Class News

1958

James Parker stopped by Rocky Hill with his grandson (soon to be in first grade) to show him where he attended first grade. Although Jim attended Rocky Hill for one year (19481949), he fondly remembers his teacher, Ms. Edson, and the Hansel and Gretel play they did. Jim ran for state senate in Vermont, and neighbors Hugh and Loreli Campbell were two of his supporters.

1959

Jeffrey P. Ellis worked on a fiber optic cable route last August out of Nome, AK, the same cable as a 2011 survey in the Aleutian Islands. Otherwise, it’s been a quiet year.

1967 Scribe: Lucy Tillman, alumni@rockyhill.org

1968 Scribe: Nancy Hoxsie Mead, Hoxsiemead@aol.com

1969 Scribe: Christine Hoxsie Morris, alumni@rockyhill.org

1970

Douglas J. Swann’s family welcomed a granddaughter on March 21, 2015, Avery Atoigue, and a grandson on October 10, 2015, Callum Chen. Douglas is busy splitting his time between California and Florida.

1970 Scribe needed: alumni@rockyhill.org

1971 - 45th Reunion Year

Luca Razza writes: “After going through school archives, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this as it is so cool to see these names and start to remember the faces and experiences. Rocky Hill was more like a big family rather than a school of children. To reunite with people from so many years ago has been a very special experience. I relish the opportunity to gather some more of the old memories that I can share together. Looking forward to seeing you all in June for our 45th Reunion!” Photo: Leo St. Onge, Luca Razza and Paul Sacco.

1971 Scribe: Roger Ray, rray4@cox.net

1972

Lori (Silverstein) Dorsey and her husband David live in Cranston and stay busy with work, travel, and enjoying their three grandchildren, ages five, seven, and twelve.

1972 Scribe: Lori Silverstein Dorsey, oreocatri@cox.net

1973 Scribe: Catherine Tingley Fairbairn, alumni@rockyhill.org

1974

Joyce Hempstead writes: “I had the best Thanksgiving walk around Belleville Pond with friend and classmate John Wilson ‘74, his wife Cindy, and Hank, the dog. Our nest

1975

Fred Day moved to sunny Florida.

Charles Gadon enjoys time skiing with his extended family.

Ken Young stays engaged with Habitat For Humanity, enjoying the varied locales, the people, and the challenges it brings.

Ramsey Lofton is at University of New Mexico in the College of Fine Arts where she founded and developed the new Arts Management Program. She was unable to attend her 40th reunion since her brother, Buckley, passed away last June. Ramsey plans to reach out to Roy Bennett to see what amazing shows he is designing these days.

Marilyn Blackston writes: “I live outside of Baltimore. My daughter, Christina, is a graduate of Temple University. My son, David, is a freshman at West Virginia Wesleyan College and has been named the football team’s starting quarterback for the fall. After Rocky Hill, I went to Classical High School, then graduated from Brown in 1979 and from University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1983. I am the only African American woman to complete a surgical residency at the University of Maryland Medical System, and I am Board Certified in Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery). I am now a wellness coach and Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner.” is confirmed empty, with Bethany (29) in NYC and Peter (25) in California. In October we convened a family reunion in Cape May, NJ, to celebrate my mother’s (past RHS faculty Cindy Hempstead) 90th birthday. After replacing a painful hip in August she has been back at it, gardening and (yep) cutting wood. Photo: Joyce, Cindy Hempstead, and Joyce’s daughter, Bethany Morrow.

Jane Puhlma (Zarchen) writes: “After many years and many adventures, I am happily back in Rhode Island.”

John Wilson reports that he has four grandchildren and counting.

1974 Scribe: Joyce E. Hempstead, joyce.hempstead@roxburylatin.org

Roy Bennett continues to be a force in the music industry in lighting and set design. From the Oscars and the Grammys to world tours and Times Square on New Year’s Eve,

Roy works with industry icons like Paul McCartney, Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Skrillex, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, and music’s newest sensation,

The Weeknd. He enjoys supporting young artists coming into their own. Roy got his first big break working with Prince back in the 80s and recalls the opening night of Purple Rain as an unforgettable memory. Roy also sits on the advisory board of Magic Leap, a company pioneering change in digital light field technology. Check out Roy’s website at www.leroybennett.com.

1975 Scribe: Donna Tocco Greenaway, dgreenaway@cox.net

1976 - 40th Reunion Year

Scribe: Mary Jean Keebler Roche, mjmom02@aol.com

1977 Scribe: Susan Magee Rinebolt, suebru1212@juno.com

1978

Margie Greene Arnold’s son is now an infantry soldier in the U.S. Army, completing his first tour in Afghanistan. Her daughter just finished high school and is studying abroad in London and Costa Rica.

Quinta Thorpe Furtado shared news on Richard Thorpe’s children: “Tyler (29) lives in East Greenwich and is waiting to take her RN nursing boards. Courtney (25) graduated from Keene State with a degree in communications and is working for a film editing company in LA. Ryan Gosling stopped by a couple of weeks ago to check on a movie they were editing! Allison (23) currently lives in East Greenwich, just back from Ft. Lauderdale where she studied Makeup Artistry. She received certificates for work in Bridal/Evening/Glamor, Runway, and Theater/TV.”

Sarah Shaw Siskin and Peter are still in New Jersey where Peter bought a company, SafeCare Ambulance, this past year. Their youngest son, Adam, has been brought on board to run it, and the business is a success! Sarah continues working remotely for VIBCO, classmate Karl Wadensten’s manufacturing company based in southern RI. She loves being involved with Lean manufacturing. Working from home gives her the flexibility to care for her aging mother. Sarah’s son, Chris Magnant, lives in Florida where he is an NFA consultant and guru on Title 2 transfers. His wife is a paralegal and they are expecting another baby this spring. Sarah’s recent loss of her sister Martha to cancer was an excruciating experience, but her family has worked hard to soldier on. “Life propels us ever forward, and as my tenure as your President comes to a close in June 2017, I am excited to see what comes next. I’ve loved being President of the Alumni Association and am always in awe of all that you have accomplished these past years. Hope to see you at Reunion!” Photo: Peter Verrecchia, Sarah Shaw Siskin, Karl Wadensten, and Janina D’Abate after the dedication of a tree in memory of Martha Shaw ‘80 and in honor of Sarah Shaw Siskin.

1978 Scribe: Sarah Shaw Siskin, forked427@comcast.net

1979

(Header photo - class of 1979): Jen YoungSchnell, Betsy Blanchard Rafferty, Jeff Clark, Sam Dumas, Sherri Branson and Andrea Borden Gillespie

Daniel J. Bentley writes: “I would love to design and participate in the development of a business class for students that includes Webex/Skype/Adobe seminars featuring former alumni sharing successes and important business concepts.”

Betsy Blanchard Rafferty : “My brother, Charlie Blanchard ‘84, sold Evans Plating Corporation, so after more than 28 years in the family business, I now have a new job as office manager at Roland & Whytock Co., Inc. in Providence. We manufacture jewelry findings and screw machine products. I still get together a few times a year with classmates Jeff Clark, Jen Young-Schnell, and Elisa Silverstein-Heath. We always have a wonderful time!”

Jennifer Young-Schnell continues to work in the Collateral Investigations Unit at a local bank while her husband, Ray, is temporarily located in Tokyo working on a six-month project for International compliance for Metlife. Her daughter, Kat, a 2015 Northeastern graduate, is serving in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia where she teaches English to 70 junior and senior year high school students in Gimja Bett in the Amhara Region. Jennifer’s son, Philip, is in his fourth year at the University of Rhode Island where he is studying business and computer science.

Charlotte (Pillsbury) Wood : “2015 was an eventful year for the Wood family. We hosted a wonderful 10-day Pillsbury family reunion in June; our oldest son was inducted into the Naval Academy in July; our youngest son became a high school freshman in August; and we survived over 2,000 local miniearthquakes in October, as well as another drought year. We’re thankful and looking forward to the adventures to come.”

1979 Scribe: Charlotte Pillsbury Wood, charlottepwood@comcast.net

1980

Martha Anne Shaw passed away peacefully on February 26, 2015 after a courageous battle with cancer. Martha was a seasoned attorney and litigator, with experience as a courtroom and jury clerk, as in-house counsel for Chubb Insurance, and as a partner at the law firm of Howd & Ludorf, LLC. She was a past president of the Junior League of Hartford, a member of the Board of Directors of the YWCA, and held various positions in the West End Civic Association. One could often find Martha engaging in home projects such as planting flowers, painting, or making crafts. She enjoyed nothing more than decorating the house for Super Bowl parties or making corned beef for St. Patrick’s