Linthicum had his 43-year anniversary at Citi in June ’13. Next June, he plans to take his family on another Bermuda cruise to celebrate the 70th. After that it’s South America, starting in Rio and ending in Santiago, Chile. His beach house in the Hamptons was destroyed by superstorm Sandy and is about to be demolished to be replaced with a beach bungalow. It took a year to get permits and the design done. They are going up five feet with a crawl space, which allows seawater in high tides or storms to go through and not damage the house.

Dick is looking forward to the 150th LafayetteLehigh football game next November at Yankee Stadium.

Tony Miller retired from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library in December ’13 after 35 years in the central library in downtown Atlanta. Tony plans to keep singing, play more piano and organ, write more, and see more of his eight grandchildren. Tony is assembling a virtual organ system at home so that when the church where he sings bass enlarges its organ early in ’14, there will be some point in his sitting down at its four-manual console.

“I’ll have done my pedal practice at home.” Tony says his greatest accomplishment is being married to the same smart, talented woman for 38 years— “and she still wants me around.”

60 I NMH Magazine

Richard Mueller just cannot stay retired. “To our surprise, Shanghai American School many months ago asked me to be interim superintendent this year while they looked for a permanent superintendent. We arrived in July, and this fall the board asked us to stay for three years—until summer of ’16. We get along well and the match seems to be a good one. (Another two-campus school—3,350 students on two campuses an hour’s drive apart.) Check out our website: www.saschina. org. Fascinating seeing China up close again.”

Claire writes: “In our first months in Shanghai, we’ve traveled to surrounding areas, such as the famous Suzhou gardens (the Garden of the Humble Administrator is a good reminder of the virtues of some humility in leadership) and the I.M. Pei-designed museum, which is a work of art itself.

We also spent time in Bangkok at a regional education conference catching up with many old friends.”

One of the highlights of their year was the birth of a granddaughter, their third grandchild. The family was planning to gather in Borneo for Christmas.

From both Muellers, “So here we are exploring one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in the world. It’s quite an extraordinary place. Shanghai has benefited particularly from China’s overall rapid growth and ‘reform and opening up’ of the last three decades. It is a principal place for China’s international business, trade, and investment activity.

Shanghai’s citizens are among the most well-off in China. They—and we—have access to a wide range of consumer goods, great restaurants, art galleries— and lots of traffic. But an inexpensive city it is not.

China also faces significant challenges, but that’s for another letter.”

Mark Perry reports not much is happening, other than singing. ”I’m enjoying a good season with the Fairfax Choral Society. We spent three days this fall cutting our second Christmas CD. I believe it will be on the Gothic Music label, which our first CD (also Christmas music) two or three years ago was on. The big news for the choral society is an invitation to sing at New York’s Carnegie Hall in the spring of ’15. I hope my voice will still be in fine fettle then.”

Eric Riedel is retiring in June after 44 years as a dean of students, the last 11 years at Hiram College in Ohio. Last June Eric became a grandfather for the first time. He reports that he is “seeing” former Northfield classmate Karen Anne Smith Zee and intends to return to New England when he retires.

Paul Wade shares: “Is ageism as rife in the U.S. as it is here in London? The first question at a function usually starts with something about ‘your retirement.’ As travel writers still earning a crust, my wife, Kathy, and I use the same line: ‘When they retire, most folk play golf and travel. We don’t play golf, and we are paid to travel. So we are not retiring.’ In ’13, we crossed the pond half a dozen times on assignments to places that we highly recommend to British readers—and American readers: northeast Florida (Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine); Stowe, Vt.; Gettysburg; the Black Hills of Dakota (much more than just Mount Rushmore); Prince Edward Island; Montreal and

the Laurentians (great cycling trail); and Savannah, Ga., for Christmas. Google up President Lincoln and Savannah and you will see why.”

So there you have it, some news from the men of ’62 with thanks to those who responded to my call for notes. Hopefully that will whet your collective appetites enough that more of you will actually write. I will have tales of our two-and-a-half-month African odyssey.

63

NMH

DIANE SEWALL CHAISSON 25 Williams Rd N Grafton MA 01536-1237 diane@meadowlarks-farm.net WILLARD THOMEN 417 Nicholson St Joliet IL 60435-7043 wthomen@stfrancis.edu

From Diane: Blessings of the season to you. By the time you read this, it will be spring at NMH, but as I write, it is the changing of the year; we are expecting snow, and the temperature is in the single digits. No longer is it our 50th reunion year, but that doesn’t mean we are any less interested in what you are doing. I know many of you keep up via Facebook and the class website, but for those who don’t, emails or letters to your secretaries are still appreciated. Will and I love to pass on your news to everyone via NMH Magazine.

From all accounts, this has been a transitional year for many. Some of you have retired; some are dealing with health issues. Margery Attwater Mosher dealt with ligament damage to a finger in the summer; Debby Eaton Peck fell, broke her wrist, and had surgery to repair it in the fall. As you will see in Bee’s letter below, she is going to be a whole new woman by the end of next year due to her severe arthritis. Mimi Woodcock Karlsson has one new knee with the second one to come in ’14.

There are new hips, new knees, cataracts, etc. We care about all of you. Let us know what’s going on so your classmates can add their prayers and best wishes.

Others of us are becoming more active as we retire and have more time. Carol Waaser continues to bike around the country and world, though it is harder to keep up, as she has given up Facebook. I, like many of you, try to hit the gym four or five days a week, but otherwise winter keeps me inside and at the loom and seed catalogs as I wait for spring.

Molly Hogan writes: “I made two trips to the Holy Land this year: first in January on a Friends of Sabeel tour with many destinations in the West Bank and some in Israel. The second trip was to Jerusalem in November to attend the Sabeel ninth International Conference. I stayed in Bethlehem with a friend at her B & B.” Joan Erlanger wrote in October in answer to a birthday wish: “Happy to hear that fall on the Cape is still as beautiful as I remember. We headed into the Willamette Valley last week for a peek at

the foliage ablaze. Almost finished getting alliums planted. Still some fall chores waiting in the garden.

Cider pressing later this week. Life is full and a whole lot of fun.”

Bee Rubendall Boster sent a Christmas email card. “My year was one of hard duty and—so far— good outcomes. I had surgery for right hip replacement in January, left shoulder replacement in May, and a reverse replacement of my right shoulder in October. Lots of pain and physical therapy, still ongoing for a few months. Next year my right hip.

Then, at some point both knees will have to be redone because the 12-year-old hardware is breaking down inside.” She did get to do some traveling in between procedures to see family and deal with family transitions, such as the sale of her family’s home in Pennsylvania and to visit with son Bob’s family in California. Son Drew is close to Bee to keep an eye on her during recoveries.

Harriet Goff Guerrero sent via Facebook: ”My granddaughter (13) is going to NMH for an interview on Saturday. Yikes. She will be 14 in September and entering ninth grade. I’m glad we’re all so young still.” Yes, Harriet, we are still young, as proven by all who turned out for reunion. Seeing that post gave me real perspective on who I was and how young I was when I first went to Northfield at 13. Now our grandchildren are that age.

64

NMH

EASTY (ROBERT) EASTMAN PO Box 218 Shaftsbury VT 05262-0218 rheastman4@comcast.net

PAMELA STREET WALTON PO Box 33 Spofford NH 03462-0033 pawalton@myfairpoint.net

From Pam: When NMH reminded me that class notes were due, I sent out my usual plea for content. The responses can be summed up by a sentence from a holiday letter: “The past year has been an emotional one with sharp contrasts of deep sorrow and ecstatic jubilation.” Loved, respected friends and family members have died, and several classmates endure ongoing medical problems that will not allow them to attend Reunion ’14, but grandchildren continue to be born, awards are won, marriages take place, and milestones are met (even surpassed) to boost our hopes and dreams. Every time I compile this column, I am reminded that we are remarkable, giving Northfield women. We are Northfield strong.

“The 2013 Melanson Miscellany” (yearly letter) told me about the life and times of Sue Chapman Melanson. If you don’t know about Sue, our adopted classmate, see her profile at northfield andmounthermon1964.com. She and her husband, Art, had an amazing year on their Maine farm with family events, maple sugaring, her incredible artwork, deep-sea fishing out of Ogunquit, and

Art’s 50th Wellesley High School reunion, and then came Sue’s diagnosis of recurring breast cancer.

Thankfully, her oncologist is optimistic that she and Art will be doing the stroll at both of her 50th reunions—Northfield and Wellesley High School.

Becky Elwell Axelrod continues to sort and divide generations of keepsake treasures she is uncovering in her family home in Massachusetts. As a member of the Essex Universalist Church, she has been working with a consortium of congregations on two statewide initiatives to raise the minimum wage and guarantee sick leave. Singing/theater she does: church choir (even duets), concerts with Chorus North Shore and Cape Ann Symphony Singers, community theater, and even a small part in The Crucible with the Salem Theater Company.

Her talents continue.

Bob and Gayle Landgraf Leaversuch welcomed two more grandchildren in ’13, so now have five in the Greater Boston area with whom they are actively involved. In November, they met Kathy Childs Jones at the Museum of Fine Arts to tour the special exhibit of “Sargent’s Watercolors.” Gayle and Kathy are planning a minireunion with Becky Elwell Axelrod and Marci Pieters prior to our gala event in June.

John and Nancy Jackson Moncure also have new grandchildren. Owyn (6) is in the first grade, Seamus (2), and their younger granddaughter is 9 months. Both daughters live nearby. John and Nancy live in the house they built in Harpswell, Maine, in ’74. Nancy works part time, which allows her to play tennis and babysit. John is involved with the redevelopment of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, in addition to his law practice and position coaching squash at Bowdoin.

Nancy hopes classmates will put their anger behind them and return to reunion to see friends. She wishes to see Annette Albano Riposo, Lynn Miles, Sarah “Sally” Harbison Robinson, Diantha “Dee Dee” Dunn Bell, and so many others. We all hope you’ll return to see us.

In November, Virginia “Weegee” Look Brooks had dinner in New York with Brian Farrell, a real treat, since when she is traveling for her job as a capital giving officer at Harvard, she rarely has time to see her NMH friends. Later in the month, she had Thanksgiving with Peter Marsh and Judith Bryant. She and Jude have shared memories from Northfield, Barnard, Grenoble, and Vermont. In fact, it was Weegee who introduced Peter to Jude during freshman orientation week at Barnard/Columbia so many years ago. Weegee’s older daughter, Meghan Brooks ’93, was able to join her sister’s family and Weegee in St. Louis for the holiday season. Christmas was spent helping younger daughter, Hannah, take care of grandson, Evan (5), and newly adopted baby girl, Cora. Having good friends and close family are precious gifts.

After retiring from the Foreign Service (USAID health officer) in ’06, Margaret Neuse consulted for several years. Now fully retired, local environmental volunteer work and senior courses keep her mentally acute, while walking, hiking, and yoga are her means of staying in shape. She spends summers

at her Vermont lakeside camp, where she enjoys gathering with relatives, NMH cohorts, and college friends.

Pete and Jean Kamman Burling are retired.

Jean spent 30 years as a judge and Pete was in the New Hampshire legislature. These lawyers are passionate about social justice issues, so they continue to be involved with projects that address that need. The plan for the future is to live five months (the cold ones) in Florida and the rest of the year at their farm in Cornish, N.H., which they purchased almost 45 years ago. Just recently, they designed and built a downsized house near Delray Beach, Fla. Travel has included active, not sitting, vacations to Morocco (spring ’13), Israel, and Petra (spring ’14), and flights to San Francisco to be with their son, Jon, who is finishing a master’s program in trade policy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. They look forward to reconnecting with everyone at reunion.

George and Marcia Eastman Congdon continue to live life to the fullest in the Southwest—George turning beautiful wood items for his business, Congdon Hill Crafts, and Marcia creating silver jewelry and crocheting for charity.

Son John is an administrator with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Daughter Nancy lives nearby and works for the Red Cross in Tucson.

The highlight of their 13,000-mile cross-country trip last summer was a week of camping with their grandchildren Ryan (9) and Julia (6). Maybe they’ll plan a similar camping trip this summer after reunion.

Speaking of camping, Gail Myers Pare and her husband, Jack, acquired a camper, which Jack refurbished, and in December took it on its maiden voyage to Raleigh, N.C., via Tennessee. Gail says she plans to eventually join in, but…she is a busy woman with choral singing, planning board, NMH reunion chair, grandparenting, and Historic District Commission (Tricentennial was in ’13). Gail’s mother, the oldest town resident, rode in a 1914 Model T in the Tricentennial Parade.

Last summer, when several of us were on the NMH campus to plan reunion, Gayle and Lydia Sarles Merchant stayed at The Inn at Crump-inFox in Bernardston. Coincidentally, Joanne Westin (who grew up at Mt. Hermon but now lives in Ohio) was also there for a reunion with numerous family members, including her husband, Roy, and daughters Katie (architect) and Cassie (high school teacher). They reminisced and toured both the current NMH campus and the vacant Northfield campus and discovered Laurel Lake. We’re looking forward to seeing Joanne again at reunion.

Liz Spear Graham and Mardi Drew Keyes both commented that while they still have their worn record versions of our ’63 Christmas Vespers, they were overwhelmed with nostalgia to receive the CD version (remember Mardi’s solo?). Liz went on to say: “It took me right back to the moment in the chapel that winter night and much of my youth at Northfield just came racing before my eyes. I am frankly surprised that I wasn’t pulled over, as I was dissolved in tears as I drove north of Los

spring 2014 I class notes I 61

Angeles on the 101. It was as if angels were singing to me. Truly a most unprecedented and welcome experience.” Last summer Liz had a gathering with Franny Bridges-Cline and Debbi Blodgett in Vermont, and they convinced her to make the cross-country trek to reunion. Liz still occasionally takes acting roles, but the big news is that she has completed her first novel. Read more on her website: elizabethspeargraham.com. In California, she regularly sees Alison Marshall Zanetos ’65 and is also in touch with Susan Alexieff Marangel.

Another California lady, Sue Delaney McConchie, and her husband, Don, love living in San Diego, but departed in February ’13 for a two-month trip to Australia, Samoa, and Hawaii. They decided they needed to pay attention to uncertainty and do the things they wanted to do—good advice. They’re looking forward to our 50th.

Catherine “Touchy” Bliss Squires lives in what she describes as a quintessential thatched cottage in a perfect English village (minus the murders). She will not be able to join us for reunion, though wishes she could. She told me I was “brave” attempting to get classmates to communicate and apologized for being one of the lazy and unwilling ones. She then wrote me a detailed letter about her life with her husband, Frank, and the joy of her daughter, Catherine, and Catherine’s family. She described Frank as a family friend who was almost 30 years her senior, a debonair Rex Harrison sort of Englishman. During their almost 40 years together, they lived most of the time in London and bought the cottage just five years before Frank’s death. I know I would’ve liked Frank, for after retiring from Mobil Oil (vice president of northern Europe), he spent 20 years starting up companies and playing tennis. It’s the “playing tennis” that caught my attention. Wish I could share all of Touchy’s thoughts.

They were beautiful. She did say to tell everyone to come see her in Tewkesbury, but I’ll bet she’s willing to meet you in town. Her son-in-law is the rector of a church in central London.

I end with happiness. Jane Avery and her longtime partner, Denise Merritt, were married at their seaside home in Winter Harbor, Maine, (which looks across Frenchmen’s Bay to Cadillac Mountain) 7/27/13. Jane’s Simmons College roommate, Carmen Perry Santos, was her maid of honor, thus completing the circle, as Jane was Carmen’s maid of honor 43 years ago.

Our 50th reunion will be a time to reconnect as well as to make new friends whom we did not know in ’64. Looking forward to seeing you. Lobster and carillon bells (now located in the Rhodes Arts Center) call us. If you still haven’t made reservations for reunion, don’t miss this chance… come join us June 5–8, 2014. It’s never too late until it’s June 9.

From Easty: Brian Farrell and Wendy Moonan attended the Christmas Vespers in New York City in December. Brian writes: “The kids sang and played in the chamber orchestra quite well, and the sheer number of participants was really impressive. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any other classmates, but we did have a chance to speak

62 I NMH Magazine

with the new head of school, Peter Fayroian. I’m sure everyone who meets him at reunion in June will agree the school is in very good hands.”

Dave Mensel and Anne moved from Nashville to their cabin in rural Hickman County, where they have a small farm. Dave and Anne built a nearby cottage on their farm for their daughter, Makayla, who has published seven or eight children’s and young adult books under the pen name McCollonough Ceili. Anne has completely retired but still works part time on forensic accounting matters (fraud investigations, business valuations, damages calculations, etc.). In early October, Dave’s barbershop quartet, The DinoChords, won the district senior quartet championship. The same weekend his chorus earned the right to represent the district in Las Vegas in the International Barbershop Chorus competition next July. Dave and Anne get to spend time with granddaughter, Olivia (4½), whenever possible. She lives in nearby East Nashville. Dave lost his mother (92) in August. “She was enjoying a glass of wine with three friends after church and was hit with a massive stroke in the middle of laughing and was gone without knowing what happened. She was a grand lady and deeply missed.”

For more news, check out our class website at www.northfieldandmounthermon1964.com. It’s free, easy, and secure.

65

NMH

WENDY SWANSON-AVIRGAN 106 Blueberry Dr Stamford CT 06902-1828 wsavirgan@aol.com HENRI RAUSCHENBACH 2 Endicott Lane, PO Box 1064 Brewster MA 02631-7064 henri.rauschenbach@gmail.com www.northfieldmounthermon65.com

From Wendy: Beth Zelnick Palubinsky emailed in October: “I met Ann and Tony Cantore in New York City for a lovely day of walking, talking, catching up over pastry and coffee at my favorite little French bakery, and then lunch in Chelsea.

We’re all so busy, they in retirement and me in a new phase of my work life, that the day flew by.

I’m building my practice as a Life-Cycle Celebrant, trained and certified by Celebrant Foundation and Institute, still doing development consulting, and still singing, too. I’m collaborating with a poet friend on an evening of reading and song that we’ll present here in Philadelphia in November, something neither of us has done before. I’m used to having a loud rock band behind me, so this is an exciting departure. In my celebrant work, I do mostly weddings, but also some funerals and babynaming events. The work demands a lot of research and writing, brings me close to people with diverse beliefs, and reminds me of the richness of the world’s values and aspirations. Al and I travel often, lots of long road trips, and some travel outside the U.S., too, when we can.”

Bruce Johnson ’65

Nan Waite joined Judy Preble Miller for dinner and Vespers in New York City in December.

Nan writes: “Very nice selection of music and good performances by the choirs and the orchestra. I had never been to the church where this was held, but learned this was where Judy and Ed were married.”

Your correspondent, Wendy Swanson-Avirgan, and Abby Ayers Bruce met for dinner and long conversation one evening in December. We reminisced about the “pizza group” that gathered for dinners in Stamford a few times a year back in the ’90s, before some members relocated to other parts of the country. In addition to Abby and me, regulars included Deborah Boldt, Cynthia GilbertMarlow, Candace Lindsay, Jeanne Moon, Candace Reed Stern, and Nan Waite. Others who joined us at one time or another were Elinor Livingston Redmond, Judith Mintie Scollay, Beth Zelnick Palubinsky, and Charry Boris ’66. The

highlight of one rollicking evening was a deadpan reading by Deborah of the lyrics to “The Catalpa Song,” composed by Bruce Johnson in tribute to a new tree chosen by the school to replace our late, lamented copper beech class tree.

I was deeply saddened by the untimely deaths in July and September ’13, respectively, of two class of ’64 East Hall dear friends and mentors, Johnsy Middleton and Constance Boardman. At a reception after Connie’s memorial service in New York City in October, Judith Bryant ’64, Lee Ryder ’64, Karen Singer Baker ’64, and I reminisced about our East Hall friends and Northfield and the profound influence all have had on our lives.

And in light of that influence we all have experienced, whether we view it as positive or negative or some combination of both, I hope that you will return to NMH for our 50th reunion in June 2015.

Yes, we may mourn that the Northfield campus is no longer part of the school, but I hope that we might be able to visit that campus to reminisce and be grateful for memories and friendships forged there so long ago, while at the same time renewing friendships and reveling in the beauty of the campus in Gill, where so much of the Northfield legacy lives on. Please come.

From Henri: In the interest of coastal equity, the alumni correspondent program ventured west this past October for the opportunity to interact with some West Coast members of our class. There had been some chatter about too much focus on odd dinners on the East Coast. With that in mind, we

67

NMH

DONNA EATON-MAHONEY 97 Gifford St Falmouth MA 02540-3306 dmeato@aol.com DANA L. GORDON 106 Westphal St W Hartford CT 06110-1183 mounthermon1967@comcast.net Beth “BZ” Zelnick Palubinsky ’65 and Tony Cantore ’65 got together in New York City last October.

made an effort to see who we could round up for this event. The results can only be characterized as curious. We heard from Chris Murray, who lives close by, that he couldn’t make it, but wanted to know if we needed to borrow his class banner. Even though we didn’t take him up on that, it fostered the idea to put the banner in the recent reunion newsletter that we sent out. We Photoshopped Barbara “Bubbles” Willms Dawn out of that picture in the newsletter as she was holding the banner.

Both Bob Fries and Gary Bartman had petitioned for it, but Bob lives in San Francisco and that was a bit of a stretch. We heard from Dick Deroko—the self-characterized Urban Monk—that he would make it, but was not able to at the last minute. He is quoted as saying: “It’s never too late to do nothing.” Don Emerson had pondered attending, but did not ponder as much as he should have. Our class celebrity, Bob Van Wyck, had said that he would come over the mountains from Arizona, but his wagon train broke down. So, now you would like to know who came. Tom Lemire and Jamie Bennett showed up for a pop and dinner. We had a lengthy discussion about the school, transitions, classmates, the future, politics, our various journeys, etc. It was a great time.

I recently had lunch in Boston with Peter Ticconi, who was on a mission for the Georgia Tech endowment fund. He is in great shape and going strong. The offer stands for anyone coming to Boston to let me know, and I’ll take you to lunch. Just give me some notice. Norman MacLeod sent me a comprehensive email about life after a shortened stint at Hermon. He was inspired by Bible and history, thus now serving as the rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Woodstock, Vt. His avocation is researching the Civil War life of a Guilford, Conn., soldier. Brad Fitzgerald has informed me that he is recovering from some serious stuff.

Some recent postings on our 50th anniversary website have presented some enlightening information about our classmates. Jim Weiss has spent his working life in education and has been a principal in Connecticut, a school superintendent in New Hampshire, and now is the school superintendent on Martha’s Vineyard. Sounds relaxing. Tom Tsui wound up in Washington, D.C., after grad school, and has been at the World Bank ever since. Dean Cromartie wound up in Mississippi practicing medicine and serving on the clinical faculty at the

Tom Lemire ’65, Jamie Bennett ’65, and Henri Rauschenbach ’65 at Stark Bar in L.A.

University of Mississippi Medical School. He can’t wait for reunion.

Dave Stone, who is coordinating our reunion website, would like all of you to get on it. Here’s how. Go to www.northfieldmounthermon65.com.

At the top right is a box for members login. If you’re not yet a member, click the blue link “Join here.” It brings up the entire class list. Locate your name and click on it. It says: if you are (your name), “click here now” to create your login. Proceed through the login page, and subsequent pages, filling in only the required lines (with asterisks), such as your email address, and any other information you’d like to share with classmates. Once you’ve done that, you can log in any time with your name and password, check out the secure sections with classmates’ details, and you’ll receive emails (very few, we promise) from the reunion committee.

There are options in your profile to filter what you receive. This process will take about 10 minutes.

And lastly, some sad news. Bruce Johnson’s brother called me the other day to tell me of Bruce’s passing. Many of us know the enormous commitment Bruce had made to our class and our school working with our five-year class reunions and our 50th birthday celebration. He was a leader in a fascinating network of men and women from the class of ’65 who have worked hard over the past several decades to foster the ability for all of us to communicate with each other. As much as Bruce was dedicated to these efforts, he also very much loved the appreciation for music that he gained from his experience at Hermon. I saw this early on, as I spent a year rooming with Bruce in Springfield in the early ’70s. Other than introducing a rabbit into my life, our apartment on Bowdoin Street was full of laughter and music. So, if you have a minute—pause and reflect. He was a good man.

66

NMH

MARILYN ATTWATER GRANT 43 Spring St Hope Valley RI 02832-1628 classsecy1966@verizon.net FRANK SAPIENZA 425 Washington St, Apt 6 Brookline MA 02446-6128 sapienzafc@cdm.com

Dave Keene and his wife have a daughter (18) who dances with the Boston Ballet Company and had the good fortune to travel to London with the company in July. Their son (16) is a junior at Wellesley High School and plays drums in the jazz band and center on the hockey team. One of Dave’s most vivid memories of NMH was trying to play peacemaker in an altercation between Jim Baldwin and an opposing soccer player from Worcester Academy.

After living in the Midwest for nearly 35 years, Anne Shafmaster is moving back to New England.

Her destination: Newburyport, Mass. She is grateful for the help she has already received from future neighbor Faris Bennett, who lived on the same floor in Weston when they were freshmen and now resides in nearby Newbury, Mass.

As one alum returns to New England, another one hit the road. After he retired in the summer of ’13, Tracy Ambler and his wife, Nancy, sold their house on Cape Cod and set out to explore the country in their truck/camper combo. But after a nasty encounter with stinkbugs in Delaware and Pennsylvania, they scouted out a suitable upgrade and raced to Kansas to pick it up. After that, it was back to more leisurely exploration of points throughout the South, with further adventures awaiting them down the highway.

Nancy Hemmerly still works for AFSCME, a public employees’ union in Pennsylvania, but she is looking forward to retirement. Nancy reports she is happily divorced and enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren.

Artist Colin Cochran lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and part time in New York City. The gallery that represents him in Santa Fe, Gebert Contemporary, has mounted a solo exhibition of his new paintings, which can also be viewed on Colin’s website, www. colincochran.com. Colin and longtime partner, Paul Langland, are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and are pleased their marriage is now legal in the three states most important to them: New York, New Mexico, and Massachusetts.

Judith Hull has been teaching at Emerson College for the past few years, mostly art history, but she’s looking forward to a new course on suburbia, as well as one on the 19th century. She’s hoping for an expanded work life as her daughter heads to college in the fall. Judith’s husband, Dennis McFadden, is director of the Atwood House Museum and Chatham Historical Society on Cape Cod, so when you visit, be sure to let him know you are from NMH. In November, Gary Barnes accomplished

spring 2014 I class notes I 63

something many of us only dream of. He stepped up to the tee at the Venetian Golf & River Club in Venice, Fla., took a swing, and made a hole in one. An excited Gary proclaimed: “Wow. I’ve seen the Red Sox win three World Series, I’ve traveled to Africa, I’ve experienced the joy of my grandson, the love of my wife and family, the friendship of many old and new friends, and now I’ve hit a hole in one.

What more does this wonderful life have to offer?”

For about a year and a half, Sheila Morse enjoyed being retired and living in Guilford, Vt., just 20 minutes from NMH. But late in ’13, she was convinced to return to work by her former employer to help manage a transition period when three senior managers resigned. That meant a oncea-week commute between Vermont and Cambridge, Mass. While she was still retired, Sheila and her partner, Dick, took her two sons (one is Joshua Morse ’06) and their significant others to Italy and England for a wonderful vacation, touring; tasting wines; eating extremely well; wandering alleys in Venice, Pisa, and other cities; and enjoying theater and pubs in London. They are still feeling blessed that six adults traveled so well together. Last August, Sheila’s father died after a long period of declining health.

When she entered the church for his service, the first person she saw was Tina Dobsevage—her “wonderful Northfield/Brandeis/life friend of 50 years.”

Tina continues her practice in internal medicine in New York City, caring for elderly patients. Her husband has a psychoanalytic practice, while publishing and teaching at Columbia. Their daughter is midway through law school at NYU, and their son is graduating from City College with a major in biochemistry.

In ’09, Barbara Bierkoe Peer earned her Ed.D. in pastoral counseling through Argosy University and became a licensed mental health counselor in Florida. She is now a counselor for Charlotte Correctional Institute, a maximum security men’s prison in Punta Gorda, Fla., not far from where she lives. For fun, Barbara and her husband, Jonathan, go scuba diving as often as they can.

After 30 years in high tech, then five years teaching technology to young ones (where he used some of the teaching ideas of friend and fireworks co-conspirator Max Millard), Dave Rockwell made the smooth transition from unemployment to retirement. He loves pursuing his passions of deep-sea fishing, kayaking, bass fishing, grandchildren, and cooking. He frequently puts his tech skills to work, volunteering to fix computers and networks for the people around him. Dave reads a lot and makes cod jigs and fly teasers by the fire when it’s too cold or rough to go out. He and his wife, Dianne, the cake lady of Lancaster, Mass., have three grown children: Chris, a diver at Sea World in Orlando, Fla.; Allyson, a teacher in New Hampshire (on a lake with all the grandkids); and Ben, a child care counselor at Robert F. Kennedy Action Corps in Lancaster, Mass., where Dave used to teach.

Ann Peckham Barrentine has been living in Bloomington, Ind., since ’85 with her daughter Tyanne (26) and son Max (23). She loved being

64 I NMH Magazine

an at-home mom, substitute teacher, and working in special education until her retirement in ’11.

She now enjoys traveling, gardening, and being involved in Christian ministry. Ann says she may make it back to the 50th.

Since ’06, Patricia Watson Bartlett has split time between Duke in North Carolina and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi, Tanzania. While she loves the peace of Moshi, family in North Carolina will always hold the trump card. You can follow her adventures on her blog at nigrilover.blogspot.com.

Our class was represented at Vespers in New York by Marty Ratcliff Rix and Mollie Lininger Alkan. Marty reports that she found the service moving. She closed her eyes at one point and was taken back decades.

Donna Eaton Mahoney renewed a childhood friendship with Nancy Alexander Randall ’68.

During a fall visit to Nancy’s home in Vermont, the two traveled to the Canadian border for a visit to Due North Winery, owned by Kathy Knapp Marn ’68. Consider a stop if you find yourself in the St. Albans area.

If you have not already done so, please join more than 110 other classmates as members of our Facebook group. Put Northfield Mount Hermon, Class of 1967 in the search box and ask to join the group. You can also keep up with all the class news on our own dedicated web page at www.nmh1967. com or scan the QR Code with your mobile device.

68

NMH

KRIS ALEXANDER ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com PETER L. ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com MARK G. AUERBACH PO Box 60784 Longmeadow MA 01116-0784 mgauerbach@gmail.com

Stevens, Ruth Stevens, Steven Tower, Jay Ward, and Buddy Whitehouse. Want to join the

group? Contact Mark, Kris, or Pete.

Spotted on campus for September alumni committee meetings: Pam Beam, Dave Hickernell, and Mark Auerbach.

A number of classmates gathered for a Washington, D.C., dinner hosted by Karen and Bill Newman. According to Bill, “Pam Sardeson joined us, as did Deborah Sliz and her husband, Alan Yandow, Fred Cook and his wife, Denise, Gary Hopson and his wife, Shelley Cabell, Rafe Sagalyn, Marjorie Swett, and Don Stanton. Don talked about sequestration and had the good fortune to get a call on the way home from the dinner telling him that he was being called back to DOD immediately.”

Lillian Tang, Audrey Goldsmith Kubie, Adrienne Faison, and Ruth Stevens got together

in November for their annual NMH68/Hibbard New York City gathering. Ruth added: “I was in Argentina to teach marketing at a Buenos Aires business school in October and had two similar trips to Taiwan over the summer. I just published a new study on the depth of prospecting data that’s available to business marketers today. (For a free download go to www.ruthstevens.com and click on white papers.) Ruth and her significant other, Leonard Bronfeld, met Mark Auerbach and NMH Archivist Peter Weis ’78 in November for dinner at the Gill Tavern. She saw Hillary Johnson and Pam Beam at the New York City Vespers service.

Harriet Chessman’s fourth novel, The Beauty of Ordinary Things, was published by Atelier26 Books.

She began a national book tour in November, which continues through summer ’14. (Itinerary at www.harrietchessman.com.) Harriet’s daughter, Marissa Wolf, married Tom Toro in the summer of ’13, and her son, Micah Wolf, is on the postproduction editing team of The Hunger Games. Gabe, her youngest, is now known as Supermouse, an independent musician with a new EP, “Nascent.”

Husband Bryan is soon to retire from the art history department at Stanford.

Jean Davis was a winner at Vermont’s Gilfeather Turnip Festival. She was feted for having the best name for a giant turnip: “Lakshmi Tree Turnip.” Photo proof of her turnip and the festival are posted on her Facebook page. Jean lives in Dummerston, Vt., and is head of the occupational therapy department at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke, Mass. Daughter,

The following folks have volunteered, thus far, to serve on our 50th reunion committee: Mark Auerbach, Pam Beam, Nancy Lovett Bray, Stephen Cole, Ed Cook, Fred Cook, Judy Molesworth Darnell, Jean Davis, Molly Mosser Downer, Kristin Alexander Eschauzier, Peter Eschauzier, Becky Bright Freeland, Marion McCollom Hampton, David Hickernell, Gary Hopson, Rebecca Schrom Lamb, Bill Newman, Pam Sardeson, Deborah Sliz, Jeff Sliz, Nancy

Bill Newman ’68 and his wife, Karen, hosted an NMH ’68 dinner in the D.C. area. L. to r.: Gary Hopson, his wife, Shelley Cabell, Bill Newman, Deborah Sliz, and Fred Cook.

New grandfather Bob Schwartz ’68 with his sons, Daniel and Aaron, and his grandson, Harlan.

Jean Davis ’68, far left, takes home the prize at the Gilfeather Turnip Festival.

Alyse, lives close by, is a doula, waitress, and dancer.

Daughter, Shayna, lives in Portland, Ore., works at Whole Foods, and interns at the children’s museum.

Jean is involved in her town’s Transition Town Initiative, which is part of an international initiative to build sustainability and community on the local level. This comes down to neighbors helping neighbors, growing more food locally, etc. Jean has an educational vegetable garden, which was part of a garden tour in August, and was filmed to be part of a documentary.

News of big changes from Jonathan Ives. He reconnected with his college girlfriend, Tempe Weinbach, in December ’11 after more than 40 years. After 1,500-plus emails and phone calls, Jon and Tempe reunited on Nantucket in August ’12.

Flash-forward: Jon retired after 34 years of teaching music in Missoula, Mont., and Jon and Tempe were married on 12/28/13 in Middleburg, Va. The newlyweds will split their time among Virginia, Montana, and Nantucket.

From Wendy Ferris Greeney: “I haven’t kept in touch since they sold the old campus, and I’m not sure I would attend another reunion. Just not the same; however, it is fun to read the ’68 section of the news, and I sometimes wonder how people are doing. I have seen Barbara Kane Russell often through the years. For a while my husband and I had a summer place in the Keys, and we would drive down and stop for the night at her home in Nashville. It is always good to get together and have a meal and share memories. I am happily living in Mequon, Wisc. (just north of Milwaukee), with my husband, Paul. We are both retired. Our son, Daniel, is in a screenwriting master’s program at DePaul, and Jonathan is principal timpanist

for the Oregon Symphony. He and wife Yoko (a pianist) live in Portland, Ore, with their son, Masato (5), and daughter, Aya (3). We all get together around Christmas and in the summer. Paul and I bought a summer home in Traverse City, Mich., last year, and the whole family visits for two weeks of chaos and fun. Life has been full over the years. I always feel nostalgic for Christmas Vespers at this time of year, and I so miss Mr. Raymond and the beautiful music he instilled in all of us.”

Cap Kane writes: “I read with pleasure and with no small amount of envy the notes from the 45th reunion. Sounds like a great turnout, and I regretted not being amongst our classmates. A special ‘shoutout’ to Brad Reed, Buddy Whitehouse, and Molly Mosser Downer. Here’s hoping they and all the others will return for the 50th. My sister Constance Kane ’66 and I have created a scholarship fund for NMH tuition. The school does an excellent job of informing us who benefits from the funds, and the recipients write wonderful letters as well. A ‘feel-good’ situation for all.”

Condolences to Kathy Knapp Marn, whose husband, Don, passed away suddenly on 11/11/13.

Irv Priest was sorry to miss reunion. “Having gone through some pretty heavy-duty cancer treatments two years ago, the political nature of the town I was working in (superintendent of public works) made it attractive to retire. I set myself up to begin a business of construction inspection, in particular, municipal infrastructure construction, and Cole Services, LLC, was born (named after our great family dog). I have been very busy since, busier than I’d prefer, but the farmer has to make hay while the sun shines. I enjoy it and it is stressfree. My bride, Sara, is going through a bump in the road with cancer but will be back on top by spring. My daughter, Katie, made me a grandfather last year. My son, Gus, is on sabbatical. With any luck, by the next reunion, Sara and I will be living near St. Johnsbury, Vt., at our property in Concord.

We’ve been working at clearing land, making trails, digging ponds, and meeting friends in that area for eight years now. It’ll be nice to get away from the hustle and bustle.”

Meredith Schroeder Limmer is busy singing, recording CDs of piano and flute music, and traveling to Europe, where her daughter, Winifred, is finishing her Ph.D. at Cambridge. Sons, Henry and Charles, both engineers, live in New York

Ruth Stevens ’68, Hillary Johnson ’68, and Pam Beam ’68 before Vespers in New York City last December.

State and have three boys between them. When not in New York: “we (Dithy and husband, John Limmer ’66) cherish our log home on the shores of Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. Kayaking and snowshoeing are new for me. It was most difficult to leave New Jersey, where I had lived on the same road in the same town since birth. Sometimes, when I realize that for 35-plus years I juggled three jobs and three children plus eventually managing my family’s commercial and noncommercial real estate and aging parents, let’s say I did not think I would survive the time, but I did. I send my love and affection to all I knew from N or MH.” Rebecca Schrom Lamb found it wonderful to connect with so many classmates at reunion. She stayed with Will Melton ’67 and Eliza Childs ’67 on both ends of the weekend. Becky’s looking forward to helping plan our 50th. Becky’s husband sold his restaurants and is retired. Becky continues to work as an insurance broker and in development for two not-for-profits.

Elizabeth and Bob Schwartz became grandparents when Harlan Victor Schwartz was born on 9/12/13 to their son, Daniel, and his wife, Angela.

In September, the Rochester (N.Y.) Community Foundation honored Nancy Stevens and her family with one of its 2013 philanthropy awards. The Robert and Jane Stevens family includes NMH in its charitable giving plans.

John Belluardo lives in Danville, Calif. He retired this year after a 37-year federal career as a public affairs officer, which included positions with the Forest Service, Immigration and Naturalization, and most recently as public affairs director for the National Nuclear Security Administration. He has traveled to all of the Caribbean islands at least once, Hawaii twice a year, as well as all of the European countries, Croatia, Morocco, and Egypt, and has taken safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.

69 N

SUE PINEO STOWBRIDGE PO Box 26 Silver Lake NH 03875-0026 sue.stowbridge@gmail.com

As ’13 winds down and more snow falls, the time has come to put our latest news together. In only a few months, spring will come, and then our next reunion, when there will be lots of news.

Meanwhile, a few people have sent in updates.

Carolyn Brown thinks it is unlikely that she will be able to attend our 45th because she and her spouse, Carole, moved to Surprise, Ariz. Her emails remain the same. Peter Weis ’78, NMH archivist, was thrilled to receive a box of class of ’69 memorabilia for the archives, including Carolyn’s denim skirt, which is the only one he has. There were also lots of Mountain Day pictures, especially of the Hibbard gang. Carolyn has fond memories of her years at Northfield, particularly in Hibbard, though she does not feel allegiance to the downsized school on the Gill campus.

Nancy Clark McGrath is the proud author

spring 2014 I class notes I 65

of the new 5th edition of her Sports Nutrition Guidebook. She says her children are “off the payroll and gainfully employed in Boston.” Nancy enjoys counseling athletes and sports-active people in her sports nutrition private practice in Newton, Mass., and is not ready to retire yet.

Mary DeKruif and Lisa Mathews-Bingham enjoyed an annual Christmas lunch in Denver.

From her genealogy research, Mary discovered they are related to each other through settlers who arrived from Wales on a ship with William Penn.

Mary’s son, Hal, a Harvard Medical School resident in pathology, will spend Christmas in Cambridge with Lisa’s sister-in-law and her family. Meanwhile, Lisa is working for water lawyers, which is very interesting, since water is such a huge issue in the West and probably globally in the future. She also is learning to play blues harmonica. Both are grateful that their fathers are still living in their own homes, and they can be together for Christmas. Anyone passing through Colorado should get in touch.

Charlotte Dickey Gereige is married to a Lebanese doctor and has three grown children, all BU grads. Jonathan (33) is married, lives in Qatar, and has two boys, 8 and 4. She saw them for two months over the summer. Jessica (30) lives in Boston and is doing her last year of internal medicine. Jeffrey (24) works for Booze, an American company based in Beirut, consulting for the different countries in the Gulf.

Sarah Watters Greenlaw bumped into Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 (NMH class notes editor) last August at the 50th reunion of the Winona Ave. Beach gang in Ocean Park, Maine. Sarah walked up to Sally and said: “I was thrilled to see that Mark had the good sense to marry a Northfield girl.” It turned out that Sarah and Sally’s husband, Mark Hamilton, were part of a group of kids who spent summers together in Ocean Park, a Chautauqua community near Saco, though the connection faded when he went off to college in Illinois and she started high school, transferring halfway through freshman year to Northfield. Mark had no idea Sarah had gone to Northfield, but she made the connection when she saw their wedding photo in the class notes in ’05.

Karen Hoff McMahon enlisted the aid of Sue Pineo Stowbridge to pack for a move from Charlestown, N.H., to Concord, N.H., last summer. It is the sort of geography where “You can’t get there from here” definitely applies. Sue had experience helping MarthaJane Tippett Peck and her husband, Rob, do some packing the prior summer for their move to Seattle. Sue hopes to have as much success going through her own stuff as she has helping others go through theirs.

Margie Hord de Mendez had two articles published online. One is in English about the Mixtec region of Puebla, and the other is about the New Testament dedication in the sierra (Náhuatl or Aztec) for a workshop she took at the University of Puebla. Email me for links to these articles.

Becky Rounds Michela doesn’t have anything earthshaking to report. “That is probably a good thing—no one is sick, we have work to do, we are

66 I NMH Magazine

busy trying to figure out what comes next. Our hearts, hands, and heads are all engaged.” They are delighted to have four grandchildren.

Sue Pineo Stowbridge was making conversation at a local bakery while waiting to pick up pies for Thanksgiving. It turned out the other customer was Joan Merriman ‘68, now a resident of neighboring Sandwich, N.H. Small world.

Carol “Cricket” Ward has two married sons who live in Aptos, Calif. She is going there for three winter months to babysit her first grandbaby, Isabelle, while her daughter-in-law, Kim, finishes her postdoctoral project in groundwater off the Antarctic shelf. Carol is retired from clinical practice but still does some teaching with Tufts School of Medicine and credentials work in Portland, Maine.

She is putting her old social chairman tools to work running her church Christmas fair, and sings tenor in the choir. The whole family floated the Grand Canyon last fall—an epic bonding experience, which she highly endorses.

Whether you receive this news at the end of December electronically or on paper in the spring, your reunion committee hopes you are thinking of coming back to join us in June. The committee includes Brian Bauer, Madeline Baum, Lisa Mathews-Bingham, Donna Thurston Downing, Alice Wimer Erickson, Don Hodgkins, Faith Goodwin Hodgkins, Roland Leong, Karen Hoff McMahon, Libby Leonard Siegmund, and Sue Pineo Stowbridge, but we would welcome extra

hands. Please contact any of us if you have time to pitch in. Remember, this is not about the bricks and mortar that we remember, but about renewing old friendships and making new ones. Over time, we have become more relaxed within ourselves and much less interested in things that were so central to the lives of adolescents in the ’60s. Come on.

Give it a go.

69

MH

ROLAND LEONG 55 Kenmore Pl Glen Rock NJ 07452-2013 rl@shotgunreport.com

First, thanks to all who took the time to email me for this column. It makes my task really easy. Your classmates are interested in what you are up to and what you’ve done these past 45 years. What we’ve

Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 and Sarah Watters Greenlaw ’69 met at a beach reunion in Maine last summer.

noticed at our minireunions and campus reunions is that we’re an interesting bunch of fellows, and the conversation is spirited, interesting, and quite often funny. All those who have attended these reunions have almost universally had a great time.

Consider returning to our 45th reunion June 5–8, 2014. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new friends from old acquaintances.

Now, the news. Sam Tobin visited David Lansdale in Ecuador, and among their travels was time spent on the Galápagos Islands. Sam writes: “The minute we walked onto the tarmac on the Enchanted Isles, where Darwin landed some 150 years ago, I knew that something was different. We saw wild flamingos, sea lions, iguana, the famous Galápagos turtle, and the list goes on. But it wasn’t until our all-day hike on the caldera of the second largest volcano in the world that I threw away the passport. Enchanted Isles they are. Lans has been great and reminiscing about Mt. Hermon and days since and building on our 40-year friendship, although the hike he recommended almost killed me.” The evening before Sam returned to the U.S., they soaked in the Papallacta hot springs at 4,000 meters, with the condors flying over the Andes.

David spent time in New York and New England promoting EcoHelix (www.ecohelix.com) and the Beyond Chacay Foundation, which he founded to promote ecotourism and international community service in Ecuador. He hopes to see everyone at reunion. David writes: “I volunteer, nay, insist, on being the coffee roaster and brewer.” He is thankful for the two formative years he spent at Mt. Hermon, “including time in The Cloud…of which I remember little.”

Roger Long says his recent life is a public story due to writing for an online magazine about his travels. About three years ago, he sold his boat design business, got on his sailboat, which he has been living on full time since, and has cruised more than 6,000 miles between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Florida. The business Roger sold designed the core of the U.S. eastern coastal oceanographic fleet, six vessels based from New Hampshire to Florida. He was also research director for two History Channel shows about the Titanic sinking, which earned him a trip down to view all parts of the wreck and explore the surrounding debris field. These shows document an expedition and research that changed our understanding of what the victims of that disaster experienced. Roger says

Sam Tobin ’69, left, and David Lansdale ’69

the programs are rebroadcast frequently, so watch for him. Roger is a consultant to the firm that bought his business and is advising on the design of a coastal research vessel for the College of William and Mary’s marine program. He writes: “I recently found a crew for my sailing adventures as well as a companion in life and am taking a break from my wandering in Albany, N.Y., before we resume traveling in a couple of months.”

Rick Fontaine lives in Baltimore and is “actively involved in finding out just what life is like after retirement.” Rick has four children: Christopher (32) lives in Dallas with his wife and two children; Ian (29) is an M.B.A. candidate in the class of ’15 at Hitosubashi University in Tokyo; Alexandra Fontaine ’05 is a public relations account executive in New York City; and Richard (21) is in college in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Dana Barrows has sponsored a local grammar school to enrich its school library, and he reads monthly with 28 third graders in their classroom.

“This December they read to me books they individually created, with illustrations, self-portraits, and author descriptions, and invited me to their school Christmas musical. This has been transforming for me. There may be a similar program where you all are. I encourage you to explore and try it. In addition to reading with these kids, year 39 with Northwestern Mutual, skiing, watching the Pats, doing Bikram yoga Sunday morning, and living the dream.” Dana is looking forward to reunion.

Bob Linderman was in Boston on business recently and had dinner with Jon Strongin and his wife, Ellen, and their poodle, Raoul. Bob writes: “Jon intended to serve rack of lamb and left it out on the counter while he went to pick up Ellen.

He returned to find a very happy and sated Raoul and no more rack of lamb. We had salmon and laughed about it.” After dinner, they played with Jon’s guitars and took a quick walk down memory lane. “Jon had an old Gibson Melody Maker, once owned by Dave Washburn, that I had coveted, but Jon bought it before I could act. That guitar has tickled the back of my brain for 45 years and playing it in Jon’s house was fabulous.” Bob is considering re-creating a very “1969” experience for the 45th reunion by renting a bus, of sorts, and driving cross-country with a few alums, picking up stragglers along the way. “Any adventurous guys out there who want to be picked up in Colorado or Missouri or other points east?”

Paul Murtha ’69

Jon Strongin enjoys working one day a week, seeing patients limited to pulmonary and sleep disorders. His wife, Ellen Seely, who also is a physician, is director of clinical research, endocrinology, and vice-chair of medicine for faculty development at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

He sees Rob Longley, who recently dropped off one of his paintings. Jon and Ellen’s daughter lives in Austin, Texas, where she and her husband have a company, Hummusphere Foods, which makes smoked hummus. Their son, Matt, works in clean technology venture capital in Minneapolis, Minn.

Al Gilbert started a new job as business development manager for American Express Business Travel, covering Silicon Valley start-ups. “I find myself selling to CEOs and CFOs half my age.”

Al reports that Ed Craine’s business in mortgage brokering grows as he finances and refinances, with Bob Linderman as his most faithful client. Robert Steinberg shuttles to China on a monthly basis as his architectural firm blossoms. George Chaltas carries on the crimson tradition by attending every Stanford home football game, with a few away games in Southern California thrown in for good measure.

Bill Ward has lived in the Daytona Beach, Fla., area for 30 years. He writes: “It is home to me and the kids, but we also have a kind of genetic affinity for snow and watch the ski reports with envy whenever they appear on the weather channel.” Bill is director of the Community Foundation of Volusia and Flagler counties.

It’s great to hear from Gordon Ellis, who lives in Warwick, Mass., near NMH, with his wife, Diane.

On May 1, Gordon is retiring after 38 years as a pastor in the United Church of Christ. He has served churches in Wallingford, Conn., Seekonk, Mass., Southington, Conn., and Keene, N.H. Steve Pollock recently became a grandfather for the first time. Last year, 2013, marked his fifth year since treatment for stage-3 prostate cancer, and he remains cancer-free. He’s had a full repair of his left ACL. He’s no longer skiing but says: “There’s a lot to be said for just being able to walk normally again.”

Tom Drake recently became commodore of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club, “because I had a pulse and was stupid enough to say yes.” Follow this to find out about Commodore Drake and his Bert and I CD—vimeo.com/m/82682176.

Peter Kropp and his wife, Sheryl Powers

Roger Long ’69 and Patsy McDonald, his companion in life

Kropp, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in ’13. They continue to enjoy life on Cape Cod and their two grandkids—5 and 2—who live near Boston with son Jason and his wife. Their younger son, Adam, recently moved to the Phoenix/ Scottsdale Ariz., area, where Peter and Sheryl planned to visit in January followed by a trip to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas to celebrate his brother’s 50th wedding anniversary. Peter is a residential real-estate appraiser and is assistant district governor for Rotary on Cape Cod and Nantucket.

Sheryl has been working with Hospice on Cape Cod since the mid-’80s. “We are lucky to have many dear friends who help make our life on Cape Cod very full and rewarding.”

Paul Murtha built a home and now lives more permanently in North Ecuador. He continues to serve as director for the Vibrant Village Foundation—Ecuador and director of administration for Fundación Montañas de Esperanza (Mountains of Hope). “Our key programs include family nutrition, introducing biointensive organic gardens; educational enrichment, facilitating trade/arts classes and teacher training; community development, installing irrigation systems; meals for the elderly in impoverished villages; and the peace education program, working with gang leaders who seek a new perspective and positive social participation. I manage 14 employees and our programs affect approximately 4,800 Andean beneficiaries. I relish the ‘eternal spring’ environment, relaxed pace, and the appreciative people.”

Rick Stone joined Healthcare Team Training (soon to be renamed Synensis) as chief innovation officer. The company helps hospitals improve patient safety and the patient experience. He is helping build new integrated models for improvement.

His son got married last year and is finishing his Ph.D. in human genetics at Emory. Rick continues with macro photography of trees, playing golf, biking, and enjoying good health. He still lives in Orlando but may move to Atlanta, where his new company is located. For now, Rick’s dad (98), who still lives independently in Tampa, is keeping them in Florida.

Peter Edwards spent Christmas in Connecticut with his daughter and got together with George Dreher, who had traveled from Texas to Connecticut to visit his family for the holiday. Peter writes: “I caught up with him on the 26th and then again on the 27th. We walked along the beach for several

Steve Pollock ’69 and first grandchild

spring 2014 I class notes I 67

70

MH

NEIL KIELY 111 Ferry Rd Bristol RI 02809-2902 neil@marketinginmotion.com

George Dreher ’69, left, and Peter Edwards ’69

hours. It was a beautiful day.”

My best sleuthing found Ulgen Gulcat, who doesn’t recall ever submitting to class notes before.

After Mt. Hermon, Ulgen earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering, and then a master’s in engineering sciences, both at a university in Ankara, Turkey.

In ’81, he earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. He returned to Turkey and taught and conducted research for 10 years. A Fulbright followed, and he spent that year at the Indianapolis campus of Purdue, then stayed on there another year as a visiting professor. He returned to Turkey and continued his academic career for another 10 years, and then retired. He has published two books on aerodynamics, now teaches part time, and continues research related to unsteady aerodynamics. During summers, he and his wife leave their home in Istanbul to spend time on the west coast of Turkey, near the island of Rhodes, and have traveled through the Dodecanese Islands. One year they drove from Istanbul to Prague, which Ulgen describes as: “Quite an interesting experience.

We are planning for more as we can.”

70 N

DEBORAH PERSONS BROOKE 68 Hidden Bay Drive South Dartmouth MA 02748 dpbrooke@gmail.com

Jane “Petey” Potter Graham reports that fol-

lowing Northfield, Antioch College, and Harvard Graduate School of Education, she lived in the Boston area for 36 years. She raised two daughters and worked in a variety of positions in higher education as well as human resources. She retired from her position as director of human resources for Planned Parenthood for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in ’06 and moved to both Bellport, N.Y., and Naples, Fla., in ’09. She volunteers and heads an organization of Friends of Planned Parenthood in Naples. Her daughters work for Google in Manhattan and Athena Health in Watertown, Mass.

She has one grandson, Tobin Joseph Garcia.

68 I NMH Magazine

Extremely late on this deadline, so this will be short and sweet. Only you can help change that by sending me an email. I only have email addresses for a little less than 50 percent of our class.

The third annual MH ’70 minireunion scheduled for last Labor Day weekend had to be cancelled at the last minute when our numbers dropped due to unexpected conflicts. We knew that Labor Day weekend would present obstacles for people, but the date was chosen because it was the date of the dam release on the Dead River, and white-water rafting was once again an element of the trip. The ’13 Great North Woods Adventure is already booked and includes hiking, a canoe trip, and a 40-mile ATV trip into the backwoods. Sure to be a sellout. There will not be a ’15 minireunion because we will all be together for what promises to be an outstanding 45th reunion with our classmates from Northfield. Hard to believe that this will be the last time we are together before our 50th, planning for which will begin as part of our 45th, June 4–7, 2015.

I have been following the exploits of Connecticut Assistant Attorney General Peter Huntsman and his wife, Deanna, for some time now and want to share a wonderful story. Peter has an adult son and daughter and Deanna an adult daughter. They are also legal guardians (adoption process started) to siblings Jasmine (8) and Joshua (9), who were born overseas to an American father and Filipino mother. In ’11, they received a call from the U.S. Department of State saying that they had located another sibling, Angel, in an orphanage in Japan.

The question from State: “Are you interested?”

According to Peter: “Saying yes was the easy part.”

It then took months to receive confirmation that reuniting this family was approved. Peter and Deanna left the U.S. (on their own second wedding anniversary in ’12) to pick up a girl (7) sight unseen who spoke no English and who had no idea she had siblings who had left for the U.S. when they were 1 and 2. The State Department van that met Peter and Deanna at Tokyo airport contained a nervous Angel and two small suitcases containing everything she owned, including photos of her life in orphanages. She was understandably scared, cried for the first hour, and ran after the embassy van as it drove away. Fast-forward and Angel has settled in, is learning English, and recently told Peter and Deanna: “I am so glad I’m here. This is a much better life.” As Peter told me: “It has been a magnificent adventure.” And believe it or not, Peter still finds time to row.

John Hirsch and his wife, Susan, were able to cross a biggie off their bucket list. They just returned from 15 days traveling throughout Australia.

Jan May continues in D.C. as executive director of Legal Counsel for the Elderly, an affiliate of AARP that provides free legal services to low- and

moderate-income older people. His wife, Denise, is a Hospice chaplain in Maryland. Jan plays squash regularly and gets together with George Lewis and Dave Grahek from time to time. Nice to hear from Jeff Bone, who says that “work is active and rewarding,” but I have a feeling that what is really active and rewarding are his two sons, ages 6 and 8.

Biff Watson’s company, Entrepy, has just released a new, free app called Lyricord, which helps create songs. Bruce Berk and Jim Eckert both have freshmen at Elon, so the two families met in Maryland and drove down to orientation together in September.

As you know, I try to seek out classmates who have been MIA since graduation. To that end, I have been determined to track down PG Steve Lahr. I know he went to Cornell and I know he was originally from Geneva, N.Y. NMH records indicate that he works for GAF Engineered Products in Wayne, N.J., but apparently that is no longer the case. I have a custom NMH 1970 visor or hat (your choice) as a reward for the classmate who can help me locate and contact Steve. Thanks and be in touch.

71 N

REBECCA GOHMANN BECHHOLD 4755 Miami Rd Cincinnati OH 45243-4037 rbechhold@gmail.comt

Greetings all. Hope ’14 is going well for each of you. By the time you read this, I will be in the midst of planning my “semi” retirement and relocation to Daniel Island in South Carolina. I love my work, but it is time to scale back and do it in a much nicer climate.

Heard from a few of you (always the same people.) Don’t be silent—we all like to hear what you are doing. Here are the updates I received, in their own words.

From Debbie Arnold Chavez: “Kyler ’05 works for Hyatt Resorts in Maui, part of the management team opening a new Andaz Resort on the island.

Raul and Debbie, along with Kyler’s brother and sister-in-law, her parents, her nieces, Raul’s sister, brother-in-law, and Grandma Doris will be spending a week there to check out his new adventure. Hawaii here we come. Remembering Raul’s father on the first anniversary of his passing and Allen “Lennie” Arnold ’40, Debbie’s father, who went to his heavenly reward 10 months ago. Miss them both.”

From Jane Merrill Berube: “Not much is new here—am still teaching belly dance and directing dance troupe. Have to slow down a bit now as I finally had spinal surgery a week ago for the disc in my low back—had sciatic issues off and on for years and finally an acute episode. Check Mas Uda Dancers on Facebook or mas-uda.com to see what I am up to in the dance world. Family is doing well—daughter is a practicing doctor of physical therapy in the greater Denver area and son is still able to work (supported employment) two morn-

ings a week at Goodwill and was on one of the Seattle TV stations earlier this year doing Special Olympics power lifting. Hubby is finally going to retire from the county this spring. We hope to be lazy for a while.”

From Ellen Bernstein: “While many of you are excitedly anticipating retirement, I just got hired as the advisor for identity and praxis (aka rabbi) at Hampshire College. Half my work is with Jewish students and half with the college community in general. It is a total delight to work with these students, and because Hampshire is Hampshire, I get to interface with various student groups and, in particular, entrepreneurship and sustainability, offering a spiritual perspective. So far, it’s wonderful, and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity—particularly at this time.”

71

MH

DAVID C. ELDREDGE 311 E 10th St, Apt 1B New York NY 10009-5106 d.eldredge@verizon.net

Once again, Jay Moehring leads off this column with his late-summer email informing that he was planning to liquidate all his U.S. assets and set up residence in Thailand. As he wrote at the time: “I have a partner to start a business placing U.S. and European med students in volunteer internships...a simple jump from the last job but most of the show is his. Also starting up LeaderTrac. Here’s the firstdraft pitch: ‘LeaderTrac provides leadership development, communications, intercultural, and other critical skills training to companies in Asia which seek to inspire their employees and strengthen their global business relationships.’

“Worst scenario is I live very comfortably in an amazingly low-cost country with fun-loving and warm Thai people. Nice city, good pace. I can do OK with little income if I sell the house and other stuff at market. But above it all are the people of Thailand—good culture, developing country, but no one desperately poor, and less than 1 percent unemployment. I am also looking at grad school at Chiang Mai U. All better than trying to keep afloat in the U.S. with the risk of becoming poorer as I grow older.”

Shortly before Christmas came the following update: “I have made the big move to Thailand permanently. During my look-and-see visit during the summer, I committed to a lease on an apartment in Chiang Mai. Went back to California mid-September and put the house on the market. Three lookers, three offers. Got contract work in San Francisco to add to the bank account. Sold house, canoe, zodiac, truck, passed stuff to the kids, saw the grandchildren in Philadelphia, and here I am. I actually have had two job offers since I arrived. Job or no job, I calculated how much I need to live comfortably, and I am there. I will probably work anyway to stay engaged in the life here. Taking language classes, enjoying my neighbors, savoring the lack of stress.

“Letting go of stuff was a huge help. Took a while

to get there but it’s been freeing.”

On a more “permanent” retirement track is Steve Michaels, who recently checked in with the following: “I retired from MIT at the end of June, after 15 years in administrative posts there—10 years as associate director of corporate relations, helping major corporations in Europe and North America build and maintain research and recruiting relationships with the university—and then five years as associate director of sponsored programs, directing two teams that negotiate all of the university’s research contracts with nonfederal and foreign sponsors. Looking back, my last positions seem quite remote from my original field of chemical engineering. After graduate school, I zig-zagged from chemical research to biotechnology to sales, marketing, and technical training en route to returning to MIT, where I attended graduate school. Since retiring, I’ve been spending my time on a mix of home and garden projects, partaking in many of Boston’s cultural offerings and outdoor photography while traveling. I spent two weeks in August touring and photographing Newfoundland and Labrador, two weeks in October photographing Acadia National Park and the White Mountains, and two weeks in November with family and friends in Southern California. I continue to develop more plans for travel—hoping to rent a house in the Dordogne in France for a week or two in the fall with two friends from western Canada, and probably a trip or two back to California. Plus, at some point I want to remodel my bathroom.

Sublime to ridiculous? I have to say that retirement is just as busy as I want it to be, with ‘every day a different sort of Saturday.’”

Within the ebb and flow of the holiday season, yours truly managed to catch the NMH Vespers New York City road show that landed quite nicely a few easy blocks away, catching a holiday hug from Faith Glazier Toraby ’72 and getting caught up with classmate Connie Fisher Jensen—and some of her latest incredible landscape photography—over cocktails after. And finally topped off ’13 by ringing in the New Year with Ammy and Stets Heiser and Miriam and Jon Whitehouse and their respective families in Connecticut.

Please continue to forward all your latest retirement and other news for the next column.

72

NMH

KAREN BESHAR ZAKALIK 397 Woodbridge Ave Buffalo NY 14214-1529 karen.zakalik@gmail.com 1972nmh@gmail.com TOM SISSON 86 Punchbowl Trail West Kingston, RI 02892-1033 1972nmh@gmail.com

73

NMH

HEATHER BLANCHARD TOWER 46 Main St Northfield MA 01360-1023 smtower@comcast.net BILL STEWART 28 Wildwood Pl El Cerrito CA 94530-2049 billstewartnmh73@gmail.com

From Heather: Donna Potter-Astion still works in gifted education in the Berkshires, which has been home for many years. Her two daughters live and work in Manhattan, which makes visiting them efficient and fun. She is still re-creating a new life after her husband’s passing a few years ago. She returned for reunion, hoping to catch up with a few familiar faces, and looks forward to making even more connections at the next one.

Three years ago, Ed Anderson started the D1X lacrosse company, which offers camps, leagues, and clinics for boys in first grade through high school. He writes: “Great to be working with kids and teaching them a game I still love to play. Also started a 5k/10k running race four years ago that raises money for Special Olympics athletes. The race is beginning to draw Kenyan runners. I doubt there’s any race out there that gives the runners more to eat. I tried the retirement thing—full-time athlete, training, and cross-country ski racing. I’m much happier now coaching, directing my running race, and designing cars again back at Ford.”

Nancy Norton Monahan writes that both she and her husband, Ken, had a blast at our 40th.

“Thanks to all who made Ken feel included, too. It was fun to see Ally Lee Worthy and reconnect with everyone. Our music and our special guest—Mr. Mustang Sally Man—will never be forgotten. I have fun logging on to Facebook to see what everyone is up to. Can’t wait until our 45th—and I already enthusiastically sent along money for the scholarship fund.”

Thatcher Stone writes: “One morning in January ’13, I woke up to a phone call from my accountant, who told me my combined federal, New York City, New York State, and business taxes in New York City were close to 64 percent. Thus, the decision to return to Virginia, where I have been teaching at the law school at UVA in the fall semester with a dear friend from Washington. I found a house in the country about 16 miles northeast of Charlottesville in an equestrian community.

At my front door I stare across several acres to the 400-acre farm of a well-known, very southern female movie star with red hair and freckles. To the right, I stare at the southwest rural mountains. Out my side door I stare at Peter’s Mountain. It is truly gorgeous year ’round.” Thatcher is surrounded by horse-breeding farms, Keswick Winery, and Linden Hill, where they make cider. Many of his classmates from the college and law school have returned to the area to work or retire. He had a case make it to the Supreme Court and recently was contacted to

spring 2014 I class notes I 69

Dru Rivers ’75, Donna Rivers ’73, Jane Gould von Trapp ’73, and Tom Goelz ’73 spent Thanksgiving together at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, Calif.

represent survivors in a wrongful death case. “We decided to bring the case in Massachusetts, and of all people, our local Massachusetts counsel is Andrew Nebenzahl. Moving to Virginia has been fantastic on so many levels. I will be moving my sailboat to the southern Chesapeake this spring.

If any of you are visiting Monticello, Montpelier, Virginia’s viticulture region, or your children or grandchildren are looking at UVA, I am in the neighborhood.”

Ben Carr and his wife, Pam, sold their RV park in northern Michigan several years ago. Ben is overseeing the operation of several RV resorts in Ohio while preparing to launch an online community for campers called Red Rover Camping. Ben and Pam live in Ashdown, Ark., and spend most of their time off visiting their children and grandchildren. Ben was sorry to miss reunion but has enjoyed looking through the pictures on the class Facebook page.

Mark DeGarmo continues to make an enormous difference to the children of New York City.

Dance your way there and stop in to see him.

Vespers was magical again this year. I had the opportunity to share the stage with the NMH Singers, as they joined our group (also conducted by Sheila Heffernon) to reprise our five commissions. I have left Community Health Care and am now the director of the Council on Aging/Senior Center in Northfield. My three-minute commute on foot is the best yet. I couldn’t be happier. Altogether, Steve ’68, Chris ’05, and Sara ’07 are fantastic.

See you at the next reunion.

From Bill: Still happily working for AIDS Healthcare Foundation Pharmacy in San Francisco—best job I’ve ever had. Very active in musical doings, now on the boards of the West Edge Opera, East Bay Recorder Society, and the San Francisco Early Music Society.

Betsy Bullard Morse had a great time at reunion. Her middle child, Alex, was married in August in the same barn in the Adirondacks where she and Richard were married 34 years ago. “There were 34 years of dust layers to clear out and some supportive beams to be placed by my brother, Ben Bullard ’69, the builder, but after laying down straw and balsam and hanging flowers, it was beautiful. We had a combined Muslim-Quaker ceremony, which moved all present with the powerful and loving presence of the Spirit. We didn’t have to ask guests to turn off their cell phones, because

70 I NMH Magazine

there was no service.”

Betsy’s oldest daughter has qualified for her Ph.D. in Russian literature and is working on her dissertation research on the dissident poets of the Soviet Union in the ’70s. Her youngest daughter is in her final year of a family nurse practitioner master’s program at Yale and plans to work in a medically underserved area to pay off a federal nursing scholarship. Betsy and Richard acquired a son last year when Omar, an exchange student from Palestine, came to live with them and ended up staying on. “He is a delightful addition to our family, finishing his senior year of high school here and applying to college.”

Betsy continues to be fulfilled by her work as a nurse practitioner at the college health service at Dartmouth. She reports that the new president of the college seems committed to change in terms of drinking on campus and sexual assault. “There are some wonderful new initiatives taking shape. My work at the nearby medical center as an on-call sexual assault nurse examiner bridges the gap between care our students receive in both sites.”

Nancy Elkington writes that she “ceased working unexpectedly in May of this year after a wonderful 30-year career in the international research libraries/archives arena. Now focusing on a mix of 17th-century historical research, genealogical pursuits, and increased church activities. Having a great time.”

Barbara “Babs” Mead Wise just welcomed her third grandchild and first granddaughter, all by her daughter, who lives in Texas. Babs’s son is married and works for a contractor in Afghanistan.

Jane Gould Von Trapp and her husband, Tom Goelz, spent Thanksgiving at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, Calif., where Jane’s daughter is an organic farmer. One of the farm’s owners is Dru Rivers ’75.

Her sister, Donna Rivers ’73, is one of the class of ’73’s “lost but not forgotten” in the yearbook.

Their brother is Mark Rivers ’71, and their mother is Lois Magoon Rivers ’46, who recently passed away. Although Donna spent less than a year at NMH, she has fond memories and would like to hear from Roberley “Rob” Bell, Sue Pitman, and Toya Doran Gabeler ’72.

74

NMH

STEPHANIE LYNN GERSON 877 Oakdale Circle Millersville MD 21108-1434 Stephanie.L.Gerson@gmail.com

Following NMH, Don Carey went to Tufts, and in the early ‘80s lived in Sausalito, Calif., while working in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Then back to Boston to work for various software companies.

He married in ’94, lived in Boston’s North End and in West Medford before returning to Winchester, Mass. Daughters Claire (13) and Libby (12) are on all-star swim, softball, and gymnastics teams. Don continued playing hockey after NMH, although in hiatus for a few years following back surgery.

He will lace up again next season. Don has been a senior director of product management for several well-known software companies.

After 15 years in Wisconsin, Jeff Sawyer returned to New England to be closer to family. He is in northern New Hampshire and writes: “Have not skied since NMH days, so if you see a bulky, gray-bearded mass coming down the slopes at the mercy of gravity with poles flailing, say ‘Hi,’ and then duck into the woods.”

Nancy Danes Marshall and her husband, David, moved their gallery to The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. Their daughter is an art conservator in New York City, one son is a chef and model in North Carolina, another son runs nonprofit housing in North Carolina, and their third son is a construction supervisor and father of their two grandkids. “Just met my half-sister Judy—best Christmas present ever.”

Ted Wozniak graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in accounting and economics and was a private accountant until ’80. Then he attended the Defense Language Institute (German basic course) while in the U.S. Army and spent three years at the Czech/German border as a liaison officer and five years teaching interrogation in Arizona. In ’89, Ted left the Army and tried a stint as a stockbroker in Colorado. In ’94 Ted earned a bachelor’s in German and became a freelance German-to-English financial translator. Recently, he was elected treasurer of the American Translators Association, after three years on the board of directors. Ted now lives in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, is a life member of the American Legion, and is president of the local Elks Lodge. He is happily divorced and never had children.

Keith Gray writes from Florida: “On my birthday, 12/15/13, I drove through the seemingly abandoned Northfield campus while on the radio played Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Sounds of Silence.’

I passed buildings where I took Spanish with Mrs. Gilbert (I am now fluent in Spanish); the science building, where I studied biology with Alice Kells and Richard Leavitt (I have a bachelor’s in zoology); and the Northfield Auditorium, where I sang in choir led by Ray Harvey and was in plays led

by Greg Nemetz. My three years at NMH were a game changer for me.”

Frandelle Gerard lives in a solar-powered, offthe-grid cottage on Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm

Betsy McConnell ’74 at Lake Tahoe

Institute–owned land in the northwest hills of St. Croix, Virgin Islands. She heads the nonprofit CHANT—Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism.

Frandelle’s son, his wife, and two children live in Georgia. Her daughter and husband live in Washington State. Frandelle writes: “While dropping Juliana and Marcelo at the airport postwedding five years ago, I had an aha moment.” Five months later, Frandelle flew to South Africa, where she volunteered three weeks in a Vendan village, and then traveled two weeks through the south, including Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. “I’d dreamed of this trip since my NMH days; it was a life-fulfilling and -affirming experience.”

Betsy McConnell lives north of San Francisco in Monte Rio, Calif., and will not be able to attend reunion. “I’m looking forward to seeing pics and a report.” One of her memorable experiences was returning with two siblings to her preteen home of South Africa in ’06. They visited Crocodile Camp in Kruger National Park.

Dave Twombly and his wife, Cindy, live in Brattleboro, Vt. He owns his own wealth-management business. Their eldest daughter married last August near their summer place in Little Lake Sunapee, N.H. Another daughter works in New York City for a public relations firm. “If you’re traveling by Brattleboro, feel free to call and stop for a round of golf at the Brattleboro Country Club. Look forward to seeing you at our 40th.”

John Burnham and his wife, Rachel Balaban, live in Middletown, R.I., and race their sailboat weeknights from May to September. Rachel teaches dance to people with Parkinson’s and has recently begun co-leading the interdisciplinary workshop, Artists and Scientists as Partners, at Brown. When not sailing or writing his one song per year (“on average”), John is editorial director for www.boats. com, www.yachtworld.com, and www.boattrader. com.

Meredith O’Dowd Adams and her husband, Ed, also live in Rhode Island. Ed is a professional sailor and racing coach, allowing them to travel to England, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. Last fall they rode in the Colorado National Monument Ride (road bikes), just in time for government shutdown weekend. Meredith and Ed see John Burnham, as they worked together at Sailing World magazine and race together. They also see David Jones and his family in Middletown

Claire Bamberg ’74 (center) with sons Matthew “Bam” Bamberg-Johnson ’02 and Nathaniel Bamberg-Johnson at Bam’s graduation from California Institute for the Arts.

when their daughters are in community plays. Meredith and Ed have a daughter who is a recent NYU graduate and a son at Brown. After 18 years, Meredith still enjoys being a senior software engineer at Raytheon. “I really enjoyed Reunion ’04 and hope to make it back for our 40th. Maybe I can get some bike riders to join us on a bike ride.”

Kim Davis Heelan lives at Phillips Academy, Andover, where her husband teaches. Kim has been teaching in Lowell and Lawrence elementary schools. Their daughter is an actress, currently in “Ground Floor” on TBS, and their son is a musician, working in a local middle school with special needs students. Kim writes: “Moving to L.A. once we finish here.”

Dan Fickett lives in Washington, Mass., population 500, in the Berkshires. In ’13, he built a large barn to house their company, Needham Lane.

Designing women’s apparel, sleepwear, and accessories from scratch is not for the faint of heart. “My wife, Maura, and I started our business eight years ago; she designs our exclusive prints. Check us out at www. Needhamlane.com. Visit the press section.

It’s great to walk across the driveway to go to work.”

His son graduated from Boston College and lives in Boston. Dan recently reunited with fellow PG and roommate, Joe McCarthy.

In his third career reinvention, Gregory Baker works with the National Passport Center and lives in York Harbor, Maine. “I’m also involved with the small lobster trap bizz, and I’m figuring my new role as NMH Alumni Council member. I still enjoy playing harmonica with local musicians. Both children (24 and 27) live and work in New York City. I hope son Jamieson Baker ’04 will join us for Reunion 2014.”

In October ’13, Claire Bamberg celebrated her 31st anniversary of ordination in the United Church of Christ. November marked her seventh year at the UCC of Plainville. Claire officiated at the marriage of Judy Armbruster and her 25-year partner, Cindy Joos, in Colorado. Claire has reconnected with Daniel Stoddard ’88. Claire and her husband, Bob, live two miles from her parents in West Simsbury, Conn. “All chicks have fledged the nest: Hilary (39) and husband, Brendan (35), and son Matthew “Bam” Bamberg-Johnson ’02 live within mutual distance in L.A. Writer/poet Nathaniel is college-bound this fall. Brian acclimates to his new Rochester, N.Y., life, and Ruth and two

Frandelle Gerard ’74 and her grandchildren

daughters live in Bloomington, Ind.” Claire is also a licensed mental health professional in three states, with her private practice in Simsbury. Bob trains and coordinates readers for area churches while attending to his music library and trying to keep up with Claire. “We are really looking forward to the 40th this summer and hope to see many classmates there.”

Josephine Hart moved to Boca Raton, Fla., eight years ago to pursue a real estate career after a 20-plus-year stint with IBM. Last spring, Josie began her second five-year term on the NMH Board of Trustees and her second year as vice chair. “Chair Bill Shea ’72 is wonderful to work with.” Josie and Keith Gray started a Class of 1974 Memorial Scholarship Fund. Keith writes: “We will make a difference in a youngster’s life every year, once we have critical mass in funds. We are currently at $25,000. Please honor classmates who have passed away, as well as our teachers and ourselves, by contributing specifically to this fund.”

Peter Allenby still lives on the beach at Falmouth, Cape Cod. He writes: “Fifth grader Cole reads passionately while first grader Theo loves soccer, but his handwriting presages a career in medicine.” Peter’s wife, Saramaria, is in the Congregational Church discernment phase of ordination, working toward chaplaincy. Peter roots for new projects outside his financial bailiwick, after retiring in June ’13. Last spring they met David Jones, Ed Pitoniak, and their wives for dinner. Ed and Peter played golf on the Cape for the first time in more than 40 years. Should your travels bring you to the Cape, Peter invites you to stop by and share some time. He looks forward to reunion.

David Jones and his wife, Katie, celebrated their 27th anniversary last summer and their 20th year in Middletown, R.I. Their son is finishing college. Their daughter graduated from Goucher and teaches choreography and ballet/modern in Frederick, Md. David contracts for the Navy in training development and unmanned undersea vehicle acquisition. For fun, he is in high-powerrifle competitions. David performs in community theater and chorus, including The Mikado, Sweeney Todd, Titanic, and Jekyll & Hyde, with Spamalot and Les Miserables to follow. Last fall he saw Andy Tofuri, Jason Beckett, Ed Pitoniak, Kate Barber, and Peter Allenby. David attended ’73 reunion as an observer and connected with folks he hadn’t

Stephanie Gerson ’74 in Harvard Square in 2013

spring 2014 I class notes I 71

Ted Wozniak ’74

seen for 40 years. A year ago, he shared a Messiah performance with Jane Murray ’73. He sometimes sees John Burnham around town. If you are in the Newport, R.I., area, David asks you to be in touch.

After NMH senior year, highlighted by three months in Arcachon, France, Kevin Cunningham attended Harvard. Rowing team defined college.

The day after graduation, he started U Penn Law School. Since ’81, Kevin has worked in the public finance department of Ballard Spahr, assisting charitable and educational organizations to access public debt markets. Kevin married Harvard classmate Meredith in ’88. Son Nathaniel, born on Kevin’s 35th birthday in ’91, graduated from Georgetown last spring and now works at a Boston boutique investment bank. Meredith and Kevin moved to Philadelphia in ’92. Daughter Rachel is a Tufts freshman, and Emily is a junior at DoverSherborn high school. “I look forward to seeing my classmates at reunion.”

After 15 years of missionary international education service in Seville, Spain, Beth and Chris Matthews have returned to North Carolina.

Beth finished her Ph.D. in professional counseling. Chris travels to Central America and Europe, mobilizing Spanish speakers for missionary service.

He thanks NMH for the exposure to cross-cultural service and education during the spring ’74 term in Valladolid, Spain. Chris and Beth have three sons, who serve in the military, and three granddaughters.

They welcome classmates to their home in North Carolina and look forward to seeing everyone at reunion.

Andrew Taber runs the Washington, D.C.based Mountain Institute, which addresses issues from rural poverty to endangered species protection. Teams work with locals in the Himalayas and Andes to reduce glacial lake outburst floods, or on restoring ancient monasteries in Nepal. Andy hopes to help Appalachia and the Rockies. “I don’t get to the field much anymore—I suppose that comes with the territory of running an institution.” His oldest daughter graduated from Eugene Lang College, the New School, in NYC, in film/ creative writing; the second completed her first year at RISD; and the youngest (18) is eyeing medicine.

They spent the holidays in Buenos Aires (his wife’s homeland). “A break from D.C. winters, but record highs in South America are a bit much, but compensated by extremely cheap Malbec wine.”

Sue Fenske McDonough rests in Brookline,

72 I NMH Magazine

Senior-year roommates Joe McCarthy ’74 and Dan Fickett ’74 reunited after 40 years, in 2013.

Lyn Tranfield Bennett ’74 (second from left) with her daughter, Vera; husband, David; and son, Chris, in England.

N.H., with her healthy dad (96). Her kids drift in as school and work allow. Recent employment at a local college was poorly aligned and short-lived.

“I am happy to subscribe to the theory that evennumbered years are the best, and we should all be looking forward to good things this year, especially June reunion. Hope everyone is saving the date and planning to attend.”

Ned Craun writes: “I make it to Pie Race every few years; the students are getting faster these days, as more finish ahead of me. Still busy with two daughters: one in college, one a ninth grader playing high school volleyball while I learn their drills.

Tom Howes and I occasionally meet for triathlon training—he beats me in swimming and cycling.

Our only head-to-head triathlon to date was cancelled by a hurricane. Whew, lucky me.”

After 30 years on the South Carolina coast, working in plum government agency jobs, Rhet Wilson lives in a Virginia county that prides itself on its “More Sheep Than People” moniker, one flashing light, and miles of mountains. She wrote a cruising guide to the historic sites on the Inland Waterway, spent 17 years working on the development of the South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, and helped start a Tibetan Center. “I lived in a funky old plantation house on a couple hundred acres of impounded marsh, with extraordinary birds and alligators. Have not traveled as hoped, but do enjoy the saturation of life wherever I am.

Married a wonderful fellow, John (no children, as planned). The NMH Facebook page helps overcome years of indulgence and sketchy memories, love rediscovering old acquaintances. Have stayed close with David Thompson ’71. I have a great part-time job in the tiny post office and have recently created a cozy boarding cottage for dogs with pet sitting. Took care of someone’s chickens last week.”

An energy business geophysicist, Elizabeth “Betty” Edwards Johnson figured out that all roads eventually lead to Houston, moving there 20 years ago with young kids. One son is a software engineer at Amazon in Seattle. The other is a math and economics major from Pitzer College. She just celebrated her 35th anniversary with Chevron. As manager of organizational capability, she is earth sciences’ technical talent manager and travels around the world for her work. Betty gets back to New England to see family and for summer

vacation. “I hope to make it to reunion. I listen to Sacred Concert or Vespers yearly while Christmas decorating. It’s fun to see via Facebook how much and how little we’ve changed.”

Amy Patterson Baird writes: “Forty years ago I had no inkling that I would be married for 30 years, the mother of three adult children, and living in Massachusetts.” Amy followed a bachelor’s from Bowdoin with a master’s from Columbia’s School of Social Work. “I’ve discovered that work inspires me: teaching English as a Second Language to immigrants from all over the world pursuing the American dream.” Now an empty nester, she is planning life’s next chapter. She loves to read and travel, and her latest passion is knitting socks.

Karen Salsbury went to Tufts and then Western Washington U for graduate school. She grew a small private school in Seattle and headed that before going back to school so she could teach more.

She met her husband at the Pacific Science Center and taught in a traveling-van science program. She taught science for three years at Palau Community College, Micronesia, and had her first son there.

They moved back to Seattle, had another child, and she continued in science education. “I’ve been teaching graduate education for environment and community for 11 years at Island Wood and am an adjunct professor at the University of Washington.

I love the natural history and outdoor opportunities of Puget Sound and my students even more.

College sons are both raft guides, backcountry skiers, Ultimate Frisbee geeks, and musicians. Twenty years on Bainbridge Island.”

Mark Bither retired after 28 years as an Army Nurse Corps colonel. He was overseas for 10 years, as medical brigade deputy commander, commander of a 296-bed combat support hospital, and other atypical clinical and leadership assignments. Mark and his wife, Cheryl, work in Maryland, paying three kids’ college bills. Brother Dave Bither is doing well and lives in Kennebunk Maine. Dave is director of platform engineering at VANU-Cambridge, Mass., specializing in technical innovations to enable low-cost cellular service in remote sites, such as Africa and Vermont.

Steve Meyer would love to make it to our 40th, “but since it involves a haul across the Atlantic, I suspect I won’t make it.” Steve still lives in The Netherlands and works for Shell in oil and gas exploration. Daughter Justine is 15 in May. Nancy Doonan Coppelman works at the

Framingham Heart Study neuropsych group and conducts oral histories with the study’s principal investigators. Her husband, Jon, divides time between consulting work and part-time employment at The Renaissance Group in Wellesley. They have two daughters, one a senior at Northwestern and the other a sophomore at Kenyon.

Sam Koch still coaches at UMass and is “rebuilding with 14 freshmen this year, making A-10 tournament again after four years. Sam has been battling cancer for the last year and a half and is doing well. “Could not be under better care than the great doctors and staff at Massachusetts General Hospital. Very lucky to have the UMass, Colby, and Stanford Soccer Alumni and local communities behind me. My wife and children are my support staff and keep me strong.” His oldest son (19) plays soccer at Washington College in Maryland. Son Jeffrey Koch (16) ’15, is a first-year junior day student at NMH, acting, dancing, and involved in student government. His third son (15) is playing varsity soccer, western Massachusetts champs; snowboarding; and killing X-Box Zombies.

Katie (8th grade) does everything the boys do while making straight A’s, including soccer, dancing, and student government. Sam’s wife of 21 years is a forensic interviewer in child abuse cases at the district attorney’s office and keeps him grounded. “If I am upset about something at UMass, she tells me her day and I do not have a problem in the world. She does everything she can to keep kids safe in a tough world; she is special, and I am very lucky to have married the woman I have.”

Me? In Maryland, I’ve been rebooting architectural skills, watercoloring, TRX training, and running again, while coordinating life for my mom (91). I’m also working on a book on contemporary zoo design. By reunion, I’ll have moved “back home” to Boston for work and friendship.

Lyn Tranfield Bennett and family celebrated the kids’ graduations with a trip to England in June ’13. Lyn is looking forward to our reunion. Mark your calendars for our 40th reunion, June 5–8, 2014. Join your classmates and walk down memory lane while creating new memories, too. Join our website, www.nmh74.com, or email John Burnham or Susan Perkins Stark for our Facebook page: johnsburnham@gmail.com or susan.perkins. stark@gmail.com. See you in June.

75

NMH

KAREN PERKINS 252 Monte Grigio Dr Pacific Palisades CA 90272 onoclea@verizon.net

Karin Malmstrom has been in Asia for most of the past 33 years. She works for Cotton Council International, a trade promotions organization. Based in Hong Kong, she travels for work both to China and worldwide. She loves her job. She’s also taken on many personal challenges—hiking the Himalayas, scaling Mt. Kinabalu in northern Borneo, exploring Mongolia on horseback, visiting an

Ayurveda retreat in Sri Lanka, and volunteering on a Scripps Institute research ship to help solve the global plastic pollution problem. Karin says she has excellent memories of NMH and appreciates the significant foundation it gave her.

Judy Stevens Wehrer lives in Arizona and works full time as a project manager. Her daughter and son live in San Francisco and Austin, and she says she “looks for any excuse to go visit them.”

Judy is in school online, working toward certification in healthcare interoperability, a passion for the second phase of her life.

Carole Hawley Moore and her husband of 34 years split their time between Boxford, Mass., and Warren, Vt. They have two children, 28 and 25.

Their son and his wife live in Bozeman, Mont., and their daughter and her fiancé live in New Mexico.

Both kids are in the skiing industry, so Carole enjoys visiting them and skiing. Carole has spent the last 30 years in animal rights work, mostly dog rescue work. She asks classmates to “please find her Vermont Dog Rescue on Facebook. Carole also sees Suzanne Heyniger Campbell, who attended her son’s wedding and daughter’s engagement parties. “We have stayed very close,” she says of their friendship.

Rose Bonomo’s son, a junior at the University of Oregon, is studying in Freiburg, Germany. She is flying over to spend Christmas in Paris, something she’s wanted to do for decades. Her daughter, a student at Western Washington University, is looking at schools in the United Kingdom with the possibility of transferring. Rose writes: “Life in Portland is fantastic after having spent six months working in New York City in ’12. I converted my garage into a small guesthouse, so anyone visiting should contact me if they need a place to stay. I love having guests from all over.” In September, Rose saw Donna Lazerwitz Roggenthien, whose son is attending Portland State.

Nancy Perry Wicks and her husband, Don, recently visited Memorial Chapel to relive their wedding there 30 years ago. Congratulations, Nancy and Don. Lisa Geissenhainer Shaw continues to live and work in the Boston area. “It feels a bit provincial, but I break out from time to time to see other parts of the world.” Last summer she climbed Kilimanjaro and says: “It was great to know that I could still call on my old bod to do such a thing. I don’t consider myself a mountain climber, but my exposure to the outdoors while at NMH has clearly stayed with me.” Lisa has a son (19) who is spending part

of his gap year bicycling across Europe. This spring he will be in Morocco studying Arabic and hopes to transfer from Holy Cross to Georgetown this fall.

Lisa has been in touch with Tempe Reichardt over the past couple of years.

Rob Farley and his wife, Gail, moved into a historic 1780 home that was originally a tavern and part of an underground railroad. He and Gail have five daughters between them. Their oldest two, Katy and Heather, were married last year. Kati is completing her master’s in library science at the University of Washington. Kati’s husband graduated from Yale this year with an M.B.A. Daughter Jessy will graduate in June with her doctorate in physical therapy from Boston University. Daughter Haley, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, is a chemical engineer at Dow Chemical in Massachusetts. Daughter Kelsey, the youngest, just completed her first semester at Quinnipiac University, where she was “.033 points off a perfect GPA for the first semester.” Rob says that he and Gail are reminded daily of how truly blessed they are to have such a wonderful family. Rob will complete 25 years of service with the New Hampshire state fire marshal’s office next June and then hopes to retire, but not “to the rocking chair.”

Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett says she and Kathy Lyons Egan, her NMH roommate of four years, went on a girl getaway to Seaside, Ore., last fall, doing what they do best: walking, talking, and eating (all healthy food because Kathy, a registered dietitian, does all the cooking). Kim and her husband, Tim, spent Thanksgiving with Kathy’s daughter, Rachel Hitchcock, and her partner. Rachel is a director of development at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore. Laura Wright Brock lives with her husband Neil (of 25 years) in Acton, Mass. Last year they traveled to Florida and around the Gulf Coast to New Orleans, as well as to Seattle, Vancouver, and San Francisco. Their son, Dylan (23), graduated from Springfield College in ’12. He is assistant director of a middle school after-school program in a neighboring town and contemplating returning to school for a teaching certificate. Their daughter, Hayley (21), is at the University of Maryland, majoring in family science and hoping to soon be drafted by a professional soccer team.

Karl Fezer lives south of Atlanta, Ga., with Susan, his wife of 30 years. Karl is a professional pilot. Their older son earned a bachelor’s in cognitive science and computer science and will soon finish his master’s in artificial intelligence. Their

Ilene Feldman Steele ’75 and her children, Max and Millie

Judy Stevens Wehrer ’75

spring 2014 I class notes I 73

Suzanne Heyniger Campbell ’75, Carole Hawley Moore ’75, and Carole’s daughter

Laura Wright Brock ’75, her husband, Neil, and their children, Dylan and Hayley

Lisa Geissenhainer Shaw ’75 and her son, Sam

younger son served as a U.S. Army Ranger with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now in school at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Karl writes: “If anybody needs an airport escape from a long layover or a missed connection in Atlanta, give me a call.”

Rudi Simpson is settling into Zurich, Switzerland, where he moved last year, from Los Angeles, with his partner. Rudi writes: “I get to reinvent myself and do something that is so different from any of the positions that I’ve held in the past. I joined the management team of a small independent hotel 15 minutes from the heart of Zurich. I work the morning shift as receptionist. From reservations, to concierge, a little marketing and publicity. I enjoy meeting people from around the world and suggesting points of interest in Zurich and Switzerland in general. At 56, I get to start anew. I speak SwissGerman, High German, and English, and I started revisiting my French lessons from the 9th and 10th grade.” Rudy would love to hear from anyone who is visiting Zurich. He signed his name Ruedi (Rudi in Swiss-German).

Steve Davis married Carrie Williams in August.

Steve is a full professor of agribusiness and economics at Southwest Minnesota State University. His co-worker’s son is Sung Yoon Jung ’15. Between them, Carrie and Steve have four boys, all in school in Marshall, Minn. Steve says: “Besides raising boys, teaching, and advising the campus Ag Club, I am chair of the board of stewardship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Marshall.”

Ilene Feldman Steele has lived in London since ’88. She has two children, who will both finish university in the spring. Ilene writes: “Max is a mathematician and computer scientist applying for jobs in sports analytics, and Millie is an economist

applying for jobs in asset management.” Ilene designs and makes jewelry that has been admired by the likes of Aaron Paul (Jessie from the television series “Breaking Bad”) and his wife. Check out Ilene’s website, ilenesteelejewellery.com. Ilene had lunch with Mark Codey and Ruth Lapin in San Francisco recently.

James Miller is a single father living in New York City and raising daughters Estella (6) and Alba (4). He has been a director with the Institute of International Education for 14 years and for the last seven years executive director of the Scholar Rescue Fund, a program that identifies threatened and persecuted scholars from around the world and provides them support. Before working at SRF, James was the executive director of Studio Art Centers International, a fine art, art history, and archeological accredited university in Florence, Italy. He writes: “For nearly a decade, I ‘commuted’ between Florence and New York City, and I admit enjoying nearly every minute of that job.

One of my most proud achievements was starting an orphaned children’s program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in ’97. I began the work at the height of the AIDS scourge and the work continues today. In ’07 I formalized the program by founding a 501c3 under the name the Medhen Orphan Relief Effort (http://www.morechildren.org/). We now support more than 950 orphaned and vulnerable children.

Last year I resigned as the board president and I am very comfortable being an emeritus.

“Many other pursuits take my time, including serious western horse riding, a private pilot’s license, and being on some nonprofit boards. From the age of 21 to 38, I had a long and successful stint in the textile industry, when I started three global trading companies. Most of my work was in Asia. For

nearly four decades, my higher-education studies, work, and pleasure have had me traveling extensively, including a year+ sailing trip from Florida to South America. I currently spend a good portion of my time in the Middle East.

“Back in the ’90s I ‘dropped out’ for a number of years, went to live in the woods, and became a conservation logger. I still enjoy the woods and kept the place for weekends, which I now enjoy with my daughters and friends. You are all welcome to come to visit. My experience at NMH was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I never forget the time spent in Northfield, Mass., on the lovely Northfield campus and can’t wait to get back for a future reunion.”

I, Karen Perkins, your scribe, am pleased to report that my son, Brendan (19), graduated from basic training with the Army. He is in the California National Guard and is completing intelligence training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. My daughter, Shannon, (20) is in her third year as a photography major at Maryland Institute College of Art. Please remember to always send me your email addresses, as I know they frequently change.

Karin Malmstrom at the lifelines of MV New Horizon, a Scripps Institute research ship.

Nancy Perry Wicks ’75 and her husband, Don, at Memorial Chapel

74 I NMH Magazine

76

NMH

SUSAN LORING-WELLS 12 Ames Haven Rd, PO Box 273 Shutesbury MA 01002 susanloring@me.com

JOE MCVEIGH PO Box 883 Middlebury VT 05753-0883 joe@joemcveigh.org

Jon Rubin ’77 and Sharon Moore ’77

77

NMH

ANNE HOWSON 85 Sutherland Road #2 Brighton MA 02135-7159 ahowson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

Anne Howson: As usual, it was the last-minute

cattle call (my bad) for news, and things looked grim for a bit, but you all really came through and unexpectedly so. You are the best. And now, the news in order as received.

Anthea Berg Zito lives in New Jersey and recently joined a gallery in the Chelsea area of New York City after earning her M.F.A. last spring. Her daughter is a freshman at UVM-Burlington, and her son is a freshman at Ridgewood High School.

Joanie Kaplan Williams reports that ’13 was an outstanding year. “Our startup company is really taking off and now has 12 employees in Watercrest Senior Living Group and Chandon Nichols marketing. We closed an agreement with a group in Sweden worth about $500 million over five years and will build six assisted-living/memory-care communities per year in the southeastern U.S. In other news, I got to hang out with Joop Kuhn and family at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Vero Beach, Fla., watching birds and catching up after 30 years. Unlike me, Joop actually grew after NMH and is much taller than I remember. Had a blast seeing Foreigner with Tom Gimbel performing last summer with our minireunion at Jim Hallock’s.

Happy ’14 to all my NMH friends.”

Davin Robinson, Richard Tranfield, and Mark Bachinski all attended the Air Force Air National Guard ceremony for Lt. Colonel Tim Graff last December at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, N.H. Davin writes: “It was quite humbling to be at the event as fellow officers paid tribute to a dedicated mentor, husband, father, and member of our armed forces. Tim is still the same Eagle Scout today that he was that fall day when he turned up at the North Farm House back in ’74. I’ve attended a good number of these events over the years, but could not get over how much genuine respect there was for Tim from a standing-room-only crowd. I was very proud to be his classmate and friend.”

Steven Ablondi writes: “I guess I’m one of our classmates who has been least in touch with everybody. It has been since the ’80s that I’ve lived any year full time in the States. This makes me one

Joop Kuhn ’77, Joanie Kaplan Williams ’77, Alis Kuhn Ohlheiser ’75, and Jim Ohlheiser ’74 at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Vero Beach, Fla.

of the last to realize the obvious—how lovely it is to share contact with old friends.”

Steven got hooked up with Paul Crowder through reunion correspondence and they have gotten together many times since. “He heard I live in South Africa and, days later, his firm asked for volunteers to go there to do business. We drove for days around Kwa-Zulu Natal, Paul taking pictures of people and highways and signs and giraffes and rhinos. I have an architect in Boulder, Colo., and when I’m there, I see Paul and his daughters. As an engineer and a safety expert, Crowds has given me serious advice on my project. It is amazing how much more you pay attention to someone you’ve known for 30 years and you know has your back.”

Steve has reestablished contact with his roommate, Tom Dunn. They’ve visited each other’s homes, met each other’s families, and Tom has caught Steve up on his career in New York City finance. Steve has seen some of Tom’s projects in real estate, architecture, and photography, which he calls “truly world-class.”

Steve had a Manhattan get-together with Patty Ficalora, the incredibly artistic sister of our incredibly artistic classmate, Michael Ficalora. Steve has also come in contact with some NMH grads who are in South Africa to teach sports to local impoverished schoolgirls, one of the projects supported by Memel Organics.

Steve writes of Memel Organics: “Over the years, I’ve had a fascination with owner-built homes. I’ve expanded that into a business, which explores questions such as: What if the materials of choice for developers were natural? What if energy systems of choice were alternative and renewable? What if every home or development had a permaculture garden? This year will bring answers to those questions. We’ve constructed a rammedearth guesthouse, which will open this year; are breaking ground on South Africa’s first co-housing community; have built 100 permaculture gardens in the township; and are establishing funding (any philanthropists out there?) for the first senior housing complex in South Africa designed primarily for black residents. Browse our website or come visit the beautiful Memel Drakensberg.”

After more than 20 years in education, Barbara Jean Pendleton Madden recently made a career change and is now working for Charleston Waterkeeper, a small nonprofit that protects local

waterways. She also has started a glass mosaics business and sells her artwork at a variety of venues.

She continues her love affair with music by singing with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Spiritual Ensemble, as well as in a band that donates its services to nonprofit organizations for their fundraisers. She lives in Charleston, S.C., with her husband, stepdaughter, and two cats.

Jim “Gully” Gullickson writes: “It is the Arctic Armageddon here in Minnesota today. Minus 18 with a wind chill I can’t even fathom. Just returned from tropical paradise on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. There were 19 Gullicksons there to celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday. The only one missing was my dad, who passed away two years ago.”

Megan Wonnacott Sutton received a master’s in teaching with technology from Marlboro Graduate School in Brattleboro, Vt., last summer. In October, she returned to NMH for the induction of the ’77 women’s cross-country ski team and the ’77 women’s track team into the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame. She says it was great fun to see former ski team members, including Ellen McVeigh Crawford ’78, Kristin Kellom Damon ’80, Holly McCandless ’78, Mary “Polly” Campbell Moore, Martha Piscuskas ’78, and several faculty members from our era.

Sharon Moore is going through many life changes: divorce, moving to a new apartment in Paris (near the Eiffel Tower), career transition, and a new puppy. Sharon and her daughter, Sophie (9), spent a weekend visiting Maude Lewis and her partner, horse, dogs, and chickens in Burbank, Calif., last summer. Sharon also got together with Jon Rubin and his wife for dinner, as well as with Sue Storms Rice, her sister, and mother, Gail Schaller Storms ’54, when each visited Paris last year. “Great fun to catch up and share memories while creating new ones.”

Rod Paine writes with a self-described “first class notes entry after 36 years, but who’s counting.”

He had an occasionally sad but very inspiring trip to Charlottesville, Va., last summer to meet Scott Denning and attend a memorial service for David Ladd. David passed away in June, only a few weeks after falling ill, leaving his wife and two daughters (10 and 18). On a happier note, Rod continues working at Pinpoint Design, his small communications firm in New York City, taking time out for language study, partying with friends, and going to concerts. Recently, he had the thrill of attending the Gov’t Mule New Year’s Eve show with Mike Chou and David Buckley. Rod reports feeling fortunate to be able to still hang out with friends made so many years ago.

Scott Denning ’77, Rod Paine ’77, and a “friend” in Virginia.

spring 2014 I class notes I 75

78

From Carrie: Ellen Cook Humphrey lives in Lake Forest, Ill., and works as a physical therapist at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. She has three boys (16, 15, and 13). The oldest is at Phillips Academy, Andover; the middle is in his second year at Cardigan Mountain School; and the youngest is at home with Ellen and their three dogs. In March ’12, Will, Ellen’s husband of 18 years, died from leukemia. She writes: “The experience was horrible, but our community both near and far carried us through, and we are soldiering on.” Ellen and the boys spent Christmas with her sister and her family in Eagle, Colo., skiing Beaver Creek.

Over spring break, Ellen and the boys returned to Captiva, Fla, as they have for many years. Ellen is out east a lot, attending parent weekend activities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Ellen Hall Saunders lives in Cambridge, Mass., with her husband, Paul. They are empty nesters this year with a daughter at Georgetown and a son in grad school in Berlin. Ellen is writing more these days, working on a book, and blogging on her website: www.ellenhallsaunders.com.

From Cathy: Greetings from Canada. To start things off, news from a first-time updater, Leslie Green. She has been in Brooklyn for about a year, working in her dream job after 27 years in financial management in corporate America. She is the controller for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. “I hope that if anyone ever wants to visit a beautiful, warm, and lovely place where Cayman kindness rules that you will look me up. I will give more life details some other time. To everyone, I hope for us all to have a wonderful and blessed ’14.”

I say, let’s plan a winter minireunion in the Caymans.

Rich Miller writes that he and his wife, Sally, are in the home stretch of child rearing. Their youngest is a junior at Cornell. Their oldest graduated from Muhlenberg College and lives in Brooklyn. Rich still “sees music a few times a month. Ran into

Matt Heller at a Led Zeppelin show a few weeks ago. Band member Steph Payne, the guitarist, is apparently a close friend of Peggy Jacobs Bader.

It was great seeing Matt.”

Beth Graden Rom, who is singularly responsible for the presence of a lot of people at our 35th last June, and I continue to talk regularly, and we were blessed by a visit in December. We drove into Toronto to see my mom and spent a lovely evening in Niagara-on-the-Lake, tasting some great wines and food at Trius Winery.

Beth writes: “I am beyond pleased to have ’13 nearly behind me. Chemo, surgery, and radiation are humbling, daunting, sickening, and downright lousy. The flip side is there has been the constant support and kindness of family, friends, and church community. I am grateful beyond words. Being able to get to reunion was a highlight of the year.

Without much in the way of reserve energy, I had fun zipping around on golf carts and getting to chat with current students. Cruising to the river with Henry Weis ’13 and sharing thoughts about the school, rowing, his father, Peter Weis, friendship at NMH, and his going on to college were memorable for me. And, of course, the hymn sing.

Daily I recognize the gift I was given beginning in September ’76, and again I am grateful.”

Charles North and his wife, Sharon, left Moscow, where he was the director of USAID’s mission in Russia, in February ’13, and moved back to McLean, Va. He is now senior deputy assistant administrator in USAID’s bureau for economic growth, education, and environment, where he works with experts in education, engineering, energy, urban services, and women’s empowerment to support USAID programs worldwide. Sharon is pursuing her interest in creative nonfiction writing.

Their older daughter is in her senior year at NYU’s Tisch School of Art, where she is studying film production (stop-action animation). Their younger daughter is a senior at the Putney School.

Chris Crowder lives in Westport, Conn., with his wife of 20 years and a son (18) and daughter (16). Chris has worked 30 years for General Reinsurance. “Hard to believe I could work for anyone that long, but we’ve been around the world and back with them a couple of times, and it’s always interesting. Heading to Costa Rica over the February school break for a week of surfing with my son. In July, my wife and I will be in Colorado for the world lacrosse championships and have organized a 45-plus team of masters for

Chris Crowder ’78 and his family at Yellowstone last August.

Matt Heller ’78 and Rich Miller ’78

NMH

CARRIE NIEDERMAN 1021 Arlington St Houston TX 77008 thedoc@txequinedentist.com CATHY ABRAHAM HOPKINS 2590 Centre St RR #1 St. Catharines ON Canada L2R 6P7 cathy.hopkins@gmail.com

76 I NMH Magazine

the ‘amateur’ tournament associated with that. Will catch up with my brother Paul Crowder ’77 as well. In August, the entire family heads to Kenya for a couple of weeks on safari.”

And last, but most definitely not least, Lisa Glovsky-Zeien’s daughter is enjoying her freshman year at Tabor as a day student. “Wish she were at NMH, but my husband didn’t want her so far away.

One morning a week, Colleen Cunningham Johns and I walk together. That hour flies by, as we talk and laugh our way through her neighborhood by the sea. We hope to join our classmates for the Pie Race in the fall.”

This segues into getting a big group out next November to run the Pie Race together. So far we have Holloway “Holly” McCandless, Deb Allenby Albert, Colleen Cunningham Johns, Lisa Glovsky-Zeien, Louise Burnham Packard, and me on the list. If I have missed someone, let me know. We’re determined to finish upright with a few pies and a lot of fun. If you have any notion of doing this, please contact me. We’ll get a training program for those who’d like one and make some plans for additional fun. Apparently, the guys need to step up here.

79

NMH

PAIGE RELYEA LEHMAN 5236 SW 89 Ter Cooper City FL 33328-5140 paigerelyea@yahoo.com

CARY LIEBOWITZ BONOSEVICH 1972 Littleton Rd Monroe NH 03771-3275 bonosevich@hotmail.com

From Cary: Tracy Longacre is back in the San Francisco Bay area, where she is controller for Camfed USA, an international organization that supports girls’ leadership development and education in several countries in Africa. She moved in with a friend in Kensington with two parks and lots of running trails within a few minutes and is “working on getting settled in a familiar, but new place, and hope to stay put for at least a few years.”

Abbey Plotkin, EdmeeValentin, and Lyn Dupuy Burns recently got together in New York City for an evening. Edmee lives in New Jersey and has been teaching ESL for 18 years. She has been happily married for 24 years and has two children, both in college. Abbey lives in New York City and teaches urban/soul line dancing at senior centers in the city. Lyn Dupuy Burns recently moved with her husband to Texas from Australia. She has a daughter who is a geologist and a son who is in the merchant marine. Edmee and Abbey have been in touch through the years since graduation, but neither had seen Lyn in approximately 25 years, so when she visited New York City it was if it were ’79 all over again.

Hannah Olney Deming lives in West Addison, Vt., with Jon, her husband of 21 years, and a daughter (12). Another daughter (19) lives

nearby in Middlebury. Hannah works at Interlakes Health in Ticonderoga, N.Y., as a staff accountant preparing for major shifts in the healthcare world.

She quilts and makes stained-glass projects in the winter, and gardens and chainsaws in their woodlot in the summers to feed her creative side. She is looking forward to an extensive kayak/canoe trip in ’14 on Lake Champlain.

Laura Orth will miss reunion this year, as her daughter is graduating from high school that weekend. Laura is recently divorced, and her daughter is college-bound. “It is a strange feeling to be starting again at our age. I continue to work as a therapist and for my 50th birthday trained to become a yoga teacher.” She keeps in touch with her roommate, Diana “Roo” Carroll, and sees Brooks Coe frequently.

After three years, Andrew Bourne stopped volunteering at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and started volunteering at the National Park Service Boston Historic Site, which includes Faneuil Hall, the Charlestown Navy Yard, and Bunker Hill Monument.

Janet Silber is finishing her master’s in clinical social work at the University of Maryland. She moved back east in ’09 after living in Tucson, Ariz., for more than 20 years, which gave her four wonderful years with her father before his death last July. Janet works as a clinical social work intern at Baltimore County crisis response on a mobile mental health team. She writes: “I love it and hope to go into emergency social work with trauma victims.” Her son (21) will be graduating from Evergreen State College in ’14, which means mother and son will both be getting degrees in ’14.

Estelle Dorain Burgess writes: “No excuses— everyone must come to reunion—fun, fun, fun.”

I am still working for the USPS. Len moved to Ft. Worth, Texas, in August ’13 for a new job. I can’t join him until we sell our house, or I get a job in the area. We fly to each other as often as we can.

Our kids: Mike (27) is living in Texas as a manager for Staples. Sara (25) lives in Glover, Vt., and is finishing her associate degree and is a full-time nanny. Sam (23) lives in Burlington, Vt., and does computer tech work for the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Vt. Lauren (21) also lives in Burlington, works full time, and teaches art classes for Creative Habitat. Len and I will be at reunion no matter what. I agree with Estelle—no excuses. Come to reunion. It’s a blast.

80

NMH

JACK FARRELL 22314 Cairnloch St Calabasas CA 91302-5873 jack@jackfarrell.org ANTONY PANG 33 Club St 08-14 Singapore 069415 aa1105@yahoo.com LYNELLE KUCHARSKI 94 Cambridge Dr Glastonbury CT 06033-1379 lynelle@lynellekucharski.com

KRISTIN KELLOM 5 Main St Northfield MA 01360-1018 kkellom@nmhschool.org

extraordinaire. Check out the Woodleaf Studios in Raleigh, N.C. Lydia Perry Schodel visited campus recently and was also in New York City for off-campus Vespers.

Just under the wire here with late-breaking updates—Carol Abizaid was on campus with her daughter for class visit days, and both Tracey Wagner and Nick Chinlund attended the L.A. reception to meet Head of School Peter Fayroian.

Please send your news for our column—even in the age of posts and tweets. Let’s hope that a good number of us will be able to return for reunion a year hence. It is truly just around the corner—35 years since graduation seems impossible. And finally, a plea to support the NMH Annual Fund by participating in our class gift. All contributions, large and small collectively, make a difference for the students at NMH, who really are a lot like we were 35 years ago. The NMH experience remains relevant, dynamic, and transformative.

81

NMH

From Kristin: Lynelle Kucharsk is traveling

abroad as I type up notes in January. Perhaps we will learn more about her adventures in a future column. In the meantime, here are updates from a few of our classmates.

Bill Santos is always good about sending holiday greetings from Florida. John Lin sent a hello and Happy New Year from Hong Kong. He keeps a busy schedule but hopes travel will accommodate a return for reunion next year. Anne Shepard often travels back this way as she serves on the Reunion Advisory Committee for NMH and maintains a family home in Northfield. Anne also serves as treasurer for NEMBA, New England Mountain Biking Association. My son, Ross Damon ’17, spied her at a NEMBA event where he and another NMH student participated.

Earlier in the fall, Jeff Leyden and I had lunch with Amelia Maloney, whose daughter, Isabella deHerdt ’17, is now a day student at NMH, and Baman Rusby, whose son was visiting as part of the admission process. Living nearby in Ashfield, Amelia frequently attends events on campus or volunteers to greet prospective families. Jeff was hoping to connect with Dan Martin, whom he missed when he was back on campus. John Berg was at NMH for board meetings and was later found—no surprise—at the soccer field cheering on the boys’ and girls’ teams.

Also in October, a number of us across a few classes reconnected at the induction for the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame. Among those who attended were: Ellen Plummer ’78, Carrie Niederman ’78, Carmen Garcia-Rodriguez ’79, Kate O’Brien ’78, Debbie Allenby Albert ’78, Holly McCandless ’78, Martha Piscuskas ’78, Ellen McVeigh Crawford ’78, Leila Philip ’79, Jennie McAvoy ’78, Mary “Polly” Campbell Moore ’77, and coaches Pat and Ginny Mooney and Bill Batty ’59.

Cynthia Berglund Smith in North Carolina and Mara Keggi Ford in Connecticut have also been in touch. Cynthia’s husband is a woodworker

FRANK CHANDLER 20 Overlook Park Newton MA 02459-1344 frankchandler1@verizon.net class of ’81 website: www.nmh81.us

MARINA COLMAN PO Box 3555 Taos NM 87571 marinacolman727@yahoo.com LILIAN BLACKEN HANNAPEL 2809 Parkers Landing Rd Mount Pleasant SC 29466-6743 lxhannapel@aol.com

From Marina: Richard Anthony, formerly Piscuskas, and his love, Kimberly Wright, eloped

on 12/7/13 in Calabasas, Calif. He says that it is a phenomenal blessing in every way, and that they are both very, very grateful.

Nina Mandel is a rabbi who presented a paper at an interdisciplinary food studies conference in Athens, Greece. Her paper, “Understanding the Explanations of the Kosher Laws,” drew on both anthropology and rabbinic studies. In the spring, she’ll be teaching at both Susquehanna and Bucknell universities.

Julie Kawadler, stage name Julie Kendall, is an actress and writes: “One of my films, Girls Gone Dead, has been airing on Showtime, the Movie Channel, and Netflix for the last year. It’s not the type of film that I aspire to become famous from, but we all have to start somewhere, and the fact that my name and face are being seen all over the world is very cool. Another film I’m in, New Hope, is on Netflix, and two other films I shot earlier this year are winning awards at film festivals.”

I heard from Messmore “Max” Kendall recently. He is still lives outside of Telluride, Colo., where he loves to climb and ski. He has two boys (12 and 17).

spring 2014 I class notes I 77

Adrienne Metoyer Eng ’81 with Chris Bazar ’81 at her 50th birthday party.

Gillian Rosner’s daughter, Sophie Margola ’17

started at NMH this fall. Gill writes: “Having her there has been a fabulous thing. She has already made lots of friends, worked so hard, but she is really enjoying the challenge. Having her there gives me a renewed appreciation for the people and the message. I am an even bigger NMH fan than I have been for the last 30 years. I’m considering applying as a PG.” Adrienne Metoyer Eng has worked in the high-tech industry for many years. Adrienne had a big 50th birthday party with many friends from various stages of her life. She writes: “I’m turning 50 in a life I would never have imagined only two years ago. In the past couple years, a marriage ended, I sold our family house and moved into a tiny condo in a gorgeous neighborhood with a view that resembles my home state of Vermont (very rare in Silicon Valley), changed jobs to one that is more challenging, and I’m dating a great guy. I write trashy romances under a pen name. My eldest is applying to college, while the youngest is 12 and taller than me. Volunteering as local area chair for my undergrad reunion (Brown) and helping organize my grad school (UC-Berkeley) reunion this April.”

She also advises: “Anyone not on Facebook really should join. I’ve reconnected with so many classmates, as well as fellow Marquand dorm mates whom I haven’t seen in decades.”

Jane Macdonald Craig and her husband still live in southern Maine. They have a son away at college and a daughter at boarding school. Jane writes: “We’re feeling a bit like empty nesters, but with texts, emails, and cell phones, we stay pretty connected (sometimes we even hear from them more than we want to). In ’11 we opened a Planet Fitness in upstate New York and a second club in northern Georgia in ’13, so that pretty much takes up all our time, but we still manage to have fun and enjoy life. It was great seeing so many NMHers at the last reunion and hope to make it to the next.”

I had the chance to visit with Joshua Novick ’80 this summer. Josh was in Taos visiting his uncle and doing some fly-fishing. Josh teaches at a boarding school near Sedona, Ariz. We hadn’t seen each other since ’80. It was wonderful catching up. I had a great time at dinner recently with Chris “Chip” Beebe ’80 and met his daughter, Sage. What’s 33

78 I NMH Magazine

Claire Rodman ’82 and Gene Ward ’82

years between friends?

From Lil: I had the pleasure of catching up with Sue Burnham and her daughter, Jordan, in the spring. Sue lives in Maine with her family but was in Charleston, S.C., for a visit. Todd “Tre” Trefethen stopped over for a visit on his cross-country travels from east to west and north to south. I think he managed to cross at least half of the 50 states. I flew out to visit Chris Bazar in San Francisco for my big 50 with my sister Lygia Blacken Campbell ’79 and my daughter. On an earlier visit, we gathered for a minireunion brunch with Chris Bazar, Karen Reutlinger, and Adrienne Eng in the Bay Area. Everyone looked great.

Meg Goder Reiser and her family have finally moved back to the U.S. after spending numerous years living in Germany. Gretchen Miller Crowley lives in the D.C. area. She and her husband, Tom, are now empty nesters. I enjoyed following David Greenberg’s travels as he moved back to Massachusetts after living in Los Angeles for many years.

Keeping up with all our classmates on Facebook has been an absolute joy. I hope ’14 gives me the opportunity to connect with missing classmates. My hope is that we can get 100 percent participation for our 35th reunion.

82

NMH

SALLY WILLIS PO Box 1456 Frisco CO 80443-1456 willissally@hotmail.com

MICHAEL RICKARD 1470 N Grand St W Suffield CT 06093-2521 mrickard330@cox.net

From Michael: Cristina Flesher Fominaya has a new book coming out in May from Palgrave Macmillan. Social Movements and Globalization: How Protests, Occupations and Uprisings Are Changing the World was reviewed by UC-Santa Barbara professor John Foran, who calls it: “The best book on the new movements for radical social change in the 21st century that I have read.”

Claire Rodman was in touch “just after opening a slew of Christmas cards and emails from NMHers of all classes, which is the best legacy

Jamie Bailey ’82 and Claire Rodman ’82

of having been a volunteer. And many thanks to Richard Anthony (Piscuskas) ’81 for a fun photo exchange via Facebook and text this year. Since he is an artist, his were way cooler. It’s been great to have Facebook to see other classmates and NMH niece/nephew doing as well.”

In February, Claire had dinner with Carrie Worthington, her husband, T.C., and Claire’s two goddaughters. In May, Claire saw her former theatrical husband, Gene Ward, when he brought his daughter and her friend to visit New York on a college survey trip. In September, Claire visited James Bailey and his family for their annual fall party and went home with a gift of vegetables from Jamie’s garden. On Veterans Day weekend, she went to the New Englands at St. Paul’s to see her honorary niece, Mitike Lyons ’16, run, and then went on to the Pie Race for the first time since graduating to see Jamie and Mitike win pies. Vespers in New York City in December gave Claire the opportunity to see folks across the generations, including two NMH nieces singing in the choir, and to have dinner with a bunch of ’83ers after. “It’s a pleasure to have Per Furmark back in New York and to see him at an NMH-NYC event in September, at Vespers, and then this weekend at a long and hilarious dinner with Toby Green and others. I’m looking forward to extending my NMH visit streak, so come on to New York and hang out, folks.”

After 30-plus years, Izzy Ramirez sent in some news. “I was happy to see Lulu Larson Cannon ’83 on a sweltering summer New York City day.

After not seeing her for way too long, Lu looked great and remarkably unchanged. She filled me in on folks from ’83 and kids. I was lucky to meet Lu’s mom, who, along with my mother and many mothers we know, would do a fine job running the world. A big thanks to Mr. Z for Facebook.”

Per Furmark ’82 and Claire Rodman ’82

83

NMH

ALLYSON GOODWIN 45 Mount Hermon Rd Gill MA 01354-8801 agoodwin@nmhschool.org ANGELA LAMBERT 249 Islington Street, Unit #10 Portsmouth NH 03801-4266 drangela@mac.com

If you’re not yet part of our NMH Class of 1983 Facebook page, please join in. There are lots of interesting answers to the questions: “Who was your favorite teacher at NMH and why? What was your favorite work job? What skills did it teach you? and How did NMH transform your life?” Here are some sample responses.

From Wade Slater: “Louise Schwingel, literature, taught me to ‘be who you are and be proud of it.’ She had a great smile, too, with a raised eyebrow.” John Dobbertin commented: “Glenn Vandervliet ’56—his depth of knowledge and passion for teaching has stayed with me to this day— the best teacher I ever had at any level of schooling.”

Jennifer Goller Letourneau wrote: “Loved the film class Larry Friedman taught. He was a great teacher, and I was fortunate to also have him for a client right up until he passed away.” Tim Walsh responded: “I didn’t know Larry had passed away.

He’s the one who inspired me to teach.” And Lisa Kipen-Hershenson said Sheila Heffernon was her favorite teacher because “she knew all 200 students in concert choir by name and gave us all the gift of music and community.”

Lisa Glass Swan wrote, “I hated all work jobs— still do—but if I had to pick a favorite, it was making muffins with Mrs. Cynthia Omasta Goller in the mornings.” Melissa Mellen said: “One of my roommates milked the cows for her work job— could not wait for her to do her laundry.” And Susan Bielski commented: “I enjoyed all of my work jobs, even bathroom duty first semester, because I came to NMH already having chores as part of my life, and I sincerely believe that everyone should pitch in. I felt as though effort was rewarded with choice positions. I went from cleaning bathrooms in Cottage V to doing dishes in West Hall (OK, Alumni Hall), to cleaning chalkboards in Cutler, to sorting mail at Holbrook (loved that job, as it

Robin Hirshberg Jobe ‘83, Leslie Jackson Kabotie ’83, Margaret Williams ’83, and Gigi Haycock ’84 at an impromptu get-together in Denver.

made use of my detail-oriented brain), to the farm program (also loved that job, as it brought me close to nature). I think every school should incorporate chores into its curriculum so that young people learn that life isn’t all about academics, and that skills like cleaning a toilet and doing dishes have a place in every person’s life.”

Everyone received either email or snailmail in December with these questions from your class committee. Feel free to join in the conversation.

Angela Lambert, Allyson Goodwin, Sam Servello, Tiran Kiremidjian, Claire Rodman ’82, and Per Furmark ’82 enjoyed a meal following

Vespers in New York City. We escaped the youngalumni event afterparty together so we could go somewhere to hear each other talk. Yes, we felt 90 years old. It was Angela’s first return to the big city after many years on the West Coast, and she and Sam stayed up most of the night talking. That’s the thing about old friendships; it’s easy to pick up from where you are without having to fill in all the details. Who do you want to connect with from NMH? Susie Broatch had a son, William Oswald Schoener, born 7/6/13 to her and her husband, Jeff Schoener, in Charlotte, N.C. Susie writes: “My sister, Sally Broatch Waudby ’84, got to the hospital from Birmingham, Ala., just as Will was arriving.

Will is named after my father, who passed away in ’07, and my mother’s brother, Oswald, who resides in Coldstream, Scotland. We are having a great time being first-time parents—huge adventure, and a wonderful blessing.”

Anita Cook Wilson became a grandmother in March ’13, thanks to her son, Phillip. “Liam David is the twinkle in my eye.” Daughter Linda Sophia has decided on Embry Riddle University in Daytona, Fla., where space physics will be her major until the astrophysics degree program is in place.

Anita is looking at herbalist, nutrition, and dietetics education as the need for health and nutrition has grown along with the love of cooking and food.

“At the point where I am deconstructing recipes to make them healthier and still taste awesome.”

Janice Russell released her fourth book: Moving Beyond Me: How to Expand Your Business When You Don’t Want to Give Up Control. It’s available on Amazon, Smashwords, and iBookstore. Janice’s favorite work job has “Two answers. First, bathrooms my first semester because we had a great supervisor

Susie Broatch ’83, husband, Jeff Schoener, and son, Will, last August

who invited all of us on bathroom duty in Gould to his house for a Thanksgiving dinner cooked by his wife. Second, my senior-year work job was working with the NMH church in an administrative-type capacity. Although I can’t remember many of the specific tasks, I do remember that it included planning for Sunday School. In terms of what it taught me: bathrooms taught me to get tasks done within a specified amount of time. Working with the church taught me how to interact with others plus plan task completion, since I didn’t have a specific time that I was supposed to do anything.

Instead, I had to figure out how to get everything done by a deadline but within my classes and studying.”

Leslie Jackson Kabotie was getting off a plane earlier this year and ran into Margaret Williams.

Margaret was in Denver for a conference and they spontaneously organized a dinner together with Robin Hirshberg Jobe and Gigi Haycock ’84.

Leslie says: “Look who I found outside the gate at DIA? Only took 30 years for our paths to cross again. What a shock to us both.” Margaret has grown twins and is a grandmother.

My son and I had a recent excellent meal at Dave Hiler’s hip restaurant, Whetstone Station Grill, in Brattleboro, Vt. Dave and his family are doing well. Son Miles (14) is a hockey player and musician. Daughter Holden (12) is into the circus arts. They keep him busy, but he still finds time to run and has prequalified for the Boston Marathon this year.

Della Eng Tow Query and her family came to visit campus as they were passing through July 4th weekend. It was her first time back to campus since graduation. Her husband, Kent, enjoyed the tour, and daughters Madeline (12) and Gabriella (10) particularly enjoyed the farm ice cream. Della is a pediatrician outside of D.C. She put me in touch with Ming Leong, who lives in Arlington, Va. He is a planning editor for WJLA/NewsChannel 8. He and his wife have two kids, Isabel (8) and Issac (4).

He writes: “As for me, not much to tell even for 30 years. College. Work. Kids now. More work…And yes, I will join the 1983 Facebook page.”

Constance San Juan has been in Portland, Ore., for over 30 years. After decades of freelancing as an editor, a photographer, an art model, and a stint in the alumni and then the events office at her alma mater, Reed College, she is now a stay-at-

Della Eng Tow Query ’83 and her family on campus last July: Gabriella, Kent, Della, and Madeline.

spring 2014 I class notes I 79

Patti Dame Rorhmeier ’83 and her family at Joshua Tree

home mom for Julian (9)and Teresa (6). She writes: “While domestic life meanders along, my husband, Gabe, and I relish each moment with our little ones and look forward to many summer trips to the Oregon/Washington coast and the Cascades. Facebook has been a boon; found Carter Johnson, Kirsti Hastings McCabe, Daniel Bellow, and many others. I’d love to reconnect with Suk Hee Cho, Barney Ahouse, and Beth Wilner. Keeping my fingers crossed that someone knows how to reach them.”

Vinay Navani is doing tax advisory work, focusing on international cross-border transactions.

His wife, Swati, continues her work in specialty oncology pharma sales. Their older son, Samir, is a sophomore at the Pennington School, where the head of school is Stephanie “Penny” Gillis Townsend ’75. Her husband, Mike, is an English teacher. “I see them all the time, and we are always reminiscing about NMH. It is such a wonderful coincidence to be reconnected with Mike Townsend, who was such an influential teacher to me when I was at NMH.” Vinay’s younger son, Sahil, is in the fifth grade and will be going to Pennington next year. Vinay’s sister, Sonia Navani ’93, is living in Berkeley, pursuing a Ph.D. in public health. She married a professor there a few years ago.

Patti Dame Rohrmeier writes: “We have enjoyed living in California for the past year. Max loves kindergarten and his afterschool sports. Luke is proud to be with his friends in their final preschool grade. We have enjoyed lots of get-togethers with my mom, sister, brother, and their families.

We had a fantastic summer trip to visit Willi’s family in Germany, with a fun excursion to Prague.”

Daniel Bellow and his company, Dan Bellow Porcelain, have a new website. ”First, I spent all summer making totally new pots, at the behest of my best customer, Anthropologie. Then, I got the cool guys at Housatonic Creative to design me a whole new website at danielbellow.com.” Check out his cool stuff.

I can’t resist a personal word from Mark Short and me. Our daughter, Haley Short ‘14, will graduate from NMH this spring and is headed to Tufts in the fall. Son Jordan Short ‘12 is studying mechanical engineering at RIT. Both are serious rowers and have their dad’s height, my shoulders, and the grit to be great college athlete/scholars.

We’re very happy and proud parents.

Finally, on why NMH is transformational, Courtney Small Francis writes on our Facebook

80 I NMH Magazine

Sahil, Swati, Vinay Navani ’83, and Samir celebrate the New Year.

Constance San Juan ’83 and her kids, Julian and Teresa

page: “NMH helped me to embrace the process of learning. Also, while I was at NMH, I did not appreciate (or even like) nature—trees, grass, ponds, and mountains. However, living on that beautiful campus for four years caused me to appreciate it years later. The beauty of the NMH campuses left an impact on me. Even though I am still a city girl, I now love the beauty of nature and take every opportunity to be around it. Lastly, I made lifelong friends at NMH, people I will always treasure.”

Join in the conversation, either by Facebook, snail, or email. Let’s keep sharing with each other.

Cunningham, Jim Caffrey, Bob Kozub, Johan Rostad, John Mead ’85, Chris Sullivan, too many to list. I see Rick “Rudder” Barker all

Thank you for all the wonderful news and photos for this column. I truly enjoy hearing from each of you. At time of publishing, we will be just weeks from our 30th reunion. I hope to see many of you on campus for the celebration.

Kim “KC” Chickering-Maratea was in New Hampshire and Massachusetts last June and had great visits with Beth Hakes Kurth, Kathy Roof Deckers ’85, Aliina Laine ’86, “S.E.” Chase Hunter ’81. She is in touch with Julie and Molly Greaney, Berit Burton ’82, and Tracy Rowtham Bennington ’85. Kim is not sure if she’ll be at reunion. She still does foster care—has two siblings now—and works for Internal Medicine Specialty Group, doing bookkeeping.

Nice to hear from Bill Lunnie for the first time in 30 years. “Really miss you and a ton of people from NMH. Nothing but great memories—Greg

the time at the rink, as our kids are in the same program. Living a quiet life in smalltown U.S.A., Seekonk, Mass.” Bill has been married 17 years and has a daughter (13) and a son (12). He spends six nights a week at the rink during the winter and spends the summer at softball and baseball fields.

Congratulations are in order for Chris Crocker.

He writes: “After 10 amazing years together, Andrew Potter (now Crocker) and I finally married on 11/30/13. We had a terrific weekend wedding celebration hosting our families and a small group of friends at the Langham Hotel in Boston. During the ceremony there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

The love and support from our combined families and friends was astounding, and humbling.”

Chris is director of engineering services for CA Technologies. This year he will be starting a new technical support team based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The team will be supporting customers and partners throughout Latin American. Chris and Andrew hope to attend reunion.

Phoebe Cameron is a management consultant for a friend’s firm and is pursuing her photography passion. In November, she bought a new horse named Lucky. She reports: “He and I have lots of show plans for the spring and summer.”

Laura Vantine writes: “It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since I left the faculty at NMH, right after our 20th reunion. I have had the pleasure of witnessing NMH’s transformation from a distance through the experience of Fritz Windover ’13, the nephew of my best friend and sweetheart, Tucker Windover. I have to admit that I’d had a hard time letting go of ‘my’ NMH. Watching Fritz’s soccer games and attending his graduation, I

Dan Howell ’84, his wife, Lan, and their two sons

Laura Vantine ’84 and her children at Snowbasin

84

NMH

MARGGIE SLICHTER 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 mslichter@nmhschool.org

Valerie Gates ’84 and her husband, Barry Friedman

realized that NMH belongs to anyone who is lucky enough to attend.”

Laura ran into Ann Klotz, who taught English at NMH ’82–‘84, at a conference at Laurel School in Ohio, where she is the head of school. “I’m embarrassed to admit that I still have papers I wrote for her junior literature class.” Laura is in her sixth year at Winsor School in Boston and loves being in an all-girls’ school. Daughter Abby is a freshman at Lexington High School and coxing for a girls’ novice crew team in Newton. Son Noah is in private school in Utah, which Laura says “is great for us as we have become avid skiers over the past few years.

We are at Jay Peak most weekends, so if there are any other frequent fliers to the Northeast Kingdom, shoot me a line.” Laura is looking forward to seeing everyone back on campus in June.

Chris Nagle lives in Truro on the outer Cape but spends half of his time in Boston in the winter.

He is in regular contact with Eleanor Hager Temelini and honorary classmate husband Dave.

He spoke to Annie Petersen DeCamp to hear about her recent move to Denver, and through Annie had a Gigi Haycock update. All are planning to attend reunion. Chris sees Linda and Bill Batty ’59 regularly on the Cape with an occasional Mary Batty sighting. Chris has occasional contact with Dick Peller and is happy to see that two new faculty residences are being named for the Battys and Pellers. He is really looking forward to reunion.

Good to hear from Dan Howell, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Lan, and their two sons. They had their second son, Oscar, last July. As part of his company’s paternity program, the family took a three-week holiday on Cape Cod. The trip rekindled Dan’s affection for New England, and he hopes to return for reunion.

Heidi Lawson Sheldon has found Facebook

Thena Berry ’84

and is reconnecting with NMH and childhood friends. For the past three years, Heidi has lived in Anchorage, Alaska, and provided hearing conservation programs all over the state. “I fly to remote locations, such as Dutch Harbor, and drive the few roads and test companies like Fort Knox miners.

My latest adventure was driving up the Dalton Highway (Ice Road Truckers road) testing all the Department of Transportation employees. We really need to thank them for keeping all roads open even with all the snow and ice storms each winter.

I would love to go to the reunion but summer is a busy testing season, so have a great time if I don’t make it back.”

Sharyn Gewanter Collinson is going on her 25th year living below the Mason-Dixon Line but for some reason she still longs to go “home” for the holidays. Son Teddy (15) makes her proud every day. “We do our best to raise him with a good head, hand, and heart. If we lived back in New England, he would be an NMHer for sure.”

This year, Valerie Senft Gates celebrated 25 years married to her husband and business partner, Barry Friedman. Together they run Boston-based Gates Studio, a print and web design firm, where Valerie is creative director. In ’13, Valerie published her first book, The Other Colors, a hybrid coffee table/ABC book about the great alternate colors that few people know about. In ’14, the publisher will release the second in the book series, The Other Bugs. Valerie and Barry have two daughters, Olivia (eighth grade) and Cameron (senior in high school), and a very large cat named George, who gets grumpy if he is put on a diet. They live in a craftsman bungalow in Wellesley, Mass., and welcome any NMH visitor who loves to eat homemade bread and drink good wine.

Thena Berry and Kerin Sloane got together with their two daughters in Nashville, and then Thena and her daughter visited Kerin on Martha’s Vineyard. Thena is senior manager of knowledge management at Medhost in Nashville, Tenn. She manages product documentation for all applications for the healthcare management company that produces hospital information systems.

Sasha Ackler writes from Oregon that her son, Drew, is a junior and looking at colleges. “All he knows is he wants a college with a sailing team that is on the East Coast. His sailing has kept me busy with volunteering.” Sasha just joined the board of directors for the Columbia Gorge Race Association.

As for me, I am in my 10th year at NMH and still enjoy the work as director of alumni and parent giving and programs (aka chief nostalgia officer). My daughter Olivia VanCott ’11 is living at home and attending community college; son Mike VanCott ’10 is working in New York City; and Diana VanCott ’12 is working on Nantucket.

It is always great to catch up with NMH friends on campus and across the country. The Pie Race brought Greg Cunningham and his kids to campus, as well as Kerry Doyle, Liz Garbiel Mayers, and Sarah Prescott. I was delighted to see Mary Batty back on campus for her father’s induction into the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame.

85

NMH

JENNIFER BUELL HORSCHMAN 67 Joyner Ave Ashville NC 28806-4308 jenhorschman@yahoo.com

86

NMH

GEOFFREY LOCKE 19 Whittier St Northampton MA 01062-9722 gwlocke@gmail.com LI LIN HILLIARD HALLY 3584 SW Hillside Dr Portland OR 97221-4102 Lilinhally@hotmail.com

From Geof: I still live happily in Northampton, Mass., a wonderful town, where I have a private psychotherapy practice, am an adjunct professor at Smith College, and continue to publish results from my dissertation research on guilt and addictions. My most recent paper, “Interpersonal Guilt and Substance Use in College Students,” will be published in the academic journal Substance Abuse.

After this recent and perhaps final publication, I look forward to switching gears and focusing on my clinical work, teaching, and contemplative practice, and exploring other ideas and areas for thought, writing, and possible publication.

Michael Newsom writes from South Paris, Maine, where he is the fifth generation working in his family’s insurance business, W.J. Wheeler. Mike was extra busy this past fall, enrolling individuals and small businesses in new health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. Mike is building a timber frame house in Otisfield, Maine, and has a daughter, Olivia (5).

Estelle Weyl, who lived in Wallace our sophomore year, published a book, Mobile HTML5.

Bruce Mendelsohn writes: “It was awesome to run the pie—and win the coveted Alumni Cup with Chuck Abel, Steve Schechterle, Wendy Mansfield Donovan, Jim Rymes, Schuyler Bush, and

our accompanying supporters (aka family members we dragged along). The pie was great, of course, but the company even sweeter. Next year we need more ’86ers to defend our title. Heather and I are going to Germany in February to ski a few days at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We haven’t been back there since we visited when I was in the Army in ’92. I’ll have to fit in a long run or two there, as I am now training for the Boston Marathon in April. Since last April, I’ve been comforted by the kindness, generosity, and affection of my extended NMH community, and I am more grateful than ever for your presence in my life. Thank you all.”

After earning her Ph.D. in theater history from the University of Texas at Austin and spending a decade in the academic trenches, Leslie Pasternack is settled making theater on the New Hampshire seacoast. Most recently, she helmed a performance/outreach project about traumatic brain injury in combat veterans, engaging the participation of state commissions, the New Hamp-

spring 2014 I class notes I 81

shire Veterans Administration, the New Hampshire National Guard, and numerous health professionals. She hopes to continue serving military families through her theater work. Leslie’s award-winning solo show, Clean Room, has toured in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York City. She treasures her husband, Paul, and their Siberian husky, Boris, and loves to visit Suzy Rudich and her family.

Jane Hartman MacLachlan lives in Walpole, N.H., with her husband, Trevor MacLachman ’87, and their three kids. Jane enjoyed lunch with Anne Bartfay Platzner a year ago, although she wishes they had more time than just lunch to catch up. Karen Wayne Dwyer lives in Concord, Mass., with her husband and children, Phinneas (4) and twins Beckett and Tallulah (nearly 3). Karen missed our 25th reunion because of her pregnancy; however, they all visited campus last fall and “it was as beautiful as I remembered.” Karen would love to hear from other C-5ers.

Jacqueline Stolte died on 10/11/13 after living with metastatic melanoma for two years. Her obituary in the Boston Globe said Jackie’s spirit: “was always giving—to her friends, family, and community—and in that vein she founded an event in New York City to commemorate 9/11 that is now practiced worldwide called Yoga for Peace.” While at NMH, Jackie lived in South Crossley. Tom Louderback described her as having a “disarming smile” and “one of those rare friends who you run into in the most random places, and she would be delighted as hell to reconnect.” For more information, see Jackie’s obituary, published in October.

Ian Hill is still happily living in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his wife, Berit. Together they are technical directors at the Brick Theater. In November, Ian presented Purchase, an original drama of his, and The Strategist, a farce that Ian and Berit co-wrote.

Ethan Garber ’85 stopped by the theater for The Strategist. In the coming year, Ian will be traveling the U.S. and Canada theater festival circuit, presenting a small play he wrote.

Kendel Leet is moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she will be working at the American International School (AISJ). Faith McClure ’85 is a lawyer who had been working at Staples negotiating software licenses and other technical agreements and is now taking time off for health reasons.

Faith recently moved from Somerville, Mass., to the West Palm Beach, Fla., area. Faith’s daughter recently graduated from USC and is working at a Los

Kit Gattis ’87 recently discovered the aerial arts.

82 I NMH Magazine

Angeles economic consulting firm. Faith welcomes visitors to her Florida home.

87

NMH

KIT GATTIS PO Box 380234 Cambridge MA 02238-0282 kitnmh@gmail.com www.facebook.com/NMH1987 website: http://nmh1987.org

Although you won’t read this until summer is upon us, right now we are counting down the last minutes of ’13. New Year’s is a great time to reflect on goals for the new year, as well as letting go of anything holding us back. We leave all negativity in the past year and step forward into the new year reborn, just as the solstice sun is reborn and begins to grow stronger with each new day.

As part of my yearly trip home to spend holidays with my parents, I attended several Kwanzaa celebrations. This is a secular celebration created in the ’60s to help reconnect African Americans with African traditions and wisdom, but it is open to anyone of any race or faith. Each gathering cannot begin until sanctioned by the elders of the community—an elder being those 55 and over. I’ll just let that sink in for a moment, class of ’87. The elders stand while the rest sit, their heads being higher than everyone else’s in order to acknowledge the greater wisdom in their heads.

Now, at this time of endings and new beginnings, I stand before you to remind you that failure is just another step toward success, and that it is never too late to change course and try new things.

Take the time to reflect on where your bliss is and what things have been preventing you from following it. This year I plan to focus more on music and singing, as well as choreographing, and hope to start planning a dancer’s reunion at NMH. And I’ll also be making a point to reconnect with friends I’ve not talked to in a while, as well as find a special someone for myself.

Last summer I discovered the aerial arts and have begun a new path with aerial silks, hoop/trapeze, and hand balancing—it just took me longer to find it than Henry Wheaton ’88. I hope you, too, rejoice in unexpected discoveries.

So, even though it is now June, take time to sit, reflect, and think about what brings you joy, and then either continue as you are, modify as needed, take the left at the fork, or do a complete 180.

(Yes, if you must, do a wheelie. I’m looking at you, Geoff Weed.)

Don’t forget to check out our class website, where you can log in with your Facebook login or create a non-Facebook login as well. I’ll be posting class notes there, but you’ll have to be logged in to see them. There you can also find links to the various NMH and NMH1987 groups and email lists.

You can find me on Facebook at kitnmh. There are quite a few of us there, and quite active, even if not always turning in notes. Please note that I’ll only submit things that you’ve turned in to me or

NMH, rather than summarizing the happenings I pick up online. And now, the news.

Darcy Jameson mourns the passing of her dear friend and NMH roommate, Jacqueline “Jacquie” Stolte ’86, who passed in October after having battled metastatic melanoma for two years. They had a lot of quality time together the last year of her life, and she passed peacefully with the love of her life by her side. Her family and friends miss her dearly.

David Kotz is enjoying his new position as president of Tactical Wealth Management, a boutique financial advisory business. His other firm, Elite Tactical Academy, is run by his wife of nearly 20 years. This company trains first responders in first aid/CPR/firearms and related skills and is experiencing rapid growth. He expects the company to exceed its best year by 300 percent in ’14. David’s older child, Caitlin, is a high school junior and a nationally ranked foil fencer. They have begun looking at colleges. David’s younger child, Paul (12), also enjoys fencing.

Kim Noerager continues to enjoy life in Boston.

She just celebrated a year at her new job with the Center for Social Innovation and still loves it. She also continues to bask in the reflected glory of the Red Sox World Series Championship. It was great to run into Geoff Weed and his daughter at one of the World Series games. Kim plans to keep the love going by going sledding at Fenway Park later this week. Sledding at Fenway Park? What’s not to like?

Liz Hall Olszewski left corporate America a few years ago with the intent of transitioning into the educational consulting field. Since launching Hall Educational Resources, she is amazed at how quickly her practice has taken off and how much purpose and meaning she finds in her work. The impetus for making the move was what she has learned and shared with other parents based on her experiences with her daughter, who is dyslexic.

Liz’s firm focuses on helping parents navigate the educational resources for their children (ages pre-K through postgrad). She spends a fair amount of time traveling across the country to tour schools and meet with admissions teams. Through it all, she remains impressed and proud of our NMH education.

Liz continues to chauffeur her three kids to soccer, hockey, basketball, skiing, theater, etc. She and her husband, Scott, bought a home in Exeter, N.H., and are gearing up to move at the end of the school year. They are excited about the lower stress and higher quality of life that the New Hampshire seacoast area will offer them. Liz is still close friends with Holly Hornor Cleary ’88 and Darcy Jameson, and stays in touch with Elisa Cook Snowise.

After working for AIG Talent Acquisition for a year, Cary Peck is back in union land at the benefit funds for Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. She and her high-school-aged son enjoy their Staten Island relocation. Cary continues her operatic adventures as a spinto soprano, focusing on Verdi and Puccini, and is actively looking for a great agency.

Will Sheats is still in Ohio and says a warm hello to all.

Martha Slater had a great summer in Laramie, Wyo., developing and appearing in the world premiere of Waiting for a Chinook, an original play about the demise of rural weekly newspapers. The play was inspired by the Charles Russell painting of the same name, and they will travel together to museums in Great Falls, Mont., Jackson Hole, Wyo., and other sexy locations like Omaha, Neb., in the summer of ’14. She is excited to be landing some stage roles and film auditions in Cincinnati—who would have thought? Her daughter, Hannah, switched to the School of Creative and Performing Arts; Emily continues to play the harp and volleyball; Clarke is a junior looking at visual art programs, and recently made a comment that made her parents’ blood run cold: “Right now, my dream job is working for NPR.” The Slaterwitz gang just moved into new Cincinnati digs and welcomes visitors.

Antonio Tambunan decided to spend the holiday season away from Boston and opted for the sunny West Coast and the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif. He awoke on New Year’s Day to see that his son (5) had discovered his old videotape of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and was completely mesmerized by Jessica Rabbit. Should this be of concern?

Morgan Sturges Vaughan lives in East Hampton, N.Y., with her husband, Tristan, and two dogs.

She recently started working in the arts education department at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in Westhampton Beach, N.Y. With her production company, Round Table Theatre Company & Academy, she continues to teach master acting classes in Shakespeare at Guild Hall in East Hampton, and will produce Hamlet there this fall.

Geoff Weed is chilling in Chicago, tilting at windmills and taming dragons.

Jen Williams Davis continues to work in the fundraising office at NMH. She now works with classes during their 50th reunion and beyond, so she won’t be working directly with our class for a very long time. Jen’s daughter, Kendra ’14, whom many of you met at our 25th, will be going to Hollins University in Virginia in the fall. Jen’s son, Benjamin ’17, is in his freshman year at NMH now.

She continues to be amazed and grateful to be back at NMH. The beauty of the hills of Northfield never cease to amaze her.

David Willis is an artist working with glass and lives with his wife and dogs in Portland, Ore. You can check out his work, etc., at davidwillisglass. com. He sends his love and good wishes to his, and all, NMH people.

Tom Wyman and his wife, Heidi, both ran the Pie Race this year and won pies. Tom was sucking wind and wanted to die for the whole 36½ minutes. He forgot the course is nothing but hills—big hills, small hills, steep hills, endless hills. He has no idea where these hills came from and swears they didn’t exist when he ran the race 25-plus years ago. He’s really happy they added five minutes to the qualifying pie time and plans to make this a tradition. Tom’s oldest son, Jim ’14, just got into his first-choice school—Indiana University at Bloomington—for sports journalism. Go Hoosiers.

88

NMH

ANNE STEMSHORN GEORGE 10 Fox Chase Lane Durham NC 27713-9458 anastasia.s.george@gmail.com

89

NMH

CHRIS ROOF 465 Concord Ave Cambridge MA 02138-1217 roofsound@comcast.net David Arend ’90

JOHN CARROLL Box 4722, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 jcarroll@nmhschool.org CARYN CROTTY ELDRIDGE 2 Steele Rd London W4 4AF UK slickcke7@gmail.com

90

NMH

ROBBIANNE MACKIN 101 West End Ave New York NY 10023-6349 robbianne.mackin@gmail.com TRAVIS LEA 2447 Claremont Ave Los Angeles CA 90027-4601 travislea@gmail.com

KRISTIN STEELE 458 Montauk Ave New London CT 06320-4606 kaste@conncoll.edu TORYN KIMBERLEY STARK 1828 Birch Heights Ct Charlotte NC 28213-4047 torynk@yahoo.com

From Toryn: By the time you read this, we’ll only be about a year away from our 25th reunion. All of our reunions have been amazing so far, but this is really going to be a big one, so I hope as many of us as possible will attend.

The highlight of my year was a trip to Alaska, one of my longtime travel goals. Frank and I took a seven-day cruise on the Holland America Volendam out of Vancouver and visited several locations in southeast Alaska, including celebrating my 41st birthday in Glacier Bay National Park.

David Arend was a featured emerging composer at the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival held at the Juilliard School in New York City last summer. Later in the year, David composed a double concerto for tenor saxophone, double bass, and orchestra, and performed as bass soloist in the premiere concert with Philharmonia Northwest in Seattle, Wash. The piece, Voyager: Three Sheets to the Wind, is inspired by the travels of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.

After almost 15 years at Canadian Living magazine, Tina Anson Mine has decided to head out into the wider world and become a freelance editor and writer in ’14. She will miss everyone from the magazine but is excited for this new adventure.

In December ’13, Derek Grout and his family moved into a sturdy, craftsman-style house in an up-and-coming neighborhood in Hudson, N.Y. In June, he and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their second son, Oliver, who joins Theodore (3). Derek and Ashley run a small farm distillery on his family’s apple farm. They make vodka, brandy, and applejack from the farm’s surplus apples and other fruit. They hope to branch out into hard cider in the future. Check them out at harvestspirits.com/.

Thuan Nguyen still works at two hospitals in the Phoenix valley as an emergency physician, as well as serving as medical director for fire departments in the cities of Tempe and Guadalupe. He has two sons, Reece (5) and Davis (3). His wife, Sarah, is an IT consultant with Dignity Health.

The family has traveled extensively, having made it to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Chicago, Australia, and New Zealand. He would like to hear from people and always welcomes visitors to the “valley of the sun.”

Alec Rogers recently finished working eight years as a MATLAB software engineer in Boston.

He wrote a book about formal psychology called Cognitive Set Theory. Alec now lives in a Buddhist center in New Hampshire and is still waiting for the bells of Mountain Day.

91

NMH

DAIRO MORENO 3102 Durand Dr Los Angeles CA 90068-1614 demoreno@post.harvard.edu

From the Alumni Office: Catherine Picard recently left her position with the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State and joined Tetra Tech/ARD, an international consulting firm in Burlington, Vt. She works on international naturalresource-management projects, primarily in Africa and Asia. Catherine writes: “I love being back in New England, and when I’m not traveling for work, you can find me exploring the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain with my partner, Kelly, and our two dogs.”

spring 2014 I class notes I 83

92

NMH

JENNIFER SADULA DE VORE 2830 Brook Dr Falls Church VA 22042-2302 devorejr@msn.com INI OBOT 297 Sickles Ave New Rochelle NY 10801-3700 iniobot@yahoo.com

CATE STEELE HARTZELL 18 Rockledge Ter Chatham NJ 07928-1216 cate.hartzell@gmail.com

93

NMH

METTA DAEL Box 4804, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 metta.dael@gmail.com

94

NMH

NEL ANDREWS 120 S Bouldin St Baltimore MD 21224-2201 nel_andrews@hotmail.com LAURA SNYDER CRAFORD 2015 N Jantzen Ave Portland OR 97217-7812 laurascraford@hotmail.com

From Jennifer: I hope this finds everyone healthy

and well. We’ve had a few new additions to our class family, starting with Leo Samuel Russin-Nebel, who was born to Leah Russin and her husband, Chris Nebel, on 9/26/13.

Peter and I are thrilled to announce Norah Gray deVore, born 9/3/13, has joined our family. She is adored by big sister, Sarah, big brother, Thomas, and a doting mommy and daddy.

As vice president of digital strategy at DDC Advocacy, Aaron Guiterman is featured in a story in the 1/6/14 issue of Campaigns and Elections magazine. Go to www.campaignsandelections.com and search for his name or the story title, “Public Affairs Trends That Matter Now.” I hope everyone is following Jodi Lomask and her spectacular Capacitor dance performances. The company was featured in a November ’13 issue of Smithsonian magazine for their Okeanos shows.

Check it out at www.smithsonianmag.com/sciencenature/okeanos-a-performance-where-dancersmove-like-octopuses-and-seahorses-180947573/ or see a video of the Okeanos performance at capacitor.org.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Misha Krushnic Collins for his 2014 People’s Choice Award.

Misha received this award for his work on CW television series, “Supernatural.” Congrats, Misha.

Margo Andrews ’94, her husband, Patrick Lynch, their daughter, Hazel, and Reuben

84 I NMH Magazine

From Nel: I heard from Chris Chung: “I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since we graduated. I have been at UBS Investment Bank for nine years and have been living in New York City since marrying my wife, Kristen Koh, in ’09. Kristen works at Ralph Lauren as a merchandiser. She is not an NMH alum, but she knows I want our son, Thompson Chung (3), to be one.”

While visiting with Martina Ladd, her husband, Andrew, and their twins, Will and Sam, I learned about Andy Ganick’s Denver restaurant, The Berkshire. When work took me to Denver, I thought I would stop in and surprise him, but unfortunately he was out of town. I had an amazing dinner. It would have been so much better had I been able to see Andy’s face. I filled out a comment card and am happy to be back in touch after 15 years.

I did get to see Travis Bullard in December when I was in Portland, Maine, visiting my sister, Margo Andrews. Travis pulled a classic late-night drop-in during a party celebrating the completion of Margo’s dissertation. I couldn’t be more proud of my little sister. She is mastering the art of motherhood (Hazel [4] rocks), and after three years of research and writing, she earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers’ Department of Geography, with a concentration in political ecology. The biggest news Travis had to share—he and wife, Brek Heikkinen, welcomed a baby boy, Niko Koa Bullard, in the fall.

And speaking of baby boys, Lauren Siegel Wiernasz and her husband, Michael, welcomed Lyle Edward on 11/20/13. Lyle joins big brother Graeme (2).

Thanks for allowing me to indulge myself a bit here. It is, after all, my last entry after 10 years on duty. I’m hoping to see many faces on campus in June (including Andy’s.) Also, we might be too old for this, but Travis Bullard, Dan Furlong, and Kahlil Lozoraitis—I’m ready for a double dawn reunion. Emeka Iheme, since you’re now five years older, maybe you can hang both nights?

From Laura: I write to you once again from rainy Portland, Ore. In anticipation of our 20th reunion, which will include a campfire, an ice cream social, and hopefully beer tasting again, I asked who was coming to the party in June on Facebook.

According to my query, we will likely see, along with some of their spouses and kiddos (speaking of

Chris Chung ’94, his wife, Kristen Koh, and their son, Thompson

kiddos, congrats to Wanda Vargas and her fiancé, Akito Haskins, on the early arrival of Kasey Nicole, a sweet Christmas Eve bundle) Christina Lamb Sidell and husband, Phillip Sidell, Dan Furlong, KT de Ordonez Doud, Kysa Crusco, Silma Rivera-Lyons, Hannah Knapp Mulderink, Danielle De Angelis, Jean Billings Sanchez, Sophie Middlebrook Hayward, Meg Buckley DeGooyer, Camille Kubie, Carol Koldis Foote, Bryan Nesteriak, Wanda Vargas, Adam Fisk, Ritu Asija, Alli Bourret Lawrence, Sarah White Albertyn, Katie Barrows Chipps, Benjamin Crosby, Kahlil Lozoraitis, Courtney Smoke-Thomas, Maureen Ryan Titone, Melissa Pinkham, Emeka Iheme, Anne Miner Jarek, Travis Bullard, Heather Rocha Uberman, Angela Rini Wilson, David Hackney, Rhonda Mitchell Aldrich, Kjell King, and Aaron Rutz, who vows to hijack the golf cart again with Sarah Howard Parker. Nel and I will

be there to pass on our alumni news duties to one of you, so get ready to duke it out for the job.

95

NMH

AMINA GAUTIER 1219 West Grandville Ave Apt 3B Chicago IL 60664-1925 amina.gautier@gmail.com NICHOLAS VIDA 8731 Venice Blvd Los Angeles CA 90034-3216

96

NMH

JON RINI 47 Park Place Cir Unit 39 West Hartford CT 06110-1424 jar57@cornell.edu HEIDI GEIS 2140 Woolsey St Apt B Berkeley CA 94705-1890 heidi.m.geis@hotmail.com

From the Alumni Office: Lisa Washburn married William Mann on 9/7/13 in Falmouth, Mass. Amelia Cushing Crimmins ’97 was a bridesmaid. Lisa and her husband recently moved to Marblehead, Mass., where she’s enjoying married life and loves spending time with her three stepchildren.

97

99

JULIA COHEN 514 Hale St PO Box 172 Prides Crossing MA 01965-0172 jmacleodcohen@gmail.com

MELIA KNOWLES-COURSIN 28 St. George St. Apt 3 Portland ME 04103-4047 meliakc@gmail.com

From Laurel: Claire Taylor West sent in a photo of an all-too-rare gathering of C2 girls and their children, who were celebrating Claire’s son’s first birthday.

John ’96 and Meredith Alan Southergill welcomed daughter Eleanor Drew on 12/9/13, five days before her big sister Ainsley’s second birthday.

David Hughes married Lily Allen on 9/8/12 and spent most of the year traveling through Southeast Asia with his bride. They now live in San Francisco. David has continued to expand Camp Doodles, his summer camp. He is also opening a new residential camp this summer, Marin Ranch Camp, in California.

Luke Williams married Anna Koren on 8/30/13 and took a belated honeymoon to Grand Cayman (where they also were engaged). Luke has decided that he’d rather be running a moped rental shop on Cayman than working for a living. Luke and Anna live in Chatham, N.J., and Luke is head of research methods for a division of Ipsos. He saw a couple of NMHers in the past year: Andrew Yurkewych ’96 at NMH and in San Francisco, John Noonan ’99 in Boston, Meghan Tomb Gladstone in New York City, and a whole bunch of faces at the reunion and homecoming. He hopes to see more folks soon.

MOLLY LOVEDAY 52 Curtis St #2, Somerville MA 02144-1254 chefmollyloveday@gmail.com

NMH

LAUREL HAVAS 1513 K St SE Washington DC 20003-3240 laurelhavas@yahoo.com

98

NMH

MATT GAMON 4653 28th Rd South Apt A Arlington VA 22206-4125 mattgammon@aol.com BRIAN PRESSMAN 14007 Palawan Way Apt 311 Marina Del Rey CA 90292-6270 brainjpressman@gmail.com

Luke Williams ’97 and his wife, Anna

NMH

AUDREY KORTE 5 Oyster Ln Warren RI 02885-1522 aekorte@cox.net

From the Alumni Office: Emily Joy Anderson’s husband, Barrett Anderson, won the Blues Artist of the Year award given by Boston Music Awards.

Molly Loveday and her husband, John daSilva, attended the December announcement and celebration event at the Liberty Hotel in Boston.

00

NMH

KATHERINE “CRICKET” BORNTRAEGERWHEELER NISBET 15 Allens Rd Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 0QB, UK katherine@kbwnisbet.co.uk

01

NMH

JOSH GRUBMAN 14 Deldorf St Quincy MA 02169-1820 joshuagrubman@gmail.com CHRISTOPHER A ZISSI 30 Berkshire Dr Winchester MA 01890-3233 christopher.zissi@gmail.com

Meghan Flaherty finished her M.F.A. in creative nonfiction and literary translation at Columbia in October ’13 and is wrapping up a draft of her first book. Lindsay James married in June. She moved to Brooklyn this summer after four years in New Orleans, which followed a year in the wilderness in Chicago, two years in North Carolina, and four in Portland, Ore. In New York, Lindsay is working for

the Relay Graduate School of Education to build a program training special education teachers, as well as trying to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of Brooklyn dive bars.

Claire Burnside married John Och in October ’13 in Old Town, Alexandria, Va. The other NMH alum in attendance was her father, Bruce Burnside ’67.

Lawrence Delevingne lives in New York City and is a reporter covering Wall Street at CNBC. com. He recently had a mini NMH ’01 orchestra reunion at Vespers in the city with Tesalia de Saram, Natalie Pavelock, Avery Miller, and Cat Murcek. Tesalia lives in New York City with her husband, whom she met during her freshman year at Middlebury College. They married two years ago in Sri Lanka. Tesalia was working with Deutsche Bank’s private-wealth management group until recently and is now making a career transition into food journalism.

Natalie Bickerton Zetterquist, her husband, and daughter welcomed Grayson Joseph Zetterquist on 5/21/13. They are happy and doing well, adjusting to being a family of four.

Nicholas Theberge graduated from Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in May ’13. He is now an oral and maxillofacial surgery resident at Rutgers in Newark, N.J. In June, he married Amanda Manly. NMH alums at the wedding included Justin Fleischer ’02, Meghan Flaherty, Jesse Mayhew, Dan Squires, Peter Martyn, Jackie Billings ’02, David Twombly ’74, Jeremy Grubman ’02, and Josh Grubman.

Shirley Palomino and her husband, Robert

Donovan, had a baby boy, Lucas Donovan, on 11/15/13 in San Francisco.

Christopher Mathey and his wife, Rachel Gunter, are doctoral students at Texas A&M University. Rachel is in women’s and gender history, and Chris is in economic sociology (markets, money, and organization behavior) and military sociology (post-traumatic stress disorder, aggression, and the social-psychological effects of killing on individuals and groups). They are scheduled to graduate in May ’15. They have a rescued Doberman pinscher named Diamond, who is keeping them young. Chris has accumulated over 1,000 hours of community service with Sigma Alpha Pi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Delta, Alpha Phi Sigma, the History Club, the Management Association, and Students Helping Other Students

C2 mothers got together to celebrate Davis West’s first birthday: Claire Taylor West ’97 with son Davis, Evangeline Thibodeau ’98 with daughter Scarlett, Fran Bean ’97 with daughter Cassie, and Amelia Cushing Crimmins ’97 with daughter Georgia.

spring 2014 I class notes I 85

Natalie Bickerton Zetterquist ’01 with her son, Grayson

Amanda Smith ’02 with George Takei of Star Trek fame

to Succeed peer-mentorship program. Step by step, they are making their dreams come true.

Thanks again to those who sent in updates. We look forward to keeping this section filled with your updates, adventures, and life-changing events for each issue to come. All the best in the year ahead.

and then each school excavated the other school’s dig site. Kelsey and Caite say it was fun for them and their students to collaborate in such a cool way.

Yvonne-Marie Sain and Devaki “Deva” Huggins Kiron are doing some shows with Cantonese pop singer Joey Yung at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

Ashley Bean is a ski patroller at Aspen Snowmass in Colorado.

Happy Spring.

02

NMH

ANNE MORGAN 76 Lincklean St Cazenovia NY 13035-1031 annelucasmorgan@gmail.com

Hello, class of ’02. I always look forward to hearing from you. Recently, I met Meredith Schroeder Limmer ’68, who lives in Cazenovia, N.Y., with her husband, John Limmer ’66. I overheard her speaking about boarding school and was delighted to hear she had gone to NMH. We had a great time talking about our memories of our wonderful school.

Amanda Smith worked with George Takei of Star Trek fame on an audio recording of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” for Audible. So incredible.

Evan Rusoja, formerly Evan Russell, married Alicia in Philadelphia on 8/3/13.

Henry and Heather King Frechette welcomed daughter Virginia “Ginny” Apolline Frechette on 4/6/13. Heather’s father is Peter King ’74.

Kelsey Sullivan and Michael Peller ’98 moved to San Francisco. She is teaching sixth-grade humanities at Presidio Hill School. Kelsey and Caite McNeil Lincoln, a sixth-grade humanities teacher in Napa, Calif., did a project in which their students learned about a culture, created artifacts and an archeological dig site based on that culture,

Apolline “Ginny” Frechette, daughter of Heather King Frechette ’02, with her grandfather, Peter King ’74.

03

NMH

DEE GUO 57 ½ East St Vernon CT 06066-3848 deedith@gmail.com MIRA SHARMA 350 Prince Arthur West, Apt 1105 Montreal, QC H2X 3R4, Canada mira.sharma.mcgill@gmail.com

Catherine “Cat” Murcek ’01, Avery Miller ’01, Steven Bathory-Peeler (orchestra director), Tesalia de Saram ’01, Lawrence Delevingne ’01, and Natalie Pavelock ’01 met at Christmas Vespers in New York City.

04

NMH

BRENDAN MYSLIWIEC 1860 Park Rd NW Washington DC 20010-1019 brendan.mysliwiec@gmail.com JAMIESON BAKER 740 Driggs Ave #3 Brooklyn NY 11211-5364 jamieson.baker@gmail.com JANE LILLY WARREN 176 E 81st Street 2C New York NY 10028 janelillywarren@gmail.com

Kelsey Sullivan ’02 and Caite McNeil Lincoln ’02 with some of their students in the San Francisco Bay area.

DANIELA FRIAS 779 Ave E Apt 2 Bayonne NJ 07002-4051 daniela8_5@hotmail.com

Nicholas Theberege ’01 at graduation from Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in May ’13.

86 I NMH Magazine

From Daniela: Greetings from your class secretaries Jamieson Baker, Daniela Frias, Brendan Mysliwiec, and Jane Warren. We’re all looking forward to seeing you at our 10th reunion in June.

Christian Bergland runs a contact lens startup in Atlanta with Sung Park ’05. They see Yunmi Chung regularly. She is studying for her master’s in public health at Emory University.

Yvonne-Marie Sain ’02, wearing the hat, and Devaki “Deva” Huggins Kiron ’02, with the bun on top of her head, did some shows in the Hong Kong Coliseum with Cantonese pop singer Joey Yung (center).

Claire Burnside ’01 with her father, Bruce Burnside ’67

Nicholas Theberge ’01 and Amanda Manly at their wedding reception with NMH alums Justin Fleischer ’02, Meghan Flaherty ’01, Jesse Mayhew ’01, Dan Squires ’01, Peter Martyn ’01, Jackie Billings ’02, David Twombly ’74, Jeremy Grubman ’02, and Josh Grubman ’01.

Alison Forslund Falb ’03 (center), granddaughter of Axel and Gladys Hall Forslund ’26, with NMH wedding guests. L. to r.: Tanishia Bailey ’03, Ali Dale ’03, LeQuan Hunter ’03, Zoe Anderson Montoney ’03, Ty Bair Fox ’59, Karen Forslund Falb ’59 (mother of the bride), Steven Cohen ’59, Remi Moehring ’03, Allison Boyd ’03, Ahrielle Cook ’03, and Luke Shulman ’03.

Evan Rusoja ’02 (formerly Evan Russell) and his wife, Alicia, with NMHers at their wedding. From the class of ’02: Joel Colony, Shana Platz, Ben Leong, and Matt Farina. From the class of ’03: Aaron Bruker. From the class of ’04: Mackenzie Russell Barnes. From the class of ’06: Taylor Russell. And from the class of ’08: Spencer Russell.

Mike Abell ’05 and Caitlin Abell on their wedding day in August ’13.

spring 2014 I class notes I 87

Sadie Childs Cora recently finished her master’s in elementary education and has started a new job teaching third grade at the Jackson Street Elementary School in Northampton. She and her husband, Eric, bought a house in Holyoke, Mass.

Daniela Frias lives in Bayonne, N.J. with her son David (5). She remains with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a senior associate working in regulatory compliance reporting.

Julia Ledewitz recently competed in the amateur triathlon world championships in Auckland, New Zealand; finished her master’s in environmental planning; and switched jobs from MIT to DTZ, where she’s a sustainability and energy senior planner. She hosted Boston’s first Sharing Economy Conference.

Sarah Simons recently moved to New York City to take a position with New York Public Health Solutions as a contracts manager for their HIV care services department. She’s excited for this new adventure and to reconnect with so many alums in the area.

Rachel Spector is enjoying her second year at the White Mountain School in northern New Hampshire. She’s taken all her musical talents there, where she’s the music department chair. As full-time faculty, she also teaches theater, coaches girls’ soccer, run a girls’ dorm, and tutors in their learning center.

Jaimee Steiner competed in the Belles of the Brawl, put on by Haymakers for Hope. For four months, while training as a professional boxer, she raised money for breast cancer research. In October, she won her bout in front of more than 1,000 people at the Royale in downtown Boston. Individually, she raised close to $5,000, and the group of 22 women who participated raised nearly $150,000.

Matt Trevithick is finishing up 3½ years in Afghanistan, where he’s the director of communications at the American University of Afghanistan. He recently started a research center in Turkey, which conducts social research on the conflict in Syria.

From Brendan: While making a trip home over the holiday, Nora Bisharat ran into Kevin Coughlin in Portland, Maine. Kevin has begun his psychiatry residency at Maine Medical Center.

Nora married Ibrahim Najjar on 9/7/13 on Chebeague Island, Maine, surrounded by family and friends. Nora and Ibrahim have recently relocated to New York City.

Hayley Cutler, the founder and choreographer of darling dance, a postmodern Washington, D.C.based dance company, has recently been appointed a lecturer in modern/postmodern dance at George Washington University.

Since moving to Washington, D.C., in September, Brendan Mysliwiec has been making the rounds, catching up with as many Hoggers as possible. He is happy to report fellow recent law school grads Latonja Sinckler and Ashley LaRiccia ’05 are doing well. He has enjoyed frequent meet-ups with Georgina Murata ’03, Andrew Clough ’03, and Alison Falb ’03.

Alex Popp lives in Shrewsbury, Mass., and recently completed his master’s in athletic admin-

88 I NMH Magazine

istration at Springfield College. In April ’13, the College of the Holy Cross named Alex director of basketball operations. He came to Holy Cross from Middlebury College , where he served as associate head coach of the men’s basketball team from ’11 to ’13. The Panthers saw success under his leadership, posting a record of 26–4 during the 2011–2012 season and a 25–4 mark in 2012–2013.

Middlebury advanced to the Elite Eight of the ’13 NCAA Division III tournament after reaching the Sweet Sixteen in ’12. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, comprising more than 400 colleges and universiAlex Popp ’04 ties throughout the U.S., named the Panthers the Directors Cup Champions in ’12. The award recognizes institutions with the most success in collegiate athletics.

Alex Bronstein-Moffly recently traveled to Afghanistan in August as part of his work for the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. He enjoyed a birthday brunch with Max Doherty ’03, Brendan Mysliwiec, and Ted Eismeier. Ted was recently selected to serve as a fellow with Charter Board Partners, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that promotes and supports strong charter school governance in order to improve student achievement. He was matched with the board of trustees at Paul Public Charter School in northwest D.C., where he’ll be helping provide logistical and strategic communications support to board members.

Kevin Lalli works in lasers in Bozeman, Mont.

He says hello and wants anyone who comes through Big Sky Country to give him a shout.

Nick Capazerra is alive.

Harrington and Laurel Edson, both of whom now work at NMH. Laurel and Rory did a great job organizing a well-attended alumni event post Vespers.

Happy to see many old and new faces. Come visit.

Rachel Disbrow had a wonderful time teaching in Guatemala and enjoyed seeing George Conklin there. George finished the Peace Corps in October and now has a job in Vermont doing sustainable agriculture. Rachel’s next stop will be Honduras—she is excited to teach first graders and make a difference in education.

Lyudmyla Kovalenko was back to the States from Berlin, Germany, to co-teach a course on programming in MATLAB at her alma mater, Smith College. She enjoyed the experience and was impressed by how motivated and driven her students were.

Ashley LaRiccia graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law last May and was selected as a 2014–2016 equal justice works publicinterest law fellow. Ashley writes: “I designed my fellowship project with Lutheran Services of Georgia and will spend the next two years in the Atlanta area, providing immigration representation to undocumented children who have come to the United States without a parent or guardian.”

Mike Abell married Caitlin DeMaria on 8/17/2013 in the chapel at Sacred Heart University, where they met and both graduated from in ’09.

We are only about a year way from our 10th reunion. Get ready and keep the notes coming. If you haven’t already done so, join our Facebook group called NMH Class of 2005 to stay in touch with everyone.

From the Alumni Office: Elise Johnson will be graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s in social work in May ’14.

06

NMH

05

NMH

DONNIE BLACKWELL 40 Passaic Ave West Paterson NJ 07424-2517 ptowndon@gmail.com ARJUN PANT 14 Egmont St Apt 1 Brookline MA 02446-3615 arjunpant@gmail.com JINGPING ZHANG 94 Rivington Street, Apt.#18 New York NY 10002-2257 jingping.ellen.zhang@gmail.com

From Jingping: Greetings from New York City. My NMH highlight of the year was attending Christmas Vespers in New York City in December and seeing Sheila Heffernon and Steve Bathory-Peeler making the magic again. Why do the talented performers look so young? I also had a fun time catching up with Yuki Hasegawa, Stephanie Yici Zhao ’08, Sturdy Knight ’06, as well as Rory

LAKOTA COON 67 Coon Holler Lane Castleton VA 22716-2931 wackylacky@gmail.com KATE HAYES 332 East 91st St New York NY 10128-5328 kdahayes@gmail.com

From Kate: It’s been a busy year for the class of ’06. Our alums are all over the world, doing some pretty amazing stuff. Eli Lovely spent the summer in Turkey, after receiving his master’s in democracy and governance studies from Georgetown. Sarah Woodbury also spent time abroad last spring, exploring archeology and religion in Greece and Turkey. She graduated from Harvard Divinity School and is now pursuing a Ph.D. at Brown.

Best friends Courtney Opalenik and Paige Landry are pursuing master’s degrees in physician assistant studies at Bay Path College and Northeastern University, respectively. Courtney “Cookie” Smith is working as an ER tech in Framingham and completing prerequisites to pursue an ad-

vanced degree in physician assistant studies.

Collin Lever worked on the 2012 presidential election in New Hampshire, and then spent a year working for a freshman member of Congress.

Laura Carbonneau is back on campus as the assistant manager for dining services at NMH. Andy Heist is also on campus, working in the advancement office. Amanda Kusek left Trump Hotels for Highgate Hotels and loves it. She recently hung out with Dan Foley (and me) at the NMH Vespers afterparty in New York City.

As for me, I’m director of evaluation at a nonprofit based in New York City, consulting with some other awesome organizations and still traveling. The fall highlights were Nashville, San Francisco (where I met up with Mike Waters), and Montreal/Quebec City.

Until next time, join us on social media using #proudhogger.

07

NMH LIZ DONALD 1466 Mill Village Rd Craftsbury Common VT 05827-9813 elizabethsdonald@gmail.com

Calling a classmate to take on these class notes. My hands are full rowing, working, and serving on the Alumni Council. I signed on as class secretary because I had hoped to boost the updates that were in the magazine—how great it has been reading all the amazing things you guys are doing. I have found, however, that I don’t have the time to fulfill the role as I had hoped. I’ll be stepping aside after this issue and am hoping that one of you will be encouraged and motivated to volunteer. Please contact Andrew Heist ’06 at aheist@nmhschool. org if you are interested.

Now for some updates. Sara Tower moved back to western Massachusetts last year and began working at New Lands Farm, a refugee farmer collective, through Lutheran Social Services in West Springfield, Mass. She’s enjoying being back in the valley and would love to meet up with any lingering or returning alums in the area.

Faith Glazier Toraby ’72 writes that her daughter, Sophia Toraby, is in her second year at the University of Toledo Medical School. She spent almost a month last summer in the Himalayas, providing health care with a group of doctors and medical students. Sophia’s twin brother, Jules Toraby, is in his first year of law school at Elon University in Greensboro, N.C. This past summer, before leaving Boston, he became a licensed yoga instructor.

08

NMH

EMILY JACKE PO Box 342 Middlebury VT 05753-0342 ejacke@middlebury.edu SARAH-ANNE TANNER 17 Powder House Ter Somerville MA 02144-2035 tanner.sarahanne@gmail.com

09

10

NMH

ELI SPECTOR 1204 Autrey St Apt 2A Houston TX 77006-6041 elishsp@gmail.com

11

NMH

OLIVIA VAN COTT 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 vancott.olivia@gmail.com

NMH

ANNA STEVENS 1329 Lapham Bay Rd Shoreham VT 05770-9612 astevens@middlebury.edu GALEN ANDERSON 740 Ostrom Ave Syracuse NY 13210-2942 gjande01@syr.edu ESHALLA MERRIAM PO Box 2545 Brattleboro VT 05303-2545 eshallamerriam@gmail.com FAYETTE PHILLIPS 43 North St Upton MA 01568-1581 fayettephillips@gmail.com

From Fayette: Sebastian Shrady graduated from BU last May with a degree in mechanical engineering. He won the School of Engineering’s capstone award for his final project, ATLAS Unmanned Underwater Vehicle. He is spending a year trekking through Central and South America with his brother. He is in close contact with Pam Chen, among other classmates.

Catherine Hultgren ’10, Faye Phillips, and Annik Wolf ’08 had a wonderful weekend reunion in Paris in November. Catherine was in Paris studying for the semester, Faye was living and working in Lyon, France, and Annik was finishing her bachelor’s business thesis in Munich, Germany.

Melanie Bete, who lives and works in New York City, is having a fabulous time and catching up with Hoggers Elisabeth Jeffcote and Leo Chiquillo.

Johannes Wesselhoff is teaching English at Schneider Electric in Grenoble, France, for nine months and fitting in a bit of traveling around Europe. He hopes to study international relations in Geneva next year.

Andrew Taylor is still working with the Arizona State basketball team as administrative assistant and video coordinator. Last August, he flew back to Boston, saw Warren Dunton, Joe Sharkey ’11, and Nate Locke ’12, and attended the memorial service for Max Kelly ’10 with Jon Atkins ’11. At NMH on the water in New York City, he connected with Leo Chiquillo, Nicole Dancel, Andrew McCarthy, Matt Shepard-Lupo ’06, Jen Bobé ’07, Charmel Maynard ’03, and Tony Sorci ’00.

NISHA MALIK 409 Davis St Greenfield MA 01301-1414 nishamalik92@gmail.com

OLIVIA WOLPE PO Box 1010 Dublin NH 03444-1010 oliviawolpe@gmail.com

12

NMH PARKER PELTZER 120 Passumpsic Ave PO Box 453 Wilder VT 05088-0453 ppeltzer@gmx.com WILSON JOSEPHSON 50 The Oaks Henniker NH 03242-3450 josephsonw@carleton.edu

From Parker: We have big news from our classmates Sarah Bravo and Willie Cheng: they have gotten married. Like quite a few NMH alumni from the class of ’12, they are going to school in beautiful and welcoming western Vermont, specifically, at Champlain College. Sarah is studying computer science, and Willie is studying game design.

Sarah writes that Willie is treasurer of the juggling club and playing lots of Magic: the Gathering.

Congratulations to both of you.

It was a busy fall for many of us. I relished a few conversations and meals with Riley Dickey, Nidhi Malik, and my Outdoors Team canoe partner, Patrick Scott. Once again, I am enjoying watching Riley’s hockey games. In fact, playing seemed like such fun that I dug out my old gear and signed up for intramurals.

Sometimes the two years since our graduation feel like no time at all, and sometimes they feel surprisingly long and wonderfully full. I hope that you are feeling the same. However you are dipping into the future, I look forward to hearing from and seeing you.

spring 2014 I class notes I 89

faculty notes LYN KELLOM PO Box 1546 New London NH 03257-1546 rbmzkellom@comcast.net

Travel was high on the agenda for fall ’13. In September, Terry and Cynnie Irwin and Hal and Becky McCann took a “fascinating, thought-provoking, two-week cultural tour together through Israel.” Among other places, they visited Tel Aviv, Galilee, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem and environs, the Negev Desert, the Dead Sea, and Bethlehem in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. Led by a modern secular Jew, the small group was also hosted along the way by an Israeli Christian Arab, a Muslim Druze, the residents of a kibbutz, an orthodox Jew, a Palestinian journalist, and a Bedouin family. Thoroughly taken by the peoples, the history, and the land, nonetheless they left Israel with many more questions than answers, says Cynnie.

Chuck and Wendy Sanborn toured Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula. They allowed as how “even a few days of rain, fog, and mist couldn’t hide spectacular foliage, charming coastal villages, the vast St. Lawrence Seaway, beautiful expanses of farmland that roll down from the hillsides to the sea, or the warmth of the people.” They visited the Parc de la

National Gaspésie, Forillon National Park with its “cliffs that meet the ocean,” and iconic Rocher Perce (Pierced Rock), which they found astounding. They end: “We returned home refreshed and renewed, and grateful for our high-school French.”

October found Karen Guthrie and Chantal DuPuis in Turkey. They toured the famous archeological, cultural, and religious sites in Istanbul, and then journeyed around the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, central Anatolia, and Cappadocia.

They sailed on a private gulet and swam in the Mediterranean, had dinner and an overnight with a farm family on Lake Beysehir, hiked to “interesting out-of-the-way inland places,” visited weavers and potters, and ate “amazingly delicious and varied food.” An obvious highlight was a “luxurious twohour Turkish bath experience at a really local place,” and smoking a hookah “while having tea before our Whirling Dervish Sema (ritual dance).” Karen concludes: “Our guide, a pretty outspoken left-wing demonstrator, was superb; everyone in the group really liked each other, the weather was perfect, and we just plain had a magically wonderful time.”

Bev Bolton Leyden ’53 enjoyed a November visit to her son, who teaches near Sedona, Ariz. She exclaims over a “great vacation” of becoming more acquainted with the school and southwest culture, as well as exploring Grand Canyon, Red Rock, Montezuma’s Well and Castle, petroglyphs, and the once-booming mining town of Jerome, now an artist community.

“Long way from home” praises go to Betty

Congdon, who journeyed to Guangzhou, China, to visit son Nathan ’79 and his family. Included in

her monthlong stay, Betty and Nathan took a trip to “the ancient far-northwest city of Khashgar and saw wild yaks and camels north of the city.”

Congratulations to Bill Batty ’59 and Frank Millard, who were inducted into the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame in October.

Carolyn Mann was featured in the Bowdoin College magazine profiles section. She, with other high-school math teachers, spent summer ’59 at Bowdoin, participating in a National Science Foundation program. She was one of the group chosen to go on in the program, receiving a master’s degree in ’62, when she became one of the two first women to be awarded Bowdoin degrees.

The sadness of reporting three obituaries—Hilda Whyte, widow of former Mt. Hermon chaplain, James Rae “Friar” Whyte, died on 9/12/13. A gathering in her memory was held at Thirwood Place, South Yarmouth, Cape Cod. Among her survivors are her three children, Robin Whyte Reisma ’67, Eric Whyte ’69, and Kristin Whyte ’70. David Demaine passed away on 12/5/13 at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center, in Burlington, Mass.

A classics teacher at NMH for 24 years, he is survived by his son Daniel ’96. David was predeceased by his wife, Gail, and son Matthew ’00. Word also has been received of the death of William Hawley Sr., English teacher from approximately 1952 until 1968.

Retirees John Adams

english teacher

Whether using logs to build his cabin in the woods or words to create his poetry, John Adams is a careful craftsman and a master builder.

He is skilled as a classroom teacher, both patient and demanding. John knows when to encourage the tentative freshman in his first recitation of a poem and how to exhort the senior in AP Literature to respond more critically and articulately to the text, thus building his students’ confidence and enhancing their abilities. While wonderfully unflappable and tolerant, John does not suffer laziness or unkindness.

John is an innovative and a collaborative educator. He embraces the challenge of curriculum-building and is a supportive colleague who raises pertinent issues and examines them freshly and discerningly. His work on school committees and in the English department has been significant in the building and rebuilding of NMH. John’s skills, his candor, his commitment to excellence, his good humor and wit, and, especially, his deep and abiding sense of integrity will be deeply missed across the campus.

—Louise L. Schwingel

90 I NMH Magazine

Pam Allan

library director

“Shhh!”

No, I’m not telling you to be quiet. I have a secret for you. It’s Pam Allan. You might not know her well. For 34 years, she’s kept a low profile around NMH. But it’s a wonder she’s managed to stay out of the limelight. A librarian’s librarian by day, she’s an oldtimey banjo-pickin’ hooligan roisterer by night. And if you get her to talkin’, she can ramble on with an accent as broad as any Tarheel’s.

But the banjo’s not even the half of it. The shiny iPads and the Apple TVs and the Kindles and especially the Xtranormal videos that were the high point of many a Monday Morning Meeting— they are all thanks to the high-tech-totin’ Pam Allan. So after this spring, things won’t be quite the same around Schauffler Library.

But if you want to relive old times, just head down to the Voo some night—that’s The Rendezvous in Turners Falls for you young ’uns—and catch Shout Lulu, Pam’s southern string band.

She’ll set you straight. And one thing’s for sure: You’ll never hear her say, “Shhh!”

—Peter Weis ’78

Jim Block

Lorrie Byrom

english teacher

director, international education

Some facts about Jim Block’s life (so far): He was a Navy brat who attended Mr. Jefferson’s college. He has sported a well-groomed handlebar moustache all his adult life.

He is a Navy veteran who served on an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. He began teaching at NMH in 1971, and taught one year in both England and Turkey.

An avowed Anglophile, he is known to serve port and Stilton at Christmas, preceded by flaming figgy pudding garnished with holly.

At NMH, Jim has been a devoted, demanding teacher of English; dorm head; coach of wrestling, cross-country, soccer, and track; advisor to The Bridge; English department chair; and the carrier of the Mace at Commencement.

But the essence of Jim Block is: a loyal friend in good times, and especially—when it counts—in times of difficulty; a teacher who cares deeply about his students, whether they be adolescents or adults; a faithful Christian, committed to social justice; a loving and devoted son, brother, husband, father of three, and grandfather of two.

And a true Hogger to his core.

Lorrie has made a huge impact on generations of NMH students. As a teacher, dorm parent, dorm head, student life dean, dean of faculty, department chair, and most recently, as the director of the Center for International Education, Lorrie has shared her wisdom and boundless energy in every area of community life.

Lorrie has become a true citizen of the world at NMH, leading dozens of study trips to all corners of the earth, and inspiring us with her passion for history and learning about new cultures. She has deftly balanced her NMH life with being a parent to two wonderful children (and now grandchildren!) and directing her beloved Camp Betsey Cox in Pittsfield, Vt., where she has spent many summers. Most remarkably, she has done all this with a warm, generous heart—anyone who spends time with Lorrie feels supported, listened to, and cared about.

Her departure from NMH is not an end but a beginning. We can look forward to receiving carefully selected postcards, with beautiful stamps and exotic postmarks, and we will be comforted to know that Lorrie is continuing her tireless efforts to learn, teach, and make a profound difference out in the world.

—Dick Peller

—Nate Hemphill

Michael Corrigan

chaplain

“By their fruits ye shall know them,” said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Michael’s harvest has been abundant, as he guided NMH through a decade of transition on campus. After 32 years in university and parish ministry, he became a teacher, coach, and advisor to NMH students; a colleague and counselor to faculty; a mentor and friend to all. Sunday morning chapel has become the most diverse hour on campus. “He knows us,” says a student in his Biblical Interpretations class, “and he really cares.”

Michael was awarded the Parents Council Chair for Residential Life in 2006, and received NMH’s first adult “Athlete of the Week” award for earning a pie in the Pie Race when he was in his 60s. He later guided the JV boys’ cross-country runners from last place to fourth in New England in just five years. Grateful hockey players, who in 2009 rose to achieve the team’s best record ever, recently named the Girls’ JV Hockey award in his honor.

So go rub the founder’s nose in Memorial Chapel and hear the refrain “Servants, well done!” from the hymn “Come Labor On.” Michael and Moody, two wily fishers of souls, have been in cahoots across the years, seeing to it that the Spirit still roars within the school they both love.

Kevin Gerry

athletic trainer

For the last 35 years, Kevin Gerry has cared for NMH athletes with great skill, humor, and a touch of fun. Kevin believed that dealing with an injury, while heartbreaking, shouldn’t be the end of the world.

Of the many “bits” he would do with the students, his favorite was to wield a giant veterinary syringe while working with, say, one of the “questionably” injured. Kevin would approach with syringe in hand, aiming right for the area of complaint. The mad scramble and raucous reaction that always resulted brought joy to everyone, including—eventually—the victim of the prank.

Underneath the environment of levity he sought to create, he always provided expert care, as he guided athletes through the healing process and back into competition. He has been the bedrock of the athletic training room since 1979. He will be greatly missed.

—Wendy Young

—Gary Partenheimer

spring 2014 I class notes I 91

Vicky Jenkins

Timothy L. McCabe

math teacher

“Show your work” has been Vicky Jenkins’s mantra for the past 30 years. Of course, the answer matters, too, but for her, the deliberate, meticulous, and clear thinking required to solve a problem is what lies at the heart of learning.

Generations of rowers and math students, of Gould residents and Shea residents, of new teachers and veteran colleagues have all come to rely on her genuine support and authentic candor. They see Vicky living by her own mantra, “showing her work” here at NMH. That work has impressed most, inspired many, and influenced us all. The fact that her former rowers have gone on to top college programs and that even more of them go on to coach rowing themselves is a testament to her passion and her compassion. She may be retiring, but I promise you, she will continue to “show her work” throughout the Pioneer Valley. We will be the better for it.

—Peter Jenkins

Jessica Mix Barrington

classics, english

Auguri, Professora! Jessica has commuted daily between the contemporary world and ancient Greece and Rome long before she arrived at NMH in 1995. With degrees from Mount Holyoke and UMass, Jessica has shared her deep passion for classics with students across all levels of Latin and through advanced independent studies in Greek and Latin.

As a teacher and textbook author, Jessica has cultivated her own professional garden through research and travel, especially in Italy. She co-created the Italian Senior Seminar, bringing her expertise in Italian art, music, cuisine, culture, and current events.

On campus, Jessica lived with husband David, daughter Julia ’08, and scores of advisees in Upper South Crossley; directed NMH’s Work Program for several years; and, as an early adopter of the digital world, empowered many NMH teachers to incorporate technology in their classrooms.

Jessica also faithfully served as a Memorial Chapel deacon, and chaired the academic committee during NMH’s campus consolidation. She retires to her home in Amherst and will welcome more frequent encounters with Cicero and Dante.

—Charlie Tierney

92 I NMH Magazine

counselor

A student’s mother once said of Tim: “He is like the water a thirsty one drinks.” For 31 years at NMH, Tim has been the nonjudgmental and compassionate adult that adolescents could trust, whether they came from Seoul, Albuquerque, or Queens. Tim’s calming presence informed his ability to listen objectively and respond with clarity and empathy. For colleagues, Tim has provided meaningful support and wisdom laced with humor.

Trained at Ripon College, Villanova, and UMass, Tim is direct and creative. Teaching history in Puerto Rico and Philadelphia; driving a Zamboni or a 1946 Cadillac limo; playing with his rock band; raising Scotties; traveling in Russia, South Korea, and the Caribbean; boating in a 1952 wooden sedan; singing in musicals; collecting folk art and antiques; sharing his wealth of stories; being a trivia champion; and enjoying his home in Nova Scotia—Tim does it all with sensitivity and flair. Bon Voyage!

—Joanna Schoen

Joanna Schoen

counselor

Teenagers have always been central to Joanna’s work. At NMH, she has been an advocate of wellness, multicultural understanding, and mindfulness. Multifaceted, sensitive, and intelligent, she engages life fully, balancing dedication to her career with a love of adventure and a commitment to contemplative inner work.

She is delighted by nature, music, and the arts, and is an avid photographer and world traveler. She has visited 50 countries and every continent but Antarctica (still on her to-do list).

As a therapist, Joanna brings her vitality to those she serves.

Forever challenging herself, she has walked at night on her wooded land with eyes closed to understand blindness, taught nonviolence in maximum security prisons, and rappelled off Welsh castle towers to practice meditative focus. When you combine that sort of determination, strength, and awareness with kindness, compassion, and humor, the result is a gifted psychotherapist and human being.

—Fern Selesnick P ’05

vital statistics Births and Adoptions ’83 William Oswald Schoener to Susie Broatch and Jeff Schoener, 7/6/13. ’84 Oscar Howell to Lan and Dan Howell, 7/13. ’90 Oliver Webster Grout to Ashley and Derek Grout, 6/17/13. ’92 Fergus Thomas Coleman and Cyrus William Cogswell to Alexander and Alexis Moore O’Connolly, 7/8/13. ’92 Norah Gray deVore to Peter and Jennifer Sadula deVore, 9/3/13. ’92 Leo Samuel Russin-Nebel to Leah Russin and Chris Nebel, 9/26/13. ’94 Lyle Edward Wiernasz to Michael and Lauren Siegel Wiernasz, 11/20/13. ’94 Kasey Nicole Haskins to Wanda Vargas and Akito Haskins, 12/13. ’96 Eleanor Drew Southergill to John and Meredith Alan Southergill ’97, 12/9/13. ’97 Niko Koa Bullard to Travis Bullard and Brek Heikkinen, 10/11/13. ’01 Lucas Donovan to Shirley Palomino and Robert Donovan, 11/15/13. ’01 Grayson Joseph Zetterquist to Garret and Natalie Bickerton Zetterquist, 5/21/13. ’02 Virginia Apolline Frechette to Henry and Heather King Frechette, 4/6/13. ’04 Elin Christine Frederickson to Brita Bero ’04 and Seth Frederickson, 8/26/13.

Weddings and Civil Unions

’64 Jane Avery to Denise Merritt, 7/27/13. ’68 Jonathan Ives to Tempe Weinbach, 12/28/13. ’75 Steve Davis to Carrie Williams, 8/13. ’81 Richard Anthony, formerly Piscuskas, to Kimberly Wright, 12/7/13. ’84 Chris Crocker to Andrew Potter, 11/30/13. ’96 Lisa Washburn to William Mann, 9/7/13. ’97 David Hughes to Lily Allen, 9/8/12. ’97 Luke Williams to Anna Koren, 8/30/13. ’01 Claire Burnside to John Och, 10/13. ’01 Nicholas Theberge to Amanda Manly, 6/13. ’04 Nora Bisharat to Ibrahim Najjar, 9/7/13. ’05 Michael Abell to Caitlin DeMaria, 8/17/13. ’12 Sarah Bravo to Willie Cheng, 11/16/13.

Deaths

’23 Grace Ames Hatch, 11/17/12. Cousin of Anne Boyce Mackie ’45 (dec’d). ’32 Katherine Kupfer Huyber, 12/9/12. ’34 Lyda Wilmarth Metters, 9/1/13. ’35 David DeFriest, 2/6/14. ’35 Priscilla Patterson Salgo, 3/23/12. ’37 Louise Pullen Nevers, 11/27/13. Sister of Mary Pullen Murphy ’37 and Kate Pullen

Heuker ’39 (dec’d). Cousin of Winthrop Piper ’39 (dec’d) and Louis Piper ’42 (dec’d). ’37 E. Spencer Parsons, 10/13. ’37 Mary Dunlap Ward, 2/8/14. Sister of Dorothy Dunlap Thomas ’40. Grandmother of Alexandre Edgar ’07. Aunt of Nancy Thomas ’73. ’37 Dorothy Merriam Whittle, 2/19/14. Daughter of Charles Merriam ’14 (dec’d). Sister of Sue Merriam Fiser ’40 (dec’d). Niece of Winfred Merriam ’15 (dec’d) and Spenser Merriam ’17 (dec’d). ’38 Barbara Barnes Boden, 1/22/14. Niece of Edward Barnes ’12 (dec’d) and Sherman Barnes ’25 (dec’d). ’38 Mary Whitmore McClintock, 11/6/13.

Daughter of Martha Richardson Whitmore ’16 (dec’d). Sister of Carolyn Whitmore Shilling ’42 (dec’d). ’39 Barbara Watkins Kimball, 2/11/14. ’39 Patricia Booth Lee, 10/31/13. Daughter of Arthur Booth ’16 (dec’d). ’39 Louise Martin McKittrick, 1/17/14. Mother of Paula McKittrick Korber ’64. Aunt of Carolyn Rand Whitaker ’60. ’39 Edith Greene Shuck, 12/23/12. ’39 David Stevens, 8/14/13. Brother of Richard Stevens ’42. ’40 Rheta Howland, 7/22/13. Sister of Anne Howland Knudson ’42. ’40 Sarah Phelps Geoghegan, 11/11/13. Aunt of Stanley Atwood ’55 (dec’d). ’40 Barbara Beane McAskill, 10/26/13. Cousin of Arthur Beane ’32 (dec’d), Alice Wyman Mayhew ’33 (dec’d), Louisa Beane Browne ’36 (dec’d), Harold Wyman ’36 (dec’d), Richards Beane ’42 (dec’d), and Geoff Beane ’66. Niece of Arthur Beane ’06 (dec’d). ’40 Winifred Curtis Stebbins, 10/11/13. Daughter of A. Pierson Curtis ’09 (dec’d). Sister of Huntington Curtis ’38 (dec’d) and Cynthia Curtis Stehfest ’44. Cousin of Virginia Baker Holmes ’38, Patricia Curtis Ormsby ’48 (dec’d), and Nancy Curtis ’50 (dec’d). Niece of Ralph Curtis ’10 (dec’d), Helen Curtis ’13 (dec’d), and Gordon Curtis ’15 (dec’d). Greatniece of Edith Pierson Evans 1892 (dec’d).

Aunt of Winifrid Curtis ’67 (dec’d), Henry Curtis ’70, Martha Parker ’71, and Robin Hadlock Seeley ’73. ’41 Edith Marston Crow, 9/21/13. ’41 Bradford Drake, 1/5/14. ’41 Arnold Keller, 2/16/14. Father of Arnold Keller ’73. ’41 Carolyn Davis Pearce, 11/16/13. Sister of Stephen Davis ’42 (dec’d). Aunt of Megan Aldrich ’73 and Nathaniel Aldrich ’76. ’42 Virginia Hill Brehmer, 1/20/14. Cousin of William Talbot ’68. ’42 Nancy Andrews Ingle, 8/20/13. ’42 Constance Kenney Seavey, 10/24/13. Stepsister of Mildred Dolliver Gilley ’32 (dec’d).

Cousin of Marcia Savage McGee ’61 (dec’d).

Niece of Cora Phillips Perry ’15 (dec’d). ’42 Walter Tilden, 9/28/13. Nephew of Paul

Tilden ’21 (dec’d). ’43 Robert Fleckles, 11/9/13. Cousin of William Lozier ’43 (dec’d), David Fleckles ’49, Carol Fleckles White ’51, Tamara White Marz ’75, and Mary White Turley ’83. Nephew of Elliot Fleckles ’21 (dec’d). ’43 John MacCracken, 1/22/14. Son of John MacCracken ’22 (dec’d). Stepbrother of Charles MacCracken ’59. Cousin of Cynthia Stevens Brabson ’57. ’43 Ann Morse Pritchard, 10/16/13. Sister of Dorothy Morse Cooper ’45. Aunt of Polly Darnell ’67. ’43 David Smith, 8/30/13. Brother of Robert Smith ’42 (dec’d) and John Smith ’52 (dec’d). ’43 Rose Hull Terrill, 9/19/13. Aunt of Hannah Beecher ’61 and Elizabeth Beecher Bryant ’63 (dec’d). Cousin of Mary Leach Bancroft ’03 (dec’d). ’44 John Barnard, 9/23/12. Brother of Robert Barnard ’53. ’44 Jane Widdoes Beilby, 8/31/13. Sister of Priscilla Widdoes Orcutt ’28 (dec’d) and Cynthia Widdoes Clarkson ’35 (dec’d). Cousin of Barbara Gibbs O’Brien ’33 (dec’d), Robert Gibbs ’36. Aunt of Christine Fleuriel ’69 and Andre Fleuriel ’74. ’44 Peter Leyden, 3/7/14. Son of Elizabeth Bridges Leyden ’22 (dec’d) and Peter Leyden ’22 (dec’d). Brother of George Leyden ’47 and John Leyden ’53 (dec’d). Grandfather of Peter Leyden ’02. Uncle of James Leyden ’76 and Jeffrey Leyden ’80. Granduncle of Luke Leyden ’14. ’44 George Stukhart, 9/30/13. ’45 Edward Brockway, 3/17/13. ’45 Anne Boyce Mackie, 11/2/13. Cousin of Grace Ames Hatch ’23 (dec’d). ’45 Dorothy Foster Purington, 10/3/13. Sister of Mary Foster Kimball ’38 (dec’d). ’45 Jane Howarth Richter, 2/8/14. ’46 John Browning, 9/15/13. Brother of William Browning ’49 and Frank Browning ’50. ’46 Andrea Nickel Frost, 2014. ’46 John Jones, 10/10/13. Father of Elizabeth Jones Smith ’71. ’46 JoAn Huff, 12/9/13. ’46 Jeanne Walsh Stanton, 1/10/14. ’46 Barbara Taylor, 12/29/13. Daughter of Robert Taylor ’20 (dec’d). Sister of Betty Taylor Phelps ’48 (dec’d). Cousin of Cleland Cochrane ’46 (dec’d), Jean Cochrane Skib ’47 (dec’d), Marshall Chandler ’47 (dec’d), and C. James Allen ’51. ’46 Katherine Tilton Teel, 2/7/14. ’47 William Altieri, 12/18/13. Son of William Altieri ’14 (dec’d). ’47 Herbert Hansen, 12/15/13. Father of Herbert Hansen ’70 and Peter Hansen ’72. ’47 John Plant. 11/15/13. ’48 Hildreth Bailey, 2/9/14. Daughter of Helen Caldwell Bailey ’22 (dec’d). Niece of Miriam Caldwell Fuller ’18 (dec’d), Frederick Caldwell ’29 (dec’d) and J. Theodore Caldwell ’29

spring 2014 I class notes I 93

(dec’d). ’48 David Chute, 10/19/13. Brother of James Chute ’42 and Rosanna Chute ’42. Father of Mark Chute ’70 and Jaye Chute Constantine ’70. ’48 Mary Snider Leed, 6/25/13. ’48 Janice Hibbs Testa, 9/26/13. Niece of Albert Pearson ’30 (dec’d) and Emily Pearson ’33 (dec’d). ’49 Ann Reeves Allison, 8/16/13. Sister of Katherine Reeves ’34 (dec’d). Mother of Thomas Allison ’77. Niece of William Oetjen ’27 (dec’d) and Mary E. Oetjen ’27 (dec’d). ’49 Suzanne Betts Burrell, 1/21/14. Cousin of Barbara Hodge Fleming ’46. ’49 Harold Fleming, 2/4/14. Brother of Anne Fleming Selby ’56 (dec’d). Father of Douglass Fleming ’78. ’49 Arthur French, 8/26/13. Brother of Wayne French ’49. ’49 Grant Law, 10/31/13. Brother of Joan Law Reynolds ’48. Father of Alison Law Darling ’81. Uncle of Nancy Reynolds Davidson ’75. ’49 Robert Payne, 1/14/13. Brother of Malcolm Payne ’47 and Alan Payne ’53. ’50 Richard Lanoue, 11/12/13. Brother of Donald Lanoue ’50 and Anne Lanoue Weber ’52. ’51 Janice Swanson Burbank, 2/23/14. ’51 Richard Forsberg, 12/30/13. ’52 Joanne Michelini Pigott, 9/13/13. Sister of Donna Michelini ’57 (dec’d). ’53 Harriet Babcock, 3/28/13. ’53 Anne Keller, 11/27/13. ’55 George Gillmor, 11/12/13. ’55 Elizabeth Cockroft Palmer, 9/8/13. ’56 Brian Muller, 2/13/14. Brother of Bruce Muller ’51. Uncle of Brita Muller Boer ’86.

Granduncle of Danielle Kratter ’06.

94 I NMH Magazine

’56 James Rotherham, 1/12/14. Son of Richard Rotherham ’33 (dec’d) and Virginia Gibbs Rotherham ’34 (dec’d). ’58 Barton Ferris, 10/17/13. Brother of Warren Ferris ’61. Nephew of Warren Van Dyk ’39 (dec’d). ’58 Martha Miller, 1/30/14. Daughter of Ellwyn Miller ’30 (dec’d). Granddaughter of Ethel Maynard Miller ’99 (dec’d). Sister of Richard E. Miller ’61, John Miller ’73. Mother of Beverly Flores Downen ’93 and Michael Flores ’94. Niece of J. Maynard Miller ’26 (dec’d).

Great-niece of Florence Miller ’05 (dec’d).

Aunt of Zachary Miller ’95. ’58 Martha Hill South, 11/28/13. Sister of Leland Hill Goddard ’53. Cousin of Corinna Carr Smith ’54. ’58 Stephen Wilcox, 1/26/14. ’59 Marcia Comstock Alderfer, 10/7/13. Sister of Constance Comstock Leahy ’65. Mother of Charles Little ’84 and Kathryn Littel Friedland ’85. Former wife of Barre W. Little ’58. ’59 Joyce Kay, 12/31/13. Daughter of R. James Kay ’21 (dec’d). Stepsister of Phyllis Kay Farrow ’47 (dec’d). Cousin of M. Jeannette Walters Winder ’36 (dec’d). Niece of Charles Wellard ’43 (dec’d). ’60 John Baymiller, 3/2/14. Brother of Judith Baymiller ’56. ’60 Paul Pellaton, 6/19/13. ’63 Barbara Hetzel Angstadt, 7/14/13. Sister of Mary Hetzel Von Conta ’51 and Janet Hetzel Scranton ’53 (dec’d). Cousin of E. Packer Wilbur ’55. ’63 Shirley Matthews Woodward, 1/25/14. Sister of Janet Matthews Tomlinson ’62. ’64 Frederick Batchelder, 8/1/13. ’64 Constance Boardman, 9/23/13. Daughter of

Dorothea Reber Boardman ’30 (dec’d). ’64 Constance Weigle Mann, 2/19/14. Sister of Mary Weigle ’61. Cousin of Luther Weigle ’63. ’64 Lucy Brady Talbott, 10/26/13. Aunt of Sarah Brady Underwood ’81. ’65 Bruce Johnson, 2/6/14. Brother of Martha Johnson ’57, S. Jennifer Johnson ’59, Peter Johnson ’61, Carolyn Johnson Goetz ’66.

Cousin of Janet Wormwood Jordan ’71, Alexander Newcomb ’91, Thomas Newcomb ’99. ’65 Eric Johnson, 9/25/13. ’66 William Harris, 4/24/13. ’71 Lisa Frazee-Seguin, 6/26/13. ’74 Douglas Ebanks, 10/25/13. ’75 Tacie Mansfield, 11/16/13. ’84 Paul Wygan, ’13. Son of D. Camilla Reznikoff Wygan ’49 (dec’d). Grandson of Dorothy Grout Reznikoff ’22 (dec’d). Nephew of Paul Reznikoff ’55. Great-grand nephew of Lucy Grout ’94 (dec’d) and Ernest Grout ’16 (dec’d). ’86 Jacqueline Stolte, 10/11/13. Cousin of Kyra White ’12.

Deaths—Former Faculty and Staff Christine Burdick, former staff, 10/23/13.

John Callahan, former faculty, 12/12/13.

David Demaine Jr., retired faculty, 12/5/13. Father

of Daniel Demaine ’96 and Matthew Demaine ’00 (dec’d).

Hazel Greaves, former faculty, 10/20/13.

Jeanne Majdalany, former faculty, 9/30/13. Mother of Ronald Majdalany ’69, Carol Majdalany Williams ’71, and Gail Majdalany Heaslip ’75.

Elizabeth Russell, former staff, 10/30/13.

in memoriam

BY NOELLE ANSON

David A. Demaine Jr. Two years after the death of his wife, Gail, David A. Demaine Jr., 65, died on December 5, 2013, following surgery at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts; he had been battling bladder cancer. David was a classics teacher at NMH for 24 years, from 1987 until his retirement in 2011.

Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, on October 24, 1948, David attended the Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and then went on to Boston University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Latin in 1971. After college, he

Christine Burdick, 79, passed away

10/23/13. She was a shipping and records clerk in the laundry department from 1986– 2005. Christine was an avid reader, enjoyed gardening, knitting, trips to the ocean, and dining out, and was an avid Red Sox fan. She is survived by her husband, three sons, one daughter, a brother, two sisters, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. ♦

earned a master’s in comparative literature at the University of California, Riverside, in the late 1970s. It was there, in 1972, that he met Gail Carter, who became his wife. David began his teaching career at the Webb School in Claremont, California, before he and Gail decided to move back east. He then took a position at Millbrook School in upstate New York. The family grew to include two sons by the early 1980s, and in 1987, they moved to Northfield, where both David and Gail had accepted teaching positions.

David taught Latin at NMH and related subjects, such as mythology and classical literature. He coached football and wrestling, served on many faculty committees, and chaired the Classics Department in the 1990s.

He and Gail led term abroad groups and did as much traveling in their spare time as they could. David didn’t neglect his own professional development along the way. In a tribute on his retirement, Charlie Tierney said: “He cultivated his own professional garden, earning the classics teacher’s dream hat trick: two Fulbright Fellowships in Rome and Athens and an NEH summer fellowship to study Dante Alighieri in Siena, Italy.” In 2003 at NMH, David was awarded the Byung Ku Huh Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching.

Colleagues were unanimous in their view of David as a lover of life, traveling, teaching, classics, and family, not necessarily in that order. Ellen Turner remarked on his “deep and hearty laugh,” saying that he was a committed husband, father, and teacher, a sports enthusiast, world traveler, and an optimistic and joyful person. Dick Peller called David a “remarkably positive person. Even with all the tragedies in his life, he was never without a smile or a pleasant word for colleagues and friends [and] he continued to find wonder in

the world and live his life fully.”

After learning of his death, Atta Kurzmann told a story about David accompanying her on an NMH term abroad to India in 2012 and needing clothes for a wedding the group was invited to attend. “There was only one outfit for a man the size of David, and he happily bought it. It was gold silk brocade with a long jacket and scarf. He looked so regal in it that we began to call him King David, and the name stuck. While we were at the wedding, we noticed that King David kept disappearing from our group. We would then see him up on the wedding stage, having his picture taken with the bride and groom and many of the other wedding guests. They hardly knew him but they loved him as we did. He will always be King David to me.”

On one biographical form, David listed his outside interests as running, tennis, crosscountry skiing, reading, and films. According to his son, Dan, David’s other interests were keeping in touch with friends he and Gail had made over the years and the water.

David had several small boats, including two kayaks, a canoe, a rowboat, and a sailboat.

The Demaines had moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts, after David’s retirement, a perfect place for lovers of boats and the water.

David is survived by his son, Daniel ’96, and his wife, Theresa Peura, and their three children, Max, Nora, and John Howard; his sister, Gabe; and two stepbrothers. He was predeceased by his wife, Gail, and his son, Matthew ’00. Gifts in David’s memory may be directed to the Matthew Demaine Memorial Scholarship Fund at NMH, c/o Kristin Kellom in the Office of Advancement. ♦

John Callahan, 88, who taught in

Helen Connor, 73, a head snack bar

NMH Summer School from 1980–1992, passed away 12/12/13. In addition to his love of teaching, John was an avid golfer and was club champion at Northfield Golf Course for several years. Her loved spending time with his family at their cottage on Spofford Lake in New Hampshire. He is survived by three daughters, two sons, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. ♦

attendant from 1988–2001, passed away 8/14/2013. She was active in community events in Grafton, Vermont, and was known as Sugar Grammy by her 11 grandchildren, who survive her. She also is survived by two sons, two daughters, and two brothers. ♦

As this issue of NMH Magazine was going to press, we learned of the death of Joy Merritt Unsworth ’45 on March 31, 2014.

A progressive and generous spirit, Joy touched the lives of many NMH students, alumni, and staff during the years from 1981 to 1990 when her husband, Dick Unsworth ’45, was head of NMH. The NMH community extends its condolences to him and to their family. A full tribute to Joy will appear in the fall issue of the magazine.

spring 2014 I class notes I 95

PARTING WORDS

Sherlock Holmes and Me

by SYLVIA KORMAN ’14

This is the story of my relationship with Sherlock Holmes. It is also the story of my brush with Hollywood and a fun-filled evening with the Red-Headed League of New Jersey.

It is also a little slice of bildungsroman, in which I learn to stop worrying and love what’s inside.

I found the book at the back of the classroom on a day when I had nothing to read during my middle school’s daily “reading period.” I rejected the textbooks and Nancy Drew novels and took back to my seat the only book that looked remotely interesting: It was thick enough to build houses out of, hardback, with a dull red-cloth cover and an occasional pencil scribble veering wildly across the pages. It was the complete, collected Sherlock Holmes.

I was hooked immediately, swept off my feet by the adventure and genius and the thick aura of Victoriana that lingered throughout the stories like London fog.

Holmes—with his violin virtuosity, cocaine habit, sitting-room target practice, and the fakery of all his carefully curated eccentricities—came alive for me. I longed to dash down gas lamp-lit London streets, following the flutter of his coattails.

After I blazed through the stories, I whipped through books and blogs of Holmes-focused pastiche and criticism. I was obsessed. I begged my parents to buy me a deerstalker cap, despite knowing it was a hunting hat,

96 I NMH Magazine

incongruous for Holmes to have worn in London. I attended an opera based on A Study in Scarlet and a meeting of the Red-Headed League, a society of central-Jersey Holmes fans, most of them quadruple my age. They administered quizzes on minute details of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, and I took them happily.

The movie Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, came out when I was 13, and it stirred my

“ I was swept off my feet by the adventure and genius and the thick aura of Victoriana that lingered throughout the stories like London fog.” adolescent ire into a little tornado of rage. Downey, short and scruffy, was not Sherlock Holmes. I wrote a letter of complaint to one of the film’s producers, and received a dismissive response in which he thanked me for my indignation and professed hope that I would see and enjoy the film, and in doing so, understand their artistic choices.

Having already decided I would hate it, I watched the film in a huff of frustration, slouching low in my seat and muttering criticisms to my mother between buttery handfuls of

popcorn. I may have been the most insufferable 13-year-old who ever, to borrow a phrase from Doyle, “stood in shoe leather.”

My issues with the film were superficial. It looked wrong, and therefore, it was wrong, unforgivably wrong. But for Holmes, I would watch anything, and so of course I watch the latest Holmes incarnations, two TV shows that set Doyle’s stories of deduction and derring-do in the modern day: the BBC’s Sherlock and CBS’s Elementary. And let me tell you, my pedantic 13-yearold self would have been a sucker for Sherlock; they got the look right. But at 13, I’d been trapped, beholden to the impeccably correct Holmes who existed in the stories I had read. My obsessive knowledge of the character had been pure myopia.

Thinking critically, I realize how unsatisfying is Sherlock’s Holmes, who has perfect hair but is cruel to Watson.

And how enjoyable is Elementary’s, even unshaven, for his spirit of goodness and adventure. When I started seeing past the trappings of Holmes, I could delight in and discover him as a person and as a spirit.

My Sherlock Holmes is more than ambience and Victoriana. My Sherlock Holmes is who I am and want to be: loyal, altruistic, and moral, with a love for the distinct, the bizarre, and the thought-provoking. I don’t need to wear a deerstalker cap. I don’t need to chase anyone’s coattails, or to ace quizzes on fictional detective cases. When I need Sherlock Holmes, I know where to find him: in me. [NMH]

PHOTOS: GLENN MINSHALL

GIVING BACK

A champion diver comes home to teach, coach, and say thank-you.

Kai Robinson ’05 As a champion diver at NMH and Amherst College, Kai Robinson ’05 had to be focused, high-reaching, and flexible.

Now he’s back at NMH, using those skills off the diving board as a teacher, coach, and dorm parent.

Kai teaches math and coaches girls’ varsity swimming and JV softball. He’s also a class parent to this year’s seniors, helping plan events and fundraisers for the Class of 2014, working closely with student officers. It’s a big job—big enough to merit a $3,600 stipend.

“I could have looked at my class-parenting stipend as a nice one-year raise,” Kai says. “Instead, I thought about how that money could help fund textbooks and scholarships.”

Kai didn’t just think about giving; he did it. He donated his post-tax stipend to NMH’s Annual Fund as “a fun gesture and a big thank-you for all the school has done for me, both professionally and when I was a student here,” he explains.

One thing NMH did was teach him to dive. More specifically, diving coach Grace Robertson introduced him to the sport. Kai spent countless hours training at the Northfield pool under her sharp eye, going on to win four New England championships and a No. 2 national ranking in independent-school diving. At Amherst, he won two NCAA diving titles.

Kai hopes NMH will someday have a pool deep enough to accommodate a diving team, but until then, he says, “Nothing makes me happier than seeing my students come to that ‘aha’ moment, when they finally understand a math concept and can see its power.”

Supporting NMH can be pretty powerful, too. “I used my gift as a challenge to seniors to boost their own fundraising efforts,” Kai says. “My hope is that as they give back, they will think of all the people here who’ve affected their lives in so many ways, just as I have never forgotten the impact Grace Robertson and NMH have had on me.”

NMH

Magazine

One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354

Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Northfield Mount Hermon School

CHA N GE SER VICE RE Q U E ST E D PRINT E D IN THE UNITE D S TAT ES

Nicole Dancel â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09 tipped her cap to NMH as she graduated from Skidmore College in May 2013.

PH O TO : B R I TTA N Y P ERLMUTER