Some of the following Class Notes have been edited for length. For the most current—and complete!—Class Notes, visit www.thacher.org.

CHUCK DEMUND and Janice have moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area. They are now only a few miles from ERIN ‘94 and her family.

joHN CARVER reports that his wife Sue has just had both knees replaced. John loudly counts the number of times he has gone up and down stairs on errands for her. He may rip out the intercom system. By the way, the operation was suc-cessful. Timing is everything, though; this all happened while they were remodeling a condo and readying their home for sale. Lyn and LEE FoLLETT just got back from an incred-ible month in East Africa, including three weeks in Kenya. Their group of friends were the only safariers, because the political situation scared sensible people away. Lee continues, “ToBY RICHARDS called me to talk about Reunion and I got to chat with Martha as well. They will attend our 55th Reunion and their daughter will be at the School as well for her 15th. Polly and BILL NIGH are down to ‘only’ 11 Welsh Terriers, and one of them is ranked 11th nationally. Even the pets of our class do well in life! Thanks to those who have responded yay or nay about Reunion. We’d love to hear from the rest of you.” joHN SANGER writes in December: “Still on the water—rowing and circumnavigating Vancouver Island in our small trawler this past summer.”

Shana (daughter of the late NoRMAN GoSS CDEP 1933) and CHRISToPHER HENZE celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in February. After a Foreign Service career that took them to South Africa, Tanzania, Slovenia, Italy, Switzer-land, France (twice), and inevitably Washington, D.C., they are still enjoying life together in France, where they have made their home since 1988.

ARTHUR C. ADAMS’ son graduated from Pacific; his step-son has landed a role in a reality show.

It’s a new job for DAN GREGoRY: “After 27 years at Sunset magazine, where I was most recently Senior Home Editor, I have taken an exciting new position as editor of Houseplans.com, the largest online source of architectural stock plans. My charge is to improve our offerings and develop new features, including an editor’s blog. Meanwhile my book Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House (not Rough House, though there might be parallels!), published by Rizzoli, is due out this month. I am particularly grateful to Gretchen and MARSHALL MILLIGAN, and Betsy Grether for help with my research.”

RANDoLPH HEAD: “It has been a good year professionally. I’m spending 2007-08 on sabbatical from UC Riverside after getting a research fellowship from the American Philosophical Society to work on my new book, which involves my traveling all over Western Europe to check out early modern archives. Meanwhile, I’ve published two new books: an edited collec-tion of essays entitled Orthodoxies and Heterodoxies in Early Modern German Culture (Brill, 2007), and a study of a man who was murdered in 1639 (with an ax) by a guy dressed as a bear, Jenatsch’s Axe (Univ. of Rochester Press, 2008). The second one is aimed not just at other historians, but at real human readers, too! And UC Riverside has also promoted me to full professor. Personally, I’m enjoying a whole year spent at home in New Jersey, where my partner teaches at the medi-cal school in New Brunswick. It sure cuts my commute. We’re still working on finding jobs on the same side of the country, or maybe (gasp!) even in the same city, so wish us luck. And I still get back to Ojai every few months to stop by the old fam-ily house, and usually put in a hike up Horn Canyon as well. I’ve been glad to hear it’s finally raining this year.”

In early March DoN oSBoRNE writes: “This update comes while I’m in Roatan, Honduras, waiting for 24 Penn State stu-dents who just finished a week-long series of excursions run-ning mobile medical clinics as part of the Global Medical Bri-gade (medicalbrigades.com), an organization I’m proud to be a part of. We have added some extension trips and I hope to spend time with the Penn State pre-meds preparing them for their application to medical school. Next, I fly to Costa Rica to work with 16 more students in a three-day medical school admissions retreat. Our sister organization, Global Business Brigades (businessbrigades.com), is succeeding in its mission to provide micro-finance and support micro-enterprise proj-ects in both Honduras and Panama. We are working closely with multiple orphanages, as well as a candle shop to help battered women escape their circumstances. This is the work I was meant to do in my life and I feel fortunate and blessed to have found it. Opportunities abound in the organization for all Thacher alums who wish to exercise their social responsibil-ity muscles. (dono@inquarta.com)”

At Christmas 2007, STACEY CoWLES continues to fundraise for the Boy Scouts and Washington State University’s Applied Sciences Lab—a contract research lab working on new materi-als for application in defense, manufacturing, and energy—which could provide new jobs and incomes and more newspa-per readers! joHN STEVENSoN has been living in Gainesville, Fla. (go Gators!), for the last eight years. Neurosurgery has been good to him but keeps him so busy we never see him! He bumps into MAURY SMITH now and again at various neu-rosurgical conferences. John is surrounded by women—wife, Beth; stepdaughter, Cassidy; and daughter, Emma!

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The MCCLOSKEY FAMILY: TODD ‘93, LAURA ‘93, Tom, DEVON ‘02, LAUREN ‘99, Ryan Elston, Bonnie, DAVID ‘96 (top, left).

Mary Everett and Jeff Conarroe were married Sept. 1, 2007. Included in photo are Joey Everett (son of Peter), PETER EVERETT ‘90, Katy Everett (wife of Peter), Ben Everett (son of Peter), Joan Meister Everett (Mary’s mom), MARY EVERETT CONARROE ‘94, Jeff Conarroe, Bruce Everett (Mary’s dad), Katherine Everett (Mary’s sister), and BILL EVERETT ‘92 (second, left).

This is on the North Shore of Oahu, where folks gathered for Abigail’s marriage to Brown Cannon III on October 27, 2007. From the class of 1995, left to right: ANNIE JACK, ABIGAIL JOHNSON, and AN-TONIA FAIRBANKS (third, left).

Edward Martin and AURIGA BORK ‘96 expatri-ated and moved to New Zealand to the beautiful little town of Martinborough, much like Ojai, in the wine-growing region of Wairapa in the North Island. “We were married on Dec. 20, 2007 with 12 Thacher alumni, a few Thacher parents, and one cur-rent student in attendance!” (fourth, left)

SARAH LOW ‘98 writes, “I got married to Mi-chael Cyrulnik on October 6 in Topanga, Calif., at the Mountain Mermaid (from the Joni Mitchell song ‘Carey’: “Come on down to the Mermaid Cafe, and I will buy you a bottle of wine.”).

KEVIN SCHMIDT ‘01: “I still work at Microsoft, now in Live Search (which is a competitor to Google). I got married to Kelly Bookmiller last year on April 7 and we recently bought a house together. So life has been very good to me.”

MICHAEL DISNER ‘01 recently returned from another year in China and, in April, will finally graduate from BYU with his bachelor’s. More impor-tantly, he got married to the former Nora Elia Bair on Dec. 28, 2007 in Los Angeles!

STEPHANIE HUBBARD ‘02 says: “In the at-tached photo taken at my marriage to Geoff McGirt on Jan. 26 in Albuquerque, N.M. are, from left to right, BETSY BRADFORD ‘02, myself and Geoff, CLAIRE MILLIGAN ‘02, LAUREL PETERSON ‘02, LUCY MILLIGAN ‘00, LAURA NEVILLE ‘02, and Mary Loney.” (fifth, left)

Newlyweds PETER ‘97 and Maria Walker WENT-WORTH, with sisters Amy and LAURA ‘93 on their left and parents Allan and Heather on the right. (sixth, left)

engageMentsNews from LUCIA HALLE ‘98: “I am getting

married to Brad Craven on June 28, 2008.”

Photos (L to R): Katie and Fred Williamson ‘79 with their children, Hi-lary, Hughes, and Freddie; Tad ’50 and Cici Williamson; Charles ‘10, El-eanor ‘12, Emily ‘83, Henry, and Sarah Hancock; Daphne and Chandler

‘81 Williamson, Collin, Claire, jT, Shannon, jonathan, and Elizabeth Williamson; Whitney ‘04 and Nori Livermore ‘66; The Gregory family: Mary, Dan ‘69, Martha ’06, Eliza ’99; Paul ’70 and Kimberleigh Gavin;The Hastings Family: jamie ‘02, Liz, Newie ‘70, Shannon ‘99, Quinn Baker; jennifer, David ’73, and Rebecca Livermore

RoB FRANKEL: “I have been actively soliciting work as a phy-sician assistant and as a certified home inspector, networking through BNI. Kymberlee and I are researching an Orchid Farm on the Big Island. We traveled there in December to look over the books. If all checks out, we plan to buy it and take over operations, and I’ll become an inter-island commuter for med-ical, surgical, and home inspection services until I can develop enough workload on Hawaii. Theoretically the farm income meets its costs and pays the mortgage as well.”

For the last seven years TRACEY STEVENSoN GARRETT has been the head (and only) coach for the Eagle High School (Idaho) Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. During this time, the Varsity squad has developed into the reigning champion dynasty! Her daughter, Lauren, a senior this year, is an out-standing player both on attack and at middy. In fact, Lauren is being offered scholarships by a number of schools—this in addition to her outstanding academic record, also resulting in scholarships! Tracey’s oldest son, Tyler, is attending Boise State University (Go Broncos!), and is in his second year play-ing on the lacrosse team. Neil, her youngest, is currently a sophomore and is the consummate athlete—varsity team for cross country, ski team, and lacrosse. This is Tracey’s last year coaching at Eagle High School—she’s hanging up her hat!

CARoL MCCoNNELL had dinner with MARC MURRAY a couple of weeks ago while he was in California for a business trip. He is living in NYC and working for Morgan Stanley. She spoke with HEATHER FINDLAY, who had recently returned from visiting her sister NoRAH ‘82 and her new baby nephew in Spain.

GAYLE HEIRSHBERG MAH writes, early this year: “I am preg-nant with child number three. I am due in May. My others are Jenna, who turns 4 in March, and Ty, who is 2. So, I will have my hands full. I’m just keeping up with the kids. I’m not pres-ently working; my law license is on inactive status. Unfortu-nately, I will also have to relinquish my horse. He just doesn’t get the attention he deserves. I hope to get another horse one day when the kids are in school and I have more time. With number three coming, we are looking at a bigger car and even a bigger house. For now, we remain in Agoura—not all that far from Thacher.” BRAD YATES tells us, “I commute two feet out my back door to my cozy office in my backyard and talk to people on the phone for a couple hours a day—it doesn’t get much simpler. Well, I am taking both guitar and piano lessons, so that complicates it a bit. I may have some big news com-ing up... A film is being done about the healing technique I do (EFT), featuring interviews with Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and others, including several of the stars of the film, The Secret, and I understand I’ll be in it as well. But I’m not uncorking the champagne to celebrate my new fame until I see the film.” MIKE VoEVoDSKY has lots going on: “Our

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oldest daughter Paule was just accepted to Thacher, Class of 2012 (yikes!). Needless to say we are excited for her. That makes three generations of Voevodskys at the School—fool me once, shame on you, fool me thrice....? The process was a bit stressful (would she make it?), so if anyone is contemplat-ing it, I would be happy to talk to you about it. For anyone applying to Thacher get ready for tuition-sticker shock. I now know why donating to the School is such an important activ-ity. Our youngest daughter Mia (11) is contemplating what life will bring when her older sister isn’t around. She is working all the angles on the move, being an only child, new room fur-niture, etc. By summer we should be moved from Phoenix to Tucson. Therese has returned to work as the global manager for compensation and benefits for RainBird Corp., the sprin-kler irrigation company. While she has enjoyed the intellectual challenges and is making significant contributions, she has had a hard time being away from the girls. To make things even more stressful, the job is in Tucson (we live in Phoenix) and she travels down Monday morning and comes home Thursday night, and she is living with my parents. Why!? Good question. I have been working full time on starting a medical device company (full-time work for no pay). We have acquired and filed patents, assembled a stellar management team, and are raising our angel round of funding this quarter (Q1’08). By summer we should be funded and will move back to Tucson (hence Therese taking the job there now) as two of my business partners are in Tucson. Whew... long story.” HUNTER HoLLINS: Other than missing the SAIDY family on Sundays all is hunky dory in Alexandria. Mariette will be going to Valley Drive Preschool in September, just two mornings a week. She is a charger. Life is good at the U.S. Department of Interior, although a little anxious about a new boss. I’ve heard it can be pretty crazy when a new administration comes in (friendly or not). Plan to go on a fishing trip with BAYARD

’84, LAWRENCE ’92, Mom, Dad, and brother Emmet on the Gunnison in Colorado this spring, home of monster trout.” ToM SAIDY: “I am still working in the emerging markets investment arena. Quite a run in these markets over the past few years. I am now working on developing a new fund that will invest in emerging markets globally and will seek invest-ments where our team can improve corporate governance as a means of creating value beyond just successful operating performance. We are just now setting out to raise the funds so lots of work to be done. We have a great team in place and adding more as we go. Not doing a whole lot of travel at the moment. Stacey and I went to Spain last October for a week. We were in Madrid for a few days and were also in the middle of Don Quixote country and visited Toledo one day. Beautiful place. On a local basis we take our girls, Margaux (5) and Jane (3) to the Smithsonian museums a lot and also to the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay and to the beach. I have been doing a fair bit of duck and goose hunting down there in the fall and winter. It can get very cold sometimes. I think back to

28 spring 2008

News from DAN rYAN CDeP ’81 viA New orleANs:

I’M STILL HERE ON DUPRE, a block off Esplanade, up LePage from Crete and near where Desoto and Lopez come together. Great neighborhood, though New Orleans still is not functional. You cannot get express mail here, some neighborhoods have off-and-on power, and I’m lucky to have gas. (It has warmed up now, but during the winter it’s nice to have a warm bath.) If you want to get into sociological issues...don’t ask. Nevertheless, quoting other people: “This is the only city that ever loved you back,” and

“The only thing worse than living in New Orleans is living anywhere else!” To me, the only thing bunk about living here is that when I see someone with a big “T” on his green baseball hat and get excited, a second later I realize the T stands for Tulane (or Texas or Tennessee).

Here’s a typical New Orleans story as we deal with the remains of Katrina: The Fair Grinds Coffeehouse is located in an ancient bar/betting parlor outside the Mystery Street Gate at the racetrack. It is owned by a husband-wife team, Robert and Elizabeth. All last year when the major rebuilding was going on, they remained open while they were fixing up the place, serving as a major community center for people to gather informally and as a host site for various groups–and the coffee was free! The story be-neath the story is that, this winter, Elizabeth took a bad step and, because all of her and Robert’s resources are tied up into getting their business up and running again, she’s had to live with a busted knee. There are lots of similar stories down here about people trying to stick it out. Many are far worse off due to loss of the bulk of their customer base. A whole lot more of the city got wiped out than just the Ninth Ward, where the media has focused its attention.

To “grind” things out a little further, I suggest that anyone interested check out the following film on the web (http://www.tremedoc.com/): Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans. The film will even-tually end up on PBS, but the historical significance, in regard to the birth of civil rights, is such that I think that no person should should wait an extra day to see the film.

As for me, I just capped off the latest season of horse racing at the Fair-grounds Race Track by entering myself into the Crescent City Classic 10K road race, finishing in my own record time of 51.5 minutes. I would be glad to host a post-race gathering/party for any and all alumni at next year’s running. Call me!

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the days when it was 48 degrees on The Pergola and I thought it could never get any colder than that!” joHN HERZoG and ALEX Koo met in Bangkok for a couple of nights on the town. John was on his way to trek in Bhutan and Alex flew over from Kuala Lumpur to meet him to paint the town orange and green. From joHN DAVIES: “My wife Jelena is expecting our first baby sometime in August. I left Diamond Age at year end

’07 and started the next venture here in Moscow in the New Year.” jILL STEVENSoN is “still enjoying the environs of Boise, Idaho! Daughter, Cameron, is now 11 years old and on her way to middle school next year! Hoping to join the Class of

‘14! I am delighted she has a love of skiing like her mother—the snow was superb this year whether at Bogus Basin, Brund-age, or Tamarack! I have signed up for the Robie Creek half marathon in mid-April and wondered if anyone has a travel size paramedic kit for the occasion?! Thereafter, hoping to finally realize the dream of participating in a marathon—this local race is in May. Again, anyone visiting Boise and will-ing to donate medical services would be welcomed warmly! And, before I forget, congratulations to joHN DAVIES and his wife, Jelena, on their most exciting news of a baby in Au-gust!” BRUCE BELLUSCHI writes: “I continue to live in Cama-rillo and direct the County of Ventura’s solid waste manage-ment efforts. When I have free time, I also love to race my ‘66 Shelby. I frequently have opportunities to see fellow classmate SAM KIRKEBY, who is thriving in the Hollywood film industry when not riding one of her fine Andalusian steeds. Most im-portantly, my 10-year-old daughter and I love to ride horses whenever possible, especially in the beautiful hills above either Thacher or Griffith Park.”

MELISSA MEEKER HARNETT writes: “I am head of the class action department and a partner of the law firm Wasserman, Comden & Casselman L.L.P. I am pleased to report that we just secured preliminary approval of a $23.5 million settle-ment in a nationwide class action against the manufacturers of the herbal supplement Airborne. We believe this to be one of the largest settlements of its kind in the United States, and it has received a tremendous amount of national press cover-age as a result. I remain busy overseeing more than 15 other class actions, including cases involving antitrust allegations, false advertising, and product defect, against such companies as 24 Hour Fitness, Microsoft, BMW, and Sprint.”

jENNIFER NIELSEN DE FoREST tells us: “After an all-too-long stint in the Northeast and South I will be returning to California this summer. I will also happily be exiting higher education and returning to the real world of teachers and kids as dean of studies at Lick Wilmerding High School. I know that for some reason CdeP 1985 produced a crop of teachers—I hope some of you will come by for a visit!” ERIC GRoSS says:

“I visited PAUL GUTIERREZ to help warm his new abode near Stanford, where he completed his MBA. Lamentably, Paul is

not so skilled at the BBQ, despite having lived in Australia for the past year. But more importantly, he still rocks out: his sparsely furnished new house has more musical instruments than furniture.” From CARoLINE HoCKADAY SCHUSTER who lives in NYC and weekends in Southampton with hubby Charlie: “I am still working at ESPN, focusing on classic car auctions and the upcoming ESPY Awards in LA this July. All in all, life is good.” SoPHIE BRoWN TWICHELL had the chance to see MoLLY (TWICHELL) PERRY^ recently as she was in New York interviewing teacher candidates with Peter Robinson. “So nice to catch up with her. I’m starting my fifth year as the executive director of Friends of Ryerson Woods, a conservation organization based within a gorgeous nature preserve. New addition Phoebe d’Hamel Twichell arrived in May 2007. Big brothers Cameron (9) and Jake (6) dote on their sister. Jon continues at JP Morgan, and we live in Lake Bluff, Illinois. We welcome anyone visiting Chicago to get in touch!” From MANISH BHAKTA: “Things have been pretty busy with work and the hotel business, but I’ve been able to take some time off. I took the whole family to India in November for the Indian New Year and we spent some good quality time with my uncle’s family there. The kids had a blast (literally) as they celebrated New Year’s with fireworks, like in China. All in all, no complaints.” SETH SHAW lives in Lakewood, California, with wife Melissa, son Seth (7) and daughter Savannah (5). By day, Seth is a deputy probation officer at the Compton Court-house, working with drug cases. By night, he works on turning his son into another Lakers fan.

ToM CoLE is both the deputy director for programs with Save the Children in Uganda, and manager of their Africa region pastoral initiative. He took a bronze medal in discathon at the world Frisbee championships in 2007, and continues to seek out and document aloes in his travels throughout the continent. His wife, Linda, has launched her NGO, Community Action Fund for Women in Africa (CAFWA—www.cafwaafrica.org) and works with girls and women in the conflict-affected region of Northern Uganda. Children Allie and Tobias enjoy the International School of Uganda (third and first grades). Tom writes: “Allie likes art and looks forward to Wednesdays at school because of art class. Her flowers, tomatoes, carrots, and green beans have grown well this year in our garden. She loved attaching the rope to our giant tree in the yard and swinging every day. Tobias likes swimming, PE, and throw-ing the disc with his dad. He’s visited four national parks in Uganda and Kenya and cites leopard, mongoose, and hyenas as his favorite animals.” From SYDNEY FISHER BERNIER: “I went to KIM DIAMoND’S wedding March 8. Fellow alum KIM MILLIGAN was also there. Kim is the president of the board of the Grass Valley Film Festival, which is now one of the largest environmental film festivals in the world. She’s also involved in lots of other worthwhile causes, and is now an avid whitewater kayaker.”

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Photos (L to R): Andres and Eduardo, sons of javier Arango ’81; David, jr., Aime, and Lukas, children of Amanda and David Chao

‘84; The Twichell Family: jon ’83, Sophie ‘85, Cameron, Phoebe, and jake; Lila and Henry Gamble, children of Molly and Mark ‘86; justin ‘89 and Tracy Lombard’s two: jordan and Amanda

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KRISToPHER ZIERHUT works for Blizzard Entertainment, working on World of Warcraft online gaming. SARAH HARRISoN-FINCHER is busy in Fort Worth, Texas, enjoying her new house, raising Hollis, her 15-month-old daughter, and keeping busy with her law practice. “I often think of all of you out in the beautiful Ojai Valley.”

“Things are great in Reno, Nevada,” writes EVA BALAS GAMES^. “We are enjoying a wonderful winter with lots of snow. Our kids, Trevor and Wyatt, just turned three and we

don’t really know where the time went. I had the pleasure of showing my niece around Thacher last November. I am thrilled that she is really interested in attending. It was a fun walk down memory lane showing her all the places I got into trouble! It made me a little nostalgic and I look forward to the next reunion.”

MICHAEL ZIERHUT wrote in November that he is river raft guiding in Argentina, South America, for nine months. He has photographed wonderful places including Patagonia. From jESSICA BLISS: “My husband Joe and I are still living in San Jose and I am enjoying my work as an attorney specializing in employee benefits and compensation. I spend my free time puttering in my garden, playing softball, and watching baseball. Last October I discovered an inner runner I didn’t know existed and ran in the San Jose Rock and Roll half marathon.” From CAM SPAULDING: “My life as a migrant educator continues! I have just returned to our alma mater for a sixth spring, where I am coaching the varsity lacrosse team and teaching an elective called ‘Perspectives on Nature.’ When the school year comes to an end, I head up to the Sierra Nevada for a summer, helping run the programs at Golden Trout Camp. After the camp closes its doors in the fall, I head to Baja to help run a natural history program for eighth graders in the Sea of Cortez. And when that is all done, it’s off to Costa Rica to work on a couple of jungle acres near Mal Pais on the Pacific coast.”

Update from ALLISoN GLASS: “Not much has changed. Still living on, and loving, Cape Cod. It’s everything it’s cracked up to be and more. Still flying around over the ocean looking for whales (which isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be...). I got to spend Thanksgiving in Ojai and see the new Lower School dorm. It’s beautiful! Can’t wait until Casa gets its makeover. jANE CASAMAjoR is living in Boston now, so it’s been great fun to hang out with her. Off to Fiji in a couple of weeks for a vacation cruise with Grandpa and the family. Hopefully I’ll be at the reunion and catch up with you all!”

In October 2007 jENNIFER KRITZ wrote: “Fall is on its way in New England... Every year at this time, I ask myself why I don’t live in a warm climate! But, I do love Boston! My husband, Sam Ditzion, and I got married in October 2006 in Santa Barbara. Toads there to celebrate with us were RIKA HoWE ToLL, NATE ToLL, ABBY RAMSDEN, SKYE RoHDE, DEE DoNAHUE THELE ‘93, MANDY SoNENSHINE ‘96, and jASoN WENZ ‘91. I started a new job earlier in May, and am now deputy communications director for Massachusetts’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Particularly with Massachusetts on the cutting edge of healthcare re-form, it’s a really interesting place to be. I’d love to hear from Thacher folks so drop me a line: jennifer.kritz@gmail .com.” In November MEREDITH BRESSIE wrote: “Still in SF though moving to Sausalito. I am working at Skurman Architects in

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The KirKPATriCKs heAD souTh: A messAge from CArolYN CdeP 1986

IN 2007 with our 40th birth-days looming, Doug and I decid-ed it was time for an adventure. We quit our jobs, sold our house, took our boys out of school, packed all of our belongings, said good-bye to family and friends, and dropped into a place where we know barely a soul. Forget not knowing anyone in New Zealand, we barely know anyone in this hemisphere. Sometimes I even have to stop and ask myself “Why?” Our life in Denver, Colorado, was more than comfortable. We had everything we needed. I haven’t calculat-ed exactly how many thousands of miles away we are from home, but I can feel that it is far. The distance felt especially far when our sons celebrated Christmas without their grandparents for the first time.

Kiwis, Americans, and even the Thacher Alumni & Development Office have asked why we immigrated to New Zealand. Our glib responses in-clude: “We are having a joint mid-life crisis,” or “We wanted an adventure,” or “We fell in love with New Zealand on vacation.” And, these responses are all true. Doug and I, along with most of CdeP 1986, turn 40 this year. On some level, I guess we wanted to prove to ourselves we hadn’t become too entrenched in the comforts of our life to pick ourselves up and try something new. And, we did truly fall in love with New Zealand. In the beginning, the exquisite natural beauty of this country mesmerized us. Then with each visit we learned more about the mix of Maori and Europe-an cultures and their interwoven histories, and our fascination with New Zealand deepened. We found our new Kiwi friends, quite frankly, like many of our Thacher friends. They are quick to laugh but are self-reliant, no-nonsense people. We have been overwhelmed by the warmth and gen-erosity extended to us, first as visitors and now as neighbors.

You can read the rest of this adventure online at www.thacher.org/alumni. For an account of the Kirkpatrick family travels on the way to New Zealand and anecdotes of their ongoing transition, visit their blog at nzkirkpatricks.blogspot.com.

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Carolyn, Liam, Colin, and Doug Kirkpatrick fell in love with the natural beauty of New Zealand.

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Laurel Heights and I heard from someone here that ABBY RAMSDEN walked behind me and I didn’t know it! Anyone know her e-mail address? Too weird. Hope everyone is well! meredith@bressie.com.” BRIAN BENNETT and Anne have had a very busy year. Both have challenging careers at Time Magazine and the National Democratic Institute. They love living in Washington, D.C., entertaining, traveling a lot, rock climbing, skiing, and kayaking. Brian has a new beat cover-ing foreign affairs, which means he spends a lot less time in Iraq! At Mardi Gras CATIE PEIRSoL-SCHIPPER writes: “I’ll be graduating from Loyola’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program in May of this year (at the Superdome). James will be finishing up his second of three years in Ochsner’s general cardiology fellowship program. He’s currently applying for international programs around the country.” News from jUSTIN STE-PHENS: “Seana is ‘prego’ with our first and doing exception-ally well! We(she) are due June 2—sex unknown. The wine business is growing very well. I have partnered Hunnicutt with our family’s brand and we are in the process of developing a winery location. I spent some time with ALEX SLAWSoN last weekend. He’s the same! Our best to all of you.” MARY EVERETT wrote: “I just recently got married to Jeff Conar-roe of Aspen, Colo. The date was September 1, 2007, and the wedding took place at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen. Thacher Attendees included my two brothers PETER EVERETT ‘90 and BILL EVERETT ‘92, my cousin RoB EVERETT ‘89 and brides-maid DIANA GARCIA ‘95. “(See picture in Marriages.) Up-date in April 2008: “Hello All! I have finally joined my husband for good, as I moved to Atlanta in January after four years of a cross-country relationship. I am working in an outpatient physical therapy clinic but considering the option of work-ing in a hospital. I am quite honored to announce an award I will be receiving this May. I, along with three others, will be inducted into the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 14th class of inductees. (Fourteen was always my lucky number!) I am being honored for my four years of Division III lacrosse and three years of Division I soccer. I will be in Colorado Springs with my family and my husband’s family for the reception. It’s very exciting!” RIKA HoWE and NATE ToLL tell us: “We are moving to Salt Lake City by May 1. Bye-bye desert and hello mountains. Nate will be starting a new job at Kennicott Copper Mines as Senior Hydrogeologist. I will continue to stay at home with our two girls, Adelaide (22 months) and Josephine (4 months). We were lucky to have a visit from pregnant ASPIN BoWERS TEEVIN ‘94, who was expecting a girl in May. It was a treat to giggle and spend time talking about our Thacher days and babies, of course.”

ANNIE jACK writes in January: “All is well in Jackson Hole. It’s been a great snow season so far and I’ve been getting into the backcountry as much as possible. Apart from the sometimes dominant recreational aspect of life in the Tetons, I’m doing lots of non-profit consulting for Jackson-based organiza-

tions. I also work for Bainbridge Graduate Institute (a business school in Seattle best known for its MBA in Sustainable Busi-ness), helping research the possibility of bringing BGI pro-grams to Jackson Hole. I feel blessed to have work that engag-es and inspires me.” jED SIEBEL is applying to medical schools. In addition to working his regular job at Pomona-Pitzer as the assistant athletic trainer, he works behind the Genius Bar at one of the local Apple stores on weekends. He’s also taking some extra science classes to bolster his applications, and is volunteering in the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Orange County two mornings a week.

ALEXIA ALLEN STEVENS is still living in Woodinville, Wash. She has a new job this year as an instructor at Wilderness Awareness School. She worked in their office before this. She enjoys her vegetable garden, orchard, and assorted farm animals. In November of last year, Edward Martin and AU-RIGA BoRK expatriated and moved to New Zealand to the beautiful little town of Martinborough, much like Ojai, in the wine-growing region of Wairapa in the North Island. “We were married on Dec. 20, 2007 with 12 Thacher alumni, a few Thacher parents, and one current student in attendance! We had 70 Americans in all come over for the wedding—what a treat! In attendance were: CATHERINE PINKERToN KEELING (with her mother Susan and husband Travis), LEYLA ABoU-SAMRA, LAUREL BRAITMAN (and her mother Lynne), jAKE BRAITMAN ‘00, ASHLEY THAYER, BRITTANY SANDERS,

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Phoebe Twichell, daughter of JON ’83 and SO-PHIE ‘85 (top, left).

SARAH HARRISON-FINCHER’S ‘90 daughter Hollis in the bath (second, left).

NATE and RIKA TOLL’s ’94 second daughter, Josephine Bella, arrived Dec. 16, 2007, joining big sister Adelaide.

Rowen, son of SEAMUS SARGENT ’95, born No-vember 7, 2007 (third, left).

MICHELE WEBER HUNT ’96, Brian, and big sister Rachel welcomed a new baby boy, Aaron Jus-tin, into the family on Feb. 6, 2008.

PEYTON HOLMES ’96 and daughter Bea, born Jan. 7, 2007. (fourth, left).

A son, Breydon Cole, was born to Maria and RYAN KURLINSKI ’97 on Oct. 10, 2007.

KATE MUNZIG DACHS ‘92 and ERIC DACHS ‘94 welcomed Anderson into the world last fall. Evident-ly, sister Charlotte likes him too! (fifth, left)

Photos (L to R): Christine Carter’s ’90 two girls: Molly and Fiona McLaughlin; The Re-nier Family: Toby Maitland-Lewis, Maggie ‘92 with Lucy, Betsy, Wil ’95, Rie ’90, and Bob Reniers; julia, Serena, Alec ’91, Will Perkins; Eva Balasa Games ‘91 with twins, Wyatt and Trevor; Henry, Brian, Reid, and Helen Holmes Gold ‘93; Brian ’94, Anne, Chris, Marilee, and Bruce Bennett; Bill ‘94, julia, Sonya Hen-ricks; Seana Kendrick and justin Stephens

‘94; Adrian ‘99, Paula, and Alexia ’96 Allen

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BRooKE LEVASSEUR with her husband RoB HoUSDEN ‘93, QUINN KANALY and her alumni husband MAX STEPANIAN

‘95, STEFANIE WARREN, MARIA BANMAN BARRELL (and husband Tyler), and KELLY-joY BRoWN LEWIS ‘09! We have just returned from a two month honeymoon ‘adventure’ to India. Being in India was like a roller coaster ride—certainly a good place to go to learn the value of what we all too often take for granted. We are overjoyed to be back on the farm, where Edward will begin to learn the inner workings from his father and become (with his younger brother) the eighth generation to work the land. I hope to begin work in feature-film production in the booming Wellington film industry this fall. Alumni are welcome to e-mail me if they would like a wine recommendation from the region or possibly even a

‘trade’ care package if they are lucky!”

LISA VoGT writes in November: “Singing with the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco; they have a new show called

‘Autumnal OUTing.’” News from RYAN KURLINSKI: Maria has applied to veterinary schools while he is feverishly working on his doctoral dissertation.

SARAH LoW writes, “I got married to Michael Cyrulnik on October 6 in Topanga, Calif., at the Mountain Mermaid (from the Joni Mitchell song ‘Carey’: “Come on down to the Mermaid Cafe, and I will buy you a bottle of wine.”). We live in Topanga (a canyon between Malibu and Santa Monica), tucked away in the woods, living in a hobbit-hole with a carved, wooden, blue door. We have three cats and a horse (she’s pregnant, so we’ll have two horses pretty soon).” ETHAN C. CHUTKoW is in Longmont, Colo., running a study-abroad program and teaching Spanish and French. News from LUCIA HALLE: “I am getting married to Brad Craven on June 28, 2008. He works for the federal government and we are currently living in Columbus, Ga. I teach ninth-grade English at Carver High School and am also pursuing a master’s degree in education. Prior to moving to Georgia, Brad and I lived in Anchorage, Alaska, where I taught science to kids of all ages at The Imaginarium. We are the proud parents of a new puppy, Moose, and Brad has a 6-year-old son, Michael, so I am work-ing up to earning the title of stepmom. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion before our wedding this sum-mer!” BRoNWEN HALSEY is “just writing with an update that I am living for the next six months in the Pohangina Valley on the north island of New Zealand with my partner Mickey. I am apprenticing home birth midwives and he is ap-prenticing farmers and beekeepers. When we come home at the end of July we will be living on his farm in Bolinas, north of SF!” KELLEY CoLLIER tells us: “I am teaching physics and astronomy and coaching cross-country at a small private high school in downtown (Austin, Texas), The Khabele School. I really love it. The summer is hot, but there are a lot of great swimming holes.“

ADRIAN ALLEN recently passed his paramedic exam and is working on getting further experience and certification. He is still a firefighter in Fort Myers, Fla. He is now coaching a high school lacrosse team, which requires a lot of time, effort, and organization. He also plays lacrosse and soccer. Lee County firefighters won the gold medal in the Florida Firefighters Soc-cer Championships for the second year in a row. The soccer fields are smaller than usual, which makes it a lot more fun to watch. KIM CAHILL is in her clinical third year at UCLA med school and Matt graduated from USC law school, passed the bar, and has been clerking for a federal district court judge in L.A. Lacrosse and swimming continue to be their stress relievers. CHRIS HoLLAND writes: “Hey all! As an update I wanted to fill you in that I recently started a new job as a project designer at an ecological firm that deals in mitigation and conservation of land. I’ll mainly be focusing on wetland design of vernal pools, but getting to cruise around on ATV’s and do site construction as well. Outside of work, I’m playing soccer three times a week and enjoying the mountains around Lake Tahoe, with side trips to Napa and San Francisco when-ever I can. Give me a call at 916-207-7330 if you’re ever in the Sacramento area.” PETER HoCKADAY has some news for his class. He moved to San Jose recently from Casper, Wyo., after getting a job working for the online news division of the San Jose Mercury News. He’s very happy to be back in the Cali-fornia sun. “I’m working for the website as a news producer, meaning I write a lot of headlines and create online projects.”

LAUREN FRAIM finished her masters in Nutritional Sciences at San Diego State University last May, and started a dietetic internship with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in September.

“I enjoy working with the high-risk, special-needs population there and am thriving in the supportive environment.” ERIN HAFKENSECHIEL, currently with the Hewlett Founda-tion, granting to environmental programs from Alaska to China, will be off to China again in June for a whole year! She is hoping to watch her Cal classmate row in the four-woman boat for the USA team in the Olympics. KEVIN CAHILL is in his clinical third year at USC med school. He is actively at-tempting to do a 720 or was that a 900 (?) on skis. He actually bought a car this year (and yes, he still has his motorcycle). From KEVIN SCHMIDT: “I still work at Microsoft, now in Live Search (which is a competitor to Google). I got married to Kelly Bookmiller last year on April 7 and we recently bought a house together. So life has been very good to me.” MICHAEL DISNER recently returned from another year in China and, in April, will finally graduate from BYU with his bachelor’s. More importantly, he got married to the former Nora Elia Bair on Dec. 28, 2007 in Los Angeles! He was very happy to see a few Thacher friends there. Post-April? Who knows...

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From STEPHANIE HUBBARD: “I have attached a picture (SEE MARRIAGES) of some of the Thacher alumni who were at my marriage to Geoff McGirt on Jan. 26 in Albuquerque, N.M. CLAIRE MILLIGAN was my maid of honor and BETSY BRADFoRD was a bridesmaid. NICK HUBBARD ‘07 was a groomsman. LUCY MILLIGAN ‘00 and MARSHALL MIL-LIGAN ‘69 also attended, as well as LAURA NEVILLE and LAUREL PETERSoN. Buck Wales came from Santa Fe and Mary Loney came from the beautiful Ojai. I am now formally Stephanie Louise Hubbard McGirt and we live in Albuquerque, where Geoff works for Sandia National Labs and I work in a law firm and take classes to prepare for application to med school.” SETH KURLINSKI continues to be a mountain man in Big Sky, Mont. He watches over the Big Sky family lodge while pursuing his love of restaurant management and poetry writing.

HUGH GoRDoN wrote in December: “I just returned from an 80-day NOLS course in Patagonia. I was totally cut off from communication during the time. I graduated from Columbia in May. I spent the summer with some friends in Barcelona, living the good life, and studying Spanish. It was spectacular. Then I moved on down to Patagonia, Chile, to learn mountaineering and kayaking skills with NOLS in one of the most beautiful, rugged places in the world. It was amaz-ing, and the camping skills that I learned at Thacher more than prepared me for what NOLS terms as one of their more difficult semesters. I started a job with Google in New York City on Dec. 17.” CHRIS CAHILL graduated from Dartmouth and is on the island of Majuro in the Marshall Islands (a tough spot to find on the map. Find New Zealand and then draw a line straight north until you’re about nine degrees above the equator) teaching math and English to ninth and tenth graders and physics and biology to eleventh and twelfth graders. He is now ‘Mr. Cahill’. IAN WHITTINGHILL gradu-ated from the University of Southern California with a BS in Aerospace Engineering in May of 2007. “Right now, I’m still at USC working on a MS in Aerospace Engineering. I am also the director of the USC Rocket Propulsion Labs (www.uscrpl.com). This lab is a group of 28 undergrad and graduate students working to design, build, and test the latest rocket propulsion technologies. We’re hoping to be the first university group to design, build, and launch a rocket to above 328,000 feet, which is the internationally recognized boundary of space.” KYLE DUMoNT graduated from Cornell in May with a double major in Biological Engineering and Entomology. For the time being he is still in Ithaca and is working as the chief science officer for the startup company FiberShield LLC. KATHERINE BECHTEL^ has “left the protective walls of Stanford and am working as a product developer at Ariat International (in Union City, east of San Francisco), designing and developing equestrian apparel.” EMERY MITCHEM is teaching AP En-vironmental Science at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2002

2003

The Thacher s

eliZA gregorY CDeP ‘99 oN her lATesT PhoTogrAPhY exhibiT…

AFTER LEARNING A BIT about refugee issues while working at the International Rescue Committee’s Tanzania office, I moved to Phoenix where my boyfriend, Ryan Meyer CdeP 1998, is working towards a Ph.D. in Science Policy at ASU. Many refugees who receive resettlement status from the U.S. government are sent to Phoenix. This means they are given a small amount of money and a loan for a plane ticket, and a handful of agencies like the IRC assist them to find jobs and housing for the first few months they are here. Then, they are on their own. Naturally, this is quite a challenging scenario for individuals and families who have fled violent conflict in their home countries. On the one hand, they have gotten a chance to relocate to a place that will, in theory, be safer than the one they have left. On the other hand, they have to find ways to build a community for themselves within an entirely new cultural and social system, often without being able to speak English, read, write, or provide proof of educa-tion already completed.

I began to volunteer as a literacy tutor with a family who moved here from Liberia in 2004. Through their generosity and warmth, I got to learn a lot about their life and their experiences here. By teaming up with a local non-profit organization named COAR—Community Outreach & Advocacy for Refugees—I initiated a project to make portraits of a variety of refugee families now living in Phoenix. The halfway point of our project is being marked by a show at the Arizona State University Museum of Anthropol-ogy, which features portraits of people from Iraq, Bosnia, Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, Burundi, Hungary, Congo, and Burma. A second show of the work will be presented at the eye lounge artist’s collective in downtown Phoenix in September. Starting April 3, a virtual version of the first show, com-plete with audio snippets from interviews with the subjects, will be avail-able at www.coarweb.org/fuse.

Although I miss the ocean, the desert is growing on me. In addition to working on independent projects, I work for the Office of the President at ASU, doing odd jobs and writing about new educational initiatives at the University. I’m also the photographer for the “Community Camera” news-letter that my office puts out, which chronicles mutually beneficial part-nerships between ASU and the community. You can take a look at: http://community.uui.asu.edu/features/history.asp.

Eliza Gregory and Ryan Meyer ‘98

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“Life is good.” SHAYLA CooKE writes: “I have graduated from Amherst College, and am currently a special education teacher at Navajo Middle School in Navajo, N.M. (about 15 minutes from where I live). I am with Teach for America, and am loving being back on the Reservation. I am also the head volleyball coach for the middle school, and have 19 girls on two dif-ferent teams.” And jACKIE AU is going to grad school at the London School of Economics in their Masters in Management Program. LAUREL BACK graduated from Claremont McKenna College in May with a dual degree in psychology and Spanish. She recently finished an internship at Ventura County Hospital and is currently enrolled in a post-bac pre-med program with the hopes of attending med school in a few years. She is also volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and has a 12-year-old little sis. jESSIE SUE LIU recently gradu-ated from UCLA with a BA in Graphic Design/Media Arts, and is currently a graphic designer at FLIGHT 001 headquarters in New York City.

MATT STENoVEC writes in November: “Hi guys! So, oc-casionally I like to toot my own horn so here it goes. Right now I’m working on a book project with a research biologist on Hells Canyon. There are eight of us on the project, and my chapter is all about grassland restoration. We will be looking to get published next spring; author Terry Tempest Williams will be doing the forward for the book. Also, I was voted one of three captains for the men’s lacrosse team here at Whit-man. Yay club ball.” LAUREN FISKE is a senior at Northwest-ern University, writing a Senior Honors Thesis which focuses on the allocation of scarce healthcare resources and issues of aging in our culture. She is a philosophy major and a global health minor, and spent last summer studying in Mexico City at the Universidad Panamerica in their medical school, focus-ing on public-health issues. The experience in Mexico City was wonderful; she came home having made new friends and feeling quite fluent in Spanish, including in a healthcare context. She continues to be a counselor for Project Wildcat at Northwestern, leading freshmen on a week-long pre-orien-tation backpack trip in September each year. After graduation next June, she is contemplating staying in Evanston to take courses to complete her pre-medical studies, as well as seek-ing a fellowship position. Her interest and studies in bioethics have been supported by wonderful faculty mentors. WHIT-NEY LIVERMoRE will be graduating in June with a double major of American studies and Chinese, and will spend the next academic year studying in Taiwan.

ED CAHILL is a junior at Middlebury, majoring in physics. As wingback for his rugby team, Ed and his teammates took the New England Championship this past fall. He heads for the land of rugby, New Zealand, this spring for his semester abroad. BEL LEPE writes about his new (ad)venture: “I’ve been on leave from Stanford for the last couple of months

working at a company (Ooyala, Inc.) that I co-founded after leaving Google with some of my other Googler friends. We were funded late last year and are growing very quickly. We’ve grown to a size of about 28 employees in a little under a year, have offices in Mountain View, Calif., and New York, and are continuing to grow at an aggressive rate. You can learn more about our company here: www.ooyala.com/blog. As for me, I head up the infrastructure and video processing teams as lead engineer for the company. It’s fun but also a lot of hard work. And, while the hours are long, we are building a very disrup-tive technology that it is sure to cause some waves.”

KATHERINE oRRICK writes: “I am in my spring semester of Colby College, which has been extremely hectic due to CWL, Colby Women’s Lacrosse. Right now we are 4-2 and have an exciting game against Middlebury coming up. This January I went down to Belize (where I believe Mr. Haggard is now) and spent a month with a group of students and two teach-ers studying tropical ecology. The experience, needless to say, was mind-blowing. We hiked through rainforests, swam through underwater caves, snorkeled, went SCUBA diving, and a lot more. I am also enjoying living in the green dorm on campus, where we organize green events around campus to make Colby more environmentally aware. This next semester, the fall of my junior year, I am going abroad to Namibia and working with the Save the Rhino Trust. Basically I will be liv-ing out of a tent for four months with limited water and food supply, traveling the Namib desert and doing field work. I am extremely excited and cannot wait to go. Till then I get to bask in the glorious weather of 15 degrees and watch the snow fall from the sky even though it’s technically spring.”

jULIA FISKE^ writes: “Hi Mrs. Mully! I’m in India right now (Varanasi to be exact) on my year off, and I just got a big pit in my stomach missing Thacher. So I went and checked to see what was happening on the Thacher website and found familiar and comforting descriptions of cheese dip, chocolate chip cookies, and pumpkin carving at Open House. It was wonderful to see and know that despite all that is going on here, Thacher is more or less just how I left it! I am having a wonderful time...I’ve been here two months and have one month left. I just got back from a week-long silent Buddhist meditation retreat which has done wonders for my mind already! Tonight I returned ‘home’ to a host family I’ve been living with for a month so far. I am studying yoga, Hindi, and women’s issues in India, and I am volunteering at a hospital and an orphanage. I also spent two weeks trekking in the Himalayas, which was absolutely breathtaking! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the website you put so much time into is reaching halfway across the world and bringing me a little taste of home. Please say hello to Mr. Mully for me, and I hope everything is going smoothly in the beauti-ful Ojai Valley! Namaste.” In November ALEXIS jACKSoN

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Photos, left to right: The Fiske Family: Chuck, Erik ’02, julia ’07, Lauren ’04, and Karen; The oxley Family: Will ‘05, Sondra ‘09, Marganne

’78, and David ‘79; The Gal Family: David ‘02, Robin, Yoav, and Dana ‘05; Lilly Heilveil ‘07, Maddie Ignon ‘05 — Dancing for Gallia in Italy!; Anna ’07 and Patrick ‘11 Teague

The Thacher school 35

writes: “I’m living at home, seeing as it’s much cheaper that way. Plus I get home-cooked food instead of mass-prepared food. My school e-mail is ajackso1@poets.whittier.edu. I think I’ll be visiting up there soon either for alumni weekend or for a visit with my sister who will be applying. But for now I’m just moseying along doing homework and such.” jEDIDIAH HARRIS’S wrote about his ‘reality’ in February: “I am a main-tenance database systems administrator/analyst for CH-53E heavy helicopters. I basically oversee all the maintenance for helicopters in my squadron. I work in an office with six Marines. I recently purchased my first car, an Audi A6. I am up for promotion to lance corporal in April. I just got back from visiting my family back home. They are doing well. I am taking CLEP exams to test out of the majority of my freshman college classes in order to start as a sophomore in the fall of this year, so I am busy studying for those tests now. My mom still wants me to go to the Naval Academy, but I am loving the fleet right now and cannot leave the many Marines who have become my comrades. I flew for the first time yesterday. It was pretty exciting.”

whAT The heCK is A boNgofish, ANYwAY? or PrACTiCAl iDeAlismrefleCTioNs from JohN bAbboTT CDeP 2003

I WAS IN SIERRA LEONE for about three months with two good friends of mine, working in three small agrarian villages in eastern Sierra Leone, 10 miles from the Liberian border. An Amherst College alumnus from the mid-1980’s, Jeff Hall, had served there in the Peace Corps, leaving just before the outbreak of the Rebel Wars that lasted from 1991 until 2002. The country was ravaged, and the villages were burned to the ground. When resettlement began, Jeff returned on his own clock and dollar to see what he could do. He started small and simple, with zinc roofing mate-rial (no roof is a killer in the monsoon season when your house is made of mud), and has since expanded his homespun aid operation, including new pump water wells, school buildings, latrines, and a secondary school and college scholarship program. In addition to these, Jeff had recently begun a crop-buying program whose goal was to break the serf-like loan and debt cycle in which most villagers struggle for their entire lives, as well as the haphazard beginnings of a business micro-loan program to attempt to broaden the villages’ economies and diversify sources of income. In short, an effort heavy on idealism and light on organization and oversight. All we knew was that I was going to be working in “education,” and my friends in “micro-loans.”

Though our activities for the first month were, in a sense, constructive and necessary, we had nothing to show for it. Learning to communicate, avoiding dysentery, bilharzia, etc., precluded all else, and it took a while to reconstruct our scaffolding for daily existence. Jeff had given us a list of possible objectives to pursue, information to gather, and programs to patch up—patch-ups which turned into complete overhauls. It became clear after a couple days that our function in the villages was not to follow instructions, but to figure out what to do for ourselves.

Realizations you struggle into by yourself are forehead-smacking good, and you learn them through to the bone. Plus, if you know nothing before-hand, there’s nothing to unlearn. The resulting contrast between how we learned to approach problems and how we observed larger programs’ func-tioning showed us just how much stands to be improved in how the First World goes about helping people.

Check out the rest of John’s incredible experience online at www.thacher.org/alumni.

john and fellow Amherst grad, Andrew Rubenstein, adorned in gifts of traditional gowns during their farewell feast.

Why do you support

The Alumni Fund of The Thacher School?

When you make your Alumni Fund gift this year, tell us why you give.

Donate by June 30, 2008 to be included in the 2007-08 Alumni Fund donor list.

www.thacher.org/giving

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36 spring 2008

faculty, staff & frIends…

EMILY MCCARREN had her baby Feb. 9, 2008. Her name is: Hope Etchells Mc-Carren and she weighed eight pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 21 inches. EILEEN MCGUIRE took over the Development Office role of leadership giving manager for ANDREA BRooKS, who moved back to Wahoo, Neb, to be near her family and run a Catholic bookstore. Other news is that Development/Alumni Office Manager PEGGY WHYTE is retiring after 15-plus years in that role. MICHELLE CASTELo now works as the college counseling administrative assistant, a position held by ANN WHITNEY for the last several years. Ann returned to her homeland of Australia to be closer to family. Also in the College Counseling Office is KARA HooPER, who works with students seeking athletic scholarships in college. BEN FARRELL will leave his position as assistant director of admission and Upper School dorm head to pursue graduate work in education at Columbia University; ANDREA BREAU is also leaving to pursue graduate work in women’s studies at the University of Ohio. The second E.E. Ford Scholar, MAGGIE LAM, will begin her academic career in the Bay Area, teaching mathematics and Chinese. As GREG HAGGARD and his family return from a sabbatical year in Bali, Belize, and El Salvadore, AUSTIN and ALISoN CURWEN are preparing for their sabbatical year in England. On May 2, Megan and Jason Carney welcomed their third child, a girl, named Taylor. Mom, Dad, big sister Riley, and big brother Rob are thrilled she’s here. With “absolute glee and exhaustion,” BRIAN and BLoSSoM BEATTY PIDDUCK (both CdeP 1992) announced their twin girls, Adeline

Moon and Daisy May, born May 27. DAVID oXLEY CDEP 1979, who has worked as horse camping director and barn manager for the last two years, is returning to his ranch in Klamath Falls, Oregon. SUSAN and jAMES oCKERMAN (sabbatical replacement director of music) will be leaving at year’s end as the Haggards return. Our thanks to them both for their care and concern for our students, especially in the performing arts. Wedding bells will ring on August 2 on the Big Island of Ha-waii for math teacher THEANA HANCoCK and English and Latin teacher AARoN SNYDER. After eight years at Thacher, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving DAVID V. BABBoTT has accepted a position with Morgan Stanley in Burlington, Vt. He will join a global wealth management team that will design and implement financial plans for charities, foundations, and individuals. David has been a relentless and enthusiastic traveler, working with Thacher’s extended family to encourage their current and long term support. While on campus, he has helped coach a variety of tennis and soccer teams. David and Nancy’s three sons all graduated from Thacher. jACK CRAWFoRD, former history teacher and lacrosse coach, led his Loyola Dons lacrosse team to victory once again this spring. The Dons are the first team in Mary-land Interscholastic Athletic Association’s A Conference history to win back-to-back crowns.

John Wescott Myers CdeP 1929 John W. Myers, a business executive and renowned test pilot during World War II, whose extraordinary flying skills earned him the nickname “Maestro,” died in his sleep at his home in Beverly Hills on Jan. 31, 2008. He was 96.

John was born June 13, 1911, in Los Angeles. His father, Louis W. Myers, became chief justice of the California Supreme Court and co-founder of the Los Angeles law firm O’Melveny & Myers.

While at Thacher from 1925-29, John was a member of the Orchestra, Bit & Spur, Gymkhana Ten, Track Squad, the baseball team, the Upper School Forum, and the Glee Club. In the Archivero it is mentioned that, “John rose to great heights of constructive genius when he invented a glorified yo-yo which could be operated by careful handling on John’s part from the Upper School roof.”

After his time in Ojai, John graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1933. From Stanford, he proceeded to graduate from Harvard Law School in 1936, when he joined O’Melveny & My-ers and initiated the firm’s entertainment law practice, whose early clients in-

cluded Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Edgar Bergen, CBS, and Paramount Pictures.John’s passion for flying began in 1930 while he was still an undergraduate

at Stanford. He learned quickly: After a flying instructor gave him a ground course, he made what was both his first flight and first solo flight in a two- cylinder, single-engine airplane. John left O’Melveny & Myers in 1940 to be-come assistant general counsel at Lockheed, where he began occasionally fer-rying planes to New York and New Orleans for overseas delivery. In 1941, he became chief engineering test pilot at Northrop, for which he became senior vice president and director after the war.

In 1954, John became chairman and principal stockholder of Pacific Air-motive Corporation, which adapted conventional aircraft to turbine power and which he later sold to Purex. In 1970, he formed Airflite, a fixed-base avia-tion services facility at Long Beach Airport, which he sold to Toyota in the late 1980s. John owned an 18,000-acre cattle ranch outside Merced in Central California, and was known as a passionate outdoorsman, an environmental-ist, and philanthropist who donated 5,000 acres of land in the Merced area to the Nature Conservancy. He also provided a portion of his Flying M Ranch for the development of UC Merced and made the campus’s first $1 million con-tribution. His philanthropy extended to numerous organizations, including Pomona College, The Thacher School (including the Huyler-Myers Friendship Barn), St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, and the National Air and Space Museum, for which he was a board member.

John’s wife, Lucia, died in 1999; their son, Louis W. Myers II CdeP 1960, died in 1993. He is survived by his daughter, Lucia “Lissa” Myers Wolff, and three grandsons, including Luke Myers CdeP 2003 and Wes Myers CdeP 2001.

In MeMorIaM…

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Paul hoy helMs, Jr. CdeP 1934 Paul Helms, Jr. passed away on Feb. 28, 2008 at the age of 91. He and his wife had recently celebrated 70 years of marriage in December 2007. Paul, or

“Spike,” as he was affectionately known at Thacher, was baseball team captain, a member of the soccer and track teams, in the Glee Club, Dramatics, and ac-tive in the Committee of Ten, Outdoor and Indoor Committees, Tennis Ten, Bit and Spur Club, and Pack and Saddle Club. He was also a prefect. In 1965, Paul renewed his involvement with Thacher as president of the Alumni Asso-ciation until 1967.

Surviving Helms are his wife Caroline; daughter, Suzanne Schaefer, and son, Paul Helms III CdeP 1957; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and his sister, Mrs. Robert Helms “Betty” Adams, honorary trustee of The Thacher Shool.

andreW doWney orrIcK CdeP 1935Andrew Downey Orrick died on Jan. 27, 2008, at his San Francisco home. He was 90. As a member of a prominent San Francisco family of lawyers, and a for-mer member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Downey spent his le-gal career with the firm now called Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, founded in 1885. His father, William Orrick, headed the firm, and a brother, also named William CdeP 1932, was a federal judge who died in 2003.

While at Thacher from 1931-35, Downey captained the first baseball team and became a member of the Cabinet, Committee of Ten, and Outdoor Com-mittee. According to the 1935 Archivero, he was described as “never content to wait passively for opportunity to come his way, he goes right out and by sheer strength of character brings opportunity to his own threshold.”

After attending Thacher, Downey graduated from Yale University in 1940 and served in the Army during World War II, reaching the rank of captain. He attended UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Active in Republican politics, he was San Francisco chairman of Citizens for Eisenhower in 1952, during Dwight Eisenhower’s first run for president, and a decade later was Northern California chairman of Richard Nixon’s unsuccessful campaign for governor of California. Downey became regional administrator of the SEC in San Francisco in December 1954 and was appointed to the commission by Eisenhower five months later. In 1960, Downey returned to the law firm but made a moral choice to get out of the field of securities law, one of the firm’s specialties, said his nephew, attorney William Orrick III. “My uncle was a very ethical guy,” he said. “He decided he would not practice in that area because he thought he would be using influence he had gained as a result of his govern-mental position in a way that would be unethical, so he became an estates and trusts lawyer. Today it would be shocking for anybody to do that.”

Downey remained with the firm and was a partner when he retired in the late 1970s. Always athletic, he hit what was then the longest home run in the

history of Yale’s baseball team and spent much of his retirement golfing and gardening, dividing time between San Francisco and a home overlooking the 12th hole of the Pebble Beach golf course.

Downey’s wife of 47 years, Marjorie Soule, died in 1999. In addition to his daughter, Didi Orrick Magee of Phoenix, he is survived by four sons: Andy Or-rick of San Francisco, Winsor Orrick of San Rafael, Murray Orrick CdeP 1977 of Corte Madera, and Sam Orrick CdeP 1979 of Phoenix; eight grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews including: niece, Marion Livermore, wife of Norman Livermore III CdeP 1966; nephew, Walter Harcourt-Palmer, Jr. CdeP 1963; grandnieces, Laurel Peterson CdeP 2002 and Katherine “Kaggie” Orrick CdeP 2006; and grandnephew, William Per Gustaf Peterson ‘08.

roBert dana Wood CdeP 1936Dana Wood spent his senior year at Thacher and estab-lished himself as an athletic phenomenon. “The fastest man in school, in fact the fastest man Thacher has seen for some time,” according to the 1936 Archivero, “he was chosen Track captain, showed the first Baseball Team some mighty fancy pitching, and was the mainstay in the backfield on the Soccer Team.” He also joined the Bit and

Spur and served on the Indoor Committee. He matriculated to Yale University and graduated from Pomona College. If you have information on Dana’s pass-ing and history, please contact the Alumni Office.

adolPh WIllIaM BarKan CdeP 1935 Bill Barkan, who was 90, died from cancer on Feb. 23, 2008. His career was capped by the leadership role he took on as a member of Wells Fargo’s execu-tive team in the 1970s when the bank branched out to Southern California from its stronghold in Northern California. “I give Bill a great deal of credit for really putting us on the map,” said Carl Reichardt, the former president of Wells Fargo. “He was one of the most thorough men I’ve ever met and never said an unpleasant word; a perfect gentleman.” From 1972 until his retire-ment in 1978, Mr. Barkan directed the bank’s operations in the south as ex-ecutive vice president.

Bill’s life was filled with other stories. He was born in San Francisco to Ger-man-speaking parents, and in the months prior to World War II, was sent by the Naval Intelligence Service to eavesdrop on the German Consulate in the city. Bill later worked with a small team to filch a Japanese codebook from one of the last Japanese merchant vessels to leave the Bay Area before the Pearl Harbor attack. His son, John, recalled his father describing how he posed as a customs official to distract the ship’s captain while another intelligence agent lifted the codebook and stuffed it down his pants. Merchant vessels operated in close contact with Japanese navy ships, making the codebook a valuable military asset.

A Stanford graduate, Bill worked briefly as reporter for the now-defunct Call Bulletin, where he covered city news and wrote up an execution at San Quentin State Prison. After his military service, he worked in the banking industry until stepping down from Wells Fargo after a career of nearly 30 years. His civic activities include leadership posts as a founding trustee of the Crystal Springs Upland School in Hillsborough, executive vice president of

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the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, and a director of Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Foundation. Bill was a devoted fisherman and operated a rice farm in Shasta County along the banks of the Fall River, a blue-ribbon trout stream. In retirement, he took an active role in a number of other private organizations, serving as president of the Burlingame Country Club and member of the Pacific-Union Club and St. Francis Yacht Club.

While at Thacher, Bill was a member of the soccer, baseball, tennis, Gym-khana, and track teams. He served on the Outdoor Committee, Committee of Ten, Gun Board, Glee Club, Bit and Spur Club, and was a B Camper. Bill was known as (according to the 1935 Archivero) “the member of the Indoor Com-mittee who brought girls all the way from San Francisco for a dance. [He] is a most versatile athlete, equally at home on the soccer team, which incidentally he was captain of, the gymkhana track, the track oval, the baseball diamond, the tennis court, or the dance floor.”

Bill is survived, in addition to his son, John CdeP 1967, of San Francisco, by his wife of 65 years, Joan, and four grandchildren, including Andrew CdeP 1998, Will CdeP 2002, and Phoebe CdeP 2003. He also leaves a sister, Phoebe Gilpin. His daughter, Constance, predeceased him.

lloyd Bruce sMIth CdeP 1938Lloyd B. `̀ Ted’’ Smith died Dec. 4, 2007, at age 87. Ted grew up in Milwaukee and attended the Country Day School (now University School of Milwaukee) before arriv-ing at Thacher. From the 1938 Archivero: ‘“Judge not, that ye be not judged,’ must have been the motto which Ted

took for his own when he came to the School three years ago. In all the time that he has been here, no one can say that he has ever heard Ted say an unkind thing to anybody, or about anyone. He has been the Chairman of every class he has been in, and has always set the example, rather than told us what to do. The best boxer in the School, no one has ever seen him lose his temper. Ted couldn’t get mad if his life depended upon it. His disposition is cast iron, and no cloud is dark enough to keep the sun from shining through. His face knows only two expressions—a smile, and a laugh. His humor is always with him wherever he goes. Holding down the iron-man position of center half on the first soccer team was Ted’s major athletic contribution, where he did much toward making the season a success. A good tennis and baseball player, at the end of each year he astounds the School with his treatment of the punching bag. As if this were not enough, he is an A Camper, and the secretary of the Pack and Saddle Club.”

Ted studied engineering at Yale University’s Sheffield Scientific School and, soon after, in 1942, joined A. O. Smith Corporation, the Milwaukee-based water heater-maker created by his great-grandfather, Charles Jeremiah. After serving in the U. S. Army Air Force during World War II, Ted returned to the company in 1945 and was elected a vice president and director. One of his first assignments was to oversee the company’s new water heater manufacturing operations in Kankakee, Illinois. He returned to Milwaukee as president of the corporation in 1951, the fourth generation of the Smith family to lead the business, and served in that role until April 1967, when he was elected chairman and chief executive officer. Paul W. Jones, current chairman and CEO, said the company was sad to hear of Ted’s passing. `̀ He was a man of the highest integrity and ethical standards, someone who believed strongly in ‘the best people in the world,’ the employees of A. O. Smith,’’ Jones said in a news release.

Ted served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Continental Can Company, the First Wisconsin Nation-al Bank (now U. S. Bank), and Deere and Co. He was named a Distinguished Life Member of the American Society for Metals in 1965, and was a trustee of the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility. He was also involved in

a wide range of community and civic activities, principally in the greater Mil-waukee area. He served as a board member of the Medical College of Wiscon-sin, a director of the Milwaukee Voluntary Equal Employment Council, and a member of the campaign advisory committee of United Community Services and the Greater Milwaukee Committee. In 1982, he served as Wisconsin cam-paign chairman for the United Negro College Fund.

Ted is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lucy Woodhull Smith; his brother Ar-thur O. Smith, II CdeP 1949; his children Robert L. Smith, Bruce M. Smith, Rog-er S. Smith, Nancy Linzmeyer; 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

roBert landIs KuMler CdeP 1941 Bob Kumler, 84, passed away on Feb. 22, 2008, from complications after two major surgeries. Bob was born in 1923 in Albany, N.Y. Soon after, his family moved to the San Francisco area, where he grew up. He attended Thacher from 1938 to 1941. According to the Archivero of

1941: “Bob Kumler’s chief trait of character is his quiet versatility; he is good at almost everything. He is one of our best tennis players, he is excellent in his studies, he excels in Gymkhana, and he is Business Manager of the Archivero. All these activities are carried on without fuss and excitement. The impression that he makes is one of great dependability, whether he be riding Pysanna in a gymkhana or engaged in the Chemistry Laboratory pursuing his favorite study. His ambition is to be a flyer, and with his calm temperament and his athletic ability and intelligence should be successful.”

For a term, Bob attended Stanford University, where he played on their polo team, before interrupting his studies to serve in the Army Air Corps. Af-ter an honorable discharge, he completed his studies in electrical engineering at University of California at Berkeley, and worked for a time for Pacific Gas and Electric. Bob left PG&E to begin a long career in teaching mathematics and several science disciplines at Ventura College, Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, and, finally, at Dunn School in Los Olivos, California. He took time out from teaching to obtain a master’s degree in mathematics from Okla-homa State University in 1958.

Bob’s son, Roger, took the time to share some anecdotes about his father. Roger wrote, “As I am sure was true at Thacher in those days (and, I hope, still is), and most certainly was the case at Dunn, the students’ pranks were typi-cally harmless and always showed the students’ inventiveness, creativity, and a never-ending desire to tweak the faculty just a bit. It is rumored that my father could walk silently across the gravel of the main quad. I don’t know if that was true, but some students did take the defensive measure (only once, though!) of sprinkling Epsom salts on the sidewalk outside their dorm room so they could hear his approach. I can’t help but think that he had a good idea about what to look for because of his own days as a student, perhaps doing similar things, at Thacher. I’m not sure how he felt when Dunn and Thacher played each other—he could justifiably root for both sides!”

Bob was preceded in death by his former wife, Nora Catherine Vetter; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Fredrick Kumler; brother, Clifford F. Kumler Jr.; and sisters, Marjorie Conklin Kumler and Gracie Smith. He is survived by his wife, Betty Jean; children Robert Kumler Jr., Roger Kumler, Margie Valle, Tracy Davis, Jeff Davis, and Pat Davis; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

John cornelIus grIggs II CdeP 1944On April 26, John Cornelius Griggs II, of Old Lyme, Conn., died peacefully at home surrounded by family and beloved wife Susan.

John was born in 1926 in Germantown, Pa., to Robert and Margaret Griggs. He grew up in Greenwich, becoming

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an avid sailor, competitive sportsman, world traveler, and entrepreneur. John was known for his generosity, kindness, and sense of humor. At Thacher, en-ergy and industriousness were his hallmarks, which “Jince” put to good use as Editor-in-Chief of the “Notes.” Good at most sports, he captained the baseball team in addition to playing soccer, track, and riding for 2nd Gymkhana Team. He served as a Prefect, on the Committee of X, Indoor Committee, Cabinet, and as Room Inspector. He was an A Camper, part of Bit and Spur Club, sang for Glee Club, and acted in Pirates of Penzance.

During World War II, John served on a Navy minesweeper. He graduated from Williams College in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. That same year, Margaret Rudkin (founder of Pepperidge Farm) hired John as her first management trainee. On a 1958 business trip to Switzerland, he and an associate discovered a product, which was licensed as Goldfish Crackers for the American market. He also played a primary role in the development of the original Pepperidge Farm cookie line. In 1968, he became vice president of operations for Pepperidge Farm and in 1971, president of Godiva Choco-latier.

John leaves eight children, grateful for the wonderful life they experi-enced both in Pennsylvania and Connecticut: Robert CdeP 1969, Peter CdeP 1970, Charlotte, Barbara, John, Nathaniel, Melinda, and Amanda; their spouses; and their children. Also appreciative are stepson, Richard Foote Jr. and stepdaughter, Elizabeth Foote Treacy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Middlesex Hos-pice, 28 Crescent Street, Middletown, CT 06457 or to Williams College, PO Box 676, Williamstown, MA 01267.

geoffrey thoMPson tayler CdeP 1949 Geoff Tayler died at his Hillborough, California, home on Feb. 10, 2008, at age 75 of renal cell carcinoma. Born in San Mateo, Geoff was the second child of the late James D. Tayler and Margaret “Sally” Thompson Tayler. He attended Burlingame High School for two years before joining

Thacher’s Class of 1949. The 1949 Archivero mentions this about Geoff: “His greatest contribution to the School. . . is his clever cartooning. It all began with one sub-titled ‘chemical reaction,’ and since then, Geoff has been draw-ing furiously for every dance. His last works are the caricatures appearing in this Arch.” Known as “Toothpick”, he played basketball and swam on the team. He also served on the Outdoor Committee, Committee of X, Indoor Committee, and on the El Archivero Board.

Geoff was an architecture major at Yale University, class of 1953, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and executive editor of the Yale Record, the school’s humor magazine. Upon graduation he married Sally Ful-lenlove of San Francisco in 1953.

In 1954, Geoff graduated from the US Navy OCS in Newport, Rhode Is-land, and served as a naval officer aboard the USS LSMR 403 and at the US Naval Schools Command at Treasure Island until his release from active duty in 1956. He joined Tayler Products Corporation, his family’s steel distribution and fabrication business, founded by his grandfather in San Francisco in 1879, where he attained the office of executive vice president. He was also the presi-dent of Tayler Insulation Inc., and was a licensed general contractor in both California and Hawaii, specializing in light-gage steel framing for residential construction. Before retiring in 1990, he served as president of the California Building Material Dealer’s Association, and as a member of the Board of Di-rectors of the California Insulation Contractor’s Association. He was active in San Francisco service organizations as a senior member of The Guardsmen, a former member of the San Francisco Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Laguna Honda Hospital Volunteers Inc., where he served as president.

A talented artist, Geoff was a set designer and cartoonist in the Bohe-

mian Club of San Francisco, where he was a member of the List of Fifty and served on the Club’s Board of Directors. A resident of Hillsborough, he was a long-time member of the Burlingame Country Club, where he participated in club shows as a set designer, actor, and tap dancer. Peter Baumgartner CdeP 1951 wrote the following in a letter to the Alumni Office concerning Geoff’s passing: “Thacher, in those days, was known as a Yale prep school and Geoff wanted to attend Yale in the worst way. He was very active over the years in the Yale Alumni Association. He was a very talented man. His clever and very funny cartoons decorate the walls of the Burlingame Club. He chaired the Jinks Committee at the Bohemian Club with great distinction. He was a very good friend to me —really my mentor—when I joined the Bohemian Club over 35 years ago and ever since. He will be greatly missed.”

Geoff is survived by his adoring wife of 54 years, Sally Fullenlove Tayler; daughter, Leslie Lucas of Rancho Cordova, Calif.; sons, Thomas Geoffrey Tay-ler of Sacramento and Christopher John Tayler of Foster City; and two grand-daughters, Elizabeth Ann Lucas of San Francisco and Katherine Fullenlove Lucas of San Diego.

WIllIaM McneIl craWford CdeP 1954 Bill Crawford died in the company of his family on March 19, 2008, in Piedmont, California, after a valiant battle with cancer. He was born Feb. 29, 1936, in Bukidnon, Phil-ippines, on the Del Monte Plantation. As a child, Bill was interned with his family at Santo Thomas University in

Manila during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines for much of World War II. He attended Brent School in Baguio, Philippines, Thacher, and the Uni-versity of California, Berkeley - Go Bears! While a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, he met Kate Abernethy and they were married in 1959.

Bill was a consummate host, a master chef, and his home was a welcome place to all who knew him. He was a font of knowledge both useful and bizarre. He loved to travel the byways with his wife and faithful dog. A dedi-cated volunteer, Bill shared his time and talents with many organizations including the Episcopal Church, The Guardsmen, E. Clampus Vitus, Scouts, and any group in which his offspring were involved. He was Northern Cali-fornia director of the Western Military History Association and a member of BACEPOW (Bay Area Civilian Ex-POWs). While at Thacher, Bill was involved with the baseball team, was captain of the second soccer and track teams, a member of the swimming team, Glee Club, Letterman’s Club, and the Masqu-ers. He was secretary of the Letterman’s Club, a B Camper, and was known for his “natty” dressing.

Bill is survived by his wife, Kate; children Neil, Hugh, Katherine, and Sarah; and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Anita Thomas and James McNeil Crawford, and his sister, Joan Crawford Hodge. He will be missed by his brother, Jay; and his nieces, Anne, Beth and Audrey; and their children.

charles BroadWater WIlde CdeP 1958Chips Wilde died on Oct. 10, 2007. In the 40th Reunion Yearbook for Class of 1958, he wrote: “Upon graduation (from Cal), married Molly Burnett, spent 4.5 years with Procter & Gamble selling Crest, Head & Shoulders, and run-

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ning the first Pampers test market in Sacramento. Had two boys, Charlie and Stephen, left P&G for the wealth and position of Wall Street with Dean Witter (never achieved the first and found the second, at least in my own mind in a number of capacities, most noteworthy as founder and head of partnership investment banking in the 1970s). Lived in Moraga, coached all the boys’ teams, maintained a pretty fair golf game, and generally enjoyed life.”

After 23 years of marriage, he and Molly divorced. Ventures in real estate, consulting, environmental technologies, and mortgage banking followed, as well as a brief foray as executive director of the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Foundation of Southern California. Wilde remarried and lived happily with Dori for 22 years before his death.

While at Thacher, Chips was a member of the basketball, baseball, soccer, Gymkhana, and tennis teams. He was also active in Glee Club, Masquers, Bit & Spur, the Student Council, the Indoor Committee, and as a School Prefect.

colIn WIlKInson ParKer CdeP 2005Colin Parker passed away on March 8, 2008. He attended Thacher for two years and graduated from Mount Shasta High School. The following comments are excerpts from speeches given at the memorial service, generously sent to the Alumni Office by Colin’s mother, Jacquie Parker.

From his father, Dr. Jim Parker: “For all of us, life is a balancing act. We try to balance the goodness of life with the burdens we must bear. For most of us, the bal-ancing act is simple. The goodness in life outweighs the bad and we go on about living our day-to-day life. But for some, like Colin, the shadows in life are perceived to be too great to overcome and the scales tip transcendingly deep into despair and there appears to be no way to bring the scales back in balance. That deep hole is a place of pain that few know about. It is not the blues, reaction to negative circumstances, or even the loss of a loved one.

Recently, Colin’s shadows tipped life’s scales so far that I think Colin, when he weighed the opportunities of this life against the deep darkness of future days, chose to move on. No amount of love from family, intellect, or privileged education could be enough to overcome the pain and hopelessness he felt. Life’s circumstances de-livered Colin to the doorstep of the next world and Colin chose to step through. It is the same door that most of us live our lives while healthy trying to avoid, but will all pass through sooner or later… “

From his brother, Nathan Parker ‘03: “Colin was the most creative person I knew. He started with drawings and paintings and his talent quickly evolved into creating witty poems and beautiful songs. He developed a talent in music that he always understated. And he was always getting better. His creativity also came out in his homemade movies. One movie he made involved rolling the video camera down the stairs and he called it: ‘The Human Slinky.’ When it came time to give our parents Christmas presents, I would always opt to just buy them something, but my brother would always want to make something special. And he was never arrogant about his work either, he would always ask your opinion and would change every detail if you mentioned it might be off. His sensitivity about his art was apparent, as he was never confident of his finished project. Everything to him was a work in progress.

Of course his creative powers were indicative of a greater general intellect that surpasses most of ours…I believe the greatest challenge Colin’s mind undertook was to understand himself. And I think he succeeded. He was so in tune with his emotions and his state of mind. He tried so hard to understand why he felt the way he did, and in doing so, learned so much about himself. His laughter was rare, but always genuine.

Unlike many his age, Colin understood the importance of family and their love. He just often chose to ignore it. He once told me: “I am so lucky to have the parents that I do, no one else would have put up with what I put them through.” He always knew he was loved, and we always knew that he loved us…

So, in conclusion, I would like all of us to gain a mental image of Colin. Close your eyes if it helps you focus. No doubt most of you are envisioning a young boy, reckless, mischievous and raw. But I want you all to look deeper, past the superficial impres-sions. Take that young boy and graduate him into a man–a thinker, philosopher, creator, a lover–the man who he envisioned himself and would have wanted all of us to envision him.”Colin is survived by his parents, Jim and Jacquie Parker, and brother Nate Parker CdeP 2003.

frieNDs

JeroMe h. “Jerry” BerensonJerome H. “Jerry” Berenson, former presiding judge of Ventura County Su-perior Court, former president of the County Board of Education and County Bar Association, and past President of Thacher’s Board of Trustees, died Feb. 5, 2008, at the age of 93.

Jerry graduated from UC Berkeley with majors in English, history, and political science in 1935; he then earned his law degree from Boalt Hall. After serving as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he moved to Ventura County, where he lived for the next 61 years. He was city attorney for Port Hueneme, president of the County Bar Association in 1960, a member of the state Judicial Council and the Navy League, and founding partner of the law firm Nordman & Berenson, where he practiced general law. He was regarded as “the prototype of what a judge should be and how a judge should act,” said attorney William H. Hair, hired by Berenson’s law firm in 1962, shortly before Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown appointed Jerry to the bench. After five years, his fellow judges elected him presiding judge. He continued to serve in that role for 15 years, until he retired in 1982 and opened a judicial mediation service. He received the Ben Nordman Award for community service, and the Ventura County Star-Free Press, predecessor of The Star, editorialized that his retirement ended “one of the most-distinguished careers in Ventura County.” A large tapestry of the state seal in Courtroom 22 was commissioned in his honor.

Jerry joined Thacher’s Board of Trustees in 1965 and was appointed presi-dent from 1973-78. It was during his tenure as president that the School ex-plored and ultimately decided to become a co-educational school.

Jerry’s survivors include his wife of 60 years, Carolyn; their sons Jeffrey CdeP 1968 of New York, New York, and Craig CdeP 1972 of Los Angeles; and three grandchildren.

JaVIer BrIones BorrayoJavier Briones, who worked for Thacher’s Maintenance Department from Sep-tember 1988 until March 2005, died in Bakersfield on March 17, 2008. He is survived by his wife Josefina, and two sons, Javier, Jr., and Rene.