Toward Full Stature Magazine - Virginia Episcopal School - Summer 2021 by VES_ Bishops

SUMMER 2021

2021-22

BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MARY HODGES GEORGE ’89 P ’23

OUR MISSION Virginia Episcopal School is an engaging community that guides students to strive toward full stature in their academic, ethical, spiritual and personal growth.

ROBERT P. GORRELL, JR. ’73

JOEL T. C. WILLIAMS ’85 P ’17

W. DOUGLAS HARTOG

VICE CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR, BUILDINGS & GROUNDS Raleigh, NC

ELIZABETH M. ELLISON ’96 CHAIR, ADVANCEMENT Los Angeles, CA

CHAIR, COMMITTEE ON TRUSTEES Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Catherine Hunter Varner DIRECTOR, MARKETING & DESIGN Esther Underwood WRITERS Mary Molyneux Abrams Brent Holmes ’73 Tarlton Long ’68 Esther Underwood Catherine Hunter Varner PHOTOGRAPHERS Adam Underwood Esther Underwood Catherine Hunter Varner Fisher Zhang ’23

PAUL H. SHEEHY ’81 CHAIR, FINANCE Richmond, VA

__________________________________

400 VES Road, Lynchburg, VA VES.ORG

Richmond, VA

VICE CHAIR, ADVANCEMENT Charlottesville, VA

CHARLES M. JOHNSON III ’71 Charlottesville, VA

JAMES T. JOHNSON, JR. ’73

VICE CHAIR, BUILDINGS & GROUNDS Ahoskie, NC

DR. SHELDON LANIER Durham, NC

MALCOLM L. MILES P ’20 Lynchburg, VA

JAMES B. MOORE III ’00 Mount Pleasant, SC

THE HONORABLE EMILY M. ASTOR London, England

DR. MARVIN BARNARD ’71 Fort Washington, MD

HALL F. BARNETT P ’19

ANNE MARIE POORE P ’12, ’15, ’19 Roanoke, VA

LEIGH-ANN W. SPROCK P ’18, ’20 Charlotte, NC

Raleigh, NC

FRANCIS B. TEAGUE ’81

THE RIGHT REVEREND MARK A. BOURLAKAS

KENAN S. WALKER ’93 P ’24

EX-OFFICIO Roanoke, VA

SARAH P. DU BOSE P ’13, ’18 Charlottesville, VA

STEPHEN M. FARMER Charlottesville, VA

Virginia Episcopal School, founded in 1916 in Lynchburg, Virginia, is an independent, coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12.

Lewisburg, WV

CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Charlottesville, VA

DONTAY J. RILEY ’99

HEAD OF SCHOOL Garth Q. Ainslie

MEREDITH MORAN GERMAN ’95

P = PARENT

Charlotte, NC

Myrtle Beach, SC

KINDELL HANSEN WALTERS ’99 Oklahoma City, OK

LOUIS E. WOOTEN III ’81 P ’19 Raleigh, NC

TABLE O F CO N T E N TS

2 Letter from the Head of School

4 Commencement 2021 Legacy Marshals Valedictory Address Class of 2021 College Selections

13 Faculty Recognition

5 Ways to Stay Involved with VES

1961 Golf Team Crushes the Field

24 VES’ 13th Head of School Is Looking Forward to Looking Back on a Monumental First Year

Double Alumni Weekend

44 2021-22 Special Campus Events Mark Your Calendar and Plan to Join Us

Alumni Enjoy 21st Annual VES Golf Invitational

Faculty & Staff New Additions and Expanded Roles

John G.B. Ellison, Jr. ’65 Makes $10 Million Gift to VES

Class Notes & In Memoriam

William King Society Inductees Celebrating Our Reunion Classes

Celebrating the Class of 2020

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SUMMER 2021

Dear Bishops,

am writing to you on the heels of a two-day Senior Leadership Team retreat. It was incredibly refreshing to pick our collective heads up out of the day-to-day challenges of getting ready for the school year and taking a moment to look down the road to think about what lies ahead for Virginia Episcopal School. While I know I am biased, I have to say that the future looks very exciting for this institution. Despite the challenges of Covid-19 that VES and every other school faced last year, we entered the summer on an extremely optimistic note. Our Covid plan was successful beyond our best expectations, we had traditional graduations for the classes of ’20 and ’21 and a jubilant celebration. We had a jam-packed Alumni Weekend on campus, highlighted by the announcement of VES’ single largest gift ever courtesy of John G. B. Ellison, Jr. ’65. (Read the story on page 37.) All of our faculty and most eligible students are vaccinated, and all signs pointed to a return to normalcy for the fall. While the emergence of the delta variant is trying to disrupt these plans, we know we will get through this obstacle. All schools and students were impacted by the toll of Covid last year, yet I believe VES was impacted more than most. While many independent schools emphasize the value of community, every Bishop who has been associated with this School knows the transformational effect of our community and how it is one of, if not the, enduring characteristics we associate with our time at VES. Last year, Covid required that we spend more time thinking about how to isolate and separate students and cohorts than thinking about how to bring everyone together. So while we will continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of the students, faculty and staff in our decision-making, this year we will be very intentionally focused on restoring that sense of community we used to take for granted. As we look beyond getting this School opened and returning to the full VES experience, we are making real

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

strides in planning for and investing in VES’ future.

more critical than ever to prepare our students with the

An exciting tangible sign of this investment is the

communication skills they will need for college

construction fencing that envelops the back of campus

and beyond.

as construction begins on Pannill-Smith Hall (PSH). While much of the past decade has been focused on

We also are making significant investments in

repairing, refurbishing and repurposing existing spaces

people. Part of this is through shifting key roles

on campus, PSH is the first new-from-the-ground-up

and responsibilities as we try to simplify and clarify

building erected on this campus since Van Every Field

responsibilities. Part of this is through investing in

House, more than 25 years ago. This building, which

additional headcount in areas we wish to grow.

will be the single most expensive project VES has ever

When we look for new faculty and staff, we love hiring

taken on, is a statement building in many respects. Joel

people with boarding school experience, especially

T. C. Williams ’85, Board Vice Chair and Head of our

VES alumni. We also have had a longstanding

Buildings and Grounds Committee, has inspired and

commitment to increase the diversity of our adult

challenged us to equip VES with first-class facilities.

community, so that it will be more reflective of our

In response, PSH is an architectural gem. Its exterior

student body. As is detailed in this magazine, including

design incorporates many of the signature architectural

the faces below, we feel very lucky to have added all

details found in our historic corridor, and the interior

three this year: alums, boarding school experience,

captures the VES aesthetic, while creating modern

and faculty and staff of color.

spaces better suited to today’s approaches to teaching It feels so good to once again be saying, “I look forward

and learning.

to seeing you on campus.” We invite you to join us for The other statement we are making with this building

the special events and traditions we celebrate each year.

is our commitment to our humanities program, which

I look forward to seeing you soon, and thanks for

will be housed here. We will of course continue to invest

your support.

in our science, math and technology offerings, which are incredibly robust today. However, we believe one of the hallmarks of a VES education has been and will continue to be teaching our students to write, think, discuss, communicate and collaborate. In an era where

Garth Q. Ainslie

more and more parents and students are eschewing the

Head of School

traditional liberal arts education at the college level, it is

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COMMENCEMENT 2021 Commencement weekend kicked off with traditions—the warmth and love that flows at the Bell Tower Ceremony, Baccalaureate for seniors and their families, and the special Senior-Faculty Breakfast. On May 22, students, families and friends gathered on the front lawn under a beautiful blue sky to celebrate the school’s 105th graduating class. Virginia Episcopal School diplomas were given to 65 seniors and one certificate of completion was bestowed on our ASSIST student from Tbilisi, Georgia, for her completion of the one-year exchange program. Congratulations, Class of 2021!

Bell Tower Ceremony

Faculty member Chad Hanning—and parent of Abi ’21 and Phoebe ’22—delivered a poignant and inspiring Baccalaureate message to our seniors and their families. Baccalaureate

2 02 1 L E G ACY M A R S H A L S Fourteen young men and women in the Class of 2021 represent VES legacy families, including the first graduate of both an alumnus and alumna. We are pleased to continue the long-standing VES tradition in which alumni parents with graduating legacy students serve as the marshals for Commencement ceremonies, leading the procession of the graduating seniors.

Th e s e l e ga c y f am i li es i n clude (fro m left to righ t a bove): RICHARD BARNES III ’87

Will

ED MCNALLY, JR. ’84

BRANDON FENTRESS ’83

Carlisle

BROCK MITCHELL ’92

Mary John

PAVLINA DIROM ON BEHALF OF THE LATE GUY DIROM ’77

Nan

ASHBY WATTS IV ’83

ROBERT OUTLAND III ’85

Isabel

RICK GARRETT IV ’86

James

BETSY RHODES ’93 & BRUCE RHODES ’91

Xander

LETCHER NEWCOMB III ’86

Caroline

SARAH ELIZABETH STERNE ’89

Row

ROBERT “PERK” WORKMAN, JR. ’87

Cole

BOB VAUGHAN ’78

Chase

DAVE WHITE, JR. ’80

Katherine

Brooks Spruill

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EXCERPT FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL ADDRESS

“

It was a hard year. Yet, through it all, it was also

a really successful year. We made it! We stayed in person, you got into college, and I know we had some fun along the way. What made this year successful? I would say it was our spirit of cooperation. And by cooperation, I don’t mean in the sense of taking turns or being polite. I mean cooperation in a much bigger sense. I hope the enduring lesson of this year is what we can accomplish when we pull together as a community. Without your leadership, this would not have been possible. So congratulations to the Class of 2021—the masked class! I hope that when you all come back for your reunions in 5, 10 and 25 years down the road, you will remember to bring your masks and remind everyone what not only you endured, but also what you accomplished by working together.” – Garth Ainslie

MARY OUTLAND CLASS OF 2021 VALEDICTORIAN

AS INTRODUCED BY HEAD OF SCHOOL GARTH Q. AINSLIE

“

It is my pleasure to introduce the Class

including each class she takes—better. She never

of 2021 Valedictorian, Mary Outland.

draws attention to herself, and sometimes I suspect that she intentionally downplays all the

Mrs. Csatlos’ comments from her college

good she does for our community.

recommendation sums up Mary’s life at VES As her college counselor and 10th grade English

so aptly:

teacher, though, I am privy to the wide and “I hope that when my now 12-year-old daughter

sweeping record of involvement, her glowing

is in high school, she has a best friend just like

teacher comments, and the full scope of love the

Mary Outland. Compassionate, clever, and

VES community feels for Mary.”

conscientious, Mary goes about the business of making every group with which she is involved—

Mary, thank you for all you do for VES!

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Mary is the sixth legacy student to achieve the recognition of VES Valedictorian. Following are excerpts from her Commencement remarks.

“

If you’ve ever had a conversation with me for more than 10 minutes, you’ve probably heard me mention Camp Seafarer, the camp

We’ve been preparing for this step our whole lives, and I’m confident we’ve

I’ve been going to every summer since I was seven.

been equipped with the tools to engineer

In my last pre-Covid summer there, I was a counselor

creative solutions in this uncertain world.

in training. It was my job to assist in sunfish clinics, which involved putting seven- and eight-year-olds

On the water, a sailor is often at the mercy of the

on a sailboat by themselves and sending up a prayer

elements; a good sailor learns to harness those

that they listened when I explained how to steer.

elements. One of the things I love most about sailing

That experience taught me some valuable lessons.

is this control. I’m not sure control is something any of us have felt over the past year and a half, but I’m

When you are sailing, it’s nearly impossible to go

starting to realize how much control over my future

directly to your destination. The wind will shift and

is in my own hands.

you need to tack back and forth to reach where you’re going. In sailing and in life, progress is hardly

I believe this generation, especially our graduating

ever linear. Each graduate here has a different

class, will forever be changed as a result of the

destination in mind. Many of us...don’t have a clear

pandemic. We have the power to decide how this

idea of where we’re headed yet. Some of us may

pandemic shapes our lives. We could choose to

change our majors three times, shift career paths,

forever complain about all that we have missed

or just take a while to find our bearings. Each of

and dwell on our unconventional senior year, or we

us will come upon roadblocks and challenges we

can choose to realize the interconnectedness of

will have to face, but it’s never too late to tack and

humanity. We can appreciate teachers and front-line

change course. We cannot change the wind, but we

workers. We can cherish every moment spent with

can adjust our sails. What this cliche won’t tell you

our loved ones and to never again take for granted

is that, often when you adjust your sails, you also

something as simple as a hug.

adjust your direction. This past year has been tough for all of us, but This class has already felt a massive change in wind

I am truly grateful for all the people who have made

this past year. We’ve missed long-awaited traditions

it possible. To my family, thank you for believing

and felt isolated at times. We haven’t been able to

in me enough to let me choose my own path and

enjoy an indoor meal together in over a year, and

for supporting me through my ups and downs.

we’ve been separated from our families for months

To the faculty and staff, thank you for challenging

on end. And yet, we’ve adapted and come out

and supporting me every day and for preparing me

stronger as people and closer as classmates. Who

for the next steps I’ll take in life. To the class of 2021,

knows what else will be thrown our way, but we

thank you for being a light in this challenging year

already know that we can overcome adversity and

and for sharing this journey with me.

meet challenges head on.

Enjoy the Class of 2021 graduation highlights video at ves.org/Classof2021.

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Class of 2021

COLLEGE SELECTIONS

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

VES graduates are accepted into selective colleges and universities, but most importantly, we help each student select the school that is their “best fit”—meaning that the school and its programs are well-aligned with the student’s academic, co-curricular, personal and professional interests. We are proud that 100 percent of our students are admitted to accredited four-year colleges and universities. Of the 44 schools selected by the 65 graduates in the Class of 2021, the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges listing ranks: • 14 among the Top 50 National Universities • 6 among the Top 15 Public Universities

We celebrate all of the great schools our graduated are attending this fall!

Appalachian State University Auburn University Brigham Young University Case Western Reserve University (2) Clemson University (2) Duke University East Carolina University (2) Elon University (2) Hampden-Sydney College Harford Community College James Madison University Louisiana State University Millikin University New York University North Carolina State University NCSU 2-Year Agricultural Institute Northeastern University Ohio State University Pace University Rhodes College Roanoke College Skidmore College Stevens Institute of Technology Texas Christian University Texas A&M University Tufts University Tulane University University of Alabama University of California at Berkeley University of California at Santa Barbara (2) University of Georgia University of Mary Washington University of Mississippi University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (4) University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Southern California University of South Carolina (4) University of Virginia (4) University of Washington Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech (3) Wake Forest University (3) Washington and Lee University (3) William & Mary (2)

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VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Faculty Recognition

AMANDA RHEM & MICHELLE STAGGERS SMITH FAMILY AWARD The Smith Family Award is made possible through contributions to VES by Jean Smith and Gordon Smith, Jr., parents of Gordon Smith III ’62 and Clark Smith ’65. It recognizes excellence in teaching and the making of meaningful connections with young men and women, and is given to faculty who are chosen by their peers as representatives of this important VES value.

Presented by

Presented by Head of

Dean of Faculty

School Garth Ainslie

Jenny Anderson I first heard of Michelle It is easy to see

Staggers ’15 in the

Amanda Rhem’s

summer of 2013 when

caring heart in

Mrs. Button barged in

all she does.

my office one Monday

She models

morning to rave about

for all of us

the most incredible

what it means to be a loving and attentive

young woman she had met at a lacrosse tournament

mother and spouse to her family. And her heart

and how we HAD to get her to VES. She was the

stretches beyond the confines of her home as

whole package, smart, poised mature, has an amazing

she is a friend, advisor and teacher to us all.

family and she played a little bit of lacrosse!

If Amanda is not making dinner for a student group, she is attending a D.I.G. meeting. If she

However, I am not here to laud Michelle for all of her

is not coaching tennis during her off-season,

accomplishments as a student and leader at VES;

she is at the beach with international students

rather I am here to speak to the recognition her peers

during her spring break. If she is not teaching

have bestowed upon her.

one of the two pillars of student life (Globe and IDEA), she is playing street hockey with

In the words of a fellow faculty member: “Inheriting

students. If she is not tending to an ill child on

an incredibly important job during a difficult

dorm, she is writing a kind note to a student or

year, Michelle has excelled in making meaningful

friend to lift them up. Quite honestly, the list is

connections with students and equipping other

endless regarding the countless ways Amanda

faculty to do the same. She has taught not only the

contributes to making VES a better place.

students with excellence, but the faculty as well.”

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DR. RACHEL POLLOCK PAUL FULTON, JR. ’53 MASTER TEACHER AWARD Established in 1980 by the Board of Trustees to honor VES Class of 1953 graduate Paul Fulton, Jr.’s unique and dedicated service to VES, this award recognizes that teacher on the VES faculty who, in the opinion of his or her fellow faculty members, most nearly represents the ideal of the “master teacher,” including mastery of his or her academic discipline; superior classroom instructional and motivational skills; evidence of stimulating further interest in the academic field beyond the classroom; and an active interest in students outside the classroom.

Presented by Assistant Dean of Faculty Matt LaFreniere A few weeks ago, in Rachel’s regular Physics class, her students played with batteries and bulbs—tiny little light bulbs in a circuit box connected to a battery or two. They were discussing series circuits and parallel circuits, and experimenting to see what would happen to the lights once illuminated in either. I’m sure you can sense the growing metaphor here: Rachel went from student group to student group, answering her student’s questions with questions that nudged them along to understanding for themselves. Rachel is so deserving of this award because, yes, her class preparation is beyond diligent and, yes, because the current through that diligence is love, but mostly because of the patience she has, and the belief she holds, for the light bulbs to illuminate.

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SILVIA GATES ELINOR BASS HOPKINS MEMORIAL AWARD This award was established in 2016 by Emmy Ellison ’96 and John Ellison ’65 to memorialize Elinor Bass Hopkins—the late wife of retired long-time Senior Master James W. Hopkins—who devoted her life to the betterment of her community.

Presented by former Dean of Students Amy Kolman A wise person once said, “There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” Those words ring familiar when I think of Silvia—for her demonstrated dedication to the VES community and for making outstanding contributions to the school and its students. She earned this award because—simply put—her constant subtle excellence has ongoing meaningful impact. Throughout this very difficult year, because of her, students

A deserving faculty member, member

got to class, all teachers felt supported, and many parents

of the staff, or spouse of a staff or

got to visit their kids on weekends. And most importantly,

faculty member is recognized with this award for his or her dedication to the VES community and for making an outstanding contribution to the school and its students.

her close attention to detail and pursuit of perfection are only outshined by the warm and motherly care she provided to our youngest students living away from home on McCormick Dorm. It’s in her tiny acts of kindness that her impact is felt most profoundly.

For a list of all school awards, please visit ves.org/awards.

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CLASS OF 2020 CONVENES ON CAMPUS FOR IN-PERSON GRADUATION

VES students envision the day they will descend the steps of Jett Hall and walk across the front lawn to receive their diplomas, but for the Class of 2020, the Covid pandemic upended that dream. Instead, last May families gathered remotely as VES hosted Zoom celebrations to conclude their virtual spring semester. Not fully satisfied with only seeing our graduating seniors on-screen, VES advisors, faculty and staff road-tripped across the country to personally deliver as many diplomas as possible, determined to show our love and support with this special touch. And we made plans to host in-person Commencement exercises when life would allow. That opportunity finally came. On May 22, 2021, 39 members of the Class of 2020 returned to the Old 160 to participate in the time-honored tradition, followed by a special event hosted by parents—an extraordinary evening of dinner and dancing for the classes of 2020 and 2021, their parents and guests at Boonsboro Country Club.

2020 MARSHALS FRANCE BURGER, JR. ’80

Hundley

LEE PORTER ’85

Claibourne

MALCOLM MILES VES TRUSTEE

LEIGH-ANN SPROCK VES TRUSTEE

Spencer

Dixon

Enjoy the Class of 2020 graduation highlights video at ves.org/Classof2020.

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5 WAYS TO STAY INVOLVED WITH VES Your Bishop Network Is Always Here for You

Find a New Job, Internship, Housing or Get to Know a New Hometown Leverage the VES alumni network!

Call or email the Alumni Office: 434.385.3700 | alumni@ves.org

2 3

Join Us for Events Look for regional opportunities to join Bishops gatherings on the road. Come back home for Alumni Weekend, Homecoming Weekend, Lessons & Carols, athletics and other fun events.

Help VES Thrive Help VES provide an exceptional experience to all students and faculty. With your financial gift of any size, you will continue to have an impact on the VES community! ves.org/give

Refer a Bishop You are our best resource for recruiting great students to VES! If you know 7th - 9th graders interested in boarding school, talk to them about VES. •S end their contact information to admission@ves.org • Refer a Bishop: ves.org/scholarships

Keep in Touch

•E ncourage them to come for an open house: ves.org/visit

Let us know when your phone, address or email change. Send news and photos about what you’re up to! Email us at ves.org/update.

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G A R T H

A I N S L I E

VES’ 13 TH HEAD OF SCHOOL IS LOOKING FORWARD TO LOOKING BACK ON A MONUMENTAL FIRST YEAR Written by Mary Molyneux Abrams

t some point, amid the Covid-19 crisis, Garth Ainslie admits there was a moment when he entertained the notion “This is not what I signed up for,” only to quickly conclude, to the contrary, the whole scenario was exactly what he had agreed to when he accepted the job.

Ainslie already had some experience in the arena of dashed dreams. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, serving both as a VES Trustee (2010–12) and as the Assistant Head of School for Advancement (2012–17), he had helped the previous administration rebound from a series of devastating setbacks in time to celebrate the school’s 2016 Centennial Anniversary in style.

It was quite an initiation. The newly appointed Head of School was now officially joining the ranks of his predecessors—VES Heads of School who, with few exceptions, had seen their plans for VES suspended, altered, or, in some cases, crushed by outside forces.

Reaching back even further in time, Ainslie also had the advantage of watching his father, VES’ eighth headmaster Lee Sanford “Sandy” Ainslie, Jr. (1974– 81), literally—and this is not an exaggeration—pluck the school from the brink of extinction.

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“One thing I learned growing up here,” Ainslie explains, “is that, to achieve and maintain success, you have to be moving forward on all fronts every year. My dad described it this way, he said VES should post an ‘Under Construction’ sign at the The Ainslie family at the dedication of Ainslie House dorm in 1981: Garth, Sandy, Elizabeth, Sharon and Lee

front gate. And he wasn’t referring to buildings. He was talking about continually making improvements in all areas of school life—always striving to get better at what we do.”

“

The Selection Committee did a very thorough search

During his first year in office, Ainslie

for our next Head of School. Throughout, Garth kept

would, in fact, find himself making

rising to the top. He had the skill set we were looking

continual improvements, just not the ones

for, and he had a proven track record of success. But,

he had expected. He also would discover

more than that, he had a passion for VES. Garth is a

that, in some circumstances, simply

team builder who excels at identifying and developing

remaining standing can require as much

talent. He also has the rare ability to step out of the way,

if not more energy than pushing ahead.

giving others a chance to showcase their talents. It’s one of the qualities that really sets him apart.

THE APPOINTMENT OF GARTH AINSLIE

Lesslie Hamilton Ray ’00

promised to be the smoothest handoff

on November 5, 2019, signaled what in the history of VES. Head of School

Manager, Greenway Wealth Management; Past VES Trustee; Past Member, 2019 Head of School Search Committee

Tommy Battle ’83 and Board Chair Mike Alford ’82 were preparing to exit on a high note: the school was on firm fiscal footing, and a thoughtfully designed strategic plan was midway through implementation. In fact, the concepts, practices and programs outlined in the 28-page, forward-looking document were deliberately crafted to be “actionable,” and Ainslie had been selected as the best candidate to carry out the mission. Traditionally, the transition from one Head of School to the next takes place in July. But, in the spring of 2020, as the exponential spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19) became a global certainty, Ainslie was looped in early. It was a necessary move—the decision-making pace was so fast that catching up after the fact would have proved impossible. “We acted quickly,” he recalls, “and communication with our students and parents was very good.” In a mere three weeks—essentially

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during an extended spring break—VES faculty

haul, stepping out of their established routines and

designed and launched a brand-new school for the

imagining their way back onto a safe but still joyful

remainder of the semester.

campus where all the unique attributes of a VES education would be on full display.

However, confusion surrounding the future still reigned. “I saw other schools really spinning their wheels, evaluating many different scenarios,” says Ainslie. “I thought what was brilliant about VES was that the board challenged us.” Specifically, a conversation between the incoming Head of School Garth Ainslie and outgoing Board Chair Mike Alford was a game changer. According to Ainslie, Alford took him aside and said “Look, I’m in the car business and I’m considered to be an essential service. I have to figure out how to be open every day. VES is absolutely an essential business. What do you need to open in the fall?” From that point forward, all members of the VES community began preparing for the long

“

Garth has many longstanding relationships with the VES community, which meant there would be no time lost in terms of getting up and running. He fully understands the very real financial challenges facing all boarding schools, not just VES, and he knows well what a special place this is and what we are trying to preserve. With Garth, we will push forward to build on our already strong foundation.” Chad Hanning Margaret Thomas Bourne Chair of Science; James W. Hopkins Distinguished Master; Director of Community Life; VES parent; Past Member, 2019 Head of School Search Committee

Left to Right: son Quinn, Garth, Anne and son Hayne

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

The outpouring of support was such that, in virtual

attended the middle school. Starting out, his

meetings with other school leaders, Ainslie often

seventh-grade status made the iconic teachers and

found himself blessedly unable to fully commiserate

coaches of the era appear even more towering.

with the pandemic-induced struggles of his peers.

As he related in a recent online interview: “That

By mid-summer 2020, documented Covid cases

experience really influenced the trajectory of my

in the U.S. were dramatically increasing and the

life. I had Phil Garmey and Steve Culbertson for

definition of who was most vulnerable had greatly

French. I had John Foster and Jay Hight for English.

expanded beyond the original cluster of nursing

‘Babes’ Hopkins asked me to be in a play, so I got

home patients. Even so, while other schools were

to be on stage with him, which was just incredible.

facing understandable staffing shortages, the

I had Doug Smith for history. I had Rock Lee—and

entire VES faculty—even those with elevated risks—

I think people forget he was a great math teacher

returned to work.

in addition to being a wonderful coach and a great person. So, I got the full VES experience.”

Reciting a list of stellar achievements—outcomes he readily attributes to his “Covid Czar” Chris Button,

While glowing VES memories may have helped to

the leadership team, the board, faculty and staff,

draw him back, they are not the reason Garth Ainslie

alumni, parents, and, of course, the students—Ainslie

is here. What the new Head of School really wants

reports: “We had zero cases; no one got Covid

to do is get going on the future. “Our strategic plan

while on our campus. Though the world of higher

has legs and longevity,” he explains. “It was not

education also was turned upside down, adding

created to sit on a shelf. My job is to make sure we

even more stress to the admissions process, all

live into it.”

of our seniors got into college. And, despite our concerns, we actually ended the 2020–2021 school

SO, WHAT IS THE PLAN? For starters, the Toward

year in better fiscal shape than when we started.”

Full Stature vision and core values embraced and espoused by VES since its founding have not

AINSLIE’S FIRST-YEAR TRIAL BY FIRE was

changed. Even the school’s freshly drawn Portrait of

especially poignant considering he never intended

a VES Graduate will look familiar to generations of

to become the Head of School at VES or anywhere

alumni. What’s different is the world has changed—

else for that matter—a claim his resumé confirms.

the competencies required for long-term success in

After attending the University of North Carolina

college and the workplace are not what they were

at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar, he served

even 10 years ago—triggering a re-examination

as a teacher and coach for two years at Ransom

on the school’s part. This, too, is nothing new. VES

Everglades School in Florida before moving on

has periodically engaged in similar outward- and

to earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of

inward-looking exercises in an effort to modify its

Colorado-Boulder. From there, his career veered

curriculum and programming, and gather the tools

into the world of financial and legal services,

needed to prepare students for the future.

including 13 years in New York City as Director of Equity Research Sales with Salomon Smith Barney/

What sets the VES Strategic Vision apart is its no-

Citigroup and five years in Breckenridge, Colorado,

stone-left-unturned thoroughness. This is not an

as Associate General Counsel with Vail Resorts.

update, a patch or a refresh. It’s a new platform—a structure carefully designed to ensure that VES

Like any alum, Ainslie waxes fondly about his

remains as “beyond comparison” in the 21st century

time at VES, with the added distinction of having

as it was in the last. Even more ambitious, it seeks to

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SUMMER 2021

“

To be a good leader, you have to be willing to ask and learn—to find out what you don’t know. You also have to be flexible and ready to act on new information. I think, throughout his very tough first year, Garth demonstrated he has those important attributes. Paul Fulton Jr. ’53 Past Chair, VES Board of Trustees; Past Co-chair, Vision 2016 Campaign; Co-chair, Higher Education Works; Retired President & CEO, Bassett Furniture Industries; Retired President, Sara Lee Corp.; Retired President, Hanes Corp., Retired Dean, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School; Past Member, UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees; Past Co-chair UNC Bicentennial Campaign; Past Member, UNC Board of Governors

Anne and Garth joined the fun for the VES annual Doughnut Run last fall.

achieve a level of financial stability and operational

Further discussion surrounding the academic

stewardship that will substantially lessen the

program—a unique curriculum nested within VES’

“worldly suffering” the school endured throughout

already singular student-focused culture—prompts

its first 100 years.

Ainslie to address another aspect of the strategic plan: the challenge of affordability.

The Strategic Vision document itself reflects the sense of purpose and confidence VES seeks to instill

Sitting in a green armchair chair with a portrait of

in its students. The language is lively, filled with

Bishop Jett looking over his shoulder, the new Head

phrases like “dynamic questioning” and “intellectual

of School voices his intention to expand access

playfulness,” concepts that Ainslie is more than

to VES, making it affordable for students from all

happy to render in real terms. He begins by pointing

walks of life. Also, especially as tuition everywhere

out that the days of simply attending classes,

is continuing to rise, he is concerned about alumni

studying and taking tests are long gone. “Colleges

parents’ ability to shoulder the expense of VES

today are looking for students who can generate

combined with four years of college. As Ainslie

ideas and problem-solve. At the same time, the

puts it, too many institutions have been “pulling the

workplace increasingly consists of creative people

tuition lever” for too many years, which is hardly a

working together in teams. In response, what we

sustainable strategy. Instead, under the leadership

are saying is, we want to foster curious, innovative

of Head of Advancement Henry Clarke ’03, VES is

thinkers and producers. And I know what you’re

strategically raising endowment dollars to offset

thinking: That sounds lovely, but what does that

the annual operating costs that traditionally drive

mean day-to-day in an English or math class?”

up tuition.

Members of the VES faculty, it turns out, have been

VES completed its strategic planning process long

adapting their course outlines to conform with the

before Covid-19 upended American life, exposing

goals of the Strategic Vision for quite some time,

intolerable inequities and propelling multicultural

developing what Ainslie describes as a “secret

issues into the forefront of our awareness. Given the

sauce”—an academic program “tailored to our

turmoil unleashed over the course of many fearful

student body, a program that is not available at

months, it seems only fair to ask the new Head

any other school.”

of School if the plan’s priorities have changed—a question that evokes a humble but passioned

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

response: “VES integrated more than 50 years

comfortable community spaces—available to faculty,

ago, but that event only marked the beginning.

alumni, guests and students. The Ainslies are empty

We are still working on it, not only in terms of

nesters, but raising two sons, Quinn and Hayne,

enrolling wonderful students, but also in terms

informed their decisions, helping them imagine how

of attracting great teachers. In other words, we

a truly functional “kid friendly” house should flow.

want the composition of the student body and the

The extended outdoor area provided a safe oasis for

composition of the faculty to mirror each other,

school functions during Covid.

and we want to have a campus where everyone feels at home. The Strategic Vision clearly states

While VES has long been recognized as a school

our priorities. Recent events have only served

that offers an exceptionally caring environment,

to highlight why our continuing efforts are so

Ainslie does not take this reputation for granted.

important.”

“We have teachers who go above and beyond, really getting to know our kids. It was true when

Many other facets of the plan merit highlighting,

I was here, and it’s just as true today. And, thanks

including faculty support, from professional

to our seamless, symbiotic day-boarding program,

development to enhanced campus housing. VES

we have tight relationships extending into the

is well aware that its mission would be impossible

wider Lynchburg community. Whether it involves

without the exceptional curriculum developed

discovering new ways to support faculty or making

and delivered by a talented, cohesive group of

our house available for a student get-together, Anne

instructors.

and I see ourselves as part of that continuum.”

PERHAPS THE BEST DESCRIPTION of the Ainslie

The disruptions caused by Covid-19 have only

administration coined so far comes from Henry

served to bolster the new Head of School’s faith in

Cochran, a graduate of the University of Virginia

the mission he agreed to undertake. “The pandemic

School of Architecture and a friend of Garth and

forced us to impose restrictions that were difficult,

Anne, who called the couple’s recent redesign of the

especially for the young. But, even at the worst

Robert Carter Jett Memorial Head of School House,

moments, there was trust. That’s resilience—we

“traditional with a twist.”

pulled through. Though—and I’m sure the whole community feels the same way—I am more than

The transformation is remarkable: open, colorful,

ready to get back to normal life and thinking about

and inviting. The main floor, walkout basement

the future.”

recreation room, and enlarged patio are now

The renovation of the Head of School home was featured in a Summer 2021 Central Virginia HOME article, written by Carter Heald Bendall with photos by Craig Shafter.

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Double Alumni Weekend Reaffirms Vitality of VES Connections and Community After a year-long delay of the 2020 reunion and a challenging—and often isolating—14 months of the Covid pandemic, attendees found reconnecting with friends at our double Alumni Weekend to be more meaningful than ever.

• Attendees relished hearing the little-told story of the VES victory in the 1961 National Prep School Golf Championship and celebrated team members Rush Shull and Russ Wentz, who joined us for the weekend. Check out the story on page 32.

The excitement and energy on the Old 160 was

• Head of School Garth Ainslie delivered an

palpable as nearly 400 alumni, spouses, guests,

engaging State of the School report, having

faculty and staff gathered for three relaxed days

just led VES through one of the most unusual

together on campus. Attendees represented a

years in the history of the school.

74-year span of Bishops—from Stephen Thorne, Class of 1944, from Kinsale, Virginia, to Jaelin Llewellyn,

The day continued with many fun activities: tasting

Class of 2018, who returns to Princeton in the fall.

a curated selection of Virginia wines led by June McGraw McBroom Chair of Fine & Performing Arts

Friday night kicked off with BBQ and beach music

Debbie Burton, a painting class in the art studio, tours

under the twinkling lights of Box Plaza. On Saturday,

of the evolving VES campus, and an afternoon pool

alumni enjoyed gathering in Langhorne Memorial

party, featuring the Will Overman Band (son of Troll

Chapel for the annual alumni meeting, with several

Overman ’82). Conway Shield ’60 presided over two

memorable highlights:

William King Society ceremonies, with 1971 graduates

• 1971 graduates Bill Alexander and Marvin Barnard became the first Stouffer Scholars to reach their 50th reunion and integrate the William King Society. Several Stouffer Scholars attended reunion to support Marvin and Bill and join in the celebration.

representing the largest class ever inducted on campus. The evening brought everyone together for class photos, dinner and dancing under the stars, and late night cheesy westerns by the pool capped off a stellar day. The weekend came to a close with a farewell breakfast and beautiful remembrance service, led by Chaplain Adam White in Langhorne

• We relived memories of the 1969 National Prep

Memorial Chapel.

League Championship football team—with many members in attendance—and unveiled a plaque

You inspire us with your lifelong friendships, your joy

that will be installed at John W. Pope, Jr. ’69

and love for VES. Once a Bishop, always a Bishop.

Stadium in their honor. Ron Hood ’74 shared moving remarks the team’s coaches wrote for the occasion.

Enjoy images from the weekend at ves.org/alumniweekend2021.

Watch the Annual Meeting at ves.org/2021alumnimeeting.

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Clockwise from Top | 1: Saturday evening festivities hosted on the front lawn | 2: Marvin Barnard ’71 and Neal Partrick ’70 recreate the winning touchdown in the 1969 championship football game | 3: Bev Hutter ’61 and Glovie Lynn (wife of Dick Lynn ’60) | 4: Head of School Garth Ainslie holds a mockup of the plaque for the 1969 Prep League Football Championship that will be installed in Pope Stadium.

LEFT PAGE: 1: Skip Snow ’71 and Pat Amon take a spin on the dance floor. | 2: Caroline Miller ’16 and Preston Williams ’16 | 3: Debbie Burton, June McGraw McBroom Chair of Fine & Performing Arts and wine aficionado, leads a tasting of Virginia wines. | 4: Drew Cook ’95 works on his art piece during the Paint & Sip event. | 5: Brantley Rogers, Lauren Greene ’05, John Edwards, Celie Edwards ’05, Amanda Hreiz Sellers ’05 and Whitney Cast ’05 THIS PAGE: 1: Alison Sigler, Stewart Sigler ’76, Paul Feinman ’77 and Andy Spencer ’76 | 2: Will Overman Band (son of Troll Overman ’82) performed during the Saturday pool party at Betts Pool. | 3: Walker Swain led campus tours of all the exciting developments. | 4: Roland Vaughan ’61 dances with Anne Ainslie on Saturday evening. 5: Lawrence Hicks ’71, with daughter Christian ’15 and niece Mary Mac Cowan ’16

1: Liz Alford ’16 and Blake Anderson | 2: Selma and Tony Johnson ’74, Alvarita and Bill Alexander ’71, Lyn and Jerrauld Jones ’72, Gloria and Terry Sherrill ’72, and Pam Barnard and Marvin Barnard ’71 | 3: Class of 2015 friends Louis Williams, Delante Jones, Romey Poore, Taylor McHugh, George Battle and Will West 4: Ron Hood ’74 catches up with Tony Johnson ’74 and other guests at the 1971 William King Society Induction | 5: Guests enjoy the Friday night BBQ and beach music on Box Plaza.

CLASS OF 1970 | FRONT ROW L-R: Gunn Murphy, Sawyer Manly, Gray Murray, Neal Partrick, Bruce Guignard, Frank Millikan | BACK ROW L-R: Allen Hamblen, Steve Johnson, Tony Norwood, Bill Pully, Steve Shelton, Hunt Taylor, Jim Bonner, Tom Dewitt-Rickards, Parker Lumpkin, Dick Trotman, Taylor Putney

New Inductees Welcomed into William King Society Congratulations to our alumni from the classes

Colonel William King, Jr., who was a charter member

of 1970 and 1971, celebrating their 50 Reunions.

of the VES Board of Trustees and served on the

They are our newest members to be inducted into

board from 1916 to 1943. His tireless devotion to

the William King Society, formerly known as the

VES and longevity of volunteer service is unmatched

“Old Guard.” The society is named after

in school history.

CLASS OF 1971 | FRONT ROW L-R: Garland Harper, Charlie Johnson, Marvin Barnard, Skip Snow, Alex Owens, Bill Barnes, Jim Baucom, Cham Light, Ned Dillon, Bill Alexander, David Anderson, Oliver Crawley | BACK ROW L-R: Tom Thomson, Rennie Hill, Doug Hebard, Rick Gant, Carey Murphy, Jim Moss, Bud Doughton, Stewart Little, Lawrence Hicks, Bobby McKenna, Sam Guerin, Marvin Carver, Heyward Armstrong, Billy Hill

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1976

1975

1981

1995 - 96

2005

2001

2011

2015

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

1980

2000

2010

2016

Celebrating Our Reunion Classes Note: All rows are listed left to right.

Class of 1975

Class of 1981

Class of 2000

Back Row George Smythe Paul Kehrer Jimmy Feinman Richard Mahone Ian Sauer Tom Elder Steve Wilhoit Will Willman Ben Moomaw

Back Row John Lee John Vandersyde John Carrington Chuck McCarthy Tom Ross Horace Beasley Will Fralin Don White Benburry Wood Ben Parrot Arthur McCray Rob Turner

Back Row Clay Brimijoin Leigh Carrington Phillip Ray David Cox Boo Moore John Carrington Frank Paisley Katie Featherstone Dhaval Shah

Front Row Bill Lanford Steve Reinhardt Wood Beasley

Class of 1976 Back Row Steven Boyer Cary Booth Ed Craighill Randy Nexsen Frank Roddey George Booth Andy Spencer Keith Sanford

Middle Row Biff Bowen Ken Templeton Tony Pinado George Lupton Louis Wooten Mike Croxson Howard Moye Front Row John Thomas Jensie Teague Norman Moon Watson Jordan

Front Row Fred Duckworth Tripp Wilson Jim Dudley

David Thorp

Class of 1980

Classes of 1995-96

Back Row Jimmy Randle Rob Craighill John Mays

Drew Cook ’95 Leigh McCarthy ’95 Margaret Lyle Jones ’95 Will Morgan ’96

Front Row George Lupton Gunner Roe

Class of 1986

Front Row Ali Donaldson Blair Alford Absher Dixon Moore Piccagli PJ Roberson

Class of 2015 Back Row Romey Poore Delante Jones Louis Williams Taylor McHugh Nick Van Dyke Jacob Early

Front Row Lesslie Ray Candice Kenan Anne Bolling Rainer Cody Ford

Front Row Taylor Ann Massie Michelle Martin Christian Hicks

Class of 2001 Stephen Alexander Christian Davidson

Class of 2016 Back Row Sidney Thomson Mary Mac Cowan Ashton Moore Preston Williams Chloe Ekberg George Battle Caroline Miller Will West Kevin Quinn Emery McVeigh Sarah Bonyak William Lupton

Class of 2005 E. B. Wagner Lauren Greene Celie Edwards Amanda Hreiz Sellers Whitney Cast Raggs Rascoe

Class of 2010 Sam Malott Laverty Mason Bowen Sydna Mundy

Front Row Liz Alford Rachel Naumann Lelia Battle Virginia Elam

Class of 2011 Back Row Dan Alexander Mariah Wood Colin Ponder Lee Ayscue

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Front Row, L-R: David Carroll ’61, William Barber ’61, Rush Shull III ’61, Jimmy Barber ’63, Lee Booth, Jr. ’61 | Back Row: Culver Choate ’62, Alton “Schooner” Nowell, Jr. ’63, Joseph “Pat” Lawson, Jr. ’64, William Foreman, Jr. ’62, Bernard Baldwin III ’62 (not pictured: Russ Wentz ’61)

1961 VES Golf Team Crushes the Field, Wins National Prep School Championship

About the Tournament The Eastern Interscholastic Golf Association began sponsoring prep school golf competitions in 1911. After a few years suspension during WWII, the 1961 National Prep School Championship was the 45th year of competition. The event took place June 13 – 16, 1961, at the Agawam Hunt Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island.

Written by Tarlton Long ’68

The field. That year, of the 23 schools and 103 individual golfers registered, 19 schools entered four-man teams— representing all eastern seaboard states as far south as Virginia and the largest ﬁeld yet in both number of individuals and teams.

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Blair Academy was the match play winner in

played on the VES tennis team. Shull was 100

1960 and entered 1961 with a 25-match winning

percent focused on his passion—golf. Coach Cliﬀ

streak. Hotchkiss and Taft were undefeated prior

Titus was unable to accompany the golf team to the

to the competition. Other top-ranked teams were

tournament. Shull took charge, submitting the entry

Lawrenceville, Hotchkiss, Suffield Academy and

form and planning the logistics required to assemble

Virginia Episcopal School, the southern-most school

the four players and ﬁnd their way to Rumford,

competing in the tournament. (Separately, in 1961,

Rhode Island.

the VES golf team beat Woodberry Forest, handing them their ﬁrst loss in 43 years on their home 9-hole

Journey to the Tournament

course.) Other prominent prep schools competing

Shull lived in Charlotte, North Carolina; Booth

included Exeter, Andover, Choate, Kent, The Hill

in Danville, Virginia; Barber in Lexington, North

School, Peddie, The Gunnery, Trinity-Pawling,

Carolina; and Wentz in Roanoke, Virginia. The three

Brunswick and Tabor.

18-year-old seniors and one 16-year-old sophomore (Barber) had some convincing to do to secure a car,

The format. Teams played one practice round on

housing, and parental approval to make their way

the tough Donald Ross-designed par 69 golf course

north without adult supervision.

before the tournament began. All contestants played a 36-hole qualifying round over two days (Tuesday

Graduation from VES was just days before the

and Wednesday). During the competition, using

planned departure for the Agawan Hunt Club.

a medalist format, the low 16 scorers qualiﬁed for

No doubt Shull’s future at the University of North

match play Thursday and Friday.

Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Booth’s and Wentz’s futures at the University of Virginia were in the back

The awards. The individual medalist won the

of their minds, but this golf competition had their full

Livingston Carroll Memorial Platter. The Frank

attention. They must have been very excited about

Presbery Cup was awarded to the match play

the upcoming tournament but also anxious about

champion’s school, with the winning player taking

the level and scope of the huge ﬁeld of competition

home the Borsodi Cup, a replica of the Presbrey

in Rhode Island. It is impossible to know what fully

trophy. The four-man teams competed for the

occupied their minds during the many hours logged

Horace D. Taft Cup, which the winning school held

on the drive north. Their newly found independence

for a year. Each of the four players on the winning

must have been highly energizing.

team would receive individual medals. Fortunately, Shull’s and Barber’s parents were good

Team VES

friends with Chester Cobb and family, who readily

Team captain Rush Shull led the charge in

oﬀered to house the four VES golfers for the event

establishing VES’s four-man team. David Carroll,

at their spacious home in Providence. Shull’s mother

number two on the squad, had broken his wrist

turned over her big, Duke blue, eight-cylinder Buick

playing baseball and was out. Lee Booth (who

sedan with fabric covered seats, no seat belts, dial

passed away several years before the writing of this

radio knobs and a giant trunk that could handle all

article) was number three, and Jimmy Barber was

the golf paraphernalia. Burning roughly a gallon of

number four on the golf team. Shull drafted baseball

gas every 10 miles bothered no one at 30 cents a

pitcher Russ Wentz—not a member of the golf

gallon. Whether she expected her car back in the

team but a ﬁne athlete in both baseball, basketball,

condition in which it was left is speculative.

and golf at VES—to ﬁll Carroll’s slot. Barber also

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SUMMER 2021

who followed him in the playoﬀ,

Tournament Play Round one of qualifying for match play had two contenders tied for the lead. Steven Robbins of Hotchkiss and Robert Reagan of Worcester each shot identical scores of 36-37 for 73s on the par 69 course. VES’ Shull shot 38-37 for a 75; Booth carded 42-41 for an 83; Barber shot 43-42 for an 85; and Wentz shot a 46-42 for an 88. The VES team score at the halfway mark was 331. On day two, Worcester’s Robert Reagan shot a 69 to supplement his 73 for a 142. Shull shot a 74, giving him a two-day 149—seven shots off the lead but capturing second place in the entire field. Barber turned in a 79 to add to his 85 for 164, while Booth turned in an 81 to add to his 83, also totaling 164. Wentz added a 77 to his round one 88 for a total 165—one stroke behind his closest two teammates. The team’s combined scores totaled 311 by day two—shaving 20 shots off their day one score. Their two-day 642 total bested the next closest team by 14 strokes! VES had decisively captured the Horace D. Taft Cup. Hotchkiss placed second with 656 strokes. After Shull, Booth and Wentz finished their round two play, they headed out to watch Barber. At the no. 16 par 3, Barber was told by his three teammates that all he needed was a par and two bogies for VES to win the Taft Cup. Barber promptly dunked his ball in the par 3 water hazard, carding a double bogie. He then parred 17 and birdied 18 with a 25-foot putt. He erupted with celebration. Little did he know VES had already banked enough margin to take the championship. He swiftly realized his teammates had pulled a prank!

overheard members remarking that Wentz’s drive was the longest drive ever recorded on that hole. (His tee shot, on the other hand, entered a green side bunker.)

The Celebration On the final night, the Eastern Interscholastic Golf Association and Agawan Hunt Club hosted the boys for dinner, after they were handed the Taft Cup by a particularly attractive female. The boys wondered who she was and how she was connected with Agawan, and still do. Barber recalls that wine was served at dinner, his ﬁrst, leading to his having trouble loading spaghetti on his dinner fork. Still in a celebratory mood, they moved forward with plans to visit New York and Long Island. Shull’s boarding school dance friend Jan Slocum, who attended Chatham Hall, invited the VES team to her parents’ house in Locust Valley. Being a gracious hostess, she had lined up other “dates” and her father’s enormous sailing yacht to cruise Long Island Sound. On the beautiful June day and emboldened by the young women urging them on, the boys dove into the sound, barely surviving 50-degree waters as the girls giggled from the deck above.

An Unexpected Side Trip Leaving Providence and heading to New York with sweet victory in their heads, Shull was pulled

All four VES golfers made it to the top 16 match play

for speeding along with a truck driver. They were

rounds. Shull, Booth and Barber competed in the

required to be conﬁned at the jail house until a local

Championship Flight and Wentz in the First Flight.

judge found his way over to deal with the out-of-

Shull won his round one match and was defeated

town folks. Barber, Wentz and Booth borrowed

in round two. Booth and Barber were defeated in

the car to get a bite to eat, while Shull sat alone

their round one matches. Wentz won his round one

contemplating the consequences. When all had

match and was defeated in his round two match in a

returned, the judge entered the room, assessed

19th hole playoﬀ on the par 4 No. 1. His teammates,

the documentation, looked at Shull and said he

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

thought they had met.

Yankees. Wentz served VES as a Trustee from 1983

Shull relayed the golf

to 1986, and his brother, John Wentz, is a member of

victory as the reason

the class of 1963.

the young men were in town. That was it!

Jimmy Barber could not resist hitting a few ground

The judge said he

strokes on Agawam Hunt’s immaculate grass tennis

had followed them

courts between the 1961 golf matches, as two weeks

as a member of the

after the golf competition in Rhode Island, Barber

Agawan Hunt Club,

competed in and won the 16 and under North

congratulated the

Carolina state doubles championship along with his

team and dismissed

partner Jim Donnan of Burlington, North Carolina.

the case. He looked

Barber’s uncle, Howard Barber, was a member of

over at the truck driver

the VES class of 1922; father Milton Barber, Jr., was a

and dismissed his

1929 graduate, and his older brother, Milt Barber, III,

speeding ticket as well.

graduated in 1954.

Epilogue

Congratulations to these men for an extraordinary

Rush Shull played on the UNC and

achievement and taking charge of their VES golf team’s destiny at exactly the right moment.

UNC-Charlotte golf Raleigh News & Observer, July 13, 1961

teams and continued a fantastic amateur golf career, winning

numerous regional events, setting course records, and qualifying to compete in the U.S. Amateur at Charlotte Country Club in 1972. He continues to maintain a highly competitive golf game. Lee Booth, Jr., played on the UVA golf team. He served his country during the Vietnam War as an officer and pilot in the Navy on the USS Coral Sea.

Receiving the Horace D. Taft Championship Cup

Always loving a good game of golf, Lee was often found on the golf course having a laugh with family and friends until he passed away in 2011. Booth is part of a long legacy at VES: his father, Lee Booth, Sr., graduated from VES in 1929; son, Landon, is a member of the class of 1994; and grandson Patrick Kelly III (son of daughter, Kari Booth Kelly) is a 2018 graduate. Russ Wentz went on to pitch for the University of Virginia baseball team. He remains especially proud

Agawam Hunt Country Club, Rumford, R.I.

of once being assessed by a scout for the New York

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Alumni Enjoy 21st Annual VES Golf Invitational Written by Brent Holmes ’73, Alumni Golf Invitational Commissioner

It is a beautiful day in Pinehurst” is the traditional greeting at the Pinehurst Resort and that was certainly the case as we kicked off the 2021 VES Alumni Golf Invitational, now in its 21st year! The group welcomed 40 golfers—the second largest group ever—and the “social only” perennial champion Wood Beasley ’75 to the tournament. It was apparent from the outset that these Bishops were primed for the golf and fellowship of a few days together in the Village. For the first time in many years, we returned to the original format of a one-day Class Cup competition and a two-day stroke play event for the overall net and gross champions. The Class Cup, contested on Pinehurst #7, was awarded following the first round on Friday. Congratulations to the class of 1983, led by Michael Edwards with classmates Tommy Battle, John Bond, Wade Morton, Marshall Hairston and David Allen, who took home the trophy with a stellar round of 68, five shots clear of the next class, 2008. After day one, two players, Wade Morton and John Bond, were tied for low gross with 79. The scores were very close, which promised an exciting finish at Pinehurst #5. Fun and frivolity sometimes prevail at the Friday night banquet at the Pine Crest Inn and may have played a role in the results on Saturday. Congratulations to Low Gross winner Jimbo Eggelston ’11, who slipped past our overnight leaders with a strong round of 77 for a two-day total of 162. Congratulations as well to Low Net winner and former commissioner Charlie Burton ’67, with a net total of 143. Terrific play, gentlemen!

Flight winners are as follows: 1. 1st Flight Winner: Wade Morton ’83 Runner Up: John Bond ’83 2. 2nd Flight Winner: Brent Holmes ’73 Runner Up: Bill Brewer ’12 3. 3rd Flight Winner: Lee Herbert ’74 Runner Up: Steve Reinhardt ’75 4. 4th Flight Winner: Charlie Bynum ’12 Runner Up: George Smith ’08 Following Saturday’s play, the Chris Smith ’82 “Carolina Blue” Skills Challenge was held on the Thistle Dhu putting course. Congratulations to Wade Morton ’83, our new champion for skillfully negotiating the course with a score of 40. Ron Hood ’74 and David Allen ’83 were runners up, both posting 41. Now in its second year, this event has proved to be a terrific edition to the affair, and a continued nod to Chris for his thoughtful award in honor of the winners again this year. What a terrific weekend with a number of first-time players/attendees helping make this a wonderfully successful event. I want to give a special thanks to Michael Edwards for setting up the golf at #7 and #5. And all of this wouldn’t be possible without the diligence of Ron Hood ’74, who is retiring from VES and has been instrumental in coordinating this outing for many years. I look forward to next July being bigger and better than ever. The Pinehurst Resort golf courses were spectacular, they did a wonderful job as hosts, and we will continue to have them in the rotation.

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

John G. B. Ellison, Jr. ’65 MAKES $10 MILLION GIFT TO VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

ore than 100 years ago, Robert Carter Jett imagined VES as a school that would “provide a first-rate education … to deserving students from all walks of life.” Through the generosity of John G. B. Ellison, Jr. ’65, VES takes a significant step forward in fulfilling this vision. John has given the VES Endowment a $10 million gift—the largest in school history—for financial aid with a clear directive that the school find those top scholars and leaders for whom a VES education is otherwise unobtainable. In the coming months, VES will be working very closely with John and his daughter Emmy Ellison ’96, a current VES trustee, to fully develop the details of his vision. This gift builds on John’s legacy of philanthropy to VES. In 2015, through The Ellison Family Foundation, John and Emmy invested $1.5 million to honor legendary VES master Jim Hopkins with the school’s first fully funded teaching endowment—the James W. Hopkins Distinguished Mastership—and to establish the Elinor Bass Hopkins Memorial Award, given annually in appreciation to an individual who makes the VES community a better place. John’s most recent gift brings the Ellison family’s cumulative giving to VES to $14 million. With his gift, The VES Endowment & Trust closed the fiscal year, ending June 30, 2021, a little north of $40 million for the first time in history. Head of School Garth Ainslie shared this extraordinary news during the State of School meeting on Alumni Weekend to a rousing round of applause. All of us at VES are humbled by and profoundly grateful to John for his trust in the school and his vision to change lives through this leadership gift.

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INTRODUCING FACULTY & STAFF NEW ADDI T ION S A N D E X PA N DE D ROL E S

At VES, delivering an exceptional experience is part of our promise. At the heart of that commitment are our highly talented, creative and dedicated teachers and staff. We are excited to introduce you to several new members of our team as well as faculty and staff members taking on new or expanded roles.

ACA DEMICS & T HE ST U D EN T EXPERIENC E

BRENDON BARRIOS DEAN OF STUDENTS

Brendon joins us to serve as Dean of Students. In addition to the broad duties of this role, he is focusing on our student leadership programs and supporting VES’ work in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, an area in which he brings valuable experience. Additionally, Brendon, who is a big soccer fan, will assist the girls soccer team in the spring. For the past six years, Brendon taught history at The Master’s School in New York, and, prior to that, taught Spanish at St. Anne’s Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He holds his B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Tech, and an M.A. in International Relations from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Brendon and his wife, Madalyn, have a nine-month-old daughter, Sloan, and live on campus. They have family in Virginia and are excited to be back closer to home.

GRANT NEAGLI HISTORY

Grant, a native of Houston, Texas, is a graduate of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and Yale University, where he earned his B.A. degree in History and played football for the Division I Bulldogs. In addition to teaching Global Cultures, Grant is an assistant coach for our Bishops football and boys lacrosse programs. He serves as Head of Pendleton Dorm.

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DR. ALISON MOORE MATHEMATICS

Alison comes to VES with more than 25 years of teaching experience in private and public schools as well as at the college level. Alison earned her B.A. in Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her M.Ed. from Francis Marion University in South Carolina, and her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Lynchburg. Alison has taught math at Central Virginia Community College since 2012 and has been a leader in professional development at CVCC. She also has been the Lead Facilitator of the Virginia Master Teacher Seminar held at Hampden-Sydney College each summer. In addition to teaching math, Alison is an assistant cross country coach. She is married with three children and lives in Lynchburg.

DEVIN CLYBURN MATHEMATICS

Devin is a 2017 graduate of the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut, and received his B.S. degree in Mathematics in May 2021 from Bates College in Maine. Devin loves football, basketball and chess, and has an impressive background in philanthropic work. Devin teaches Math and serves as an assistant coach with football and basketball. He lives on Randolph Dorm.

SEUNG IN “SAM” SOHN MATHEMATICS

With a lifelong passion for math, Sam attended Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, and then pursued his B.S. in Mathematics, which he received from the University of Virginia in 2019. For the past year, Sam has served as a math tutor and substitute teacher. At VES, he teaches Honors Analysis and, in the afternoons, supervises the robotics team and will assist with boys tennis in the spring. Sam’s pastimes are singing, playing the violin, and seeing math in everyday life.

PATRICK PICKARD SCIENCE

Patrick joins us from Persons High School in Roxboro, North Carolina, where he has been the lead Biology teacher and teaching all levels of science for the last five years. He is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, and earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Research from Morehouse School of Medicine. Along with teaching Biology and Chemistry, Patrick leads our sustainability program, assists with service learning, and is experienced working with student leaders. Patrick is very active in his church in Lynchburg. He resides on Pendleton Dorm.

LELIA BATTLE ’16 SPANISH

We are excited to welcome Lelia, a 2016 VES graduate, back to the Old 160. After earning her B.A. degree in Spanish from the University of Virginia, she taught at St. Anne’s Belfield School in Charlottesville. A certified yoga instructor, Lelia also enjoyed leading classes at FlyDog Yoga. At VES, Lelia teaches Spanish and serves as an assistant coach with field hockey and lacrosse. She lives on Jett Hall.

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RACHEL PORTER

LEARNING RESOURCES TEACHER AND STUDENT COUNSELING Rachel comes to VES from Williston Northampton School—a boarding school in Massachusetts— where she has worked for three years as an English teacher and Guidance Counselor. She received her B.A. degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida and completed her master’s degree in Educational Psychology in May 2021 through the American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. She joins our Learning Resources and Student Counseling teams. Rachel and her husband, Matt, live on Randolph Dorm.

SARAH ELIZABETH STERNE ’89 WELCOME DESK COORDINATOR

Sarah Elizabeth, a graduate of the VES Class of 1989 and Lynchburg native, returns to VES this fall. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a B.A. in Communication Disorders, she enjoyed a career in special events for an array of non-profit and private organizations. She previously shared her talents with VES, helping departments plan and execute events under the leadership of Headmasters Zimmer and Battle. She returns to serve as the Welome Desk Coordinator, providing support to our students and the Student Life and Advancement offices. She has been married to her husband, Ricky, for more than 24 years and together they are raising three Bishops: Joseph ’19, Row ’21 and Alex ’23. In her free time, Sarah Elizabeth can be found volunteering for her favorite organizations and floating on the Maury River with her family.

TREY WARD

EXECUTIVE CHEF, MERIWETHER GODSEY FOOD SERVICES Trey began his journey with Meriwether Godsey while in high school, as a line cook at Meriwether’s Market Restaurant. He went on to study at the New England Culinary Institute and, following graduation, he returned to Lynchburg and became the Executive Sous Chef at Boonsboro Country Club. Trey rejoined the MG family in 2007 as Chef/Director at Chatham Hall, before transitioning to Executive Chef at The Farm Basket. Trey has a true passion for food and his creativity and love for hospitality can be seen every day. When not at work, Trey can be found outdoors in his kayak, on the slopes, fishing and hiking with his wife, Laurie Justice Ward—a 1993 VES graduate who co-owns local catering company Avenue Foods—and son, Crawford.

NE W STAFF & AT H LET IC COACHES

REBECCA HURYK

DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID, INTERNATIONAL ADMISSION, AND ADVANCEMENT SERVICES Rebecca joined our VES Admission team in 2020. She brings 15 years of global talent management experience from Accenture, one of the world’s leading management and technology consulting firms, where she managed high-performing teams in the Philippines, India, Argentina and across the United States. Rebecca is a native of Hackettstown, New Jersey, and earned her B.S. in Biology from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where she also served as a captain of the women’s soccer team. Rebecca lives next to campus with her husband, Pete Huryk, who serves as Assistant Dean of Students, Spanish teacher and head boys soccer coach; son, Luke ’24; and daughter, Emily.

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MADDY HOOPER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION AND HEAD GIRLS LACROSSE COACH Maddy graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Sports Management and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. At UConn, Maddy was a four-year member of the Division I women’s lacrosse team, and was named to the Big East All-Academic Team four times. In high school, she played both basketball and lacrosse, served as captain of her lacrosse team as a senior, and was named to the Academic All-Conference Team each season and First Team All-State in her junior and senior years. Since 2018, Maddy has been working as a Program Director with Harlem Lacrosse in Boston, and brings experience and leadership in community outreach and engagement. Maddie serves as an Assistant Director of Admission and head coach for girls lacrosse. She lives on McCormick Dorm.

MATT PORTER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION AND HEAD FOOTBALL COACH Matt Porter joins us from Williston Northampton—a boarding school in Massachusetts—where he was a teacher and coach. Matt was a boarding student for his post-graduate year at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, then received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and his M.A.T. in Teacher Leadership from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Matt is VES’ new head football coach, serves as an Assistant Director of Admission, and will teach a section of Psychology in the future. Matt and his wife, Rachel, live on Randolph Dorm.

BRYCE BARBER

HEAD BOYS TENNIS COACH AND RESIDENTIAL LIFE INTERN Bryce is a graduate of the University of Lynchburg with a B.A. in History and minors in Spanish and Sports Management. He played for four years on the Division III Hornets men’s varsity tennis team, serving as co-captain his senior year and finishing his collegiate career as no. 1 in singles and doubles. With his high school and collegiate experience and work as a tennis coach for youth ages 4 -18, Bryce will be an outstanding leader for our boys tennis program. Bryce also assists with our girls tennis program and coaches the varsity B basketball team.

LOUIS WILLIAMS ’15

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT A 2015 VES graduate, Louis joined the Development team to help support alumni engagement and fundraising. Louis wrestled, played baseball and football all four years at VES, and was a part of the 2014 state championship football team. Louis graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management in 2019. He also earned a Certificate of Food & Beverage Operations from Cornell in 2020. Most recently, Louis oversaw resort catering and residential dining and managed a team of 30 employees at the Forbes FiveStar Cloister Hotel in Sea Island, Georgia. Louis lives off campus with his dog, Josie, and serves on the Randolph Dorm team.

SIDNEY THOMSON ’16

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT A 2016 VES graduate, Sidney joined the Development team, to help support alumni engagement and fundraising. Sidney graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a B.A. in Humanities. In 2017, Sidney was awarded the Rustic Pathways Award for her leadership during student-led trips to Costa Rica and Australia. Sidney brings hospitality and fundraising experience to VES. She lives off campus and serves on the Wyatt Dorm team. VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

HANNAH DELOACH

VIDEO PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Hannah has joined our Marketing & Communications team to provide in-house multimedia talent—video, photography and digital media—and to oversee live streaming of VES events. For the past eight years, Hannah has worked for the local ABC affiliate WSET-TV as a production assistant then commercial producer, covering local community events, producing segments for “Living in the Heart of Virginia,” developing branding promos and spearheading local companies’ commercial campaigns. A Lynchburg-area native, Hannah earned dual degrees from Virginia Tech—a B.A. in Theatre Arts: Cinema Production and a B.A. in Communication: Electronic and Print Journalism—and studied for an MFA in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

FAC ULTY & STA FF IN N EW O R EXPANDED ROL ES

JENNY BIONDI ANDERSON

DEAN OF TEACHING AND LEARNING With the exception of taking a couple years to work in a boarding school in New England, Jenny has worked at VES since 1998. She has acted as Director of Girls Residential Life, Head Coach of Indoor and Outdoor Track, Head Coach for Cross Country, and has been Dean of Faculty for the last five years. She earned a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science at James Madison University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Virginia. This year, Jenny takes on the new role as Dean of Teaching and Learning. In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of the school’s academic curriculum; lead the school’s effort to create an educational experience that fully realizes our Academic Philosophy and supports students as they grow into the Portrait of a VES Graduate; lead the Academic Leadership Team and work closely with Department Chairs in their visioning and planning; and align academic policies with best practices and students’ best interests. Collaborating with the Dean of Faculty, Jenny will oversee all academic departments—observing, evaluating and coaching teachers, fostering collaboration and interdisciplinary learning, promoting excellence in instruction, strengthening the predictability and support provided to our faculty, assisting with faculty hiring. In her free time, Jenny enjoys being with her family and many pets, including a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog. She is passionate about painting, traveling, and spending time outdoors in the mountains hiking, camping, and trail running.

MATT LAFRENIERE DEAN OF FACULTY

Matt LaFreniere enters his 11th year at VES, and steps into the Dean of Faculty role after having served as Assistant Dean of Faculty for the past three years. Matt also teaches Poetry, serves as an assistant coach with the boys lacrosse team, and works on Pendleton Dorm. He hopes to carve out time to write poems on the side. Matt lives on campus with his family: wife, Mary Ellen ’04, and their children, Jude and Lola.

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HENRY CLARKE ’03 HEAD OF ADVANCEMENT

Henry was appointed Head of Advancement in 2021 after serving as Director of Development (2017 - 2021) and Director of Major Gifts (2014 - 2017). Henry oversees the school’s fundraising and admission strategies, leveraging the many synergies across these customer-facing departments. Prior to joining VES, Henry attended The University of Virginia (English) and The University of South Carolina School of Law. During law school Henry served as a summer clerk to The Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, and worked with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation to preserve scenic farmland in Kelso, Virginia, through conservation easements. Henry has dedicated much of his time to working with young people, teaching high school Latin and English and serving as a counselor, head counselor, and member of the sailing staff at Camp Sea Gull for 13 summers. Henry has served in various volunteer fundraising capacities for The University of Virginia, Camps Sea Gull and Seafarer, and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. He has also participated on the Boards of Directors for Preservation Chapel Hill and the Jubilee Family Development Center. Henry’s brother, Penn Clarke, is a member of the Class of 2005. Henry and his wife, Addie, live near campus with their sons, Henry (5) and Burwell (3).

TRIPP PRICE

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION Tripp was appointed Director of Admission in 2021 after serving as Associate Director of Admission since 2019. Tripp has a passion for working with young adults. His leadership, care, and joy are evident in all that he does—helping prospective families navigate the admission process; serving as a student advisor, mentor, coach, and dorm parent; and in his 15 summers as a camper, counselor, and Head Counselor at Camp Sea Gull in Arapahoe, North Carolina. Tripp is in his third year at VES and previously worked in the Admission office at The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania. He is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tripp and his black labs, Jib and Charlie, live on campus on Ainslie Dorm, and he enjoys exploring Lynchburg and the outdoors with his fiancée, Lindsay Hargett.

MARGARET LYLE JONES ’95

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION AND DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS Margaret Lyle, a 1995 VES graduate, returned to the Old 160 in the fall of 2005 as Associate Director of Admission. Margaret Lyle has served in a variety of roles across the school, including Head of Perkins Dorm, Director of Residential Life, liaison to the Parents Council, Director of Advancement Programs, and Director of Special Events. Margaret Lyle returned to the Admission office this past summer to support prospective families as Associate Director of Admission. She will also continue to plan fun and engaging events for the internal and external communities as Director of Special Events. Margaret Lyle attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she received her B.A. degrees in Spanish and Government. Prior to her career at VES, Margaret Lyle served for six years as the director of Rockbrook Camp for Girls in Brevard, North Carolina. She lives on campus, is a dorm parent on Perkins Dorm, and serves as a faculty advisor.

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MICHELLE STAGGERS ’15

INTERIM DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION Michelle has worked at VES for the past two years, acting as the school’s Coordinator of Equity and Inclusion, history teacher, basketball and lacrosse coach, and dorm parent. We are excited to elevate her to be the school’s Interim Director of Equity and Inclusion for the 2021-22 school year. This position oversees the school’s affinity groups, the Faculty and Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees and the school’s Bias Response Committee. Hailing from Stafford, Virginia, Michelle is a graduate of Duke University, where she played on the Blue Devils Division I women’s lacrosse team.

JENNA VERMILYA

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO COLLEGE COUNSELING & TESTING COORDINATOR Jenna joined the VES community in August 2021 after 12 years of employment at the University of Virginia, first in the School of Law, and most recently in the Admissions Office at the Darden School of Business. At Darden, she served as the Visitation Coordinator prior to becoming an Assistant Director of Admissions. At VES, Jenna will use her detail-oriented skill set and excellent communication skills to help streamline workflow and projects in the College Counseling Office, and to coordinate and support students in their on-campus standardized testing opportunities. Originally from Lexington, Virginia, Jenna completed her B.A. at Bridgewater College before her career took her to Charlottesville. Jenna and her husband, Sidney Vermilya ’08, are now Lynchburg residents. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys taking evening walks with her husband and goldendoodle, George, and spending time with family and friends.

LIZ ALFORD ’16

INTERIM HEAD COACH, FIELD HOCKEY AND DORM HEAD After completing a year-long internship with VES during the 2020-21 school year, Liz is serving this year as Dorm Head of the new residential space for senior girls on Jett Hall, where she lives with her dog, Cash. In athletics, Liz is stepping in as Interim Head Coach for field hockey this fall and will assist with coaching girls basketball (winter) and golf (spring). She also serves as a member of the Health and Wellness Student Life faculty team. Liz earned double majors in May 2020 from Eastern Carolina University: B.A. degrees in Psychology and Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation. While a student at VES, she was the varsity goalie of our Bishops field hockey team all four years, honing her skills on defense, and last year worked as an assistant coach with former head coach Elizabeth Blaum.

VE S INTE RNS & R ES ID EN T IA L L IF E SUPPORT TEAM

Emily Foster ’17 joins the VES team, following her May 2021 graduation from Willam & Mary. Emily will serve on a duty team, support students in the VES Learning Resources program, assist the Advanced Studies participants, and serve as an assistant coach for JV girls tennis. Bri Anderson ’17 serves on a duty team, coaches JV volleyball, and provides support to the VES basketball program. Vickie Foy is a duty team member on Perkins Dorm, where she and her husband, Matt—a VES STEM teacher and Head Coach of girls basketball—live. Vickie, who holds her B.S. degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech, worked with at-risk youth as a mental health case manager for five years. Now, outside of her work at VES, she is a gymnastics coach at Balance Gymnastics & Fitness in Concord, Virginia. Vickie was a competitive gymnast for 10 years and achieved a Virginia state championship title in bars.

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Class Notes 1955

chronicles the years since—including a significant section dedicated to his time at VES. “VES changed my life” is the inscription on the archival copy for the school.

1970 Richard V Shanklin has been honored posthumously with the Marquis Who’s Who Humanitarian Award in the field of engineering, after being an Honoree of the Distinguished Worldwide Humanitarian Award in 2021, 2020 and 2019. Individuals who receive the Marquis award strive to make a positive impact on their communities and the world, and exhibit selflessness and dedication to causes greater than themselves.

1989 Gunn Murphy sends along this photo of grandson angler Gunn IV, already sporting VES gear as potential valedictorian for the Class of 2034.

1971

1965

Hunsdon ‘H’ Cary ’65 has recently completed his memoir, The One Initial Guy. The story begins in Ohio and

University School of Law, teaching courses in Land Use, Insurance Law and Real Estate Transactions and Development. Cham is chair of the Bicentennial Committee at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and is serving his third term on the Lynchburg Planning Commission. He really enjoyed his 50th Class Reunion and seeing how none of his classmates had aged.

Robert Chambliss “Cham” Light, Jr., continues to serve his community in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is serving his third term on the Board of Trustees of the Library of Virginia, serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Jones Memorial Library and he is starting his 17th year as an Adjunct Professor at Liberty

Anne Mauldin, Lane Jackson Lenzi, Mary Hodges George and Leigh Carter Egeghy—a tight-knit crew of Wyatt Women—enjoyed a spring trip to Pawleys Island. Of their 35 years of friendship, Leigh said: “From 15 to 50 these ladies have been there every step of the way.”

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

1998

Michael and Christy Maschal Carpenter, welcomed a son, Aldwin Wallace, on February 17, 2021. Aldwin, Old English for “wise friend,” was named after the late James Aldwin Hight, Jr., former VES librarian and teacher. Mr. Hight was an incredible light to many, and staying true to his name, one of Christy’s dearest and wisest friends. The Carpenters are honored for Aldwin to carry on Mr. Hight’s name, as well as his legacy.

2002

Owen M. Buhler and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed John Bratton Buhler, born June 18, 2021.

2005

2009

struggling with mood disorders, eating disorders and substance-use disorders.

2021 Lyndsay E. Polloway married Vincent Voci June 12, 2021, at Boar’s Head Resort.

2003

Nicholas Poe and his wife, Leanne, welcomed son Aiden Carter Poe, born June 10, 2021. Proud grandmother is VES Head Nurse Teresa Poe.

William T. Ramsey and his wife, Molly, welcomed Eli Hutter Ramsey on July 17, 2020. Eli joins his brother, Jack Taylor Ramsey, born July 7, 2018. The family currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Anna Elizabeth Capel and Jacob Hunter Koll, married June 12, 2021, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse S. Capel, Sr. The couple will reside in Chicago, Illinios.

Katherine White, who served as leader for the VES Walk for Alzheimer, was awarded an honorable mention in the Alzheimer’s Foundation National Essay Scholarship contest. Katherine is attending Virginia Tech this fall.

2010

2008

Bennett King married Ruth Hoobs on March 13, 2021, in Lexington, Virginia.

Former Faculty/ Staff

Dr. Holly Crist Capps and her husband, Tom, welcomed Caroline Frances Capps, born September 3, 2020.

Paul D. Reynolds IV married Sara Birch on May 1, 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Sutton Tinsley and wife, Emma, welcomed their second son, Robert Hatcher Tinsley, on March 19, 2021.

Dudley Strosnider Meyer married Bruce Meyer at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia.

L to R: Fred Duckworth, Pen Agnew, Elizabeth Agnew, Kathy Duckworth, Andy Spencer and Mary Spencer (former faculty/staff 1990-98) gathered at the Duckworths’ house on Chesapeake Bay over Independence Day Weekend.

Emeline Thorpe graduated from UNCWilmington in May 2021 with a Masters in Clinical Social Work. She was awarded the Insoo Kim Berg Award for achievement in social work education and dedication to community engagement. She will stay in Wilmington, North Carolina, and work as an outpatient therapist for teenagers

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In Memoriam While we do not reprint obituaries in full, we seek to capture an interesting note or two about our alumni who have died. We share these notes and encourage you to find their obituaries online for details of the impact they had at VES and in the world.

Alumni

1946

earned a doctorate in History from the University of Virginia in 1967 and served as a faculty member at Marshall University until his retirement in 1993.

1950 Francis K. Aldred, of Charleston, West Virginia, passed away May 6, 2021. He served in U.S. Navy Intelligence during the Korean War. Following his service, he taught history and mathematics at Virginia Episcopal School and coached boys cross country and track. He

William Quigley “Quig” Bennett, of Pocomoke City, Maryland, passed away May 2, 2021, in Salisbury, Maryland. Quig served in the Air

Force and later graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park. He went on to own an insurance company in North Carolina, where he enjoyed 30 years of living on High Rock Lake. After retiring he worked and was involved in NASCAR for several years. He enjoyed entertaining at his lakefront home as well as jet skiing and boating. He will be missed dearly by his many life-long friends and family.

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

1951

John Hudson Robinson, Jr., recently of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away March 14, 2021. An adventurer his entire life, he worked on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, was the first hired driver of the Key West Conch Train, flew a DC-3 for the Mosquito Control, was the

Director of Civil Defense in Monroe County, and was elected to serve on the Utility Board for City Electric from 1987-97. In the late 1990s, John retired to Highlands, North Carolina, and had recently moved back to Florida to be closer to family and friends.

1953 Landon Carter passed away July 11, 2021. Landon attended Hampden-Sydney College and served in the Marines for two years. His father Lloyd Thomas Smith ’26 and his brother, Lloyd T. Smith Jr ’50, attended VES.

William W. Fore, M.D. passed away at his home in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on January 23, 2021. Bill began his career in medicine in 1966 as a practicing endocrinologist in Greenville, North Carolina, after graduating from and training at Duke University School of Medicine. Bill was board certified in three specialties: Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and Endocrinology. His true love was caring for

patients with diabetes and his proudest achievement was facilitating, in the early 1980s, insurance reimbursement in North Carolina for diabetes education. He later began an administrative career and held faculty positions at Jefferson Medical College, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and East Carolina School of Medicine. Before his first retirement, he was Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Pinehurst, North Carolina. He then joined the Joint Commission as a surveyor in their ambulatory services division. After his second retirement, Bill volunteered his time at the ABCCM Medical Ministry, providing medical care for the uninsured. Son William W. Fore, Jr. ’81 and cousin Charles H. Russell IV ’84 attended VES.

Pierce Latimer “Sonny” Vaughn, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, passed away peacefully April 24, 2021. Sonny was employed at MW Distributors for 23 years in sales and as a plant manager. Later in life he worked in sales with

#351 for 58 years and was instrumental in the growth and construction of the present Shenandale Gun Club. He donated land to the Swoope Volunteer Fire Department and the SPCA Shelter, for which he served on the Board and several committees.

AFLAC Insurance. He was a founding and charter member of the first Rescue Squad of Franklin County and a lifetime member of the Franklin County Rescue Squad. He served as Squad Captain and in other leadership positions, including Board of Directors, until his health slowed him down.

1962

1960 Richard Hunter Austin of Hurt, Virginia, died May 13, 2021. He was a carpenter, musician and traveler.

1961 Richard F. Hawkins, Jr. M.D., of Antis Township, Pennsylvania, died April 5, 2021. Richard was a graduate of HampdenSydney College, and earned his Doctor of Medicine in Radiology at The Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. From 1979-95, Richard practiced medicine with Smyth County Radiology in Marion, Virginia, and worked at the Smyth County Community Hospital. He last worked as a physician at Altoona Hospital in Pennsylvania, and retired as a traveling physician.

Charles S. Hunter, III, died June 24, 2021, in Staunton, Virginia. Charles served on the Board of Directors of United Virginia Bank/ National Valley, now Suntrust Bank, for more than 40 years. He was a Life Sponsor and Benefactor of Ducks Unlimited and served as Virginia State Chairman for eight years and National Shooting Chairman for four years. Charles was a lifetime member of the NRA and a sponsor of the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. He was a member of the Staunton Elks Lodge

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1975

Mark Allan Woodward, died May 1, 2021 surrounded by his family at home. He lived almost a year after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. Known to many as Woody, he was born in Wilmington, Delaware, attended A. I. du Pont schools through 10th grade, graduated from Sanford School, then completed a post-grad year at VES before heading to the University of Delaware. After college, Woody spent time working in Rehoboth Beach before returning to Wilmington, where he was the manager at Royal Exchange and Waterworks restaurants, He later joined his father in his plumbing business, William J. Woodward Plumbing & Heating, Inc., becoming a Master Plumber and, always ready to help in an emergency, earning a host of loyal, longtime customers.

1982

Christopher Blake Smith, Sr., a beloved husband, father, son, friend and Tar Heel, entered his heavenly home May 1, 2021. Chris was the thread that wove together a large, loving family and friends who he felt were family. Chris was a loyal and devoted alumnus and friend, benefactor and trustee, and Virginia Episcopal School’s second recipient of the Robert Carter Jett Award, the school’s highest alumni distinction. VES will remember Chris forever with its new humanities building, Pannill-Smith Hall, slated to open November 2022.

1987

naturalist for Abercrombie & Kent Expeditions, beginning a long career on ships devoted to ecotourism, first the Explorer and then Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavor. Trip’s expertise was in seabirds and marine mammals, and he had great familiarity with temperate, tropical and arctic land birds. He crossed the Atlantic six times. On a stopover in the Falkland Islands, he met his future wife, Gillian Walker. The two worked together from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle, the Amazon River Basin, and most of the remote Islands of the Atlantic. They left the sea and settled in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Trip, having earned his appraiser’s license, started his own business, Virginia Real Estate.

1992 Charles “Trip” Dennis, passed away June 24, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in WinstonSalem, North Carolina, on May 25, 1969. Trip was a professional naturalist. When he was young, he developed a passion for birds from his mother and inherited a love for the sea from his father. Trip received a master’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where he studied threats to island-nesting birds. He was hired as a

Ann Swann Thompkins, passed away April 24, 2021, of natural causes in her home in Conway, South Carolina.

VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

1993

Christopher “Chris” Michael Morris, passed away April 1, 2021, of a hemorrhagic stroke. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in business and had fond memories of his time spent with Semester at Sea. He began his career at Merrill Lynch, where he was a financial advisor for 10 years before returning to his true home of Eleuthera, Bahamas, to join the team at Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina as general manager—his dream job. Chris found great joy in sharing his love of the island with every visitor lucky enough to meet him. The resort experienced major growth during his tenure as general manager and the marina saw its best years of operation thanks to his passion for the business and the people. Although he was well-versed in the business elements required to run a successful resort, it was his ability to connect with people that made Chris so effective and special. People were instantly won over by his optimism, excitement and love for the very special place he called home.

2010

Evan Dunks passed away March 22, 2021. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs. Evan encountered the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) at George Mason University through on-campus

programs at UVA, and, inspired by the programs, he interned for IHS by the fall of his graduation year. He stayed at IHS for several internships, working on online educational programs for undergraduates. Evan left IHS in 2015 to join the Mercatus Center, also at George Mason University, working on Marginal Revolution University (MRU). His passion for classical liberal ideas brought him back to IHS after a brief period in the private sector.

Former Faculty Michael Thornton, VES History department chair, government teacher and football coach from 197175, passed away June 7, 2021, after a valiant struggle with cancer at his home in Marietta, Georgia. After graduating in 1978 from Washington and Lee University School of Law, he accepted an associate position with Hansell Post, a leading southeastern law firm in Atlanta. In 1985, Michael and partners

opened law firm Dennis, Cory, Porter and Thornton. He later struck out on his own as Michael T. Thornton LLC. Having served as a volunteer coach for his son’s teams for years, he decided to return to teaching and coaching full time. He was employed by Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in 2005 as head lacrosse coach and assistant football coach, adding middle school history teacher the following year.