QuakerMatters Wilmington Friends School
Summer 2019
Summer 2019 CONTENTS 1 From the Head of School 2 From the Alumni Board Clerk 2 2019 Alumni Awards Announced 3 From the Archives 6 Commencement and The Class of 2019 16 20,000+ Meals in 2 Hours! 18 Stewarding the Environment at Friends Evan Pittenger ’19 with his mom, WFS Trustee and Parent of Alumni Debbie Pittenger.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair, Susan Kelley Vice Chair, Dorothy Rademaker Treasurer, Christopher Buccini ’90 Secretary, Russ Endo Jennifer G. Brady Karen-Lee Brofee William Chapman Lathie Gannon Scott W. Gates ’80 Richard Grier-Reynolds Noreen Haubert Susan Janes-Johnson Omar A. Khan ’90
Matthew Lang ’08 Christopher W. Lee ’82 Deborah Murray-Sheppard Debbie Pittenger Laura Reilly Christopher Rowland ’95 David Tennent Alumni Association Board Liaison, Martha Poorman Tschantz ’85 Home & School Association Board Liaison, Michelle Silberglied
We would like to thank the following Trustees who are rolling off the Board for their commitment and dedication to WFS: Denise Chapman, Erin Brownlee Dell ’89, Zachary Dutton ’06, and Dan Klein. We welcome our newest Board members: Parent of Alum Lathie Gannon, born and raised Quaker, who serves as Health Services Admissions Coordinator at Kendal-Crosslands Communities. In addition, she teaches ESL for the Adult Literacy Program of the Kennett Square Library. Parent of Alum The Honorable William (“Bill”) L. Chapman, an attorney with Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, who leads the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives while spearheading the firm’s pro bono program and commitment to community outreach. Prior to joining Potter Anderson, Bill served as a Family Court Judge for the State of Delaware. Current parent Christopher Rowland ’95 and 1999 graduate of Dartmouth College. He currently serves as President of Wilmington Tug, Inc., a family business that provides tug boat operations on the Delaware River. Home and School Board Liaison and current parent Michelle Silberglied, who has served as Home and School president and in numerous other volunteer roles.
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22 Around Campus 34 Class Notes 37 Alice Ivy ’48 38 Julie Bierlein ’87 40 In Memory Inside Back Cover: Student Art MISSION Wilmington Friends, a Quaker school with high standards for academic achievement, challenges students to seek truth, to value justice and peace, and to act as creative, independent thinkers with a conscious responsibility to the good of all.
ALUMNI BOARD 2019-2020 Matthew Lang ’08, Clerk Jonathan Layton ’86, Vice Clerk Melissa Fagan Billitto ’87 Erin Bushnell ’96 Stanita Clarke ’06 Carolyn Gates Connors ’81 Drew Dalton ’97 Emily David ’09 Raven Harris Diacou ’06 Alexandra Poorman Ergon ’77 Matt Hendricks ’79
Erika Kurtz ’99 Chris Lee ’82 Adrienne Monley ’02 Katharine Lester Mowery ’02 Raymond Osbun ’71 Kristin Dugan Poppiti ’03 Richie Rockwell ’02 Thomas Scott ’70 James Simon ’60 Martha Poorman Tschantz ’85
ADMINISTRATION Head of School, Kenneth Aldridge Assistant to the Head of School, Ann Cole Associate Head for Finance and Operations, William Baczkowski Assistant Head for Academics, Michael Benner Head of Lower School, Julie Rodowsky Head of Middle School, Jonathan Huxtable Head of Upper School, Rebecca Zug Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Melissa Brown Director of Communications and Strategic Marketing, Susan Morovati Finizio ’87 Director of Development, Chad O’Kane Professional photography by Elisa Komins Morris and Billy Michels ’89. Also thanks to Mary Woodward and the Yearbook Staff for photo contributions. Please send any comments or corrections to info@wilmingtonfriends.org.
From the Head of School
Dear Friends, During the 2018-2019 school year, all of us at Wilmington Friends focused on the Quaker testimony Community, examining what community means here at Friends, creating and strengthening our communal bonds with care and intention. As I look back, I find our year was full of moments that both revealed and deepened the vitality of our community; some were brief and spontaneous, others the work of weeks or months. But two days near the end of the school year stand out for me as distillations of how we rely upon and connect with one another. Inspired by an upper school service project from the previous September that involved assembling 10,000 shelf-stable meals, the WFS Board, along with faculty and staff, organized a service project for the entire Friends community: on a Saturday mid-May morning, students--from preschoolers to seniors to newly admitted--parents and guardians, Board members, friends, faculty, staff, alumni, parents of alumni, and community members donned hairnets and gloves and created an assembly line with the goal of putting together 20,000+ meal kits in two hours. These kits were distributed to food providers throughout the area to help combat hunger and food insecurity. It was the quintessential Friends day: members from all our constituencies, divisions, and generations coming together to play, work, laugh, talk, and to serve our local and global communities. And then, two weeks later, on a clear, sun-washed early June evening, we had Commencement. The members of the Class of 2019 were alternately solemn and joyful, lifting one another up with cheers and high fives one moment, and, in the next moment, silently listening to the words of the speaker they had chosen, a community member herself, former Dean for Students Lynne Puritz-Fine. In the audience sat the families of the graduates along with current students, friends, Board members, faculty, staff, and alumni, some of whom had graduated just the year before, some of whom had done so decades ago. In that bright hour, the love, joy, and support were palpable, and I wanted to say to everyone: look at who we are, look at what we’ve made. It was a good way to end a year of Community. During the 2019-2020 school year, we will shift our focus to another Quaker testimony: Stewardship. Partly, this will involve continuing and deepening our commitment to the work we started last year in our three divisions: selling native plants to help the WFS community better support our local ecosystem, hearing from alums about their careers and environmental stewardship, and examining the newly installed rain barrels that support our school garden, just to name a few. In anticipation of our yearlong focus on Stewardship, many of our faculty and staff have read and will discuss Bill McKibben’s Falter, a powerful and sobering climate change call to arms. I look forward to a year of partnership and fellowship, of cheering from the sidelines of sports fields and from the audiences of musical performances and plays. I am especially excited to see how our community will unite to find new and creative ways to consider, further, and foster our role as caretakers of our local, national, and global environment. In friendship, Above Left: Ken helps pack boxes at the Community Service Project. Above Right: Ken with Lynn Puritz-Fine, 2019 Commencement speaker.
Ken Aldridge Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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From the Alumni Board Clerk Dear Friends, On behalf of the Wilmington Friends School Alumni Association, I want to extend congratulations to the Class of 2019. We are so happy to welcome you to the alumni community, and we look forward to celebrating future milestones with you. Best of luck as you begin the next chapter after WFS, and please keep in touch! It was another wonderful year at WFS, and I am once again honored to be part of such a special community. We celebrated successful athletic seasons, academic achievements, and service commitments. Our Annual Fund raised over $1 million, thanks to your support, and Friends will continue to offer strong programs in support of our Quaker values. Please check out the Report on Philanthropy, included in this edition, to read about all that we accomplished together. Looking forward to the year ahead, I hope you can attend Homecoming on October 25-26. Each year during Homecoming, the Alumni Board is honored to recognize three alumni who are “letting their lives speak.” I am pleased to announce the 2019 Alumni Award Recipients: Distinguished Alumnus Award, Peter Kelemen ’74; Outstanding Service Alumna Award, Janet Martin Yabroff ’64; and Young Alumnus Award, Jeffrey Palmer ’04. We will celebrate our honorees on Friday, October 25, during the All Alumni and True Blue Donor reception. This event has continued to grow each year and is a great opportunity to see the School and its many changes, see old friends, and meet new ones. More details about Homecoming can be found on our website wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you on campus soon. Sincerely,
Matt Lang ’08 2
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2019 Alumni Awards Distinguished Alumnus Award Peter Kelemen ’74 Peter Kelemen is an Earth and Environmental Sciences professor at Columbia University. He has recently worked with a team of scientists to see whether or not a natural scrubbing process can be used to remove greenhouse gases from the Earth’s atmosphere. His research was featured in an April 2018 New York Times article, “How Oman’s Rocks Could Save the Planet.” The article explains that Peter and his team are studying how these rocks remove planet warming CO2 from the air and turn it into stone. Peter is an accomplished geoscientist, professor, and researcher, and his work has become increasingly important in resolving global climate change. We are thrilled to honor Peter during Homecoming this year as the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient.
Outstanding Service Award Janet Martin Yabroff ’64 Janet Martin Yabroff credits her experiences at WFS with shaping her as a person, and inspiring her to pursue a career in education. She spent most of her career in Friends education, working as a teacher, administrator, and consultant. She specialized in early childhood education and was a faculty member in the WFS lower school for several years. Two of her children, McKenzie Jones ’97 and Amanda Jones ’02, attended WFS as well. She is an engaged volunteer and generous supporter of WFS, as well as several other organizations in the area including Cab Calloway School and St. Michael’s School. Janet also is a minister and has a passion for working directly with people in need, and to help them in a variety a ways. She is a loyal supporter of WFS: a True Blue donor, and a member of the 1748 Society, and we are grateful for all she does for our community, and the greater Wilmington area.
Young Alumnus Award Jeffrey Palmer ’04 Jeffrey Palmer is currently an assistant district attorney for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit. Jeff’s work focuses on prosecuting sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. Prior to becoming an ADA, Jeff served in the Marine Corps for eight years, advocating for survivors of sexual assault. His knowledge of the law and sensitivity to victims’ needs led to the prosecution of 29 sexual assault cases for the Marine Corps. After leaving active duty, Jeff was recruited to return to the Victims Legal Counsel Organization in the Marine Corps Reserve. We are excited to honor Jeff as this year’s Young Alumnus of the year.
Crystal Nix Hines Bliss Perry
LD Copeland
Wm. Starr Myers
Marie Kemp Hoadley
Barbara Jones Haskins
“CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!”
Generations of Commencement Speakers at WFS From the Archives, by Terry Maguire, WFS Archivist
The search began with a simple question from Head of School Ken Aldridge, “Was the 2018 Senior Graduating Class the largest in Friends School history?” I said I thought so, but I wasn’t sure. So I started to look. Happily, it was not long before I thought, “Why not keep track of these numbers?” I began a spreadsheet of years and graduation numbers and soon added the dates of graduation and graduation speakers. As I went back through the years, it became obvious that the answer to Ken’s question was, “Yes.” By contrast, the first graduates of Friends School were two young women, Elizabeth R. Taylor and Ada Flinn in 1883. Within the 21st century, the graduation numbers have been consistently high: three times over 70 and most years between 56-69. Only in 2003 was there a dip to 38. In the 1990s, the upper school population went through a trough; from 19922000, the numbers of graduates once reached 50, but was
Why is 1883 the first year in which students graduated from Friends School, which began in 1748? Until the late 19th C. the School Committee of Wilmington Monthly Meeting at Fourth and West did not think of the school they supported as college preparatory. Its goal for well over a century was to provide basic education for children of Quakers and, for at least half a century, the children of the poor of Wilmington. It was in 1881 that an energetic young man, Isaac Johnson, fresh from his own graduation at Haverford College, assumed the role of Principal, and began to reshape this school to one that sent some its graduates to college. generally in the 40s and 30s. From 1965-1991, the numbers were consistently solid. A 1966 class of 53 listened to graduate Richard “Dixie” Sanger ’48, and 68 students in 1985 heard Crystal Nix ’81 come back to give a graduation talk one day before she graduated herself from Princeton University, something unique in Friends School history. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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Going back to the first five decades of the 20th century, graduate classes varied dramatically. They were in single digits or the teens until 1926, when 21 students comprised the largest class up to that time. In 1903, only three students listened to Albert E. Hancock, professor from Haverford. The year after Isaac Johnson handed out two diplomas in 1883, no one graduated. For the remainder of the 19th century the largest graduating class was that of 1896, when 13 graduates heard the advice of Bliss Perry, a famous literary critic and biographer from Princeton. The smallest was a single student, Mary B. Lee, in 1889. We have no record of a graduation speaker. One of the patterns that emerged from this examination was that almost all the speakers were white males. They were, most often, college professors and academic elites, from nearby and prestigious colleges: • Seth Gifford, Greek, Haverford College, 1890 • George Fullerton, Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, 1895 • E.P. Cheyney, History, University of Pennsylvania, 1900 • Stockton Axon, English, Princeton, 1906 • William Wister Comfort, Quaker History, Haverford, 1914 • William Starr Myers, History, Princeton, 1920 and 1922 Marie Kemp Hoadley, a German professor from Swarthmore, addressed graduates in 1897. Dr. Hoadley was the first woman, and the only one for 80 years, until Barbara Jones Haskins, widow of Head of School Wilmot Jones, in 1977. College administrators often addressed our graduates:
• Isaac Sharpless, President of Haverford, 1888 • Charles DeGarmo, President of Swarthmore, 1892 • James Taylor, President of Vassar, 1894 • Joseph Swain, President of Swarthmore, 1904 • Arthur Quinn, Dean of University of Pennsylvania, in 1905
and again in 1912 and 1916 • Samuel Mitchell, President of Delaware College (soon to be university) in 1915 In the ensuing decades college presidents or deans were graduation speakers six other times, the last being Arthur Trabant, President of University of Delaware in 1987. Four other times Heads of Quaker Schools–George School, Oakwood Friends, Friends School of Baltimore, Penn Charter–spoke to our graduates. There have been a good many religious figures who gave commencement addresses, some ministers, others teachers of religion, especially Quaker philosophy.
• George Emerson Barnes of Overbrook Presbyterian Church, 1923
• Rufus Jones, Quaker historian and theologian, 1934 • Henry Hodgkins of Pendle Hill, 1931 • Elton Trueblood, Professor of Religion, Stanford, 1944 • Donald Aldrich, Dean of the Chapel, Princeton, 1952 How are more recent graduation speakers different? To begin with, since Barbara Jones in 1977, there have been 15 women, including this year’s speaker Lynn Puritz-Fine. They also include: • Mary Pat McPherson, former President of Bryn Mawr, 1979 • Carol Quillen ’79, Rice University professor and now President of Davidson College, 1998 4
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• Anna Quindlen, novelist, journalist and social critic, 2002 • Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, 2018 Lynn Puritz-Fine was also a beloved and deeply respected teacher, and WFS faculty and staff have become a common source of graduation speakers. Remarkably, the first such selection did not occur until 1971, when Jim Smith, Head of the Social Science Department, spoke. Since then, Bill Bickley has spoken three times, Kerry Brown twice, Joe DeGrazia, Troy Kemp, Jon McGill, Nancy Mahoney, Mark Halliday, and Lisa Darling once each–all former or present faculty or administrators. The first WFS alum to give a graduation talk was Episcopal minister W. Brooke Stabler ’21, in 1937. (He was later the Head of Tower Hill). Another 29 years passed before Dixie Sanger ’48 addressed the class of 1966, then Lammot du Pont Copeland ’23 in 1970, and Judge Bill Quillen ’52 in 1980. Since then, WFS graduates have been a valued source of June inspiration. Alumni who have spoken at graduation since the mid-80s: 1985 Crystal Nix Hines 2005 Matt Meyer 2010 Melanie Togman Sloan 2012 Judah Dadone 2016 Cara LoFaro
1998 Carol Quillen 2009 Dan Pfeiffer 2011 Brian Mand 2015 Colleen Farrell
Crystal Nix Hines was only the fourth woman to speak at a Friends graduation. She was also the first African American. There have since been six African American speakers: Troy Kemp, our first full-time computer teacher; Josh Martin, corporate leader and federal judge; Quinton Primo III, philanthropist; Tererai Trent, global scholar; Steve Pemberton, corporate executive; and Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware’s first African American Congressional representative. Blunt Rochester is also a politician. The first graduation speaker in politics was Senator George Gray in 1891. The next? Vice President and then-Senator Joe Biden in 1983! Could it be that Friends School, over the decades, was demonstrating the characteristic Quaker aversion to politics? In choosing Biden again in 2001, as well as social activist Melanie Togman Sloan, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, President Obama’s Director of Communications Dan Pfeiffer, and Governor John Carney, Friends School and its student body have amply demonstrated that aloofness from social issues is very much in the past. In fact, some of our graduation speakers in recent years have given talks that, far from the usual high-minded and fairly solemn intonations of typical graduation speakers, have involved a good deal of whimsy. In 1998 poet Mark Holliday suggested that graduating seniors use more semicolons (among other pearls of wisdom); the next year, TV newscaster and journalist Charles Gibson led the graduates in singing; in 2012 rock musician Judah Dadone ’03 urged students to “fail better” and sang some of his own work; and most improbably, in 2011, award-winning sports journalist Brian Mand ’90 crafted an extended metaphor about future success in life and pizza delivery. What does this perhaps over-detailed examination of graduation speakers reveal about the intellectual history and ethos of Wilmington Friends School? Perhaps the following. Having been an educational institution, the oldest surviving one in Delaware, since 1748, Wilmington Friends had only fairly late in its existence (1883) became a college preparatory institution. Quakers over the centuries had been skeptical about university life and its values. For example, when William Penn converted to Quaker faith at Oxford University in the late 17th century, he was promptly expelled—not an experience to instill reverence for higher education. Perhaps for many decades WFS needed to assure itself that its aims were academically exalted, deeply serious, and moral; and that it needed to demonstrate that fact to its constituents, its graduates, and those destinations it aspired to for higher education. And of course it succeeded. In recent decades, WFS has felt less the necessity of earnestly proving that fact and gained the confidence to share the dazzling intellectuality of novelist Anna Quindlen, the challenging earnestness of Colleen Farrell ( a Quaker Marine!), the riveting story-telling of author Tim O’Brien, the amiable philanthropy of Matt Meyer, and the warmth of Nancy Mahoney’s analogies between her garden and her students. The graduation speakers of Friends have come to reflect the rich cultural diversity and varied gifts of our students and the members of this community. And yes, Donovan Aldridge’s graduation class, 2018, was the largest in Friends School history.
Save the Dates! Homecoming Weekend October 25 & 26, 2019 Celebrating Class Years Ending in 4 and 9
Friday, October 25, 2019 11:30am, 50th + Reunion and 1748 Planned Giving Society Luncheon to Celebrate Classes of 1969, 1964, 1959, 1954, 1949, and 1944, and 1748 Planned Giving Society Members The DuPont Country Club 5:00pm, Alumni Field Hockey and Soccer Games 6:30pm, True Blue and All Alumni Reunion/Awards Reception and Art Show Saturday, October 26, 2019 8:00am, Homecoming Service Project (TBD) 8:30am, Smith McMillan 5K Run/Walk 10:00am, 15+ Meeting for Worship, honoring current and past faculty/staff with 15 or more years of service to WFS 11:00am, Conversation with Head of School Ken Aldridge, Library Learning Commons 11:30am, Homecoming Lunch (runs until 2:00pm; all welcome) 12:00-2:00pm, Self-guided tours of the MS/US Campus 12:00-2:00pm, Kids’ Corner 8:00pm, Upper School Homecoming Dance Evening reunions off campus for all classes ending in 4 or 9 arranged by class representatives. For more information about Homecoming 2019 or your Class Reunion, please contact alumni@wilmingtonfriends.org or 302.576.2980. •••Athletic events take place throughout the weekend••• Visit www.wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming for hotel information, event descriptions, and a full calendar of the weekend. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
The Class of 2019
Back row: Sean Mann, Abd-Elrhaman “Man” Hefnawi, Zareef Khan, Simon Wakeley, Connor Miller, Joshua Payne, Timmer Farley, Sully Connors, Mason Tschantz, Laurent Lutz, Carlin Beskrone, Quentin McAbee, Tristan Pantano, Ross Clark, Liam Harron, Joey Mullen, Kyle Opderbeck, Peyton McNeill, Matthew Taormina, Evan Pittenger. Third Row: Chase Fallon, Peter Cauchy, Connor Nisbet, Grant Sheppard, Michael McKenzie, Malik Chenault. Second Row: Toby Bulk, Danny Nakamura, Kevin Wolynetz, Runlai “Eric” Jiang, Alonia Needs, Jesse Parker, Mycah Nicholson, Jack Zhang, Ruth Hazzard, Alexa Vergara, Bianca Ramsey, Miranda Peak, James Tallman, Lisa Dobber, Emma Landis, Daniel Lin, Fawn Palmer, Erin Fleming, Nate Crock, Una Winn. Front Row: Honor Dearlove, Brooke Hegenbarth, Ali Miller, Anna Baldwin, Bella Stuccio, Kat Nix, Dani Nathan, Maddie Balick, Carson Davis-Tinnell, Olivia Finizio, Lucy Knudsen, Ashley Carpenter, Ellie Bradley. (Missing from photo: Krystal Xu.)
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The Class of
2019
Nate Crock Worcester Polytechnic Institute Relief Work in Puerto Rico Fly Fishing
Liam Harron Elon University Boys & Girls Club Camping
Carson Davis-Tinnell Elon University Boys & Girls Club Montserrat Cultural Exploration
Ruth Hazzard Loyola University New Orleans QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Learning to Drive a Stick Shift
Anna Baldwin University of Delaware (Honors Program) QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Self defense
Honor Dearlove The George Washington University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Running a Half-Marathon
Man Hefnawi University of Pittsburgh Mosque Sunday School Learning Latin Presentation
Maddie Balick The George Washington University Educational Enrichment Center Fashion and Retail
Lisa Dobber Erasmus University College Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Shadowing a Surgeon
Brooke Hegenbarth Susquehanna University QUEST El Paso Service Trip Exploring Greece
Carlin Beskrone Northeastern University Boys & Girls Club Shadowing a Teacher
Chase Fallon Franklin & Marshall College Wipeout Sport & Arts Camp Real Estate
Runlai Eric Jiang University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Boys & Girls Club Shadowing a Teacher
Ellie Bradley Barnard College Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Legal work
Timmer Farley Gettysburg College Boys & Girls Club 76ers Fieldhouse Internship
Zareef Khan Pennsylvania State University YMCA Youth Camp Counselor Bicycle-Generated Energy
Toby Bulk University of Delaware (Honors Program) Boy Scouts Shadowing in a Chemistry Lab
Olivia Finizio The George Washington University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Shadowing at an Urgent Care Center
Lucy Knudsen Macalester College QUEST El Paso Service Trip Running a Half-Marathon
Ashley Carpenter University of Delaware Boys & Girls Club
Erin Fleming Delaware State University Boys & Girls Club Professional Hair Styling
Emma Landis Tulane University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Shadowing an Interior Designer
Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Members of the class are listed below with college choice, service project/agency, and senior exploration.
Peter Cauchy University of Delaware (Honors Program) QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Working on a Sheep Farm Malik Chenault Delaware State University Boys & Girls Club Guitar Ross Clark University of Southern California QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Shadowing a Market Researcher Sully Connors Michigan State University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Fly Fishing
Four members of the Class of 2019 came to WFS as part of the first preschool class when it was located in downtown Wilmington. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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The Class of
2019
Daniel Lin University of Delaware (Honors Program) Dover Public Library Flute
Ali Miller University of Delaware, World Scholars Boys & Girls Club Working on a Vegan Food Truck
Laurent Lutz College of Charleston Lower 9 Shadowing an ENT
Connor Miller American University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Interning with the Mayor
Sean Mann Saint Joseph’s University Brandywine Warriors Sports Analytics
Joey Mullen Ursinus College QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Training to Run a 5K
Quentin McAbee University of Delaware Boys & Girls Club Shadowing a Physical Therapist
Danny Nakamura University of Rochester Cub Scouts Day Camp Baking
Michael McKenzie University of Notre Dame Elks Swim Club Coach CrossFit
Dani Nathan James Madison University Brandywine Volleyball Digital Film Making
Peyton McNeill Lafayette College Panama Service Trip and Boys & Girls Club Cooking
Alonia Needs University of New Hampshire at Durham Delaware Center for Horticulture Interning for Dee Durham
Eleven members of the Class of 2019 are the children of WFS faculty or staff. 8
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Mycah Nicholson Xavier University of Louisiana Seeds of Greatness Bible Church Shadowing a Perfusionist Connor Nisbet Princeton University Special Olympics of Delaware Interning for Milesplit Kat Nix Princeton University Boys & Girls Club Professional Hair Styling Kyle Opderbeck University of Delaware Boys & Girls Club Guitar Fawn Palmer Rosemont College Panama Service Trip Professional Hair Styling Tristan Pantano Elon University Boys & Girls Club Boxing Jesse Parker University of Delaware Delaware Art Museum Anomaly Josh Payne Ursinus College Special Olympics of Delaware Adaptive Physical Education
Grant Sheppard Boston College Ferris School for Boys Camping
Una Winn Bard College Winterthur Museum and Gardens Ancestry
Bella Stuccio West Chester University of Pennsylvania Rodney Street Tennis & Tutoring Interning at a Spanish-Language School
Kevin Wolynetz University of Delaware Camp Star Prosthetics and Orthotics
James Tallman Cornell University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Film Presentation
Jiaqi Krystal Xu Emory University Boys & Girls Club Origami
Matthew Taormina Stevenson University Talleyville Fire Company Automotive Repair
Hongrui Jack Zhang University of California, Davis Channel 28 Painting
Mason Tschantz Elon University Boys & Girls Club Produce Stand Alexa Vergara College of William & Mary Salem County Humane Society Guitar and Singing Simon Wakeley Drexel University QUEST Dominican Republic Service Trip Chemistry Teaching Assistant
Miranda Peak Mills College Riverview Cemetery Stop Motion Digital Photography Evan Pittenger University of Richmond Sandy Hill Camp Cooking Bianca Ramsey Coastal Carolina University Therapeutic Riding Shadowing a Personal Trainer Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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2019 Commencement Speaker
Lynn Puritz-Fine For commencement, we were thrilled to welcome back former Dean for Students and Spanish teacher Lynn Puritz-Fine. While at Friends, Lynn revamped the advising program, as well as orientation for students new to upper school. For her 8th grade Decision Making class, she developed a rubric called “OOVPAE”, (Options, Outcomes, Values, Plan, Act, and Evaluate) that became standard for all young people in her care. She chaperoned trips to places like Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, and many lock-ins for student clubs. Lynn modeled being a lifelong learner to her colleagues, attending teaching/learning conferences, revamping her curriculum, and constantly trying new themes and techniques. She is the mother of two WFS alums, Emily A. Wentzell ’98 and Joshua D. Wentzell ’02 and is devoted to her grandson Elliot. Sadly, in March 2018, Lynn lost the love of her life, Allen. While living in Wilmington, she loved her Spanish reading group, and now runs a film discussion group in Iowa.
Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
Thank you to my dear Mr. Aldridge, esteemed Board of Trustees, beloved colleagues, devoted parents, family members and friends. Thank you particularly and especially to the joyous, vibrant, compassionate Class of 2019. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be amongst you again and to return to this cherished place. As some of you know, I moved to the Midwest last September. I’m reading to someone else from my blue plaid office chair now. He’s two. I want you to know that memories of every single one of you still hover around that chair: each a lasting gift you may not know you’ve given me. Whether you sought the chair out, blundered into it or had been compelled by me under circumstances you’d rather have avoided to sit there and talk to me, we did it. Some of you came so excited to share ideas, from new clubs to plans to facilitate Random Acts of Kindness. Others came seeking extra help in Spanish and left, I hope, feeling more confident. Some came for support in noodling out a personal challenge. Others came concerned about a friend. Some shared joys and triumphs, others indignation. Some came for comfort in times of stress, great loss and heartache. And others came to face and surmount their worst decisions and mistakes. No matter how upset you were at first, you engaged, respectfully, with the process and with me. You were open to the opportunity to learning from your mistakes. By the end of the process you realized that more often than not, it had been the quick decision to act, the lack of reflection before the fact, that had let you down. Now that we’re back in the virtual blue chair for one more conversation, I want to celebrate and affirm the wisdom I know you’ve already gained, to tell you how much I trust your gut, and to encourage you, as strongly as I can, throughout your life, to think; to consciously connect with your values and to use them to inform your decisions. On her 85th birthday, Gloria Steinem, groundbreaking feminist activist, said exactly what I mean, with her customary directness and style, “Don’t listen to me. Listen to yourself. People often ask me at this age, Who am I passing the torch to? First of all, I’m not giving up my torch, thank you! I’m using my torch to light other people’s torches. If we each have a torch, there’s a lot more light.” I’m keeping my torch too, so let me shine it on a story. Almost a decade ago, now, Jon Huxtable invited me to teach Decision Making in the middle school. It was a weekly ungraded seminar course for our eighth graders. In preparation, I read all I could find about processes of deliberation, and condensed my findings into a catchy pneumonic, the hallmark of the course: CFG OOVPAE. When faced with decisions, even crucial ones, most of us just act. The OOVPAE process enables decision makers to begin by considering the context surrounding the decision: ones challenges, feelings and goals (CFG). They then reflect upon all of their options and the possible outcomes of each, and (if I could virtually underline the next phrase, I would!) choose the one that best meshes with their own values. Only then do they act, in the form of following through in their plan. Evaluating the result of that action is the final step of the process. Parenthetical footnote: the first option to be considered should always be, if possible, to do nothing until a little time passes, especially if one is hurt or angry. Second footnote; remember that it’s not
the best option for you if it has an avoidable negative impact on others. This is pure Quaker gold that has been fundamental to your life at Wilmington Friends. My point tonight is not whether you can quote OOVPAE or apply it literally, but to invite you to recognize the benefits of internalizing it and to encourage you to use it. Easy for me to say! How does one actually do that? When I first began the work of the dean for students, one of MY mentors, Rick Grier-Reynolds, advised me to always keep in mind that, usually, I did not need to make decisions on the spot, especially when I felt the most pressured to do so. So, from Rick’s torch, to mine, to yours; You do not need to make every decision on the spot. Happily, you have had significant experience, once a week at least, for years, in sitting with your thoughts. In Meeting for Worship, you struggled to settle on some days and on others were visibly moved by the shared thoughts of your peers. In academic class after class you’ve been encouraged, sometimes when you just didn’t want to, to self-reflect about history, art, music, science, math, language, health; and, in many cases, to do so in writing. You have been trained to seek the truth in yourself and others, and to acknowledge the possibility that an opinion that differs from yours could complete and enrich your understanding of the truth. You know that it’s hard to hear the inner light when you’re talking. You’ve become comfortable with silence. You’ve learned that it can have as much power as sound. As a Friends School student, you’ve been given space to hear yourself think. You’re so ready to live an examined life on your terms, consistent with your own values. There comes a point when every college student, everyone with a career, every partner, every parent, feels overwhelmed. That’s normal. I am so glad that you are especially equipped to cope, manage, and thrive. Remember that when times feel most chaotic and unmanageable, you have time to make a plan. Recognize and listen to that “uh-oh feeling” in your gut. Heed it as a signal that it’s time to work through the process. Stop. Clarify your intentions. Reflect upon your goals. Make decisions that are consistent with your values. In the wise words of Michelle Obama, “I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values, and to follow my own moral compass, then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.” As I touch my torch to yours, Class of 2019, I whisper, Take with you the lessons from these master teachers and from the parents and family members here tonight and here in spirit, who love you so, and allow the process to light your way. And now, Class of 2019, it’s time for you to wriggle your way up and out of my squishy, now virtual, blue chair and end this conversation. Do you need me to write you a pass to go back to class? Oh, that’s right, no need: I guess school’s out. Congratulations, families, friends, and the dear Class of 2019. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
2019 FINAL ASSEMBLY
The Upper School Foreign Language Award recipient was Sean Brady ’20, pictured with Head of Upper School Rebecca Zug.
Ross Clark ’19 and James Tallman ’19, recipients of the Amanda Spackman Gehret, Class of 1951, Memorial Mathematics Award, with Meg Gehret Erskine ’83, Amanda’s daughter.
The Charles W. Bush, Class of 1900, Award honors juniors who “most clearly demonstrate the School’s ideals of character, scholarship, and service.” Pictured with Ken Aldridge are the 2019 Bush Award recipients Abby Vandenbrul ’20, Sydney Taormina ’20, and Sean Brady ’20. 12
Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
Emma Selekman ’20 and Kiera Patterson ’20 received the Howard W. Starkweather, Jr., Class of 1944, Award, recognizing students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to community service.
The Wyeth Brothers Visual Arts Award recipients, Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19, Una Winn ’19, and Miranda Peak ’19.
Danny Nakamura ’19, recipient of the Eden Wales Freedman ’99 English Award and Lucy Knudsen ’19, recipient of the Jordan Wales ’97 History Award, pictured with Head of Upper School Rebecca Zug.
The Wyeth Brothers Performing Arts Award recipients, Toby Bulk ’19 and Bella Stuccio ’19.
Cameron Blair ’20, pictured with Head of Upper School Rebecca Zug, received the 2019 Robert P. Hukill, Class of 1949, Science Award. Anna Baldwin ’19 and Carlin Beskrone ’19 were chosen by their classmates to speak for the Class of 2019 during Final Assembly.
Wyatt Nelson ’20 and Ashley Chompre ’20 announce the 125 commendations for service and leadership that had a positive and lasting impact on the School.
Ken Aldridge with Michael McKenzie ’19, recipient of the John Marshall Mendinhall II, Class of 1939, Memorial Award, recognizing the graduating senior considered to have done the most for Friends School.
Yearbook editors Emma Landis ’19 and Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19 announced that this year’s yearbook was dedicated to upper school computer science teacher Jenks Whittenburg (left).
The newest WFS Class Agents, Michael McKenzie ’19, Kat Nix ’19, Honor Dearlove ’19, and Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19; Chris Lee ’82 accepting the 2019 Class Scroll on behalf of the Alumni Association. This year, the three Malone Scholars to graduate from WFS were recognized: Nathan Crock ’19, Fawn Palmer ’19, and Joshua Payne ’19.
Olivia Finizio ’19 presenting the Class of 2019’s gift to the School, a donation to the WFS Annual Fund.
Head of Upper School Rebecca Zug recognizes and thanks AFS student from Palestine, Ahmad Ayoub ’20.
The Chamber Singers performing.
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The Class o
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2019
Alumni Families
Adam Balick ’81, Maddie Balick ’19, Sarah Balick ’17, Sam Balick
Felix Vergara ’89, Alexa Vergara ’19
Jay Tschantz, Martha Poorman Tschantz ’85, Margot Tschantz ’15, Mason Tschantz ’19, Ellie Alexander Poorman ’53, Dwyer Tschantz ’13, and Joel Poorman
Tracy Friess Clark ’81, Ross Clark ’19, Drew Clark ’23
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Kalyn Nix ’17, Lulu Nix, Naomi Nix ’06, Kat Nix ’19, Sheldon Nix ’74, Jacqueline Nix, Theophilus Nix, Jr. ’72, Suzanne Nix
Omar Khan ’90, Zareef Khan ’19, Salwa Khan
Erik Opderbeck ’87, Kyle Opderbeck ’19, Cindy Opderbeck, Cole Opderbeck ’20, Carl Opderbeck ’85, Cynthia Opderbeck, Dr. Carl Opderbeck
GianClaudio Finizio, Johnathan Finizio ’22, Olivia Finizio ’19, Susan Morovati Finizio ’87
Brian Tallman ’88, JamesTallman ’19, Meg Tallman
Brendan Haubert ’18, Carolyn Gates Connors ’81, Chad Connors ’18, Sully Connors ’19, Patrick Haubert ’16, Wesley Connors ’14.
Health Science Career Panel With a focus on Medicine and Public Health
Interested in a Career in Medicine or Public Health? Join us! Sunday, September 15, 2019 1:00 to 2:30pm
Wilmington Friends School Theater • For students in middle and high school • Featuring a panel of health science professionals • Learn about career opportunities • Hear what you can do in high school and beyond • Visit www.wilmingtonfriends.org to register • No registration fee
Wilmington Friends School 101 School Road • Wilmington, DE 19803 • 302.576.2900 Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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WFS COMMUNITY SERVICE
20,000+ Meals in 2 Hours! On the morning of May 18, over 200 volunteers gathered at the lower school ASP gym to participate in an effort to address hunger in the greater Wilmington area. Partnering with the Outreach Progam, WFS volunteers came together to assemble 20,000+ shelf-stable meals to donate to the Food Bank of Delaware, Latin American Community Center, Kennett Food Cupboard/ La Communidad, Lutheran Community Services, Joseph’s Pantry at Congregation Beth Emeth, and the Octorara Food Cupboard. WFS was introduced to the Outreach Program in the beginning of the 2018-19 school year by WFS parents Cindy and Erik Opderbeck ’87, and upper school students worked together on the afternoon of their September service day assembling 10,000 packets. In the winter, WFS trustees decided that an all-school service project would be the perfect way to end the year of celebrating the Quaker testimony of community, and remembered how well the September effort ran. Assembling meals and addressing food insecurity was something that people of all ages, interests, and abilities could participate in. As quoted in Town Square Delaware newsletter, Board Chair Susan Kelley said, “What a tremendous day. To see so many members of our community here ready to roll up their sleeves and pitch in is just amazing.” 16
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StewardING THE ENVIRONmeNT AT FRIENDS
By Monty Harris, WFS Director of Capital and Endowment Giving
All things are bound together. All things connect. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls also the children of the earth… The environment isn’t over here. The environment isn’t over there. You are the environment. - Chief Oren Lyons, Native American Faithkeeper What are the costs of climate change denial? Who decides how to engineer behavioral changes to benefit humanity and the natural world? Do small vegetable garden yields make a difference to communities like Wilmington? These are a few of the questions Wilmington Friends School students might ponder concerning ecology and stewarding the environment. Curriculum and Student Club To illustrate how Friends practices its stewardship testimony, start with the students - Austin Sarker-Young ’22 in particular. Austin has a vision that Wilmington Friends can become a nationally certified “Eco-School” through the National Wildlife Federation. He has been working with school administrators and recruiting his peers to make this a reality. 18
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Last September, Austin and the Eco-Team, comprised of 17 students and faculty members from every division, created the Wilmington Friends Native Species Meadow Project. Every middle school student participated in the Meadow project, whose purpose is to improve the overall biodiversity of the campus. The Meadow will be one of the stops on the future, campus-wide Eco-Tour. Next, look at how our faculty teach students how to steward the natural world. Our garden program, led by middle school science teacher Carlos Charriez, exemplifies the WFS commitment toward uplifting values, including community service, so that combined efforts have a greater impact than that of any individual. “Our goal is to expose students to opportunities that will not only enrich their own lives, but also help them to develop empathy as they look for ways to leverage their educational experiences to improve the lives of others,” said Carlos. “With a high poverty rate in Wilmington and dispro-
portionate opportunities for individuals living in poverty, it is our obligation to reach out to communities in need as we teach the next generation of leaders the importance of social responsibility. “To complement the work that takes place in the garden, sixth grade science students consider the benefits of locallygrown produce as an alternative to foods that often travel long distances before they are eaten. This dovetails well into our unit on energy resources and provides students with actions they can take to reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, as part of our STEM Design Process unit, students research, design, build and test garden trellises made from repurposed materials as a means to grow vegetables vertically and increase yields.” Lower school science teacher Kelley Cox teaches actions that families can take to improve and preserve water quality. One lesson students learn is that planting trees can keep soil and sediments from entering waterways. This fall, fifth grade students will take an overnight trip to the Pocono Environmental Center to conduct stream studies. Another lesson Friends students learn is that by reducing fossil fuel consumption we can reduce acid rain. In the upper school, teacher Caitlin Norton is part of an International Baccalaureate team that teaches physics, biology, chemistry, and computer science. Their Group 4 project investigated the causes and biological effects of climate change. “In groups consisting of students from each of the four disciplines, they shared their findings with other upper school and middle school students in the library on the day before winter break,” Caitlin said. “Demonstrations of the physical drivers of climate change along with student-made videos, games, activities, and presentations on the biological effects (ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, spread of vectorborne diseases, human health, and agriculture) were shared by each group.”
Next, go back in time. Re-visit the Brandywine River Project, a multi-disciplinary approach which was taught in the middle school from 1994-2008. School Archivist Terence Maguire explains the project’s goals were, “…to help students understand how the past shapes the future and… what they can do to help preserve the natural environment and cultural heritage of this area or any area in which they choose to live.” In addition to classroom learning, students hiked, canoed, and camped within the Brandywine Valley. They visited the Hagley Museum, Delaware Art Museum, and Quaker meeting houses near the river. Classes often presented their scientific and historic research to teachers, parents, and peers. “More than anything, the Brandywine River Project, spearheaded by Mr. Maguire, instilled a sense of historical and geological significance as relates to the river,” said Andrew Milford, class of 2000. “Over the years those impressions have turned into a sense of stewardship toward the environment of the Brandywine Valley. The long hikes and investigation of local ecology in eighth grade were the foundation of a lifelong dedication to sustainability of the area, whether that be donating to a local environmental charity or picking up trash during a walk along the banks of the Brandywine.” Or, re-visit the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1990, Matt Meyer ’90 wrote in The Whittier Miscellany: “This year’s (Friends Day) focused on the destruction of the earth’s environment.” Jon Cooperson ’91, US ecology club clerk, reflected, “The trips that we went on were the best thing about it. They gave everybody a better idea of how we deal with waste and nuclear power and all that.” Alumni In April of this year, Thom Marston ’75 guest lectured to the Environmental Science class. Thom shared memories of his mother, Ruth Anne L. Marston ’40, who inspired his love of the environment and his mentor, Edward J. Minch,
Opposite page: Students plant native species as part of the WFS Eco-Team’s Meadow Project. Left: WFS Alumnus Thom Marston ’75 encourages Environmental Science and Biology students to think creatively about environmental stewardship. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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whom he worked with to advance technologies for zero energy homes. Thom’s current passions include promoting zero energy homes, supporting Habitat for Humanity, and watershed stewardship.
at WFS and Kathleen Martin’s encouragement. Her math teachers Steve Jennings, Sarah Stock-Patterson, and Ildiko Miller encouraged her to see how her interest in environmental issues and math could be pursued together.
Thom encouraged a discussion among the students to think about what motivates them and their ideas for the future. He discussed potential future careers in green building along with the small changes that they could take to positively impact their environment. He challenged them to imagine how climate change will have altered the environment in 50-100 years and how this will impact their lives and the lives of future generations. Several students showed interest in becoming involved in Habitat for Humanity and Thom plans to facilitate their involvement in a future project.
Josh Galperin ’00, grew up in suburban Wilmington in a family that he writes rarely discussed environmental issues. He credits WFS with helping him to realize that protecting the environment is as valuable an endeavor as other important social issues. One of his earliest memories of WFS is playing in the woods outside of the lower school.
Mara Freilich ’11 is currently a PhD candidate in the MITWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint program studying the influence of ocean currents on ocean ecology. She is studying the ecology of microorganisms with a focus on how life in a moving fluid environment is different than life on land. Mara writes that this has implications for the global carbon cycle (the role of the oceans in climate change) and fisheries. At WFS, Mara was a member and a clerk of the Peace and Ecology Committee. The committee influenced her by the way in which it connected social justice and environmental issues. Mara writes that she would not have majored in applied math in college if it weren’t for her math teachers
The Brandywine River Project in seventh grade taught him about the interconnection between history, human economic and social systems, and the environmental matrix in which they all evolve. Rick Reynolds’ Peace, Justice, and Social Change class also inspired him. Learning that environmental protection is a part of equality and justice has had a lasting impact on Josh. The Passmore family has had a deep connection to agriculture and land conservation for generations. Wills Passmore ’45 and Joanne Passmore taught their daughters that “land is something to take care of, not abuse.” When it came time to sell the 635-acre Passmore Farm near Odessa, Susan Passmore ’72, Judy Passmore ’75, and Cynthia Passmore Rolfe ’81 looked for a way to preserve what was special about the land and to honor their parents’ legacy of environmental and community stewardship. Last summer, the three sisters sold the farm to Delaware Wild Lands — forever protecting its fields, wildlife habitats, forests and marshlands. The sisters were inspired to preserve the landscape by their Quaker heritage and the belief that resources should be used wisely for the benefit of all. Campus Thanks to the generous donations from our community, the Global Learning Center is a “net zero” building space that does not add to the carbon footprint of the campus. This is possible due to the 12 geothermal wells, 145 solar panels, and other design features and materials that improve insulation and water conservation. In addition, there are 860 solar panels on both our lower school and middle/upper school buildings, which offset our total yearly energy consumption by 16 percent. Wilmington Friends has a proud history of both respecting the natural world and giving back to the community. Former trustee W.P. Bancroft created the Woodlawn Trustees to purchase land in Greater Wilmington to create hundreds of homes for working class citizens, “set among trees, shrubbery, parks and playgrounds.” He pressed local government to establish parks, and through Woodlawn he donated land that eventually became all or most of Brandywine Park, Rockford Park, and Brandywine Creek State Park. Today, members of our community such as Austin and Carlos continue the Friends tradition of stewarding the environment.
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Stewardship Activities at WFS M
Tree Planting
A group of 3rd and 6th grade students from Friends, along with DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin and students from Wilmington Montessori School, braved the rain to celebrate Earth Week and Arbor Day with a tree planting at Bellevue State Park.
Solar Sprint Competition
A team of WFS middle schoolers participated in the Junior Solar Sprint solarpowered model car competition. Students and educators representing 21 schools gathered in Harrington, DE for the event.
Electric Car Presentation
As part of their study of fossil fuels versus renewable energy, WFS 6th graders had a great lesson about the electric Jaguar I-PACE’s regenerative braking, battery range, and performance.
6th Graders Educate Preschoolers About Waste Reduction As part of their “Stuff”/Waste Reduction unit, 6th graders developed and implemented action plans to help reduce waste in the community. One group decided to visit Christine Farley’s and Kizzy Saunders’s preschool class to teach the students about the harmful effects of plastic waste on wildlife. Through video, dialogue, songs, and games, the preschoolers learned how sea life is negatively affected by disposable plastics and about reusable options.
3rd Graders Urge Companies to Stop Using Plastic Straws
Third graders learned about endangered animals, and specifically about an endangered frog, on a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. Wanting to help in some way, the students did a “lightning round” of design thinking and decided to write letters to stores and restaurants to encourage them to do away with singleuse plastic straws. They received several responses from companies who are making plans for plastic straw alternatives!
Electronics Recycling Drive a Success
The upper school Stewardship Committee and Environmental Club hosted an electronics recycling drive, and students brought in almost 100 items, from televisions and microwaves to phones and computer parts, all of which will be recycled.
6th Graders Install Rain Barrels
Two members of the after-school garden team, Steven Kozikowski ’25 and Noah Stollman ’25, worked hard to install rain barrels that WFS purchased with the garden grant they won last year. The eco-friendly barrels will collect rainwater, which the team will use to grow food in the WFS garden.
Native Plant Sale
The Stewardship Committee and Environmental Club sold native plants to help the WFS community better support our local ecosystem since native plants are favorites for pollinators like butterflies and bees. The money raised is planned to support the initiatives of the Stewardship Committee and Environmental Club.
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AROUND CAMPUS 2
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1 Friends alumna Stephanie Hoopes ’82 was the WFS upper school MLK Day keynote speaker. The recipient of the 2018 WFS Outstanding Service Award, Stephanie is the National Director of the United Way ALICE project, a think tank that uses data to expand our country’s definition of poverty. Stephanie’s presentation gave students insight into the gap between the federal government’s definition of a living wage and what it really costs to support a family with two children. 2 To kick off Black History month, the lower school librarians placed books about famous African-Americans in locations throughout the School, some grouped according to discipline. Books about African-American artists were in the art room, books about famous African-American scientists and inventors were in the science classroom, and so forth, and the librarians also filled a wall in the library with titles about wellknown or relatively unknown African-Americans. 3 The middle school affinity groups Sisters of Color and Young Men of Color worked with their upper school counterparts to kick off Black History Month with a Collection that featured students performing poems and spoken word and sharing facts about the achievements of African-Americans and their role in shaping our country’s history, arts, scientific progress, and culture. 4 For Chinese New Year, students were treated to a lesson in the art of Chinese calligraphy. 5 WFS senior Krystal Xu, who is from China, met with WFS sophomore Elissa Belleroche who is participating in School Year Abroad - China next year. Krystal shared lots of helpful information about transportation apps, cultural differences, weather, and other insights. 6 Seventh grade students and members of the senior class gathered in the Theater to hear Dr. Renata Laxova describe her experience with the Kindertransport program. Just before the start of World War II, eight-year-old Renata’s parents arranged for her to leave her town of Brno in what was then Czechoslovakia to escape the Nazis. With hundreds of other young evacuees, Renata boarded a train for London; she spent seven years living with a family in Northern England before being reunited with her parents. Dr. Laxova went on to medical school and became a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public House.
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7 The WFS robotics team, The Bad News Bots, had a very dramatic end to their successful season in Dover. They came out strong, finishing the qualifying rounds ranked first out of 18 teams from Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. After advancing through the semifinals to the finals, their luck ran out as the robot was plagued with a series of unforeseen setbacks. The team was one point away from advancing to the FTC World Championships in Detroit, Michigan with a score of 183 to 182. In addition to taking second place honors, the team was awarded the Control Award, which is given to the team whose robot displayed the best use of sensors and software to increase its functionality on the field. 8 At the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, students watched formal presentations, including one by “Seeing White” podcast host John Biewen, and they learned and practiced lobbying techniques with the Friends Council on National Legislation. 9 As part of their economics unit in social studies, WFS 4th graders held a Market Day for their Mini Society. Over several weeks, students each designed a product based on their own market research. They determined the unit cost of each item based on material costs, decided on a selling price, and advertised their products. Parents were invited to shop using the 4th graders’ custom currency with a direct exchange rate of $1 for each unit of currency. Over $600 was raised and will be donated to The Delaware Valley Raptor Center and the B+ Foundation. 10 5th grade Spanish students had a wonderful visit with their penpal amigos from Westtown School. The pals ate lunch together, played Toma Todo (a spinning top game from Mexico), and ended with a Spanish Bingo speaking activity. 11 The third social justice symposium was a resounding success. Nine experts in criminal justice came to spend the day with the 9th grade. Students participated in workshops exploring the root causes of poverty and crime in Wilmington, hearing from people who have been on all sides and perspectives of the criminal justice system. At the end of the day, students created great solutions to some of the most challenging problems, including a song they wrote about stopping the school-to-prison pipeline.
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STUDENT TRAVEL
Upper school students traveled to
South Africa to experience firsthand
The middle school World Language trip this year was to Puerto Rico. Geared toward helping students practice their Spanish-speaking skills and learn about Puerto Rican culture, this was a wellrounded adventure. Students visited cultural sites and enjoyed the natural areas of the island through hiking, swimming, and zip lining. They learned to salsa dance, they boxed, and they took a cooking class. The students also volunteered at a local summer camp and learned about urban renewal.
Upper school students returned for our fourth QUEST visit to Cabarete in the
Dominican Republic. The group collaborated with the DREAM Project to support early literacy programs at a camp for young learners. The DREAM Project works closely with community members and public school staff to assess local needs, establish quality education programs that address those needs, and provide continuous support to schools, teachers and community members to ensure success over the long-term.
the rich history and culture of Cape Town and Pretoria, as well as the beauty of Madikwe game reserve. Students were immersed in the study of Nelson Mandela and his nonviolent campaign to end Apartheid in South Africa. In addition, students gained a deeper understanding of the global issues surrounding race and inequality through the lens of historical and current residential segregation in South Africa. Students and chaperones partnered with New BeginningZ to assist in implementing programs that address the increasing number of abandoned, abused, and neglected babies and children living in and around Tshwane.
LEARNING BY DOING conducted interviews, transcribed these interviews, then sifted through the material to see what was most interesting and important. Only then could the storytelling process begin. The stories were told in a journalistic style with a particular focus on writing strong leads to grab readers, using quotes from the interviewees to bring their voices in, and “going out with a bang” in the closings. Some examples of interviewees include:
This year, under the direction of English teacher Sean Kerrane, 6th grade students at Wilmington Friends School engaged in detective work by gathering stories of people who have interesting jobs, hobbies, or life experiences.Their purpose was to help the WFS community learn more about and appreciate the intriguing people living among us. The project began with students identifying interesting candidates, eventually choosing one to interview at length and write about for a feature story. Students developed questions, 24
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- a survivor of Auschwitz - the WWII concentration camp - a Vietnam War POW who spent time in captivity with John McCain - a professional ventriloquist - an undercover police officer - a haunted house owner Sean compiled the feature stories the students wrote into book form with copies to reside in the lower school library, the Library Learning Commons, the Admissions Office, and in the middle school hallway.
FAREWELL... This year, we said “goodbye” to four individuals with a combined service of 75 years at Wilmington Friends School. Amy Ferris, Director of Food Services, fed over 3,500 students during her 28 years at WFS. Her commitment to expanding the cafeteria and providing our students, faculty, and staff with tasty, nutritious meals not only brought an expanded menu, but also a fun atmosphere. Right by her side for 26 years has been Head Chef Eugene West. As Head of School Ken Aldridge said, “West doesn’t just nourish our students with his delicious food, but also offers them sustenance with his kindness and his warm presence.” Bill Brown worked for 12 years as Business Office Associate keeping the funds flowing in and out seamlessly, and with a signature dry humor much appreciated by his colleagues. In her nine years at WFS, third grade teacher Robin Sakovics brought a warm, loving atmosphere to her classroom. She was also extremely passionate about environmental stewardship, and her commitment to this cause brought about zero-waste lunches, composting, and a grade-level focus on the environment. We will miss them all!
HOME AND SCHOOL Under the capable leadership of Victoria Stuccio and Michelle Silberglied, the WFS Home and School Association has had a lively and successful year. Home and School has worked hard to enrich our community with both fun and informative events, whilst raising funds to support the School’s Annual Fund. From hosting teacher/staff appreciation events, Paint Night, BBC Guest Bartending night, and a bus trip to NYC, hosting lectures about the dangers of vaping and substance abuse, to adding financial support to the upper school’s service project, Home and School has brought us together by living the testimony of community.
Head of School Ken Aldridge with 2018-19 Home and School co-presidents Victoria Stuccio and Michelle Silberglied; volunteers at the middle/upper school and lower school teacher/staff appreciation lunches. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
MUSIC NEWS
WFS spring concerts are always a time of joy and celebration as the community enjoys both developing and seasoned student musicians at all grade levels. This year certainly did not disappoint! WFS student musicians were also active in the broader community this spring: • Isaiah Gaines ’21 and Brandon Williams ’21 were accepted into the Choral Program of the Governor’s School, which took place at the University of Delaware in July. • Five Wilmington Friends students took part in the Delaware Music Educators Association All-State Chorus. WFS hosted the rehearsals for the Junior Chorus with over 150 students and teachers from around the state in attendance. Dr. Gary Packwood, Director of Choral Activities at Mississippi State University, was the guest clinician, and WFS students Isabel Asher ’23, Rohan Mandayam ’23, and Jaden Willie ’23 were members of the chorus. The high school chorus rehearsed at Mount Pleasant High School. Isaiah Gaines ’21 and Juliana Melnik ’22 were members of the Mixed Choir, with guest clinician Dr. Andrew Creckmann, Director of Choral Activities at Sacramento State University (but originally a Delaware Blue Hen) at the helm. • Gianna Facciolo ’25, Sylvia Green ’27, Gabrielle Hamilton ’27, Margot Hebert ’27, Pamela Moore ’27, Mia Jordon Tabron ’27, and Kemble Wellons ’27 were selected to participate in the Delaware American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Children’s Honor Choir Festival. The ACDA is a nonprofit music-education organization whose mission is to promote excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy. The students joined 150 students from across Delaware and had
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the privilege of working with renowned conductor Shawn Funk. • Gianna Martinelli ’22 participated in the ACDA Junior High Honor Choir at the national conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The choir, which was selected by audition, included 300 students from across the U.S. and was directed by Dr. Derrick Fox from the University of Nebraska. Three days of intensive rehearsals and workshops culminated in two concerts, one held in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. • WFS hosted the Delaware chapter of the ACDA festival, and teachers Margaret Anne Butterfield and Sara Gaines were co-chairs of the event. WFS Chamber Singers earned a Superior rating for their performance, and the 6th grade choir earned an Excellent rating. • Alex Ropars ’20 was one of two mallet players in the state accepted into All-State Senior Band. In late March, Alex joined 87 high school musicians from around the state for over 15 hours of rehearsals before performing in the AllState Concert at Caesar Rodney High School. • Jimmy Butterfield ’20 (tenor saxophone) performed with the Delaware Youth Wind Ensemble (DYWE) and the University of Delaware Wind Ensemble in Pugliese Hall at UD. DYWE is an ensemble that brings together outstanding high school musicians from the greater Delaware area to rehearse and perform exciting and high-quality wind band literature, and is directed by UD professor and Wind Ensemble conductor Dr. Lauren Reynolds. • Quaker Lacrosse player and musician Peyton McNeill ’19 sang the National Anthem at the start of the Lacrosse Blue/ Gold All-Star game.
STUDENT PLAYS
In recent years, upper school students have staged a play that is directed, cast, and otherwise led by students, with Todd Tyler as faculty advisor. This year there were two productions!
Noble Cause, performed in January 2019 and set during the French Revolution, is described as “a story of the French Revolution and nobility, with a dash of murder.” Directors: James Tallman ’19, Jack Zhang ’19, and Genesis Lyons ’22 Writers: James Tallman ’19, Jack Zhang ’19 and Danny Nakamura ’19
Lovesick, performed
in May 2019, is a comedic story of a matchmaker who falls for one of her clients. Directors: James Tallman ’19 and Sarah Stovicek ’21 Writers: James Tallman ’19, Danny Nakamura ’19, Genesis Lyons ’22, Grace Morrison ’22, and Gianna Martinelli ’22
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More Performing Arts The Actor Games and Law and Order: Fairytale Unit
This year, the upper school play was actually two plays, both parodies: The Actor Games, a dystopian/Hunger Games parody where everyone is starving for attention, and Law and Order: Fairytale Unit in which the characters from fairytales and nursery rhymes are represented by two separate yet equally ridiculous groups: the fairytale police who investigate fairytale crime, and the fairytale district attorneys who prosecute the fairytale offenders. Eighth graders performed the musical of the classic Shrek, with everyone’s favorite characters on stage, and fifth graders performed the fun and colorful We Are Monsters.
Shrek
We Are Monsters
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A Time for Discovery and Rejuvenation: Faculty Sabbaticals
JAVIER ERGUETA For his year-long sabbatical, longtime Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and upper school history teacher Javier Ergueta knew he wanted to embark upon a journey that was both physical and intellectual, both professional and personal. Through TOK, Javier has spent years teaching his students to identify and evaluate different ways of knowing and believes that, now more than ever, in order to move forward, our society needs a deeper understanding of different kinds of knowledge. One of his sabbatical goals was to explore potential ways of moving TOK thinking beyond the walls of the TOK classroom: how to integrate it more fully into other upper school courses and how to teach students to apply it to the world outside of Wilmington Friends. As a historian and teacher of history, Javier had the second goal of visiting important historical sites and museums in various European countries. Because he is also a prolific reader and scholar, Javier spent time immersing himself in a variety of reading materials and reflecting upon the articles and books through thoughtful note-taking and blog posts. After a two-week study trip to Japan funded by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Javier and his family headed to Europe, where Javier settled his son Pier Paolo in Madrid for a year of Spanishimmersion education and then traveled to a number of European cities, including Berlin, Lisbon, Paris, and Amsterdam. While in Amsterdam, at the invitation of the International Baccalaureate TOK worldwide manager, Javier participated, along with senior TOK examiners and four other teachers from around the world, in a TOK planning meeting. For three intense days, the group worked to define changes to the TOK curriculum for 2020. From there, Javier went to the United Kingdom, where he visited three of that country’s leading IB schools, including Cheltenham Ladies’ College, an all-girls IB boarding school. In each stop on Javier’s sabbatical journey, he toured historical sites, churches, and museums. His visits included such diverse locations as the Renaissance mansion on Lake Wann in Berlin where the Nazis planned the Final Solution; Spanish Civil War landmarks in Madrid; and the ancient Moorish fortresses in Malaga. In classic TOK style, Javier attempted to glean as many perspectives on every site or event as possible and then to compare and evaluate these sometimes conflicting historical narratives. Javier absorbed the arts, culture, religious life, and cuisine of every city he visited, attending mass at various places of wor-
ship and taking in a dizzying array of art exhibitions at such museums as the Musée d’Orsay and the Picasso Museum. In the evenings, Javier took in plays, concerts, and films. He also sampled local fare at restaurants and cafes, including surprisingly inexpensive and delicious tapas at myriad outdoor cafes in Cordoba. All the while, Javier read articles from The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Atlantic, as well as books on a wide array of topics, some related to his travels, others not, but all of them offering new lenses through which to observe and interpret the world, new and diverse ways of knowing.
MEGAN HEGENBARTH Middle school math and science teacher Megan Hegenbarth’s sabbatical could be described as a quest, or several actually, for ideas in teaching, for improving the lives of others, and for the experience of a different culture. Known for her success using a “flipped” model in her math classroom, Megan wanted to learn how other middle schools differentiate their math teaching and how they incorporate teaching executive functioning skills. She also wanted to learn more about math program scope and sequence at other K-12 schools. These wonders led her to visit schools in Delaware, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Connecticut, Lake Placid, NY, Burlington, VT and Naples, FL. “What I found amazing was how we are all struggling to find the balance between keeping what works and finding new innovative ways to inspire and challenge our students. I was intrigued by how many schools don’t begin giving grades to students until high school and the varied assessment models.” Megan also wanted to address the issue of homelessness in Wilmington. Twenty-five years ago, Megan was matched through the Big Brother/Big Sister program with a little sister who had an extremely difficult childhood and has experienced on-again off-again homelessness. This sparked her interest in learning more about local services for the homeless, and a desire to develop more of a focus at WFS on helping this cause. Megan worked with the Housing Alliance group and The Sunday Breakfast Mission. Megan’s sabbatical ended on a wonderfully high note of cultural adventure and bonding time with her daughter Brooke ’19. For Brooke’s senior exploration, the pair traveled to Greece inspired by her passion for Greek mythology. At the end of this quest was a rejuvenated and enlightened teacher, ready to tackle the next school year. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
It was an exciting season with some big wins for Quaker sports. Two late-season highlights for Boys’ Basketball included a final-seconds win over DMA and a 57-46 upset of ninth-ranked Salesianum at Sallies. Girls’ basketball had two wins over Tower Hill and also made it to the first round of the DIAA tournament. Though some key runners ended up with injuries early in the season, the winter track team had a good bit of success with top ten placements at every meet, participation in the DIAA state meet, and personal records for every athlete. In addition, at their first meet against Tower Hill, the 4x200 boys relay team placed first. The young Boys’ Swimming team worked hard and showed great potential this season, with an especially strong showing at DISCs. The season for Girls’ Swimming was full of amazing swims with the team taking 6th at States. Ashley Chompre ’20 capped another extraordinary season by being named Delaware Swimmer of the Year. Highlights of the Quaker Wrestling season included a big win over Sanford, a strong performance at DISCs, and four wrestlers and one alternate going to the State Meet.
Coaches vs. Cancer
Boys’ Basketball All-Conference First Team: Timmer Farley ’19 Honorable Mention: Carlin Beskrone ’19, Will Davis ’20 Blue-Gold All-Star Team Timmer Farley ’19
Girls’ Basketball All-Conference Second Team: Ajala Elmore ’20, Kayla Farley ’21 Honorable Mention/Third Team: Madison McCoy ’21
The Boys and Girls Basketball teams joined forces to serve the community by winning the Delaware Coaches vs Cancer competition for the second year in a row. The teams were recognized by the American Cancer Society and DIBCA at the Blue-Gold All-Star game at the Delaware Blue Coats Field House.
Wrestling DISC Tournament Results 1st Place: Sam Munch ’23, 106; Max Leffler ’22, 113; Donnie Morton ’22, 120 2nd Place: Peter Cauchy ’19, 152; Nate Crock ’19, 220 DIAA Independent School State Qualifying Tournament Results 2nd: Donnie Morton ’22, 120 3rd : Max Leffler ’22,113 4th: Sam Munch ’23, 106 5th: Nate Crock ’19, 285 6th: Peter Cauchy ’19, 152 Delaware Academic All-State First Team: Peter Cauchy ’19, Nate Crock ’19, Donnie Morton ’22, Sam Munch ’23 Honorable Mention: Robby Friz ’21, Runlai Jiang ’19, Max Leffler ’22, Ely Longwill ’21, Conner Manning ’22, Andres Pardo ’21
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Swimming All-Conference - Boys Honorable Mention: Marcel Stewart ’22 All-Conference - Girls First Team: Kira Agne ’23, Ashley Chompre ’20 Second Team: Leila Mulveny ’21
Indoor Track Last-Chance Meet 55m: Olivia Delgado ’21, 8th Lilia Machado ’20, 10th
Honorable Mention: Leah Agne ’21 All-State - Girls
Nick Redd ’20, 6th Osi Chukwuocha ’22, 8th, top 9th grader 200m: Nick Redd ’20, 2nd Osi Chukwuocha ’22, 3rd, top 9th grader 1600m: Chase Fallon ’19, 3rd 3200m: Kyle Nisbet ’21, 3rd Shot Put: Olivia Finizio ’19, 7th, PR States 3200m: Luke Munch ’21, 10th, 3rd fastest 10th grader
Swimmer of the Year: Ashley Chompre ’20 First Team: Kira Agne ’23, Ashley Chompre ‘20 Honorable Mention: Leila Mulveny ’21
National Signing Day Congratulations to our senior athletes who will move on to play in college, joining those five who signed in the fall. Front Row: Coach Bob Tattersall; Joshua Payne, Football, Ursinus College; Nate Crock, Wrestling, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI); Coach Donnie Morton ’94, Athletic Director Jeff Ransom. Back Row: Head of School Ken Aldridge; Coach Chris Loeffler ’00; Timmer Farley, Basketball, Gettysburg College; Quentin McAbee, Football, University of Delaware.
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It was a season of excitement and growth for Quaker Sports. Our Golf team had a wonderful inaugural season with two players, both 8th graders, Drew Clark and Josephine Wellons, competing in the DIAA Finals. Baseball had a 16-2 regular season record and got its first DIAA tournament win in school history to get to the quarterfinal round. Also for baseball, Eddie Micheletti ’20 was named DISC Player of the Year and Steve Quimby ’86 was named DISC Assistant Coach of the Year. In Track and Field, our 4x800 Boys’ Relay team placed second at both States and the Meet of Champions, setting a new school record. And 8th grade Girls’ Tennis varsity player Aubrey Nisbet was the DIAA First Singles Champion. We are proud of our Boys’ Tennis, Boys’ Lacrosse, Girls’ Lacrosse, and Girls’ Soccer teams for the grit and heart they showed all season long.
Baseball
DISC
All-Conference
Player of the Year: Eddie Micheletti ’20
First Team: C: Eddie Micheletti ’20 1B: Wyatt Nelson ’20 2B: Will Davis ’20 SS: Sam Gise ’20 OF: Jack Taylor ’20 DH: Matthew Taormina ’19 UTL: Peter Erskine ’21 P: Wyatt Nelson ’20 P: Joey Mullen ’19 Second Team: 3B: Patrick McKenzie ’21 OF: Cole Opderbeck ’20 UTL: Evan Arai ’20 P: Tristan Pantano ’19
Girls’ Lacrosse All-Conference First Team: Ajala Elmore ’20, Alexa Donahue ’22
Assistant Coach of the Year: Steve Quimby ’86 All-State First Team: C: Eddie Micheletti ’20 Honorable Mention : P: Wyatt Nelson ’20 Blue/Gold All-Star Team Matthew Taormina ’19 and Joey Mullen ’19
Honorable Mention: Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19
Blue Gold All-Star Team Carson Davis-Tinnell ’19
Second Team Meghan Malone ’21, Caroline Schumacher ’21, Katrina Winfield ’20
Football News Coach T In DAAD Hall of Fame Congratulations to Coach Bob Tattersall on being inducted into the Delaware Association of Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. The longtime head Football coach was also a Friends Athletic Director and educator for 28 years. Blue Gold All-Stars Quentin McAbee ’19 (recipient of the Jim Williams Memorial Award for the Blue Squad) and Joshua Payne ’19. 32
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Boys’ Lacrosse All-Conference First Team: Nick Redd ’20
Under Armour All-American Team Nick Redd ’20
All-State First Team: Nick Redd ’20
Blue Gold All-Star Team Liam Harron ’19
Academic All-American Carlin Beskrone ’19 Grant Sheppard ’19
Track and Field
Meet of Champions
DIAA State Meet
Marcel Stewart ’22, Bruno Yeh ’22, Chris Rosado ’21, Connor Nisbet ’19, 2nd, 4x800 Relay and a new school record, 8:20.02
Chris Rosado ’21: 5th, 800M Connor Nisbet ’19: 2nd, 3200M Marcel Stewart ’22, Bruno Yeh ’22, Chris Rosado ’21, Connor Nisbet ’19: 2nd, 4x800 Relay Margot Gramiak ’22: 3rd, 300H DIAA/Harry Roberts Senior Scholar Athlete Award
Chris Rosado ’21: 800M, 5th
Girls’ Soccer
Connor Nisbet ’19: 3200M, 2nd
All-Conference First Team: Emi Arai ’20, Reagan Brady ’23
Luke Munch ’21: 3200M, 10th
Second Team: Maddie Osbourn ’22, Emma Slease ’23, Lucy Taylor ’21
Margo Gramiak ’22: 300H, 7th
Connor Nisbet ’19 - 2nd place
Golf Golf is the newest sport to be added to the upper school athletics program. After issuing a survey to students, it was clear that golf was a sport that students wanted to add–– even those who didn’t intend to play––especially since the other schools in our conference (except St. Andrew’s) all have golf teams. The willingness from the community to pitch in and help support the program was a pleasant surprise for Jeff Ransom, WFS Athletic Director. He was also very pleased with the high level of coaching brought to the team by Sue Kampert. “Coach Kampert was excellent,” says Jeff. “She is a hard-working, self-starting, innovative coach. She also acted as chief ambassador for the program, and we are very lucky to have her at Friends.” DISC Individual Qualifier: Drew Clark ’23, Ross Clark ’19, Josephine Wellons ’23 DIAA Finals: Drew Clark ’23, Josephine Wellons ’23
Tennis DIAA Semifinal First Singles: Aubrey Nisbet ’23 Second Singles: Alexis Montana ’22 Second Doubles: Alexa Vergara ’19 and Elise Johnson ’21 DIAA First Singles Champion : Aubrey Nisbet ’23 Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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Class Notes CLASS OF 1956 Pat Kennedy Ascher has moved with her husband to an Episcopal Retirement Community called Spring Lake Village in Santa Rosa, CA. Isabel Robinson McGraw and her husband have moved to a residential community, similar to Cokesbury Village, on top of Signal Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
CLASS OF 1963 Ward Briggs (above) shared this update, “After meditation in the desert decided to try out marriage for the first time at age 73. True to all predictions from 1963, it was a cold day when I jumped the broomstick. This is what happens when retirement leaves your mind free to wander.” CLASS OF 1970 Roy H. Wilkinson sent this good news, “I am retiring...after 42 years at Boeing. Woohoo.” 1974 After 24 years of freelance writing for regional and national magazines and other outlets, Erik Gunn has joined the staff of a new non-profit online news site, the Wisconsin Examiner, covering state policy, politics, and issues. The startup is
part of an ongoing project of the Hopewell Fund to revitalize substantive state news coverage across the country. CLASS OF 1989 Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast, wrote her first novel titled Evvie Drake Starts Over which was the Today Show’s Jenna Bush Hager’s choice for her July 2019 book club pick of the month. CLASS OF 2000 Andrew Milford recently had several pieces of fiction published in the literary
CLASS OF 1962 Jay Dalgliesh (deceased) was a worldclass architect who designed houses in Virginia, New Mexico, Montana, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. He was well known for his designs that placed an emphasis on the critical relationship between creativity and the lifestyle of his clients. “V House,” one of Jay’s last residential projects, can be seen featured in Home and Design Magazine, Winter 2017 edition. “V House” was described by UVA Professor K. Edward Lay as an “American Villa Rotunda, which will become one of the great historic masterworks of Virginia.” CLASS OF 1972 & 1974 Sheldon Nix ’74, Donna DeBoer Nacchia, Theo Nix ’72, and their mother, Ms. Lulu Nix, posed for a photo at The Delaware Adolescent Program, Inc. (DAPI, Inc.) 50th Year Celebration Luncheon in December 2018. 34 34 Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
journals Narrative Northeast and the Schuylkill Valley Journal, with stories set in the Brandywine Valley. Additionally, Milford, having been based in Los Angeles since 2004, co-wrote the film Plastic Daydream, starring Shari Belafonte, which garnered him an award for “Best Writing, Drama Inspirational” at the L.A. Live Film Festival and is currently screening on the film festival circuit. Ryan Shotzberger was named head coach of the University of the Incarnate Word baseball program. From the UIW Cardinals web site: “Shotzberger has been part of successful programs on staff at both Houston and TCU. In total, he has helped those programs to seven 40+ win seasons. Shotzberger has 13 conference championships under his belt with eight regular-season championships and five conference tournament championships. He has helped his teams to 10 postseason appearances, including nine trips to NCAA Regionals, three appearances at NCAA Super Regionals, and one trip to the College World Series.” CLASS OF 2008 Morgan Dorsey graduated from The Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University in the Class of 2019. CLASS OF 2009 This summer, Nate Squire began the Veterinary Surgical Residency Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. CLASS OF 2011
Julianna Ly has been awarded the Fulbright/ American Friends of the Mauritshuis Award, and she will spend the next year in the Netherlands for an internship jointly offered by the University of Amsterdam and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis. Julianna, currently a graduate student in the Winterthur/UD Program in Art Conservation, will also attend a graduate program at the University of Amsterdam. Kieran P. Smith graduated with Highest Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and was inducted into Phi Zeta (the only honor society of veterinary medicine in the United States). Kieran is currently practicing as an equine exclusive ambulatory veterinarian in Northern Colorado. It was Kieran’s senior exploration on the Magnesses’ farm in Chadds Ford that opened the door onto his path into veterinary medicine.
CLASS OF 2012
Duncan Hobbs, a graduate of Georgetown University, was featured in a June 2018 blog post by Annie Tulkin, MS, Director of Accessible College, LLC, in her blog, Accessible College. The following is an excerpt from the blog post. There is an added layer of complexity that students with physical disabilities and health conditions face when they are considering colleges. They may have to consider the topography of the camps (are there a lot of hills?) and the weather (does it snow or rain a lot?). Then you have questions about dormitories (do the rooms have bathrooms?). These are things that don’t factor into most college searches. This is why it’s important to seek out support in your college search so that you can comprehensively think through all the pieces that can impact your success. This month I asked Duncan Hobbs about his experience as a college student with Cerebral Palsy. Many thanks to Duncan for sharing. Introduction: I grew up in Wilmington Delaware and went to Wilmington Friends, a small Quaker school for 12 years. I have spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy. In spite of my physical challenges, I loved sports. At Wilmington Friends, I wrestled for six years. At Georgetown, I majored in International Economics. While not in class, I worked as a research assistant and teaching assistant on campus. I also worked as a loan underwriter for a student-run nonprofit that made small loans to people in Washington D.C. who were looking to start or expand a business. Think back to when you were considering college. What were your concerns? When I was applying to college, my concerns were very similar to the other students in my class. I wanted to go to a college that had strong programs in government and international relations, as that was what I thought I most wanted to study. Campus size and accessibility were also important to me. I had walked everywhere in my life and had never used a wheelchair or scooter and I did not want to have to use those devices at college. Who supported you in your college search? My guidance counselor, Kathleen Martin, and my parents and older brother were all wonderful sources of support for me. My guidance counselor sat down with me and looked at a list of colleges I had made. “I want you to imagine that it is the middle of February, there is a foot of snow outside, and you have to walk half a mile to get to class. Do you want to do that?” When I said “no” she calmly took a pen and crossed out most of the New England colleges I had written. “If you really want to go to these places, I will help you succeed there, but I want to make sure you think carefully about your choices.” I still went with my parents to visit many colleges in New England, but that conversation helped me realize that I needed to consider issues, like snow, without making me feel resentful. What suggestions would you have for someone with a disability who is applying to college? Visit the disability resource center if there is one. Having a good relationship with the people there will be very useful during your time at college. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Find some friends you can trust to let out any frustrations you have and don’t let them bottle up inside you. Reach out to other students with disabilities on campus. They may have strategies for dealing with the physical or mental stress associated with college and can be a source of inspiration and support.
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CLASS OF 2012 Gwen Baraniecki-Zwil is currently dancing for Company E, Washington D.C. She began her training with Maxine’s Studio of Dance under the direction of Maxine and Kimberly Chapman. In 2015, Gwen graduated with honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with undergraduate degrees in Dance and Political Science. She has had the great privilege of working with choreographers such as Shannon Gillen, Cora BosKroese, Pedro Ruiz Jr, Rachel BirchLawson, and Irene Fiordilino. She has performed all over the world including New York City, Montreal, and London. In 2017, Gwen graduated with merit from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with a Masters of Science degree in Dance Science. Her dissertation research was focused on the predictors of aerobic power in contemporary dancers. In addition to performing, Gwen is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and practice through teaching. Sara Woodward wrote, “I am finishing up my first year of teaching Earth Science at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia. I graduated from Randolph College in 2016 with a BS and honors in Environmental Science, and am currently in the Randolph College Master of Arts in Teaching program. I plan to continue educating, either at public schools or informal learning environments, for the foreseeable future!” CLASS OF 2013 Emily R. Horwitz sent this news, “I am moving to Philadelphia this summer, and starting law school at the University of Pennsylvania this fall. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life!”
TyLisa C. Johnson is writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com. CLASS OF 2016 Jodi Lessner sent us news of her involvement on Columbia’s Mock Trial Team, “As a member of Columbia Mock Trial, I get to travel across the country with the team every month to compete in tournaments as an attorney and witness. I joined Columbia Mock Trial during my sophomore year of college (2017-2018) as a closing attorney. This most recent year (2018-2019), I worked on the executive board as the Vice President of External Affairs of the entire program and Captain of the A team. As Vice President, I raised over $25,000 for the team to cover our travel expenses, tournament, and material costs to ensure that it is free for all of our members to participate. As Captain of the A team, I helped lead our team to a 6th place finish at the National Championship Tournament in Philadelphia in April. Next year, I will be serving as President of Columbia Mock Trial.
Kieran P. Smith ’11
I was a part of the Friends Mock Trial team from my sophomore to senior years (2013-2016). In my time on this team, we improved from a 9th place finish to 4th place to eventually winning the entire competition my senior year. This allowed us to travel to Idaho to participate in the High School National Championship. Mock Trial at Friends was my favorite activity because it helped me develop my public speaking, critical thinking, and argumentation skills. I’m so glad that I can continue it at college since it continues to be my favorite activity now!”
Sara Woodward ’12
Jones House Interns, Thank you! The Jones House staff was grateful to have the help of three upper school student interns this past school year. Maxine Chou ’21 (right), Courtney Thomson ’20 (middle), and Henry Wieman ’21 (left) gained real-world experience through developing skills in writing, social media, fundraising, event planning, video production, and more. Their efforts have made a significant impact on the greater WFS community in supporting the School’s mission to help students let their lives speak.
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ALICE MEARNS IVY ’48:
Outstanding Athlete, Class Agent, and Community Volunteer By Henry Wieman ’21, Jones House Student Intern Wilmington Friends School Alumna Alice Mearns Ivy ’48 is quite an accomplished woman. She has consistently racked up awards and personal successes since her beginnings as a student at WFS, and continues to help and support her community in her retirement. Alice recently celebrated her 70th class reunion, and we wanted to highlight her WFS career, as well as her work with the community. Alice is known for her energy and athleticism, even in retirement. As a student at WFS, she played four varsity sports: field hockey, basketball, softball, and cheerleading. In college, Alice continued to play basketball and softball. By the time she left Marjorie Webster Junior College, Alice had garnered awards and acclaim in eight sports. Even as she began her own career and family, Alice never lost interest in learning new sports and enjoying athletics. In Delaware, Alice played badminton competitively, and picked up
golf and tennis. Into retirement, Alice continued to play Paddle Tennis and Pickle Ball until recently. Athletics has played a major role in Alice’s life, and influenced her career choice. Following her time at WFS, she pursued a career in physical education. Between 1950 and 1953, Alice taught Physical Education at Tatnall School. After getting married in 1953, Alice stopped working full time, but continued to help teach kindergarten gym class a few times a month, in order to “give back to the community that gave me so much.” Alice ultimately retired from education in 1988. Her time in education had an important impact on the many students she taught, but is far from the only way Alice has given back to her community. Alice is devoted to supporting her community, and since retirement she has been committed to several volunteer efforts. The ever-enthusiastic Alice is involved
Alice Mearns Ivy ’48 (left) pictured with classmates David Boyer ’48, Bob Flinn ’48, Dixie Sanger ’48, Isabel Brown Pearce ’48, and Barbara Chantler Shellenberger ’48.
in several service projects. The very first day after retirement, she began volunteer work at the Nemours/ Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children, and to this day continues to work with the children’s hospital in various ways. Alice has helped with the Secret Holiday Shop, organized toys at the hospital gift shop, and served on the Auxiliary Board. Outside of the hospital, Alice has reaffirmed her commitment to athletics by organizing the Women’s 55/65 and over USTA Grass Court Tennis Tournament at Wilmington Country Club, and by being an Emeritus Board Member of the Morrow Paddle Tennis Tournament. She has been an amazing member of the Stonegates community, contributing hours of service and work with energy and vigor. As she reflects on the last 70 years, Alice believes her WFS education greatly impacted her life. A “lifer,” Alice remembers spinning on the Razzle Dazzle that once had a home on the lower school playground. Alice said she enjoyed her time at Friends, “especially the sports and dances.” In looking back, she is amazed at the changes the School has made over time. “Sports have changed a lot,” Alice admitted. Two of the varsity sports Alice participated in, cheerleading and softball, are no longer offered by the School. Still, much of the spirit of WFS has remained the same. The community that this school creates is timeless; Alice still stays in touch with many of her classmates and from the many stories she shared, the impact WFS has had on Alice is clear. Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
BUILDING DRESSES: An architect’s passion for sewing Julie Bierlein ’87 is a registered architect who has been working at ABHA Architects in Trolley Square since 2002, with a current primary role in marketing and project graphics. After graduating from Wilmington Friends, she received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University in 1992, then worked for a firm in Albany, New York, for two years before moving back to Delaware. In 2003, she earned a Marketing Management Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. But Julie has another passion that has developed into an extremely impressive talent: making clothes. “I started making clothes in 2006 when I first taught myself how to knit,“ she says. “Some people are ‘process knitters’ – those who enjoy the process of knitting and don’t focus too much on the end result. Some people are ‘product knitters’ – those who have a goal of finishing something and celebrating the finished project. I was a product knitter, and often would get frustrated by how long it took to finish things. During the summer of 2015, I gradually lost my motivation to knit and started playing around with sewing dresses for my daughter. I soon discovered I loved how fast sewing was compared to knitting, often starting and finishing projects in one day.” And anyone who knows Julie knows that she has made some very beautiful and fun dresses in what seems like an incredibly quick turnaround. Her inspiration is her daughter, Ivy, who will be joining the third grade at WFS in September. “My favorite thing about creating clothes is seeing my daughter wearing them and enjoying them.” Julie does admit that there are a few challenges. “I think the biggest challenge for me is getting over the ‘project planning hurdle.’ I spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m going to make and deciding which fabric to use and what size to make. Those decisions often take longer than the time it takes to make the dress.” In addition to their daughter, Ivy, Julie and her husband Daniel Jackson have a son, Emmett, who will begin ninth grade at WFS in September. We’ve included Julie’s photos of some of the 38 sewing projects she has made over the past four years.
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TOP Cosplay: projects based on Totoro, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and Little House on the Prairie. MIDDLE The fruit and veggie collection: bananas, broccoli, and potatoes. RIGHT AND BELOW Party time!: Apron party favors for Ivy’s birthday tea party; firefighter birthday party dress (with trim at the bottom that is safety reflective ribbon) OPPOSITE PAGE Upcycling: dress made from two skirts purchased at Goodwill; dress made from a men’s shirt.
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In Memory
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1928 Anna Elizabeth Dougherty ’28, Of Mitchellville, MD passed away April 25, 2013 at age 102. Born November 8, 1910 in Wilmington, Delaware. Anna was a graduate of the Wilmington Friends School; a BS from the University of Delaware, a BS in Library Science from Drexel University, and an MS (library) from Columbia University. She was a librarian at the DuPont Company, Bucknell University, Bryn Mawr College, the University of Michigan Law Library, Brooklyn College, National Library of Medicine (formerly the Army Medical Library and Armed Forces Medical Library), and the National Institutes of Health Library. She was a member of the National Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware. She had two brothers, David Mitchell Dougherty and George Myer Dougherty ’31, both deceased, and two nephews, David M. Dougherty (deceased) and Philip R. Dougherty, both of Oregon.
also founded Wilmington & Western (W&W) Railroad, the historic rail line, and served as the W&W’s first President and General Manager from 1960 through 1971. He remained active as a volunteer and Board member for many years thereafter. Tom carried on his father’s passion of collecting, restoring and operating Stanley Steamers in 1940, and created the “Marshall Steam Team” which evolved into the non-profit Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve in 2004. Tom donated his collection of antique cars, trains and other collectibles to the Friends, whose 80+ volunteers still maintain and operate the cars and miniature steam railroad for the public to enjoy at Auburn Heights.
1941 Thomas C. Marshall, Jr. ’41 (age 94) died February 12, 2019, after a long illness. The son of the late T. Clarence and Esther Shallcross Marshall, he is survived by Ruth Pierson Marshall, his wife of 33½ years. Tom spent his first 84 years living in Yorklyn, Delaware, at Auburn Heights, the grand Victorian-era home built by his grandparents in 1897. He moved from Auburn Heights in 2008, when he and his wife, Ruth, donated it to the state of Delaware to become the centerpiece of Auburn Valley State Park. The approximately 360-acre park consists of open space donated by Tom and the Oversee Farm property, which had belonged to Tom’s cousin, Eleanor Marshall Reynolds ’42, as well as adjacent properties of the former NVF Company purchased by the state after NVF went out of business. After graduating from Wilmington Friends School in 1941, Tom attended Mercersburg Academy for a year before going on to M.I.T. in 1942-43. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942-46 as a weather forecaster in New Mexico and then as an aerial weather observer on a B-24 flight crew in the Western Pacific. Tom founded and operated a travel agency from 1949-63, Marshall & Burton Travel Associates (later to become Marshall & Greenplate). He opened the first of his two Holiday Inns in Wilmington in 1961 and operated them for 36 years. Tom
1942 Gay Gilpin Johnson ’42 passed away on July 7, 2016. She was the wife of the late Eric W. Johnson and mother of Rebecca (Lawrence Weisberg), Jeffrey and Emily; grandmother of Molly and Anna Weisberg, Laura and Sadie Mohler and Amy Shelton-White; and great-grandmother of two. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Margaret Gilpin Hall and her brother Vincent Gilpin, Jr.
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Tom was active with local Quaker organizations, serving in several positions with the Hockessin Friends Meeting and the Friends Home in Kennett Square for more than 50 years. He also served on the boards of many other philanthropic and non-profit groups.
1946 John W. Boyer, Jr. ’46, former chairman & CEO of Philadelphia Suburban Corporation, which later became Aqua Pennsylvania, passed away in Italy on August 30, 2016. John was born in Wilmington, DE and graduated from the Wilmington Friends School. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1950 and went on to complete work at Rutgers University School of Banking before attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. John began his career at The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and, in 1958, he became an officer of what was then Provident Tradesman’s Bank & Trust Company. In 1981 he became President and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Philadelphia Suburban Water Company that later became part of what is now Aqua Pennsylvania. He
retired in 1993. He was a respected and beloved trustee of Eastern University in suburban St. Davids and close advisor to several Eastern University presidents during some of the most important decades of the University’s history. In later years, he served as an Emeritus Trustee. Also, he was a founding elder of Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, PA and Valley Forge Prayer Breakfast. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Lidia Plugaru, whom he married on June 18, 2013. He was married to Barbara Boyer, who passed away in October, 2008 with whom he had had 5 children: Jay (deceased) and wife Betsy; Margot B. Barsamian and husband Tarkis; Elisa Moneymaker and husband David; Creighton and wife Lori; Dillon and wife Susan. 1947 Lewis Barr Flinn, Jr. ’47, of Richmond, VA, departed this life peacefully on July 17, 2018. Born on August 29, 1929 in Wilmington, DE, Lew attended Wilmington Friends School before graduating from Kenyon College in 1951. He served three years as an officer in the US Navy. He earned an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 1957. Upon graduation, he was employed by State Planters Bank in Richmond where he enjoyed a 30-year career in banking. He retired from United Virginia Bank in 1987 as Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary. After his banking career, he became the Parish Administer of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church from 1989-1997, overseeing a $2 million capital campaign to fund major renovations and expansion in programming. He married Sally Clay Estes, from Nashville, TN, in 1962 and enjoyed 52 years of marriage until Sally’s death in 2014. In addition to his banking career, Lew was highly engaged in his community. The family wishes to thank his group of companions who provided such devoted care in recent years. He is survived by two children and their spouses; a daughter, Clay Flinn Gill (Patrick Gill) of Virginia Beach, VA; a son, Lewis B. Flinn III (Douglas Carter Beane) of New York, NY; five grandchildren: McGuire, Cannon, and Barr Gill, and Cooper and Gabrielle Flinn-Beane. Lew is also survived by two brothers, Robert B. Flinn ’48 (Wilmington, DE) and Irvine D. Flinn ’53 (New York, NY). Mary Starkweather Cramer ’47, age 88, a resident of Fort Myers, Florida, died peacefully on December 2, 2018 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Preceded in death by husband of 60 years Arthur A. Cramer, Jr. A dedicated wife and mother, she is survived by her children,
Rob (Bridgett), Brian (Colette), Carolyn James (Patrick), and Elizabeth; grandchildren, Dillon Halderson, Benjamin Reese (Stephanie), Haydn, Alexander, Brian (Lauren), Arielle, and Corinne Cramer; great-grandchildren Joshua, Elijah, and Daniel Reese, Sydney and Isla Cramer; and many nieces and nephews. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania with a degree in Seventeenth Century English Literature. Mary had many interests including Girl Scouts, teaching Sunday school, and Rotary. She served as Deacon at Community Presbyterian Church of Clarendon Hills, IL. Mary enjoyed tennis, bridge, travel, birding, camping, canoeing, and opera. In 2000, Art & Mary moved from Hinsdale, Illinois to Sanibel, Florida where they loved volunteering at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. 1949 Richard J. Abrams, Esq. ’49, age 87, passed away peacefully on May 20, 2019, at his home in Aventura, Florida. Richard (Dick) was born in Wilmington, Delaware on June 29, 1931 and was a retired partner of Richards, Layton & Finger. He attended Wilmington Friends School, Williams College, and Yale University Law School. He was a graduate of U.S. Naval Officers School at Newport, RI, and in 1954-56 served as a Lieutenant on the battleship USS New Jersey (BB 62). When he joined his law firm in 1960, it had 10 lawyers; upon his retirement in 2001, it had over 100 lawyers. Dick was engaged primarily in corporate litigation and in his later years, he was a prominent zoning and land development lawyer. Following his retirement, he maintained a winter home in Aventura, Florida. He was a founder and longtime director of the Committee of 100 in Delaware; served many years as general counsel and a Vice President of the Board of the Wilmington Institute Library; and served as a director and President of the Wilmington City Housing Corporation, a director of the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River, a director of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and a Trustee of Preservation Delaware, Inc. His beloved wife, Duane, whom he married in 1953, predeceased him in 1998. He is survived by his four children and their spouses, Kevin and Lynette Abrams, of Wilmington, DE and Jackson, WY; J. Michael and Kathleen Abrams of Andover, MA; Ned and Karen A. Graham of Wilmington, DE; John and Lesley A. Nicholson of Greenwich, CT; and 9 grandchildren. He is also survived by his dear friend and companion for the last 16 years, Priscilla (Pat) Strawgate of Coral Gables, FL.
Daniel Cauffiel “DC” Lickle ’49 (Excerpt from his obituary) “ ‘Now, let me ask you a question…’ Daniel Cauffiel Lickle took his questions forever away from us on February 5, 2019 after juggling 87.8 riotous, inquisitive, and mischievous years. The humble and humorous man truly met no situation without wit, grace, and a splash of jack. His talent for creating a conversation with strangers, family, and friends alike goes unrivaled. We all remember exploring, learning, struggling, laughing at, and overcoming life’s most trivial and complex questions in every encounter, every second, and with each breath. He filled any room with a mixed cocktail of stoicism and benevolent trouble -- a potent mix. Although at times intimidating, as a UVA law graduate and undergraduate athlete, it was a pleasure and an honor to converse with him. DC is the wisest man we have ever known. No one did things quite the way Pop did. He was generous, loving,
caring, a businessman, builder, teacher, and gardener. He makes it so easy to be proud and so hard to say goodbye. No one will ever understand a grunt like his or a question too detailed unless you were roped into one of his 95 minute soirées -- of which you would surely be more confused, yet ironically enlightened at the end of. We are blessed and forever grateful to have spent whatever time we have had with one of the most unique, optimistic, gentle, curious, and lighthearted yet deep-minded people to have ever walked the earth. We can only imagine how high you’re flying. Other than practicing his golf swing with his best bud, Andy Hobbs, he awaits the most loving and pure arrival of his family mourning him today: his beloved wife and childhood sweetheart, Missy Lickle (now deceased), his four eccentric and compassionate children, Ledee, DeWitt, Brett, and Renee, and his eight miraculous grandchildren, Kaili, Ian, Kip, Blaise, McKenna, Skylar, Siena, and Naia and one precious great-grandson, River.”
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1951 Dr. John F. Gehret ’51 passed away peacefully at home on March 14th. “Doctor John” personally delivered over 6,000 Delawareans, and practiced with his father, Andrew Martin Gehret as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist in downtown Wilmington from 1963-1999. Following medical school and residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and the start of practicing with his father, he was soon drafted into the United States Air Force and served as a Captain at Sewart Air Force Base, just outside Smyrna, Tennessee. John was born on November 5, 1933 in Wilmington, and was a lifelong resident of the State with only a few interruptions. John started at Friends in kindergarten and graduated in 1951. While at WFS, John was a three-sport athlete, starring in many games of football, basketball and baseball. Never a braggart, John’s favorite story was recounting his senior year football game against arch rival Tower Hill. The final score was 12-12, and John was the placekicker. Despite that setback, John’s high school experience ended on a high note. He met a classmate by the name of Amanda Spackman ’51. Amanda passed away in 1991 after a brief, but vicious battle with lung cancer. They had four children: Kathryn Gehret Welsh ’75, John Andrew Gehret ’77, Margaret Gehret Erskine ’83 and Ann Gehret McKinney ’83. John married lifelong friend Barbara Sezna Myers, and they were together 26 years. While John excelled in traditional high school sports, his lifelong passion was the game of golf. “Acer,” as many of his friends called him, began playing as a 10year-old. Six years later, he qualified and played in the United States Junior Championship. He continued to play through Williams College, where he was Captain of the team, and he later won the Delaware Amateur Championship. Through the years, John won the Wilmington Country Club Championship six times, a record that stood for over 50 years. While he was proud of these accomplishments, nothing gave John more pleasure than beating his buddies in a two dollar Nassau. The last number of years were difficult for John. He fought a number of debilities that kept him largely bedridden. One very bright spot in the last few years came last February when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. John is survived by his wife, Barbara, his four children, Kathryn of Oakton, VA; John of Rumson, NJ; Margaret of Wilmington, DE; and Ann of Brentwood, TN. He is also survived by his brother Peter
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Gehret ’58 of Castle Rock, CO, his sister Susan Gehret Ohlandt ’72 of Wilmington, DE, spouses of all of the above, two stepchildren, Grier Myers Hickman of Natick, MA and Sheppard Myers of San Antonio, TX, 11 grandchildren (including Meredith’13, Jake ’15, Anna ’18 and Peter ’21 Erskine) and countless friends. Richard Martin Hooker, Jr. ’51, 86, of Simsbury, beloved husband of the late Caroline (Brown) Hooker, died on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at Meadowbrook of Granby. He was born December 7, 1931, son of the late Richard Martin Hooker, Sr. and Helen (Ingalls) Hooker. Dick, as he was known by all, was a Fire Protection Engineer for James C. Haberman Insurance Agency for many years. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity for over 60 years, advisor to the Massachusetts Delta Chapter SAE for over 40 years, and received numerous national and chapter awards and recognitions, including the Distinguished Service Award (DSA), SAE’s highest honor. Richard is survived by his daughter, Caroline (Ingalls Hooker) Berman and her husband Michael of Simsbury, CT; two grandchildren, Erica Berman Svatek and Christopher Berman and four greatgrandchildren, Eli, Jack, Mila and Ava. He was predeceased by a son, Thomas Rockwell Hooker. Joseph Harold “Jay” Maston III ’51 passed away April 18, 2019. Jay was born May 13, 1933, in Wilmington, Delaware, to the late Joseph Harold Maston II ’26 and Sue Maston Lynch. Jay attended Wilmington Friends School from the 1st to the 12th grade and then graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956. Jay spent 30 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as Navy Capt. in 1986. He also attained a Master’s Degree in International Relations from George Washington University. After his retirement, “because he couldn’t boil water,” he attended Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute. Graduating cum laude, he went on to teach business math at the school for two years. During Jay’s Navy career, he traveled the world as a member of both the Submarine Force and the surface Navy. He served as commanding officer of the USS Holder and the USS Aeolus. He enjoyed his job as an instructor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and just prior to his retirement, he served as dean of education at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk. Jay was an avid sports fan with a particular passion for baseball. His favorite
team was the Chicago Cubs. He actually was heard to say that he could die happy once they won the World Series in 2016. He was also a loyal fan of the Washington Nationals. Jay also enjoyed the game of tennis and the many friends he made while playing the sport over the years. Another great love of Jay’s was traveling with his wife Cathy. They traveled many places and many miles with the most memorable being the fulfillment of Jay’s dream to circumnavigate South America. Jay was preceded in death by his first wife, Nancy Riggs Maston. He is survived by his wife, Cathy; three children, Joseph Harold Maston IV (Nancy), Lisa Harrison (Michael) and Jennifer Long (Lonnie); stepdaughter, Carrie Hurt (Jim); and grandchildren, Will Maston, Bennet Maston, Bridget Maston, Anna Harrison, Nora Harrison, Cory Harrison, Olivia Long, Claire Long, Taylor Hurt, Jacob Hurt and Megan Hurt. He is also survived by his only sibling, Melinda Maston Parker ’54 (Bill); as well as several nieces and nephews. 1952 Floyd Berl Sabo ’52, “Floydie” passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Floydie was an adoring mother and grandmother, and gave generously of herself in all that she pursued, from teaching English at DTCC, to the volunteer work she did with Sussex Pregnancy Care Center. She touched many lives with her love and deep faith and was loved much in return. Floydie is survived by three children; Anne (Mark) Allen, Jim Sabo, and Kelly (Glen) Mine and five grandchildren, Laura (Nicholas) Pritchett, Hannah Sabo, Grace Sabo, Matthew Mine and Molly Mine. J. Barry Smith ’52, age 84, of West Bloomfield, passed away. He was born in New York City, New York, son of the late V. Ward and Alice (Zerby) Smith. Barry graduated from Wilmigton Friends and earned his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University. At Bucknell he played trumpet in the band and was member of Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity and Delta Upsilon. Barry married Alice Yvonne Hunsicker on September 21, 1957 in Souderton, Pennsylvania. He moved to West Bloomfield in 1974 where he and Alice raised their family. Barry was a member of Edgewood Country Club. He enjoyed golf, and music, playing organ and synthesizer. Barry is survived by his children Jeff Smith, Greg (Patty Kishman) Smith, and Jennifer (Patrick) Smith; grandchildren Jessica, Rebecca, and Zachary; brother W. Alan Smith ’50; niece Karen Sommer; and nephew Tom Smith and longtime love Diane Adams.
1954 Gregg Rettew ’54 passed away on December 31, 2018 at age 83 surrounded by his family. Gregg was born in West Chester in 1935 and attended Westtown and Wilmington Friends School. He began his business career at Garrett Buchanan Paper Company in Philadelphia. His work took him to live in many places, but West Chester was always home. He is predeceased by his parents, G. Raymond and Helen; brother, Robert S. and beloved pets. Survived by his wife of 61 years, Patricia “Pat” (Ward); daughters, Gayle (Brian) King, Karen Rettew, Alison Rettew (Marty Lasher) and Sherry Rettew; grandchildren, Tyler, Jordan, Russell, Ryan, Peter, Emily, Abby, Robby, Kalianne and Emaline; sister, Jeanne (Wesley) Shirk; nieces, nephews, many friends and his beloved 1938 Ford “Woody” Station Wagon. Gregg was a man of great integrity and character. Family, antique cars and boats, automobile racing, nature and chocolate ice cream were among his many passions. His goal was to always leave everything a little better than when he found it. And he did. 1956 Robert Watkins “Bob” Crowe ’56 passed away peacefully at Kendal-Crosslands Retirement Community on March 15, 2019, at the age of 80. Bob was born March 6, 1939, in Wilmington, DE to Walter Watkins Crowe and Pauline White Crowe. Bob attended Wilmington Friends School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a law degree from Dickinson Law School. He joined Cooch & Taylor in Wilmington, DE in 1965 as the fourth lawyer in the young firm, and he enjoyed a distinguished 50-year career in trusts and estates law for the firm until his retirement in 2015. He belonged to the Wilmington Rotary Club since 1969 and served as president 1984-1985. Bob was a passionate baseball fan, a history buff, a storyteller, a music lover, and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of over 53 years, Nancy Crowe, his daughter Allison Crowe Stautberg and son-in-law Andy of Chadds Ford, PA, his son Robert Crowe, Jr. and daughterin-law Jane of Rehoboth Beach, DE, and his grandsons Adam, Brendan and Jeffrey Stautberg. 1957 Sally Smith Lambert ’57 passed away on January 17, 2019 from multiple myeloma at the age of 79. Born February 5, 1939 to Montford (Chemical Engineer for DuPont) and Lillian (Eddleston) Smith, Sally graduated from Wilmington Friends School and received her Bachelor’s
Degree from University of Delaware in Teacher Education in 1962. She received her Master’s Degree from Salisbury University and her Library certification from Towson University. Sally worked as a school librarian for Colonel Richardson Middle School and Wicomico High School until her retirement in 2000. Sally lived a very physically active life as a jogger, biker, and golfer. She loved visiting the National Parks throughout the United States. During their retirement, Sally and Ward travelled the world to London, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Costa Rica, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Canada. They spent 9 winters in Leesburg, FL. Sally was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church for 30 years and then transferred to Bel Air United Methodist Church this past year. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Ward Lambert, and by three children and their spouses, Laura and Bruce Smith of Bel Air, MD, Loraine and Marvin Bright of Bel Air, MD and Ted and Kathy Lambert of Virginia Beach, VA and 7 grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Katherine Smith Schauer ’52 of Palo Alto, CA and Mary Smith Farnell ’52 of Seaford, DE. Sally was predeceased by her sister Susan Smith Arpad ’55. 1959 Dr. Margaret Dew Dalzell ’59 was born on July 1, 1941 and passed away on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. Margaret was a resident of Nashville, Tennessee at the time of passing. Dr. Bruce Steven Samuels ’59, age 76, of Dover, N.H., passed away peacefully on July 30, 2018 with his wife by his side at Hyder House, where he received quality care and compassion. Born in Philadelphia, PA, on February 26, 1942, he was the son of Louis and Gertrude Samuels. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Franklin & Marshall College in 1963 and his Medical Doctorate from Jefferson Medical College in 1967. He was Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. Bruce served in the US Army from 1968-1975 and was stationed throughout the U.S and Southeast Asia. He was the first Board Certified Rheumatologist in the United States Army. He was a founding partner of Strafford Medical Associates and Seacoast Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center, where he practiced for 32 years. He conducted clinical trials for over 30 years. He was the Director Clinical Research at Wentworth Douglass Hospital. Bruce held multiple medical staff leadership positions on several committees at Wentworth Douglass Hospital and served on many medical
staff committees.He retired from medicine, which was his life’s passion in 2012. He is survived by his wife, Linda Samuels; his sister, Alene Berkowitz; his three daughters, Michele, Stacey and Louisa Samuels; and his grandchildren. 1960 Heather L. Fleming ’60, age 76, passed away at Wel-Life Assisted Living in Kalispell, MT on February 18, 2019. Heather was born on September 16, 1942 to Allan and Elizabeth (Mingle) Fleming in Wilmington, DE. 1962 Robert Lewis Grimes ’62, Grand Blanc Age 75, passed away on January 20, 2019. 1964 Mary Linda Vannoy Priestley ’64, age 72, of New London, PA, passed away on October 9 at Christiana Hospital after a short illness. Mary Linda was born in Wilmington, Delaware on January 19, 1946 to Mary and Ralph Vannoy. She attended Wilmington Friends School and graduated from the University of Delaware.Mary Linda’s great interest was horses and horseback riding, and she was a passionate foxhunter for almost 60 years with Ross Taylor Hunt, Patsy duPont Hunt and then the Fair Hill Hounds. She was president of the New London Area Historical Society. She was a member of St. John’s Methodist Church in Lewisville, PA. On Sundays she attended St. John’s and also Christian Life Center in New London, PA. Linda is survived by her husband of 48 years, Everett P. Priestley, New London, PA; her son, Everett Vannoy Priestley, and daughter-in-law, Carol Priestley, of New London, PA; her daughter, Mary Amelia Priestley Walker, and son-in law, Scott Walker, and their sons, David, Tommy and James, of Bel Air, MD. Mary Linda was predeceased by her parents and by her brother, Richard Lee Dayton. 1970 Michael T. Crosby ’70, loyal friend, uncle, and brother, died on December 9, 2018. He was born November 2, 1952. He is survived by his sister, (Margaret) Peggy Crosby Courtright ’68 and two brothers, Robert Crosby and David Crosby ’75. Mike was a graduate of Wilmington Friends School and moved to Ann Arbor in the fall of 1970 to attend the University of Michigan. He became a dyed-in-the-wool Wolverine supporter, missing only 2 home football games in 48 years. His comic view of life endeared him to all. He had a fine sense of humor and appreciated life’s ironies. He was a wonderful and loyal friend, brother Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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and uncle, successfully creating a broad community through weekly lunches, golf games and movies. He built many successful and deep friendships, with many considering him a blood relation. His friends enjoyed his comic vision of life. All who met him appreciated his generosity and kindness. Michael was a voracious reader of history and politics; absorbing it all, he regularly regaled his friends with his knowledge, reciting arcane facts and perspectives to his enthralled audience. He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, nephews, nieces and acquaintances. He was preceded in death by his mother Margaret Kellogg Crosby, his father, Robert Thompson Crosby and his sister Elizabeth Otis Crosby. 1976 Lisa Mullin ’76, age 61, Collector of Free Things, passed away on March 22, 2019 at Brookdale Assisted Living in Hockessin, Delaware following a brief illness. She was born in 1957 in Wilmington, Delaware. Lisa attended Wilmington Friends School beginning in Kindergarten. She attended Wesley Junior College in Dover and then York College of Pennsylvania where she received a B.S. in Criminal Justice. One of her first jobs after receiving her degree was in the Security department at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. She moved back to Wilmington and spent the remainder of her career working in Wilmington’s vibrant Banking and Credit Card industry where she specialized in Fraud Investigation. Among the companies where she worked over the years was Bank of America. Throughout Lisa’s life, she was delighted by collecting the advertising specialties and free samples that were given away at trade fairs and public events. She always studied what was on the local calendar of events and sought them out to attend and collect. If you ever needed a pen or some unusual gadget, Lisa had them and was eager to share one with you. Her bright smile and robust laugh accompanied your gift.
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Lisa is survived by her mother, Jean Eckles Mullin of Greenville and sisters: Margaret Mullin MacKelcan ’71 (Donald), of Wilmington; Carol Mullin Holzman ’74 (Neil), of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; and numerous nieces and nephews. Her father, James T. Mullin ’43 predeceased her in 1992. 1994 Chana Olisa Garcia ’94 passed away on February 20, 2019, surrounded by her loving family. Chana was born on April 2, 1976, and came of age during the Golden Age of Hip-Hop and race consciousness. The 1990s shaped her sensibilities and place as a woman in the Black diaspora. She was a Howard University Bison through and through. Chana majored in journalism and became one of the editors of the campus newspaper, The Hilltop. She won the prestigious Scripps Howard Award recognizing top journalism students in the country. Chana graduated summa cum laude in 1998 and continued her education at New York University, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in 2001. Chana launched her journalism career in New York with People magazine, where she fact-checked articles and reported on society events, and then moved on to Black Enterprise magazine as chief copy editor. She also worked for various Martha Stewart publications, consulting for foundations and editing book projects. In 2011, Chana shifted gears and took communications positions at various nonprofits, including Harlem’s Boys and Girls Harbor, iMentor, and Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. She always maintained a freelance writing practice and ghost-edited her friends’ writing projects behind the scenes. She inspired many through her public writing and speaking about her experiences as a young black woman living with cancer. Most recently, she penned a popular essay about family secrets she unearthed through DNA testing. Chana filled her life with family, friends—and adventure. She traveled to Cuba during the years of the U.S. travel ban, listened to jazz in Scandinavia, traipsed through Thailand, backpacked Europe, basked in the Caribbean sun and dined on ceviche in Colombia. Chana was preceded in death by her mother, Lorraine Kent. She is survived by her father Joe Garcia (Carlene); sister Toni Jackson (Julian), nephews Julian and Chase; cousin Calida Garcia-Rawles (Gerald) and cousin Tony (Lorrie); her Uncle Tony (Melissa); Aunt Cassie Lee and a host of other relatives and friends.
PAST FACULTY Phyllis Buchanan passed away on January 23, 2019. Phyllis taught social science at Friends from 1975-1982 and was the parent of two Friends’ alumni, J. Terry Buchanan ’85 and James Buchanan ’84. Dale Cleo Reynard, 84, passed away comfortably at home on Saturday, February 16, 2019, after a short hospital stay. He taught chemistry at Friends from 1978 to 1990. He received honors/ awards for his teaching including Middle Atlantic States Chemistry Teacher of the Year in 1976 awarded by Manufacturing Chemist Association and Delaware Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award in 1984. He assisted with the facilitation of the Science Olympiad program in the State of Delaware as well as regional and national tournaments. Violet Stuart Richman, 92 years of age, passed away on February 22, 2019. Violet’s life revolved around music, leading the choir at the local church, directing shows at summer camps, and most importantly, as a music teacher and director of many musical productions at Wilmington Friends School where she worked for 27 years. During this time she was a friend, coach and mentor to students and faculty alike. The family would like to thank all of those supporting Violet in her last days including her former students, colleagues, friends and the staff of Kendal at Longwood. SPECIAL FRIEND Dorothy Kraushar Finger passed away Monday, November 5, 2018. Dorothy was born in Stanislawow, Poland. As a child, her parents and scores of relatives were murdered in the Holocaust. She survived a forced labor camp and hiding in the forest for a year subsisting on what could be found to eat there; getting typhus and losing the use of her legs for a while; being shot at by Nazis and having to dive in the winter time into a frozen lake to avoid being shot. After the Russians liberated Poland in 1944, relatives in Delaware learned of her existence and brought her to America. Dorothy became very involved with Holocaust education and co-founded the non-profit Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee, an interfaith volunteer group comprised of Holocaust survivors and their families, Holocaust scholars, teachers, clergy, and community advocates promoting Holocaust education. Dorothy visited Friends for many years, sharing her story and history with students in middle school learning about the Holocaust.
STUDENT ARTWORK HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL ART SHOW
IB and ART MAJOR ART SHOW; LOWER RIGHT, MIDDLE SCHOOL DIGITAL ART Summer 2019 • QuakerMatters
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Homecoming October 25-26, 2019 • Visit our website to register for the Smith McMillan 5K Run/ Walk • Reunions for classes ending in 4 and 9 • True Blue and All Alumni Reunion/Awards Reception and Art Show Friday, October 25
The WFS 7th/8th grade band and choir traveled to the Music in the Parks competition at Hersheypark. Congratulations to the band, which earned first place and an “excellent” rating, and to the choir, which earned first place and a “superior” rating. The choir also earned the Middle School Choir of the Day award!
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If you have questions or would like to volunteer for the Smith McMillan planning committee, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@wilmingtonfriends.org or 302.576.2980. We hope to see you soon.