THE SABRE
Randolph-Macon Academy I Winter-Spring 2025 I A Falcon Foundation School
THE SABRE Magazine
Published by
RANDOLPH-MACON ACADEMY
200 Academy Drive Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-5200 www.RMA.edu
Editor: Jenny Walton
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Chair: Ms. Lucy (Williams) Hooper
Vice Chair: Mr. John Simar ‘68
Secretary: Ms. Patty Keenan
Treasurer: Mr. Alonzo Neese, III ‘01
Mr. Eric Anderson ‘88
Dr. Bill Bersing ‘85
Major General Mark A. Brown, USAF, Retired
Mr. John Demers
Mr. Chris Gabelle
Dr. Tess Hegedus
Mr. Doug Huthwaite ‘69
Dr. Margaret Konkel
The Hon. W. Revell Lewis, III ‘69
Mr. Ed Morris ‘97
Ms. Katie Tewell ‘97, P’22, ‘25
Ex-Officio Members
Mr. Bryan V. Moore ‘84
Ms. Kailyn Manseau, P’29
Rev. Dr. Victor Gomez
PRESIDENT
Brig Gen David C. Wesley, USAF, Retired
The Sabre Magazine is published for R-MA alumni, parents, and friends. To share any comments, or to unsubscribe, please contact: advancement@RMA.edu.
Randolph-Macon Academy admits persons of any race, gender, color, religion, nationality, and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
R-MA does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its administrative policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
8 6 14 16
20
21
GREETINGS
Welcome to this latest issue of The Sabre!
It comes to you during an exciting year for our campus, with superb additions to the programs we offer (Frank Carlucci has led a compelling visit to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shankesville, PA, to help our students understand the valor shown by Americans on 9/11), the completion of the Memorial Hall townhomes (giving our teachers and staff much-needed new accommodations on campus), and great leadership at our Middle School from Barry Payton (there’s also a great article about our new Middle School drone program!)
In short, another busy year on The Hill, with cadets and students striving, growing, and learning the skills that can prepare them for lives of meaning and success. As I write these words, those cadets and students are learning in a host of new and different ways during J-Term, both here on campus and around the world, through hands-on classes and internships that add still more value to the education R-MA provides to help our students become leaders in a challenging and rapidly changing world.
To say that it is exciting to be here now is such an understatement! We’re on the move in so many different facets of life. From cleaning stalls on local farms to refining the skills needed to effectively and safely solve new challenges using artificial intelligence, R-MA’s mission has never been more vibrant and the need for the work we do never more crucial than it is today. I hope you will come and visit us soon and see for yourself the many ways our young leaders are preparing for the challenges of tomorrow! You’ll be amazed...and, if you’re like most people I’ve spoken with, you’ll be very proud of your alma mater!
David C. Wesley Brigadier General, USAF, Retired President
Congratulations to the Varsity Football team for earning a second-place finish in the new Military Football Conference! This new conference, created in 2024, also includes Fishburne Military School, Quantico High School, and Massanutten Military Academy, and operates within the Virginia Independent Schools Football League. Two members of the team, David Kayeye ‘25 and Kearyn Eloi-Smith ‘25, were also selected to play in the Virginia vs. North Carolina Senior Bowl game.
“In the words of Vince Lombardi, ‘the only place that “success” comes before “work” is in the dictionary,’” said football head coach John Lacombe. “This year’s success was built in the previous offseason by the players’ commitment to training and recruiting their classmates. Football has received great support from our parents and alumni, and now carries some pride in the program. The seniors that are leaving us are once again going to play and continue their education. Returning players are ready to get back to work. Go Jackets!”
R-MA also added a JV Boys Basketball team this year, with new coaches Chris Smith and Jerone Madison at the helm. “The boys are excited about the opportunity to play,” said Athletic Director Chris Peter. “Chris and Jerone are dedicated to the development of our student-athletes and excited to join the R-MA coaching staff.” That development will continue on January 26, when R-MA alumnus Ramon Rodriguez ‘82 will host a skills clinic in Melton Gymnasium, open to all R-MA Middle School, JV, and Varsity players, as well as players from the local community.
Mr. Rodriguez played basketball at R-MA and received a full Division 1 athletic scholarship to Monmouth University, and subsequently played professionally in the Superior League of Puerto Rico. In addition to his career as a Virginia Class A Contractor and owner of Capitol Waterproofing Contractors, LLC, he has coached high school basketball, owned and operated summer basketball camps and performed basketball development training for over 30 years and recently served as Camp Director for the Philadelphia 76’ers. Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez!
FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL TRIP
WRITTEN BY R-MA COMMANDANT
MR. FRANK CARLUCCI
On October 2nd and 3rd, the Gary Sinise Foundation hosted forty cadets on a trip to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
On the first day, cadets participated in breakout sessions with family members of the Flight 93 heroes, first responders and veterans. The second day was spent at the memorial, including a visit to the Sacred Ground, an area reserved for family members. The staff of the Foundation enjoyed their time with R-MA cadets so much that they selected R-MA to participate in the foundation’s first event at the Pentagon Memorial.
The following was written by this year’s Corps Commander, C/Colonel Jake Graham ‘25: “I can say with humility and honesty that this trip
changed my life. Before this trip, I viewed 9-11 as a stain to our country’s legacy, something to be quiet about and try to forget. Through the hospitality and graciousness of the Gary Sinise Foundation, I, along with many of my classmates, was given the opportunity to reflect, learn, and develop a change in perspective - a new perspective that deepened our understanding of the heroism and unity that took place on September 11th, 2001. Being able to talk with Gordon Felt, “Gordie”, the brother of Edward Porter Felt, a hero on Flight 93, was truly a moment I will never forget. Talking with him as he guided us around the crash site watching him look at his brother’s name on the memorial wall, and the gifts he and other families had left for the heroes on the flight was surreal. I had a sense of shock grasping that these were real people who
died on Flight 93, but more importantly that these were real heroes who defended their nation with everything they had. The perspective that we learned through Gordie was a reality check of the events that took place. I realized that there were 40 heroes that day, not victims; that America unifies when it hurts and is in mourning after lives are lost; and that the American spirit never forgets but keeps pushing forward stronger than before. I am forever grateful to the Gary Sinise Foundation for giving me this opportunity, and allowing me to learn in a very personal way about the heroes that responded at a critical moment in our nation’s history.”
Randolph-Macon Academy thanks the Gary Sinise Foundation for making this trip possible for our cadets. The Foundation will host R-MA cadets at the Pentagon Memorial this spring.
GOT
MOXIE SHE’S
MOXIE, noun. The definition:
1) Energy, pep.
2) Courage, determination.
3) Know-how.
As R-MA’s Director of Student Services, Mrs. Karen Moxie, prepares to retire after a remarkable 47 years of service, it’s clear that she is aptly named. Mrs. Moxie exemplifies all of these qualities, and more: loyal, dedicated, caring, kind - and above all, exemplary.
A Front Royal native, Mrs. Moxie arrived at R-MA in 1978, at the age of seventeen - though at the time, she was still Ms. Karen Rudacille. Her first role on campus was working in the finance office; after four years, she transitioned to student services. “I was friends with the students,” she recalled. “Some of the seniors were older than I was.” Though she was a one-person office, she successfully juggled her tasks with her role as friend to every student on campus.
R-MA has always been more than a job to Mrs. Moxie, however; to her, it’s a family. She met her late husband, Mr. Frank Moxie, when he joined the staff in 1983, and they were married in Boggs Chapel in 1986. She noted in a 2013 Sabre article, “I only missed one graduation since I started working here. I gave birth that day to my first son. Nonetheless, I returned to bid the students farewell. In fact, I did not take my son home. No, the first place my son went after the hospital was R-MA.”
“She is always there when we need someone to talk to and she always manages to make us feel better... we are all winners in her eyes. We appreciate it and love her for it.”
By 1990, she was a campus favorite; the Randomac yearbook was dedicated to her that year. “Over the many years she has been here, she has been not only a reliable secretary for Col. Mieth but also a caring friend to all of the students,” the dedication reads. It playfully notes that Mrs. Moxie was also responsible for tracking and assigning tours, and for distributing the students’ allowances - but the overall message comes down to this: “She is always there when we need someone to talk to and she always manages to make us feel better. Mrs. Moxie is one of our most faithful Jacket fans, even when we lose. We are all winners in her eyes. We appreciate it and love her for it.”
Mrs. Moxie has been recognized as Employee of the Year three times during her tenure at R-MA - in 2004, 2013, and 2021. Each time, she’s been praised for her friendly demeanor, while upholding standards and the Academy’s commitment to excellence. “I have grown an intuition on what the students’ needs are,” she said in 2013. “I get to see many perspectives: student, friend, sister, mother, and mentor...I truly care about them. When they feel pain, I feel pain. Even the tough ones that don’t think they need help eventually open up to me because I understand their point of view. I can explain the rules and the reasons behind them.”
But awards cannot capture the invaluable perspective that Mrs. Moxie’s long tenure at R-MA has reaped. In 2021, the R-MA Advancement Team asked Mrs. Moxie to participate in a video project, sharing her thoughts on the Academy’s mission and relevance. “It’s critical now for R-MA to exist,” she reflected. “It gives
[students] a place to feel more at home, and safe...you learn to pick up the student beside you, or your whole group fails. To see the growth...that’s probably one of the reasons I’ve been here for 44 years.”
In recognition of and gratitude for Mrs. Moxie’s many years of service and critical, treasured place she will have in the Academy’s story, R-MA will honor her with a Pass in Review on Riddick Field at 2:00pm on Friday, April 25. All members of the R-MA community, including current and past parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends are welcome to attend! Additionally, R-MA is establishing a new fund in honor of Mrs. Moxie: the Karen Moxie Financial Aid Fund. This non-endowed scholarship will be funded by donations received on R-MA Giving Day each year, and will be awarded annually to a student(s) with demonstrated financial need, who exemplify the qualities Mrs. Moxie has imbued in R-MA students and cadets for 47 years: kindness, integrity, selflessness, and commitment to excellence.
“In my almost 10 years here, I’ve lived in awe of Karen Moxie, and I suspect I’m not the first President to do so,” said R-MA President, Brigadier General David Wesley, USAF, Retired. “She’s been everything our students need, everything our parents count on, and everything the staff could ask! Her retirement will mark the end of an incredible period of service to our special community. My prayer is that she remains a force for good on our campus - she has most certainly been that for me and those I’ve served with. God bless you, Karen...and thank you for all you have done for R-MA!”
HOMECOMING
Over 200 alumni gathered on The Hill for Homecoming and Reunions on the weekend of October 18-19!
This year, R-MA celebrated all classes ending in 4 and 9, with a special welcome to classes marking milestone reunions this year, including 50th Reunion Class, 1974! Over two beautiful fall days, alumni made the most of their time together, catching up on Academy news during the campus tours, the R-MA 4.0 Update, and the Boggs Chapel Rededication on Friday afternoon, followed by the Alumni Celebration Dinner at the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club.
Following the Community Coffee Hour on Saturday morning, co-hosted by the Alumni Association and Parents Association, R-MA cadets and students paid tribute to fallen alumni during the Memorial Parade. This year’s Homecoming flag was presented to Mr. Michael Arnwine ‘98, in honor of his father, past R-MA trustee Colonel Billy Arnwine, USA, Retired, who passed away on May 19. Col. Arnwine served the United States in the Vietnam War, where he earned the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, and subsequently served at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
After breaking for lunch and the Alumni Association’s annual meeting, the Yellow Jackets took the field against the Quantico Warriors - and for the second year in a row, took home the victory with a final score of 52-12!
SAVE THE DATE!
Homecoming is set for October 17-18, 2025! The schedule is coming soon, so stay tuned.
Classes ending in 0 and 5 will be celebrating milestone reunions this year. If you’d like to help plan your class’s reunion events, please contact your class ambassador or reach out to the Advancement Office at (540) 6365206 or advancement@RMA.edu!
ANNUAL FUND GIVING
POWERS THE MISSION
What do financial aid, academic excellence, character and leadership development, athletics, spiritual life, and R-MA’s campus and facilities have in common? R-MA would be unrecognizable without them - and they are made possible by gifts to the Annual Fund!
A Randolph-Macon Academy education is an incredible investment in a student’s future, and while tuition covers 80-85% of the cost, it takes more than that to make all that goes into the Yellow Jacket experience possible. With a modest endowment relative to peer schools, R-MA has another mission-critical source of revenue as a 501(c)(3) non-profit: the Annual Fund
Consistent financial support from the Annual Fund makes a real difference at R-MA, supporting 8-10% of the Academy’s planned operating budget each year. Not only does this help keep tuition costs down, making R-MA accessible for more families, it supports every facet of life at R-MA. From aviation to band, to college counseling, yearbook, mentoring, faculty and staff professional development, and more, gifts to the Annual Fund directly support every student, cadet, and program on campus.
Collectively, individual gifts to the Annual Fund make a critical difference. R-MA’s 2024-25 Annual Fund goal is to raise over $1 million by June 30th - a goal that we exceeded last year, thanks to generous members of the Yellow Jacket family, including trustees, current and past parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Whether you prefer to support a specific program or the area of greatest need, all gifts to the Annual Fund make an immediate difference and power the Academy’s mission: to inspire the RISE within!
You can make your tax-deductible gift today using the remittance envelope included in this issue of The Sabre, at RMA.edu/donate, or by phone at (540) 636-5206. The Academy also welcomes gifts of appreciated stocks and securities, retirement assets, etc.; for more information about ways to give at R-MA, visit RMA.edu/alumni/support/ways-to-give.
From classroom supplies and laptops to teacher salaries, athletic equipment, insurance, and campus and grounds upkeep, it costs more than $15 million for R-MA to operate for a single academic year. Here’s a look at where R-MA’s dollars come from, and how the Academy allocates the dollars it spends (based on R-MA’s budget for 2023-24).
R-MA’s Sources of Revenue
R-MA’s revenue comes from only four sources: tuition and fees, a responsible draw from the Academy’s endowment, auxiliary income, and donations to the Annual Fund.
Donations to the Annual Fund from the R-MA community help keep tuition costs down and support all areas of expense.
$1M+ ANNUAL FUND GOAL
As a small, independent boarding school, R-MA makes many choices each yearincluding how best to use every dollar the school receives.
While those choices are never easy, we are proud of how we deploy the resources entrusted to R-MA by our generous parents, alumni, and friends.
*R-MA’s $10.7M endowment is permanently invested and managed by the Board of Trustees. Current policy permits an annual 5% draw, which supports financial aid, campus maintenance, and select programs, while ensuring the endowment continues to grow over time.
COMING TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
NEW DRONE PROGRAM
R-MA’s unmanned aviation (drone) program has only grown since its introduction in 2017!
What was once a single elective for Upper School cadets has expanded to include Drone Applications and Advanced Drone Applications classes, both geared toward preparing students to qualify for the FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot Certificate. Topics covered include aerial photography and cinematography, automated data acquisition for aerial mapping and 3D modeling, and drone utilization in emergency response and disaster management. One recent class project simulated the aftermath of a nuclear reactor meltdown and required cadets to use drones to fix the reactor from a distance, without the ability to see their target. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg - from monitoring algae blooms in the Shenandoah River to conducting search and rescue missions, the Upper School drone program has been described as one-of-a-kind...until now.
Thanks to the generosity of past R-MA trustee Mr. Brian Bogart, the drone program will expand to the Middle School this spring.
Much like the Middle School Robotics class offers handson experiences via the FIRST Lego League, the Middle School drone program will be conducted via the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s Aerial Drone Competition. This annual competition requires participating teams to complete
a series of missions, designed to encourage effective collaboration and communication, as well as a thorough understanding of flight principles, documentation, and interpersonal skills.
Each year, the Aerial Drone Competition will offer new challenges for students to complete, ensuring that they continue to build their skills over time.
“This program will provide a great experience for our students while creating a bridge and foundation for those who will continue in the cutting-edge Upper School program,” said Middle School Principal Barry Payton. “We are grateful to Mr. Bogart and blessed to provide such a wonderful opportunity to our students.”
The next project for the Middle School: building out an academic e-sports program, in partnership with Shenandoah University. Shenandoah is home to one of the nation’s first academic e-sports programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as robust varsity e-sports teams, and describes e-sports as “exploding with opportunity,” with an audience of more than 532 million and an industry valued at $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Statista.com.
Interested in supporting these or other programs at R-MA? Contact the Advancement Team at (advancement@RMA.edu or (540) 636-5206!
REC AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION MISSIONS
TEAMWORK: Teams pair up and compete in 90-second matches, piloting their drones to maneuver balls and beanbags into marked scoring zones. Teams can earn extra points with precision piloting (for example, directing balls into color-matched scoring zones), and they can add additional balls to the field - but only from designated loading zones, not all of which are visible to the pilots, creating an additional communication challenge for participants.
PILOTING SKILLS: Students pilot a drone through an obstacle course for 60 seconds, earning points for completing including a figure eight, flying through a panel, flying through keyhole gates, and landing within the time limit.
AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT: Students program a drone to autonomously complete a series of maneuvers similar to those presented in the Piloting Skills mission.
COMMUNICATIONS: Teams interview with judges throughout the competition, answering questions about their team, drone, programming, and competition logbook documentation.
MEMORIAL HALL TOWNHOUSES COMPLETE
R-MA is pleased to announce that the Memorial Hall townhouses are now complete! Made possible by the incredible generosity of an anonymous R-MA alumnus, the complex of six three-bedroom townhomes sits west of the Academy’s existing faculty housing, just across the now-paved Marshall Hamer Way from the football practice field. These townhouses will provide much-needed housing for R-MA’s faculty and staff - to the benefit of the Academy’s young men and women, 80% of whom are boarding students.
Each unit within Memorial Hall represents a naming opportunity for those interested in honoring a distinguished member of R-MA’s faculty or staff, past or present. At the anonymous alumnus’s request, contributions to these naming opportunities will be placed into an endowed fund that will maintain the townhomes in perpetuity, ensuring that Memorial Hall serves the Academy well for decades to come. Individuals or groups interested in endowing one or more of the townhomes should contact the R-MA Advancement Team at (540) 636-5206 or at advancement@RMA.edu.
CAMPUS & GROUNDS UPDATES
Multiple campus improvement projects are ongoing, under the leadership of R-MA’s Chief Operating Officer, Colonel Tim Ott, USMC, Retired. From simple changes like swapping out the dining hall milk machine and adding a soft-service ice cream station, to the renovation of the Sonner-Payne boys’ dormitory showers (completed example, left), R-MA’s campus and facilities are looking refreshed!
R-MA also extends its gratitude to Mr. George McIntyre ‘69 and his family for their assistance on two projects this year: repainting the football scoreboard ahead of Homecoming, and supporting the completion of a new Yellow Jacket wall mural in Melton Gymnasium! To Mr. McIntyre and the many Giving Tuesday 2023 donors who supported the mural, thank you for your generosity!
Other recent campus projects: reworking the Admissions and visitor parking area, replacing dining hall ovens and other equipment, replacing doors and upgrading campus security mechanisms, landscaping improvements, and more!
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
WRITTEN BY R-MA PRESIDENT BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID C. WESLEY, USAF, RET
I write these words over the Christmas/New Year break as 2024 and 2025 meet. I am, like our teachers, cadets, and students, grateful for this wonderful opportunity to relax with family and friends. The pause has allowed me to reflect on the year that has just ended and on the fact that, by the time you’re reading these words, I will have been in this remarkable job for ten years. My thought is that, while a decade can be a lengthy period of time, it is dwarfed by the length and majestic history of our Academy, now more than 13 decades old.
My primary reflection is deep gratitude to Almighty God for having allowed me to do this work since 2015. Having done many other kinds of jobs in all sorts of environments, I have been humbled by the far-reaching impact R-MA has on its graduates, its faculty, and staff. I attended a good county public school in Alabama almost a half-century ago, but I’ve never been back to the campus in all those years. I think I’ve attended
part of one Homecoming football game and have very limited contact with my classmates and teachers from that time.
No good reason for this – I’m only stating the fact because it stands in such stark contrast to the R-MA graduates I’ve met over these recent years. Virtually all of them say R-MA has been powerfully influential in the quality of their lives, and they say this 40 and 50 years beyond their time on The Hill. For many of them, our campus became their home and our faculty a second family for those critical years of growth. Reflecting on the events of the past ten years, I’m compelled to observe that (like Sir Isaac Newton), I have been fortunate to “stand on the shoulders of giants” who made R-MA into the home and family so many of our graduates remember. These legends’ impact is a part of the daily life and practiced routines of our campus.
Three that stand out for me because of the way they’ve influenced our culture: Col. Arvin Williams, Col. Trevor Turner, and Major General Mack Hobgood. I could write an article about the stories I’ve been told about each of these pivotal R-MA leaders, but wanted to use this space to reflect on the work and the context in which Col. Williams served in this demanding post. When we’ve faced tough challenges (as has frequently been the case in R-MA’s history), I’ve often been drawn to the incomparable tenure Col. Williams had at the helm of our Academy.
A decorated combat pilot in World War II, Arvin Williams was not the sort of person who needed to prove anything further to anyone. You can read more about his time as a B-17 and B-29 pilot, as well as his long career at R-MA and beyond on the Academy’s website. In brief: Col. Williams came to R-MA as a math teacher in 1947-48 (that’s his 1948 yearbook photo, previous page, left) and held a host of other positions, including service as a coach and Athletic Director, before becoming President in 1969 (previous page, right).
With all that was changing in America in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, Col. Williams assumed the mantle at what surely must have been one of the most challenging times in our history. Leading R-MA through desegregation (1972), the admission of women for the first time (1974), and the conversion of the Corps of Cadets from Army Junior ROTC to a founding unit of Air Force Junior ROTC (1975), it seems to me that Col. Williams must have wondered on some days why he could simply never seem to catch a break!
What an incredible series of Academy-altering changes he dealt with, and in such a professional and patient way. He gave us the diverse, co-educational student
body we have today! His decision to change to Air Force Junior ROTC led to 48 years of distinctive success, as we were the only Air Force Junior ROTC boarding program in the U.S. This was a source of enormous pride for many of our graduates and a source of frustration for a few others (who said we should “never have left the Army”), but there can be no doubt that Col. Williams’ persistence in the face of national and global forces of change was instrumental in paving the way for the R-MA of today!
If you ever wonder how far the ripples of today’s efforts can stretch, you might pause to consider that Col. Williams was in his fifth year as an R-MA teacher when Mr. George S. Lux , Jr. (previous page, center) graduated from the Academy in 1952. Mr. Lux went on to graduate from Stetson University and had a successful 32-year career with the Defense Mapping Agency in St. Louis, Missouri - but something about these important years here on The Hill stayed with him, and when he passed away, he wanted to leave behind a gift that could help to ensure R-MA continues to help other young people attain their goals. In the past few months, we learned that Mr. Lux had left a bequest of more than $1,000,000 to R-MA, crediting the Academy for his desire to learn.
Perhaps that’s why so many of our graduates praise the Academy’s impact on their formative years. They had powerful role models upon which to base their next steps into an adult world that was changing around them at a pace that could seem daunting to a high school student. Importantly, the work today is as challenging as ever, but today we remain faithful to Col Williams’ example of resilience in the face of adversity, and we are proud to carry on his legacy of providing America and our world with young people prepared to succeed in a complex and uncertain future.
Got an update to share with the Yellow Jacket family?
Scan this QR code to submit your class note, or contact the Advancement Team at advancement@RMA.edu or at (540) 636-5206.
CLASS NOTES
Mr. James M. Stanzak, Sr. ‘65 shared the following update: After graduating from the Academy, Jim volunteered to serve in Vietnam as a paratrooper with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and ultimately became a combat medic; after his second tour, he was accepted into the Army Special Forces as a Green Beret, and was awarded various medals including two Bronze Stars with a “V” device. He spent over 12 years in the Army, as well as teaching nursing at Walter Reed and serving in the Nixon White House. Upon leaving the military, he began an interesting and varied employment life, ranging from raising Arabian horses to importing and selling fine diamonds. He met his wife Connie in 1987, and they have been together for 37+ years. After being diagnosed with PTSD, he retired and began supporting many military charities, including the Vietnam Veterans Association, Purple Heart Association, Korean War Veterans of America, and a long association with Disabled American Veterans (DAV). As a leader in the Ohio DAV, he meets frequently with Congressman and Senators. The DAV has also returned him to his love of horses, particularly with SOULSTANG - PTSD therapy for veterans with mustang horses gathered from our western plains. Jim is grateful to R-MA for giving him the foundation that has served him well throughout his life. His family, including his wife, son, and six grandchildren, fill his life with happiness.
FINAL ROLL CALL
Since the publication of the last issue of The Sabre, we have received notification that the following members of the Randolph-Macon Academy family have passed away. They are greatly missed, and they will remain in our hearts forever.
(Please note: notifications received after January 21, 2025 are not included in this list.)
John T. Shaffer ‘44 May 30, 2008
James M. John ‘47 October 22, 2024
Wiliam S. Jeffries ‘49 November 21, 2024
Robert G. Preil ‘49 August 2, 2022
Drewry E. Moore, II ‘51 July 19, 2024
Ira C. Muse ‘52 December 24, 2023
C. Spencer Godfrey ‘54 September 8, 2024
John M. Cornwell ‘55 October 5, 2024
Terrance A. Knutson ‘57 July 18, 2024
Henry C. Martin ‘61 May 1, 2024
Frank J. Eichenlaub, III ‘61 September 2, 2024
Lewis P. Allnutt, III ‘62 September 7, 2024
Joseph P. Moore ‘63 July 16, 2022
Robert M. Alexander ‘65 October 31, 2024
Jacquelin A. Marshall, Jr. ‘65 January 8, 2024
Darryl E. Windham, Jr. 70 November 27, 2024
Thomas S. Cole, Jr. ‘72
September 23, 2024
Eric J. Weiss ‘72
July 5, 2023
Marion K. Smith ‘73
March 30, 2024
Diego A. Woollett ‘22
August 28, 2024
Willard L. Edwards
Past R-MA Trustee
December 12, 2024
THE SABRE
RANDOLPH-MACON ACADEMY
200 Academy Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630
For parents: if this issue is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer lives at home, please notify R-MA of the new mailing address at 540-636-5206 or at advancement@RMA.edu.
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
R-MA cadet and private pilot Cole Sauvager ‘25 brought a guest to campus in one of the Academy’s Cessna 172’s for a special event hosted by the Class of 2025: Breakfast with
Santa!