Class Notes

ClassNotes

Penn Charter magazine wants to hear from you, and your classmates do, too! Submit your news and photos at penncharter.com/classnote. Digital photos should be 300 dpi JPEGs.

1689

Fred F. Woerner Jr. writes, “After graduating from Penn Charter, I attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the regular Army. Initial training included infantry, ranger and parachute. My subsequent 35-year career was divided between traditional soldiering and specialization in United States-Latin American military relations. I received an MA in Latin American studies from the University of Arizona. Overseas assignments were served in Vietnam, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala and Uruguay. continued at top

Katherine Ballengee OPC ’97, James M. Ballengee Hon. 1689, S. Lindsay Ballengee OPC ’99 and Bruce MacCullough Hon. 1689 volunteered over the holidays to serve lunch at Broad Street Ministry.

1951

“In 1989, I retired from active duty as a general and accepted an appointment as a tenured full professor of liberal arts at Boston University, presenting courses in U.S. national security and Latin American affairs. During this second career, I also served pro bono as the president’s chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, responsible for commemorating overseas the service of the armed forces. This also included construction of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. “My third career is now serving as a volunteer reader to the local second grade students. Through all, I have been ably supported by my wife, Gennie, four sons and their families, nine grandsons and one great-grandson.”

Fred F. Woerner Jr.

1952

Frank F. Embick Jr. writes, “I marvel at the vigor and growth at Penn Charter and only wish I could observe it firsthand. I miss the classmates but enjoy hearing about them in Penn Charter magazine. Anna and I enjoy living in the condo, for the most part, and are looking forward to some exotic trips this year to celebrate our 50th anniversary.”

Colson H. Hillier Jr. writes, “Santa and Mrs. Claus made it all the way to Grand Cayman, as the Hilliers celebrated Christmas this year on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.”

Michael P. Ritter writes, “As of the moment, Margo and I are pretty much back on track. I’m driving my yellow Honda Fit, happily going to music jobs in Virginia and Maryland, and puttering around the house, much in the fashion of years gone by. Margo has taken this quarter off from teaching ice skating. She hosted a number of holiday parties in the meantime but will return to the rink shortly. We’re both in surprisingly good health for mid-80s kids; maybe a bit more wobbly and a dash more forgetful, but as we put it, we’re both living ‘in the land of denial.’”

Joseph B. Van Sciver III and his wife, Carol, shared their Christmas card, below.

John H. Wagner III plays tennis daily, and he and Carol still get out to their Colorado ranch in the summer. John had a short but serious health problem on a trip in France back in October, but has recovered fully, as evidenced by the daily tennis report.

Frederick J. Yannessa celebrated his 85th birthday along with Charles Kurz II OPC ’63; both Charles and wife Nicky, and Fred and wife Joan are residents of Beaumont at Bryn Mawr.

1955

Owen B. Tabor writes, “I see W. Barnes Hauptfuhrer OPC ’72 and Scott B. Perper OPC ’74 in Charlotte, N.C., when visiting family there. I remain retired from orthopedics in Memphis, with time spent in Charlottesville, Va., and Isle of Skye, Scotland, to escape the heat. Margaret and I love hearing from classmates at Christmastime, and I cherish my years at PC.”

1956

John D. Milner writes, “I recently completed my 50th year of architectural practice. John Milner Architects, located in Chadds Ford, continues to be involved with historic preservation and new design projects in the U.S. and abroad, including a new residential community in Dalian, China. Several years ago, I retired from part-time teaching after serving for 37 years as adjunct professor of architecture in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Design, where I also conducted a conservation summer school in conjunction with the University of Plymouth in England. My wife, Wynne, and I enjoy our free time in Provence and Corfu in France.”

1957

Thomas W. Budd shared “the tale of two Penn Charter boys from different eras who got together to form a law firm in New York.” He writes, “I graduated from Penn Charter in 1957. Henry Clifton Jr. OPC ’27 graduated from Penn Charter 30 years earlier. I started as a young labor lawyer with the New York law firm of Buell Clifton & Turner, and it was a while before I found out that Henry Clifton Jr. went to Penn Charter. (Interestingly, my father, Rex Budd, was the advertising VP at Campbell Soup, and when he started there, Henry Clifton Sr. was the credit manager.) “In 1968, Dick Buell died, and a year later Bill Turner died. I was only 29 at the time but had a substantial amount of business. Henry Clifton and I decided to break off from the general corporate lawyers and start a new firm that was strictly devoted to labor and employment. That firm, which began in 1969 with Clifton, me and one associate, was Clifton Budd & Burke, and is now the firm of Clifton Budd & DeMaria, located in the Empire State Building. It is a management labor and employment specialty firm. Recently we were included on the Forbes magazine list of the top corporate law firms in the United States. The Forbes list shows the firm as having been started in 1900— that’s a stretch, though Henry Clifton did work in a firm with Walter Gordon Merritt, considered by many the first labor lawyer in the U.S. (In the early 1900s, Merritt tried the famous Danbury Hatters’ Case.)”

1958

William A. Graham IV writes, “In June 2020, I will celebrate my 58th anniversary working at Graham Company, an insurance brokerage and consultant firm located in Philadelphia. I have been happily married to my wife, Fran, for almost 43 years. We have an amazing daughter, Laura, the mother of our granddaughter Macy and our newest granddaughter, Paloma. Our wonderful son, Quint, is married to Jessica, parents of our granddaughters Elizabeth and Caroline. At 78 years old, I still enjoy working every day, encourage and promote wrestling, and give back to those people and places that have positively impacted my life. I also enjoy getting together with other PC alumni: John E.F. (Jef) Corson, Ross R. Hibbert, Robert D. Morrow Jr., Stephen J. Ruckman, Edwin A. Weihenmayer III and Rodger C. Wichterman. I am looking forward to the new Graham Athletics and Wellness Center being built on the Penn Charter campus this year, which will be a state-of-the-art facility.”

1961

Bill Graham IV, second from right, was joined by Ross Hibbert, Rodger Wichterman and Bob Morrow for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the William A. Graham Athletics and Wellness Center.

William E. Chapman II writes, “For someone who spent his business career in the retirement business, I seem to keep retiring over and over. October 2019 represented the final departure from a paid job as I retired from the board of Third Avenue Funds. I am keeping busy with volunteer activities, mostly as board chair of Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation.”

1959

David Scott attended the St. Andrews Annual Dinner on Dec. 5, 2019. Many OPCs were in attendance, including Blake M. Christoph OPC ’74, William (Bill) F. MacDonald Jr. OPC ’62, Alan R. McFarland Jr., Stuart A. McFarland OPC ’65 and Neil B. Tanner OPC ’89.

1960

Roy A. Beauchamp writes, “A few years ago, I closed up Beauchamp Studios, the marketing/creative consulting business I started in 1988 in California. I quickly discovered that the surest sign you are “retired” is that you tend to forget what day of the week it is. Since then, I have written three novels—the hardest kind of writing I’ve ever done. I’m now living in Manhattan with my wife, Amy; my two youngest sons are living in Brooklyn. Love to run along the Hudson, very slowly. I was a member of the Class of 1961 and was on the football team. I happened to be digging around in an old file and found this photo from September of 1960. From left: Duncan M. McFarland, Roy A. Beauchamp and Raymond W. Vickers (kneeling). Great memories, great guys.”

Richard A. Redeker and his wife, Carol, spend eight months in Jupiter, Fla., and four months in Stone Harbor, N.J. He writes, “Our eldest son, Rick, and his wife, Brandy, live in Pompano Beach, Fla., and our grandchildren are 30, 24 and 21. Our youngest son, Bill, and his wife, Bridget, live in Boise, Idaho. Carol has mostly retired from building and decorating high-end homes on speculation. I was mandatorily retired from the Prudential Retail Mutual Funds Board after serving for 25 years. I have recently passed the courses to become an arbitrator for FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority). I still snow ski, albeit slower, and golf, albeit not as well, and Carol and I play a lot of golf together.”

1963

Charles Kurz II (below, right) writes that he and Charles L. Burrall III attended one of the Revels productions at the clubhouse of the Orpheus Club in Center City on Jan. 30. In February, Charley Kurz and his wife, Julia, cruised from Auckland, New Zealand, to Sydney, Australia, spending three additional days in Cairns to visit the Great Barrier Reef.

1964

Roger D. Shoemaker writes, “Joanne and I, alive and well on Cape Cod, are still married in year 48 of the adventure. She is winding down a career that includes teaching, manufacturing, direct marketing and importing. I continue with my career in education through the arts, round three, as director of drama at my local public high school. Our elder daughter is in health care consulting in the D.C. area, with a boy (7) and a girl (10) who will soon look down on me due to Amanda’s grafting a 6’4” husband onto the family tree. Younger daughter Abby lives 2 miles from Disney World, with an IT, work-at-home spouse. The only classmate I am in touch with regularly is Scott K. Ambler. Best to all as we enter the twilight years, hopefully not the Twilight Zone. If you would like to contact me, I use the highly mysterious email address rogerdshoemaker@gmail.com.”

Douglas G. Thomas writes, “I retired on Dec. 31, 2019, from my law firm, Duffy North, in Hatboro, Pa., after 45 years in practice at that office.”

1965

Harry S. Stout III was awarded the Pennington Prize from Germany’s University of Heidelberg for his writings on Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and Emancipation Proclamation. The award included a month fellowship at the University of Heidelberg. Stout directs Yale University’s Jonathan Edwards Center and has established affiliates at 10 universities in South America, Asia and Europe, including Heidelberg.

1966

Donald A. Noveau writes, “After two years of retirement, out of boredom, I took on another hotel project in Tampa. Now it’s finished, and I’m looking for my next gig. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to volunteer at the Smithsonian, where I can tell you the locations of the bathrooms in five museums, as well as offer some hints and insights on visiting the museums (all 19). Or, I can volunteer with Habitat for Humanity when I feel like swinging a hammer and helping others learn about power tools. During the Tampa project, Barbara and I made a second trip to Portugal and Spain for a little over two weeks, across the north coast, into the Pyrenees and down to Barcelona. We love Spain. Then we got a new Boxer puppy.”

1967

Richard M. Dearnley writes, “Had a minor stroke in April that acted more like a TIA than a stroke. I was feeling something approaching ’normal’ after 12 hours. So now I know new medical terms, take an aspirin as a prophylactic blood thinner and have an iWatch that shows heart rate and EKGs. I can’t wait to see what the heart doctor says about the EKG in the middle of a mogul run. “Maggie and I left a month later to hike the beginning of the Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The hike over the Pyrenees was memorable: pouring rain and 20+ mph winds. The nice, quiet, sunny days do not make the same impression! As our son in Colorado says, ‘There is no bad weather, just wrong gear.’ Happily we had good gear (after a bit of fiddling). “The 70-99 age group in the Longport mile has more ‘younger’ folks in it, so Charles Kurz II OPC ’63 and I are easing back in the stats. Maybe we will have a burst of speed this July 4?”

1968

Edwin S. Skinner Jr. writes, “On retirement last July, Pam and I took an extended trip north into Michigan. First, to fly fish with our son, Tim. Then, on to Mackinac Island where we drove a horse cart around the island. Then, we crossed Mackinac Bridge to visit friends in the ‘UP’ (Upper Peninsula). It was a great ending to a 46-year work life! Keeping up with four grandchildren sure is a lot of fun!”

1969

John (Jack) B. Eiman writes, “Rod and I delivered Christmas chocolates to Lucas and Blake, our great nephews, at their flag football game in Orinda, Calif. (pictured). “We so appreciated and enjoyed my 50th class reunion and hope to visit PC again. The last time I saw my 1969 classmates was when we were 18 years old and connecting back at 68 years young was truly an awesome experience. I feel very grateful to have attended Penn Charter and look forward

to supporting the school so others may benefit from such a privileged education. Thanks, Penn Charter, and to all my OPC ’69 classmates: May we all find our own ways to serve the good, the true and the beautiful.”

1970 1971

William D. Barker Jr. writes, “After beginning the curious career of portraying Thomas Jefferson (pictured) first at Independence Hall in the spring of 1980, 13 years later I moved to Williamsburg, Va., and continued my portrayal with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. I enjoyed 26 years there, having the privilege of living on the Duke of Gloucester Street. This past year, I transitioned to full-time presentations as Mr. Jefferson with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello, and live in Charlottesville, Va. I happen to be the same age as Mr. Jefferson was when he returned home from eight years as president, ending his 40 years in public service. Needless to say, “retirement” is not—as yet—a word in my vocabulary! Mr. Jefferson lived on for another 17 years, during which he created the University of Virginia. “Jefferson remains profoundly relevant to our modern world, and particularly to the necessity of universal education. He was a friend and consistent correspondent with former Penn Charter Latin teacher and headmaster, Charles Thomson, who was also secretary of both the Continental and U.S. Congresses. This was during the years PC was known as the Friends Public School of Philadelphia. I remain extremely grateful for my Penn Charter education, especially for my former PC history teachers, Russell A. Faber Hon. 1689 and Ron McGowan, and English teachers John R. Schug Hon. 1689, Ralph Allen and Edward (Ted) O. Shakespeare!”

Russell R. Dickhart writes, “It was great to see a nice group of classmates at the lunch Robert N. Reeves hosted at Huntingdon Valley Country Club in September—swapping “catch-up” stories and laughs. Since retiring from Aetna almost four years ago, life has been great: more time in Cape May where I’m very involved with both the sailing and beach clubs; “get out of the cold” road trips south with the ultimate destination near Houston to spend time with our grandkids; “downsizing” in the Philly area to a post-55 community near Media, which has been great; and looking forward to our younger son’s marriage later this year following his move back to Philadelphia. The Dickhart “clan” (picured, from left): son Chuck with fiancée Alison, son Russ Jr. with Kristen and grandchildren Halle and Trey, and Russ and Lora Jo.

William D. Barker Jr. as Thomas Jefferson

W. Bruce McFarland is currently managing Deluca Music in Hatboro, Pa., and still performing in the greater Philadelphia area three to six times a month. He writes, “I am the lead guitarist for Mike Greer & Company and also perform an acoustic duo, with my partner Dana Fraser, as Dana & Bruce. I will be releasing another song this spring, and it will be available to check out on YouTube along with my other releases, and the Dana & Bruce video currently streaming. My wife, Ruth Ann, and I are residing in Roslyn, Pa. Our daughter, Erin, graduated from the University of Richmond in 2007 and is living in Chicago, with her husband, Ross, and raising our two grandchildren, Grant who will be three in July, and George, who will be one in August. Our son, Thomas, graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2013 and is currently living in NYC and working as a civil engineer.”

1972

David R. Gilkeson is the new chair of the board of directors of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce.

1973

Bruce N. Wilson writes, “I continue to run my small green building company, Bruce Wilson Contracting, and though I am a general contractor who does anything from small repairs to kitchens, bathrooms, basement renovations and additions, one of my marketing focuses is on energy improvements to existing buildings. It has been a main focus of business since 2007, when I did my first talk on green building. During the research for that talk, I realized that since buildings account for 40 percent of energy use and since most of our buildings are not efficient, making all our existing buildings more efficient is of paramount importance for each of us to have a local impact on climate change.”

1974

J. Peter Davis and his wife, Susan, have discovered the advantages of the empty nest with daughter Sara attending East Stroudsburg University and son John A. Davis OPC ’19 embarking on freshman year at Gettysburg College. Pictured: researching retirement sunsets with John H. Zurn OPC ’72 (at right) in Naples, Fla.

William H. Lesser III writes, “Hello, OPCs of ’74. I must share with you the wonderful adventure my wife, Kathy, and I had with M. Reid Bush (below, right). He invited us to join him for a tour of beautiful Longwood Gardens with its stately trees all decked out with their finest Christmas lights. Reid continues to be an inspiration with his insight, love of nature, fascination with the music of the Longwood pipe organ and his distinctive sense of humor. As was the case more than 40 years ago at PC, time spent with Reid is always a blessing.

“I still work at FEMA with my days filled around topics of changing conditions of climate, sea-level rise, recovery and a myriad of flood-risk communication demands. Kathy and I have four grandchildren who remind us of the miracle of young life and the importance of nurturing all to be the best they can.”

1976

Christopher V. Kendrick writes, “In 2019, I had another case ordered published in the law books as setting precedent in California insurance law, my seventh in 27 years of practice, including a 2011 decision by the California Supreme Court.”

Nicholas A. Sommaripa writes, “I live at the New Jersey shore in West Creek, Eagleswood Township, which is outside of Long Beach Island, one town south of Manahawkin. Our small township is governed by a three-person form of government, which is great because it only takes two members to agree to get things done. I’m not a politician whatsoever but was asked to join the committee three years ago and accepted. The two committee members at the time neglected to inform me that the position of mayor is rotated each year. This is my third year, so I have assumed the position of mayor for 2020. I wanted to let my classmates and fellow alumni know that I have the authority to marry people in the state of New Jersey, so feel free to contact me!”

1977

James R. Malone Jr. was named to the Irish Legal 100, an annual compilation of distinguished legal professionals in the United States of Irish ancestry. Jim is a principal at Post & Schell, P.C. in Philadelphia, where he represents businesses, individuals and nonprofits in disputes with federal, state and local tax authorities.

1978

David H. Neff founded Neff in 1987, a national, full-service marketing agency specializing in branding, advertising, public relations, social media, videography, media buying and planning. Neff was recognized the last two years as one of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Soaring 76 and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Philadelphia 100, which both celebrate the fastest growing companies in the Philadelphia region. In the past year, Neff was also recognized with more than 30 international and national awards for excellence in design, videography, PR and social media. And most importantly, David reports, he just became a grandfather to baby Leo (pictured)!

Kirk R. Mancer is happy to announce the birth of his grandson, Samuel Pearson, and already has him PC-ready in his Penn Charter gear (pictured).

1982

Frank K. Clyburn Jr. has been named chief commercial officer at Merck. He writes, “I’m living in Portland, Ore., with my wife, Leah, and daughter, Elinor (who was named after my mom).” At the end of 2019, Frank retired from the FBI, after 23 years as a special agent.

John D. Lemonick writes, “My wife, Karen, and I moved from Wayne to Bryn Mawr. We had been talking about downsizing for some time and finally made the move. It was not easy. My son Michael, age 28, is the navigator of the USS Donald Cooke, based in Rota, Spain, and he is doing well. His division was recently subjected to a rigorous inspection by a U.S.-based panel of naval experts over a period of weeks, and they passed with a very high grade. My daughter, Hilary, age 25, recently changed jobs and started working for 8Greens, a start-up concern in the health-food supplement space in Manhattan. The reunion was a blast, and I hope we can put together a Class of ’79 gathering.”

1979

1983

Benjamin E. Long, his wife, Beth, and Bernedoodle, Theo, are moving to Blue Bell in the spring. He invites his classmates out to visit for a wee dram from his vast whisky collection, to hear some live music or tee it up. Ben gets to visit PC often these days as his son Ryan is class of 2023. He and Beth spent New Year’s in Paris celebrating their anniversary.

Jonathan H. Bari OPC ’85 writes, “In terms of PC students living lives that make a difference, I want to share that on Jan. 14, Leslie, Jax (first grade) and I traveled to Washington, D.C., and spoke at a Congressional briefing regarding efforts to increase federal funding for celiac disease research. It was like a children’s story, ‘Jax Goes to Capitol Hill,’ and we all told the lawmakers about celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disease that afflicts 3 million Americans, including Jax. Leslie and I are so proud of Jax and his advocacy for increased funding for research and greater inclusion in life’s many daily activities that involve food. The bipartisan briefing was hosted by Congressman Dwight Evans (D, PA-3) and Congressman John Joyce (R, PA-13). About 65 people attended, including about 10 other kids who took time out of school to be on Capitol Hill. As Jax told Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D, PA-4), “Celiac disease is no joke!” Pictured: Arunjot Singh, director of the Center for Celiac Disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Jon and Jax Bari, Madeleine Dean, Leslie Bari and Vanessa Weisbrod of Children’s National Hospital in D.C.

1987

Scott F. Waterman closed his private law practice after he was appointed to be a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In the fall he joined Todd E.H. Hecht and Glenn A. Weiner in celebrating Jeffrey R. Havsy’s 50th birthday at Fenway Park in Boston. Pictured, from left: Glenn, Scott, Todd and Jeff.

Los Angeles Reception

OPCs in Los Angeles gathered to meet with Head of School Darryl J. Ford Hon. 1689 and Director of Alumni Relations Chris Rahill OPC ’99. Attending were: Stephen Bruno OPC ’97, Stephanie Carson OPC ’92, JD Dillard OPC ’06, Peter Farnese OPC ’99, Adam F. Goldberg OPC ’94, Jason Harrow OPC ’02, Ross Harrow OPC ’07, Jessica Kalick OPC ’05, Jennifer Markham OPC ’92, Adam Miller OPC ’91, Dan Spink OPC ’96, Elias Tanner OPC ’08.

1988

Joseph M. Sgrignioli is happy to report that everyone is happy and healthy in Hershey, Pa., with his wife and daughters, “Especially our latest arrival, Emily, who is now 18 months old! Tournament business is better than ever, as well as our expansion into the custom screen-printing and embroidery business. Still get together with Valdis A. Erdmanis Hon. 1689, William A. Gallagher Sr. Hon. 1689 and Richard D. Mellor OPC ’69 on the golf course. It’s still blue vs. yellow. I’ll get back to you with the latest results soon.”

1990

Theodore B. Nusbaum was named head coach of the boys varsity lacrosse team at Brooklyn Technical High School, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Brooklyn Tech is among the largest high schools in the country, with more than 6,000 students.

1993

Jeffrey G. Fischer writes, “It’s been almost 27 years since I graduated; it feels like forever. I am mostly happily married and have two kids, Oliver and Lucy; they whine and cry a lot. I play flag football on Sunday mornings at Arrow field in Roxborough; I hurt afterwards. I am presently working on the redevelopment of the Andorra Shopping Center, a mere 3 miles from Penn Charter; my career is taking me places. I still tell people that I was third in the state in wrestling; I leave out the part that it was only private schools. I look back upon my Penn Charter experiences and relationships with great appreciation and hope my classmates are well.”

1994

Members of the Class of ’94 continue their tradition of getting together once a year. This year was hosted by Megan L. (Miller) Wilson OPC ’94 and David E. Wilson OPC ’90 and included friends from a number of different classes. “Always great to catch up with old friends!” they report.

1995

Ariel Bernstein, author of I Have a Balloon and the Warren & Dragon series of chapter books, was this year’s Lower School visiting author. She presented to students pre-K to 5 about writing children’s books, including the four categories of characters: animals, humans, creatures and “anything goes.” Together, they made up a new story about Carl the mobile phone who lives in a video game.

1998

James (Christian) Donohue moved back to Pennsylvania almost five years ago and is currently an engineer for University of Pennsylvania Medicine.

1999

After two years as a health and science reporter at WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR member station, Dana A. Bate started a new job at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the senior medical and science writer.

2002

Jane H. Affleck writes, “I welcomed my first child, Wiley, into the world last summer. I also returned to my job as STEM coordinator at KairosPDX, a K-5 charter school in Portland, Ore. I’d be excited to connect with any OPCs in the Pacific Northwest!” (See births.)

Aaron M. Greenfield has launched a global movement called BeastCat, open to anyone who strives to live life to their full potential and become the best version of themselves. The movement’s intent, Aaron says, is “to motivate, inspire and support our communities.”

Benjamin R. Sanfillipo-Cohn recently moved back to Philadelphia—“finally!”— with wife Cindy and daughter Penelope after seven years in Chicago. He writes, “I completed my residency at the University of Chicago in family medicine and practiced for a few years in Chicago before the move back home in the fall. I just started with Penn Medicine in Chestnut Hill in November.”

2003

Brittany H. Cook reports, “In January, I became managing director and equity partner at Tiedemann Trust Company, where I work as a wealth planner and fiduciary counsel. I often get to see and spend time with Andrew B. Seiken at trust and estate conferences!”

Natalie L. Hogan was recently promoted to chief administrative officer of DataRobot. Natalie is pictured (front center) with some of her team members in Boston.

2005

Alex S. Weiner and his wife, Bari, with their new son, Jarrett, and their dog, Hazelnut, moved to a new home in Villanova. Alex’s longtime friend Sean Rust OPC ’06 was their real estate agent. A transactional attorney at Kurtz & Revness, P.C. in the King of Prussia area, Alex’s practice focuses on commercial real estate and other corporate/business matters. The managing partner of the firm, Stuart B. Kurtz, is an OPC parent. Alex was promoted to partner earlier this year. Outside of work, Alex and Bari have enjoyed spending time with their growing family, including Alex’s brother (and proud uncle) Eric T. Weiner OPC ’08, along with Alex’s sister Rachel M. Weiner OPC ’12, sister-inlaw Michelle and Bari’s sister Jaclyn, who are proud aunts.

2006

Jeffrey Torchon has embarked on a new professional journey. He continues to play at PC events and with student musicians in the orchestra pit, but he recently enrolled as a full-time PhD student in music education at Temple University. In addition to his coursework, he also received a full teaching assistantship in the program. He is enjoying the chance to continue his studies in music and education as well as pursue research interests.

2007

Bridgette McDugall is the lead nurse for Nemours duPont Pediatrics, Philadelphia.

2010

Austin B. Wood writes, “I moved to Barcelona with a new job! I’m the manager of corporate development at a startup called Wallbox, which makes charging stations for electric vehicles.”

2016

Tyler Nicole Williams (below, left) and Rachael Gordon (right) are both living in New York City and are pictured at a Rangers hockey game. In 2019, Tyler graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is working at JPMorgan; and Rachael graduated from American University and is working for Lion & Lamb Communications. Each Wednesday, they volunteer at God’s Love We Deliver by preparing food that is delivered to those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses, to alleviate hunger and malnutrition.

2015

Over winter break, Hannah R. Fox (left) and Devon C. Loftus (right) got together to see Hannah compete against Widener in her last year on the Amherst women’s basketball team.

2018

Mike Siani OPC ’18 (below, center) and Mark Gubicza OPC ’81 (second from right) met for the first time at spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz. Mike, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds, and Mark, who is the color commentator for the Los Angeles Angels, attended dinner with Mike’s parents, Ralph and Kristen Siani, and Chris Carroll OPC ’96. Mike was given the opportunity to attend Penn Charter through the support of the Tony Gubicza Scholarship Fund created in honor of Mark’s father.

DEATHS Hon. 1689

Joan Costello, on March 27, 2020. Joan was a kindergarten teacher and director of Lower School from 1956 to 1994.

Joseph S. Perrott, on April 24, 2020. Joe taught English and coached lacrosse from 1964 to 2006.

Robert H. (Jake) Roak, on Dec. 30, 2019. Jake taught German at Penn Charter from 1966 to 1987.

1947

1948

Edward C. Driscoll, on Nov. 18, 2019.

George S. Meinel, on Feb. 4, 2020.

1951

1952

George C. Henrich, on Dec. 11, 2019.

1955

Charles M. Waygood, on Dec. 18, 2019.

1956

Kenneth A. Bailey, on Jan. 10, 2020.

Chalmers Cornelius, on Dec. 3, 2019.

1957

Charles Joseph Hoover, on Feb. 11, 2020.

Luken W. Potts, on Nov. 10, 2019.

1958

1970

John W.N. Francis, on Dec. 3, 2019.

1976

Joseph Brock Coleman, on Jul. 3, 2019.

1983

Geoffrey R. Deacon, on Jan. 2, 2020.

2014

James R. Harris Jr., on Dec. 17, 2019.

Jacob Snipes, on April 22, 2020.

MARRIAGES

2004

Allison Kessler OPC ’04 married Brandon Shockley OPC ’05 on Dec. 14, 2019, in Philadelphia. Pictured, from back left: Vince Johnson OPC ’04, Adam Shelly OPC ’04, Dan Mozes OPC ’04, Mason Lane OPC ’03, Matthew Kessler OPC ’99, Brandon Shockley OPC ’05, Julien Franklin OPC ’05, Nick Brown OPC ’05, Matt Eshelman OPC ’05, Jessica Stone OPC ’11. Middle row: Leigh Anetor-Jamison OPC ’04, Haley Mufson Fiebach OPC ’04, Julia Soffa OPC ’04, Holly Alderman OPC ’04, Young-Min Kim OPC ’99, Allison Kessler OPC ’04, Dominque Negron Franklin OPC ’04. Front: Kyle Born OPC ’05 and Darryl J. Ford Hon. 1689.

2008

Sierra Tishgart married Galen Hill on Oct. 5, 2019, in New York City. Pictured, from left: Rosa Samuels, Alexandra L. Olsman, Sierra Tishgart, Caroline Wilkes. Tishgart is profiled on page 13.

2013

Emma Higgins married Joseph Musumeci on May 18, 2019 in Villanova. Classmates pictured, from left: Marlaina Stuve, Caitlyn Farrell and Ani Shug. Allen Steere OPC ’66 also attended.

BIRTHS

2001

Payton Cora, to Melissa and Brock Atkins, on May 2, 2019. Pictured: Payton with Jonas (age 3) and Parker (age 2).

2004

Archer Fitzgerald (Archie), to Kirk and Megan (Kaesshaefer) Jones, on March 2, 2020.

2005

2002

Wiley Affleck Fitz, to Jane H. Affleck and Pete Fitz on July 11, 2019. Cyrus Shelby (Cy), to John and Laura (Kaesshaefer) Murphy, on Jan. 1, 2020.

Jarrett, to Bari and Alex S. Weiner, on Nov. 15, 2019.

Everly Catherine, to Kelly and Robert Smyth, on Feb. 3, 2020.

Charles “Charlie,” to Anthony and Sarah Sepe, on Aug. 29, 2019.

2008

Mackenzie Rose, to Rebecca Foley Williams and Spencer Williams, on Oct. 10, 2019.

2009

AJ, to Rachel and Robert D. Amaro, on July 6, 2019. (Pictured with grandfather David M. Amaro OPC ’80.)

Jenn Weiner P ’19, ’22, wife of Glenn Weiner OPC ’87: social worker, nursing home

Adam Myrick P ’23: essential worker,

Amtrak

Anthony Lanfranco P ’17, ’22: physician, interventional Immunology and critical care, Hospital of the

University of Pennsylvania

Nadine Nelson P ’17, ’20: telemetry registered nurse, Philadelphia Veterans Medical Center

PC PARENTS: ESSENTIAL TO US ALL

Hundreds of Penn Charter parents are first responders and essential workers responding to the COVID -19 crisis. With just a few representative examples, we wish to honor their service and extend heartfelt thanks for their strength amid this storm.

Laurie Carter P ’20, Thomas Ditro, and Joseph Carter P ’20, mother, brother and father of Kait Carter: police officers, City of Philadelphia

Sophia Veasey, grandmother of senior Emily Spencer: head chef, Popi’s Restaurant

Bob Toomey P ’23: fire fighter, Philadelphia Fire Department and Pennsylvania Task Force for

Urban Search and Rescue.

Richard Sax P ’20: volunteer EMT, Narberth Ambulance Company

Student artwork is always a bright spot in school hallways and, with the pivot to distance learning, the student work now brightens our days via social media and other online platforms.

Inspired by prompts from their Visual Arts teachers:

• Lower School students created flowers inspired by Georgia O’Keefe. Be sure to check out @pclowerschoolart for many more great works by Lower School artists!

• Sixth graders created personal reflections under the heading “Hopes, Memories, Dreams” and eighth graders created works inspired by cubism, murals and street art.

• In Upper School, photography students worked together—but from their own homes—and independently to create work inspired by Ansel Adams, David Hockney, Rinko Kawauchi, Phillipe Halsman and others. The class shared its work via Instagram @pcphotog8, often asking questions about process and encouraging each other. World Theater students used available templates to create paper depictions of characters in an Indonesian shadow puppet play based on the Ramayana (a Sanskrit epic).

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Stay Connected For the long view, the short view, and for event updates and information, rely on penncharter.com, plus @penncharter and @penncharterOPC on Twitter and Instagram. And follow us on Facebook.

As teaching and learning shifted online amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn Charter students and faculty adapted to the new routine quickly. Middle School math teacher Pete Shaifer OPC '82 uses a good old-fashioned chalkboard to help seventh grade students learn how to calculate the volume of several shapes like pyramids and cylinders.