43 minute read
CLASS NOTES
Are you interested in becoming a class scribe? We are recruiting alumni to help us gather news twice a year. If interested, or you have news to share, contact Jennifer Scallon: scallonj@stcva.org.
1930s
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1938
Parke Smith died in 2013 at age 93, but his remarkable story as a pilot in the British Royal Air Force during World War II is now finding a new audience. In his honor, his children have revived a memoir that he wrote in the 1990s, added stories that Smith had left out of the earlier version, as well as photos, and published it anew as “Spitfire: An American WWII Fighter Pilot in the RAF.”
Twins Jim and Preston Smith ’72 hold a painting featuring a Spitfire similar to the one their father flew.
Smith flew 129 missions in North Africa and Italy and over the North Sea. Amazon’s description of the book: “Amazingly, blessedly, he made it home, unlike so many of his friends and comrades. It is to them he dedicated his writing. Smith’s war stories are only the half of it. Smith is skilled at conveying the human connection and camaraderie that forms in war’s trenches and skies. He has a way of revealing enduring universal truths through anecdotes made even more humorous from his perspective as a total outsider. Ultimately, Smith’s is a story about finding home — no matter how foreign — and fighting for it with all you’ve got. Not only did Smith love the Spitfire aircraft, his true gift was how he lived his life: fiercely determined and passionate, a real spitfire.”
All profits for the book sales go to the Supermarine Spitfire Historical Society in London.
1950s
1959
Jack Williams celebrated a milestone birthday this year, surrounded by loved ones, including son Lang ‘89, who graduated from St. Christopher’s 30 years to the day after his dad.
Jack Williams ’59 celebrates his 80th birthday with family.
1960s
1964
CLASS SCRIBES Thomas “Bumby” Cary Gresham ‘64 fenwayfan1952@hotmail.com
Harry “Le” Leland Frazier Jr. ‘64 lighthorsesh@verizon.net
Coley Wortham was honored with the Enduring Philanthropic Partner Award at the virtual National Philanthropy Day 2020 event, which took place Nov. 19. He was recognized for his work with the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
George Scott just moved to Beaufort, North Carolina, which he describes as “the nicest seaside town on the whole East Coast.” He’s working in the boat business and emailed that he plans “to spend time on the water, at the beach, and trying to catch a slow moving ‘Carolina Girl’ to enjoy beach music with!”
1965
Knox Hubard caught up on the golf course with Chip Vaughan, Pat Branch and Tyler Harris and had a nice conversation with Kirk Materne, who still hangs out in sunny Florida.
1967
Dick Carrington writes: “Back in the pre-COVID era, I entered a new age group for national squash competitions. Most of my body was over 70 years old, but I had a prosthetic hip replacement as well as an artificial knee which were relatively new. Returning to competition, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my opponents. I knew I had lost a step when I played with the young guys at my club, but playing people my own age could be a different story — and it was. I traveled to New York and won the Eastern States Squash Championships in the 70-75 division and defeated the current year’s national champion in the process. In conclusion, after a certain age, prosthetics work better than the natural joints of my opponents. The advances of medical science made me feel like the Bo Jackson of 70-year-olds.”
Dick Carrington ‘67 (right) celebrates a squash victory against his opponent Teft Smith.
Harry Harris was elected president of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond for 2020–2021. The 145-member club, which is part of Kiwanis International, serves the metropolitan area by contributing the time and talents of the club membership and financial resources to improve the lives of children in Richmond.
Ralph Caldroney spoke at the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics series in February about ethics in the context of COVID-19. After a long career in internal medicine and eight years in the Army Reserves, he currently works part-time with the Carilion Clinic in Buena Vista, Virginia. After successfully completing a $10 million capital campaign for the Richmond Ballet, Billy Hancock reentered private business as a principal in several startups, including Seaspray LLC (Florida residential rental condos), Gayton Park LLC (Richmond office parks) and Sarasota Bay Delivery LLC, a FedEx franchise. Hancock has enjoyed competing in platform tennis with Rob Long ‘06 and Brad Sauer ‘99, sons of former schoolmates Bobby Long ‘68 and Brad Sauer ‘70. Hancock and his wife Austin are enjoying watching the evolution of their five children: Claiborne ‘92, a publisher in New York City; James ‘95, a film producer in NYC; Carter, a clothing designer in NYC and Richmond; Robert ‘21 and Charles ‘23. They have five grandchildren: Archer, Claiborne ‘33, Janie Johnston, William and David Hancock.
1970s
1972
Andrew Herzog was selected Super Lawyer and one of the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers. He retired from the military and earned a Master of Science in international relations in 1994, before going to law school on the GI Bill and graduating in 1997. He has been practicing law ever since, with a specialty in traumatic brain injury.
1973
Sam Bemiss is the new chief financial officer of Rampart Communications.
1976
Briscoe White and his online nursery The Growers Exchange were featured as the cover story in a 2020 issue of Greenhouse Management. By focusing on a niche market, automation and its online presence, the company is growing an average of 10% every year. In 2020, it was up 70% year-to-date at the time of publication.
Stanley Tucker and his wife Cynthia welcomed their first grandchild, Charlotte Grace Wilkinson, July 14, 2020. He reports that Mom Campbell, Dad Tyler and Charlotte are all doing great!
Stanley Tucker ‘76 with his granddaughter
Tommy Thompson launched his first book, “Space to Breathe Again: Hope for the Overloaded and Overwhelmed,” last fall. It’s available on Amazon, e-book and audiobook, as well as his website www. tommythompson.org. Amazon describes the book as “filled with compelling true stories, practical lessons, and insightful applications,” saying the author shares tools to help us “move from continuous distraction to focused contentment.”
Sam Bemiss ‘73 Steps Down from Alumni Board
Sam Bemiss ’73 relocated to his hometown in 1996 from Northern Virginia, soon becoming involved with his alma mater, joining the Alumni Board in 1998. He stepped up as president in 2003, a position he left this summer. In that role, he served as StC alumni’s lead representative, retaining a seat on the Board of Governors and Foundation Board. Headmaster Mason Lecky appreciates his thoughtful and informed perspective as both an alumnus and parent, describing him as a principled man, “always focused on the long view and the best interests of the entire Saints community, not just one or two components.” Lecky remembers bus trips to Washington, D.C., for alumni events and listening intently to roaring discussions with teaching legend Ron Smith, where “Sam more than held his own, no simple feat.” Alumni Director Davis Wrinkle ’81 describes him as arguably the most involved alumnus he’s worked with in terms of time and energy, “always rolling up his sleeves, always at the ready.” Bemiss is known for his warm and welcoming spirit, humor, thoughtfulness and for being a good listener, defining strengths in the Alumni Board’s role as ambassador to the Saints community at large. He passed the baton to Tripp Taliaferro ‘97 July 1. Taliaferro, president and chief investment officer of Tower 3 Investments LLC, praises his predecessor’s passion for St. Christopher’s and willingness to embrace change. Sam Bemiss’ four children are Saints: Charlotte ‘14 (St. Catherine’s) Jeb ’16, Willy ’17 and Eli ’20.
— Walter Lindsey ‘75
Remembering Walter Lindsey ’75
Walter Lindsey ’75, the first Black student to graduate from St. Christopher’s, died Feb. 9.
After graduating from St. Christopher’s, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and General Motors Institute in Detroit, before finishing at Liberty University. He worked at Bank of America, Capital One and the Virginia Retirement System. His list of accomplishments is long: playing semi-pro football in Canada; participating in local and regional theater; writing numerous books and plays; appearing in more than 200 radio and television commercials; and advocating for Parkinson’s disease. Upper School English Teacher Ron Smith got to know Lindsey when he took his Modern Drama trimester elective: “Big as he was, he was mild, truly humble and sort of relentlessly grateful for his teacher’s work with him.” Smith describes him as a good writer and listener, smart, verbally talented and thoughtful. Mark Powell ’75 remembers his last meeting with Lindsey over lunch: “We had a good long conversation about the book he was writing and how he wanted very badly to see it finished. He spoke of his deep religious beliefs and unwavering commitment to his religion. Even though he was physically challenged by his 12-year bout with Parkinson’s disease, his attitude toward life and religion was still positive, as was his unwavering love and appreciation for his sisters who took such good care of him. He was very thankful for his time spent at StC so many years ago and the many experiences and relationships he was able to forge over three years. He was still the gentle giant.” At Lindsey’s funeral, classmate Rusty Stark ’75 wrote a eulogy that Tom Baker ’75 delivered on his behalf: “Please understand, no one at our school was yelling epithets or making threats or causing overt problems. The real challenge was that everyone and everything was just so different for him. He was scrutinized to see how he would fit in. He was watched to see if he could handle the classwork. He was in rooms filled with fellow students who had been at St. Chris for 10 years and had every possible advantage in education and society going for them. And he did fit in. He did excel. He was simply one of us. He lived his truth.” The Pine Needle wrote a feature story on Lindsey in 2008. His closing quote surely spoke to his legacy: “You want the things that you did to benefit the people behind you.”
1977
Richard Taylor moved to La Jolla, California, 20 years ago with his family. He has visited more than 125 countries, much of the time off the grid. During the pandemic, his adventures continued with hiking in Dominica, Jamaica, Nuka Hiva in French Polynesia and the Ennedi Desert region of Chad, where he hung out with nomadic people. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, visited Zanzibar, explored caves in Belize, toured the countryside in El Salvador, hiked hear volcanoes in Nicaragua and Guatemala, traveled on Lake Nicaragua and visited the jungles of Northern Paraguay. Taylor trekked to Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo in May, where he hiked with a pygmy tribe to a forbidden lake the pygmies hold sacred.
Richard Taylor ’77 near the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa
1978
Ware Palmer has been named managing director at JP Morgan in Arlington, Virginia.
1979
Mark Brickhouse did his very first writing in Ron Smith’s English classes and has continued noodling with science fiction short stories ever since. His first published story, “The Gray Horizon,” appeared in Aurora Wolf June 1, 2020, under his pen name Zachary Taylor Branch. He continues to write alternate history stories, working on a second sale.
1980s
1980
Members of the Class of ‘80 gathered in May to welcome fellow classmate Glenn Oken back to town.
Jay Paul ’80, Glenn Oken ’80, Wic Ware ’80 and Bill Tyson ’80
1981
Ryland Gardner aims to perfect his new role of innkeeper in Nayarit, Mexico, at Casa Gaviota, a two-bedroom house just steps from the beach and a pretty fine surf break (Burros on Surfline). To help perfect his performance, he’s offering Saints a discount on lodging. He invites others to come on down and enjoy some waves and a bit o’ chillax time on the Pacific Coast.
Ryland Gardner ‘81 enjoys the waves. Continued on page 54 William Tyler ’80 and his daughter Frances Tyler ’16 (St. Catherine’s) Photo Credit: Joe Mahoney/Richmond Times-Dispatch
William Tyler ’80 in the News
The Washington Post and Richmond Times-Dispatch have featured stories on William Tyler ’80. The great-grandson of President John Tyler oversees the upkeep and property of the family’s ancestral plantation, Sherwood Forest, in Charles City County. The death of his uncle, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. ’41, last September precipitated the November Post article, “The 10th president’s last surviving grandson: A bridge to the nation’s complicated past.” The article detailed the research of William’s daughter Frances, a 2016 St. Catherine’s and 2020 Georgetown University graduate, about her family’s complicated history with slavery and her work developing a slavery-focused tour of the family home and revamping its website to include what she’s learned about the enslaved people who lived there. “Frances is looking at it differently,” Tyler said in the article. “She wants to know who the people are, were there any descendants.” He added that each generation has its work, that younger people have different priorities, and he fully supports her endeavors. In December the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran another story exploring the family’s perspective on John Tyler Community College’s decision to change its name. While Frances Tyler applauds the decision, her father takes a more sympathetic view of the former president as a man of “values and morals, who stuck to his principles even when his own political party defied him.” Tyler said he doesn’t understand the need for changing the college’s name, but he believes his daughter’s opinion is more important than his own because her generation is the future.
National Security Lawyer Delves into Crossword Creation
By Kathleen Thomas
BRAD WIEGMANN ’84 WAS NEVER A CROSSWORD JUNKIE, BUT FOUND THEM A RELAXING DIVERSION FROM TIME TO TIME. HE TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER IN 2019 WHEN HE LEARNED TO BUILD HIS OWN.
After about 20 publishing attempts, he hit a weekend double in late February when The Wall Street Journal and New York Times each picked up one of his games. The Journal published a second puzzle a few weeks later. The challenge, Wiegmann said, is coming up with an original theme. He tries to make his puzzles funny, often composing clever and unexpected plays on words. His first two accepted puzzles revolved around themes of nudity (e.g. “When was the nudist club founded?”: MANYMOONSAGO) and cursing (“!@#$%, look what the rabbi reeled in!”: HOLY MACKEREL). He describes his themes as acts of desperation, finding no luck with themes of photosynthesis or Amelia Earhart: “After a bazillion submissions, I thought to myself, ‘So many great artists throughout history have featured naked people in their work. If Michelangelo could get the Sistine Chapel gig by painting a lot of nudes, maybe I could do the same in The New York Times crossword.’ As for cursing, I guess I just figured, ‘!@#$%, why not?’” Crossword puzzle creation is no simple feat. A New York Times Sunday crossword must fit on a 21X21 letter grid; feature 180-degree rotational symmetry for the black squares; have all-over interlock, no more than 140 words and a clever theme that includes, on average, seven or more symmetrical long answers (say, nine to 21 letters each). Duplicate words or forms of the same word are prohibited. Obscure or “unpleasant” words are frowned upon. Colorful words or phrases are encouraged. Crossword constructors are a diverse group that includes not just some pros, but teachers, stay-at-home parents, landscapers, musicians, high school students and the occasional celebrity guest. “It’s a great thing that anyone can try their hand at,” Wiegmann said. “Until I started this, I was unaware that there’s a whole community of people out there from all walks of life who do this as a hobby.” He hopes to keep it going. The Times pays $1,500 for 21X21 puzzles and $500 for daily 15X15 puzzles; other papers pay substantially less. Wiegmann says one downside is the monthslong delay in response after submission, given the volume of proposals papers receive. Meanwhile, Wiegmann’s day job is deputy assistant attorney general in the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He provides advice and support on a range of national security laws, as well as policies and activities, including counterterrorism, counterespionage, intelligence issues and cyber threats. The career public servant represented the Justice Department, for example, in three public congressional hearings in 2019, testifying about U.S. capabilities to fight domestic terrorism and the critical importance of secret surveillance. He previously served at the Defense Department, State Department and National Security Council.
Wiegmann is appreciative for the education received at StC, where he was especially drawn to languages, including English, Latin and French. ”It was a great classical education,” said the Duke University and Harvard Law School graduate. “I always thought St. Christopher’s was more demanding than the other schools I went to. My teachers were outstanding. I’m also grateful for the friendships I made there and the really positive environment in which I grew up.”
— Ron Smith, Upper School English teacher and writer-in-residence
Continuing Education
Continuing Education
ACROSS
1. Blanc who voiced
Daffy Duck and
Porky Pig 4. Complete reversal 9. Ways around Paris and D.C. 15. The Browns, on scoreboards 16. Cab alternative? 17. What altruists think of 18. One who lives in the past but is also very goaloriented?* 20. Jail, in slang 21. Kelly of morning TV 22. "Star Wars" cantina patrons, briefly 23. Company that makes a buck on every product? 24. "CSI" facilities 26. Bass player who's had more than his share of problems?* 29. Get beaten by 30. Some jeans 31. Designer Wang 32. The "e" of i.e. 33. They may have attachments 35. Moisten, in a way 36. Expert in mass communication who may offer you a lift?* 38. Font flourish 41. Like arugula, e.g. 42. Joplin's "Maple Leaf ___" 45. Smelting waste 46. Japanese stringed instrument 47. Cancel 49. Meter reader who's a former state official?* 51. Pristina native 52. Occupation in "The
Queen's Gambit" 53. Christmas tree 54. Kind of monster 55. "Nature _____ a vacuum." --
Aristotle 57. Traditional, or an apt term for the answers to 18-, 26-, 36-, and 49across, collectively 59. Classic VW 60. It catches every pitch in the majors 61. Subj. of "The
Electric Kool-Aid
Acid Test" 62. Predicaments 63. Strong adhesive 64. One-on-one move, in basketball slang
DOWN
1. Andrea who was
Broadway's original "Annie" 2. Current events? 3. Paraded by 4. FedEx rival 5. Target of some wire-cutters
6. Apartments, in real estate lingo 7. Goes bad 8. Last in a math series 9. Roadside stops 10. Waters who sang "Stormy Weather" 11. Work featuring "a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name
Lenore" 12. Moved back 13. 60 minuti 14. Tax ID 19. Whiffenpoofs' home 23. "Crime ______ pay!" 25. Dined on, formally 26. Italian treat 27. "Chances ___ . . ." 28. Veer off course 30. Frasier's ex 34. Monastery heads 35. Snoozers 36. Muckety-mucks 37. Clarence Clemons played it 38. Lithuania, once:
Abbr. 39. "Don't Bring Me
Down" band 40. Stock market places? 42. Square meal? 43. Perplexed 44. Mustachioed TV journalist 46. Hershey products 48. Van ____ 50. Country music's
Haggard 51. Affectionate term of address 53. Kerfuffle 55. Subj. of 1972
U.S.-Sovet treaty 56. Waggle dancer 57. Rock band? 58. Aha! or arrgh!, e.g.
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24
29
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38
45
49 39
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59
62 56 3
19
40 36
52 4
16
25
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50
© 2021
5 6 7 8
22
34 30 26 23
46 41
57
60
63 53 51 9
17
20
37
47 10
Brad Wiegmann
11 12 13 14
35 31 27 28
48 42 43 44
58 54
61
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Continued from page 51
Don Mancini, creator of the Child’s Play franchise, is busy working on the upcoming “Chucky” series that will air on Syfy HDTV and USA TV later this year.
1983
CLASS SCRIBE Alexander Macaulay ’83 alexander@macjamlaw.com
Ross Peters started a new position in July 2020 as vice president at EXPLO Elevate. This consultancy helps schools “design, build, implement and continuously improve the environments needed for all learners to thrive now and in the future.” Peters also serves on the board of the National Association of Independent Schools and blogs about educational issues at jrosspeters.com and Elevate.explo.org. His piece, “Zombies – Undead Colleges and Schools,” starts with a great anecdote about a viewing of “Night of the Living Dead” with his middle school classmates and poses thoughtful questions for private schools and colleges to consider during COVID and post-COVID times.
In March, John Barnard (percussion) joined fellow rockers Hunter Jenkins (slide guitar), Charles Bice (acoustic guitar) and John Booker (bass guitar) for a jam session in Richmond. Maybe we can book a gig at our next reunion!
1984
Tucker Carrington, law professor at The University of Mississippi, director of the George C. Cochran Innocence Project and a member of the Curtis Flowers defense team, was the recipient of the 2020 Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award presented by The Southern Center for Human Rights. The celebration, usually in-person in Washington, D.C., was streamed.
Guy Archer, former communications director for the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, spoke at the Richmond Women’s Club in January about the history of United States-Russian business relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union and what the future might hold.
1985
Brian O’Donnell was promoted to senior vice president, head of commercial solutions, for Amplity Health, a pharmaceutical contract commercial organization based in Philadelphia.
1986
David Ballowe and his wife Julie are the new managing owners of RVA Driving Academy.
1990s
1993
Charles Ayers is now running the Richmond office of Dunlop & Partners, which merged with a larger engineering firm, Salas O’Brien, in December.
1994
CLASS SCRIBE Massie Ritsch ’94 massie.ritsch@gmail.com
The theme of this edition of ’94 notes is “Jobs I Don’t Understand.” Let’s check in with two classmates whose professional activities couldn’t be more different from my own and, thus, are mysterious.
Alec Reynolds joined biotech incubator Flagship Pioneering in 2020, moving his family from New Jersey to the Boston area. Flagship bankrolled Moderna, developer of the vaccine that has given this class scribe resistance to COVID-19’s most harmful effects. An article profiling Flagship described the venture capital firm as having “a tolerance for failure but not for weakness.” So, probably not a workplace with a pet bereavement policy. Anyway, SVP Reynolds and his team are identifying and investing in pioneering medicines that will be coming to a body near you. At home in Newton, Massachusetts, Reynolds and his wife Laura try to keep up with their four children: daughters Quinn (12) and Lillian (6) and sons Elliott (11) and Arthur (2). Alec’s brother, Quentin Reynolds ’91 , and his family live nearby, in Wellesley.
Turning the spotlight back to RVA, Will Selden has been promoted to vice president at Truist, the bank that resulted from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust. (Pour one out for defunct Virginia-based banks that shed their stodgy names in the ’80s and adopted made-up ones: Crestar… Signet…Freshëns. OK, one of those sold frozen yogurt.) First employed by Scott & Stringfellow, Selden has always been on the financial services side of the company, in various roles over the years. Currently, he’s working on tech projects related to the conversion of Scott & Stringfellow into Truist Investment Services. Selden’s lovely mother Jane was honored in 2020 for 45 years of teaching in Henrico County. As long as we’ve been alive, guys, Ms. Selden has been teaching biology — truly remarkable. Her son was at her side as she enjoyed a socially distant celebration on her front porch last fall, which was covered in the Times-Dispatch and mailed to me by my own mother.
1996
Zula Belle Hartley was born Feb. 17, 2021, to Heather and Reid Collier. Collier, voted “most likely to evolve into a pirate/weird fisherman,” is happy to report he’s well on his way to fulfilling that prophetic label.
ROSS BUERLEIN ’02: Providing Care in a Clinic, Hospital and Hotel
By Hugo Abbot ’21
Guiding patients through the risk/benefit ratio of treatment is one of the most difficult but necessary parts of being a doctor. Imagine a scenario where the risk component is heavily increased to the point where it outweighs the benefit.
This was the situation that Dr. Ross Buerlein ’02 and others faced with COVID-19, as well as many people who chose to postpone nonemergency treatments. With the increased risk in face-to-face contact, Buerlein had to find other ways to connect, such as providing care through telehealth appointments, which introduces a “whole other level of obscurity,” including challenging conversations about the risks and implications of any procedure. Buerlein graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School and then went to the University of Virginia for his internal medicine residency. He stayed another year as the chief resident and completed a gastrointestinal fellowship there. Buerlein is still at UVA, seeing patients at the Digestive Health Center and the hospital, and he teaches medical students, residents and fellows. In addition he is founder and director of the University Community Outreach Clinic, which works with student and medical resident volunteers to provide free health care to the homeless in Charlottesville.
When the pandemic started, the medical community worldwide struggled to understand how the virus spread and to procure adequate protective equipment. Once understood that COVID’s main transmitter was respiratory droplets, there was heightened concern for gastroenterologists, such as Buerlein, who perform surgeries mainly through the mouth. Hospital stress levels ran high as all resources were pushed to the max. Many doctors, Buerlein included, were removed from their subspeciality and redeployed to care for more general medicine patients as hospitals were overloaded and elective procedures were postponed. One of Buerlein’s biggest challenges has been taking care of the homeless, a vulnerable population in close living situations with higher risk of significant medical conditions such as pulmonary issues. Putting the clinics on hold would have been the easy option, but he refused. He and others worked with city and local officials to circumvent barriers to patient care. At the onset of the pandemic, shelters significantly limited access to guests, and many people experiencing homelessness were temporarily housed in local hotels. Buerlein and his team created a video-based telemedicine clinic located within the hotel to continue providing care. They also partnered with the Health Department to organize COVID-19 testing and expedite vaccination efforts within this population. While pandemic stress continued, Buerlein has had to manage his own challenges, such as providing for his family with two young children. He enjoys fly fishing and getting outdoors and finds that running is a good way for him to decompress. “You have to take care of yourself to take care of others,” he said. Buerlein recognizes a big chasm dividing people and the challenge of meeting them on their own terms and understanding where they are coming from: “We have to be more tolerant and respectful of everybody’s different levels of understanding and comfort toward various things, such as COVID. You may not understand it, but you have to be OK with that and respectful of that.”
Stark Sutton, Edward Mann ‘99, Andrew Healy ‘00
Peter Davis ‘00 in a commercial for SimpliSafe
Lt. Cmdr. Matt Washko ‘02 on the USS Gerald R. Ford
1999
CLASS SCRIBE Merrill Cann ‘99 mpc7k@yahoo.com
Edward Mann married Frances Hiles Oct. 17, 2020, in Charlottesville.
2000s
2000
Phil Klein has started as senior manager of employer sales at Benefitfocus in Charleston.
You may not recognize him behind his mask, but Peter Davis starred in a series of commercials for SimpliSafe.
BIRTHS Marshall Cabot to Anne Cabot and David Galeski, Jan. 23, 2021
Lucy Bennett to Anna and Phil Klein, Feb. 25, 2021
2001
CLASS SCRIBE Paul Evans ’01 evans2pm@gmail.com
In April, John Dos Passos Coggin’s poem, “Dominic Talks Fountain Pens,” was published in the literary magazine, Cathexis Northwest Press: https://www. cathexisnorthwestpress.com/post/ dominic-talks-fountain-pens.
Kelly Crockett is national sales and marketing manager for Waterway Guide Media.
BIRTHS Anne Barrett to Alice and Tom Innes, Nov. 4, 2020
David Luckey to Christina and Craig Whitham, Aug. 25, 2020
2002
After StC, Nelson Oliver went to the University of Georgia, studied at Oxford (U.K.) and graduated from Virginia Tech with a master’s in accounting and focus on financial advisory services. After three years with Deloitte in New York City, he became a licensed CPA. Next, “Colorado” called, and for the past 10 years, Oliver has been helping entrepreneurs secure licenses and operate successful businesses in the medical and recreational cannabis industry. With Virginia legalization impending, Nelson is excited to use his experience to collaborate with businesses in Virginia.
Lt. Cmdr. Matt Washko is the U.S. Navy lead for full ship shock trials for the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the nation’s newest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever built. He wrote: “We will detonate a large underwater explosive device a certain distance off the ship to test the ship’s shock resiliency during combat. It will be the first time we have shock tested a nuclear powered aircraft carrier in 34 years, and these will be the largest explosive devices ever used in a shock trial. Hundreds of engineers and technicians will accompany the crew of 2,500. As we say on the FSST team, ‘It’s gonna be a blast!’”
BIRTHS John “Jay” to Neha and Stewart Ackerly, June 26, 2020
Walter “Wally” Huggins to Joanna and Clay Harris, Oct. 19, 2020
Summer Adair to Elisabeth and Wyck Sweeney, Oct. 28, 2020
Charlie Guerry to Ashley and John Tucker, Nov. 8, 2020
Ada Ellison to Mignonne and Jay Scherer, Dec. 1, 2020
Caroline Grace to Sarah and Scott Copeland, Feb. 23, 2021
2003
In December, Tom Bannard was featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in recognition of his work with Rams in Recovery at Virginia Commonwealth University. Five years after becoming coordinator, Bannard has built the collegiate recovery program at VCU into a model and a mentor for other Virginia colleges and universities.
Stewart Ackerly ‘02’s children Tom Innes ‘01 with his wife Alice and baby Anne
Jono Dahl ‘03 showing off his daughter Ella
John Tucker ‘02 with his wife Ashley and newborn son Charlie
Jono Dahl and his wife Emily moved back to the States from London and relocated to Virginia Beach to be closer to family. He is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty at the beach office and just had his first child, Eloise “Ella” Lawson, born Oct. 2, 2020.
In April 2020, Jonathan Wright purchased Pocono Browns, a Black-owned hunting camp in Pennsylvania. He was featured in a December 2020 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
BIRTHS Louise Livington to Sarah Gray and Philip Innes, Sept. 10, 2020
Felix Coriander to Stacy Lee and Alex Woodson, Oct. 24, 2020
2004
CLASS SCRIBE Ben Traynham ’04 traynbht@gmail.com
Marshall French has joined Sauer Properties as a development manager.
BIRTHS Daniel Clary to Margaret and Ashton Goldman, Aug. 24, 2020
Elizabeth “Bizzy” Tyndall to Meriwether and Alex Arnett, Sept. 30, 2020
Willard “Fitz” Phaup V to Alexis and Will Milby, Nov. 2, 2020
Wilson Lee to Kristen and Smith Burke, Jan. 14, 2021
Ivy Paris to Danielle and Robert Porter, Feb. 20, 2021
2006
Rob Bennett married Kerry Reilly Aug. 22, 2020. Rob’s brother Alex Bennett ‘12 was the best man.
BIRTHS Luanne Elizabeth “Annie” to Lauren and Tad Darden, Dec. 21, 2020
2007
CLASS SCRIBES Brelan Hillman ’07 brelan.hillman@gmail.com
Thomas Jenkins ’07 tjenkins43@mac.com
Coleman Cann married Alexandra Fuller Oct. 17, 2020, in Bluffton, South Carolina.
BIRTHS Elisabeth “Libbie” Mackenzie to Maggie and Jeb Bryan, Aug. 26, 2020
Philip Charles to Elizabeth and Jacques Farhi, March 11, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Farhi is working on his urology residency.
2008
CLASS SCRIBE John Garland Wood ’08 jgwood89@vt.edu
BIRTHS: Harrison Insley to Elizabeth and Kevin Isaacs, Jan. 9, 2021
Mary Collins to Britt and Sandy Wall, April 7, 2021
2009
CLASS SCRIBE Christopher Alexander ’09 c.c.alexander@gmail.com
John Stillwell is now area sales manager at kaléo. He’s based in Philadelphia, but oversees the medical product company’s sales force in the mid-Atlantic region.
Carter Younts married Allison “Alli” Hicks Aug. 22, 2020, in Nashville.
2010s
2010
Campbell Henkel married Sara Sharp Oct. 10, 2020.
Jack Jessee has started as an associate at international venture capital law firm Gunderson Dettmer in Boston.
Rob Bennett ‘06 and his wife Kerry
Coleman Cann ‘07 and wife Alexandra
BIRTHS Duncan Alexander to Kristen and Alec Vozenilek, April 16, 2021
2011
CLASS SCRIBES Henley Hopkinson ’11 thhopkinson@gmail.com
Kurt Jensen ’11 kurtmj93@gmail.com
Ira White was named Dancer of the Year during the virtual RVA Dance Awards in December 2020.
BIRTHS Hudson James to Madison and Casey Fox, Feb. 27, 2021
Madison and Casey Fox ‘11 with their son Hudson
2013
CLASS SCRIBE Morgan McCown ’13 msmccown@email.wm.edu
Charlie Yorgen is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Katherine Maloney ’13 (St. Catherine’s). Yorgen played shortstop at East Carolina University and now lives in Washington, D.C., working as a portfolio analyst at Brown Advisory.
Andrew Gilmore recently moved back to Richmond from Charlotte, North Carolina. Now a licensed realtor, he works at CapCenter.
Rodney Williams, who played basketball for Drexel University and professionally in Europe, earned his MBA online from the
Carter Younts ‘09 and his wife Alli with their wedding party
Campbell Henkel ‘10’s wedding to Sara Sharp
Charlie Yorgen ’13 and Katherine Maloney at prom, and more recently just after their engagement
The Artist Hayze ‘06
Andrew Hayes ‘06 has picked up his paintbrush again.
After burning out on 12-hour days and constant travel with Enterprise, the artist, who now goes by Hayze, helps people create a personal brand and paints it on clothing and merchandise. His brand motto is “Be you, because people live better, happier lives when they are free to be themselves.”
Seeds for the endeavor were planted years ago.
One year, on the first day back to Middle School, Hayze didn’t want to show up wearing the white Converse All Stars that took a beating through the summer, so he spruced them up by painting them white. He remembers with fondness time at the University of Miami, where he gained a following painting apparel and shoes.
The Hayze Brand website explains its role as a champion for personalization and self-love. “It’s more of a movement than about the products,” Hayze said. “It’s all about sharing with the world who you really are and being comfortable with it.”
Meanwhile, he’s busy with other art projects as well with a park fence commission in Miami and a painting series called “Happy Places,” monochromatic images of seven important people in his life, including his fiancée Reyna Lopez and identical twin brother Matthew ’06, also an entrepreneur who’s developing a barbershop concept.
You can find him on Instagram @thehayzebrand or www.thehayzebrand.com.
University of Maryland and is now working as assistant director of the Capital Region Small Business Development Center in Richmond. He helped coach StC varsity basketball last winter.
Ben Foley married fellow Wahoo Jordan Jones from Fort Worth, Texas, in September. They live in Telluride, Colorado, where Foley works in finance. Sam O’Ferrall spoke to Upper School boys from Kuwait via video chat about his Army service.
Sam O’Ferrall ‘13
Cole Carns is engaged to Kasey Callaway of Philadelphia. Carns played lacrosse at High Point University and currently works in the Richmond area for D.R. Horton as a land acquisition specialist.
Christian Alcorn is engaged to Whitney Busch ’13 (St. Catherine’s) and, with support from the StC community, helped raise more than $30,000 during the pandemic for Climb for Quent, an organization focused on young adult mental health. Will Abbott and Will Bruner were instrumental in that effort and will also be a part of the Climb for Quent team that will attempt to summit Mt. Rainier in July.
Wesley Owens is an Anglican minister at St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in Tallahassee, Florida.
2014
Saunders Ruffin is living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he is serving on an AmeriCorps project that aims to make city services more accessible and inclusive to the region’s immigrant and refugee populations. He will move to New York City this summer to enter NYU’s Master of Public Administration program as a David Bohnett Public Service Fellow.
Perseverance Got Max Parks ’11 To Mars
By Gene Bruner ’78
When Max Parks ‘11 was a kid and his family planned vacations, Lower School Librarian Lucinda Whitehurst recalls how he checked out books to learn about the destinations and their history. “Max was the kind of student who wanted to find out more about whatever topic a book was about,” she said. “Fascinated with faraway places, his piqued imagination drove him to dive deeply into the material.”
Little has changed. Parks now works for NASA’s 2020 Mars rover, the aptly named Perseverance, which is currently criss-crossing the Red Planet. As an expert of atmospheres on the terrestrial
planets, Parks’ team will spend at least the next Martian year, about two years on Earth, guiding Perseverance to search for signs of ancient microbial life in the Jezero Crater, an area believed to be a lake in Mars’ deep past. In unraveling the geological history of the subterranean surface, the Jezero Crater offers a perfect spot to explore because a river collects material from a huge area. “The analogy I like to use is if you’re looking for the needle in the haystack, you get to remove the hay and just find the needles,” Parks said. This data will provide a wealth of information that will help scientists put the rover’s findings in perspective as it drills and stores samples. A second mission will bring them back to Earth to determine if there are enough basic elements to survive there. Speaking from his home in Santa Monica, Parks relishes the challenges. After graduating from The University of Texas in Austin with a triple major in physics, astronomy and science policy, he found work formulating policy at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. While examining moonscape images from the Apollo 11 mission, he assumed studying such a lifeless vacuum would become “mind-numbing and tedious.” However, the opposite occurred; something clicked. Pictures of the lunar landscape triggered his imagination, prompting him to enter UCLA’s doctoral program in planetary science. Parks’ team is solely focused on RIMFAX, one of the seven highly sophisticated instruments on board, a ground-penetrating radar designed to ping the Martian landscape for underground water and ice. He plans to ultimately return to NASA headquarters to help formulate policy and procedures for future missions. When not working long hours, Parks enjoys roller skating around Southern California. With water bottle in hand, he believes anyone can do anything “if confident and well-hydrated.” After being asked what advice he would give to himself 10 years ago, he said: “No matter what anyone says, GPA in college matters.” Then he paused and offered this: “I’d tell him that the next decade will be OK. It will be great, sometimes frustrating and sometimes tragic, but with perseverance it will all work out.”
A selfie taken during a trip to Death Valley
- Lower School Librarian Lucinda Whitehurst
Max Parks ‘11 next to a wind tunnel where they simulate Martian dust blowing in the wind to recreate dunes seen on the Red Planet
2016
Coleman Andrews is a client service associate at Farr, Miller & Washington LLC.
Sean Menges, long stick midfielder at the University of Richmond, earned All-American honors and became the third player in Spider history to be named Southern Conference defensive player of the year.
Matthew Fernandez, a former nationally ranked tennis player, spoke to the Freshman Class in early March, sharing his life experiences and other anecdotes during his time here at St. Christopher’s to improve communication with underrepresented groups. His goal is for St. Christopher’s to become a more inclusive community, celebrating different experiences, heritages and ethnicities. Fernandez graduated from the University of Richmond and is working as a client portfolio associate at Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC.
Matthew Fernandez ‘16
2017
Jackson Deal and his fellow Christopher Newport University captains were named to the All-Tournament lacrosse squad for their league playoff performance. An article on the CNU website said, “During the postseason, the three captains led Christopher Newport to a 14-11 victory over Southern Virginia in the semifinals before falling to No. 3 Salisbury.” During the playoffs, Deal posted four points, including three goals.
2018
Christian Carlow was offered one of five Karsh-Dillard full-ride scholarships to the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated from the University of Georgia a year early.
Harrison Rice, a junior at Virginia Tech, placed second in the pole vault at the ACC Indoor Championships. He vaulted 16-9.5 to claim second place.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch ran a story in April lauding Nick Biddison’s versatility in baseball, playing six positions for Virginia Tech and starting in each of the 76 games he’s played so far. He contracted COVID last summer and is coming back from a shoulder injury.
Nick Biddison ’18 Photo by Tomas Williamson, a Virginia Tech student
2019
Elby Omohundro, a sophomore at the University of Virginia, finished third in the high jump and fourth in heptathlon at the ACC Indoor Championships.
Arnold Henderson VI was featured in a January article in the Richmond TimesDispatch, which recognized his popularity as a member of Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball team.
Tyler Hutchison, who just finished his sophomore year at the College of William & Mary, has been hired by Science Matters and VPM as a writer specializing in astronomy. His first article was published in March. Jackson Turley, a sophomore at Rutgers, became the first St. Christopher’s wrestling alumnus to earn D-1 All-American status by finishing in the top 8 of his weight class at the 2021 NCAA D1 Championships in St. Louis in mid-March. The Rutgers website wrote that he was a tremendous story at the NCAA Championships, describing his “aggressive style” as a key to his success.
Jackson Turley ’19
Charlie Whitlock is a member of the Belmont University a cappella group, The Pitchmen, who are recording an album. Their cover, “I Have Nothing,” won Best Arrangement and Best Soloist at the 2020 International Collegiate Competition of A Cappella and is now posted on Spotify. This year the group also won the fourth division in the Southern Region of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Quarterfinals with a cover of “Want Me Back,” and is performing in the Briarcrest A Cappella Invitational at the end of the semester.
M E L U T U R N M E T R O S C L E P I N O T O T H E R S A N D Y S M I T H T H E C A N R I P A E T S D E E R E D N A L A B S G O L L A D A Y L O S E T O L E E S V E R A E S T E M A I L S B E D E W B O B B L A N T O N S E R I F B I T T E R R A G S L A G K O T O N E G A T E R O N S M I T H K O S O V A R C H E S S F I R G I L A A B H O R S O L D S C H O O L B E E T L E R A D A R L S D M E S S E S E P O X Y I S O
Solution to Brad Weigmann’s ‘84’s crossword puzzle on page 53.
Networking for Young Alumni
Zoom sessions seek to inform and connect
St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s hosted a series of Zoom sessions to offer career advice and networking opportunities to young alumni. Each session focused on a different industry based on the interest of our college-age Saints. Business professionals who shared their perspective included DeRon Brown ’05, investment manager at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Jack McDowell ’12, associate at Ridgemont Equity Partners; Elliot Warren ’11, founding partner of the Green Warren Group at Merrill Lynch; Ward Wood ’11, manager at CapTech Ventures Inc.; Brelan Hillman ‘07, project manager at JMI; and Matt Mattox ‘98, senior vice president, group account director at The Martin Agency. “We have such a rich and strong alumni base, it seems like a no-brainer to connect the next generation of business people with some really great business alumni,” said Davis Wrinkle ’81, director of alumni affairs and annual giving, during the first meeting that focused on finance. Participants were grateful for the opportunity. Ruslan Thomas ’17, for example, followed up with Jack McDowell after the discussion. “He gave a lot of good advice, and it was interesting to hear how he can apply his English major and communication skills to the analytical side of finance,” Thomas said. “Being able to connect with other alums was the most helpful part.” Other Saints reached out as well. One young alumni landed a job at a panelist’s company after taking part.
Stay up to date on alumni and parent networking happenings: stchristophers.com/alumni and connectstc.com.
1941
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. of Franklin, Tennessee, died Sept. 26, 2020. He is survived by his brother Harrison R. Tyler ’45.
1943
Samuel Larry Swindell Jr. of Chicago, died Nov. 20, 2020.
1944
Robert Coleman Rice Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 17, 2020.
1946
James Raleigh Bryant Jr. of Marietta, Georgia, died March 31, 2020.
1948
Francis Montgomery MacConochie of Atlanta, died Jan. 18, 2021.
1949
Richard Coles Edmunds Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 19, 2020. He is survived by his sons Richard C. Edmunds III ’83 and G. Berkeley Edmunds ’91.
1951
Charles Samuel Luck III of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 1, 2020. He is survived by his son Charles S. Luck IV ’79 and grandsons Charles S. Haw ‘10 and Richard S. Luck ‘08. 1953
Robert Gilliam Butcher Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died April 6, 2021. He is survived by his sons Robert G. Butcher III ’78 and Guy B. Butcher ’86.
1955
Ronald Tyler Whitley of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 18, 2020. Survivors include his brother Donald P. Whitley ’55 and sons R. Tyler Whitley Jr. ’85 and W. Bland Whitley ’89.
1958
W. Galen Weston Sr. of Toronto, died March 12, 2021.
1963
Robert Strother Buford Jr. of New York City, died Feb. 18, 2021. He is survived by his brothers Lewis B. Buford ’65 and A. Sidney Buford IV ’70.
1963
Randolph Mooers Stevens of St. Augustine, Florida, died Oct. 17, 2020.
1964
John Page Coates of Richmond, Virginia, died April 21, 2021. He is survived by his brother Thomas F. Coates III ’62.
1966
Lester Edison Andrews Jr. of Farmville, Virginia, died Sept. 22, 2020.
1967
Marvin Pierce Rucker II of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 13, 2021. He is survived by his brother Douglas P. Rucker Jr. ’64.
1969
Louis Wood Bedell Jr. of Libertyville, Pennsylvania, died Nov. 1, 2020. He is survived by his brothers Reginald H. Bedell ’66, Dickson J. Bedell ’71 and H. Alan Bedell ’72.
1974
Nicholas Constantine Dombalis of Raleigh, North Carolina, died Oct. 17, 2020.
1975
John Peyton Dodson of Richmond, Virginia, died March, 7, 2021.
1975
Walter Dennis Lindsey of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 9, 2021.
1978
Jonathan Edwards Higgins of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 30, 2020.
1979
Stephen Donald Dawe of Richmond, Virginia, died Nov. 7, 2020. 1983
Gordon Willcox Wallace Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died May 1, 2021. He is survived by his father Gordon W. Wallace ‘55 and brothers D. Fleet Wallace ‘86, Scott M. Wallace ‘87 and Maxwell C. Wallace ‘91.
1985
William Stephen Richardson III of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 1, 2020. He is survived by his father W. Stephen Richardson Jr. ’53.
2004
William Massie Meredith III of Denver, died Feb. 26, 2021.
2009
Garrett Falls Lockhart of Irvington, Virginia, died Nov. 23, 2020. He is survived by his brothers Charles D. Lockhart ’03 and Colin R. Lockhart ’05.
2015
John Lodge Fergusson of Richmond, Virginia, died in 2020. He is survived by his father W. Berkeley Fergusson ’78 and brother W. Berkeley Fergusson Jr. ’14.
2015
Taylor William Rudnick of Fredericksburg, Virginia, died April 20, 2021.
STAFF
Carolyn Mondy of Mechanicsville, Virginia, died Jan. 26, 2021. Mondy worked in admissions.
