Thayer Magazine - Winter/Spring 2014-15 by Thayer Academy

AND PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE SO THAT EACH MAY RISE TO HONORABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMON GOOD.

THE MISSION OF THAYER ACADEMY IS TO INSPIRE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS TO MORAL, INTELLECTUAL, AESTHETIC,

Thayer WINTER/SPRING

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DR. AUSTIN GALLAGHER ’04

SPENDS HIS DAYS IN THIS

ISSUE:

GameFly’s CEO David Hodess ’80 | Lessons from a Life of Business Success

On the Cutting Edge of Medicine Dr. Robert Insoft ’79 & Dr. Jeremy Goverman ’92 | By Dan Levinson

MAGAZINE

swimming with

sharks

The Un-Un-Un in the Hall

1964 Varsity Football Team | Honored by the Patriots

Thayer WINTER/SPRING

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MAGAZINE

Contents Table of Contents

Arts Music & Drama Photos

Arts Feature:

Thayer Images

20 22

West Side Story Behind the Scenes

Fine Arts Recap & Photos

by Karen Koskores

From the Headmaster “at least 100 million sharks

Cover Story: Austin Gallagher ’04: Swimming with Sharks

11 12

are lost every year to unsustainable fishing practices like shark finning”

News & Highlights

- Celebration of Science The General’s Council Dinner

- A Purposeful Rest Don Donovan on his Thayer Sabbatical

- A Return Home

New Director of Development Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92

- New Faces 19

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Athletics

Athletics Photos

Girls’ XC Highlight

First New England Championship

TA Award Winners

Boys’ Varsity Lax Interview

Head Coach Stew Curran on First ISL Championship

Academics

Last Chapel 2014 photos

Recognition Day 2014 photos

Commencement 2014 photos

College Matriculation

Alumni News & Profiles

In Memoriam

Un-Un-Un Team in the Hall of Fame

Special Tribute to Lillian Wentworth

Young Alumni Profile

Faculty / Trustee Obituaries

Alumni Obituaries

Lillian’s Literary Legacy

The Final Word

Hannah Sussek ’05 | on Volunteerism

Alumni Profile

David Hodess ’80 | CEO GameFly

Alumni Profile

Dr. Robert Insoft ’79 & Dr. Jeremy Goverman ’92

Reunion 2014

Class Pictures

Hall of Fame

Achievement Awards

Class Notes

Thayer Babies

Thayer Weddings

Mini-Profile

Kirsten King ’10 | BuzzFeed

Alumni Board

Commencement Speech Excerpt from Retiring Thayer teacher Jim Pickel

Alumni profiled in this issue:

40 Dr. Robert Insoft ’79 36 David Hodess ’80 18 Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 40 Dr. Jeremy Goverman ’92 12 Austin Gallagher ’04 34 Hannah Sussek ’05 62 Kirsten King ’10

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

A New View of Campus Thanks to the use of drone photography, (via photographer Chris Bernstein) hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a literal, birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of the Thayer campus from the summer of 2014. Thayer ThayerMagazine MagazineWinter/Spring Winter/Spring2014-15 2014-15

Jump Ball (Above) BenMackley Bossuet â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 wins the tipoff at T.D. Bank Garden on January 19, 2015. (Below) The girls Varsity team poses in front of the iconic Celtics Logo. Both the boys and girls varsity basketball teams had the privilege of playing on the parquet floored home of the Boston Celtics.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Not this again... Massive icicles adorn the Center for the Arts following one of many snowstorms during the historic winter of 2014-15.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Staring at the Sun Thayer students enjoy an unexpected astronomy lesson during Homecoming - getting the opportunity to observe a large sunspot group through a neutral density solar filter over the 8-inch reflector of one of the telescopes at the Cahall Observatory (which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014).

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Gathering Back Together @ Homecoming TOP

Middle School Director Carson Smith pushes his two kids in a stroller while running the 2nd Annual Hatch Run. MIDDLE

Mike ’96 and Courtney ’96 Mottau and their children stop to pose with the Thayer Tiger. BOTTOM

Debra Thompson P ’17 and Jean Chevalier P ’19 help sell goodies under the tent along with other parent volunteers.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

editor’s note Welcome to a new chapter for Thayer Magazine. Within these pages, we hope to continue to inform and inspire you with stories and profiles of Thayer people students, faculty, and alums. Beginning with this issue, however, we hope to provide you with more expanded, in-depth profiles of Thayer alumni who are doing interesting and amazing things all over the world. Moreover, our expanded class notes section will keep you connected to fellow classmates as they continue to honorably achieve and contribute to the common good! Any and all feedback - in particular leads on alumni you feel would be good to profile - is always appreciated!

PAUL W. KAHN DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & CREATIVE MEDIA

pkahn@thayer.org

Thayer

MAGAZINE

THAYER MAGAZINE is the annual publication for alumni, parents, and students of the Academy.

HEADMASTER

Ted Koskores DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

THAYER ACADEMY

Melissa Tuthill Forger

2014-2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Paul W. Kahn

BOARD OFFICERS

BOARD MEMBERS

Paula Becker P ’12, ’14, Chair

Jeffrey Allen P ’15

Christine Berk

Daniel Budde P ’10, ’12

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & CREATIVE MEDIA

magazine@thayer.org MAGAZINE LAYOUT & DESIGN Paul W. Kahn PRINCIPAL EDITORS Barbara Browne

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Nazy Kerr, Matt McGuirk, John Murphy, Mynetta Murray, Billy O’Dwyer, Donna Richardson, Skip Schneider

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Melissa Tuthill Forger DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Barbara Browne, Paul W. Kahn, Karen Koskores, Dan Levinson

Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Rochelle Ballin ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING & ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Caroline Brodigan DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Bernstein SUPPLEMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY Laura Sinclair, Paul W. Kahn, Barbara Browne, Rochelle Ballin

P ’15, Vice Chair

Peter S. Cahall ’67 Melissa Tearney P ‘14, Secretary

James Cashman ’73, P ’19, ’21

Thomas M. Kent P ‘00, ‘03, ‘09, Treasurer

Julian H. Cherubini ’53

Bill Stephenson Assistant Treasurer Thayer Academy Business Manager

Miniard Culpepper, Sr. P ’08, ’09 Robert F. Daylor P ’02, ’13 James J. Ferrera ’81 P ’09, ’12, ’15, ’16 Kevin Gill P ’11, ’13 Edward R. Goldfarb P ’06, ’07, ’11, ’17 David P. Gooding P ’02, ’03, ’06, ’07, ’09, ’14, ’21 Jay Hanflig P ’16 Linda Hooley P ’06, ’08 ’13, ’16 Kathy Horgan P ’20 John Lawler

P ’12, ’14, ’14, ’16

Brenda Lyons P ’12, ’14, ’18 Brendan McDonough ’87, P ’18 John Morey

P ’11, ’13

William Parent P ’12, ’15 Steven Gaziano ’02

Ex officio as president of the Alumni Board

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Ted Koskores ’70, P ’10, ’13, Headmaster

LETTER FROM THE

HEADMASTER

Dear Thayer Community, The current issue of the Thayer Magazine offers poignant perspectives of why the Thayer Experience is so meaningful. For our current students, the value of community is reinforced in myriad ways. Even a quick perusal of the Magazine will reveal that our students, on a daily basis, strive to challenge themselves in their academic classes, the arts, and athletics. Time-honored events such as Last Chapel, Recognition Day and Commencement bond us further by honoring what each student has accomplished and recognizing important individual achievements. The net effect is to make plain that aspiration and ambition are valued; and that we all benefit from communal support in both setting and achieving our goals. These very same values are reflected in the commitment our faculty and staff display in serving the needs of our students. I hope you will read the articles featuring the work of our science department, the sabbatical experience of one of our teachers, the return to Thayer of our new Development Director, the impressive qualifications of folks who joined our staff this year, and the thoughtful comments offered at Commencement by long-time faculty member Jim Pickel. One of the most special characteristics of the Thayer Experience, however, is that it opens the door to a wealth of opportunities beyond Thayer. While the college matriculation list offers a glimpse of where the Class of 2014 landed, perhaps even more telling are the profiles of highlighted alumni. Alumni Achievement Award Recipients and the Hall-of-Fame Inductees found herein also provide clear testimony to the enduring value of a Thayer education. I invite you to visit, as well, the reflection on Thayer’s legendary Un-Un-Un Team and the interesting updates provided by alumni in the Class Notes. Thayer is more than a community bound in time and space. The value of hard work, ambition, achievement, and an earnest commitment “to Contribute to the Common Good” lay at the heart of what we do each day and form the foundation of well-led lives. Sincerely,

Ted Koskores ’70, P ’10, 13

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

sharks

D R . A U S T I N G A L L A G H E R ’ 0 4 S P E N D S H I S D AY S

swimming with

PROFILE BY BARBARA BROWNE P ’02, ’04

Who among us would voluntarily swim

looking through a keyhole, the keyhole

by Middle School Science Department

with schools of sharks? Or cradle a shark

of nature, trying to know what’s going

Head Steve Sirrico P ’98, ’03 to the Florida

in his arms to get a blood sample? Or ask

on.” When Austin was in sixth grade at

Keys. That trip, an experiential learning

a shark to smile for the camera? Dr. Austin

Thayer Middle School, he took a trip led

adventure to study coral reefs, would

Gallagher ’04, who holds a PhD

catapult Austin’s lifelong interest in

in ecosystem science and policy

marine biology. “He was hooked on

from the University of Miami,

sharks after that,” says Mr. Sirrico.

takes all of those risks and more, as a matter of routine.

While a shark sighting would keep most of us rooted to our beach blankets,

Austin has always been

for Austin it’s an invitation to grab his

interested in science. For

wetsuit and head for the open ocean

example, to accompany his

(or the pelagic zone, as Dr. Gallagher

senior picture in Thayer’s

and his fellow scientists like to call it).

2004 yearbook, he chose a

For Austin, sharks inspire intellectual

quote from internationally

curiosity, not fear, and he has made it

renowned marine researcher

his life’s work to study them – as well

and conservationist Jacques Cousteau: “What is a scientist,

ABOVE: Off the coast of Miami, Austin ties up sutures after implanting a tracking device in a bull shark for a study of how urbanization affects sharks.

after all? He is a curious man

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

as other predators. The majority of his work is focused on top consumers in both marine and terrestrial systems, but

to aspects of fishing practices in the Atlantic

and installing satellite tags to track their

sharks, as he has literally immersed himself in

Ocean.”

movements over long distances. In the last 5

their world for nearly a decade.

years, he has tagged and released nearly 5,000 As an environmental scientist, Austin wants

sharks, ranging from 2-foot sharpnose sharks

Austin is a conservation biologist, fascinated

to identify ways to protect highly endangered

to 14-foot tiger sharks. He even conducts

with how animals make a living in nature

sharks by studying their physiology and

research on the flying great white sharks in

and how they adapt to changes. “Virtually

ecology. He believes that by collecting this

Cape Town, South Africa.

every species on the planet today lives in an

important data, he can better understand

altered habitat,” says Austin. “These changes

them and draw up effective plans to conserve

“Sharks live in the ocean far beyond the

often expose animals to conditions that

their populations. Rather than studying a

limits of our gaze,” says Austin. “They are one

did not exist in their evolutionary past. So

few sharks in captivity, he respectfully visits

of the animal kingdom’s oldest top predators,

the question is: Which ones can tolerate

a larger number of sharks in their natural

yet at least 100 million sharks are lost every

the change, and which ones cannot? This

habitat. He spends about 100 days a year

year to unsustainable fishing practices like

question formed the crux of my doctoral

on the water looking for sharks and giving

shark finning.” The term shark finning refers

research, in which I studied nearly 20

them what he calls research checkups: taking

to a barbaric fishing technique where the

different shark species and their vulnerability

measurements, sampling blood and tissue,

shark’s fin is removed and the rest of its body

COVER STORY: AUSTIN GALLAGHER ’04 | SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

this article will zoom in on his work with

LEFT: In the Bahamas, Austin and a colleague photographing a male oceanic whitetip shark – thought by many to be the most dangerous fish in the ocean. On this expedition he documented new behaviors indicative of mating for this threatened species. BELOW: Austin poses for a quick photo before releasing this 12-foot tiger shark.

“What is a scientist, after all? He is a curious man looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what’s going on.” Jacque Cousteau quote listed in Thayer’s 2004 Black & Orange next to Austin’s senior portrait.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

ABOVE: A great white shark breaches on a seal off the coast of South Africa (photo by Austin Gallagher). BELOW: Austin with a pregnant 14-foot tiger shark. His team is about to release her back into the sanctuary waters in the Bahamas following an ultrasound.

is tossed (usually still alive) back into the ocean. It is a practice akin to the ivory trade, where poachers kill entire herds of elephants just for their tusks. Shark fins are in demand for making shark fin soup and some non-pharmaceutical health remedies popular in Asian countries. A pound of dried shark fin is worth about $300, and with that type of economic incentive, it’s not hard to understand why so many shark populations, such as hammerheads and makos, are in steep decline. In the last decade, shark finning has become a multi-billion dollar industry. In response to these figures, Austin went out and proved through a global socio-economic analysis, that sharks are worth more alive than dead, particularly for tourism purposes. This 2011 research publication assisted in the creation of numerous shark sanctuaries around the world. “Think national park but for protecting sharks,” says Austin. Austin’s research is also making

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Sharks are the most misunderstood creatures on the planet. the science is crucial, but educating the public is equally as important.

soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse teams.

our understanding of the sharks’ role in

Austin earned a BS in biology from

the Atlantic ecosystems, and the results

Loyola University, an MS in marine

he’s documented have earned protected

science from Northeastern University,

status for some species in Florida.

and a PhD in ecosystem science and

COVER STORY: AUSTIN GALLAGHER ’04 | SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

a difference in the US, as it has improved

policy from the University of Miami. “Sharks are the most misunderstood

During his time at Thayer, Austin’s

creatures on the planet,” Austin says.

greatest role models were indeed his

“The science is crucial, but educating the

scientific mentors, namely Middle

public is equally as important. If sharks

School Department Head Steve Sirrico,

wanted to eat us, as many people think, I

Upper School Environmental Science

would not be here today. Period.” Austin

Teacher Skip Schneider, and the late

considers sharks not dangerous, but rather

Middle School Director Shelly Tyre.

the life-sustaining coastguards of our oceans, because they keep other marine

Beyond his academic work, Austin

life in balance. Sharks keep the ocean

champions greater global awareness

healthy, and without them, the natural

about the ecological role of top

equilibrium of our oceans – our most

predators, and the fishing practices

important ecosystems – would deteriorate.

that threaten their survival. He is the

If shark populations should continue

founder and president of Beneath the

to decline, the consequences could be

Waves, Inc., a registered, non-profit

catastrophic, especially since our marine

organization that hosts events worldwide

ecosystem provides one third of the

to inspire and educate the public about

world’s food, produces more oxygen than

conservation of marine ecosystems.

the rainforests, removes half of our man-

Austin has activated Beneath the

made carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases),

Waves in 15 countries worldwide on 5

and controls the earth’s temperature and

continents and has reached over 10,000

weather. It doesn’t seem at all far-fetched

people in person with his unique style of

to conclude that the survival of the human

ocean education and outreach.

ABOVE: Off the coast of Miami, Austin ties up sutures after implanting a tracking device in a bull shark for a study of how urbanization affects sharks. BELOW:Austin takes a blood sample from a shark to study stress levels, reproductive hormones, and energy stores.

race depends on our ability to preserve the ocean and all its inhabitants, especially the

“People love good stories – and when

top predators: sharks.

I make sharks the main characters, my listeners are immediately captivated.

For scientists like Austin Gallagher

The idea is to harness the energy in the

who fully comprehend the disastrous

audience, create something immersive

implications of what they learn, the

and unforgettable, and change the way

knowledge of what humankind is willing

people think about the their role on this

to sacrifice and/or ignore must be

planet and their responsibility to the

terrifying.

ocean,” explains Austin.

As mentioned above, it was during a 6th grade trip to Florida that Austin’s love for sharks was reinforced, and his career trajectory was launched. At Thayer, he was an honor roll student, a member of the environmental club (serving one year as president), a participant in the Ocean Science Bowl, and he competed on the

To learn more about Austin’s research, and to view his award-winning wildlife photography and films, please check out his website at: www.austingallagher.com. Conservation efforts by his non-profit organization rely on the support of forward-thinking people who understand the roles we must all play to ensure the survival of our planet. Information can be found at www.beneaththewaves.org, and Austin can be reached at austin@beneaththewaves.org.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Upper School Science Department Head Don Donovan addresses honored guests at the General’s Council Dinner.

GENERAl’S COUNCIL GIVING LEVELS

A C E L E B R AT I O N O F

SCIENCE

Leadership Circle

$1,877–$2,999

Sarah White Glover Society

$3,000–$4,999

Anna Boynton Thompson Society

$5,000–$9,999

Headmaster’s Circle

$10,000–$24,999

Trustees’ Circle

$25,000–$49,999

Founder’s Circle

$50,000+

young alumni leader: 1-5 years out 6-10 years out 11-15 years out

$250+ $500+ $1,000+

THE ANNUAL GENERAL’S COUNCIL DINNER BECOMES A HANDS-ON LESSON IN SCIENCE RECAP BY BARBARA BROWNE

The General’s Council consists of alumni, parents,

experience of learning something by doing it, rather

grandparents, and friends who generously take on a

than reading about it or listening to a lecture. (The full

leadership role in Thayer’s Annual Giving Campaign

list of science stations is below, right.)

by making gifts to the school of $1,877 or more. Every year, members of this group are honored

This hands-on set up was intentionally, demonstrating

and thanked at the General’s Council Dinner,

the type of teaching that occurs daily at Thayer.

hosted by the Board of Trustees. The evening is an

“Our classes are more hands-on than ever before,”

occasion which also serves to highlight one aspect

noted Science Department Head Don Donovan,

of Thayer’s mission to its students. This year’s

who addressed the group. “By giving students more

theme was “Celebrating Science and Technology at

opportunities to manipulate and control variables, we

Thayer,” along with a special recognition of the 20th

open up a better learning experience.”

anniversary of the Cahall Observatory. Dinner was provided by The Catered Affair (Holly

SPHERO ROBOTI C BALL | ROBOTICS  SOPHI E BROW NE 3D PRI NTI NG I N ACTI ON | TECHNOLOGY  W ENDY APFEL A SUPER COOL CHEM I STRY T RE AT | CHEMISTRY  FARI KHALI LI A “SUPER W ORM ” EX PERI ME N T | BIOLOGY  PAUL A COLLI NS, KAREN J O DO IN , & S K IP S CH N E IDE R BUI LD A BRI DG E | PHYSICS  JI M M ACVARI SH

On November 17, 2014, the Tiger’s Den and Cahall

Safford P ’94 & Alex Marconi ’94). Ms. Safford

Dining Hall were both transformed into a fun and

and her staff embraced the scientific theme with

engaging science laboratory space. Thayer’s Upper and

enthusiasm, experimenting with the decor and adding

Middle School science teachers - along with members

special effects like dry ice at the juice bar where drinks

of the technology department - were on hand to

were served in test tubes and beakers. The servers even

demonstrate some of the hands-on lessons and

wore lab coats, protective eye goggles, and purple

educational tools they’ve been sharing with students.

surgical gloves!

I NTRODUCI NG G OOG LE G L AS S | TECHNOLOGY  THERESA JAY

There were stations set up throughout the Tiger’s

All in all, a successful evening of honoring the

PORTABLE PL ANETARI UM | ASTRONOMY  JAM I SON SM I TH & JAM IE F O RMAT O

Den and Cahall Dining Hall. At some of the stations,

generosity of donors and the amazing work by faculty

guests could help themselves to refreshments. At other

members in the areas of science and technology to

stations, teachers displayed learning materials and

ensure that students continue to excel and achieve.

demonstrated activities intended to give students the

Upper School chemistry teacher Fari Khalili creates a scientific dessert with the help of Caley Droof ’16

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

CONTROL THAYER’S NEW R O B OT S | ROBOTICS  ASHLEY BAI ROS, DON DO N O VAN , & N ATALIE Y O UN G FLI PPI NG THE CL ASSROOM | SCIENCE  ALLI SON G ARNSEY & ER IN MCG URN

TEST YOUR LUNG CAPACI TY | BIOLOGY  PETER ROBARTS TRACK SE A TURTLE M I G RAT IO N | OCEANOGRAPHY  STEVE SI RRI CO

A Purposeful

Rest

UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HEAD DON DONOVAN SHARES INSIGHTS LEARNED DURING HIS SABBATICAL YEAR S T O R Y B Y PA U L W. K A H N

Don Donovan, Thayer’s beloved Upper School

Museum of Science; curriculum work; and working

learning history, but the history of the Bahamian

Science Department Head, has been at Thayer

on enhancing summer research classes for Thayer

people.”

since 1990. In those twenty-five years, he has

students). His time at the Island School working

tirelessly instructed and engaged with students,

as a “Master Teacher in Residence” lasted for four

Seeing this in action, first-hand, got Donovan

opening eyes and minds to scientific discoveries.

months.

thinking about when he returned to Thayer. “You

It is no surprise then, that for his sabbatical year

know, we live near a marine-based environment as

(Fall of 2013 through Spring 2014), Donovan’s

“On a typical day I would observe some classes,

well, but we often think about it as just a beach.

time away from his classroom in Glover was chock

teach others, take notes, help and advise teachers

Same with history - we take a lot for granted living

full of - you guessed it - engaging with students

there, go for a mile swim or a bike ride,” he recalled.

where we do. Could we incorporate place-based

and opening their eyes and minds in scientific

“But everyone would also learn what was there on

education more at Thayer? For example, from a

discoveries. What is a bit of surprise was the

the island - we would engage in marine research

history standpoint, investigating first hand the

location: in the sun of the Bahamas at “The Island

and survey creek systems, mangrove swamps, and

forts that Sylvanus Thayer himself helped to build

School.”

estuaries - and the kids were part of discovering

around Boston as part of our history curriculum?”

two new types of crustaceans during deep water “Thayer offers sabbaticals to its teachers (one year-

work in the two-mile deep waters off the coast! But

Donovan shared a final takeaway from his

long sabbatical is offered each school year) because

also, students would learn and read the history and

sabbatical. “The time spent away helped me be

it is a renewal process,” explained Donovan. “You

literature of the Caribbean. In fact, every facet of

introspective, and internalize how I was teaching

have teachers that are here for a long time - and the

their education is connected to where students were

and thinking about my own classes - finding areas

whole idea is that you want to be refreshed. It gives

presently living.”

where I needed to change things up.”

out on in terms of research, see how learning has

It’s this “place-based education” that was the

Now that he’s back and refreshed, Donovan is

changed, and gives us the opportunity to go out

primary takeaway from his experience in the

looking forward to implementing much of what

and become students again, really.”

Bahamas - indeed, the concept is what drew him

he has uncovered, from place-based education

us a chance to take a year off, see what we’re missing

to The Island School (in addition to the tropical

initiatives to matching researchers from down in

Donovan’s trip to the Bahamas was the fourth

location!). “Kids aren’t just learning ecology,” he

the Caribbean with current students here, to even

piece of his sabbatical plan (the others being a short

explains. “They’re learning marine ecology because

building a stronger connection with Thayer and the

time working at “edu-tainment” booths at the

there’s coral reefs everywhere. And they’re not just

Island School in future years.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

A RETURN HOME Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 comes back to Thayer to tackle new challenges as Director of Development

P R O F I L E B Y T H AY E R E N G L I S H T E A C H E R D A N L E V I N S O N

As someone who “hired” her as my Tiger’s

Melissa was thinking about her next career

daughter Taylor, 8) can grow up on Thayer’s

Eye newspaper Editor-in-Chief, it certainly

direction after seven-and-a-half years as

back fields as well.

doesn’t surprise me that Melissa Tuthill

Director of Development at the Spaulding

Forger ’92 has taken to her many career

Rehabilitation Hospital and Partners

It hasn’t surprised her that the job has

roles with such passion and professionalism.

Continuing Care Network when Mark

already been a great fit for her, her family

Speaking for all of my colleagues who knew

Gutierrez called. Thayer’s then Director

and career. She can trace her life’s work

her when she was a Thayer student, I am

of Development told her of his retirement

with nonprofit institutions back to her

thrilled to have her back. But how did she

plans and asked if she’d have any interest in

first community service opportunity as

come full circle from her days as a student

his job. She knew it wasn’t an opportunity

a Thayer student, when English teacher

to the new Director of Development?

likely to come again soon. Mark had been

Jim King connected her to a local Head

at Thayer for 17 years, and she expected the

Start program. She was already thinking

For Melissa, accepting a job atThayer

next person with that job to love the place

of some kind of service career when she

Academy was like coming home. She is the

and want to stay too. How could I say no?

majored in psychology at the University

youngest of four sisters who all graduated

she thought

of Vermont, and right out of school she

from TA (Whitney ’85, Kelley ’88, Tracey

got one of those incredibly tough jobs that

’90), and she says she truly grew up here,

And why shouldn’t Thayer feel like home?

she loved at Bridge Over Troubled Waters,

playing on the fields, waiting for her sisters’

In addition to her alumnae status along

an organization for runaway teens with a

games to end. And still today: “My TA

with her sisters, her parents have also had

shelter in the South End.

friends are some of my closest friends. And

a Thayer history, having been active on

now one of the best parts of my day is

the Board of Directors and other school

Melissa says that at just 25 or 26 years of

walking into Cahall Dining Hall and seeing

committees. Melissa even met her husband,

age herself she felt like she’d raised kids

many of my old teachers - Jake Diamond,

Glenn, through a Thayer connection: he is

and sent them off to college when she

Don Donovan, Jim King - and being able

the brother of fellow Thayer alumnus Lisa

helped some of those adolescents find a life

to sit down with them as peers and catch

Forger Rooney ’88, P’17! And now, her

direction. “I learned an awful lot about the

up.”

three children (sons Cam, 3, Finn, 5, and

world and the needs in it,” she remembers.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

She dealt with many daunting cases of abuse,

corporate umbrella agency for major

neglect and poverty and loved the rewards

medical centers such as Mass General and

of the work. But she also notes that she put

Brigham and Women’s), overseeing a staff of

in crazy hours in a place that was always

17, having helped to open the new state-ofthe-art Spaulding Hospital in

understaffed. So after four years she took time off to think about what to do next. Someone, she says, thought she’d really like

CAREER TIMELINE FOR

MELISSA

TUTHILL FORGER ’92

the Charlestown Navy Yard! Looking back, she says she was

NEW FACES Anita Rackovan Upper School English

Anni Zukauskas ’94 Admissions Officer

development work, even though

always fortunate to learn from

her only experience doing it was,

so many brilliant people at

Ashley Bairos

yes, as a Thayer student making

Spaulding, specialists who were

Middle School

fundraising calls for Eileen

in the forefront of such fields

Cutler ’62 in the office she now

as concussion diagnostics and

heads.

care, the treatment of children with Autism, and research and development of prosthesis

Melissa worked in development for four years at the Walker Home and School for children with emotional and behavioral

1992 GRADUATED FROM THAYER ACADEMY

and robotics. “It was,” Melissa smiles, “just a really exciting time to be there.”

Science

Bobby Kiley ’04 Upper School English

Brian Cibelli Middle School English

disabilities, and from there Her hopes for what she

went to Horizons for Homeless Children. She realized she was working her way backwards from

1996 GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

can accomplish at Thayer? Melissa first and foremost lists

homeless teens, to pre-teens,

increasing participation in

and then infants and toddlers,

annual giving, an area where

getting a broad vision of the

Thayer has traditionally lagged

problems of youngsters in need at all ages. Many of the girls she’d

1996-2000 RESIDENT COUNSELOR BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS

behind other ISL schools.

Erin McGurn Upper School Chemistry

Jenn Goodale Controller Business Office

She’d also like to raise the

first worked with were born into

school’s regional profile and

Krista Ferraro

homelessness, and often ended

increase opportunities for

Upper School

up having their own homeless families.

2000-2004 WALKER SCHOOL MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER ANNUAL FUND/SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

current students. But more than anything, she’d like to keep building a stronger

Having come full circle, she

alumni network, “so we

thought maybe she should take a

can continue to help each other, long after our years on

look outside children’s agencies; her career was at a point where she wanted to see what else she might learn and do. She relished

2004-2005 HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS

campus.” She points out that the Development Office now

History

Matt Ghiden Middle School Grade 6

Nellie Hall Associate Director College Counseling

boasts many people who know

the many new challenges and

the school intimately and have

Rhett Cooper

rewards at Spaulding, and was

years of close relationships

Upper School

hired to raise money for a new hospital, as the Director of Major Gifts - with only herself to

2005-2013 SPAULDING REHAB HOSPITAL PARTNERS CONTINUING CARE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS

with former classmates and parents. She herself looks to be very successful in extending herself and her family’s

supervise.

deep and intuitive sense of the Thayer community. A

Seven-and-a-half years later, she was the Director of Development for the entire post-acute branch

History

2014

community where she finds

THAYER ACADEMY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

herself at home, once again.

Steve Cedrone Upper School Computer Programming

Wendy Apfel Supervisor Hanflig Technology Center

of Partners HealthCare (the

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Madeleine Castanon ’18 and Annie Huycke ’18 help to lift Marlie Dennett ’18 during the Dance Concert.

2 Trumpeters Patrick Kennedy ’17, Tafari Scott ’16, and Colin Ferrera ’16 perform during the Instrumental Concert.

3 Braden Joe ’17, Michael Baldry ’16, and Noah Larson ’16 jam on their guitars during the Instrumental Concert.

Music, Drama & Dance 2014

4 Jenna Hersh ’19, Jefferson Driscoll ’21 and Eliza

Fleming ’20 perform during the Middle School Princess Plays.

5 Charlie Hume ’17, Amelia Browne ’18, Oscar Wahlberg ’17, Jacob Comeau ’18, and John Lucas ’17 ham it up during “Twelfth Night.”

6 Thayer faculty member Fari Khalili performs a

traditional Persian dance at the Faculty Talent Show.

7 Olivia O’Connor ’20 in the Middle School production of the Princess Plays.

Lauren Bennett ’18 belts out a number during the

8 Upper School production of “Twelfth Night”

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

THAYER PRODUCTIONS thayer academy MIDDLE school performing arts proudly presents....

ROTTEN SOMETHING’S

STATE OF

In THE

DENMARK A HYSTERICAL (HISTORICAL) FARCE/TRAGEDY IN ONE-ACT

BASED ON HAMLET BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ALBEIT LOOSELY) BY JOSEPH WALLACE

directed by tara corcoran ’88

TARA CORCORAN ’88 DIRECTOR WINSTON SOUTHWORTH STAGE MANAGER

NOVEMBER 20, 2014 THAYER MIDDLE SCHOOL

MS. COREY’S CLASS

Dionysus Matt Steffan: Narrator Quinn Havlicek: Narrator Emmett Griffin: Narrator Mel McCue: Narrator Giovi Hersch: Ariadne Drew Bennett: Dionysus Grace Muir: Dodona Max Gesner: Zeus Andrew Havens: Hermes Victoria Gibson: Semele Meg Schwartz: Hera Caitlin Hayes: Pirate Leila Chapman: Pirate John DeMarco: Pirate Daniel Teixeira: Pirate Andy Collins: Pirate

MR. O’DWYER’S CLASS

MR. TOUSSAINT’S CLASS

MRS. GHIDEN’S CLASS

Ariadne

DEMETER & PERSEPH ONE Jacqui O’Leary: Narrator Elias Ortiz: Narrator Lucy Keller: Narrator Grace Quealy: Narrator Jamie Grillo: Hades Sean Wallace: Triptolemus Olivia Noreke: Persephone Kaitlyn Freeley: Metaneira Giovanni Marinilli: Zeus Katie McDevitt: Demeter Eleanor Rentz: Iris

Artemis & Niobe

Cass Havlicek: Narrator Sal Larosa: Narrator Judith Walker: Narrator Andrew Klaff: Narrator Kate Pulgini: Daedalus Jefferson Driscoll: Theseus Jackson Lehner: King Minos Lillian Bradley: Ariadne Gavin Graybill: Dionysus Allie Wetterberg: Athenian

HERMES

Max McGlowan: Narrator Matt Sullivan: Narrator Maddie Burke: Narrator Sophie Karnolt: Narrator Casey Cashman: Leto Steven Kelly: Zeus Bejunior Fallon: Apollo Megan Kream: Artemis Mikaila Kitchen: Niobe Aidan Drohan: Actaeon

prometheus & Pandora Ari Carden: Narrator Allie Wetterberg: Narrator Taylor Roland: Narrator Jackson Lehner: Narrator Quinn Cashman: Zeus Matty Kenney: Epimetheus Andrew Seymour: Prometheus Kate Pulgini: Pandora Judith Walker: Hephaestus Kevin Freeley: Hercules

Lucy Keller: Narrator Sean Wallace: Narrator Kaitlyn Freeley: Narrator Elias Ortiz: Narrator Vinh Tran: Apollo Grace Quealy: Hera Eleanor Rentz: Maia Giovanni Marinilli: Zeus Oliver Vonnegut: Hermes

Athena

Chris Pappas: Narrator Eileen Gooding: Narrator Casey Cashman: Narrator Lindsay Tucker: Narrator Liv Garelick: Arachne Quinn McConnaughey: Zeus Mikaila Kitchen: Athena Sophie Karnolt: Metis Steven Kelly: Hephaestus Ryan Manning: Poseidon

THAYER MIDDLE SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS PROUDLY PRESENTS

THA YE R A C A DE MY 745 WASHINGTON STREET BRAINTREE, MA 02184 www.thayer.org

NOVEMBER 24, 2014 @ 7:00 PM

THOMPSON HALL Directed by Tara Corcoran ‘88 Musical Direction CHARLOTTE BROWNE STAGE MANAGER ELIZA FLEMING ACCOMPANIMENT SARA BARKON Choreography ALISON NEILL Set Design ELIZABETH PERSING dance captain KARINA POPOWYCZ Sound Design KASPAR RELAFORD & ANDY COLLINS Drums: BARRY LIT PROGRAM & POSTER DESIGN: PAUL KAHN Bugsy Malone Jr is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Musical Theatre Int’l, 421 West 54th St, NY, NY 10019

7 SHOWSTOPPERS A THAYER MIDDLE SCHOOL PRODUCTION

TUESDAY, MAY 20TH, 2014 7:00 PM THOMPSON HALL

WITH SONGS & DANCE NUMBERS FROM: ANNIE, LES MISERABLES, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, HAIRSPRAY, ALADDIN, DAMN YANKEES, JEKYLL AND HYDE, LITTLE MERMAID, POCAHONTAS, HERCULES, DREAMGIRLS, HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, NEWSIES, AND MANY, MANY MORE FAVORITES!

Directed by Tara Corcoran ’88 Vocal Direction by Charlotte Browne Choreography by Alison Neill Set Design by Elizabeth Persing Sound Design by Dan Alosa

ONE NIGHT, TWO ACTS

T H E

P R I N C E S S

T H E

P R I N C E S S

THAYER ACADEMY 745 Washington Street Braintree, Mass. 02184 www.thayer.org

U P O N

T I M E

THOMPSON HALL MARCH 5, 2015 7:00 PM

ONE

WINTER CONCERT

If music be the

play on! T W E L

better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.

Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.

food of

love,

F T H

T W E L

F T H

Night

AT THAYER ACADEMY

by Billy Shakespeare

February 27-28, 2015

Hale Theater - Center for the Arts

Thayer Academy upper school performing arts

My stars shine darkly over me T W E L

Thayer Academy upper school performing arts

T W E L

F T H

Night by Billy Shakespeare

AT THAYER ACADEMY

With adoration, with fertile tears, With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.

F T H

T W E L

F T H

Night

by Billy Shakespeare

Thayer Academy upper school performing arts

by Billy Shakespeare

Hale Theater - Center for the Arts

by Billy Shakespeare

AT THAYER ACADEMY

Hale Theater - Center for the Arts

F T H

AT THAYER ACADEMY

February 27-28, 2015

How does he love me?

Night February 27-28, 2015

T W E L

Night

by Billy Shakespeare

AT THAYER ACADEMY

February 27-28, 2015 Hale Theater - Center for the Arts Thayer Academy upper school performing arts

THAYER ACADEMY 745 Washington Street Braintree, Mass. 02184 www.thayer.org

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

BEHIND THE SCENES OF:

WEST SIDE STORY 1

Tony (John Reynolds ’15) & Maria (Colette Maalouf ’16) sing “Tonight” during the musical’s iconic moment.

Noah Turner ’15 and Julia Shapiro ’16 dance the mambo.

The full cast & crew of West Side Story.

RECAP BY BARBARA BROWNE

Some cast members have been doing theater for On November 20, 21, and 22 of 2014, the

a long time, while others are just beginning. All

stage in Thayer’s Hale Theater was alive with

of them love what they’re doing. Many of them

the Upper School’s production of West Side

became interested in theater because of the

Story. Combining Leonard Bernstein’s jazz-

required freshman arts class where they study

inspired operatic music, Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, and Jerome Robbins’ hip choreography - along with a plot based on Romeo and Juliet and updated with an undercurrent of race relations, West Side Story remains one of the most beloved and most-performed productions

their own back story, and this exercise allowed cast members to look at their characters more carefully. “You don’t really know what someone else is going through – what’s going on in their

in American history.

life,” said John Lucas. “You might only see a

“We love this musical because, even now, 57

scenes, there are probably some pretty serious

years after the original Broadway production, its themes are still socially relevant,” said Upper School Theater Director Kelly Hines, who guided the largest cast in Thayer history - with over 100 people on stage, and a 13-member stage crew, along with Music Director Dan Alosa, Technical Director Brooks Donnelly, and

gang member on the surface, but behind the things happening that you have no idea about.” The dancing in this show is intricate and challenging, with most of the acting channeled through movement. “The performers have worked really hard to portray the characters not only through dialogue, but through dance

Choreographer Pam Sheiber.

and song as well. The result is a sincere and

“We continue to battle prejudices and bullying;

Ms. Hines.

we still suffer the consequences of cultural misunderstandings and violence; we’ll always mourn the loss of innocence,” added Hines. “Theater has tremendous power to educate the public, and we take this responsibility very seriously.” Ms. Hines said they did color-blind casting for this show – meaning that nobody is playing a particular role because of how they look.

Ms. Hines asked each of the Jets to create

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

passionate rendition of this classic story,” said

Rachel Lit observed, “I’ve been dancing a long time – eleven or twelve years – but I’ve never had to do the kind of dancing we do in this show. Every move has an emotion behind it. An intent. A feeling. So I have to think about why I’m hitting a certain pose; why I’m making a certain face while I’m holding that pose; why I’m turning a certain way to look at someone.”

visual arts, drama, and music for one term each. Colette Maalouf, who plays Maria, described what she likes about this particular show: “In West Side Story, it’s not just a matter of putting a smile on your face and singing and dancing. In this show you have to think about the underlying emotion that motivates each of the characters. This is really different from the musicals I’ve done before.” John Reynolds, who plays Tony, agrees that there’s something especially profound about this musical: “Because it’s based on Shakespeare, and one of the things Shakespeare was big on was that theater should mirror reality. West Side Story shows real people with real problems whose stories don’t always have happy endings.” Ms. Hines says that beginning with West Side Story, the theater department will make a year-long study of Shakespeare. Students in the advanced acting class took an in-depth Shakespeare unit, with Twelfth Night being the Winter Play. Explained Ms. Hines, “We have paid particular attention to all of the Shakespearean elements and tools available to us in this Romeo-and-Juliet-inspired show.”

Fine Arts 2014 S U M M A R Y B Y T H AY E R A R T T E A C H E R K A R E N K O S K O R E S

The Thayer Academy Fine Arts Department has, as

art than they would otherwise experience in a cursory

usual, had a busy and productive year thus far. With

“pass-by.” Careful looking leads to more in-depth

many students involved in multiple arts courses, we are

appreciation.

lucky to have a good number of them taking classes in the Fine Arts - Painting & Drawing, Architecture,

We have also been fortunate this year to have had

Photography, Graphic Arts, Pottery and Video courses

all of the artists come into the classroom to talk to

are all producing wonderfully creative work.

students and to discuss their work. Christina Beecher, an artist producing lovely, tonalist landscapes, came

In my Painting & Drawing classes, we have been busy

in September and demonstrated both her painting

with experiments exploring the various elements and

techniques as well as discussing her previous career as

principles of design, focusing initially on the element of

a toy designer. Nick Edmonds, a retired long-time

“line” and using “doodle” drawings as a way to explore

art professor from Boston University spoke to a couple

these concepts. As we all know, students love to

of classes on his unique painted sculptures and the

“doodle” (hopefully not in other classes!) and this is an

environmental issues and life stories that inspire his

excellent means of playing with positive and negative

work. Dale Stephanos, a professional illustrator whose

space, repetition, composition and concepts of good

work has graced the covers of many major publications,

design. I am continually awed by the inventiveness and

came and spent time with the classes discussing his

creativity of the drawings that they create. Students

artistic background and the current affairs issues that

then take those initial drawings and find ways of

fuel his work. Mark Bell, a professional potter from

pushing their ideas further, producing large, graphic

Maine, had a day-long workshop with the Pottery

artworks that are visually stunning. Currently, you can

students who got an insight into his working methods.

Sketch by Kendall McConnaughey ’18

Charcoal of Sonny Barger (Founder of Hell’s Angels) from a print by Mark Stephanos - Emma Fitzgerald ’16

Landscape by Camille Sery-Ble ’15

see some of those pieces displayed in the art room. Throughout all of these experiences, students have The Thayer Art Gallery has also served as fertile ground

the opportunity to learn about different methods

for artistic endeavors. We have had a full line-up of

of creative expression and the varied journeys that

shows by professional artists and these have provided

individuals have taken in their lives. They learn that

great inspiration for the students. We generally use

there is not a specific path to the creative process

the art shows as on-campus field trips to both view the

just as there is no “one” way of creating a work of

work as well as get ideas for new work. Sitting in front

art. No right or wrong. It is one of the things that

of a painting and creating your own piece inspired by it

makes art easier, in some ways, and also infinitely more

forces the students to look much more carefully at the

challenging!

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

4 5

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Chris DeGiacomo ’14 watches a teammate’s batting practice drive by the cage.

Golfers Troy Coan ’18 and Nick Sexeny ’17 chat before a tournament.

Arianna Bacon ’15 focuses on her next pitch, while Chaislyn Burgio ’14 readies herself in the outfield.

Aoife MacIntyre ’15 glides through the water during a meet.

Another victory for the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team as they retained the Valicenti Cup vs. St. Sebs in February 2015.

Raghav Sanan ’15 returns a volley for the men’s tennis team.

Coach Bill O’Dwyer ’02 gives instructions to his team during a timeout.

Coach Skip Schneider along with Haley Deveney ’15, Ivy Arlia ’15, Amanda Britko ’17, Kristen Mashikian ’17, Tess Schneider ’18, Peyton Lessard ’17 and Kat Mashikian ’17 get pumped for another soccer match.

Athletics 2014

Cameron Steele ’15 launches a kick while Eion O’Sullivan ’18 looks on.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

AWA R D SPRING 2014 Varsity Baseball

NEW ENGLAND CHAMPS THAYER’S FIRST GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS!

MVP: Thomas Clarkson Coaches Award: Nicolas Falkson Offensive Players of the Year: Kyle Peterson, Christopher DeGiacomo Gold Glove Awards: Nicolas Falkson, Peter McDonald Rookie of the Year: DeVon King All-League: Thomas Clarkson, Nicolas Falkson, Christopher DeGiacomo, Ryan Murray ISL Honorable Mention: DeVon King, Kyle Peterson

Boys Varsity Lacrosse On Sunday, Nov 9, 2014, Thayer’s Varsity Girls’ XC Team finished 1st of the 15 teams who competed for the New England title. “It was a great race,” said Coach Jeff Browne. “Thayer had to upset the #1 seed, Tabor Academy, to win it, and our runners did that by running their best race ever, reaching their peak performance, right on schedule – at the championship meets.” The team’s goals in this season were to finish in the top three for the ISL meet – they finished 2nd; and in the top 3 for the New England meet – they finished first.” Coach Browne said, “to win the NE meet, the girls had to run a smart, tactical race.” He continued, “We prepare for each meet with a race plan based on what we know about the runners we’re about to face.” Sarah Power ’17, the team’s fearless front-runner in meets, played a vital role. She started out with the fastest

Boys Varsity Tennis MVP: Matt Gilbert MIP: Tucker Meehan Coaches Award: David Sage

Girls Varsity Lacrosse MVP: Ivy Arlia MIP: Maren Mellen Coaches Award: Shannon McGowan, Abby McGrath All-League: Ivy Arlia, Shannon McGowan ISL Honorable Mention: Margaret Nolen, Carlyn Nolen, Madison Barker

Girls Varsity Tennis MVP: Caroline Finnegan MIP: Gillian Freter All-League: Sasa Jovanovic, Caroline Finnegan ISL Honorable Mention: Rachael Goffin, Gillian Freter

Varsity Softball

for this race, the other six ran close together in a pack,

MVP: Kathleen Fowkes MIP: Elizabeth Tangney, Julianne Landry Coaches Awards: Chaislyn Burgio, Kali Denty All-League: Kathleen Fowkes, Maddie Dickson ISL Honorable Mention: Chaislyn Burgio

following Sarah. For the first mile and a half, they ran

Varsity Golf

at a pre-determined race pace, which kept them behind

MVP: Jake Ratti MIP: Sean Setian Coaches Award: Matt Egan All-League: Jake Ratti

runners, and set the pace for the rest of the team. There are seven runners who make up a varsity XC team, and

20 other runners. Trying not to run too fast too soon is an exercise in self-control for these girls because all seven of them are trained for speed. At the beginning of the 3rd mile, they turned on that speed, and started passing runners. The strategy worked, as five Thayer runners placed in the top 20 of 105 total runners. This sealed the victory.

MVP: Tyler Blaisdell MIP: Connor Hayden Coaches Award: Shane Rinkus All-League: Ryan Pfeffer, Tyler Blaisdell, Shane Rinkus, Harry Giarusso ISL Honorable Mention: Samuel Murphy, Connor Hayden, Niel Conway, Jonathan Barry, Patrick Lawler

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Varsity Crew MIP: Olivia Feeney Captains’ Awards: Nick Scanzillo Dark Horse: Allissah Sillah, Nick Underhill

Varsity Track/Field MVP: Julia Barron, Jordan Allen All-League: Mary Goulding, Julia Barron, Isabelle Dunne, Kayla Rorke, Emily Barron, Camille Sery-Ble, Abby Osmanski, Jordan Allen, James Ferrera, Alim Ibraham, Sean O’Connor, Jake Marcelino

ISL Honorable Mention: Casey Rothschild, Hailee Miller, Ryan Finneran, Sean Torney All New England: Julia Barron, Isabelle Dunne, Kayla Rorke, Abby Osmanski, Camille Sery-Ble, Jordan Allen, James Ferrera, Alim Ibrahim, Sean O’Connor

FALL 2014 Varsity Volleyball MVP: Rachel Clarkson MIP: Sarah Kretschmer Unsung Hero: Lauren Knight ISL Honorable Mention: Nicole Barrett, Samantha Currie

Varsity Football

WINNERS WINTER 2014-15 Varsity Gymnastics Most Valuable Gymnast: Morgan Langenhagen Most Dedicated: Kaleigh Walker Most Improved: Ava Rando and Arianna Carden Most Team Spirit: MaryClare Boselli Coach Award: Olivia Hogan

Varsity Ski MV Skier: PJ McDonald, Matthew Cote, Micaela Braun Coaches Award: Griffin Mansi, Heather McCluksey Most Promising Newcomers: Collin Chaisson, Jackson Lehner, Gillian Freter

John G. Slavin ‘54 Award: Toby Sandblom, Brendan Muldoon Eye of the Tiger Award: Patrick Lawler Donald B. Badger, Jr. Award: Aaron Prentice All-League: Brendan Muldoon ISL Honorable Mention: Patrick Lawler, Aaron Prentice, Declan Donahue

Boys Varsity Hockey

Boys Varsity Cross Country

MVP: Darby Melia MIP: Alexa Henricksen Coaches Awards: Kali Denty, Carly Alperin ISL All-League: Darby Melia

MVP: John High MIP: Andrew Bayliss Unsung Hero: Bradley Rotondi Coaches Award: John Reynolds Spirit Awards: Ryan Finneran, Gabe Bresnahan

ISL All League: Lincoln Griffin, Ryan Pfeffer, Ty Amonte ISL Honorable Mention: Monte Graham, Kyle Peterson

Girls Varsity Hockey

Boys Varsity Basketball

MVP: Carter Lee, Colin Oliphant MIP: Sean Torney Coaches Award: Jonathan Stern ISL Honorable Mention: Colin Oliphant

MVP: Jordan Mello-Klein MIP: Colin Cramer Coaches Award: Mike Pulsfier, Tom Kotopolous All-League: Jordan Mello-Klein ISL Honorable Mention: Jauvaughn Edmonds, Mike Pulsifer

Girls Varsity Soccer

Girls Varsity Basketball

Boys Varsity Soccer

MVP: Kali Denty, Haley Deveney MIP: Alex D’Amico Unsung Hero: Amanda Britko Coaches Award: Ivy Arlia Captains’ Award: Kelsey Farden ISL Honorable Mention: Kali Denty, Haley Deveney

Varsity Field Hockey MIP: Abby King Outstanding Performance: Carlyn Nolen Coaches Award: Mollie White ISL Honorable Mention: Jenny Parent, Hana Ferrari

Girls Varsity Cross Country ISL All-League: Katherine Stanwood, Cassie Kearney ISL Honorable Mention: Sarah Power All New England: Katherine Stanwood, Cassie Kearney, Abby Osmanski, Sarah Power, Annie Huycke

MVP: Maddie Dickson MIP: Abby Osmanski Coaches Award: Abby McGrath Defensive MVP: Sam Currie All-ISL First Team: Kelsey Farden All-ISL Honorable Mention: Stephanie Lyons, Sam Currie NEPSAC Class A All-Star: Kelsey Farden

Varsity Wrestling MVP: Harry Hogan MIP: Samantha Rando Coaches Award: Brad Rotondi

Varsity Swimming MVP: Nick Underhill Coaches Award: Sam Rice, Patrick Carbone Good Sportsmanship: Arianna Tosi Extra Effort & Hard Working: Jeffrey Liu

BUILDING A CHAMPION 4

AN INTERVIEW WITH BOYS’ LAX HEAD COACH STEW CURRAN ON THAYER’S FIRST LAX ISL CHAMPIONSHIP in the SPRING OF 2014

How long have you coached Thayer’s Lax team?

General recap of the season:

they can succeed. The Florida trip allows our team

I came on board in the spring of the 2011 season, having been the head coach at Cohasset High for seven seasons. There I was blessed to win three state championships!

highlights? Standout athletes on the team? The defense, anchored by two of the best seniors in New England, Jon Barry ’14 and Shane Rinkus ’14 and supported by a strong sophomore, Pat Lawler ’16 and junior Toby Sandblom ’15. Our four year starter in goal, Tyler Blaisdell ’14, was the league’s best goalie coming into the 2014 season. He earned senior All-American status and was selected to play in the Under Armor Senior AA game last summer.

to work hard, bond, and get a healthy view that playing at a fast pace is the way we’ll approach the game. They grasp it and love to work at it.

What is the history of the sport here? How long has it been a sport at Thayer? The start of the boys program began in 1990 with a healthy mix of both ISL/Prep schools and the area public schools. In recent years, TA boys lacrosse alums have gone on to win honors at the NCAA level. These former players are owed a huge debt of gratitude by our current team. A great number of alums called, emailed, and attended some of our games both home and away during the season. They each shared in this seasons ISL Championship in many ways.

Was the 2014 first ever ISL championship a surprise? Something that was seen as imminent b/c of the talent you had? The season held much promise after a number of solid wins in prior years and good players returning as seniors. Our first game was a win against the defending league champs, Belmont Hill, and their four Division 1 recruits. This quickly erased any doubts whether or not we should be considered as one of the league’s best. The superb balance at both ends of the field and team speed was a key trait. I would say that nobody was quicker on the field than the TA Tigers.

On offense, we had a school record broken by senior attacker, Harry Giarrusso ’14, who finished off a superb career by shattering his older brother Tim’s school scoring records for most points - with 242 over four seasons! He was supported by a strong junior in Andrew Ward ’15, as well as Austin Lyne ’14, a senior who really came on strong and became one if our most reliable offensive players. At the midfield our squad had five of the league’s very best players in Ryan Pfeffer ’15, Sam Murphy ’15, Conor Hayden ’15, Neil Conway ’14, and Grant Nichols ’15. They shared roles at both ends of the field. The game is often won at this key section of the field and our five were wicked awesome!

As a coach, how do you prepare student athletes for games? Was there a method to the historic success of the program? How would you characterize your coaching style and or preparation for games? Our coaching staff always has an eye for kids being challenged well in practice. We try to give the boys a steady dose of “small ball” concepts that require quick recognition, on the fly decision making skills, and the confidence in their level of play that

As for coaching style, I owe much to the excellent coaches we have in the Varsity and JV Boys programs. Coach Colin Benelli ’09 brings youthful enthusiasm, JV Coach Pat Curran and Robbie Barrett joined the daily practice planning and pushed the kids in their efforts to contribute. Lastly, Coach Matt Dunne brings a long term wealth of experience, passion towards success, and the crucial connection that our players have as student/athletes in the TA community. Our game preparation on a weekly basis always included one-two “twists” that we can utilize based on the opponent we’ll face that next game out. In just about all cases, these “twists” seem to pay off with positive results that our opponents may not have expected. I’ve long believed that the extra concentration required helps to make our players more capable on the field as a high school player and perhaps in the coming years.

Outlook/CHALLENGES for the 2015 season? Lots of younger kids believe we can do it again. They worked hard in other off-season sports and in the training room to insure that they’re ready for the challenge in 2015. In my view, our Tigers can do it again if we continue to work towards team goals. I am confident that the superb season in 2014 only scratched the surface of what our boys’ program can accomplish.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Susan Witt is honored as she retires after 42 years teaching at Thayer. Faculty members Pam Sheiber, Karen Jodoin, Matt Dunne, Kevin Cedrone, Kate Hayman, Marc Rando, Dan Levinson, Kathy Neely and Peter Neely join the applause.

Tai Miller ’17 and Myles Fagan ’17 share a laugh during the ceremony.

4 5

Last Chapel 2014 3

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Rob Carmody ’16 receives the Colin F. MacDonald III Award from Dr. and Mrs. Colin MacDonald P’76, ‘78, ‘81 GP ‘01. Hana Ferrari ’14 shares a smile and photo op with Marilyn Legg. Felicia Craffey ’14 looks on during the ceremony.

Recognition Day 2014

Award recipients from the 2014 Recognition Day ceremony listen to the Middle School chorus sing.

Student Ambassadors walk towards the CFA on Recognition Day. (L-R): Cameron Mannion ’21; Mrs. Knox (6th Grade Department Head, now retired); Anthony Ratti ’21; Wilson Southworth ’21; Kevin Corcoran ’20; and David Havens ’20.

Eliza Fleming ’21; Caitlyn Caulfield ’21; Jessie King ’21 and Victoria Milun ’20 sign yearbooks following the ceremony.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Beautiful blue skies for the Commencement ceremony.

2 Jim Pickel adorns a Thayer cap during his address.

3 Senior Speaker Dylan McManus ’14 addresses his fellow seniors.

4 Seniors Archibaldo Soto ’14, Alex Vinke ’14, Will Vinke ’14, Steve Gorson ’14, Alex Christenson ’14, Josh Wine ’14, Dylan Hughes ’14 pose in front of Frothingham.



Commencement 2014

5 Giavanna Gaskin ’14, Kathleen Fowkes ’14, Mary Goulding ’14, Julianne Landry ’14, and Elena Whittle ’14 are all smiles on Commencement Day.

6 Mary Goulding ’14 gives a fellow graduate a hug. 7 Jack Becker ’14 flashes a victory sign as he walks off the stage with diploma in hand.

8 Seniors enter the main lawn at the start of

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Commencement festivities including Foster Eymer ’14, Ryan Peterson ’14, Isabelle Dunne ’14, Isabella Pizzi ’14, and Matt Quinlisk ’14.

4 5

6 7

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

WHERE WE WENT

C O L L E G E M AT R I C U L AT I O N F O R T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 4

William Argus Madison Barker Julia Francis Barron Jonathan Barry Christopher Michael Beaulieu John Becker Tyler Blaisdell Taylor Michelle Block Dylan Bomeisler Chaislyn Burgio Daintry Calnan Amanda Claire Cameron Matthew Campos Isabella Cannon Alexander Christenson Thomas James Clarkson Jillian Clinton Stephen J. Cochrane Daniel Conroy Neil Conway Andrew James Cooley Adam Cowie-Haskell Felicia Rose Craffey Ryan Cyr Benjamin Daly Rosemary Darling Christopher De Giacomo Joanna Douglas Isabelle D. Dunne Foster David Eymer

Proctor New Hampshire Connecticut College Boston College Junior hockey Massachusetts Maritime Academy St. Norbert College Princeton University Quinnipiac University Hampden-Sydney College Merrimack College Providence College The University of Tampa Elon University Syracuse University University of Colorado at Boulder Boston College Colby College Junior Hockey University of Colorado at Boulder Hamilton College - NY The George Washington University Wesleyan University Providence College College of the Holy Cross Boston College Elon University Johns Hopkins University University of San Francisco Occidental College Elon University

Connecticut College Brandeis University Skidmore College Saint Anselm College Stonehill College Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Massachusetts, Boston Middlebury College Saint Anselm College Loyola University Maryland Boston College Connecticut College Ithaca College Milford Academy New Berlin/ New York Pitzer College Massachusetts College of Art and Design Skidmore College Tufts University Mass. College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Boston University University of Kentucky Vanderbilt University Bates College Connecticut College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Brown University Loyola University Maryland Providence College Skidmore College Bentley University

Megan Fahey Nicolas Falkson Caroline Finnegan Daniel Flatley Brendan Ford Kathleen Winifred Fowkes Giavanna St. Alexis Gaskin Harry F. Giarrusso Jonathan David Gooding Stephen Michael Gorson Najat Goso Mary Goulding Thomas Grogan Quentin Hall Jonah Hamilton Ethan Hammerle Steven Henriquez Dylan Hughes Alim Ibrahim Alanna Iwuh Patrick Kevin Kearns Carmen Keeler Gohtaro Kobata Mary Koonce Jason M. Kraft Julianne Landry Kelly Elizabeth Lawler Kristen Marie Lawler Christian Leahy Roberto Lepore

6 31

1 1 5

1 1

1 4 2 1 1 1

2 1

Josephine Linell Shannon Lydon Austin Lyne Alexandra Lyons Danielle Mahar Robert McGovern Shannon McGowan Bridget McGrail Alexandra Rose McGrath Mikayla McGrath Katherine McKenna Dylan Edward McManus Hailee Miller Timothy Mills Brooke Motta Eliza C. Murphy Nolan Murray Ryan Patrick Murray Bridget Eileen Norton Conor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Genevieve Packard Nicolas Panasci Nicholas Pandolfo Alexandra Pantano Alexander Thomas Pattavina Martha Maria Pena Ryan Christopher Peterson Isabella Pizzi Matthew Quinlisk

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Bucknell University Salve Regina University Rutgers University Villanova University The George Washington University Junior Hockey Binghamton University Saint Anselm College College of Charleston Drexel University Trinity College Boston College University of New Hampshire United States Military Academy Indiana University at Bloomington Tulane University Brandeis University Stonehill College University of Delaware Roger Williams University University of Michigan University of Connecticut Wentworth Institute of Technology Loyola University New Orleans The Juilliard School Northeastern University Saint Anselm College The University of Alabama Colorado College

Shane M. Rinkus Kayla Rorke Paige Nina Ruggles Lauren Nicole Sabbag Jessica Saluti Tricia Santos Stephanie Scanzillo Jacqueline Seymour Shefali Shrivastava Stephen Skoler Mallory Smith Archibaldo Wladys Soto Charles Steele Jacob Stern Jill D. Sullivan Alexandra Swift Allison Bayer Tearney Ralph M. Tedeschi Katie Trojano Michael Ubertini Olivia Rose Valicenti Alexis Figueiredo Veiga Alexander Vinke William Vinke Jacqueline Walsh Elizabeth Waltman Elena Whittle Emilee Wilson Joshua A. Wine

University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Amherst Hampshire College The Catholic University of America Curry College Southern Methodist University Boston College Colby College Boston College University of Michigan The Catholic University of America Lesley University University of Michigan Northwestern University Boston University University of Connecticut Vanderbilt University Elon University University of Redlands New York University Occidental College Simmons College Colby College Colby College Drexel University Boston College Syracuse University Villanova University Brandeis University

UN-UN-UN in the HALL

The twenty-two returning players for the Un-Un-Un Football team along with Coach Valicenti and Coach Litchfield pose for a group picture at the Patriots Hall of Fame.

The 1964 varsity football team is honored at the patriots hall of fame The 1964 varsity football team pulled off one of the most remarkable feats in Massachusetts prep sports history: finishing their season undefeated, untied, and unscored upon! This “Un-Un-Un” team - as it became known - was coached by Arthur Valicenti, finished 8-0-0 and outscored their opponents

THE

UN-UN-UN SEASON

UNDEFEATED UNTIED UNSCORED UPON

272-0. On September 12, 2014, they were honored at the Patriots Hall of Fame at Patriot’s Place with a ceremony and reception. Moreover, a number of items from that season were prominently displayed during the football season among the Hall’s honored artifacts. Twenty two members of that fabled squad (in addition to several cheerleaders) made it out to Foxboro for the festivities - a number of them wearing the very same black and orange letterman jackets they wore back in ’64! This all would not have been possible had it not been for Bill Wagner, a tackle on that team, whose self-published Un-Un-Un Believable book on the 1964 team began a multi-year mission to gain recognition for the still unduplicated feat for any varsity football team in Massachusetts. Upon fortuitously meeting Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft during a Thayer-Belmont Hill football game (Mr. Kraft’s grandson quarterbacked the Belmont Hill squad), Wagner brought up

40-0 vs. Andover “B” (1-0-0)

FIRST ROW A. Denly, R. Cheney, J. Hayes, R. Wagner, B. Thayer, E. McNeil, R. Walters, B. Cavanagh, D. Johnson, G. Bone, M. Potsaid, M. Georges. SECOND ROW Mr. Benelli, Mr. Litchfield, F. Thompson, W. Pierce, D. Condon, A. Rando,W. McGrath, T. Flaman, P. O’Brien, D. Swan, Mr. Valicenti, Mr. Driscoll. THIRD ROW L. Beal, B. McLeod, B. Gallagher, T. Likos, G. Crowell, J. Heller, F. Badger, R. Whitney, R. Pope, P. Oldfield FOURTH ROW A. Goodwin, M. Dushman, M. Potsaid, B. Brougham, M. Correia, R. Leatherbee, W. Wagner, R. Marquis, R. Frankel, J. SanClement

14-0 vs. Tilton (2-0-0)

30-0 vs. Lawrence (3-0-0)

28-0 vs. St. Sebastian’s (4-0-0)

35-0 vs. Portsmouth Priory (5-0-0)

the 50-year anniversary of his old team’s achievement, and Mr. Kraft expressed an interest in recognizing them at the Hall. Bryan Morry, Executive Director of the Patriots Hall of Fame, soon came calling. The ceremony was memorable, with a couple of speeches from Wagner along with Mr. Morry, and a lot of time for old teammates to share stories with

47-0 vs. Tabor Academy (6-0-0)

44-0 vs. Moses Brown (7-0-0)

one another. Many photographs, memories, and laughs were shared. And for the entirety of the 2014-15 Football Season, the 1964 Un-Un-Un Team was honored behind the display cases at the Hall, with a description of their still-

“

unequaled feat, a varsity letterman jacket, and Wagner’s book.

FROM: Un-Un-Un Believable:

34-0 vs. Thompson (8-0-0)

”

This was a combined effort, as all players contributed to the team’s rugged determination, unity, good sportsmanship, and, most important, individual pride in achieving its “un-un-un” goal. Offensive

team highlights were a total of 2,204 yards rushing for the year, and 272 points scored, an average of 34 points a game.

 READ THE PATRIOT LEDGER STORY ON THE EVENT: http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20140913/NEWS/140918088

ABOVE (TOP) Newspaper clippings, old photos, and other paraphenalia from the Un-Un-Un season on a display table. (MIDDLE) A letterman jacket, and Bill Wagner’s book recapping the season were behind the glass on display during the 2014-15 football season. (BOTTOM) A game-used football from that season with names of team members and the remarkable 272-0 points for and against total for the team.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

hannah sussek ’05

Contributing to the

Common Good PROFILE BY BARBARA BROWNE

Hannah Sussek ’05 was young - just an eighth grader at Thayer - when she first learned the value of volunteering.

for senior project opportunities. Hannah

Beginning with activities organized by her

leader for Thayer’s St. Francis Inn senior

church, St. Gerard Majella, in Canton, MA,

project program.

has gone back to the St. Francis Inn herself, every year since her first trip with the St. Gerard Majella group in 1999. In 2009, at Jim King’s suggestion, she served as trip

Hannah began a lifelong relationship with altruism. By making a series of outreach

This story is mainly about Hannah Sussek’s

trips to various places across the country

exceptional contributions to the common

before graduating from high school,

good, but it’s also worth noting that the St.

Hannah found a sense of fulfillment that

Francis Inn has a remarkable story of its

she’d gotten from no other experiences in

own. The Inn opened in 1979, serving 5

her life. Generosity and empathy come

meals on its first day, and the good work by

naturally to her, and community service has

the friars, sisters, and volunteers eventually

become the perfect outlet for her seemingly

became so very effective that it caught the

boundless energy.

attention of documentary filmmaker Gerry Straub. Straub made a PBS documentary

Hannah with Thayer volunteers - St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia

With the guidance of adults in the church

called We have a Table for Four at the Inn,

group, Hannah traveled to such places as

which put the humble soup kitchen in a

Olive Hill, Kentucky, New Orleans, and

national spotlight. This in turn inspired

Philadelphia. In the course of a trip to

philanthropists to send donations from

Philadelphia, Hannah developed a special

cities and towns around the United States.

bond with the staff and guests at the

Those funds allowed the Inn to expand so

St. Francis Inn on Kensington Avenue.

that it now serves about 350-400 meals a

Hannah was so deeply affected by the work

day.

she did there that when it came time for her

Hannah serving a meal at the St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

to choose a senior project at Thayer, the first

For the Franciscan ministry running

thing that came to mind was the Inn. She

the Inn, it is a point of pride that guests

approached Upper School English teacher

are not asked to line up cafeteria-style,

and community service advisor Jim King P

but are respectfully served at tables by

’01, ’04, ’05 to see if he might collaborate

considerate volunteers. And this is a

with her to bring a group of Thayer students

testament to the true value of volunteers

to Philadelphia for their senior projects.

in their organization. Financial donations

Thanks to Hannah’s initiative, a sojourn

certainly make a difference, but what keeps

at the St. Francis Inn led by Mr. King has

the operation running year after year is

become one of Thayer’s standard options

the steady flow of volunteers organized

“

She graduated from St. Anselm College in

years, participation by high school students

Mr. King. Volunteers at the Inn assume

2009 with a degree in English and received

has grown rapidly; therefore, we found the

a variety of daily responsibilities: They

the Paul S. Coleman Award for Leadership

need to introduce more trips. Beginning in

accompany staff members to donation

in a Service Society. In 2014, five years after

2006, the summer after Hurrican Katrina,

sites for pick-ups or work at the thrift

graduating, she received St. Anselm’s Young

these trips were established for disaster

shop. They prepare and serve meals, bus

Alumni Service Award. A casual observer

relief.” Primarily focused on building or

tables, clean up, do the dishes, and reset

might notice a pattern emerging here.

rebuilding in the community Hannah

tables. Volunteers are essential to the

continues to travel there because of the

mission, which is not charity, but rather

Now, in addition to the work she does as

the restoration of a guest’s self-esteem and a

a benefits consultant with Northwestern

path to self-sufficiency.

Benefit Associates in Boston, Hannah

With each life impacted, trip organized,

continues her service work as an adult

and project realized, Hannah continues

As a student at Thayer, Hannah was a class

member of St. Gerard Majella’s Outreach

building upon her life of contributing to

officer, a peer advisor, captain of the field

Planning Committee, through which

the common good.

hockey team, a staff member for Voice

she recruits groups of young volunteers

magazine, an honor roll student, and

to work in a variety of locales. “The

at Commencement, the 2005 recipient

committee is comprised of three adults

of the Patrice Donovan Community

and eight students,” Hannah said. “We

Service Award. Hannah continued her

plan each trip, as well as assess and place

service work throughout her college years,

each applicant. I am also responsible for

working through and serving as president

interviewing, evaluating, placing, and

of St. Anselm’s Society of Elizabeth Seton.

training each college-aged advisor. Over the

“

immense and ongoing need for support.

A partial list of the outreach programs Hannah has organized over the years:  New Orleans (NOLA) post-Katrina, 2006

YOUNG ALUMNI PROFILE: HANNAH SUSSEK ’05 | VOLUNTEERISM

by compassionate souls like Hannah and

 Mississippi, 2007 (more Katrina work)  NOLA, 2008-2011  Springfield Mass., 2012 for tornado relief  Long Island, 2013 after Hurricane Sandy  NOLA, 2014

IN HER OWN WORDS...

I look at service as being “two-fold” coming from two different perspectives:

HANNAH SUSSEK ’05 your peers really is. I was able to hone my leadership skills and

back to those affected by visible hardships. It is easy to spot

get to know my classmates from a different and unexpected

people who are homeless, sick, or poverty-stricken. Our peers,

(1) Service to those in need in a larger community – to those

perspective. I also faced many situations where

not necessarily familiar to you; and (2) Service to a smaller

being a part of the Thayer community was a true

community, more personally related to you.

blessing. The Thayer school community shares in the triumphs and tragedies faced by its students,

Most of us think of community service as contributing to

staff, and families face; and it was here while I was

the greater good, but I’d like to emphasize that you don’t

a student at Thayer that I realized how much I

have to search far and wide for opportunities to make a

loved being part of something bigger than myself.

however, may not be as forthcoming with

The needs of our peers, however, might not be noticeable at all. Wouldn’t it be

difference in the lives of others. Although there is definitely a

their needs. The needs of our peers, however, might not be noticeable at all. Wouldn’t it be a true service, though, if we made an effort to discover and understand those needs? As my role in volunteer work grew from student-participant to adult-leader, I found

need for volunteers all across the globe, you can find equally

Being part of a place like Thayer made me realize

significant needs right at home. My whole life I’ve made it a

how much those seemingly smaller needs matter,

huge priority to contribute to my surrounding community.

and as a class officer, I felt it was my responsibility

though, if we

me. They were able to recognize my

It began in a circle as small as my family, and later expanded

to provide opportunities and leadership to other

made an effort

strengths and draw them out in such a way

into the larger communities at St. Gerard Majella Church,

students in my class. While I may not have always

Thayer Academy, the Saint Francis Inn in Philadelphia, and

succeeded in truly understanding my classmates’

to discover and

relationships with me and other students

Saint Anselm College. Even now, I work on a ten-person

needs, I certainly learned how much it mattered.

understand those

team at Northwestern Benefit Associates in Boston, where

This insight helped me in my later roles as

a team-orientated approach has shaped our entire business

president of the Elizabeth Seton Society at Saint

model.

Anselm, and now, as a leader with Saint Gerard’s

a true service,

and the Saint Francis Inn.

needs?

a full reserve of inspiration in remembering how teachers and coaches at Thayer guided

that I felt capable and important. They built that showed us how to achieve excellence in whatever we were good at. I keep the methods of my teachers at the front of my mind when I work with young students

interested in joining in the efforts of the outreach programs I run. I try to develop relationships with them and influence

Throughout middle and high school, I was very involved in many different service activities at Saint Gerard’s. At Thayer,

Giving back to your peers people you know – the people you

them in the same ways that my Thayer mentors worked with

while I was a class officer, I discovered how important service to

work, live, and hang out with can be just as crucial as giving

me.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

MASTERING

the game of

Success: a conversation wTH GameFly CEO

David Hodess ’80

BEHIND HODESS’S JOURNEY OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: THAYER > HBS > DISNEY > COOKING.COM > GAMEFLY

In the 1980 Thayer

Black & Orange, right below a listing of his varied Thayer accomplishments in athletics, student government,

“Experience is the hardest teacher because it gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” ATTRIBUTED TO VERNON LAW

chance to develop some pretty close friendships there – not to mention that there were only 86 seniors in our graduating class. I can honestly say that some of the best people I ever met were from Thayer.” In terms of faculty members, he instantly

and journalism, senior David

“I was a product of my parents,

recollects sixth grade teacher Joan

Hodess chose to list two quotes.

and education, and environment,”

Aicardi who was, in his words,

Hodess says during his candid

“terrifying at first, but who probably

interview for Thayer Magazine. “I

transformed my life! I don’t think I’ve

grew up in Quincy, and my parents

ever learned more in the course of an

were down to earth, as well as the

academic year than with her!” Other

kids I hung out with at Thayer –

teachers Hodess fondly recalls include

and I think I’m a product of that

Skip Adams, Betty Bailey, Bill Eliot,

environment. I think I always

and Fernand LaChance. “They were

School alumnus, Disney strategic

understood who I was, and so it

among the many that served as great

business developer, founder

allowed me to always stay on track.”

role models for me - people with

Remarkably, nearly twenty-five years later, both still serve to encapsulate the lessons learned and accomplishments achieved by the Darmouth and Harvard Business

of Cooking.com, and current Chairman, CEO, and President of GameFly – a company that has become the number one online service for video game subscription rentals since he took over in 2003.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

good values.” He adds, “Looking Like many Thayer alumni, when

back, it was quite a privilege to be

reflecting back on his experiences on

taught by them.”

campus, he remembers his friends and classmates. “Most of all, it’s the

In this backdrop of classrooms in

people,” he says. “Having started

the Middle School and in Main and

in the sixth grade and going all the

Glover, Hodess cultivated his keen

way through high school gave me a

intellect and an ability to analyze and

His thinking on the subject of

really thrive in those situations, while

making. Moreover, he attributes

overcoming adversity has become even

others really prefer to be followers. So

his wide ranging involvement in

more focused, having two children

finding out who you are and knowing

extracurricular interests while at

(one in high school, one

Thayer — as a running back and

in middle school) that he

defensive back on the gridiron, his

raises with his wife, Kristen

two years on the yearbook staff, his

in Los Angeles. “I think

three years wrestling, and four years

there’s a lot of pressure on

Upon graduation from

on Community Council — as having

kids today to be perfect,”

Dartmouth with a degree in

helped him in the clasroom.

he observes. “Some of it

that about yourself earlier CAREER TIMELINE FOR

DAVID H ODES S

will help you make good decisions moving forward.”

’80

government, Hodess chose

1980

comes externally, some

to work for his uncle in

GRADUATED FROM THAYER ACADEMY

“You can’t study all the time - you

internally. But I always felt

need to do things to complement it,”

like the folks who never got

in order to get some work

he explains. “I believe that the simple

anything but an ‘A’ ended

experience. Within his first

act of mixing things up will make you

up being devasted when

a better student. But moreover, those

they got a couple of bad

outside activities can deliver great

grades later on in life - even

life lessons. The relationship between

in graduate school. But

school was the best fit for

practice and hard work and success, for

if you have experienced

him, and entered Harvard

example. At Thayer I understood the

a few bumps in the road

Business School, receiving

relationship between putting the work

and learned some lessons

in and getting the rewards.”

earlier, it certainly seemed like those folks were able

the construction business

ALUMNI PROFILE: DAVID HODESS ’80 | CEO OF GAMEFLY

think through all facets of decision-

year post-college, and after

1984

some self reflection, he

GRADUATED FROM DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

determined that business

his MBA in 1988. Following

1988 GRADUATED FROM HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

graduation, an interest in real estate led him to the

“Just putting in the work won’t

to handle adversity better.

Walt Disney Company that

necessarily guarantee that there will be

Middle school and high

same year.

rewards at the end of the day. But if

school kids should not

you don’t put it in, the odds of success

only stick to things they

are really pretty bad. This helped

do well. Hopefully there’s

me immensely later on in life. And

a recognition of that these

honestly, the folks who didn’t want to

days that there hasn’t been

were working on these big

work at it, didn’t last. Being able to

in the last decade or so.”

real estate projects — theme

“Disney was in the early

1989 BEGAN WORK AT WALT DISNEY CORPORATION LOS ANGELES, CA

navigate the bumps in the road and

stages of a turnaround at the time,” Hodess recalls. “They

parks and resorts — which

learning how to gather yourself and

Hodess speaks with

was really quite interesting.”

keep going – these are lessons learned

increased passion when the

1998

and which particularly apply with start

subject of leadership comes

LAUNCHED START UP COOKING.COM

ups.”

up. “I definitely think that

decided that a geographic

developing a comfort in

change would be something

He continues, “Not every day is going

some leadership roles is

worth pursuing – and

to be a good one; you’re going to make

important if you want to

moved to the west coast

some bad decisions, you’re going to

be a leader in a business or

hire some people who don’t work

professional setting. I had

out, not all the customers will love

some early experience —

you – but you have to find a way to be

having both successes and

persistent and deal with the setbacks.

failures — at a relatively

Thankfully, these are all good lessons I

early age while at Thayer. It’s also good

executives, this was an important time

learned pretty early.”

to figure out if you have the right

for Mickey & Company - as national

personality to be a leader. Some people

and global initiatives were just starting

2002 BECAME CEO OF GAMEFLY

Having spent his entire life in the northeast, Hodess

to work with the strategic development group of Disney in California. For Hodess and his fellow

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

out. As such, Hodess worked on the

II.

ground floor stages of such billionCalifornia Adventure Theme Park, Hong Kong Disney, Paris Disney, and Disney Store developments in Europe and Latin America - projects so complex and planned in advance, that many were often a decade away from groundbreaking! After ten years at Disney, and with the early stages of the Dot Com Era having arrived, Hodess decided the time was ripe for a change. “It was time to take some risk following a decade in corporate America,” he remembers. “Looking around, there was opportunity everywhere. Remember, at this point in time, Amazon was still doing books!” And so, with some other colleagues from Disney, Hodess left the Magic Kingdom for the mysterious world of the still nascent internet. After careful analysis of categories that were still available online, he began Cooking.com in 1998. “We recognized that cooking is a fairly passionate avocation for a lot of folks, and here was a chance to develop this into something,” he explains. “It was a well-defined opportunity, and one that wasn’t an overly competitive niche at the time.” Hodess spent a total of five years at Cooking.com. “We rode the Dot Com escalator up – and then rode it down a little bit after the crash occurred. But fortunately we were in a good enough position to survive it and come out the other side; and with a natural successor lined up, I felt like the business was at a good point to move on.” When he was presented with an opportunity in 2003 to take over as CEO of the recently started GameFly, he assessed the landscape of the industry and decided to take on the challenge.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

“It is not the critic that counts. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…who strives valiantly, who errs and often comes up short again and again…who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” ATTRIBUTED TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT

GameFly is an online video game rental subscription

service

that

specializes

providing games for game consoles and handheld

game

consoles.

With

over

8,000 titles available, it is the number one subscription rental service on the Internet In early 2002, Sean Spector and Jung Suh partnered with founding CEO Toby Lenk to

The video game industry is one with

start GameFly. David Hodess took over as CEO

seemingly limitless growth, with a

in 2003. GameFly later received venture capital

global marketplace value estimated to

funding from Sequoia Capital.

reach $111 billion in 2015. Gamefly’s

In February 2009, GameFly acquired the

business is rather straight-forward:

gaming news and community site Shacknews,

subscription-based video game rentals.

along with its download and streaming video

“We are a service for those who want to play 10-15 console video games

sites. It was reported in February 2011 that GameFly had acquired MobyGames. The company remains privately owned.

per year but who aren’t interested in purchasing them.” Current popular video game titles usually run in the $40-$60 range, making buying them rather prohibitive. For a monthly fee, GameFly members can rent one or two of over 8,000 titles available, the game discs being mailed directly to the member. Akin to the Netflix model, these titles can be then mailed back to the company when finished, with the next game on a member’s queue (called

“

Just PUTTING in the work

won’t necessarily guarantee that there will be rewards at the end of the day. But if you don’t put it in, the

“

dollar development projects as Disney

odds of success are really

a “GameQ”) sent immediately upon

pretty bad. This helped me

receipt. New titles can be received

immensely later on in life.

the same day that they are released to stores, so there is no lag time in terms of access to the hottest gaming titles. A brief 2004 profile of GameFly in a Boston newspaper used words like “short term” and “skeptical” and “little value” to demonstrate a general lack of faith in the upstart company. Lauded in the article was the “titan of the business,” Blockbuster Video. Ten years

one online video game rental business, while Blockbuster went bankrupt in 2010 and is a brand that is mostly retired. So how did Hodess manage the success of the company after taking the reins in 2003? As he did while relaying his time with Cooking.com, Hodess’s assessment and explanation is both humble and matterof-fact while speaking of his current company’s market strength and the video

in an industry that — unlike the movie business — doesn’t have a great rental legacy. So that makes our job a little bit harder.” One way that GameFly has adapted recently to continually enhance their business was the addition of DVD and Blu-Ray movie rentals. “This was easy for us to try, and certainly we had a lot of requests to add it as a service,” notes

game industry as a whole.

Hodess. “We wanted to try this as an

“We certainly are better at this than we

The nice thing about this business is that

were five or ten years ago. Thankfully, the market has been there for us. There are console game systems that are out there, and the games are still expensive, so there continues to be value for subscription rentals. So for us, we haven’t had to turn the ship too much. We’ve just had to be a

experiment, so we started with 50 titles. you instantaneously can see if there’s a demand or not. And people kept renting them as we added titles. Economically, we felt like if there was any appreciable demand at all, it was just a good thing to do. In the realm of business decisions, it was a really easy one to make. We now

little better every day.”

have approximately 150 movie titles.”

Indeed, a key part of this incremental

Looking towards the future of the

improvement has to do with his keen understanding of the marketplace. Hodess notes that his two main target demographics are males ages 18-34 (the “sweet spot” in the video game industry) and families - mostly those with boys ages 9-17. He is cognizant that his business has as broad an appeal and accessibility as possible. “We have some of everybody,” he notes. “We have senior citizens, female gamers, and more.” He also notes the importance of making the website as userfriendly as possible. In December 2014, GameFly rolled out a beta version of their website, revealing a streamlined, cleaner

business environment, and assessing the challenge of more video game streaming services available online – Hodess demonstrates his thought process: “The world is changing,” he says, “but you can also look to the movie analogy where there is a lot of streaming now. But there’s still a pretty good discbased business that is thriving as well. Moreover, the technical challenge with gaming is a little bit harder, because the games are more data-intensive – you have to move data both up and down (uploading and downloading), as opposed to just down.” He adds, “We

interface.

believe that the transition to all-digital

In terms of challenges faced by GameFly,

the many year horizon, and the whole

Hodess remarks, “I always think that once you get to a reasonably mature level in a business, the biggest challenge is always marketing. There are literally thousands of messages out there, and it’s hard to break through the clutter, particularly when you have to describe a relatively complex product like ours. We operate

will be a pretty long one – measured in industry is going to have to adjust to that reality. But that transition will likely come slowly. The old fashioned disc in the console really does work - and there isn’t a great cry to move away from it. Ten years from now, the world will look a

III.

Michael Joe P ’17, Managing Director at private equity firm Nautic, has known David Hodess since 1991, when they met at Disney and worked in the same strategic development group. That was the start of a twenty-three year (and counting) friendship that — despite the distance — includes a yearly getaway with close friends. “Dave has an unbelievable sense of humor – a real dry wit. It’s partly what drew

ALUMNI PROFILE: DAVID HODESS ’80 | CEO OF GAMEFLY

later, GameFly stands alone as the number

me to him,” he says. “But also, we’ve been friends for so long because with Dave, you always know exactly where he stands. He’s very honest and direct, there are no games, and you never have to read between the lines.” In his observations of Hodess in business, Joe notes that he “establishes a tremendous amount of credibility with folks, because it’s very clear how bright he is, and his integrity and how he operates makes people very comfortable doing business with him. He has a value system that I particularly respect.” Indeed, it was Hodess’s sharing of his alumni perspective on the Academy that helped Joe decide on Thayer for his son (who is presently “really loving it” according to Joe). As for the future of GameFly, Hodess is focused on steady improvements. “Not sure exactly what’s around the corner, so we try to stay focused on the inputs around here, and for the most part, that’s produced some pretty good outcomes. When we focus on improving, we all find ways to make our product better for customers and run our business better. Our goal is to get a little better every day.”

lot different – but five years from now, it might look very similar.”

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

ON THE

CUTTING EDGE of medicine

It’s one thing to hear

Both Robert (TA ’79) and Jeremy (TA

Robert, I remember as someone with lots

Robert Insoft or Jeremy

’92) do cutting edge medical work in

Goverman talk about

in treating critically ill newborns and

their work – but to see

Jeremy working with pervasive burn

instinctively generous in his appreciation

patients. Both love the opportunity

and praise of the work of others. So it’s

pictures of Rob during

to work with patients and families for

most delightful to find that he still is all

a helicopter medical

extended periods of time. And they both

those things today.

took paths with lots of twists and turns

transport of a critically

fields many would shrink from: Robert

to their respective specialties.

of energy and determined to cross every T. In addition, he was also unfailingly polite, willing to do any task, and

Robert graduated from Thayer in 1979 (my 2nd graduating class). His wife,

ill premature infant or

I can’t say I understood everything they

Andrea, was in the same class (and also

Jeremy swathed in sci-fi

described about what they do. After all,

a student publication editor). Robert’s

I knew them here as student journalists

three brothers, Carl ’74, David ’75,

– good ones. But one of the great joys in

Stephen ’82, along with Andrea’s brother

my life and in the lives of my colleagues

Josh ’75 all share Thayer roots.

goggles ready to do laser burn surgery really brings

is seeing former students many years

home the reality of the

later doing such useful and satisfying

Robert’s specialty is neonatal/pediatric

work. And now turning the tables and

critical care - and his introduction to

explaining things to us!

the field was pretty heady. He worked

remarkable work they do.

Dr. Robert Insoft ’79 and Dr. Jeremy Goverman ’92 profile by Thayer English teacher Dan Levinson

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

in the field as a physician trainee, often

Pediatric Patients, the gold-standard

remote areas (traveling for upwards

reference in this field.

engineering when at Johns Hopkins, and

then treat children or premature or ill

The key career choice for him was

developing the first transdermal drug

newborns in community hospitals or

finding something that fit his passion

areas without the facilities or training to

and personality. What many might find

handle such delicate cases. Oftentimes

quite difficult, he loves: being on for 24

they would have to deal with storms

hours and then off for a few days was his

or blizzards before getting back to

lifestyle for many years. It gave him time

their special ICU treatment units. His

to attend sporting events with his family.

formal medical training began at the

Andrea and he have a son Adin, a high

University of California, San Francisco,

school junior; and a daughter Rachel,

even worked on a research team that was

of 14 to 20 hours), to first stabilize

and from there, he worked in

a patch, the kind many use now to quit smoking. While he can joke about how rich he might be if he’d stayed in that field, what he discovered was something important. “I realized,” he says, “that what I really wanted to do was apply the technology, not just develop it for others.” Then again in medical school,

and directed the Neonatal ICU centers at both the Massachusetts

delivery system – familiar to most of us as

his first step wasn’t a perfect fit.

General and Brigham & Women’s

one of the great joys in my life

He thought he wanted to be an

(BWH) Hospitals of the Partners

and the lives of my colleagues

orthopedic surgeon or a radiologist.

Healthcare System. At BWH he

is seeing former students

However, he recalls, “On my first

developed the first NICU Cardiac

many years later doing such

few clinical rotations I fell in love

Intensive Care program.

useful and satisfying work.

with Pediatrics and ICU medicine -

In 2014, Robert was recruited to become the Senior Vice-President, Chief Medical & Quality Officer

And now turning the tables and explaining things to us!

- Dan Levinson

and loved the chance to take care of a whole family.” In his subsequent training, he learned to use the most high tech equipment in the intensive care unit and OR, became

of Women’s and Infants Hospital

a specialist in infant cardiac critical

and Brown University’s Alpert

ALUMNI PROFILE: JEREMY GOVERMAN ’92 & ROBERT INSOFT ’79 | ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF MEDICINE

After Thayer, he first thought of chemical

on helicopter or fixed-wing flights to

care, and continued his clinical

Medical School in RI. Believe me when I tell you that he has way too many

who just graduated college. His parents

local, regional, and national medical

still live in the metro Boston area, and,

committees, publications, and awards

in fact, the day we spoke, Robert was

to list! And yet he still works in the

coming back from a New Year’s Day

hospital’s 80-bed NICU unit.

visit with them. Everyone has a unique personality, he notes, and the key to

research. As you can see, Robert is still a high energy guy. Two of his most recent projects particularly caught my attention. When hospitals across America were scrambling to set standards to handle potential Ebola

This is all remarkable to me, but he

success and happiness is “embracing your

just sees it as a natural life course.

uniqueness.”

patients, Robert was co-leading a team

“I can now help sculpt and manage

He already loved science and math in his

specialty problem: treating a possible

all of the hospital’s clinical services,”

Thayer years, and he fondly recalls time

while overseeing state and federal

in the classrooms of Fernand LaChance

regulations, insurance regulations, ethics

(physics, nuclear physics), Bill Elliott

and training. Moreover, he says with a

(chemistry) and Bill Semple (honors

chuckle, he can also search for research

geometry). He was also among the first

funding and philanthropic donations.

computer programming students of

Oh, and he’s also the editor-in-chief of

Peter Burleigh. Robert fondly recalls

the forthcoming American Academy of

the transition of going from punching

Pediatrics publication Guidelines for Air

programming cards one day to using a

and Ground Transport of Neonatal and

new Digital DEC computer, the next.

“With the new position,” he tells me,

that was preparing for a rare, difficult pregnant Ebola patient. He recalls a super intense three months, with meetings with local, state, and federal officials ending well past midnight. The second project is his state-of-the-art work in neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS. Surprisingly, he says, 70% of babies addicted at birth result from pregnant women being on prescribed medications,

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

not illegal “street” drugs. Many cases tug at the heartstrings and are difficult to resolve. It’s what he terms the “less glamorous but just as important side” of NICU work.

Jeremy Goverman’s unflappability, and the ease with which he could laugh and move on from one challenge to the next is what I most fondly recall. It’s fascinating to see characteristics that were just one part of a not yet fully formed

DR. INSOFT (2ND FROM LEFT) ASSISTING OTHER DOCTORS ON A FIXED-WING MEDFLIGHT

personality at 16 or 17 years old, now being key components of their adult

Or do I want to be a potter? And then I

The lessons extended outside of class

work.

decided that medicine was easier!” Why?

as well for Jeremy. “‘Branf ’ was hugely

“Because with medicine, your course in life

influential in showing me how to live

He remembers his

was set for the next 15 years.

a good life and be a good person,” he

high school self

With pottery? You were

explains. That influence was reflected

as someone who

really on your own to forge

years later when Jeremy tirelessly made

occasionally needed to

a career.” The link between

himself available nearly every day to help

be pushed. But he also

pottery and surgery wasn’t

out in any way he could when Steven’s

acknowledges that his

that surprising to Branfman,

son Jared ’00 was dying of cancer.

ability to “turn things

as he spotted a natural

off and on” has become

affinity in Jeremy for using

Jeremy grew up in Easton, and he

a vital attribute in his

his hands artistically.

wonders if he had attended Easton High

work as a surgeon,

School instead of Thayer, whether or not

especially one who sees

“From his first day in the

he would have the drive he needed to do

the level of trauma that

studio,” Branfman recalls,

medicine. He recalls struggling with the

he does on a daily basis.

“Jeremy displayed a level of

infamous 9th grade punctuation test, and

comfort reserved for more

long discussions around the football field

Jeremy was always

experienced students. There

with English teacher Barbara Wilson

interested in science

is a ‘language’ of clay that

about what the point of it all was. But

at Thayer and recalls

you must become fluent in if

now he says, “Being able to write well

loving the opportunities

you are going to excel. This

and having that foundation was hugely

he had at the

does not come naturally.

important and has definitely helped me

Whitehead Institute, as

It takes a lot of exposure,

in many ways. Essays for applications to

well as his physics class

dedication, and study.

med school, residency, writing a grant, or

with Tim Searles. He

Though he didn’t yet ‘speak’

a study, etc.”

was also particularly

the language, he understood

drawn back then to

it from the start.”

Steven Branfman and

(Tel Aviv University), he loved the

to pottery. He tells me, “I remember thinking: do I go into science, biology, or medicine?

Once he got to medical school in Israel

DR. GOVERMAN POSES WITH ONE OF HIS SPECIALTY SURGICAL LASERS IN MGH’S SUMNER REDSTONE BURN CENTER

Indeed, those words

work, the people, and the place. At what

sound very similar to what

other medical schools could you go

Jeremy currently does as a

windsurfing every day? He met his wife,

reconstructive burn surgeon!

Einav, there during a shared taxi ride. She must have seen something in him,

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

is cranked up to over 100 degrees, and the

fake phone number, “like many Israeli girls

surgical team comes out drenched in sweat.

did,” to dodge unwanted advances.

Jeremy recalls a nurse once filled a cup with sweat wrung out of a glove!

Career-wise, Jeremy quickly gravitated to what he terms, “the instant gratification”

He sees his work now as a perfect

of surgery, and shares how he relishes the chance in his current work to be “a little artistic” (see pottery!) as both a burn and plastic surgeon. Jeremy loves the opportunity to combine plastic surgery and burn critical care. The Mass General Sumner Redstone Burn Center’s Burn, Acute and Critical Care Program is one of a handful in the country, where the team deals with immediate crises, rehabilitation, and often later reconstructive surgery. He can work with patients for months, or for over 10 to 15 years. In fact, what he finds truly satisfying about his current work at MGH is this opportunity to work with patients and their families for

combination: “you make pretty good money, EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

1979:

GRADUATED FROM THAYER ACADEMY

1983:

GRADUATED FROM JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV.

1988:

GRADUATED FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL

1988-89:

INTERNSHIP MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (PEDIATRICS)

you’re on your feet and not stuck behind a desk, and you get to help people every day.” He jokes with his 3-year old son Eitan: “You can be any kind of surgeon you want when you grow up: what’s it gonna be: orthopedic? Cardiac?” Eitan may not have an answer for that yet, but he can correctly answer the question about where his papa went to high school!

1989-91:

RESIDENCY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (PEDIATRICS)

1991-94: FELLOWSHIPS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO (NEONATAL & PERINATAL MEDICINE / INTENSIVE CARE TRANSPORT)

Finally, Jeremy also oversees the Harvard Medical School student fellows in burn training, and cannot get over their remarkable life stories (their “superpowers” as he calls them). From Olympic ski team members to professional ballet dancers to air force pilots.

extended periods of time. If surgeons have a

(Any other ex potters?) Jeremy’s found a really

stereotypical reputation for buzzing in and

nice work/family balance for himself, often

out of patients’ lives, Jeremy certainly busts

able to get home on most days by 5 o’clock.

that cliché.

Einav and Eitan, he says, are what’s really

ALUMNI PROFILE: JEREMY GOVERMAN ’92 & ROBERT INSOFT ’79 | ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF MEDICINE

he reminisces, because she didn’t give him a

important. He loves the job and the patients, “There have been big changes in survival

but notes that at work he’s replaceable. But

rates in recent years,” Jeremy notes. “Many more are surviving terrible wounds today: mortality from burns is now less than 5% and while many before would not have good quality of life, today they now do.” He told me about one patient whose husband tried desperately to save his wife who was on fire by diving on top of her, thinking they both were likely to die. He showed me a photo she had recently sent him, of her in the water on a kayak. Clearly, the satisfaction in the work is only surpassed by the gratitude of patients. Jeremy casually acknowledges the fact that 99.9% of the population - and, he says, many surgeons too - want no part of what you face dealing with severe burn patients.

not (he hopes!) at home. EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

1992:

GRADUATED FROM THAYER ACADEMY

1996:

GRADUATED FROM UNION COLLEGE

2000:

GRADUATED FROM TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY SACKLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ISRAEL)

2001:

GEN. SURGERY INTERNSHIP NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL GREAT NECK NY (NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)

2005:

GEN. SURGERY INTERNSHIP NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL GREAT NECK NY (NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)

2005-09:

FELLOWSHIPS MGH & SHRINERS, BOSTON SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE / BURNS UNIV. OF NORTH CAROLINA PLASTIC SURGERY

Both Robert and Jeremy have resumes full of fancy titles and lists of publications and presentations that go on for pages. It is fascinating to see the paths each man took to find their life’s calling, what drew them to such demanding work, and how they learned to match life courses to fit their own personalities and talents. But more than anything, they really make those words from the Thayer mission statement come to vivid life: they have risen from small beginnings to remarkable and honorable achievements, and truly are contributing to the common good.

Because so much skin is often exposed in

And Jeremy’s still as funny as he was back at

surgery, the operating room temperature

TA and Robert’s just as sweet.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Reunion 2014 Thanks to all those who attended Reunion 2014. As always, we enjoyed a time of remembering fond memories and renewing past friendships (and making new ones!). Here are the Thayer classes (“4s” and “9s”) who came back to campus in May of 2014.

CLASS OF

Front Row (L-R): Cynthia Churchill Kelley, Kay Oliphant Sherrard, Deborah Geogan Hardy, Sandra Goodwin Wright, Priscilla Stone Cutler, Ellen Claff, Paula Mae Cook*, Susan McGuirk Norton, Suzanne Ciani, Ibby Ruscitto Lizardo, Thomas Graziano, Paul Miller.

Second Row (L-R): Thomas Reardon, James Lynch, Kenneth Shang, Betsy Rubin Corman, Karen Buol Norse*, Patience Garrick Towle*, Paul Yovino*, Adele Lunan Vandenburgh*, Rosemary Jablonski Ford, Kent Mohnkern

1964

Third Row (L-R): Brad Merritt, Philip Rothrock, Richard Ford, Joseph Hayes, Robert Shone, James MacKay, Francis Crowley*, Harry Ginsburg; Arnold Oppenheim, William Reardon*, Jeff January Williams. * - Reunion Committee Members - present, but not pictured: Geraldine Hertzberg Horn

CLASS OF

Row 1 (L-R): Addie Hauber, Kendra Cahill Row 2: Honor Flannery, Aly Richardson, Leah DeCoste, Kassy Sullivan, Ellie Clayton, Megan Sullivan, Emily Rooney, Sarah Delaney, Megan Flaherty, Molly Caffrey, Rachel Johnston, Dani Demarco, Jamie Fernald

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Row 3: Becca Aliber, Laura Naparstek, Eric Olsen, Robbie Steinberg, Tim Clinton, Chris Cobb, Danielle O’Dwyer, Jaci Magner, Colleen Casey, Chris Lerner, Grace Davis

2009

Row 4: John King, Alex Foffonof, Evan Metzold, Charlie Lindner, Emily Hines, Kelsey Johnson, AJ Ferrera, Molly Marr, Christine Healy, Tommy Darling, Mike Gooding, Ryan Kelly, IB Durrani, Carly Sabine Row 5: Mikey Desmond, Nate Sugarbaker, Andrew Marsano, Jonathan Culpepper, Ryan Vazza

REUNION 2014: REUNION CLASSES

CLASS OF CLASS OF

2004

(L-R): Rochelle Ballin, Bobby Kiley, Pat Mathews, Liz Thomas, Brandon Odom, Gillian Murphy, Sophie Browne

1999

(L-R): Eric Crowley, Katie Lambert Conover, Andrea Sorgi Spano, Brad Dunn, Nick Hurley, Michael Tucker, Laurie Rizzotti Chabot, Paul Sheerin, Jen Smith Last, Mike Bevilacqua

Class of ’64 raises over $64,000 to honor classmate Billy Gould Last spring, Thayer’s class of 1964 came together for the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the Academy. Part of their reunion celebration included raising $64,162 for the endowed fund that honors their classmate Billy Gould – the first and only alumnus of Thayer Academy to die in the Vietnam War.

CLASS OF

(L-R): Tom Gravel, Mark Chaffee, Joy Strasnick Sebold, Brett Fernquist, Jim O’Keefe, AnneMarie Rizotti O’Brien, Alex Marconi, Jeremy Kay, Britt Soderberg Pena, Amy Ryder Pickel, Jared Baker, Stephanie Lane Stein, Rachel Bello Skladany, Joe Amoroso

The Academy is grateful for all contributions from the class of ‘64, and especially for the generosity of the Reunion Committee members (denoted with asterisks in the group picture) who took the lead in encouraging fellow classmates to help them exceed their goal of $64,000. Each year at Last Chapel, Billy Gould is remembered when the William C. Gould Prize is awarded to “a sophomore who exhibits outstanding personal leadership qualities and achievement in athletics and the arts.” The William C. Gould endowed fund, established by Billy’s classmates, family, and friends in 1985 with contributions of $25,000, has a current value of just over $164,000.

1994

CLASS OF

1989

(L-R):

Marcus Dennis, Teresa Antonino Obin, Marshall Litchfield, Leanne Karagosian, Randy Babson

0 s & 5 s: It’s Your Year! www.thayer.org/reunion

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

CLASS OF

1984

(L-R):

Elisa Smithson Frederick, Kelly McDonald Fortin, Amy Rothstein, Dianne Bulger, Debbie Noble Clark, Christopher Cook, Jennifer Johnson, Lisa Barton Lynch, Joanne Burke-Sherman, Leslee Chrapan Barbosa, Laura Silverstein Grenier

CLASS OF

1979

(L-R):

Michael Vassalotti Jr., Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti, Chris Welch, Daphne Donahue Hoffman, Sara Benson Collins, Andrea Werner Insoft, Rob Insoft

CLASS OF

1974

(L-R):

Bill Riley, Steven Bramley, Diane Labuzoski Sellew, Gerry Robinson, Robin Portman, Phil Jaspon, Carolyn Cashman Skaves, Ruth Ciani Brower, Nina Lombardo, Fred Sheehan, Ann Matarazzo MacKenzie, Paul Ambrosino, Barbara Quinn, Judy Smith, Jon Dwyer, Bill Hickey, Chad Forman

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

REUNION 2014: REUNION CLASSES

CLASS OF

1959

(L-R):

George Nightingale, Mary Burke Terpak, Linda Claff Bailit, Artie Rochelle, Barbara Cicchese Goldsen, Marilyn Dixon Jackson, Sylvester Gookin, Judy Grossman Molinsky, Joyce DiBona, Sally Donner Briers

CLASS OF

1954

(L-R):

Bob MacFarland, Tom Talbot, Shirley Collins Holmes, Greg Seymourian, Darlene Houston Babb, Charles Dow, Sandy McDonald, John Arapoff, Bill Bradford

CLASS OF

1949

Carl Vitagliano, Betsey Gagnebin, Doug Werner, Jeanne Hillier Werner, Charles Wade, Margaret Campbell Vasington, Richard Davenport, Nancy Beale Allen, Matthew Cushing, Betsey Wheatley Woolf, David Turner, Janet McCarthy, John Merna

0 s & 5 s: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Year! www.thayer.org/reunion

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Hall of Fame Inductees AL L T HE LAT E ST N EWS FRO M TH E TH AYER CO M MUNITY We welcome all your class notes and updates! Please send any and all class notes via email to alumni@thayer.org. If you have pictures you’d like to send, please be sure they are hi-res (300 dpi or higher) photographs — or else we won’t be able to use them in print. Pictures can be sent directly to magazine@thayer.org.

Achievement Awards

ROBERT J. WHELAN CLASS OF 1979

JENNA TURNER BLUE ’99 On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of your graduation from Thayer Academy, the Alumni Association presents you with this Achievement Award to recognize your career in the field of financial management. Your commitment to your work and to inspiring a new generation of students serves as a testament to Thayer Academy’s mission statement that encourages its students to “rise to honorable achievement and contribute to the common good.”

SOCCER, BASKETBALL & TRACK

KATHRYN LAMBERT CONOVER ’99 CROSS COUNTRY, BASKETBALL, LACROSSE, & TRACK

MYLES

REV. N. SHEEHAN, S.J. CLASS OF 1974

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of your graduation from Thayer Academy, the Alumni Association presents you with this Humanitarian Award to recognize your many years of commitment to mankind’s physical and spiritual needs. You have committed your life and your talents in support of others and for that, a grateful Academy thanks you. In the spirit of the Thayer mission statement, you have truly “risen to honorable achievement and contributed to the common good”

ALEX DOYLE SULLIVAN ’94 LACROSSE, FIELD HOCKEY, & BASKETBALL

MATTHEW T. COLLINS ’89

ADELE

HOCKEY, SOCCER, & LACROSSE

LUNAN VANDENBURGH CLASS OF 1964

You have been involved with the Academy in one form or another for more than 50 years. You have served as a student leader and athlete, active alumna and class agent, reunion champion, confidante, and friend. Your energy and enthusiasm for all things Black and Orange have kept you and your classmates close to the Academy and to each other, through good times and bad and, for that, the Alumni Association honors you with this Loyalty Award on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of your graduation.

KENT MOHNKERN ’64 TRACK & FOOTBALL

THE LEGENDS POSTHUMOUS INDUCTION

ROBERT D. HUGHES ’59

FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, TRACK, & TENNIS

WILLIAM GOULD ’64

BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, & SOCCER

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Class Notes AL L T H E L AT E ST N E WS F RO M T HE T HAY E R CO M M U N IT Y

We welcome all your class notes and updates! Please send any and all class notes via email to alumni@thayer.org. If you have pictures you’d like to send, please be sure they are hi-res (300 dpi or higher) photographs — or else we won’t be able to use them in print. IN OCTOBER 2014, BARBARA LYNDE RENCURREL ’45, JANE CARPENTER BRADLEY ’45, BARBARA CUNNINGHAM COREY ’45, AND BOB WADE ’45 HELD A MINI-REUNION AT KENNEBEC, MAINE.

1936

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Ellen Crawford Ames ’36 Ellen writes, “Still living in my home with part-time help. I am blessed with the support of my family and friends who visit often and play UPWORDS.”

1939 1941

CLASS AGENT: Lois Beals Sheldon  alumni@thayer.org

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Mary Jane MacCleave Dexter ’41 Mary writes, “Still cross country skiing!”

Marjorie Waite Hassell ’41 Marjorie writes, “Thayer made a huge difference in our lives. When Frank was

discharged from the army in 1946, having placed first among boys in his high school class, he applied to Wesleyan, but was turned down because he lacked a science, a second year of Latin, and two years of a language. He completed one year of French and one of Latin in eight weeks of summer Veterans School. The following school year he completed his language requirements and sciences and took other classes. Frank was honourably graduated from Thayer June 14, 1947. Frank and I celebrated our 70th year of marriage last March with family and friends. I am still giving history lectures to lower grades.”

1943

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Esther Kaplan Braun ’43 Esther writes, “Just completed a major project on WWII memories. We have over 30 DVDs of interviews of residents of Carleton Willard Village. Still writing my memories.”

1944

CLASS AGENT: Barbara G. Fullington  barbarafullington1@muchomail.com

1945

It’s Your 70th!

CLASS AGENT

Rosemary Crotty Lavelle  alumni@thayer.org

Dorothy Papani Palmer ’45 Dorothy writes, “Still painting, and having fun with my two little granddaughters and four grandsons. Moved to the Meadows in Hingham and love it!”

Barbara Cunningham Corey ’45 Barbara writes, “Enjoyed a Kennebec, Maine reunion with dear friends from 1945 Barbara Lynde Rencurrel ’45, Jane Carpenter Bradley ’45, and Bob Wade ’45.” (See picture above.)

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

1947

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Edward Furber ’47 Edward writes, “Still walking and sailing no more tennis. Hope all you “survivors” are well - fond memories.”

1948

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Howard Gaskill ’48 Howard writes, “I am still kicking but not very far. My health hasn’t been that good. My best to my 1948 classmates.”

Phyllis Glynn Huebner ’48 Phyllis writes, “Celebrated my 81st birthday in June - still enjoying playing bridge, lots of revelling, volunteering, and being with family & friends.”

Margaret Campbell Vasington ’49 Margaret writes, “Enjoyed our 65th Reunion, as it renewed my gratitude to Thayer for the life-transforming gifts it showered on me as a student, enriching my life even now.”

1949

Charles M. Wade  wade.charles@comcast.net

Constance writes, “We have retired from being retired - have left the farm in Nova Scotia for a small apartment in our son’s house in Gloucester, MA for health reasons for both Perry and me. We loved the farm, but will now be closer to old friends and family. We were in Nova Scotia 28 years!”

Arthur McCann ’49 Arthur writes, “I can’t believe I’m still on this earth - it’s amazing what one year at Thayer can do for you!”

John Golden ’52

Betsey writes, “Attended the wake of Gerry Hennedy Miller with alums Chuck Wade ’49, Janet McCarthy ’49, and Margaret Campbell Vesington ’49.

David Keith ’52

1950

It’s Your 65th!

CLASS AGENT

Mary Bates Bristol  jandmbristol@comcast.net

Charles writes, “On April 27, 2013, I celebrated 50 years as an Episcopal priest.”

Cynthia writes, “Still painting and helping at our local gallery Art on Main in Bristol VT, and walking the dog!”

Janet Field Kyne ’50 Janet writes, “Hosting “Life Enrichment” seminars at church. The first is called “Living Intentionally.” I am also chairing the Welcome Committee at The Forum and introducing new residents during our monthly Gallery Receptions.”

Joanne Sacco Pugh ’50

John writes, “Sibylla and I are still traveling the world and wintering in Key West, Florida. We have lived in Virginia 20 years, and I still don’t say y’all.”

Shirley Duke SanMartin ’49

Richardson Reid ’50

Shirley writes, “My brother Donald Malcolm Duke ’46 died in April 2013. He is remembered lovingly by his wife Marion, children Deborah and David, granddaughter Julia, many friends and relatives.

Richardson writes, “We are doing fine here on Old Cape Cod. Sixty-two years married with our four children and nine grandchildren, all doing well.”

1951

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Naomi Stone Cohen ’52

Betsey Wheatley Woolf ’49

Joanne writes, “We still live in NYC and go to Falmouth in summer. NYC is easier to sample with no driving. Has anyone heard from Eleanor MacPhail ’50 (now known as Jean Weber, I think)? I’ve tried to find her on Facebook but have had no luck.”

John Merna ’49

Marilyn Brooks Wey  lyniew@comcast.net

Cynthia writes, “Sun still shining brightly here in Sarasota, FL. Happy to have my brothers here, Graham and Peter Ross.”

Cynthia Ross Weston ’49

Cynthia Guild Kling ’50 Constance Gould Lane ’49

CLASS AGENT:

Alumnae, parents, and friends enjoyed hearing from Naomi as she spoke as a panelist at the Women’s Professional Networking event in February. The event discussion was moderated by Thayer alumna, Kelley Tuthill ’88 of WCVB-TV.

Charles Deacon ’50 CLASS AGENT:

1952

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

John writes, “Loving life in Georgia. Nice weather and better politics.”

David writes, “Last December 7th (Pearl Harbor Day) I was honored to receive, along with seven other (old) pilots, the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for those who have flown actively for at least fifty years without an accident or violation of any sort. The ceremony took place at the FAA headquarters at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, southwest of Orlando.”

Cynthia Bryant McCue ’52 Cynthia writes, “Spending most of our time in Chatham - our home in Wenham is occupied by children/grandchildren. We both do a lot of volunteer work, play bridge, child care, and try to stay fit.”

Marilyn Brooks Wey ’52 Marilyn writes, “Had a nice reunion this summer with Bob Brown, Madeleine Brown-Tierney ’52, Lee Merrill ’52, Al Wills ’52 and Hannah Boulton, myself and Harry Wey.”

1953

CLASS AGENTS: Robert P. Andrews  patandrews1@comcast.net Carolyn Smith Murray  apage116@aol.com Anne Vonckx Weaver  avw213@verizon.net

William Fibkins ’53 See box on next page (53).

Barbara Stuetzer Lauterbach ’53 Barbara writes, “Traveled to Italy with Anne (Vonckx) Weaver ’53 and Val (Vergobbi) Groeneveld ’53. Two weeks in Tuscany and Puglia. Rented a house, explored, and ate!”

CLASS NOTES: 1940s-1950s

William Fibkins ’53 I am doing well and want to let you know that I have recently published four books in the field of teaching and education: The Emotional Growth of Teens: How Group Counseling Intervention Works for Schools (2014) Wake Up, Counselors: Restoring Counseling Services For Troubled Teens (2013) Angel Teacher: Educators Who Care about Troubled Teens (2012) Stopping The Brain Drain Of Skilled Veteran Teachers: Retaining and Valuing their Hard-Won Experience (2012).

Visit my webpage at www.williamfibkins.com.

I N O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 , T H AY E R ’ S C L A S S O F 1 9 5 7 H E L D A 5 7 T H R E U N I O N I N FA L M O U T H

1954

CLASS AGENT: Robert B. MacFarland  macbilt@hotmail.com

John Arapoff ’54 John writes, “Won first prize for painting at the Duxbury mid-summer art show (2012), also won Honorable Mention (2013). Enjoyed lunch with classmates Bob McFarland ’54 and Gregory Simorian ’54. Just finished a restoration of a six-panel 35’x4’ wall mural.”

1955

It’s Your 60th!

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

CLASS AGENT

None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Barbara Ellis Nyberg ’57 Barbara writes, “Wonderful to see so many of the Class of ‘57 at our 57th.”

Gail Barton ’55

Phyllis Frogel Rubin ’57

Gail writes, “Painting with friends, exhibiting in galleries and fairs, selling art, and enjoying life!”

Phyllis writes, “The class of ‘57 had an outstanding 57th reunion.”

Mary Costanza ’54 Mary writes, “Still working (part-time, no clinic though), trying to finish my grant (on cancer control), write my last papers, and then fully retire. Time to transition to a retirement community, probably in 2016 or so.”

1957

Ann Douglass Wood ’57

1956

CLASS AGENTS: Melissa Knutson-Anderson  melredrose@comcast.net

Ann writes, “Enjoyed seeing classmates last October in Falmouth.” (see picture above)

Jane Imper Waldmann  jciw-centernet@erols.com

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

1958

CLASS AGENTS: Katherine Mullen McLaughlin  alumni@thayer.org Cynthia Tulloch  cynthiatulloch@aol.com

Anthony Fiorentini ’62 Anthony writes, “Susan and I are both well and continuing to enjoy retirement in Charleston, SC. Four grandchildren in same town is even better!”

Jean Howell Vose ’62

1959

CLASS AGENT: Joyce A. DiBona  j.dibona@verizon.net

Ruth Ann Driscoll Beaumont ’59 Ruth writes, “Dick and I have begun spending summers in Quincy - mid-June through end of August. I’m sorry I missed our Reunion in May.”

Joyce DiBona ’59 Joyce writes, “We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in Washington, DC with Mary Burke Terpak ’59, Roz Ossen Loiter ’59, Sally Donner Briers ’59, and Linda Claff Briet ’59. It was great seeing classmates at our 55th reunion in May 2014.”

Jean (with Gayle Hickey Silver ’63) writes, “Busy 2014 with gardening workshops and monitoring new beekeepers. Maine State Beekeepers Association named us Beekeepers of the Year. This is quite an honor.”

Jonathan Verdun ’62 Jonathan writes, “Mary and I are proud of our new granddaughter, Ella, and her parents Todd and Shannon Verden.”

1963

1960

It’s Your 55th!

Barbara Strasnick Green  barbg17@gmail.com Alexander K. Salmela  sandy@akssearch.com

Susan Rose Spurling ’59 Susan writes, “Building a summer home in Barnstable Harbor! Naples, Florida this winter, hopefully Norway next fall!”

CLASS AGENTS:

John Martini ’63 Thayer thanks John for his service on the Alumni Board. John stepped down this year.

Gayle Hickey Silver ’63 See Jean Howell Vose ’62

CLASS AGENT

O.H. Perry Cabot  ohpcj@juno.com

1961

CLASS AGENT:

1964

CLASS AGENTS: Adele Lunan Vandenburgh  sailworld@aol.com Paul J. Yovino  pjmyovino@aol.com

John F. Poole  poole.john@comcast.net

Alan Bixby ’64

1962

CLASS AGENTS: Eileen Cutler  leanynaples@yahoo.com John A. MacLennan  sdiwi@cox.net Frank D. Tenore  franktenore@aol.com

Nancy Thomas Edwards ’62 Nancy writes, “Can’t top last year’s trip to Kenya & Tanzania. Still at Aquarium in Camden, NJ. Still singing. After my first greyhound passed, I waited about five months and adopted another. Such a love! Wonderful dogs!”

Geoff Goodale ’62 This fall, Thayer welcomed Geoff as a new member of the Alumni Board.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Alan writes, “My wife and I split our time between Palm Beach, Florida, and Toronto, Canada.”

Suzanne Ciani ’64 See box to the right on this page.

Ken Mohnkern ’64 Elected to the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame - see pg. 48 for details.

Adele Lunan Vandenburgh ’64 Awarded the Loyalty Award at the Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony during Reunion 2014. See pg. 48 for details.

Paul Yovino ’64 Thayer thanks Paul for his service on the Alumni Board. Paul stepped down after a remarkable 32 years.

Suzanne Ciani ’64 A Kickstarter project by Texas filmmakers Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason has been fully funded and they will be making a documentary about Suzanne and the work that she has done within the music industry. It is to be called Suzanne Ciani: A Life in Waves. According to the Kickstarter campaign page (which raised 119% of its goal with over $45,000 pledged online), A Life in Waves will be: “a biographical look at Suzanne’s dynamic and colorful career, from her earliest days learning the piano, to her multi-million dollar advertising ventures, to her innovations in the world of New Age music, to her recent connection with Finders Keepers records and re-acquaintance with her beloved Buchla synthesizer. “More than this, the film will be a journey into Suzanne’s mind, offering a feminine glimpse into the often-complicated worlds of composition, electronic music, and advertising. Utilizing a wealth of archival footage and Suzanne’s endless catalog of music, we’ll create a nostalgic, visually-compelling look at one woman’s journey, and the trials she had to overcome to succeed in a traditionally maledominated art form.”

CLASS AGENTS

Jeffrey S. Burnett  jeffburnett1882@gmail.com

Lois Hirshberg

Robert Nye ’66 Robert writes, “Best to everyone from Charlotte, NC.”

Margaret writes, “Greetings to all of my classmates!”

1966

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Thayer thanks Doug for his service on the Alumni Board. Doug stepped down after 9 years on the Board.

Debby Caldwell McNeil ’66 Debby writes, “I’m still enjoying retirement and am busier than ever. Last summer I was in Scituate and had lunch with Marshall Litchfield and Bob Wagner ’65, then dinner with Doug Pinney ’65, Barbara Robinson ’66, and my husband Bob. It was like we were still in high school!”

It was a great ride for me being on the Alumni Board for 27 years. In the early years, we served on committees to identify and bestow the honor of a scholarship to a deserving sibling to one of our fellow alums. It was our primary function. In order to fund the scholarship we had auctions. I am proud to say the Thayer Academy Alumni Scholarship has been built up to the point where it is the largest scholarship fund in the school.

1970

It’s Your 45th!

CLASS AGENT

Thayer thanks Paul for his service on the Alumni Board for a remarkable 27 years. Read excerpts from his farewell address below.

Elizabeth Sceery Rockoff

1967

 mrocklax@comcast.net

M. Susan Earle ’70 CLASS AGENT: Christine Kirkland Hunt  twofishchunt@aol.com

19682

CLASS AGENT: Daniel S. Keefe  dskeefe@verizon.net

Dan Keefe ’68 Thayer thanks Dan for his service on the Alumni Board.

Christopher Tingus ’68 Christopher writes, “Wishing the best in 2015 to all of our great 1968 classmates! Contact me at chris.tingus@gmail.com.”

THAYER ACADEMY FAREWELL

Paul Samuelian ’66

None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Paul Samuelian ’66

Kristin Herzog ’66 Kristin writes, “I spent another month in France at a painting residency last fall. Then I came home to open my solo show at the Arts Club in November. It’s been a busy fall.”

CLASS AGENT:

J. Douglas Pinney ’66

 rakulo@comcast.net

Margaret Sargent Stone ’65

1969

CLASS NOTES: 1950s-1970s

1965

It’s Your 50th!

Susan writes, “Thayer was a great experience for me. I grew in many ways.”

1971

CLASS AGENT: Kathy Fiorini DiGiusto  mezza385@aol.com

Jay Cashman ’71 Jay’s son Quinn ’21 joined older brother Jay ’19 at Thayer this fall.

Kathy DiGiusto ’71 Thayer thanks Kathy for her service on the Alumni Board. She stepped down this year after 15 years on the Board.

Paul Samuelian ’66 on leaving the Alumni Board After 27 Years

Working with factory workers all my life showed me the difference that a good education can bring to one’s life. I realized when touring a large dairy ice cream plant in Framingham, MA, that the only difference between the person on the line packaging the popsicles and the managers walking around conducting tours was a piece of paper that says they graduated college.

I am so proud and honored to have helped in only a miniscule way in the era at Thayer that is its greatest in its history - one that saw the building of the Cahall Campus Center, the Sawyer Center, the rehabbing of Glover and Main buildings, the redesigning of Frothingham Hall, and the construction of the Center for the Arts.

Without Thayer, I would never have made it to college. I owe Thayer a great deal and although I wish I could have donated more money, I gave to the school with my labor and heart. For me, learning was a struggle and I will never forget Dr. Thayer’s words to me when he said, “You show great potential and aptitude, although you are weak in a few areas. Come here and we can help you, son.” I am glad Thayer still helps students with different learning styles to this day with the Hale Learning Center.

I thank Thayer, and all those involved with me in my years as President of the Alumni Board and beyond. I will not mention or even try to mention all the names because I know I would leave many out, but just look at those leaving this year as part of that group of tireless volunteers. Thank you! You know who you are and I want to acknowledge that it was a pleasure to have known and worked with you. And to all of you remaining, good luck and may you go wisely into the future.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Nancy Partridge ’71 Nancy writes, “I am enjoying living on Cape Cod, being a grandmother of Lily, age 3, and I am passionate about my work and service in the world of helping others transform and heal though counseling, teaching, and workshops.”

1972

CLASS AGENT: Cynthia Brandenburg Galligan  jimmyg80@comcast.net

Charles F. Paris  cparis1999@yahoo.com

Kathryn writes, “I’m still running the child care center. I now have three granddaughters, Alyssa, Leela, and Emily.”

Laura Pineo Macs ’72 Laura writes, “My son John graduated in the spring of 2014 from Western New England University with a double major in Accounting and Finance. I continue to work at Dedham Savings (34 years) and still enjoy it.”

CLASS AGENTS: Sandra J. Colman  sannamloc@aol.com

Rev. Myles N. Sheehan S.J. was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony during Reunion 2014. See pg. 48 for more details.

Jamie joined the Thayer Board of Trustees this year. He currently has daughters Ashly ’19 and Casey ’21 attending the Middle School.

Allan Cohen ’73 Allan writes, “My three children, Marisa, Billy, and Jenny, are in college and life is good - even with tuition payments!”

1975

It’s Your 40th!

CLASS AGENT

Mary Jo Montani  rballin@thayer.org

1976

In December 2014 Sandra chaired the second Home for the Holidays event in the Tiger’s Den at Thayer. Together, nearly 200 alums, parents, and friends celebrated the beginning of the Holiday season. This fabulous event was also supported by Alex Marconi ‘94 of The Catered Affair, Tim Burke ‘94, of Burke Distributing, Colin Smythe ‘97 of Greater Boston Media, Erica Cashman Shevlin ‘96 of Vizcaya Flowers, and Seone Landscape Designs. Sandra’s daughter Samantha ’18 is now attending the Upper School.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Sheila McCormick Hocking  hockjr@gmail.com

Catharine D. Weiss  catharine.weiss4@gmail.com

Lori Pasqualucci Gaffey ’79

Robert Insoft ’79 Don’t miss Robert’s profile (along with Jeremy Goverman ’92) written by Dan Levinson in this issue on pages 40-43.

Robert J. Whelan ’79 Robert was awarded the Achievement Award at the Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony during Reunion 2014. See pg. 48 for more details.

CLASS AGENT: None Currently  alumni@thayer.org

Rick Connelley ’76 Rick’s daugther Genevieve ’18 started at Thayer this past fall.

1980

It’s Your 35th!

CLASS AGENTS Cynthia Brandenburg Galligan  jimmyg80@comcast.net

1977

Gregory P. Deschenes CLASS AGENT: Steven A. Anastasi  ssaa03@comcast.net

Martha Hoefer ’77 Martha writes, “Still with Harvard Pilgrim, nearing 30 years. Still summering in Pocasset on Cape Cod. Picking up the travel bug: a memorable safari in South Africa; then Durban, then London. Trip of a lifetime with my sister and her son.”

Sandra Colman ’73 Sandra writes, “Attention Class of 73: we now have a Facebook group dedicated to our class. Please look for it and reach out to me to join.”

CLASS AGENTS:

Lori’s son Tommy ’21 started at Thayer’s Middle School this past fall.

Raymond L. Tedschi  rtedeschi@aol.com

Jamie Cashman ’73

1979

Rachael Rouvales Vassalotti  rvassalotti@thayer.org

Myles N. Sheehan ’74

CLASS AGENT:

Kathryn Claff Knudsen ’72

1973

1974

 gdeschenes@nixonpeabody.com

Peter J. Fitzpatrick  pfitzpatrick@bearings-specialty.com

Seana Kelley

 seana@coastalmc.net

Greg Deschenes ’80 Thayer thanks Greg for his service on the Alumni Board. Greg stepped down after 12 years.

David Hodess ’80

1978

CLASS AGENTS: Mary Margaret Flatley Darling  mmdrjd@aol.com Joseph P. Duffey  jduffey@cdcixis-amservices.com Martha Sturtevant Kristian  mskpi@comcast.net Terence O’Malley  terenceomalley@tjosports.com

Mike Sheehan ’78 Mike has recently taken over as CEO of the Boston Globe. He completed 10 years serving as one of Thayer’s trustees in 2014.

Don’t miss David’s profile piece in this issue on pages 36-39.

Seana Kelley ’80 Congratulations to Seana as she begins a new adventure as the Managing Partner of the Mystic - a 167-foot custom designed oceangoing schooner. After a complete renovation, the Mystic is hosting charters all over the eastern seaboard from Nantucket and the greater New England area to the Caribbean Sea and the British Virgin Islands. Check out their website www.mysticadventuresails.com.

1981

CLASS AGENT: Thomas J. Geraghty  tom@geraghtyassoc.com

Bruce McCutcheon ’81 Bruce’s son Michael ’19 started at Thayer this past fall.

1982

CLASS NOTES: 1970s-1980s

Mark O’Sullivan ’85 Mark recently co-produced an ESPN 30-for-30 short film “Our Tough Guy,” an engaging documentary on the legendary Boston Bruins enforcer, John Wensink. Bill Higgins ’88 makes an appearance as a Bruins fan interviewed about the impact Wensick had. View the video online here: grantland.com/features/30-for-30-shorts-our-tough-guy

CLASS AGENT: Vincent J. Sica  alumni@thayer.org

John Roland ’82 John’s son, Cole ’18, and daughter, Taylor ’21, started attending Thayer this past fall.

1983 1984

CLASS AGENT: Christine Keating Coakley  coakley5dux@gmail.com

CLASS AGENT: Robin Tobins Burgess  alumni@thayer.org Christopher A. Cook  cook308@comcast.net

1986

Amy Rothstein-Teehan  katamegal@gmail.com

CLASS AGENT: Joanna Skoler Gilman  spunkyberry@yahoo.com Zhenobia Johnson-Hyre  zeehyre@gmail.com Courtenay Frame Romaine  mcr6494@comcast.net

Michael Burke ’84 Michael’s daughter Lily ’18 started at Thayer this past fall.

Karen Bell St. Vil  malsonk@aol.com Rebecca Snyder Weiss  rsweiss8@comcast.net

1985

Rob DeMarco ’86 It’s Your 30th!

CLASS AGENTS Mark A. O’Sullivan  markos114@aol.com

Rob is living in Norwell with his wife Kristine and their three children. Their son John ’21 enrolled at Thayer this past fall.

Mark O’Sullivan ’85 See callout box top right on this page (55).

Brendan joined the Thayer Board of Trustees this year. His son, Michael ’18, started his first year at Thayer in September.

1988

CLASS AGENTS: William F. Gerety  bgerety@verizon.net Stephanie Leggett Rando  slrando17@gmail.com Kelley Tuthill  ktuthill@hearst.com

Kelley Doyle ’88 Thayer welcomes Kelley to the Alumni Board this year.

Rob Lally ’86 Rob and his wife and four children moved to Wellesley last year and are splitting their time between Wellesley and the ski mountain that Rob owns at Mt. Abram, Maine.

Steve Curry ’85 Steve’s daughter Sydney ’18 joined her sister Samantha ’16 this past fall at Thayer.

Brendan McDonough ’87

Rob Hayes ’88 Rob and his wife Maureen are living in Scituate with their two daughters. Their daughter Caitlin ’21 enrolled at Thayer this fall.

Bill Higgins ’88

1987

See callout box above (pg 55). CLASS AGENTS: Paulette Bruneau Brooks  plttbrooks40@gmail.com Ann Kingston McDonough  annmmcdonough@comcast.net Kristen Daley Schadt  kschadt@me.com

Tonya Fitzhenry Bridge ’87 Tonya’s son Cameron ’18 started at Thayer this past fall.

Kelley Tuthill ’88 Kelley recently announced that she is pregnant with her third daughter. She and her husband Brendan are excited about the upcoming addition to their family. Kelley also served as moderator at the Thayer Academy Women’s Professional Networking event in February. Alumni, parents and friends enjoyed hearing from Kelley and the panel that included Naomi Stone Cohen ’52 and Katie Hooley ’08.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

1989

CLASS AGENTS:

Jeremy Goverman ’92

Ventrice Shillingford Cole  vshillingfordcole@gmail.com

Don’t miss Jeremy’s profile (along with Robert Insoft ’79) written by Dan Levinson in this issue on pages 40-43.

Kevin J. Sullivan  kevin.sullivan@weil.com

Jennifer MacDonald ’92

Tony Amonte ’89

Jennifer writes, “After a decade in New York, I moved to London with my job at Bloomberg. Some plusses: all my friends want to visit, we had only one snow flurry which only lasted 10 minutes, and Bill McGilivray ’92 works down the street!”

Congratulations to Tony (along with assistant coach Matt Collins ’89) on their continued success with the Thayer boys’ hockey team. They have coached the team to their third consecutive bid in the NEPSAC Ice Hockey Tournament (large school division).

Matt McGuirk ’92

Matt Collins ’89 Congratulations to Matt who was inducted into the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 (see pg. 48 for more), and for his continuing success as the assistant coach of Thayer’s varsity hockey team (see note above on Tony Amonte ’89.)

1990

It’s Your 25th!

CLASS AGENTS

Lori Tregoning Donnellan  ldonnellan5@comcast.net

Grace Shalhoub ’90 Grace is currently living with her three children in Beirut, Lebanon. She is a screenwriter/producer of independent films currently working on the Hollywood biopic about famed American-Lebanese author and artist Kahlil Gilbran. Grace is also a senior consultant with Mantid International working on heritage projects throughout the Middle East, mainly in Beirut and Iraq. To learn more about Grace’s film projects, visit www.thegilbranfilm.com and www.imdb. me/graceshalhoub. Follow Grace on Twitter: @graceshalhoub.

Lori Watson  gigglz714@hotmail.com

Tracey Tuthill Buckeridge ’90

1991

This past fall Tracey returned to teaching at Hingham’s Old Colony Montessori School. She lives in Hingham with her husband Tim and three children.

Lori Tregoning Donnellan ’90 Lori lives in Hingham with her husband Will and their four daughters. Their second daughter Ella ’19 enrolled at Thayer this past fall. She joins sister Lexi ’17 who is currently a sophomore.

Alex Durso ’90 Alex’s wife Shaneen gave birth to his fifth child, a son named Logan, in April of 2014.

CLASS AGENTS:

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Wally was recently promoted to Dean of Faculty at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, MA.

1993

CLASS AGENTS: Julie R. Burke-Blanchard  jrburke2@yahoo.com Courtney Dolan Dorsey  cddorsey@gmail.com Melissa Twombly Gove  mtwombly@gmail.com

Anthony J. Tedschi  tony@tony-t.com

Douglas P. Troupe  dougtroupe@hotmail.com

Andy is living in Duxbury. Three of his children - Lauren ’18, Austin ’20, and Drew ’21 - enrolled at Thayer this past fall.

CLASS AGENTS: Melissa Tuthill Forger  mforger@thayer.org Matthew R. McGuirk  mmcguirk@thayer.org

Christopher Ryan ’90 Chris and his wife Dyanne welcomed their second child, a son named Liam, on February 16, 2015. See picture on pg. 58.

Walter Swanson ’92

Sarah Slattery Sullivan  sarahanneslattery@gmail.com

Andy Bennett ’91

1992

After 11 years as TA’s Athletic Director, Matt has taken on a new challange and accepted the position of Assistant Director of Major Gifts and Alumni Relations. He will start in his new role on July 1, 2015. Prior to his role as AD, Matt also held the titles of Assistant Athletic Director, Middle School Athletic Director and Head Varsity Baseball Coach.

Melissa Tuthill Forger ’92 Melissa recently started at the Director of Development at Thayer. Read the article written by TA’s own Dan Levinson about Melissa’s return to Thayer on page 18-19.

Julie Burk-Blanchard ’93 Julie welcomed her second daughter, Clara, in March, 2014.

Bianca (Burke) de la Garza ’93 Bianca recently launched a new show on Boston’s WCVB-TV, Channel 5 called “Bianca Unanchored.”

Lauren Fish Lowing ’93 Thayer welcomes Lauren to the Alumni Board this year.

Mark Melevsky ’93 On August 9, 2014, Mark married Liz Brown of Belmont, MA. The ceremony was held at Saint Joseph Parish in Belmont, followed by the reception at Oakley Country Club in Watertown, MA. Thayer alumni in attendance included

picture on pg. 61.)

1995

It’s Your 20th!

CLASS AGENTS

Sean M. McCarthy Sean Merrick ’93 Sean and his wife Alissa Karlsburg Merrick ’97 welcomed their first child, a daughter, this fall.

Lyndsey married Tony Williams in April, 2013. In attendance were Lyndsey’s sister Jamie Allison Brown ’93 and brother Steven Allison ’97. (See picture on pg. 61) The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Terry Martinson P ’96, ’01.

1994

Alex Marconi ’94 Alex hosted Thayer’s first Alumni Club of the South Shore Social at the Winsor House in Duxbury, MA, where he is a co-owner. Alums from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s enjoyed great food, great drinks, and great company!

Annmarie Rizzotti O’Brien ’94 Annmarie is currently the assistant varsity swim coach for Thayer Academy. She lives in Canton with her husband Joe and their three children: Jack (4), Samantha (3), and Alexandra (1).

Alex Doyle Sullivan ’94

David W. Ryan  dwryan02@yahoo.com

Ross M. Stafford  rossstafford1@gmail.com

Andrew Callahan ’98 Andrew married Katherine Keery on September 27, 2014 at the Wequasset Resort in Chatham, MA.

Lindsey Gillooly ’98

1996

CLASS AGENT: Elizabeth Ginns Britten  littleginns@yahoo.com

Lindsey recently married Heath Gordon at the Sapphire Estate in Sharon. Baby Heath Gordon was born November 14, 2014.

Kevin Caulfield ’96 Thayer welcomes Kevin to the Alumni Board this year. Kevin and his wife Kate are expecting their third daughter this spring.

Mike Mottau ’96 Mike and Courtney ‘96 are living in Duxbury with their four children. Mike has just recently retired from playing in the NHL.

Erica Cashman Shevlin ’96 Erica recently launched her own floral design business, Vizcaya Flowers. Those who attended Thayer’s General’s Council Dinner and Home for the Holidays this year had a chance to see her beautiful work. To see photos visit www.vizcayaflowers.com.

1997

Congratulations to Alex who was inducted into the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 (See pg. 48 for more details).

CLASS AGENTS: Sean R. Lane  sean.lane@gmail.com Angela R. Neumann  angela_m_ring@yahoo.com Thomas P. Shanley, Jr.  tshanley18@gmail.com

Tracy Reardon Windham ’94 Tracy moved back to the South Shore last summer after living in Hong Kong with her family. She also gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Madeline, last spring.

C. Scott Fay  sfay1000@gmail.com

Jeffrey Pickel

CLASS AGENT: Ronald Isaacson  isaacson.ron@gmail.com

Caroline Fichter Brodigan  cbrodigan@thayer.org

Sarah Novick McGuirk  semcguirk@gmail.com

Ryan and his wife Lia welcomed their third child, daughter Kyle Elizabeth, this fall. (See pg. 58 for her picture)

Lyndsey Allison Williams ’93

CLASS AGENTS:

sean.m.mccarthy@msdw.com

 amyryd@yahoo.com

Ryan Thornton ’93

1998

CLASS NOTES: 1980s-1990s

Evan Greene ’93, Jon White ’93, Frank MacDonald ’93, Ken Berman ’93, Mike Leahy ’93, Leslie Leibowitz ’93, Josh Snyder ’93, and Paul Ginns ’93. (See

Alissa Karlsburg Merrick ’97 Alissa gave birth to her first child, a daughter, with husband Sean Merrick ’93.

Annie McDonough Zukauskas ’94

Thomas Shanley ’97

Annie moved back to Massachusetts from New York with her family. She has also returned to Thayer, working in the admission office and coaching the girls’ varsity lacrosse team.

Tom and Jen welcomed their second son, Thomas Patrick Shanley III on August 6. He weighed in at 9 lbs 14 oz and 21 inches.

Robin Shone Hutton ’98 Robin is living in Beverly with her husband Jeff, and two daughters Marisa (3.5) and Molly (10 months). She works in Burlington at the Marriott as a Senior Sales Manager.

Jamie McCourt ’98 Jamie writes, “Finally realizing he was never going to be a rock star, or the next super model, Jamie has been working for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as an Account Executive and their Labor Representative, where he deals with all of organized Labor in Massachusetts, for the past 10 years. He is only doing this until that seed he planted, the one that that promised to produce a money tree, grows. He waters it every day. Jamie also (between watering and work) is a board member for the Friends For Children, where he received the Man of Year award, a year before Mayor Walsh was honored with the same award, coaches CrossFit at CorssFit HomeBase in Canton (he welcomes everyone to try a couple of classes and he will apply the Thayer discount, Free) and coaches Canton Youth Hockey. However, the best part of his life is his family. Jamie lives in Canton with his wife Kim of seven years and their four year old son James.”

Brad Mills ’98 Brad works as a Senior Sales Analyst for FootJoy/Titleist. Brad lives in Marshfield with his wife Jessica and their three children: Mackenzie (6), Taylor (4), and Theodore (1).

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Thayer Babies

James Rogan ’98 James and his wife Jess welcomed their third child, Thomas Wesley Rogan. Thomas joins big sisters Charlotte and Adelle.

Dave Ryan ’98 Dave and his wife Meg welcomed their son John (Jack) William Ryan October 22, 2014.

1999 Joey Nichole Gibbs

Brandon Darnell Odom, Jr.

BORN: 7.13.2014 | 6 lbs., 4 oz | 19.5 inches long

BORN: 8.6.2014 | 7 lbs., 7 oz | 19.5 inches long

to Tyrese ’05 & Brittany Gibbs

to Brandon ’04 & Tamara Odom

CLASS AGENTS: Kathryn Lambert Conover  katie.lambert@yahoo.com Nicholas S. Hurley  hurleyni@gmail.com

Jenna Turner Blue ’99 Congratulations to Jenna who was inducted into the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 (See pg. 48 for more details).

Elizabeth Dalton Bunnell ’99 Liz and husband Chris welcomed their second child, George, in February. Baby George joins big brother Topher.

Laurie Rizzotti Chabot ’99

Elizabeth (Lilly) Marie Trumbull

Kyle Elisabeth Rose Thornton

BORN: 8.7.2014 | 7 lbs., 10 oz | 20 inches long

BORN: 9.13.2014 | 7 lbs., 7 oz | 19 inches long

to Allison (Kent) ’00 & Rob Trumbull

to Ryan ’93 & Lia Thornton

Laurie joined Thayer Academy’s Development team last summer. She also coached girls’ JV soccer in the fall and is coaching girls’ JV lacrosse. Starting in the fall of 2015 she will take the lead as coach of TA’s girls’ varsity soccer team. Laurie lives in Canton with her husband Aaron and three sons Nathan (4), Connor (3), and Brayden (16 months).

Katie Lambert Conover ’99

James Francis Leaver

Kelsey Lynne Cronin

BORN: 11.27.2014 | 6 lbs., 13 oz | 20 inches long

BORN: 12.19.2014 | 8 lbs., 10 oz | 20.5 inches long

to Jess (Conahan) ’00 & Tommy Leaver

to Kristin (Gabriel) ’05 & John Cronin

New Parent? Share the good news with your fellow Thayer alums! Liam James Ryan

BORN: 2.16.2015 | 9 lbs., 6 oz | 20.75 inches long

to Chris ’90 & Diane Ryan

Email us your newborn’s full name, date of birth, weight & height - as well as a high-res (300 dpi or higher) photo:

✉ alumni@thayer.org 58

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Congratulations to Katie who was inducted into the Thayer Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 (See pg. 48 for more details). She is currently the Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach and Lifeskills Coordinator at Stonehill College. Katie resides in Milton with her husband Justin and their two children, Justin Jr. (5) and Lila (3).

Christopher McCabe ’99 Chris, General Manager at Alibi Bar and Lounge, hosted the Thayer Alumni Fall Social at Alibi for the fifth year in a row. This traditional Thanksgiving week event draws alumni far and wide. Chris recently became engaged to Courtney Myers.

Andrea Sorgi Spano ’99 Andrea recently accepted a position at Phillips Andover Academy as an Annual Giving Officer, where she coaches varsity girls soccer and JV girls lacrosse. Andrea lives in Reading with her husband Greg and two children: Gregory (3) and Ella (1.5).

Jill works as a physical therapist at Summit Orthopedic Therapy in Wellesley. She lives with her husband, Ezra, and 18 month old son, Ellis, in South Boston.

2000

CLASS AGENTS: Kenneth C. Byl  kbyl85@gmail.com Janine Darling Hechter  DarlingJanine@gmail.com Ernest W. Pierce IV  pierew3@gmail.com Shane A. Sabine  shane.sabine@gmail.com

It’s Your 15th!

Elyse Boyle ’03 Elyse and long-time boyfriend Michael Alexander were engaged in April 2014. The wedding is set for August 2015.

CLASS AGENTS

Katharine B. Barry Speede  katiebar@gmail.com

Laura Kaveney Briggs ’03

Allison Kent Trumbull  allisontrumbull@gmail.com

Laura married Ben Briggs in Boston on New Years Eve 2014. Elyse Boyle ’03,

Stephen E. Sobel

Sarahjeet Singh ’03, Alana Casciello ’03 and Elizabeth Iannessa ’03 were among

 sobelst@yahoo.com

Jonathan M. Witt  jwittlaw@gmail.com

Ryan Whitney ’01

her bridesmaids. (See picture on pg. 61.)

Ryan is currently a defenseman on the Hockey Club Sochi team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

Emely Orellana de Bautista ’03

Allison Kent Trumbull ’00 On August 6, Allison and husband Rob welcomed their first child, Elizabeth (Lilly) Marie Trumbull. (See pg. 58 for her picture).

Jess Conover Leaver ’00 Jess and husband Tommy welcome their second child, James Francis Leaver, this past November. (See picture on pg. 58). His brother Thomas will be two in April.

Liza Heller Wasef ’00

2002

CLASS AGENTS: Steven C. Gaziano  steven.gaziano@ morganstanleypwm.com Meghan E. Haggerty  meghanehaggerty@gmail.com

Amanda Ring Carroll  ringam@gmail.com Michelle A. O’Neil  oneil.michelle.anne@gmail.com

Kelly Cox Gillespie ’01 Kelly lives in New York with her husband, Edward. They have three daughters, Ava (4), Audrey (20 months) and Gwen Scarlett (3 months).

Elizabeth Callery Sbalbi ’01 Liz and her husband Rob live in Canton and have two daughters: Isla Mae (2) and Sophia (3 months).

Caroline married Bill Torney at the Ocean Edge Resort on April 18, 2015.

Elizabeth Iannessa ’03 Thayer welcomes Elizabeth to the Alumni Board this year.

Kendra L. King  kendra.king@gmail.com Anthony E. Tompson  tony.tompson@gmail.com

Matthew Daylor ’02

CLASS AGENTS:

Emely married her childhood sweetheart, Douglas Bautista, in September. (See picture on pg. 61.)

Caroline Gooding ’03

Liza Heller married Andy Wasef on August 9, 2014 in Scituate MA.

2001

CLASS NOTES: 1990s-2000s

2003

Jill Rockoff Sykes ’99

Matt married Anna Kjellson on July 26, 2014 in Waitsfield, VT. His brother Drew ’13 served as his best man.

Christina Jeffrey ’02 Christina writes, “Thayer has certainly prepared me for not only college and graduate school, but I find myself recalling experiences at Thayer as I travel the world for business and pleasure. Thanks, Thayer!”

Leah Snyder Kabrhel ’02 Leah was married to Craig Kabrhel on July 19, 2014 in front of many friends and family, including many from Thayer.

2004

CLASS AGENTS: Rochelle A. Ballin  raballin13@msn.com Michael R. Greeley  mikegreeley6@gmail.com Amanda Kelly Silberman  altk08@gmail.com Robert F. Kiley, Jr.  robert.f.kiley@gmail.com

Kristen Barry ’04 Kristen recently became engaged to boyfriend Rich Beecher.

Sophie Browne ’04 (See callout box on Sophie on pg. 62).

Brenna Discoll Coughlin ’04 Adam Tokarz ’02 Adam married Catie Newman in June 2014.

Brenna married John Coughlin this fall surrounded by friends and family on Martha’s Vineyard.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Brendan Daly ’04

Robert Kiley ’04

Hillary Roth Gredell ’05

Brendan recently become engaged to girlfriend Madeline Bierbaum.

Bobby is teaching English at Thayer (see pg. 19). Previously he had been working with Dan Levinson on TA’s student magazine “Voice” as well as working in the Campus Store.

Kara McPhee ’04

Hillary married Lucas Gredell in September 2013. The two met in the library while Lucas was in law school and Hillary was completing her undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Ali Weinberg ‘05 was a bridesmaid. (See picture on pg. 61.)

Kara recently became engaged to longtime boyfriend Justin Moore.

Dean Levy ’05

Austin Gallagher ’04 Austin Gallagher recently became engaged to girlfriend Erica Staaterman. He also successfully completed his Ph.D program at the University of Miami. Check out the cover story on Gallagher in this magazine (pgs. 12-15).

Thomas Humplik ’04

Brandon Odom ’04

Tom graduated with his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Brandon and wife Tamara welcomed their first child in August, Brandon Odom, Jr. (See picture on pg. 58.) Brandon also accepted the position of head coach of Thayer’s boys varsity basketball team, and will begin teaching history in the Middle School in the fall.

Nichole Redmond ’04 Nicole recently became engaged to boyfriend Brian Duttenhoffer.

Sophie works at Thayer playing a number of roles, one of which is as strength coach/ fitness center manager. Working out has been part of Sophie’s daily routine for years, and last fall, Sophie intensified her workouts to compete in bodybuilding for the first time. After three competitions run by the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF), she came away with four first-place trophies and a pro card in the Figure category. The pro card will allow her to compete at the professional level next year. The WNBF places special emphasis on natural training, and is known as the bodybuilding federation with the most rigid drug testing regulations to ensure that performance-enhancing drugs aren’t being used. Sophie’s boyfriend Billy McClain, a bodybuilder as well, coached her, offering tips from his own experience, helping with extensive research for a strict diet, and teaching her the required poses. Sophie wrote her own workouts – a combination of lifting and cardio, 6-7 days a week. “The strict 12week diet was definitely the hardest part,” said Sophie.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Robert Melchionda ’05 Rob proposed to longtime girlfriend Meghan Bennett at Disney World.

Jennifer Mohns ’05 Jen recently became engaged to boyfriend Frank Doyle.

Tim Roche ’05

Amanda and husband Alex recently welcomed their first child, a son, named Asher James Silberman on February 17, 2015.

Tim married Candace Kydd on May 16, 2014 in San Diego, California. Pat Hurrie ’05 served as his best man. Rob Melchionda ’05 and Pat Maloney ’05 served as groomsmen.

Jared Tedeschi ’04

Richard Sullivan ’05

Jared recently became engaged to longtime girlfriend Jennifer Halberg.

Ricky recently proposed to girlfriend Jennifer Faig.

Elizabeth Thomas ’04

Hannah E. Sussek ’05

Liz recently became engaged to longtime boyfriend Brent Powdrill.

Don’t miss the profile of Hannah’s volunteerism (pp. 34-35) of this magazine!

Amanda Kelly Silberman ’04

Sophie Browne ’04

Dean recently proposed to girlfriend Christa Rizkallah.

2005

It’s Your 10th!

CLASS AGENTS

2006

CLASS AGENTS: Sara C. Gallant  sara.gallant1@gmail.com Meredith C. Kelly  meredithk127@gmail.com

Breanna L. Manora  bmanora@gmail.com

Andrew J. Orpik  aorpik86@gmail.com

Hannah E. Sussek  HSussek@gmail.com

Jude Biton ’06 Jude proposed to girlfriend Shalika Smith at a rehearsal for “West Side Story” on campus in the CFA. They are planning a wedding for 2016.

Alexa Emmanuel ’06 Kristin Gabriel Cronin ’05

Mathieu Frechette ’06

Kristin and her husband John welcomed their first child, daughter Kelsey Lynne Cronin, on December 20. She weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. (See picture on pg. 58.)

Classmates Alexa and Mat recently got engaged. They are planning a wedding for next Labor Day in Newport, RI. The couple recently relocated to San Francisco.

Michael Galvin ’05

Thayer thanks Mat for his service on the Alumni Board. Mat had to step down due to his relocation to SF.

Mike recently became engaged.

Mark Melevsky ’93

Laura Kaveney Briggs ’03

Lyndsey Allison Williams ’93

Mark with his wife Liz Brown on their wedding day - August 2014.

Laura’s wedding party featured five Thayer alumni: Elizabeth Iannessa ‘03, Jeff Kaveny ‘05, Alana Casciello ‘03, Elyse Boyle ‘03, and Sarahjeet Singh ‘03

Lyndsey with husband Tony on their wedding day - September 2013.

Hillary Roth Gredell ’05

Tim Roche ’05

Emely Orellana de Bautista ’03

Hillary Roth Gredell ’05 walking down the aisle with husband Lucas on their wedding day September 2013.

(L-R) Ben MacNeil ‘05, Tim Roche ‘05, Chris Howard ‘05, Pat Hurrie ‘05, Rob Melchionda ‘05, Pat Maloney ‘05, Anthony Melchionda ‘08.

(L-R) Rochelle Ballin ‘04, Emely Orellana de Bautista ‘03 and Tracy Wong ‘03

CLASS NOTES: 2000s

THAYER WEDDINGS

Newlywed? Share the good news with your fellow Thayer alums! Email us your high-res (300 dpi or higher) photo:

✉ alumni@thayer.org

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

All the

Buzz in L.A.

Kirsten King ’10 on life as a BuzzFeed Writer Having whatever you write each day viewed

covered: from a quiz on “Which Gilmore

almost immediately by millions of people

Girls Character Are You?” to “19 Reasons Your

around the world might seem like heady stuff.

College Friends Will Be Your Friends For Life,”

But for Kirsten King ’10, staff writer/reporter

to highlighting photographer Rania Matar’s

at BuzzFeed in Los Angeles, CA, it’s just all in

intriguing series of photographs of the rooms

a day’s work.

of Middle Eastern adolescent girls, “A Girl and Her Room.” In many ways, her articles

“I usually write two to three pieces per day,”

reflect her place in this world at this moment,

King explains, “It could be as simple as posting

as a twentysomething recent college graduate,

a viral video, or a short piece of original content,

with all the social and occupational pitfalls and

an interview, a longform piece, or a short

hijinks and avenues to circumnavigate at that

bulleted list.”

age.

These ubiquitous lists have put BuzzFeed at

“For sure, it’s challenging,” she admits, on

the forefront of the social media universe,

the sheer volume of writing and topics to be

populating everyone’s Facebook feeds with 32

covered. “Sometimes I wake up and wonder,

or 17 or 10 funny, silly, thought-provoking,

‘what am I going to write about today?’”

or even profane things about any number of

However, the BuzzTeam LA group of 15 people

topics under the sun - usually accompanied by

she’s a part of does help in the process - with

animated GIFs.

periodic brainstorm sessions and pitch meetings. (BuzzFeed already has additional offices all over

And while Kirsten is relatively new at the young

the country, as well as around the world)

company (she started in September 2014, BuzzFeed itself began in 2006), one could say she

She also admits that her job has a way of

has already compiled a list of her own regarding

infiltrating her own life away from the

the job that she readily appreciates. “BuzzFeed is

office. “Of course, friends and family make

a truly unique company - they really care about

suggestions all the time - though it’s hard to

their writers and about creativity,” she notes.

write about something if it’s not from my own

“You really get to be yourself, and the staff is

life perspective.” She also admits that there are

always open to the creative process for writers,

times when she’s out and about and a situation

allowing us to experiment, try new things and

would arise and her immediate thought would

new forms.”

be “that would be a great BuzzFeed article!” So there are times where she has to “turn her

Indeed, a scan of the over 200 articles she has written so far, portray a vast array of topics

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

‘BuzzFeed brain’ off.”

For King, Thayer has been - and continues to be - instrumental in her life as a writer in Los Angeles. “From early on, Thayer sets you up to make you believe that you can do more,” she recalls. “With teachers always being so accessible, and for me, English teachers like Kate Hayman were always encouraging my writing and pushing me to go further, assigning me outside reading they thought I’d be interested in. If I wanted to do extra work or writing, that was always an option.” Because of this special attention paid her, she knew early on that the dreams she had to be a writer could be realized with hard work. “I definitely have Thayer to thank for instilling certain values within me that make me more of a go-getter. And as far as preparing you for the world - Thayer really has that down. I remember my freshman year in college thinking that a few of my years at the Academy seemed harder!” Of course, there is one more Thayer piece in Kirsten’s life - and it’s the most important one: her mother, Denise, is a Thayer English teacher and the Director of the Academy’s Senior Project program.

“Being a ‘faculty

brat’ (as the term went back in her days at Thayer) was interesting, to say the least,” she recalls. “My friends and classmates would consider it ‘semi- my fault’ if she gave a hard test to them! I myself never took a class with her.” She confesses with a laugh that this was partly because of Denise’s reputation as a hard teacher! Kirsten’s mom was definitely an influence upon her vocation and interests and success in the writing world, and even to this day she remains her biggest fan...and a fan of BuzzFeed. “My mom is all about BuzzFeed,” Kirsten discloses. “Sometimes I wake up and find two or three texts from her with ideas for another list!” She also notes that she used her mom as one of her resources for the “Secrets that Teachers Won’t Tell You” list that got over 2 million hits!

Caroline Geary ’06

- particularly as a transplant in a new city, far

Thayer welcomes Caroline to the Alumni Board this year!

from the East Coast. “Use the network,” she advises, “in many ways, with the contacts I’ve made (she particularly is appreciative of her alumni connection with Tony Tompson ’02, Director of Drama Development &

Programming at FOX) I’ve found Thayer’s alumni network to be more useful than even my college network!”

Marykelly Gooding ’06 Marykelly recently became engaged to Chris Tarallo.

Napolean Lherrison ’06 This academic year Napolean started in a new position in TA’s Admission Office as Assistant Director of Admission.

2009

CLASS AGENTS: Christine M. Healy  chealy401@gmail.com Megan A. Sullivan  megsull92191@yahoo.com

Kyle McKenzie ’09 Kyle was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 20th Round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Kyle spent five years at Tulane where he transitioned from a starting pitcher to a reliever. His minor league career has started out well, with a combined Rookie League-A Ball ERA of 1.42, with 27 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.

CLASS NOTES: 2000-2010s

King speaks highly of Thayer’s alumni network

As for the future, while she’s happy at BuzzFeed, she (“just like everyone here in L.A.”) is working on a pilot script, as well as

2007

creative non-fiction pieces and other pieces I’d be okay with that too,” she adds. “Long

Kristen A. Vassalotti  kristen.vassalotti@gmail.com

term, I want to be writing and doing what I be in a couple of years, but hopefully still writing!”

Stephen G. Anastos, Jr.  stephen.anastos@gmail.com Jessica N. Buckley  jessbuckley23@gmail.com

submitted to magazines. “If I wrote a novel,

love, so I’m content. I don’t know where I’ll

CLASS AGENTS:

Devin Cahill ’07 Thayer welcomed Devin to the Alumni Board this year.

Kristen Vassalotti ’07 Kristen, a footwear developer for Reebok, recently travelled to Fuzhou, China, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as part of an extended six-week work experience.

2010

It’s Your 5th!

CLASS AGENTS

Julia M. Daly  jmdaly91@gmail.com

Ian Noel B. Marcellana  imarcellana@gmail.com

Attention Alums! Know of a fellow Thayer alumni who is doing something interesting or amazing? Do you know of someone who continues to live out our motto by inspiring others to excellence or their many contributions to the common good? Let us know so that we can feature them in these pages! CONTACT US!

✉ magazine@thayer.org

2008

CLASS AGENTS: Kenneth T. Carberry  kenny.carberry@gmail.com Shannon E. Cleary  secleary12@gmail.com Caroline A. Maroney  cmaroney@nd.edu

Griffin Budde ’10 Griffin will graduate from Boston University in May. He is currently interning at the Massachusetts State House.

Tom Healy ’10 Kenny Carberry ’08 Thayer welcomed Kenny to the Alumni Board this year.

Katherine Hooley ’08 Alumnae, parents, and friends enjoyed hearing from Katie as she spoke as a panelist at the Women’s Professional Networking event in February. She shared insights on her career path to her current role at Rue La La. The event discussion was moderated by Thayer alumna, Kelley Tuthill ’88 of WCVB-TV.

Tom is currently working on his masters degree in mechanical engineering. He is also one of the founders of an independent lab called HeadSmart, which is working on a football helmet that will provide more protection for players and decrease concussion incidents. Tom and his company made national headlines in the New York Times during the “Deflategate” controversy surrounding the New England Patriots. Using science principles first learned in the classrooms of Glover, Tom and other scientists argued for the PVRT theory of how the air pressure could have changed in the footballs.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

2011

CLASS AGENTS:

Mackenzie Eck ’12

Jessica H. Clinton  clintjx11@aim.com

Mackenzie was elected to the position of Vice President of Member Education of Delta Gamma sorority at Furman University.

Sean M. Fernald  fernaldse@gmail.com Andrew C. McManus  andrewcmcmanus@gmail.com Alexandra M. Morey  moreyallie@yahoo.com

John Bandera ’11 John writes, “I spent my fall semester in Rome which was amazing!”

Michael Burgess ’11 Michael was captain of the golf team, “athlete of the month” in October 2013, and a member of the Academic Honors Program at Emmanuel College.

Alexandra Morey ’11 Allie was elected President of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, as part of the “Life After College Success Program,” and made the Dean’s List sophomore year and first semester of junior year at Franklin & Marshall College.

Michael Vassalotti ’11 Michael is a senior at Trinity College studying Economics. During the fall semester of his junior year, he studied in London, England. He then spent last summer as an intern in securities lending at Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston.

Jonathan White ’11 Jonathan is looking forward to going to Nepal this summer for a six week geology study.

2013

CLASS AGENTS: Eyub Acikgoz  eyubi2002@yahoo.com Jared W. Bacon  04bacon@cardinalmail.cua.edu Allison N. Hooley  hooley.a@gmail.com John P. Tully  jacktully123@msn.com

Justin Henriksen ’13 After graduating from Thayer Academy in 2013, Justin Henriksen spent a year in the Philippines as a volunteer with Medical Missions for Children (MMC). In September 2014 Justin enrolled at Amherst College, with plans to major in economics and double minor in theatre and political science. He is also a member of the Amherst golf team, and plays guitar in one of the college’s jazz ensembles.

2014

achieved an astonishing level of expertise, and his enthusiasm for all things related to pipe organs, and music in general, is a delight. While a middle school student at St. Paul’s, Alex sang in the boys’ choir every weekday morning, and this is how he discovered the organ. “I was distracted by the sounds and look of the instrument. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I used to try memorizing the labels on all the stops.” Upper School teacher Joe Pelletier, who has worked with Alex as his English teacher and cross-country coach, is a fan. “I live in Cambridge,” said Mr. Pelletier, “so I’ve heard him play at St. Paul’s Church and have also attended a recital or two. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Alex and learning about his keen interest in music,” said Mr. Pelletier. “I admire his talent and passion, his drive to explore technique, organ literature, music history, and theory. After talking with Alex and hearing him play, I am reminded that we can always learn from our students, and that our students might have hidden talents that should be recognized and celebrated!”

CLASS AGENTS: Neil C. Conway  conwayne@thayer.org Dylan E. McManus  demcmanus@gmail.com Bridget E. Norton  bridgetn336@gmail.com

2012

Martha M. Pena  marthaapena@gmail.com CLASS AGENTS: Derek C. Keough  dckeou16@g.holycross.edu Cassandra B. Mahar  cassandrabmahar@gmail.com Morgan E. O’Brien  mobrien22@elon.edu

Julia Budde ’12 Julia is currently in Paris as part of Boston University’s Paris Internship Program, where she will intern at the Galerie Maeght, a contemporary art gallery.

Angela Vassalotti ’12 Angela is a junior at Bentley University studying marketing. She is currently working as an intern at Rockport.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

Michael V. Ubertini  mvubertini@gmail.com

Alexander Pattavina ’14 Alex won the 21st Annual L. Cameron Johnson Memorial Organ Competition for High School Students put on by the Northeastern Connecticut Chapter of the American Guild of Organists in May. He also participated in the Worchester Organ Concert Series at Mechanics Hall in August before heading to The Julliard School in the fall. Alex was the Organ Scholar at St. Paul’s Church in Harvard Square and the Assistant Organist at St. Joseph Parish in Needham. For such a young person, he’s

Become a

Class Agent!

The Thayer Academy Alumni Association is an integral part of the Thayer

2014-2015

community. Through the governing body of a twenty-five member board as well

ALUMNI BOARD

as Class Agents, Thayer’s more than 5,700 alumni of all generations and locations remain informed about the day-to-day activities on campus as well as networking opportunities and educational and fundraising events available to them.

STEVEN GAZIANO ’02 PRESIDENT

THOMAS SHANLEY ’97 VICE PRESIDENT

Stay connected to your Thayer Community! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter,

ALLISON KENT TRUMBULL ’00 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

Instagram and LinkedIn. Remember, the Alumni House is always here to help you!

BRAD DUNN ’99 SECRETARY

www.thayer.org

| 781.380.0500

TROY COADY ’97 TREASURER

PAUL ARCHIBALD ’00 DONAVAN BROWN ’01 DEVIN CAHILL ’07 KENNY CARBERRY ’08 KEVIN CAULFIELD ’96 SANDRA COLMAN ’73 MARTIN COURAGE ’06 KELLEY DOYLE ’88 MAT FRECHETTE ’06 CAROLINE GEARY ’06 JOANNA SKOLER GILMAN ’86 ANDY GOLABEK ’02 GEOFF GOODALE ’62 P ’84, ’91, ’97 ELIZABETH IANNESSA ’03 JENNIFER JOHNSON ’84 P ’19 SEANA KELLEY ’80 P ’07, ’09 LAUREN FISH LOWING ’93 PATRICK MATHEWS ’04 BILL O’DWYER ’02 COLIN SMYTH ’00

Class

Agents

are

vital

continuing to spread the good works of

and

Thayer

accomplishments Academy

alumni.

Charged with keeping alumni of various generations and locations engaged with the Academy, they help build pride and loyalty while encouraging their classmates to offer support to Thayer.

Giving Lead by example. Make your own gift early in the fiscal year commensurate with your ability to give.

Engaging Use your voice and communication style to inspire classmates to be involved with Thayer activities and deepen their connection.

Educating

Encouraging

Work with both the Alumni House and Alumni Board to communicate with classmates what is happening throughout the Thayer community as well as with each other.

Support campus and regional events by driving classmate attendance. Identify potential key volunteers or supporters in your class to help strengthen the Thayer alumni network.

Asking Strategize with the Alumni House staff to set goals and develop plans for maximizing philanthropic support. Promote giving by writing personal letters or emails, making phone calls and sending messages via

TO BECOME A CLASS AGENT, CONTACT ROCHELLE BALLIN ’04



rballin@thayer.org

social media to your fellow classmates.

Thayer Magazine Winter/Spring 2014-15

In Memoriam Lillian Wentworth THAYER TEACHER, PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR, ARCHIVIST

On March 2, 2014, just eight weeks shy of her 101st birthday, Lillian Wentworth passed away. Born in Southbury, CT on April 25, 1913, Mrs. Wentworth was a longtime resident of Braintree, and a veritable institution at Thayer Academy for 53 years.

LILLIAN WENTWORTH 1913-2014

LILLIAN WITH HEADMASTER BENELLI

WORKING IN THE THAYER ARCHIVES

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

Lillian Wentworth arrived at Thayer in 1961, as a teacher of history and English, having earned a degree in political science and English from Brown University. By 1965, when Southworth Library first opened its doors, she had also completed a degree in library science, so she was the Academy’s logical choice for its first library director. In 1977, she wrote the first history of the school, The Thayer Academy: 100 Years, 1877-1977, which was published as part of the school’s centennial celebration. In 1978, Mrs. Wentworth became Thayer’s director of publications and public relations. Finally, it was in 1987 that she assumed the role she would continue to play as she celebrated her own centennial: school historian and head archivist. Everybody knows that nobody knew more about Thayer Academy than Lillian Wentworth.

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A consistent source of pride in the Thayer community, Mrs. Wentworth was also respected beyond the confines of this Braintree campus, and was often consulted as an expert in many fields. Most recently, she was interviewed for the making of a documentary film about events that took place in her hometown of Southbury, CT in 1937. The 2012 film, Home of the Brave: When Southbury Said No to the Nazis, made by award-winning documentarian Scott Sniffen, was partly based on Lillian’s 1938 thesis, which completed her University of Virginia master’s degree in political science. To film this story, Scott Sniffen worked with the Southbury Historical Society, townspeople who were present at the time (or their relatives), and Mrs. Wentworth, who was able to play a dual role in the film as witness and historian. Lillian is survived by her daughter Frances Marion Wentworth ’70 and her husband George Claflin of Lexington; her son Larry Marshall Wentworth ’69 of Micronesia; her grandchildren: Marie, Lance, and Gwendolyn Claflin; and nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews in Virginia, Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois. She was predeceased by her husband Robert B. Wentworth and her son Alec Matthew Wentworth.

a tribute to lillian BY LARRY CARLSON

Last year, the Thayer Academy community lost its most senior member, Lillian Wentworth, with whom I had the privilege of working closely for nearly two decades. Lillian was more than a teacher, librarian, yearbook editor, publicist and, of course, archivist in the more than fifty years she served the Academy.

exaggeration to say (as it does on the plaque which hangs on the door to the Wentworth Archives) that she was “the Keeper of the Flame.” As her assistant, I learned a great deal about both the Academy and about living in general. She never stood on seniority or ceremony and respected me as an equal from the start.

She both lived and shaped its history for nearly one third of its life, as well as touching directly and indirectly the rest. Among other things, she was vitally present at the creation of its Library, it’s Archives (named for her) and this magazine, as well as being a confidant of our last five Headmasters; it is no

I am proud to have known her as one of my dearest friends and greatly miss her weekly visits to the Archives, although she will never really be gone, as her influence, her work and her spirit remains so much a part of the Academy and its story.

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In Memoriam Robert Gustavson

James J. Fitzpatrick

THAYER BUSINESS MANAGER, 1998-2007

FORMER THAYER TRUSTEE P ’70, ’72, ’77, ’79, ’80, GP ’01, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’12, ’13, ’16

Robert Gustavson, known as Bob to family and colleagues, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on January 27, 2014. Born in 1937 in Pontiac, MI, Bob held degrees from Michigan State, Duke University, and Harvard Business School. After many years working in venture capital, he served as business manager at Francis Parker School in San Diego and Thayer Academy. During their fifty years together, Bob and his wife Willie (Wilhelmina) lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, and New Hampshire. He was actively involved in community organizations, town committees, and church vestries. “During his tenure at Thayer, Bob was greatly appreciated as he embodied a wonderful blend of a tough minded, can-do spirit fused with a sincere and caring heart,” said Headmaster Ted Koskores. Bob served as business manager at Thayer from the summer of 1998 until 2005, when he was succeeded by Bill Stephenson. Bob continued to work for Thayer on a part-time basis, as director of special projects, until the spring of 2007. Throughout his nine years at Thayer, Bob was in charge of many improvements to Thayer’s buildings and grounds. In the summer of 2001, Bob was responsible for managing the complete renovation of Main Building, including installation of the elevator for wheelchair accessibility, new mechanical systems, and windows. He also headed up the Brickyard project, which transformed the basement of Main into a multi-function area allocating space for faculty offices, a venue for special events, and a gathering place for seniors. (As of 2014, the Pulsifer College Counseling Center is also located in the Brickyard.) In 2002, Bob was responsible for the renovation of the Middle School library and computer lab, and in 2003 his focus was on an addition to the Glover building for two new biology labs. In 2004, he handled the construction of the Fish Center for Physical Fitness. Finally, he was instrumental in developing the tract of land now known as the South Athletic Campus, which was gifted to the school by local real estate developer and philanthropist Thomas J. Flatley P ’78, GP ’03, ’09, ’08, ’11. Bob is survived by his wife of 50 years Wilhelmina Rosenberger Gustavson; his brother Richard of Ware, MA; his son Rob of Southborough, MA; his daughter Kristen of Etna, NH; and his grandchildren Willa, Jack, and Henry.

James J. Fitzpatrick, 93, of Scituate and Kearsage, NH passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 15, 2015, surrounded by his loving family. He was the son of the late Marion and James Fitzpatrick of Watertown; and brother of Marie Fitzpatrick of Cohasset and Eugene Fitzpatrick of Cumberland, ME. Jim graduated from Boston College High School in 1939 and Harvard University in 1944. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941 and served as first lieutenant in the 79th Division, 314th Regiment. He landed on Utah beach on D-day plus 3, and earned the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a Battlefield Commission. He was a partner in Rhodius, Inc. of Boston and later became owner and treasurer of Bearings Specialty in Canton. Jim served in many leadership roles president of the Scituate Youth Center, chairman of Thayer’s Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1979, Thayer board member from 1973 to 1983, and commodore of the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club. He also taught CCD at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, and was a longtime member of Hatherly Country Club in Scituate. “Over the span of almost 140 years, one would be hard pressed to find another whose sustained commitment to Thayer Academy found so many diverse and important ways to enrich the life of our school,” said Headmaster Ted Koskores. “Father to five alumni, grandfather to ten, with another soon to graduate, valued trustee, energetic board chair, generous benefactor... Truly, a man thoroughly invested in shaping meaningful opportunities for his family and equally dedicated to helping other young people achieve their goals. What a remarkable example of a life well lived.” Jim is survived by his wife Joan H. McConnell Fitzpatrick; his daughters Polly Fish ’70 and her husband Gregory; Joan Fitzpatrick ’77; Nancy Friedman ’79 and her husband David; his sons James Fitzpatrick, Jr. ’72 (Thayer trustee, 1998-2008) and his wife Sally; and Peter Fitzpatrick ’80 and his wife Ellen; his twelve grandchildren Alexander Fish ’01 and his wife Mary; Amanda Fish ’03; Lucy Ramseyer ’04 and her husband Logan ’02; Audrey Fitzpatrick ’12; Kiely ’06, David, and Jack ’10 Turgeon; Sam ’09 and Anna ’11 Friedman; Peter ’12, Caroline ’13, and Charlotte ’16 Fitzpatrick; and his two great-grandchildren Teddy and Royce Fish. He was predeceased by his brothers John and Paul Fitzpatrick; his sister Kathryn Fitzpatrick; and his daughter Katharine (Kate) Fitzpatrick.

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

In Memoriam 1936 Julia Dodge Wilson ‘36 Julia Dodge Wilson of South Weymouth passed away on Tuesday July 8, 2014, at the age of 96. Julia was born in Yonkers, NY and lived most of her life in Weymouth. After graduating from Thayer Academy, Julia graduated from Wellesley College and the Katherine Gibbs School. She was a devoted member of the Old South Union Congregational Church and belonged to many community-based organizations. While at Thayer, Julia was an honor roll student and a member of Theta Alpha. She is survived by her sons Richard E. Wilson and his wife Harriet of Brookfield, NH; David T. Wilson and his wife Donna of Dighton, MA; and Alan (Skip) Wilson and his wife Karen of Hanover. She also leaves her six grandchildren Nathan, Rachel, James, Sarah, Kate, and Kristina Wilson; and her three greatgrandchildren Katie, Sam, and Gianna. She is also survived by her niece Louise Hill-Gaskill, her nephew Christopher Hill, and her grandnephew Evan Gaskill, all of Vermont. Julia was predeceased by her husband Elliot T. Wilson; her daughter Nancy Wilson; her brother John Dodge ’35; and her sister Josephine Hill.

1937 William David Michael ’37 Dr. William D. Michael, Jr. passed away on May 3, 2014 at the age of 95. Dave was born in Quincy in 1919, to William D. Michael and Mary Alexander Michael. He graduated from Thayer and Williston Academies and received a

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

doctorate of optometry from the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he joined his father’s optometry practice in Quincy. He married Marion Ross Scudder, his childhood sweetheart, in 1942. They settled in Weymouth and later moved to Hingham. When Dave retired from his optometry practice in 1978, he and Marion moved to Hilton Head, SC. In retirement, they pursued their love of travel and Dave’s dream of golfing all year round. At Thayer, Dave was active in the Hi-Y club, the dramatics committee, and the glee club. He also played football and baseball. Dave was predeceased by Marion, his wife of 65 years; his daughter Marion Leslie Michael; and his grandson David Monroe. He is survived by his three daughters Joan Michael Monroe ’66 of Weymouth; Wendy Mauch of Lochmere, NH; and Meredith Schubach of Tucson, AZ. He also leaves six grandchildren and three great-grandsons.

1938 Margaret Alexander Wineman ’38 At the age of 92, Margaret Alexander Wineman died peacefully on April 26, 2014, just fourteen days before her husband Robert Wineman, who passed away on May 9, 2014. Margaret, known as Peg, was born on August 7, 1921, in Casper, WY and grew up in Braintree. After attending Thayer Academy, she went on to earn a B.A. in chemistry from Wellesley College (class of 1942) and an M.A. from American University. At Thayer, Peg was an honor roll student and a member of Theta Alpha (serving

one term as president), and active in the performing arts. She was a member of the rifle club, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), the glee club, the French club, the chemistry club, and the riding club. Peg played tennis, basketball, and field hockey. After World War II, Peg and her husband Bob were founding members of the progressive Conantum residential community in Concord, where she taught elementary school. In 1971, after moving to Maryland, she worked in special education for the Montgomery County school system. In 1982, Peg and Bob retired to East Orleans, MA where they had spent their summers since the early 1960s. Having served for more than ten years with the Arc of Cape Cod, Peg remained active in her support of programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was instrumental in the formation of a group home in Orleans where her daughter Barbara lived. In 1990, she helped organize a water quality lab for monitoring estuaries in area towns. In 2003, Peg and Bob were co-recipients of the Orleans Good Citizenship Award, in recognition of their committee work on water quality, wind energy, and transportation. Peg and Bob were predeceased by their daughter Barbara Wineman of Orleans, MA. They are survived by their son Tom Wineman of Osterville, MA, and their daughters Janet Brevard and her husband Joe of Newton; by their daughter Jean Sargent and her husband Terry of Ann Arbor, MI; and by their daughter Marian Rundall and her husband John of Seattle, WA. They will also be missed by their six grandchildren Jesse and Nate Brevard; Lindsey, Kelsey, and Maisie Sargent; and Alexi Rundall.

David A. MacKenzie ’39 Born in Medford and raised in Braintree, David MacKenzie passed away on March 2, 2014, at the age of 93. David was a World War II Army Air Force combat pilot who became a prisoner of war at Stalag 1 in Bath, Germany after flying escort for a box of B-17s. Returning from a mission over Hamburg, David was forced to bail out, and found himself imprisoned by enemy forces. Shortly afterward, the Russian army liberated the POW camp where he was interned. An unlikely epilogue to this story emerged in 2008, when the remains of his P-51 fighter jet were unearthed in Quickborn, Germany, 63 years after it had crashed. The serial number imprinted on the remains confirmed that it was indeed the plane Mr. MacKenzie had flown on that escort mission. Some pieces from the wreckage were shipped to MacKenzie by American researchers in Germany, with a note that read, “You broke it – now you fix it!” (Source The Last Flight of First Lieutenant David MacKenzie posted on wickedlocal.com by Gregory H. Arabian, Major, USAF HD, Nov 2, 2009). At Thayer, David was popular because of his high energy and cheerfulness. He was class treasurer, belonged to the Hi-Y club, and played football, baseball, and golf. After Thayer, David worked at his family’s restaurant The Galley Luncheon (also known as Mac’s) at Post Office Square in Boston, and when he retired, he moved to Hartland, VT. Dave was predeceased by his wife Joyce Hoisington MacKenzie. He is survived by his sons Bruce MacKenzie of California and Scott MacKenzie of Carver, MA; his daughters Kimberly Vallatini of Braintree; Sharon Whitney of Braintree; and Lee Raymond of Plymouth; his sister Barbara MacKenzie McCormick ’40 of Indiana; thirteen grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren, including Cameron Eck ’10, MacKenzie Eck ’12, and Ainslie Eck ’15.

1940

1942

W. Marshall Morgan ’40

Emily Holbrook

Marshall Morgan was born on February 8, 1922 in New York City and died on April 3, 2014 at his home in Pasadena, CA.

Pelissier ’42

While at Thayer, Marshall played baseball, basketball, and football, and he served on the dance committee. He started college at the University of Pittsburgh in 1940, but a year later he temporarily suspended his studies to enlist in the military. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corp, 89th Attack Squadron, 3rd Bomb Group. He flew 51 missions in the Asiatic Pacific Theater and was awarded the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star. After the war, he served in the Army Air Force Reserves as a captain. Marshall finished his undergraduate degree in 1947, and then went on to get a law degree from the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California. He began his legal career as a deputy city attorney in Los Angeles County, and in 1953, he entered private practice. He founded his own law firm, Morgan, Wenzel & McNicholas, in 1961. During his long career as an attorney, he was a member of the Los Angeles County, Wilshire, and American Bar Associations, and the State Bar of California. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Diplomat of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He was a founding member of the American Board of Trial Advocates dedicated to the preservation of the jury trial system, and was named California Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1987. He was also a member of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the International Association of Insurance Counsel. Marshall is survived by his wife Barbara Brough; his children Michael, Patrick, Jane, and Christopher; and his grandchildren Heather, Erin, and Matthew.

Emily Holbrook Pelissier of Waterford, ME, passed away on December 26, 2014, at the age of 89. She was born in Randolph, the daughter of the late Cora Wheeler and Arthur Holbrook. She graduated from Thayer Academy and Colby College and was a teacher for 37 years. She was a member of the First Congregational Church and the Order of the Eastern Star. She enjoyed bird watching, spending time with family and friends, and summering at Kamp Kozy on Highland Lake in Maine. At Thayer, Emily was active in horseback riding, field hockey, tennis, and basketball. She was a member of Theta Alpha, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), and the verse speaking choir. Her 1942 yearbook quote Happiness consists in activity.

IN MEMORIAM: 1930s-1940s

1939

Emily was predeceased in 2012 by her husband Bruce Pelissier. She is survived by her two sons Scott and Kent Pelissier; and her three granddaughters Lindsey, Jenna, and Carly. Her brothers George ’31 and Walter Holbrook also graduated from Thayer.

1943 Mary Petersen McGill ’43 Mary Petersen McGill, born on July 21, 1925 in Lancaster, PA to the late Katharine Zook and Thoralf Petersen, died on November 14, 2014 in Jacksonville, FL. After graduating from Thayer, Mary earned a B.S. from UMass in Amherst. Mary taught home economics at the Amherst Junior/Senior High School before marrying Lansing H. McGill. She was known for making the world a more beautiful place through her arts and crafts, her flower gardens, and her smile. Her colorful flower gardens caught the eye of many and her home was rarely without a floral arrangement. She was an expert seamstress, furnishing family and friends with quilts, teddy bears, and dolls. She also ran a small business selling her work at New England craft shows. Her art work, primarily watercolors of landscapes and nature scenes, is displayed on the walls of family members and at a variety of venues in Brattleboro, VT.

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

Mary was active in her church and community. She volunteered at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for fifteen years. She chaired nu merous committees at the First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro, and donated a quilt each year for the annual church bazaar. She was a board member for the Brattleboro Drop-in Center, the Brattleboro Pastoral Counseling Center, and the UVM extension. At Thayer, Mary was known as gentle, competent, and reliable. She was a member of the glee club, the bowling club, and Theta Alpha (serving one year as treasurer). She served on the yearbook staff and the dramatics committee, and she competed in archery, basketball, field hockey, and tennis. She was predeceased in 1998 by her husband of 51 years, Lansing H. McGill. She is survived by her children Steven, Lawrence, Susan, and Peter; her daughters-in-law; seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild; her sister Helen and her husband Gordon; her brother Jake and his wife Ethel; her sister-in law Maurine; many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She will also be sorely missed by the formerly plump and well-nourished squirrels at Westminster Woods.

1946 Donald Malcolm Duke ’46 Donald Duke was born in Boston in 1929, and died on April 23, 2013. Donald grew up in Randolph, where his father was a plumber and his mother used to play the piano in the local theater to accompany silent movies. Sometimes money was hard to come by, so the family would work together to deliver newspapers to help make ends meet. At Thayer, Donald belonged to the chess and aeronautics clubs. His classmates remembered him as tall, shy, and easy-going. According to Donald’s daughter Debbie Passik, Thayer played an important role in his life, and he often commented on how well the school had prepared him academically. After graduating from Thayer, Donald attended Defiance College in Ohio, and a year later, he transferred to Northeastern University where he earned a B.S. in civil engineering.

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

In 1953, Donald went to Greenland to work as a surveyor and engineer at the U.S. Air Force base. Upon his return to the U.S., he married Marion Hall, and they had two children Debbie and David. They made frequent moves so Donald could satisfy his insatiable appetite for learning new things Hartford Seminary Foundation (anthropology and linguistics), University of Chicago (business and hospital administration), and University of Bridgeport Law School, where he earned his J.D. In his 70s and 80s, he attended numerous classes at St. Petersburg College in Florida. He took courses in legal guardianship, real estate appraisal, creative writing, and oceanography. His daughter Debbie often said, “I think that if he’d had only $20 to his name, he would have spent it on a book!” Donald also loved the Honeymooners, Combat, Star Trek, old World War II movies, and courtroom dramas like Twelve Angry Men. He became an administrator and/or director at various hospitals University Hospital at the NYU Medical Center, South Shore Hospital (South Weymouth, MA) and Stamford Hospital (Stamford, CT). He later returned to his engineering roots by consulting for engineering firms in Los Angeles and New York City. Donald loved to sing. He joined the Northeastern University Chorus, the Chapel Choir, and performed in H.M.S. Pinafore taking on the role of R.T. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B. In the 1950s and 1960s, he sang with the Wollaston Glee Club of Quincy. Mindful of healthy living, Donald took up jogging, swimming, sailboat racing, and hiking (in the Blue Hills and the White Mountains). In his later years, he supported his wife Marion as she developed dementia. “He stimulated her mind with music and bad jokes,” Debbie said. Near the end of 2012, a car accident put him in the hospital for about six months, and though he mustered all of his strength, he was unable to recover. Six months later, Marion also passed away. Donald is survived by his children Deborah and David; his granddaughter Julia; and his sister Shirley Duke San Martin ’49, who said, “We all miss him and his delightful sense of humor so much.”

Robert Elliot Foster ’46 Robert Foster of Milton, died on June 14, 2014 at the age of 87. He was born in Quincy on March 23, 1927, the son of Frank and Elsie McClenning Foster. Bob grew up in Milton with his two brothers Kendall and Frank. He married Eleanor Botti Foster in 1955 and they had three children Robert, Peter, and Janice. After graduating from Thayer, Bob joined the U.S. Army. He served in Germany in 1945 with General Patton’s Third Army as a sergeant/field artillery gunner. Bob began his civilian career at MacKenzie & Foster Electric Company. He later sold real estate and then owned the Boston Woodworking Company. He was an electrician and member of the Local 103 IBEW for 51 years, where he made many friends. He joined the American Legion Post 114 and served as commander from 1967-1969. He was a Mason of the Scottish Rite and a Milton auxiliary police officer for 56 years. He was a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps. He loved to march in parades and hold large neighborhood 4th of July parties. Bob was proud of the town of Milton and its history, actively seeking to contribute wherever he could. He was a town meeting member for more than 55 years and served on many boards, including the Conservation Commission, the East Milton Environs Committee, and Concerned Citizens of Milton. He was New England vice governor for the Kiwanis Club. Bob was also an active scoutmaster for Troop 8 of the Boy Scouts of America and often took them hiking, camping, and rafting. He enjoyed gardening, bee keeping, woodworking, watercolor painting, and collecting books. He is survived by his wife Eleanor Botti Foster of Milton; his son Robert E. Foster, Jr. and his wife Susan of Milton; his son Peter F. Foster of Brookline; and his daughter Janice Foster Mitiguy and her husband Dana of Cumberland, ME. He was the cherished grandfather of Carolyn and Gregory Foster; and Cameron, Julia, Douglas, and Jocelyn Mitiguy. Robert was predeceased by his brothers Kendall Foster ’41 and Frank Foster ’43.

David Alexander Taylor ’47 Born in Quincy and raised in Wollaston, David Taylor of Braintree, died on Monday, November 24, 2014 at the age of 86. At Thayer, David took part in the performing arts and played baseball. After graduating from Thayer, he earned a B.A. from Northeastern University. He then ran the family-owned J. H. Taylor Foundry in Quincy. David served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He will be remembered as a Red Sox fan and a friend to all animals in need. He enjoyed listening to classical music and playing golf at the Harwich Country Club.

of Thayer’s Alumni Humanitarian Award and also received a Humanitarian Award from the Hingham Historical Society. Dick was a member of Rotary International, and led the Hingham Rotary Club’s relief mission after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Via container ships and military air craft, he coordinated the transportation of medical support systems, including equipment, doctors, fire engines, and ambulances to Honduras and Belize. In 2001, Dick served as marshal for Hingham’s Fourth of July parade, an honor given to recognize his humanitarian work in the Dominican Republic. In his early years, Dick was an avid runner and swimmer. He enjoyed boating and sailing in Maine and along Boston’s South Shore. He was a member of the Mackenzie

Richard Martel Bridges ’48

Boat Club in Massachusetts (a club whose members are dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of Mackenzie boats). He traveled the Caribbean, Central America, and Europe. He served a term as president of the Hingham Rotary Club, was a 32nddegree Mason, belonged to the Weymouth Businessmen’s Assoc., the Weymouth Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Matthews Museum of Maine Heritage. Dick had a truly wide range of interests, including, but not limited to membership in the New England Moxie Congress (NEMC), which, according to NEMC.com is “a loosely-knit band of Moxie zealots [...] who collect Moxie-related memorabilia, promote the drink’s availability, get together for parades and clambakes, and sometimes actually drink the stuff.”

Richard Bridges, 84, died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on July 30, 2014. Richard was born on May 26, 1930 in Boston, to Walter G. and Lucia Saucier Bridges. He received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University, and then served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953, during the Korean War. He worked in real estate and insurance, and was owner and president of W. G. Bridges & Sons, Insurance in Weymouth.

Richard was predeceased by his sister Martha Bridges Degrande ’49, and his brother-in-law John MacDonald. He is survived by his wife Mary Elizabeth Bridges of East Boothbay, ME; his lifelong friend Sandra Ingmanson of Westford, MA; his son Richard W. Bridges and his wife Dana; his grandchildren Josephine and Case Bridges of West Newbury, MA; his son Christopher Bridges and his wife Karyn of Duxbury; and his brother Robert G. Bridges ’50 of Venice, FL.

He was the son of the late Elizabeth Millen and David Foster Taylor. He is survived by his wife Alice Christensen Taylor; his daughter Linda D. Commesso and her husband John of Brockton; and his son David L. Taylor of Nashua, NH; his grandchildren Erica, David, and Morgan Taylor, all of New Hampshire; his great-grandchildren Evan and Aubrey Taylor; his sister Elizabeth Murdy of Norwell; his nieces Leigh Bagley and Laura Carroll; and his nephew John Murdy.

1948

At Thayer, Dick was a member of the orchestra and competed on the football, basketball, and track teams. As an alumnus, he was a class agent and sat on the Alumni Board for two years (2000 - 2002) serving as treasurer for the second year. He was the 2003 recipient

F. Peter Fee ’48 Peter Fee, son of the late Thomas E. and Marie Cheverie Fee, passed away after a short illness on October 8, 2014 – just one day before his 85th birthday, and a few months shy of his 60th wedding anniversary.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s

1947

Born in Quincy on October 9, 1929, he attended Quincy grammar schools and graduated from Thayer Academy in 1948. After serving for three years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he went on to graduate from Boston University’s School of Public Relations & Communication in 1956. Peter then worked for the George H. Peterson Company in Quincy as a licensed master plumber. He left that field to work for a manufacturer of aerospace and industrial products, Sundstrand Corporation of Rockford, IL. There, Peter worked in sales and management until he retired in 1998. Peter was a longtime resident of Hingham, where he was proud to say that his ancestors from Ireland had settled over 150 years ago. Active in community affairs, he served on Hingham’s Personnel Board, and on the boards of the Hingham Public Library and the Hingham Bathing Beach. A summer resident of Deer Isle, ME for more than 24 years, he served as president of the Reach Community Club and volunteered at the Deer Isle Welcome Center. He also held a life membership in the Weymouth Chapter of Disabled American Veterans and an honorary membership in the 456th Bomb Group of the Fifteenth Air Force. At Thayer, Peter was known as easy-going, witty, and friendly to all. He served two years on the dance committee, and in the 1948 yearbook, his classmates wrote that “Pete’s ambition to get rich quick is shared, doubtless, by many members of our lively class. From what we hear, he’s really an outdoor man, too.” Peter was predeceased by his parents and four older brothers who were all veterans of World War II Robert T. Fee, Richard A. Fee, William H. Fee, Thomas E. Fee, Jr.; and also by his faithful dog, Francis Albert Augustus Schwartz (aka Gus). He is survived by his wife Jacqueline Frawley Fee of Braintree; his daughter Nancy and her husband Peter Cook; his beloved son John Fee and his wife Lynn;

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

and his two cherished granddaughters Emily and Kayla Fee. Also surviving are his three stepgrandchildren April Downey, Ashley Cleere, and Thatcher Cook; his sister-in-law Kathleen Fee; his brother-in-law Richard Cunningham; and many nieces and nephews.

1949 Davis R. Bates, Jr. ’49 Surrounded by his family, Davis Bates of Berlin, MA passed away on Friday, January 2, 2013 at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He was 83 years old. He had lived in Sudbury, MA for 43 years, when he moved to Berlin in 2004. Davis was born in Boston, son of the late Davis R. Bates and Marion Balcom Bates. He was raised in Braintree where he attended local schools and was a 1948 graduate of Braintree High School. During a post-graduate year at Thayer, Davis competed on the baseball, basketball, and track teams. He was a member of the glee club, and took an interest in skiing and music appreciation. In 1949, he completed postgraduate work at Thayer Academy and then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Brown University. After graduating from Brown, Davis worked at Sperry Rand, on Long Island, NY, where he held several patents. He was later drafted and served in the military as a first lieutenant at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. From 1959 to1963 he worked at General Electric as manager of the Guidance Engineering Program. Davis then joined Raytheon as director of federal ballistic missile marketing. At Raytheon, he was well-published and was granted the status of fellow and officer by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In his later years, he served as lead partner and consultant of D. Bates & Associates, serving such clients as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NASA. He also served on the board of directors for NAVSYS Corporation, an innovative leader in navigation systems. Davis Bates is survived by his childhood sweetheart and beloved wife of 60 years, Nancy Allen Bates; his four children Davis Bates

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

III of Shelburne Falls, MA; Richard Bates of Leyden, MA; Steven Bates and his wife Donna of Westford, MA; and Nancy B. Keene and her husband Robert of Hudson, MA. He will be remembered by his seven loving grandchildren Haley, Zack, Shaun, Will, John, Bethany, Nolka; and his adoring great-grandson Holden.

Geraldine Hennedy Miller ’49 Geraldine (Gerry) Miller passed away after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease on June 13, 2014. She was 82 years old. She was the matriarch of the Miller, Hennedy, and LeProhon families, and will be remembered for her wisdom, courage, and compassion. Gerry was born in Braintree, the daughter of the late John and Geraldine Hennedy. She grew up in Braintree, and was a proud graduate of Thayer Academy and Quincy City Hospital School of Nursing. At Thayer, Gerry’s classmates envied her ability to be at ease with everyone. She was a member of the yearbook staff, Theta Alpha, the play committee, the cheerleading squad, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), and the dance committee. She competed on the badminton court and on the basketball, softball, and field hockey teams. She served as co-captain of the field hockey team. She worked as a nurse at Choate Medical Center in Woburn and also as an occupational health nurse. For twenty years, she worked at Mitre Corporation where she directed the health office until her retirement. She ran programs to help employees quit smoking and battle the disease of alcoholism. Highly respected by colleagues, she was a longtime member of the Massachusetts Nurses’ Association and served a term as president of the Greater Boston Occupational Health Nurses’ Association. An active member of the St. Malachy church community, Gerry took part in their C. C. D. program, small faith group, and prison ministry. Gerry was predeceased by her son Thomas H. Miller and her sister Christine Hennedy LeProhon. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Donald Miller; her children Mary Beth Thibodeau and her husband Gary of Lowell; Michael Miller and his wife Sandra

of Hampton, NH; Judy Armstrong and her husband Larry of Windham, NH; Kevin Miller and his wife Christina of Pelham, NH; Mark Miller and his wife Linda of Dracut, MA; her brothers Hugh Hennedy ’47 of Biddeford Pool, ME and John Hennedy of East Greenwich, RI; her grandchildren Renee, Sean, James, and Maryanne Thibodeau; Greg Holt and Shannon Holt-Smith; Brian, Timothy, Patrick, Thomas, Kasey, Riley, Megan, and Matthew Miller; and her great-grandchildren Melissa Holt, Amara Miller, and Henry and Simone Thibodeau.

Robert Fulton Murray ’49 Robert Murray of Bridgewater, formerly of Brockton, passed away on December 16, 2013 at home, surrounded by his family. Robert was born on June 3, 1926 in Brockton, to the late Esther Sparrow and Robert F. Murray. After graduating from Brockton High School in 1944, Robert joined the U.S. Air Force and served during World War II in the Philippines and Tinian as a member of the 504th Bomb Group. After his discharge from the military, Robert finished a post-graduate year at Thayer, and then joined the Brockton Fire Department in 1948 where he served for 35 years. He was a member of the Brockton Firefighters’ Local 144, the Massachusetts Retired Police and Firefighters’ Association, and the American Legion Post 35. He was also a member of Brockton’s former Wendell Avenue Congregational Church, where he taught Sunday school. Robert was fond of horses and at one time he served as president of the Plympton Wranglers Horsemen’s Association, where he frequently officiated as ringmaster. He also loved boating and spent many summer days with his family on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, and at Bear Spring Camps on Great Pond in Maine. Robert was also a collector of Lionel trains and belonged to the Toy Car Collectors’ Association (TCCA). He enjoyed traveling around the country to attend annual reunions with fellow veterans and their families. His greatest joy came from spending time with his family. He leaves his wife of 64 years, Constance Wood Murray; two daughters Linda Landerholm and husband Peter of Brockton; and Debra Cross and her husband Wayne of Willis, TX; a son Dr. Robert F. Murray III of Raymond, ME; fifteen grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Patricia Heap Rockwell passed away peacefully in Austin, TX on November 6, 2013, with her daughter Thia singing at her bedside. Her family considered this a fitting finale because she had loved, performed, and taught music throughout her entire life. Patricia was born on March 14, 1932 to Hargreaves Heap, Jr. and Lucile Folsom Heap and she was raised in Braintree. She attended Thayer Academy and then Middlebury College where she met her husband Charles Rockwell. At Thayer, Patricia was an honor roll student, a member of Theta Alpha, the yearbook staff, the glee club, the chapel choir, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), the cheerleading squad, and the orchestra. She participated in ski trips and in the senior/middle play. She competed in basketball, softball, badminton, fencing, and field hockey. For more than 50 years, Patricia and her husband Charles lived in Sherborn, MA where they raised four children, volunteered their time and talents in community and church, and were long-standing active choir members of Pilgrim Church, UCC. When Patricia moved to Texas to be closer to family, her choir chair at Pilgrim Church was marked with an honorary plaque. She was a well-loved piano teacher, influencing many future musicians, and, for decades, she was an active member of the New England Piano Teachers’ Association. She was a gifted classical pianist, giving concerts in local towns and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In addition, her talents in handicrafts, cooking, and gardening were remarkable. She was predeceased by her husband Charles Rockwell; her sons Chuck and Stephen Rockwell; her mother Lucille Folsom Heap ’26; and her aunt Harriet Folsom Lincoln ’30. She leaves her son Nathaniel Rockwell and his wife Lynn of Chester, NH; her daughter Cynthia and her husband Jeff Coward of Austin, TX; her son-in-law Michael Durette of Providence, RI; her grandchildren Emily and Sarah Rockwell; and Jaxon and Breanna Coward; her brothers Hargreaves Heap III and Frederick Heap; and her sisters-in-law Judith Heap, Sheila Heap, and Eleanor Rockwell.

Robert Penn Williams, Jr. ’49 Robert Williams of Bridgewater, NH died of cancer on March 28, 2014 at the age of 83. Bob was born to Bessie and Robert Penn Williams on April 19, 1930 in Boston. He grew up along the Neponset River in Dorchester, where his father had a lumber and mill work business. After graduating from Thayer he attended the University of New Brunswick and the University of New Hampshire before serving in the Korean War. Upon his return from the service, Bob and his wife Lolita (Lee) Machon settled permanently in New Hampshire. He went into business with his father, establishing what became RP Williams and Sons, Inc, providing lumber and building materials to the Bristol, NH area. During his career, Bob built or provided lumber for many of the summer cottages and year-round houses built in the Newfound Lake area of Grafton County, NH. Outside of work, Bob’s life revolved around his family and many weekends were spent skiing at Ragged Mountain, hiking in the White Mountains, or boating on Newfound Lake. Bob was active in the Bristol Federated Church for many years, where he served on the finance committee. Over the years, he served the town of Bridgewater, NH as a selectman and a member of the planning board. During a long retirement, Bob and Lee enjoyed traveling around the country and spent winters in the Florida community of Estero. In his later years, he devoted himself to improving his woodlots and caring for his wife as she succumbed to dementia. Bob is survived by his wife Lee and three children Robert Penn Williams III of Bristol, NH; Steven Williams of Bridgewater, NH; and Bruce Williams of San Francisco; four grandchildren Travis, Kiersten, Alicia, and Kyle Williams; as well as three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Burton Williams ’48.

George R. Ballard ’50 George Ballard, 83 of Rockland died on July 21, 2014 in Norwell. He was born in Quincy, to the late Duel and Doris Winters Ballard. He was raised and educated in Weymouth and at Thayer Academy. While a student at Thayer, George was a member of the glee club, the band, the orchestra, and the photography club. His classmates admired him for his generosity, sense of humor, optimism, and willingness to help others. As an alumnus, George was a longtime class agent, donating significant time and energy for the benefit of the class of 1950 and Thayer Academy.

IN MEMORIAM: 1940s-1950s

Patricia Heap Rockwell ’49

George later attended Keystone College in Pennsylvania, after enlisting in the Army and serving as a medic during the Korean War. For more than 58 years, he and his family lived in the home he had built himself. He was partowner of Ballard & Ballard Development, a property management company on Boston’s South Shore. He loved woodworking and crafted many impressive pieces. George was devoted to the town of Rockland, MA, where he served on the finance committee for eleven years and as water commissioner for twelve years. He was a member the Rockland Board of Selectman serving some of his six-year tenure as chairman. He was a vocal member of the Committee to Revive Town Government in 1972. He also volunteered his time as a cub master for Pack #3. Mr. Ballard was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Rockland and served as chairman of the executive board for the Holy Family Defenders Drum & Bugle Corps. He was recognized for his volunteer service as president of the Rockland Lions Club, and they named him their Man of the Year in 1971. He is survived by his wife Lorraine Frechette Ballard and his son Steven Ballard and his wife Laureen of East Bridgewater, MA; his daughter Joan and her husband Kevin Remmes-Foy of Stoughton; her daughter Gail and her husband David McSweeney of Pembroke; and his son Glen Ballard and his wife Jerilyn of Hanson. Also surviving are his brother Duel Ballard ’51 of Vermont, sixteen grandchildren, six greatgrandchildren plus many nieces and nephews. George was predeceased by his daughter Sharon Ballard and her husband Robert Remmes III; his brother Ward Ballard; and his granddaughter Allyssa Ballard.

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1950 Carole Patch Gregor ’50 Carole Patch Gregor of South Weymouth, formerly of Quincy, died on November 28, 2014. At Thayer, Carole was an honor roll student, a member of Theta Alpha, the yearbook staff, the play committee, and the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA). She competed in basketball, field hockey, softball, and badminton. After graduating from Thayer, Carole attended the Katherine Gibbs School, and then became an executive secretary, working at Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Quincy. She enjoyed baking, cooking, knitting, camping, and hiking. She was active in the Cub Scouts and did volunteer work at South Shore Hospital. She was also a member of the J.O.Y. club at the Old South Union Church in Weymouth. Mrs. Gregor is survived by her husband of 55 years, Douglas M. Gregor; two sons Bryan D. Gregor of Pembroke and Philip D. Gregor of Warwick, NY; two brothers R. David Patch of Northboro, MA, and Paul R. Patch of Lansdowne, VA; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

1951

Daughter of the late Clarence (Bugzy) and Hilda Starrett Jones, Carol leaves behind her children Robin Balch Hodgkins of Scituate; Thomas Gardner Balch and his wife Kathryn of Maryland; David Williams Balch and his wife Jennifer of Rockland; and Nancy Balch and her wife Laura Ippoliti of Lynn. She also says goodbye to her siblings Robert Jones of Marion and Sally Jones Sargent ’53 of Plymouth. She was the cherished grandmother of Robert, Jeniffer, Katie, Anna, Zachary, Trevor and Dillon, and great-grandmother to Robert, Collin, and Aiden. Carol’s cousin Brad Mills ’98 also graduated from Thayer.

1953 Richard L. Burse ’53

Carol Jones Balch ’51 Carol Balch of Hingham, passed away peacefully at the age of 81, on August 12, 2014 with her family by her side. Carol, also known as Jonesie, was a lifelong resident of Hingham – born in the Hingham Memorial Hospital which was in operation only between 1932 and 1937. She was baptized and married at another Hingham landmark, the Old Ship Church. She was a graduate of Thayer Academy’s class of 1951 and attended Colby Jr. College. At Thayer, she was in the glee club, the chapel choir, Theta Alpha, and she competed in archery. By her name in the yearbook, her classmates posed this question, “Little in stature, but who can match her?”

After high school, Carol worked as a stewardess for Northeast Airlines. Later, she went on to work at the Hingham Centre Pharmacy for more than 30 years. While her children were in school, she was active in the PTA and volunteered as a school nurse and librarian. She was a member of the Hingham Historical Society, and has a brick in Whitney Wharf Park at Hingham Harbor. Carol will be remembered for her love of gardening, dancing at the Hingham Agricultural Hall, tap dancing recitals, and her affinity for arts and crafts, which included caning her own chairs.

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Born on February 6, 1936 to Walter and Elizabeth Burse, Dr. Richard Burse of West Yarmouth, MA, formerly of Newton, passed away on March 27, 2014 after a sevenweek battle with pancreatic cancer. As a Thayer student, Richard was active in the glee club, the senior/middle play, and skiing. He was a member of the yearbook staff and the glee club, and he played on the football and baseball teams. His yearbook quote I agree with no man’s opinions. I have some of my own. After graduating from Thayer, Richard earned degrees at M.I.T., Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his doctorate in physiology. He worked for many years as a research physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine,

in Natick. He retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel. In his retirement, he volunteered with the Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife Department, and small appliance repair group at the local Senior Center. Richard was known as a true gentleman with a keen sense of humor and had fostered an avid interest in fishing since childhood. He enjoyed winter sports, and during the twenty years he lived in Newton, he and his wife Sylvia took part in ballroom dancing groups. Richard was predeceased by his wife Sylvia Lannon Burse, in 2011. He is survived by his son Sergeant First Class Corey A. Burse and his wife Birgit and their daughter Kayla. He also leaves his stepchildren Kathleen Lannon Larson, her husband Christian, and their son Trevor of Colorado; Michael Lannon, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Lucy of Concord, MA; his cousin Marilyn Baskin of East Orleans, MA, and her extended family; his first wife Joan Burse of Sudbury, MA.

1954 Laurence Eugene Babb, Jr. ’54 Laurence Babb passed away on February 5, 2014, in Norwood, where he had lived since 1961. He was born in Dorchester in 1935 to Laurence Babb and Josephine Iannello. Larry Babb had a long career in the entertainment industry, starting as a publicist and feature story writer, then as a radio and TV producer. He was creator and director of the Massachusetts Film & Television Bureau, producer of the feature film Night School, and was executive producer of behind-the-scenes sports documentaries, including one for the 1985/86 Boston Celtics. Larry loved Native American culture, photography, traveling the American southwest, reading, watching movies, going for drives, and telling stories. His family says he will be remembered above all else as the patriarch who loved his family with steadfast devotion – a degree of commitment his sons have promised to pass down through the generations. While at Thayer, Laurence competed on the football and track teams. He also participated in the Hi-Y club, the glee club, and the play committee.

1955 Gay Loftus Sullivan ’55 Miriam Gay Loftus Sullivan, a resident of Alexandria, VA and Falmouth, MA, died on August 30, 2014 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She was 77 years old. She was born in Quincy on August 21, 1937 to Dr. Edward and Miriam Carr Loftus. It was in the seventh grade that Gay Loftus met her future husband, the now-retired Army General Gordon R. Sullivan ’55. They didn’t begin dating however, until fourteen years later, when he returned to the United States from Vietnam. They married in 1965. The couple made 24 moves during General Sullivan’s career of more than 36 years, which culminated with his service as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army. Mrs. Sullivan was a wife, mother of three, grandmother of three and a competitive bridge player. She served on the Army Distaff Foundation’s Board of Trustees and was a parishioner in the Christ Church of Alexandria. Mrs. Sullivan also served as a trustee for Browne Academy and volunteered her time with countless causes and activities throughout the community. As a Thayer student, Gay was an active community member. She competed in badminton, field hockey, and tennis. She was a member of Theta Alpha, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), the yearbook staff, the glee club, and the cheerleading squad. She also served on the student council and was elected class secretary. She is survived by her husband Gordon Sullivan ’55; her three children MNC John Sullivan USN Ret. and his wife Eneliza, of Arlington,

VA; Mark Sullivan and his wife Heather of Leawood, KS; and Elizabeth Sullivan of Fayetteville, NC; her three grandchildren Christopher, Jack, and Samantha; her sister Suzanne ’56 and her husband John Andrews ’56 of Bridgton, ME; and her sister Adria Keneagy ’60 of Augusta, ME; her two stepsiblings Edward Loftus II of Holliston, MA, and Kristin Fletcher of Jacksonville, FL; her sister-in-law Penuel and her husband Eugene Cohen of Scituate; and her niece Emma Casey ’17 and her nephew Jake Casey ’18. Gay was predeceased by her aunt Frances Brett ’21.

1957 Barry Howard Fentin ’57 Barry Fentin died in White Plains, NY on December 12, 2012, at the age of 72. Barry grew up in Quincy and went to high school at Thayer, where he was in the orchestra and the band, and played on the tennis team. From Thayer, he went on to Dartmouth College where he majored in history and in his freshman year, played in the orchestra and took part in Le Cercle Français. After Dartmouth, Barry went to Boston University Law School, graduating in 1965. For many years, Barry practiced law in White Plains, NY, and in 1993, he and Gary Goldman founded Fentin-Goldman LLP. Barry was the firm’s senior managing partner, and was licensed to practice in both New York and Massachusetts. According to the firm’s website, Barry represented thrifts and mortgage lenders and was experienced in both commercial and residential acquisitions, sales, and mortgage transactions. Barry served for seven years on the school board of the NY Union Free School District. Barry is survived by his wife Joyce; his daughter Dr. Deena Reimer of Scottsdale, AZ; his son Edward Fentin Esq of Beverly Hills, CA; his brother Richard Fentin ’62; and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by his cousins Hazel Fentin Follansbee ’70 and Howard Fentin ’61; and his aunt Evelyn Cooper Fentin ’36.

James A. Schwenk ’57 James A. Schwenk, a longtime resident of Hingham, died peacefully in Needham on April 13, 2014 (Palm Sunday) at the age of 74. Jim was born on November 11, 1939 (Veterans’ Day) in Kansas City, KS to the late Clayton W. Schwenk and Marjorie Crabill Schwenk.

IN MEMORIAM: 1950s

Laurence leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Darlene Houston Babb ’54; his son Lee ’81 and his wife Aileen; his son Stuart ’83 and his wife Trisha; and his four grandchildren Luke, Grace, Kyle, and Lilly. He was predeceased by his brother, Charles.

At Thayer, Jim was a member of the glee club, the French club, the yearbook staff, the newspaper staff, the tennis, golf, and track teams, and he participated in school ski trips. Beside his photo in the 1957 yearbook, his classmates wrote, “If laughter be a crime, a master criminal he would be.” After graduating from Thayer, Jim furthered his education at the University of Pennsylvania. He left college to serve in the U. S. Air Force from 1960 to 1965. His duty stations included Dover, DE and Bangor, ME. He flew KC 97 Stratotankers, which were used to refuel other planes, such as B-52 bombers, in the air. After leaving the Air Force, Jim finished his undergraduate degree at the University of New Hampshire and earned a master’s degree in European History from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Jim then worked at the Hingham Institution for Savings as head teller and branch manager, and later at Tarzia Construction Company in Cohasset, as office manager, before retiring at age 65. He was an active member of the Hingham Congregational Church, where he held volunteer officer and committee positions. He especially enjoyed working with the youth ministry in the annual Summer Workcamp – a community service opportunity for young people to work with ministers and parent volunteers in various locations throughout the U.S. doing light carpentry, painting, and renovations to improve homes in serious disrepair. He is survived by his two nephews William Scott Schwenk and his wife Roxanne Bogart of Amherst, MA; and James Dirk Schwenk and his wife Stefanie of Annapolis, MD. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Carolyn Schwenk Derby ’56 and her husband Stephen Derby ’56 of Annapolis, MD; as well as by Crabill cousins and their families from across the country.

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1961 Martha Bishop Wilhelm-Brandon ’61 Marti Bishop WilhelmBrandon of Weymouth passed away on December 3, 2014, after a long illness. At Thayer, Marti was a member of Theta Alpha, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), the glee club, and the tennis and softball teams. Beside her yearbook photo, this is written: “There was a star danced, and under that star was I born.” Marti earned a bachelor of science degree from Stephens College, and then completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Boston University. She worked for ten years as a flight attendant for Pan American Airlines, traveling all over the world. She lived for a while in Iowa, where she opened Harmony Hollow Stables, and her lifelong love for horses grew into a career as stable owner, horse trainer, and premier riding instructor. She held her students to high standards and taught them to be self-reliant. She was an inspirational mentor and a role model for professionalism and sportsmanship. Above all, she had a magnetic life force that drew people to her. At her 47th Thayer reunion in 2008, Marti reconnected with her high school beau Michael Brandon ’61 and they married shortly thereafter. It was only four years later that Marti was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which eventually took her life.

Eleanor Southworth Norris ’61 Eleanor Southworth Norris passed away from lung cancer on Thursday, November 20, 2014 in her home in Forest, VA. At Thayer, Eleanor was active in student government, serving as a member of the student council and as class secretary. She was a member of the yearbook staff, the newspaper staff, the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), the glee club, the chapel choir, the art club, the dance committee, and the cheerleading squad. She was an honor roll student and a member of Theta Alpha, and she played on the field hockey and basketball teams.

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

She was predeceased by her aunt Dorothy Southworth Hatfield ’25, her grandfather Stacy Southworth who served as headmaster at Thayer from 1920 to 1948, and her father Edward S. Southworth ’34.

1965 Bernard Joel Dushman ’65 Bernard Dushman of Brooklyn, NY died suddenly on March 29, 2014. He was 67 years old. At Thayer, Bernie was an honor roll student, a member of the yearbook staff, the Latin club, the baseball, cross-country, and track teams, and he participated in Thayer’s esteemed Summer Science Program. After graduating from Thayer, he earned a B.A. in comparative religion at Boston University. He then graduated cum laude with a JD from Boston University School of Law, and later served as a graduate fellow at Yale Law School. As a professional, Bernie served first as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit in Greenville, SC, and next as an associate in the firm of Chadbourne & Parke in New York City. He then became a law instructor at NYU School of Law, and an assistant professor at the University of Dayton Law School in Ohio. He was the assistant dean at Yale Law School for two years before going back into private practice. Most recently, Bernie worked for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation where he was senior vice president and general counsel. He was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union board of directors from 1980 to 1989, serving four of those years as president of the board. He worked on the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Paul Tsongas, and Gary Hart. Bernie’s family and friends remember him as humble, thoughtful, and generous – a man who lived his life with grace, honor, and a passion for deeply-held causes. Bernie is survived by his wife Marley Kaplan, his sister Sandra Dushman Ellis ’72, and his sister-in-law Robin Wassersug Dushman ’66. He is predeceased by his brother Mark Robert Dushman ’66 (a Thayer trustee from 1991 to 2001 and the 2006 recipient of Thayer’s Alumni Loyalty Award).

1966 Kathleen Fitzgerald Wardwell ’66 Kathleen Grace Fitzgerald Wardwell, passed away on May 31, 2014, following a lengthy illness. Kathleen was born on May 12, 1948 to Grace and James Fitzgerald of Brockton. She was educated in the Brockton schools and graduated from Thayer Academy in 1966. She was an active real estate broker for over 40 years in the Bridgewater/Plymouth area. She dearly loved the fields and mountains of New Hampshire, and was an honorary trustee of the Little Blue School. Her family called her Nant, a nickname coined by her godson Gene – a combination of Nana and Aunt. In turn, she called herself The Nant because, of course, there was only one. She was a loving mother, a caring sister, and a devoted friend to many. Her sense of humor allowed her to quickly make friends wherever she went, and she was known for her storytelling genius. She will be remembered most of all for the laughter that she brought into the hearts of all who knew her. At Thayer, Kathleen was a member of the glee club and Theta Alpha. She was also active in play reading and modern dance. Kathleen is survived by her siblings Janet Fitzgerald Boesch of St. Louis, MO; Nancy Fitzgerald of St. Louis, MO; and Donald Fitzgerald of Brockton; her son James and his wife Tara of Hanover, MA; her four grandchildren, her nephews, and her longtime friend Anna Colby, of Carver, MA. Kathleen was preceded in death by her son Merill Willie Wardwell and her brother Scott Fitzgerald.

1970 Michael W. Bucken ’70 Michael Bucken of Milford, MA, died on October 25, 2014 at the age of 62. For the past 10 years, Michael was a news editor for Computerworld. At Thayer, he served on the yearbook staff, and the prom committee. He was a member of the varsity club and played on the football and hockey teams. He was also co-captain of the hockey team.

1971 Richard Alan Grant ’71 Richard Alan Grant, age 62, of Plymouth, formerly of Milton and Marshfield, died on June 29, 2014, after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. Born in Boston to Wilfred (Woody) and M. Phyllis Petersen Grant, he was a graduate of Thayer Academy and received his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University. As a Thayer student, Richard was active in the performing arts, and was a member of the baseball, basketball, hockey, and wrestling teams. He was cocaptain of the baseball team. Richard owned and operated Budget Liquors in Mattapan and Harwichport for 30 years. He will be remembered for his athletic ability, kind nature, and sense of humor. He was an avid golfer, and he loved spending time with his family and wide circle of friends. He is survived by his beloved wife of 38 years, Valerie Jannotta Grant; his daughter Lauren and her husband Thomas Spencer of Plymouth; and his son Richard Grant II of R.I.; his grandchildren Haley and Michael Taraska and Kelsi and Allison Spencer; his sister Karen and her husband Paul Ponichtera of Hingham; his brothers Christopher Grant ’84 and his wife Linda of Milton; Robert Grant and his wife Barbara of Boxford, MA; Wilfred L. Grant, Jr. ’72 and his wife Jeanne of Buffalo, NY; Peter J. Grant and his wife Susan of Corinth, TX; and his brother-in-law Kenneth Jannotta and his wife Patricia of Hanover.

William Eric Tobin ’71 William Tobin, a District Fire Chief for the City of Boston died on November 10, 2014 from a line-of-duty illness, and was buried with full honors. Fire department members dressed in Class A uniforms and many Thayer teammates were in attendance. “It was a spectacular send-off,” said Bill’s lifelong friend Mike Latessa ’73. “Bill was spectacularly humble, so he would’ve hated all that fuss, but I’m sure his family was comforted to see this sign of respect from the fire department, where he worked for more than three decades.” Rising up through the ranks, Bill was appointed as a firefighter on December 6, 1978, was

standout goalie on the soccer team, and cocaptain of Thayer’s Southeastern New England Conference Championship wrestling team. (That championship was the first in the Thayer team’s history.) Bill is survived by his wife Mary Busa Tobin; his daughter Jennifer and her husband Jay Amador of San Antonio, TX; his son Thomas Tobin of Palm Bay, FL; his sister Michael Rozas and brother Christopher Tobin, both of Milton; nine loving grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

1980 Darlene Butler Miller ’80

subsequently promoted to lieutenant, and then captain. In February of 2009, he was again promoted to district fire chief. Co-workers in the department saw him as a true leader and held him in high esteem for keeping his men safe in dangerous situations. Bill contributed to safety and contingency plans for rescues involving hazardous materials, tunnels, and high-angle distress situations. He was a highlydecorated officer, having worked in some of Boston’s busiest companies and on the special operations squad during the Big Dig, protecting both construction workers and commuters.

Darlene Butler Miller, of Taunton, MA died unexpectedly on October 4, 2014. She was born 52 years ago in Norwood, the daughter of the late George F. and Thelma (Caiazzo) Butler. After graduating from Thayer Academy, Darlene attended Northeastern University in Boston, and then graduated from the Katherine Gibbs School. She worked as office manager for the Epstein, Becker & Greene Law Firm in Boston. She enjoyed spending time with her family.

Bill was a dedicated member of the Boston Fire Department, but above all else, he loved his family and his dogs Spanky and Buckwheat – he rarely went anywhere without a canine companion. He was a sincere friend with a heart of gold, a fervent champion of the underdog, and always available to those in need. He had an adventurous spirit and hoped someday to sail to Spain in a steel-hulled sailboat. He was a voracious reader, interested in historical non-fiction, especially books that could teach him something new about the rich history of the Boston area where he had lived most of his life. He had a passionate interest in the sport of wrestling, and after his own competitive career was over, he would travel great distances to see matches contested by the sons of old wrestling buddies whose friendship he valued and enjoyed.

She is survived by her husband Brian Miller ’80; her sons Jonathan Miller ’12 and Ethan Miller; her sister Lucille Butler of Hanover, MA; her nephew Brenton Wilder of Wake Forest, NC; and her grandniece Paige Wilder of Wake Forest, NC. Darlene was also the sister of the late Joanne Wilder ’73 of Bridgewater, MA.

At Thayer, Bill was vice president of the student council and participated in the Columbia Point tutoring program. He was a

IN MEMORIAM: 1960s - 1990s

Michael is survived by his wife Cindi Adams Bucken; his daughter Caitlin Barbieri of Waterbury, CT and his son Kevin M. Bucken of Milford; his brother Thomas Bucken ’66 of Pepperell, MA; and his sisters Ann B. Wolf ’68 of East Falmouth, MA; Patricia B. Timmeny ’71 of Londonderry, NH; Nancy J. Bucken ’75 of North Falmouth, MA; and Jacqueline S. Caron ’79 of Standish, ME. He was predeceased by his sister Maureen E. Bucken ’73 (in whose honor prizes are given each year at Commencement and Last Chapel).

1994 David P. Amdur ’94 David P. Amdur of Emmaus, PA, died on May 31, 2014. He was 38 years old. At Thayer, David was a high honor roll student who worked on school publications (Prologue and Tiger’s Eye). He was a member of the Community Council, the

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IN MEMORIAM: 1990s - 2000s

Cum Laude Society, and the chess club. He participated in the Model United Nations Program and the Spanish trip. He also played on the tennis team. David graduated cum laude from Rice University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He then worked as a software engineer for three years in Quito, Ecuador. After returning to the United States, David worked for Agile Software in San Jose, CA, and later for Towers Perrin in Boston. He earned his PhD in economics from Georgetown University. Since 2010, David had been an assistant professor of economics at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA. An avid hiker, he enjoyed the outdoors and had conquered Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador. He had a passion for teaching and loved working at Muhlenberg College. A devoted husband and father, David

student, participated in the foreign language trip, the Spanish club, drama, community service, SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), cheerleading, and the Model United Nations Program. She also competed in skiing and tennis. Her 1996 yearbook quote was from Madonna: “To me the whole process of being a brush stroke in someone else’s painting is a little difficult.” Elana attended Boston University and worked for many years as an accounts manager for Eastern Building Services in Lowell. She also served as the union liaison, and worked to resolve disputes and legal issues. She had recently secured a new position as operations manager for New England Carpet Master of North Reading, MA.

After his competitive hockey days ended, Corey brought his passion to the outdoors and particularly to the ocean, where he led many fishing trips and expeditions in search of the best waves for surfing on the South Shore. Corey’s natural ability to find something good in everybody, his ardent support of and leadership in philanthropic causes, his neverquit attitude, and his incomparable smile are his legacy. Corey was known as a passionate fundraiser for ALS research, and inspired by his desire to support his friend Pete Frates, Corey turned the Ice Bucket Challenge into a viral sensation. While at Thayer, Corey was on the honor roll, active in Project DEEP, and played on the hockey and lacrosse teams.

Elana leaves behind her mother Karen and stepfather Terry Anthony; her father Gabriel

Corey is survived by his parents Robert and Cathleen Griffin of Scituate who have both

treasured the time he spent with his family. He and his wife Sharon were looking forward to celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary on June 24, 2014.

Zizza and his longtime companion Linda Connors; her sister Maria and brother-inlaw Tony Caggiano; her nephew and godson Anthony; her doting grandmother Kay Carbone; her close friends Eliu, Nicole, and Kim; her aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. She was predeceased by her brother Paul Zizza.

generously supported Thayer Academy Rob as a trustee from 2003 to 2006 and Cathy as an exceptional parent volunteer. Corey is also survived by his brother Michael ’07 and his sister Casey ’09; his paternal grandmother Frances Griffin of Scituate; his maternal grandparents Russell and Carol Bishop, also of Scituate. He leaves his uncle Christopher and aunt Wendy Griffin of Hingham and their children Kelly, Sean, and Danny; his uncle Corey and aunt DeeDee Griffin of Wellesley and their children Courtney, Caroline, Willy, and Charlie; his aunt Mary Bishop of Scituate and her husband David McCormick ’70; his aunt Patty and uncle Dean Hildreth of Hingham and their children Katie, Craig, and Jeffrey; his aunt Peggy and uncle Michael Oar of Scituate and their children Michael, Jr., Amanda, and Christine; his uncle Russ and aunt Lori Bishop of Scituate and their children Kaylee, Jake, and Lexi. He was predeceased by his grandfather Robert Griffin of Scituate.

His survivors include his wife Sharon Maynard Amdur of Cambridge, MA; his parents Nicholas J. and Margaret Sauer Amdur of Hingham; his son Thomas J. Amdur; his daughter Juliet R. Amdur; his brother Matthew B. Amdur ’97 and his wife Alyssa; and his niece Rowan Amdur. He also leaves his parents-inlaw Scott and Penny Maynard of Ottsville, PA.

2005 Corey Christopher Griffin ’05

1996 Elana Carbone Zizza ’96 Elana Rose Carbone Zizza, 35, of North Billerica, MA, died unexpectedly on February 22, 2014. Born in Lynn on October 20, 1978, she was the beloved daughter of Karen Carbone Anthony (originally from Salem) and Gabriel John Zizza of Boston. Elana attended Bates Elementary School in Salem and St. John’s Junior High School in Peabody. In 1996, she graduated from Thayer Academy, where she wrote for the student magazine and won many scholastic awards fiction writing. In her senior year, she interned for the Patriot Ledger, where she was invited to remain as a contributing reporter. She was also a skilled and avid skier. Elana was an honor roll

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

On August 16, 2014, Corey Griffin of Scituate passed away in a tragic accident on Nantucket. He was only 27 years old. Corey was a proud graduate of Thayer Academy, the Taft School, and Babson College, where he majored in entrepreneurship and finance. At each school, Corey was also an accomplished varsity hockey player. He began his business career as an associate at Bain Capital Ventures and more recently, he co-founded RANE, an emerging company in New York City, where he served as the director of strategic initiatives. Corey will be remembered for his love of family and friends; for the quality and quantity of his friendships; and for the limitless vigor with which he pursued life. His boundless passion and spirit were known throughout the hockey world and beyond.

Wayne Ambrose Milford ’10 Wayne Milford of Quincy lost his battle with addiction on December 24, 2014 at the age of 23. A lifelong Quincy resident, Wayne was a graduate of Thayer Academy and attended Bentley University. Wayne was an outgoing, charismatic young man who always considered the feelings of others and did his best to lend a hand wherever needed. He gave the ultimate gift of life by donating his kidneys to save the lives of two people. At Thayer, Wayne was an honor roll student and a member of the business and ultimate Frisbee clubs. He

Lillian’s Literary Legacy LILLIAN WENTWORTH TOUCHED MANY LIVES WITH HER YEARS OF TEACHING AND SERVICE TO THE THAYER COMMUNITY. SHE ALSO PENNED TWO BOOKS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THAYER, WHICH CAN BOTH BE READ ONLINE.

IN MEMORIAM: 1990s - 2010s

2010

enjoyed sports (especially skiing) and competed in soccer, baseball, and hockey. He also played guitar in jazz combo. He is survived by his parents Wayne and Denise Quintiliani Milford of Quincy; his sister Ashley Milford ’07; his grandparents Marcella Rusconi Milford of Quincy and the late Ambrose (Chick) Milford, Jr.; and Anthony and Adele Quintiliani of Weymouth; his uncle Ambrose (Chick) Milford III and his wife Cindy of South Boston; his aunt Janice Milford of Quincy; his aunt Debra Zeboski and her husband Stephen of Holbrook; his aunt Adele Quintiliani of Braintree; his uncle Tony Quintiliani and his wife Laurie of Las Vegas, NV. He also leaves his cousins Matthew, Marc, and Sadie Darois of Weymouth; and Diane Rucker of Quincy.

LILLIAN WENTWORTH’S CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY. READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY ONLINE AT:

www.thayer.org/page.cfm?p=2469

LILLIAN WENTWORTH’S BOOK ON THE STORIES BEHIND ALL THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IN FROTHINGHAM HALL. VIEW IT ONLINE AT:

www.thayer.org/page.cfm?p=1465

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

The Final Word EXCERPTS FROM COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AND RETIRING THAYER TEACHER JIM PICKEL’S HUMOROUS AND CANDID ADDRESS TO STUDENTS

MAY 2014

“

I am SO honored by this opportunity to address you and share with you what an old guy has learned about life. The things I haven’t learned, I’m sure, will remain a mystery. I wanted to be an airplane pilot – well, that was after I wanted to be a professional baseball player, which was after I wanted to be a fireman, a policeman, a doctor, and a . . . you know the list. I actually tried pretty hard to get into all four branches of the service for flight training, but … (hold up glasses). What a happy accident that was! I’d like to talk to you Seniors about what’s possible and what’s not possible in life. And one thing that IS possible is for you to be happy. There are certainly circumstances that can temporarily derail our ability to be happy, and there are a few unlucky individuals whose fortunes are so bad that happiness seems beyond their reach. But, for most of us, especially those of us lucky enough to be living in America, the things that determine our satisfaction in life, our happiness, if you will, are, to some extent, at least, under our control.

Thayer Magazine Winter 2014-15

A few years ago, I addressed the final school meeting of the year, Last Chapel we used to call it, and I entitled that address, Do Things Right And Do The Right Thing. You can’t always do things right - you can try your best at all times, but there will be times when you mess up. Some people drive themselves mad when they make a mistake, but if you approach every endeavor with good intentions, and do the right thing, you’ll sleep soundly, even when things don’t work out the way you had planned. And, while you can’t always do things right, you CAN always do the right thing - or at least what you sincerely believe to be the right thing. And THAT is often what is in the best interests of others. --What matters is what kind of person you become, how you treat others, and the quality of the relationships you establish with friends, family, and colleagues. Those are intrinsic, as opposed to extrinsic, goals, and it is they that determine whether you can find contentment and happiness. I have been an advisor to Seniors for a long time, and I have often said to an advisee who was struggling to decide which college to attend –

you know what, the quality of your college education is largely up to you. You can get a great education at any of these schools you’re considering, but they won’t open up your head and pour it into you; you have to go get it. And as far as happiness goes, it’s quite possible that you will meet your future spouse in college, and the quality of that relationship is probably the most important element in determining the level of contentment that you find in life. Some of you may eventually put yourselves in the position of those legendary American businessmen and create entities that employ thousands; some of you may become healers, teachers, entertainers, caregivers. But ALL of you will enter into relationships with friends, lovers, colleagues, spouses and offspring. Live for those people; provide for their needs ahead of your own. In Saint-Exupéry’s classic French tale, The Little Prince, the fox says to the Little Prince, Apprivoise-moi – bind yourself to me, make me yours. When I say live for those special people, I mean Apprivoise-les – bind yourself to them, make them yours. I guarantee you that being in relation with people in that way will make you happy and set you free.

”

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IN 2015

donor recognition levels

the general’s council:

Leadership Circle $1,877–$2,999 Sarah White Glover Society $3,000–$4,999 Anna Boynton Thompson Society $5,000–$9,999 Headmaster’s Circle $10,000–$24,999

Give your support online at: www.supportthayer.org

Trustees’ Circle $25,000–$49,999

PLEASE SUPPORT

Founder’s Circle $50,000+

THE 2014-2015 THAYER ACADEMY ANNUAL FUND

young alumni leader:

1-5 years out $250+

THAYER

6-10 years out $500+

ACADEMY ANNUAL FUND

11-15 years out $1,000+

2014-2015

black & orange:

MELISSA TUTHILL FORGER ’92

up to $1,876

Director of Development 

781.664.2501



mforger@thayer.org

RACHAEL ROUVALES VASSALOTTI ’79 P ’07, ’11, ’12 Associate Director of Development 

781.664.2504



rvassalotti@thayer.org

DEB BUDDE P ’10, ’12

ROCHELLE BALLIN ’04

Asst. Dir. of Annual Giving & Parent Programs

Asst. Dir. of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations



781.664.2511



dbudde@thayer.org



781.664.2502



rballin@thayer.org

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