Coming Home: Reunion Reports
Members of 15 SPS forms returned for Anniversary Weekend to celebrate five-year anniversaries. Here they share their stories of reflection and reconnection.
Form of 1943: 75th Reunion
(L. to r.): Win Shiras, Norm Walker, and Kit Kittredge.
Three returning members of the form of 1943 led the Alumni Parade, including Norm and Marie-Eve Walker, Kit Kittredge, and Win Shiras (with wife ConnieLou). The form’s 75th anniversary was enhanced by the joyful presence of Kit’s daughters, Kit ’74 and Marny ’76, along with their spouses, Sid and Sam.
Win and ConnieLou Shiras traveled from Palm Springs, Calif., having recently returned from a European vacation. At dinner at the Rectory on Saturday night, those in attendance raised a glass to our friend Hugh MacRae, who had to cancel due to health reasons. Also discussed at dinner was former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. John Gilbert Winant (Form of 1909), who was a history teacher when the fathers of Win and Norm were students at SPS. A park adjacent to SPS on Fisk Road serves as a memorial to him, and we hope the principles he stood for will endure.
Sadly, the Alumni Service of Remembrance in the Chapel on Saturday morning mentioned four of our form who recently died. We spoke of old friends who have gone long before their time. Several members of our form died in the Battle of the Bulge, bravely serving our country. The Second Lesson at the service was from St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans, urging them to “live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty . . . do not claim to be wiser than you are.” If St. Paul were alive today, he would be sending this to Washington, D.C.
Norm recalled skating on the pond and remembering good times with friends at St. Paul’s. “At my age,” he said, “you begin to really think very hard about the experiences you had in your youth. I come back here every five years to see old friends.”
Form of 1948: 70th Reunion
(L. to r.): Pete Coley, Porter Hopkins, John Stinson, Hezy Sprague, Burt Closson, Clacky King, Herb Barry, and Ollie Wolcott.
Leading the Alumni Parade through School grounds on June 2 were the Forms of 1948 and 1943 and their significant others, walking and limping their way to the Matthews Hockey Rink. At the front of the Parade was Burt Closson and his delightful daughter, Lucie ’75, who stole all our hearts, Hezy Sprague and his partner, Diane, along with Patti and Porter Hopkins, Herb Barry, Sandy and Clacky King, Daren and John Stinson, the Wolcotts – Ollie and Linda, and Dick and Lou Sawyer. Bringing up the rear were Pete and Panda Coley, who got stuck (with no advance warning) in the middle of yet another parade in Concord, the LGBT Gay Pride March. Our plate was as full as it gets that day.
Among those intending to come were Harry and Genie Havemeyer (attending their granddaughter’s graduation in California), and Diana and George Hambleton (his son was quite ill in California). Sorely missed also were Molly and Pete Gurney. Pete’s death in 2017 ended an unprecedented annual output of first-rate plays that are still being produced worldwide. Some of us were fortunate enough to attend his tribute in 2017, surrounded by theatrical royalty that filled a Broadway theater.
Another literary classmate, Mike Arlen, declined to attend, but wrote his reasons in what one would call deathless prose. “I shan’t be attending our 200th Reunion this June, although I’m guessing that the British Square of Infantry (as I see the Form of 1948) must now be sadly depleted by fusillading from many quarters, and not a little cannonading besides, but the truth is that my own health is not so bad, all things considered, matters work best when I stick closer to base and don’t travel. In many respects, older age seems no different than any other ages we have passed through, sometimes dancing, sometimes trudging, in the sense that each decade has brought with it sometimes surprising difficulties and equally surprising pleasures, with most of them being lived in that hazy in-between stage called ‘real life’ and the same holds true these days, just different difficulties and different pleasures.”
Herb Barry described his return to St. Paul’s in simpler terms, “Well, I feel nostalgic, I guess.”
Form of 1953: 65th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Pete Bostwick, Wright Olney, Nellie Aldrich; row 2: Derick Nicholas, Tim Clark, Jim Hammond; row 3: Peter Swords, Ben Williams, Brewster Righter, Read Charlton, Paul Phillips; row 4: Jim Van Alen, Peter Paine, Grayson Murphy, and Norm Marsh.
The Form of 1953’s 65th reunion photograph illustrates about as well as a picture can the good fellowship between all 15 returning members and their wives. Attendees included Dee and Nelson Aldrich, Pete Bostwick, Read Charlton, Tim Clark, Didette Van Slyck and Jim Hammond, Mitzi and Norman Marsh, Grayson Murphy, Harriet Ballard and Derick Nicholas, Alicia and Wright Olney, Patty and Peter Paine, Paul Phillips, Bruce Righter, Brenda and Peter Swords, Bonnie and Jim Van Alen, and Ben Williams.
There was a relaxed, friendly, and reflective mood with all who returned. Several of the form members participated in a discussion of the substance and subsequent consequences of the sexual abuse lawsuits, as presented and discussed by Board President Archie Cox, Jr. ’58 and Rector Mike Hirschfeld ’85. At the dinner held in Sheldon, the Form of ’53 had the pleasure of hearing from the Rector, plus talks with good Q & A from Vice Rector for School Life Theresa Ferns ’84 and Director of Athletics Dick Muther.
Ben Williams spoke of the fond memories returning to the grounds evokes. Ben recalled fondly the kindness of the Rector’s wife, Helen Kittredge, who often shared morning tea with him as he suffered from homesickness as a First Former. “If it hadn’t been for her,” Ben said, “I don’t think I would have made it. I return because I’m grateful for what the School did for me. And it’s an opportunity, because none of us are young anymore and I’m not going to see a lot of these guys, so as long as I have the opportunity to get back I’m going to do it – and clearly it happens to be the best form in the history of the School.”
Form of 1958: 60th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Henry Chalfant, Dave Barry, Ed Thorne, Rob Bowler, Calvin Farwell, Tony Nicholas, Boyd Dyer, Lars Egede-Nissen, Patrick Rulon-Miller, Bob Lukens, Ellis Wisner; row 2: Jim Corbett, Stew Richmond, Reuben Rich, Dave Ross, Allan Ayers, Em Sanders, Tom Jay, Harry Armistead; row 3: Peter White, Larry D’Oench, Fred Winthrop, Chris Clark, Guy Rutherfurd, Archie Cox, Frederick Appell, Pony Auerbach, Sam Bailey, Jay Hatch, Phil Bradley, Tom Lloyd, Andy Hall, Bart Wilcox, and Zandy Clark.
A pre-reunion, in Norwich, Vt., at form headquarters (the charming Norwich Inn) kicked off the 60th reunion festivities. Twenty-five members of the form, plus 12 wives and partners gathered on Wednesday evening, May 30, for a reception at the inn. Some had a moment of difficulty recognizing those who hadn’t appeared at a recent reunion; Ed Thorne had not been back since the 20th, and Zandy Clark was back for the first time ever. Pre-reunion attendees included Frederick Appell and Nancy Gardner, Jay and Marolyn Hatch, Pony Auerbach, Tom Lloyd, Allan and Joanne Ayers, Bob and Betsy Lukens, Sam Bailey, Reuben Rich, Rob and Jana Bowler, Dave Ross, Jon Butler, Guy Rutherfurd, Phil Bradley and Jan Frankman, Em and Susie Sanders, Zandy Clark and Sheila Olmstead, Wyllys Terry and Marianne Lee, Archie Cox, Ed and Melanie Thorne, Larry and Nancy D’Oench, Peter and Susie White, Boyd Dyer, Ellis Wisner, Lars Egede-Nissen, Calvin Farwell, and Andy and Ginny Hall.
After breakfast, Thursday began with a meeting for alumni, where we had a chance to speak about what was important in our lives; wives and partners had a separate meeting, where research on longevity informed participants’ narratives. Friday included a tour of the Augustus Saint-Gaudens historic site in Cornish, N.H., where some of the sculptor’s most famous work was on view. Lunch followed at Simon Pearce in Quechee Falls, Vt., where form members toured the glass-blowing workshop, then headed to Concord. There the group expanded to include Harry and Liz Armistead, Tony and Olivia Nicholas, Dave and Jane Barry, Stew and Carolyn Richmond, Henry Chalfant, Patrick Rulon-Miller and daughter Sarah Dennis ’92, Jim Corbett, Bunny and Lane Terry, Chris and Bunny Clark, Bart and Cathou Wilcox, Tom and Becky Jay, and Fred and Susie Winthrop.
On Friday afternoon everyone was glad to see the arrival of retiring form agent Patrick Rulon-Miller, with his daughter, Sarah ’92. The Form then attended a special 1958 memorial service at the Old Chapel, where the names of the form’s deceased members were read and the School Prayer was recited. It was a solemn but affirming time. The School hosted a dinner for 1958 and all the other reunion forms from the 55th (1963) all the way back to 1943. Rector Mike Hirschfeld ’85 and our own Archie Cox welcomed everyone.
The Saturday meeting in Memorial Hall was replaced by a memorial service in the Chapel, where the choir (buttressed by alumni) sang “O, Pray for the Peace.” The Alumni Parade followed, where form members waved red pennants declaring “The Greatest Class – 1958.” The message brought smiles and shouts from spectators lining Rectory Road. A high point of the day was the “stressless paddle” (not a race) on Turkey Pond, led by Guy Rutherfurd, with seven other stalwart oarsmen. The Common Man Restaurant was the site for a gala occasion, highlighted by the form’s usual auction, where dauntless auctioneer Em Sanders once again raised money for the Form of 1958 Scholarship Fund. Tony Nicholas recited an ode he wrote for the occasion and form director Phil Bradley presented a church offering plate, suitably engraved, to Patrick Rulon-Miller, marking his 30 years of service as form agent. The “greatest class” applauded heartily! All were reluctant to leave this final event, and many affirmed the hope of regrouping in 2023.
Form of 1963: 55th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: David Gordon, Jim Taylor, John Groman, Henry Livingston, Bart Baldwin, David Allan, Alan Irving, John Ahlgren, Jerry Nelson; row 2: Cassius Webb, Bill Wright, Ryland Howard, John Gaines, Steve Orr, and Dave Evans.
A picturesque New Hampshire weekend greeted the 16 returning members of the Form of 1963 at Anniversary. Attendees found a vibrant campus and a welcoming student body, some in the throes of SATs and others on the brink of Graduation. Friday night included a dinner in the Upper, where Board President Archie Cox, Jr. ’58 and Rector Mike Hirschfeld ’85 welcomed the various forms in attendance. Conversations ran from 1957 First Form Lower School stories to the present. Henry and Susan Livingston with their daughter, Julia ’20, caught us up on SPS in 2018. John and Pat Gaines trumped all the proud grandparenting stories, revealing that they have six great-grandchildren. Present jobs, recent retirements, travel plans, and golf handicaps filled the evening’s conversations, which continued into the wee hours at the Holiday Inn. Some remarkable distances were logged to attend; David and Kaki Allan from California, Ryland Howard from Texas, and Jim Taylor from Montana.
Saturday morning found many at the Alumni Chapel Service, where Cassius Webb delivered an eloquent homily, extolling the sense of community that SPS has successfully nurtured through the years. He went on to praise the wisdom, wit, and whimsy of St. Paul. Emotions ran deep with “O, Pray for the Peace” and the Last Night Hymn which was followed by the reading of alumni lost during the past year. This included Stan Hatch, Shelley Schoellkopf, and John Ahlgren’s brother, Steve ’68. Later at Turkey Pond, Bart Baldwin, Dave Evans, Ryland Howard, David Gordon, and Henry Livingston cheered on the Halcyon and Shattuck crews. Evans and Gordon reminisced about their Halcyon barge slamming into the bridge at the 1960 Anniversary races. Gordon played Isthmian baseball the next spring. In 2018, as the crews dismounted from their horse-drawn wagons, the Halcyon pennant and oar ascended the flagpole.
At dinner that evening, John Groman and Henry Livingston led a spirited discussion about SPS 1957-1963 as well as SPS in 2018. John Ahlgren challenged the School to be more relevant in current global issues. There was also a “Where’s Renny?” moment; no one has seen him since 1962. Groman and Ahlgren proudly regaled with stories of their many demerits, detailing the masterful brinksmanship it took not to get tossed out by Rector Warren. Board President Cox stopped by to update everyone on the progress of the new Rector search. He was most optimistic about the caliber of the applicants. As dinner wound down, Jerry Nelson summed it up, “I’m amazed how well we all seemed to get back into the flow as if it were 55 years ago. Judy and I are looking forward to the 60th, God willing and the creek don’t rise.”
Form of 1968: 50th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Randy Johnson, Jim Woodward, Chip Waters, Bill Benson, Rick King, David Tandy, Dean Auslander, Dave Humphreys, Don Fearey, Mark Andrews; row 2: Mary Armstrong Morgan, Steve Bandeian, Bill Pappas, Haven Holsapple, Will Whetzel, Eric Pope, Bill Barker, Cam Kerry, George Marvin, Ben Maguire; row 3: Jonathan McCall, Barclay McFadden, Frank Rue, Rolly Redmond, Boone Porter, Craig McNamara ’69, Ron Russell, Doug Hodsdon, Chuck Eaton, Bruce McMillan, Alex Deland, Deane Evans, Nick Sullivan; row 4: Tim Belton, Bill Hoehn, Tucker Hood, Walter Brown, Tim Megear, Will Rogers, Tom Shortall, Andy Young, Dave Sayward, Walker Wainwright, Shel Sheldon, Jim Colby, Dick Furlaud, and Jim Robinson.
For the third consecutive Anniversary, the Form of 1968 gathered at the Inn at Mill Falls in Meredith, N.H., for four days of togetherness. Early arrivals played a round of golf on Thursday, May 31, at Bald Peak Colony Club in Melvin Village, N.H. An afternoon gathering at The Docks was followed by dinner at Church Landing at Mill Falls. Friday included various activities, from enjoying the water at Lake Winnipesaukee to hiking to golfing to exploring the mountaintop estate at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough.
The form enjoyed a Friday night dinner at SPS with Rector Mike Hirschfeld ’85. Saturday was full of the traditional Anniversary activities, including a memorial service in the Old Chapel, which many of 1968 considered a highlight of the weekend for the opportunity to honor friends no longer here. “The highlight of our 50th reunion was the Saturday afternoon memorial service for our classmates,” said Bill Pappas. “The deep affection we shared was palpable as heartfelt, elegant, and humor-lightened tributes were offered for the likes of Morgan, Roberts, Stewart, Fonvielle, Tait, and Gray.”
Boone and Maggie Porter welcomed formmates to their home in Center Sandwich, N.H. for Saturday evening cocktails and dinner – another highlight of a wonderful weekend together. The dinner was a sumptuous catered affair with perfect weather. “We had a terrific time during this 50th reunion,” said Tom Shortall, “and wished only that everyone had participated. I can’t imagine that any part of the entire weekend could have been improved upon unless we had an extra day.”
Form of 1973: 45th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Charlie Marburg, Mark Walsh, Andy Carpenter, Molly Wheelwright, Sil Read, Linda Holt Fairchild, Heidi Horner, John Campbell, Katherine McMillan; row 2: Clive Altshuler, Sarah Cecil, Rob Deans, Alex Kulch, Homer Chisholm, Will Neilson; row 3: Mike Prentice, Gary Hodder, Rick Kidder, Joel Backon, George Estes, Rich Jenkins, Ladd Connell, Spero Latchis, Alden Stevens; row 4: Hull Fulweiler, Lili Andrews, Q Belk, Griff Griffin, Hal Granger, Jeremy Wintersteen, Pete Homans, Horace Henriques, and Bill Matheson.
Forty members of the form attended overall and proudly set a record for the amount the class raised for the Annual Fund. Q Belk traveled all the way from New Zealand and rallied Clive Altshuler, Mike Prentice, Bob Stuart, Rich Jenkins, Alden Stevens, and Mark Walsh to spend two nights at the Mount Washington Hotel just before the reunion for some hiking in the Presidential Range. Scott Taylor and Linda Fairchild came from the West Coast. Rick Kidder admitted to some butterflies at seeing old friends and formmates. “I’d had so many life changes that I was actually nervous about coming back,” he said. “That melted away immediately, and I felt so welcomed.”
Joel Backon created a wonderful slide show of pictures from 1973, which brought back many fond memories for all. The form laid a memorial rock, created by Dave Coggeshall, for Steve Perkins at the site of one of his favorite spots at the bridge at the head of the Lower School Pond. Seven of the 20 girls in the form came back and rekindled old friendships forged by their special bond. They included Katherine McMillan, Sarah Cecil, Linda Fairchild (Holt), Sil Read, Molly Wheelwright, Lili Andrews, and Heidi Horner. Roberta Tenney and her husband, Rod, were the form’s guests at the Saturday night dinner, where four form members gave five-minute talks about what they’ve been up to since graduating. Heidi Horner talked about her career in pharma, which culminated in her being the lead scientist on the leading drug used to treat MS. She introduced Rob Tenney, who was such an important mentor to many of the girls. Ladd Connell talked about his overseas postings while serving in the State Department. Sil Read read from her book, Mothering and Daughtering, and talked about the seminars she conducts with her daughter on this topic. Scott Taylor told everyone about the thrills and perils of being a screenwriter in Hollywood.
“The thing I love about SPS reunions,” said Al “Griff” Griffin, “is the reconfirmation that the people I went to school with were good people.”
Form of 1978: 40th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Lisa Kent Nitze, David Myers, Sarah Chubb Sauvayre, Ariel Blair, Nancy Weltchek, Alex Wettlaufer, Andrew Shaw, Linda Richards, Leslie Groves, Electra McDowell Lang, Angus Beavers; row 2: Curtis Bohlen, Edie Farwell, Alec Montgomery, Nancy Bigelow, Richard Schloss, Anne Bartol Butterfield, Nora Tracy Phillips, Izzy Nieves Salaman, Katie Thayer McCammond, Jason Selch; row 3: Carolyn Revercomb, Chip Olney, Cynthia Crosby, Chris Schiavone, John Cooley, Sandy Burchill, Cloyd Laporte, Lita Remsen, Lisa Henriques Hughes, Jon Old, Standish O’Grady, Tom Luz; row 4: David McGinnis, Mitch Kelly, Frank Hunnewell, Jordie Hawley, Jon Sweet, John Tweedy, Earle Simpson, Andrew Rose, Arthur Bingham, Kevin Foley, Thor Thors, Joe Greer, Tim Steinert, Andy Goodspeed, and Sam Parkman.
Twenty members of the form, along with a few spouses, two children, and retired faculty member George Carlisle, met on Friday, June 1, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston for lunch and a spectacular interactive tour of the museum led by Quinny Zimmerman, the museum’s director of visitor learning. “I enjoyed the room with Isabella Stewart Gardner’s portrait,” Sara Weil wrote after the weekend, “where we each picked a prompt out of a cigar box, searched for an object that embodied the prompt in the room, then explained our choice. It offered the opportunity for everyone to hear each other’s matured voices speaking their personal points of view and something about their life experiences.” That night, Earle and Rhonda Simpson and their two children hosted nearly the full contingent for a scrumptious dinner under a tent in the beautiful back yard of their home in Bedford, N.H.
A total of 63 form members, spouses, and children celebrated the bond of 40 years at Concord Country Club on Saturday night, where there was dinner and dancing to the music of the incredible band assembled by bass player Paul Eddy and singer Katie Thayer McCammond, featuring not only their stellar musical talents but the comeback of dormant-too-long singer Leslie Groves, whose rendition of “Killing Me Softly” did just about that to all who heard her beautiful voice for the first time since 1978. Several members of the form traveled long distances to be there, including Nancy Bigelow (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Tim Steinert (Hong Kong), plus others from Washington, Utah, California, Texas, and Florida. Members of the form who returned to SPS after many, many years away included Nancy Bigelow, Cynthia Crosby, Andy Goodspeed, Mitch Kelly, Lisa Kent Nitze, Standish O’Grady, Isabel Nieves Salaman, Chris Schiavone, Andrew Shaw, and Sara Weil.
Many attended the moving Saturday morning Service of Remembrance at the Chapel, featuring the Prayer for Repentance, led by the Reverend Richard W. Belshaw ’75 and composed by him, along with the Reverends Valerie Minton Webster ’76 and Alice Courtright. Alumni should read the text of that powerful prayer (p. 36) as evidence that the School is owning up to the troubles in its past that have been lately revealed. Forty years down the road, former varsity first boat stroke Kevin Foley proved he still has what it takes, by breaking his (wooden) oar in two during the first stroke of a racing start in the ’78 alumni boat. Several members of the form, not rowing or otherwise engaged in organized sports activities, spent Saturday afternoon swimming in Lower School Pond. “The sun shone beautifully and the quiet pond view was as natural and stunning as we remembered it,” wrote Nora Tracy Phillips. “We got to feel like when we were students; not like aging alumni being shown the place on tour.”
Many attendees had either never been to a reunion or had not come for many years. What seemed evident was that the primary benefit of age, in the form’s collective case, is that it has dissolved boundaries that adolescence wrapped around groups. The Form of 1978 has become a more cohesive, more socially accepting, and appreciative unit in 2018 than probably ever before. “To most of us,” said Nora, “coming back to St. Paul’s School now feels like coming home, in the best of all ways.”
Form of 1983: 35th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Michael Stubbs, Jocelyn Hutchinson Sand, Annie Lederer Duke, Lisa Cluett Thors, Icy Hanley Frantz, Tod Brainard, Hanako Yamaguchi, Sallie Bryan; row 2: Jack Pirozzolo, Dave Victor, Sara Dennis, Ingrid Crawford Hunt, Susan Barto Emery, Dana Emery, Kate Hanley Durand, Romey Pittman; row 3: John Bohan, Stew Murchie, Doug Masterson, Diane Vivona; row 4: Matthew Baird, Jos Nicholas, Brennan Starkey, Rodney Bolden, Jeff Mallas, Fiona Fulton Sanders, Emily Hewitt Rhinelander, and Eric Jacobsen.
Michael Stubbs flew in from Florence the night before and hit the ground running early Friday morning. He collated “Together” T-shirts for distribution, inspired by Rodney Bolden and designed by Sara Dennis; delivered 1,000 teal silicone bracelets printed with the first line of the School Prayer (in solidarity with victims of sexual violence); and coordinated arrivals for the caterer and band. Michael said it was wonderful to see Kate Hanley Durand, Jeff Mallas, and Doug Masterson as they checked in to their hotel, fresh off the links, West Coast style. Before racing headlong into a weekend of festivities, form members gathered at the Tracy Theater on Friday evening for a somber moment of reflection to remember friends lost and to honor those who have suffered sexual violence. Thanks went to Matthew Baird for imagining this tranquil space so many years ago.
“It was wonderful to share the genuine bonds of deep affection shared over so many years,” Michael said. Ingrid Hunt and Dave Victor both returned to campus for the first time since Graduation. Chatting together over dinner at the Athletic and Fitness Center, the reunion ranks swelled with new arrivals: Hanako Yamaguchi (with husband Thanos and daughter Kaia), Romey Pittman (with daughter Bizzy), and Fiona Sanders (with son Blake). Lisa Thors Cluett and Tod Brainard rallied several formmates to rise early on Saturday morning for the Fun Run through the woods. Nursing a sports injury, Cluett nevertheless finished at the head of the pack, wearing her Third Form club athletic shorts. Later, at the Parade, Rodney Bolden, Icy Frantz, and Bill Bennington joined the group. At lunch in the hockey rink, all cheered for Charlotte Bennington ’18, daughter of Bill Bennington, Katherine Emery ’18, daughter of Susan and Dana Emery, and Reece Jacobsen ’18, son of Eric Jacobsen. Carol Moheban also arrived during the lunch, fresh off her on-call rotation at Lahey.
By the time attendees trekked up to Turkey Pond for the Saturday-evening lobster bake and dance, the group was 52 strong, including ’83 alumni, their respective spouses, children, and in-laws, plus special guest George Carlisle. Charlie McKee flew in from Puerto Rico for the festivities. In speaking with many of the formmates, Michael Stubbs said he gained an awareness about St. Paul’s that he’s been developing on and off over the years. “We belong to a community steeped in a long tradition of common decency – of doing what is right, what is kind,” he said. “That tradition is not simply passively received – we are its torch bearers. Personal goodness is an inside job, but it’s also something that is and can be strongly influenced by outside forces. Insofar as we nurture our own goodness, we are undoubtedly better as a collective whole.”
Form of 1988: 30th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Kit Tangen, Sarah Kim, Blair Pillsbury Enders, Jessica Thompson Somol, Sarah Bernstein Jones, Andrew Carter; row 2: Grinnell Morris, Lydia Sanders Smyers, Wilkie McCoy Cook, Christine Pillsbury, Alison Manolovici Cody, Caroline Gilman La Voie; row 3: Zander Packard, David Lukens, Scott Davidson, Hannah Bond Isles, Tim Kelly; and row 4: Brian McCormack.
Sarah Jones heard nothing but rave reviews of the form’s 30th reunion. Attendees brought enthusiasm and excitement for getting together. “Our group wasn’t large,” said Sarah, “but we were tight.” Returning form members enjoyed catching up Friday night at Cheng Yang Li in Bow, N.H. Among the Saturday highlights was the form’s presence at the Boat Races. Zander Packard organized a Form of 1988 boat, filled out with a few random young rowers when he couldn’t muster a full eight. Scott Davidson proved that coxing, like riding a bike, is one of those things you never forget.
“We got ourselves into the Schley (still seaworthy after all this time) and were off,” reported Sarah. “We beat our nonexistent opponents by open water and finished off by throwing our cox into Turkey Pond.” Several members of the form are parents to current students, including Alison Cody, mother of Isabel ’20. “It’s a really wonderful, nurturing place,” said Alison of SPS today, “and I think it’s become even more that way than when we were here. Actually, this weekend it’s nice to be here because every time I come to visit here it’s her school, but this weekend it’s actually my school again, so it’s a special thing.”
It was a treat to have some first-time reunion attendees in attendance, including Sarah Kim and Tim Kelly. Huge thanks go to Caroline Gilman LaVoie for the time she spent to ensure a fantastic reunion.
Form of 1993: 25th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Madeline Wang and alumni children; row 2: Nicole Nash, Amanda Friedman Li Hope, Amelia Bruce Zelnak, Annie Musumeci Silvestro, Liz Alter, Weezie Smith Goff, Lisa Hunter Rasic, Shoshanah Yehudah, Meg Barker Moore, Taisha Lewis, Charlotte Martin Smith, Han Amarasingham; row 3: Ed Smith, Megan Coles Zug, Kate Barber Jernigan, Charlotte Pharr Vishnyakov, Orsi Gorgenyi, Rosy Keyser, Page Sargisson, Yi-Da Ho, Sarah Orban Salati, Josh Crosby, Adrian Smith, Maury Lineberger Finger, Steve Lemay, Kristine Kaneko, Mike McCormack, Justin Rhoades, Austin DePree, Isabel Roberts Corbin, Ted Shergalis, Phoebe Engel Lindsay, Katie Thatcher Shields; row 4: Andrew Otocka, Andrew Marshall, Ian Simmons, Jason Woodard, Jason Hanni Grenfell-Gardner, James Jarrett, Mills Chapman, Fred Winthrop, Anthony Anderson, Gamal Sakakeeny-Smith Smith, Chris DeCenzo, Ben Saunders, Tom Sheehan, Jim Hathaway, and Sam Callard. At reunion, but not pictured: Pete Walmsley and Margaret Smith Warden.
It was wonderful for the Form of 1993 to be back together after 25 years. So many traveled from near and far to reunite. Orsi Gorgenyi came from Budapest after not having been back to the School since her Fifth Form exchange year. Amanda Li Hope came from London. Kendall Cook Sekula unfortunately missed her flight, so we didn’t get all the Londoners. Chris DeCenzo brought his son, Corsa, since he will be entering the School as a Third Former in the fall – the first of hopefully many offspring from the form to attend SPS.
Josh Crosby and Fred Winthrop were housed in Josh’s camper van on campus for the weekend. Supposedly their wives were set to come, but then came back from their shared book club in Manchester and each said they thought their husbands would “have more fun without spouses.” There was a huge 25th reunion showing at the boat docks. Maury Lineberger Finger, Orsi, Weezie Smith Goff, Rosy Keyser, Isabel Roberts Corbin, Sara Orban Salati, Ian Simmons, Austin DePree, Ted Shergalis, Charlotte Pharr Vishnyakov, Jim Hathaway, and more were all out there swimming together and showing the little ones where the “Jesus rock” was. The form filled two boats with rowers, though one boat seemed to be full of first-timers, while the other had Josh Crosby, founder of Indo-Row, as stroke. Saturday’s dinner at the Audubon Center on Silk Farm Road was a blast, according to Page Sargisson, with children running around everywhere playing tag.
Form of 1998: 20th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Ali Quade Spring, Javier Hidalgo, Ed Pena, Sarah Pena ’00, Tye Campbell, Pat Fox, Liz Brandt Bozek, Mark Bozek, Conner McGee; row 2: Ed Ferman, Stefan Karlsson, Inger Karlsson ’00, Antonio Javier Lora, Pharon Thomas Dinstein, Margaret Winterkorn-Meikle Meyers, Jennie Belcher Maxon, Kate Walker, Dana Chapin Anselmi, Terna Tilley-Gyado, Hilary Knipe Swank, Blair Baldwin, Eddie Bluemel, Bruce Young, Ben Flynn, JP Berkery; row 3: Quincy Gambrell, Andrew Bleiman, Natty Clapp, Andy Gustin, Charlie Smith, Will Dick, Jimmy Crumpacker, Matt Hayes, Will O’Boyle, Richard Thieriot, Chris Eastland, Alex Healy, and Pete Ransmeier.
It was a treat to be back together, and returning form members could not seem to squeeze in enough time for reminiscing. For two nights in a row, 20th reunion revelers closed down The Draft in Downtown Concord. Highlights of the Form of 1998’s return to Concord to celebrate two decades as alumni included the glorious row on Turkey Pond for Ed Ferman, Ben Flynn, Jimmy Crumpacker, Charles Smith, and Nathaniel Clapp. Connor McGee delivered a huge check (sorry!) to a younger opponent in the men’s lacrosse alumni game. Those with children were so engrossed in reconnecting with old friends that a group of rogue five-year-olds fed flowers from the fresh flowerbeds at the Colby Hill Inn in Henniker, N.H., to the goats while their parents were distracted.
The form looked like a cohesive unit as returning alumni rocked the Chris Eastland-designed Form of 1998 T-Shirts. The shirts, offered in red, black, white, and gray, featured a large 1998 over a large 2018, with the School shield in the middle. Pharon Thomas Dinstein, who attended with her husband and daughter, spoke for the entire form when she said, “It’s like we never left; we started where we left off.”
Form of 2003: 15th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Devina Luhur Willard, Andrew Kim, Irene Ma Kim, Meg Ford; row 2: Laura Keeler, Audra McFarland, Michelle Dodge, Ben DeLoache; and row 3: Thomas Ho.
The Form of 2003’s fifteenth reunion attendees included Ben DeLoache, Irene Ma Kim, Andrew Kim, Michelle Dodge, Margaret Wyman Robidoux, Devina Luhur Willard, Audra McFarland, Simon Parsons, Meg Ford, and Laura Keeler. A fantastic reunion kicked off with the Alumni Parade, where the kids (eight of them) had fun holding the ’03 banner as they walked with their parents down Rectory Road. Some of the attendees toured the new buildings on campus, while others went down to Turkey Pond for the Boat Races, where Halcyon was victorious. They then cooled off in the afternoon with a swim in Turkey Pond and an impromptu trip to Beech Hill Farm for homemade ice cream. Saturday night featured a dinner at Concord’s Red Blazer. It was the perfect spot for reminiscing and reconnecting.
Ben DeLoache traveled from San Francisco, where he works as a programmer for Google. He spoke of the nostalgia he felt as he walked around School grounds. “As I walk around the campus,” he said, noting that there are not so many Paulies out on the West Coast, “I think of all the memories I have in that particular place, and the people who were here at that time. It’s a great way to reconnect with the past.”
Form of 2008: 10th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Mike Daly, Andrew Lewis, Will Ahmed, Justin Ang, Fred Vennat, Tom Hearne, Jamie Wilson, Annabel Tory, John McClure, Kate Shaper, Esther Kwon, Jordan Rountree, Cecily Sackey, Kai Neo, Ashley Crutchfield, Christina Moon; row 2: Iffer Beisswenger, Trent Blossom, Andrew Peabody, Jason Bourgea, Will Morris, Diego Nunez, Lucy Soderberg Bannon, Campbell Cannon, Heather McCarrick, Whitney McAniff, Marley Brown, Will Duncan, Terrence Ma, Bronwen Callahan, Sam Walsh; row 3: Libby Spalding, Esteban Torres, Tony Ferraro, Hugh Koeze, Dialika Sall, Michael Wong, Chris Tai, Ben Karp, Rob Deans, John O’Brien, Min Koo, Brooke Romansky, Sam Johnson, Perrin Duke; row 4: Meherazade Sumariwalla, Lela Paultre, Stephanie Crocker Ross, Andy Hsu, Hanchen Lu, Megan MacColl, Dorothy MacAusland, Peter Gamber, Andrew Tilt, Chris Gebauer, Cam Velasquez, Ellie Roberts, and Grant Wilson.
It was a happy group who returned to SPS to celebrate a decade as alumni of the School. Attendees from far away included Terrence Ma and Chris Tai from Hong Kong and Kai Neo all the way from Singapore. The form originally planned to do karaoke at Beijing & Tokyo in Downtown Concord after dinner, but eventually ended up next door at The Draft on Main Street, before placing a late-night Checkmate Pizza order back to the Comfort Inn.
Saturday afternoon found a strong showing of formmates at the Alumni Games and Boat Races, while others went looking for old forts in the woods. Some took a dip in Turkey Pond after the races. There was an intense game of Ultimate Frisbee during the Flagpole Ceremony, which saw the Form of ’08 thoroughly dominate a group of current students by a score of something like 10-2. Cecily Sackey, Heather McCarrick, and Whitney McAniff reminisced about being back at SPS. Cecily described the feeling of her return as “surreal.” She remembered fondly her life in the dorms, getting ready for Seated Meal, participating in Fiske Cup, swimming in the pond. “It’s weird being back,” she said, “seeing what’s changed and what hasn’t changed. Also, seeing students doing things you used to do.”
The Saturday-night dinner at the Red Blazer in Concord was so enjoyable and everyone was so engrossed in catching up with formmates that the restaurant had to pry the 2008 contingent out at the end of the night. A group of more hardy revelers led the charge to Penuche’s in Downtown’s Eagle Square afterwards. Heather and Whitney said being back on School grounds felt like being home again. “I return,” said Heather, “because this was my home for four years and you always go back home.”
Form of 2013: 5th Reunion
(L. to r.), row 1: Thomas Brew, Luc Marrie, Colin Mackintosh, Clark Jennison, Lou Henriques, Antonia Chapman, Charlotte Cooley, Julia Davis-Porada, Emily Bresnahan, Beth Anne George, Grace Plachy, Deirdre Collins, Carter Ballentine, Susannah Cooley, Kristin Ramcharan, Adrielle Jefferson, Connor Drinon; row 2: Elouise Cram, Lucy Marshall, Tucker Albright, Sarah Garvin, Tamara Bascombe, Caroline Griffiths, Alice Fort, Ellie Holmes, Julia Reiley, Suren Nannapaneni, Alex Kim, CK Kim, Nate Hawley, Connor Crutchfield, Maxwell Ettelson, Kenneth Postigo; row 3: Jack Israel, Flurin Domenig, Charles O’Neill, Greg Zaffino, Anna Kimball, Joey Howard, Michaela O’Connor, Charlotte Ward, Akaash Agarwal, Anna E. Belk, Perry O’Connor, Jonathan Eustache, Ethan Rheault, Raven Young, Perla Montas; row 4: Jacob Ruttenberg, Cort Weatherley-White, Spencer Washburn, Spencer Gorsch, Kobby Adu-Diawuo, Jon Linen, Matthew Fisher, Denzell Jobson, Ali Walton, Christian DiGiacomo, Josh Ward, Ryan MacDonald, Lia Keyser, and Ona Obiorah.
More than 50 percent of the Form of 2013 traveled to Millville from near and far to attend the five-year anniversary. After the Friday dinner in the Athletic and Fitness Center, attendees met up at Beijing & Tokyo in Downtown Concord for drinks and karaoke. The rousing rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Kobby Adu-Diawuo and Connor Drinon was definitely a contender for highlight of the evening. On Saturday after the Parade, form members spent the day swimming in Lower School Pond, attending the Boat Races, participating in Alumni Games, investigating the Friedman Community Center (in the old Hargate) and simultaneously reminiscing over the legendary Tuck Shop. Akaash Agarwal reflected on the opportunity to reconnect with the School and the alumni community.
“It’s amazing to be back and reconnecting with classmates, and also getting to meet people from other forms, and different alumni from different places,” he said. “Being here, I have so many small memories that definitely have influenced and shaped my life thus far.” The form wrapped up the weekend at Tandy’s in Downtown Concord, dancing the night away before being treated to a pizza feast provided by the one and only Checkmate. Throughout the weekend, everyone was in awe at the beauty of the campus. As the weekend wrapped up, plans were already being formulated for meet-ups in New York and elsewhere.