The section was updated January 22, 2018. Please note that deaths are reported as we receive notice of them. Therefore, alumni dates of death are not always reported chronologically.

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1936 John “Pervis” Milnor, Jr. 

A celebrated educator and doctor, who also shined on the tennis court, died at home in Memphis, Tenn., with his family around him, on November 13, 2017. He was 99. Born on Belvedere Boulevard in Memphis on March 4, 1918, to John Pervis Milnor of New York City and Mary Fargason Falls of Memphis, he spent his childhood in Memphis and on his father’s farm in Smithdale, Ark. Dr. Milnor knew from the age of five that he wanted to be a physician.

He came to St. Paul’s from the Pentecost-Garrison School as a Fourth Former in the fall of 1933, following two uncles, Edward Falls (Form of 1916) and John F. Falls (Form of 1918). He was a member of the Debate Team and the Rifle Club, played football for Old Hundred, and rowed with Shattuck. Tennis was a lifetime sport for Dr. Milnor, who won the School tennis championship and spent his summers participating in tournaments. He graduated magna cum laude.

Dr. Milnor received his undergraduate degree from Yale in 1940. He earned his M.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. In 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Called to active duty in 1943, he served two years as a battalion surgeon in the infantry in the Southwest Pacific. His unit was involved in two invasions as well as the Leyte, Cebu, Mindanao, and Luzon campaigns. He remained active after the war and became Division Surgeon of the 39th Infantry Division with the rank of Lt. Colonel. In 1941, the same year he enlisted, Dr. Milnor married Margaret Ivy Bass of Memphis and Holly Springs, Miss. Together the couple raised three sons, J. Pervis Milnor III, Walker, and Burton, and a daughter, Margaret.  

Dr. Milnor served his internship on the Harvard Services at Boston City Hospital under Nobel Laureate Dr. George Minot. He participated in a Harvard-Yale research team under Nobel Laureate Dr. J.P. Melnick to investigate the epidemiology of Poliomyelitis. This work contributed substantially to the development of the polio vaccine. After completing his residency at Boston City Hospital, Dr. Milnor went to work at Harvard’s Thorndike Memorial Laboratory on a Harvard Research Fellowship. He was then awarded a National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship in cardiology and set up Tulane Medical School’s cardiac catheterization program in New Orleans. 

In 1959, following a lifetime interest in teaching and medical education, Dr. Milnor took a position as chief of medical services and director of internal medicine education for Baptist Memorial Hospital. Under his guidance, the training program flourished, becoming one of the better teaching programs in the country and one of the three teaching arms of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dr. Milnor was appointed clinical professor of medicine and went on to earn many distinctions in his field. He was selected to be on the Residency Review Committee and was chairman of the American Medical Association’s Advisory Committee on Graduate Medical Education. He was the one of the founders and, later, president of the Association of ProgramDirectors in Internal Medicine.  

Dr. Milnor was a member of the Council of Medical Societies of the American College of Physicians, the Council of Academic Societies of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the House of Delegates of the Tennessee Medical Association, and the Dean’s Advisory Committee of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the American College of Cardiology. 

His wife, Margaret, predeceased Dr. Milnor in 1995. In 1996, he married longtime friend Katherine Wooten Springs. The couple divided its time between homes in Vero Beach, Fla., and Memphis. When he retired in 1999, Dr. Milnor was able to pursue his many other interests. He was an active sportsman and avid outdoorsman. He was a member of Section 16 Duck Club and owned a rice farm in Arkansas, which raised ducks. He continued his accomplished tennis career, winning city, state, and Southern tennis championships and earning a national ranking. He also was a private pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings.  Dr. Milnor is survived by his wife, Katherine; his son, Burton Hamilton Milnor, and his wife, Gail; his son, Walker Ivy Milnor, and his wife, Gregg; his daughter, Margaret Milnor Mallory, and her husband, Bart; his daughter-in-law, Vonda Everett Milnor; 12 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. He was predeceased in 2015 by his son, J. Pervis Milnor III.

1942 Edward Bennett “Ted” Close, Jr.

A corporate lawyer and sportsman, who lived a long, wonderful life, died on December 7, 2017. He was 93 years old.mMr. Close was born in Greenwich, Conn., on June 7, 1924, the son of Edward B. Close and Elizabeth Taliaferro Close. He entered the world along with his twin brother, William T. Close ’42. The family moved to Paris when the twins were three. Mr. Close attended Summerfields School in Oxford, England, and Harrow School in London, before completing his education in the United States. 

With his family eager for the boys to return to the U.S. as the war escalated in Europe, Mr. Close enrolled (along with his brother) at St. Paul’s School as a Fourth Former in October of 1939. He was a member of the Forestry Club, the Rifle Club, the Missionary Society, and the Library Association and served as treasurer of Le Cercle Français. He competed in football and hockey with Delphian and rowed with Shattuck. He also was an excellent skier.

Mr. Close attended Harvard for a year, where he was a member of the Owl Club. He enlisted in the Naval Air Corps in 1943, and flew off the carrier Roosevelt in WWII. After the war, he transferred to Yale, where he was a member of the Fence Club, Book and Snake, and editor of the Yale Daily News with William Buckley. He was an excellent athlete, playing on the Harvard soccer team (beating Yale) and the Yale soccer team (beating Harvard). As a college senior, Mr. Close was captain of the Yale ski team that went to the intercollegiate races in Aspen in 1949, where he met Anne Merryweather, an avid skier and his future wife. The couple was married on November 25, 1950, and together raised two children, Montgomery and Eleanor. 

After graduating from Yale, Mr. Close worked for the foreign office of Corn Products Refining, stationed in Hamburg, Germany. He and Anne later moved to Colorado, where he earned a J.D. from Denver University in 1955 and later became a partner of Hughes and Dorsey, a prestigious Denver law firm. He practiced business and banking law, and won a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. As Mr. Close spoke several languages, he also represented clients with foreign interests. He served on the board of directors for several banks, including East Bank of Colorado Springs, First Denver Mortgage Co., First National Advisers, Inc., and First National Bancorporation, Inc. Mr. Close also served on the board of Denver Chicago Trucking and as a trustee of the Denver Art Museum for 10 years, during which time the Gio Ponti building was completed. 

An avid golfer, Mr. Close was a member of Round Hill Club, Denver Country Club, Augusta National, Cypress Point Club, Castle Pines Golf Club, and Gulf Stream Golf Club. He was an active member of USGA Seniors, serving on the board for eight years and running the tournament at Castle Pines. He also enjoyed sailing, hunting, and fly-fishing. Ted Close is survived by his wife, Anne; his son, Montgomery Close; his daughter, Eleanor Close Kraft; four grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends. Mr. Close’s niece is the actress, Glenn Close. He was predeceased in 2009 by her father and his twin brother, William T. Close ’42. 

1942 Owen Winthrop Roberts

former U.S. ambassador to Togo and longtime agent of the Foreign Service, died on June 10, 2017, in Redwood City, Calif., where he had recently relocated with his wife, Janet, after many years in Washington, D.C. He was 93. 

Born in Ardmore, Okla., on March 29, 1924, he was the son of Sylvia Goddard Roberts and Thomas C. Roberts of the Form of 1917. Mr. Roberts followed several family members to Millville, including his father and uncles, Walter V. Roberts (Form of 1911) and Richard B. Roberts (Form of 1928). His brother was Frederick G. Roberts ’45.

At SPS, Mr. Roberts earned Second Testimonials as a Fifth Former and served as editor of Horae Scholasticae. He was a member of Der Deutsche Verein, the Concordian Literary Society, and the Acolyte’s Guild. Mr. Roberts played football and hockey for Old Hundred and rowed with Shattuck.

Following his graduation, Mr. Roberts began studies in electrical engineering at Princeton, before enlisting in the U.S. Army, serving until 1946. He landed in Marseille with the 14th Armored Division and advanced up the Rhone Valley into Alsace, to Strasbourg. He was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart for wounds received in January 1945 in France, and an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Purple Heart for wounds received in the spring of 1945. 

After the war, Mr. Roberts devoted his life to diplomacy. His first action was attending a founding conference for the International Union of Students, held in Prague in 1947. This led to a job working on the Yugoslavian Sarajevo Youth Railway and embarking on a solo bicycle trip in 1948 from Beirut through Iraq, Afghanistan, and into India. He returned to Princeton and earned his A.B. He completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in international affairs from Columbia in 1955.

Shortly after his graduation, Mr. Roberts began his career in the Foreign Service as a consular officer in Cairo, Egypt, and then moved on to become a commercial officer in Leopoldville, Belgian Congo (now Kinshasa, The Congo). From there, his career in diplomacy took him to a post as State Department desk officer for all of Africa, followed by postings in Nigeria and Burkina Faso. In 1976, following the Egypt-Israel war, he became deputy director of the Sinai Field Mission. From 1978 to 1979, he served as director of the African Office of the Department of Defense, and from 1979 to 1982 as deputy chief of mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also served as African adviser to the United Nations General Assembly (1983), and as temporary chief of mission in several posts, between 1982 and 1984. In May of 1984, he was appointed ambassador to the Republic of Togo. He returned to the Office of the Inspector General in 1986 and retired from the Foreign Service in 1989.

Mr. Roberts took great interest in supporting the efforts of grass-roots work, particularly that of the Peace Corps and other aid workers focused on international development. He took care at each of his posts to facilitate local projects organized by volunteers. He enjoyed competitive tennis and maintained his U.S. national ranking well into his eighties. Mr. Roberts and his wife, Janet, enjoyed summers post-retirement in Great Cranberry Island, Maine, off the coast of Acadia National Park, where they were beloved members of the community and worked to improve affordable housing and the library, among other efforts.

Janet survives him, along with his sister, Kitty Pierson; his son, Read Roberts ’73, and daughter-in-law, Monique Castiaux; his granddaughter, Gabrielle Roberts; and his brother- and sister-in-law, Dick Pierson and Adeline Roberts. He was predeceased in 1999 by his brother, Frederick G. Roberts ’45.

1942 Robert Emmett Ryerson, Jr.

A veteran of two wars, died on November 19, 2017, in Red Bank, N.J. He was 93 years old. Mr. Ryerson was born in Olivos, Argentina, on April 4, 1924, to Robert and Ruth Ryerson. He grew up in New Jersey, splitting his childhood between Bloomfield, Montclair, and Glen Ridge. He enrolled at St. Paul’s School as a Fourth Former in the fall of 1939. At SPS, Mr. Ryerson competed for Old Hundred in baseball, basketball, football, and hockey and rowed with Halcyon. Like many young men of his generation, Mr. Ryerson served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in the infantry in Europe until 1946.

After returning home, Mr. Ryerson earned his B.A. in economics from Princeton, graduating in 1948. He served his country again, from 1951 to 1952, in the artillery branch of the Army during the Korean War. Mr. Ryerson began his career working for his father in New York City at the Ryerson Oil Company. He left Ryerson Oil after two years and went to work for Corning Glass Works in Corning, N.Y. While at Corning, Mr. Ryerson was the plant production superintendent and later became purchasing director. He left Corning in 1969, and moved his family to Westfield, N.J., where he was the manager of purchasing systems at the Singer Co. in New York. He was active in his community, volunteering with the Visiting Nurses Association and the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Ryerson was predeceased in 1994 by his wife of more than 40 years, Betsy. He is survived by his son, Robert Ryerson III, and his wife, Donna; his son, Howard Ryerson, and his wife, Debra; his grandchildren, Diana, Andrea, and Jacob; and his brother, Richard Ryerson ’45.

1943 Arthur Terry III

Devoted husband, brother, cousin, and friend, died peacefully at his home in Vinalhaven, Maine, on September 16, 2017, in his favorite bed, with his favorite view, and surrounded by his favorite people. He was 92. Born on March 25, 1925, Mr. Terry was the son Melinda Terry and Arthur Terry, Jr. of the Form of 1915. He attended primary and middle school in Holland and had never written a word of English before enrolling at SPS as a Third Former in the fall of 1939. His younger brother, James Terry ’49, recalls the story of his brother’s first written composition in Millville, from which the teacher deducted three points for every spelling mistake. Mr. Terry scored a “1” with 33 spelling mistakes. But in his characteristic “glass-half-full” spirit, he pronounced, “they were just spelling mistakes, so I actually scored 100, the highest score in the class.” 

Mr. Terry was a member of the Cadmean Literary Society and the Glee Club and secretary of Le Cercle Français. He graduated in 1946 from The College of The Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he earned his Bachelor of Naval Science. From there, he worked for a succession of small businesses, specializing in light industrial machine manufacturing and sales as an American representative in Europe. He spent time all over Europe, until finally landing in Paris, where he continued to serve as an American representative while also opening his own business. Except for some earlier years in Connecticut and Indiana, some later years in Massachusetts, and many summers in Maine, Paris was home for most of Mr. Terry’s life. 

Mr. Terry married twice, first in 1952 to Perrine Chan, with whom he had his three sons A.B., Matthew, and Alexander. In 1982, he married his dear Agnes, with whom he raised his daughter, Diane. Both wives were French, both weddings in France, and each lived with him in Paris and the U.S.  A family man, Mr. Terry was the leader of the pack and oldest generation among his cousins and siblings. He enjoyed summers with family in Vinalhaven, where he spent time sailing on his catamaran. He loved to ski and skate and he especially loved music. Mr. Terry learned to play piano by ear and only improved with age. His love of music was an exceptionally important dimension in his life, and he found great solace at the piano. Above all, he loved his wife, Agnes, and his children beyond words. He will be sorely missed for his optimistic, “easy-come, easy- go” attitude. 

Arthur Terry is survived by his wife, Agnes; his children, A.B. Terry, Matthew Terry, Alexander Terry, and Diane Terry; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his first wife, Perrine; two brothers, James Terry ’49 and William Terry ’56; and his first cousin, Perry Trafford ’61. He was predeceased by his uncles, Perry D. Trafford of the Form of 1921 and William B. Trafford of the Form of 1930.

1945 Warner Johnson Banes, Jr.

A devoted teacher, who delighted in making science come to life in the mind of students, died peacefully, surrounded by family, on October 31, 2017, at his home in Houston, Texas. He was 92. Born on October 9, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pa., he was the son of Peggy Rosengarten Banes and Warner Banes of the Form of 1917. Mr. Banes prepared for SPS at Fay School in Southborough, Mass. He enrolled at St. Paul’s as a Second Former in 1940, but left the School after his Fourth Form year to enlist with the Seabees, the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion. He served in the Pacific Theater until his honorable discharge in 1946.

In a letter to Rector Norman Nash, dated October 18, 1943, Mr. Banes wrote: “During the summer months, I worked in an operating room in one of the naval dispensaries out here, and I really enjoyed that more than any other thing I have done while I have been in service.”

After his discharge, Mr. Banes visited his father in Houston and fell in love with the girl next door, Mary Ann McDonald. He graduated in 1949 from the University of Houston and began his lifelong teaching career. His happiest days were spent teaching at St. John’s School, a K-12 independent school in Houston. His classes were legendary for experiments, know-ledge, laughter, and inspiration. In 1976, Mr. Banes married another teacher at the school, Marjory Cross. He was named faculty emeritus by the board of trustees after his 1981 retirement, and given an honorary alumnus award in 2016. He split his time between Houston and Winter Harbor, Maine. 

A lifetime car enthusiast, Mr. Banes enjoyed collecting and restoring old cars, and traveling the highways and byways of America. He was a longstanding member of several car clubs and contributed many technical articles to auto publications. One of his proudest accomplishments was restoring his grandfather’s 1906 Knockabout and sailing the waters around Winter Harbor. He also enjoyed a good round of golf. Mr. Banes was predeceased in 2012 by his wife, Marjory. He is survived by his daughter, Becky Banes; his daughter, Margaret Banes Marshall, and her husband, Howard; his granddaughter, Mallory Parker Psenda; his grandson, McCaleb Marshall, and his wife, Katherine; and five great-grandchildren.

1945 Robert Elwyn “Bob” Preston 

A renowned musical history scholar, talented pianist, and accomplished outdoorsman, died on November 29, 2017, at Goldenview Nursing Home in Meredith, N.H. He was 90.Bob Preston was born in Cambridge, Mass., on March 17, 1927, to The Reverend Richard and Marjorie Preston. He entered St. Paul’s as a Fourth Former in the fall of 1942, where he competed for Delphian and Shattuck and served for two years as captain of the gymnastics team. He studied music at Amherst College and spent summers working for the Appalachian

Mountain Club, stocking huts on Mt. Lafayette and Mt. Madison. He remained active in outdoor pursuits for most of his life, becoming a certified scuba diver and a mountain guide, and fishing and boating whenever he had the chance. He also volunteered as a drug and alcohol addiction counselor. Dr. Preston earned his master’s and Ph.D. summa cum laude from the University of Michigan, where he discovered a love of teaching. His dissertation focused on Jean-Marie Leclair, and Dr. Preston soon became a world authority on the composer, eventually publishing a collection of Leclair’s sonatas. His work also appeared frequently in academic journals and, in what was the highlight of his publishing career, he was asked to contribute 30 articles to a prestigious French musical history dictionary.

Before settling down at Tulane University in 1964, Dr. Preston taught at the University of Oklahoma and Boston University. His proudest teaching accomplishment was creating three courses intended for the layperson with no previous knowledge of music: Bach and Beethoven, Handel and Mozart, and Wagner and Stravinsky. He was twice recognized for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Preston returned to New Hampshire to buy property on Squam Lake, where he built a summer house that became his full-time home after he retired. In 2004, he met the love of his life, Mary Joanne McEachern. The two were married at Church Island on Squam Lake in a ceremony Dr. Preston regarded as the high point of his life. The couple lived in Laconia, N.H., where they enjoyed boating, concerts, spending time with family, and doting on their two Cairn terriers, Collin and Dee-Dee. They also loved to travel. Dr. Preston was predeceased by his wife, Mary Joanne. Survivors include two sisters, Nancy Preston King and Caroline Preston Allison; Mary Joanne’s daughters and their spouses; and many nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

1946 George Sidney “Sid” Fox 

A hydrogeologist and Civil War historian, died peacefully at his home in Campo, Calif., on November 12, 2017. He was 89. Mr. Fox was born on February 21, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pa., the son of Caleb Fellows Fox and E. “Balloch” Richards Fox. Mr. Fox grew up on the farm of his grandfather, Caleb Fellows Fox, in Ogontz, Pa. He attended The Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, before enrolling at St. Paul’s School in the fall of 1942. At SPS, he played football and basketball for Delphian and was a member of Le Cercle Français. He was well liked and known as a conscientious student.

After SPS, Mr. Fox attended Princeton, graduating in 1950 with a B.S.E. in geological engineering. He attended graduate school at Stanford, before pursuing a lifelong career as a hydrogeologist. He spent 40 years, from 1955 to 1995, as a hydrogeologist for the environmental consulting firm Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc. in New York City and Connecticut. He retired in 1996 as executive vice president. Mr. Fox was a member of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the Association of Engineering Geologists, and the American Institute of Professional Geologists.

On January 28, 1956, Mr. Fox married Nancy Kilborne in New York City. The couple welcomed two children, George Sidney Fox, Jr. and Lydia Kilborne Fox. The marriage ended in divorce. Mr. Fox lived in New York City and in Ridgefield and Roxbury, Conn., and spent nearly every summer of his life at the Fox family camp on Little Big Wood Pond near Jackman, Maine. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and the Ridgefield Athletic Association. Mr. Fox spent the final two decades of his life living in Campo, Calif., with his wife of 20 years, Jean. The couple was married on February 1, 1997, and Mr. Fox enjoyed a close relationship with Jean’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Known for his quick wit, loving companionship, and generous spirit, Mr. Fox was an active volunteer in the communities in which he lived. In his later years, he gave his time and generosity to Mountain Empire/Campo Kiwanis, CLEEF, Campo-Morena Village Friends of Library, Mountain Empire Historical Society, among others. He was well-read and an accomplished Civil War historian, amassing an extensive Civil War book collection. He followed Ivy League sports, including lacrosse and football, always rooting for his beloved Princeton Tigers. 

Mr. Fox was a devoted alumnus of St. Paul’s School. He returned for many reunions. On a questionnaire for his 50th SPS Anniversary in 1996, he shared this advice: “Find a job that you love. Keep trying until you succeed at that. I spent 40 active years with my company and loved every minute of it.” He requested that the School Hymn, “Love Divine,” be played at his memorial service. 

Sid Fox is survived by his wife, Jean; his son, George Sidney Fox, Jr.; his daughter, Lydia Kilborne Fox; his grandchildren, Ascentia Fox, Matthew (Aurielle) Fox-Humphreys, Maia Schierberl, and Lauren and Leslie Fox-Humphreys; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Elizabeth B. “Susie” Fox Kaesshaefer; his half-brothers, Caleb Fellows Fox III ’31 and Bernhard Wilmsen Fox ’36; and his half-sister, Helen Wilmsen Fox Delafield. 

1955 Frank Aldrich “Aldy” Edwards II

A lifelong advocate for the value of excellent and ongoing education, died on November 28, 2017, in New Haven, Conn. He was 80. Mr. Edwards was born in Boston, Mass., on May 5, 1937, to Richard Hadley and Grace (Ingersoll) Edwards. He grew up in nearby Cohasset and Concord with siblings Jared ’56, Anne, and Richard. 

He came to St. Paul’s from the Fenn School in Concord, Mass. He sang in the Choir and the Glee Club and was a member of Le Cercle Français, the Dramatic Club, the Missionary Society, and the Acolyte’s Guild. Mr. Edwards played baseball, soccer, and hockey for Delphian and rowed with Shattuck. At Graduation, he was awarded the James Appleton Thayer Medal for interest in and contribution to dramatics. Mr. Edwards went on to Yale, graduating in 1959 with a degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1960 and continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1960 to 1965.  

In 1959, he married Carolyn Van Vleck of Montclair, N.J. The couple settled in Guilford, Conn., and had three children, Anne, Peter, and Eliza. They later divorced. After graduating from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University in 1968, Mr. Edwards pursued a career in banking. He was named senior vice president and York regional administrator of National Central Bank in 1971. 

But Mr. Edwards’s passion was in historic preservation, urban planning, and economic development. In Massachusetts, he worked to create the Architectural Conservation Trust, which funds preservation and redevelopment projects across the state. In Connecticut, as the executive director of the New Haven Downtown Council (1979-89), he was recognized for building effective public-private partnerships to promote mixed-use economic development in New Haven. As executive director of the historic Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Mr. Edwards’s focus was on ensuring that historic preservation and continued use were not at odds. 

An active community participant, Mr. Edwards was a member of Trinity Church in New Haven. He enjoyed choral singing and local theater, had a passion for sports, politics, and games of strategy, and was a dedicated family genealogist. Mr. Edwards was a devoted alumnus of St. Paul’s School and a member of the John Hargate Society, having remembered SPS in his estate planning. 

Mr. Edwards is survived by his daughter, Anne, and her husband, Gary Westerman; his son, Peter Edwards; his daughter, Eliza, and her husband, Doug Burden; his brother, Jared Edwards ’56, and his wife, Clare; eight grandchildren; and many other dear relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his sister, Anne Edwards Winsor Boutwell, and his brother, Richard Hadley Edwards III. 

1955 David Aveling Iams

A writer, who was passionate about antiques and auctions and documenting Philadelphia society, died peacefully in his sleep on November 8, 2017. He was 79 and had been in a period of decline since undergoing heart surgery a year earlier. Mr. Iams was born on March 18, 1938, in Pittsburgh, Pa., to Samuel and Dorothy Iams. He came to St. Paul’s School as a Third Former in the fall of 1951. He was a member of the Library Association, the Cadmean/Concordian Literary Society, and the Debate Team. He wrote for Horae Scholasticae and The Pelican, rowed with Shattuck, and competed for Delphian in cross country, football, and hockey. 

Mr. Iams attended Princeton, where he edited the Princeton Tiger, the University’s humor magazine. He graduated in 1959, was recruited by the U.S. Army Intelligence, and stationed in Verona, Italy. He was discharged as a Lieutenant and went to work as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Mr. Iams returned to the Army and was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany, where he first served as copyeditor and eventually became the entertainment editor for the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

After returning home in 1986, Mr. Iams took a job as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, working his way through the ranks until he became the society columnist. In that role, Mr. Iams covered more than 1,000 events a year, and wrote about people from a diversity of backgrounds

With his shock of white hair, Mr. Iams was recognizable by many, as he bicycled from function to function, covering social events for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mr. Iams retired reluctantly in 2001. In retirement, he wrote for additional auction publications, including the newsletter for the Wheaton Arts Center in Millville, N.J. He also wrote his own personal blog about auctions and antiques, gavelsavvy.com.

“As I said in my final column,” he wrote to St. Paul’s, “the moment to leave a party is when you’ve having the best time.” Mr. Iams continued to freelance, but also spent time “planting potatoes and asparagus, fighting bugs and poison ivy,” and spending time with friends and family at his home in South Jersey. Mr. Iams is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his children, Tony and Sarah; his sister, Alice Kittredge; and his brother, John Iams ’61.

1956 Zachariah Allen III

A prominent international businessman, beloved grandfather, and ardent champion of St. Paul’s School, died unexpectedly on December 22, 2017, at his son’s home in Clinton Corners, N.Y. He was 79. His son, George Allen ’93, was with Mr. Allen when he died. The elder Mr. Allen had been visiting for the holidays and, according to his family, spent his final days relaxing and playing with his granddaughters, including serving as a judge in a cooking competition for a meal that would turn out to be his last. 

Known as “Zee” to his friends, Mr. Allen was born in Providence, R.I., on April 7, 1938, to William Slater Allen of the Form of 1923 and Elizabeth Grinnell (Lawrence) Allen. He attended Moses Brown School in Providence, before enrolling at St. Paul’s as a Second Former in the fall of 1951. He sang in the Glee Club, served as editor of the Pictorial, and was a member of the Acolyte’s Guild, the Dramatic Club, and the Radio Club. Mr. Allen competed with Old Hundred in football, hockey, and squash and rowed with Shattuck. He was awarded the Howe Music Prize at Graduation. Mr. Allen’s grandfather, Philip Allen, was a member of the Form of 1886. Other SPS relations include his brother, William S. Allen ’48, and his cousin, 
Philip Allen ’56. 

Mr. Allen earned a B.S. in physics from Yale in 1960 and, seven years later, an M.B.A.  from Harvard. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserves that same year and served until retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. His long and diverse career began in 1963, when Mr. Allen took a job as a sales engineer for the family company, Allen and Reed, in Providence. He went on to become an associate and, later, executive vice president at F.R. Schwab & Associates in New York City; a principal at Case & Company; and assistant vice president of the Irving Trust Company. Mr. Allen’s expertise earned him an appointment to the Coal Industry Advisory Board at the International Energy Agency in Paris, where he served as executive secretary. He was president of the American Coal Investment Company in New Canaan, Conn., from 1982 to 1991, when he became managing director of Pan-EurAsian Enterprises, Ltd., a position he held until his death. 

That job took him to Poland, where he lived for more than a decade, advising American and British companies about energy-sector investment opportunities in Europe. He returned to Rhode Island in 2002 and transformed Pan-EurAsian Enterprises into an information business, known for publishing a natural gas industry newsletter. In 1967, Mr. Allen married Mary Ellen Harden Bruns, with whom he had three children, Alexis, Eliza, and George ’93. The couple later divorced. In 2000, Mr. Allen married Olga Korol and helped raise her two sons, Venya and Daniel. The two divorced in 2011. He is remembered as a kind and caring grandfather to Dillon, Hardy, Charlie, Annabel, Julia, and Catherine.

The extended Allen family tree intersects significantly with American history. Mr. Allen was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, founder of the settlement that eventually became Rhode Island. His great-grandmother, Elizabeth Ives Slater, was the granddaughter of John Slater, founder of Slatersville, R.I., and great-niece of Samuel Slater, a driving force behind the U.S. Industrial Revolution. His great-great-grandfather was Governor and U. S. Senator Philip Allen of Providence. His great-great-uncle and namesake was Zachariah Allen, a leading Rhode Island philanthropist and founder of Factory Mutual Fire Insurance Company, more commonly known as FM Global. His maternal great-great-grandfather was Alfred Augustus Reed, U.S. Consul to Java during the 1850s.

Mr. Allen was a member of the Newport Reading Room and a communicant of Zabriskie Memorial Church of St. John the Evangelist in Newport. He was a skilled pianist and organist and a talented amateur photographer, rarely seen without a camera around his neck. He read widely and voraciously and enjoyed studying the history of Rhode Island and participating in lectures at the Naval War College. His death surprised Mr. Allen’s friends and formmates and, in communications to the School, they described a man who would do anything, including travel long distances on short notice, to help someone in need. He had a strong sense of duty, a great sense of humor, and what son George describes as “youthful enthusiasm and cheer.” 

Mr. Allen was an active member of the School community throughout his life, serving as form director and main agent for the Form of 1956. In one e-mail to current administrators, he announced the birth of his fifth grandchild and suggested that he was already grooming the new generation of Allens to eventually attend St. Paul’s. At the request of Mr. Allen’s family, memorial donations may be made to St. Paul’s School on his behalf, as it was always his wish to give what he could to the place he so loved.

1956 Prescott “Pete” Evarts, Jr.

Professor of English literature at Monmouth University and poet, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, N.J., on August 28, 2017, with his wife, Janine, by his side. He was 79. Born on April 19, 1938, in New York City, Prof. Evarts was a son of Prescott Evarts of the Form of 1919 and Elizabeth Bacon Bates Evarts. He attended The Buckley School in Manhattan and followed several generations of relatives to St. Paul’s, including his father, his grandfather, Sherman Evarts (Form of 1876), and two great-uncles, Prescott Evarts (Form of 1876) and Maxwell Evarts (Form of 1879). Prof. Evarts’s great-great-grandfather, William Maxwell Evarts (1818-1901), was a U.S. senator, attorney general, and secretary of state.

At St. Paul’s Prof. Evarts served as president of the Concordian Literary Society and was a member of the Dramatic Club, the Athletic Association, and the Library Association. He was a two-time winner of the Hugh Camp Cup and served as secretary of the Sixth Form. As a supervisor in Conover, Prof. Evarts led by example as a strong advocate against hazing and for treating others with respect. He is fondly remembered by all who knew him, from near and far, and from those days on, as a compassionate, decent, and fair-minded gentleman.

A fiercely competitive athlete, Prof. Evarts captained the Isthmian football team (1954-55) and the SPS football team (1955). In his Third Form year, he was moved up to the first Isthmian football team, a testament to his exceptional athletic abilities. He excelled in the classroom, and came to be seen off the field by his formmates as a quiet, modest, and considerate friend, who listened more than he spoke.

He graduated cum laude from SPS, the recipient of a Dickey Prize in English, the Steward Robinson Scholarship, and the Benjamin Rush Toland Prize. Prof. Evarts continued on a path toward scholarly distinction at Harvard, where he majored in the history and literature of Ancient Greece, graduated summa cum laude in 1960, and received the first Andrew Chandler Cummings Prize for the best senior honors thesis. In his thesis, he sought to identify in Aeschylus’s Oresteia a stylistic theme of alternative tightening and loosening of meaning in the choruses. 

Prof. Evarts went on to earn a Ph.D. in contemporary English and American literature from Columbia University, then joined the faculty of Monmouth College in 1966. He was promoted to associate professor in 1969, to full professor in 1980, and served two terms as chair of the Department of English. He was instrumental in the growth of Monmouth and its transition to Monmouth University in 1995. Deeply committed to the teaching of literature, he instilled in generations of students an abiding love and appreciation for the masterpieces that form the core of a liberal arts education. He was a valued mentor and friend to his students and faculty colleagues.

As a poet, Prof. Evarts was widely published in respected venues. Recent poems included “The Destruction of My Great-Great Grandfather’s Punctuation,” “Fog and Stillness,” “Roth,” “Schoolboy Baseball Angst,” “Pickerel,” “Cousin Bert’s Pineapple Tulip Tree,” “Rehearsing a Class in the Waiting Room,” “Conomatic,” and “The Way Home.” He recently completed “The White Death: Arrow to the Heart,” a long erudite and energetic poem that juxtaposes the life of his ancestor, Jeremiah Evarts, with that of President Andrew Jackson, against a backdrop of violence toward Native Americans. The poem, written in measured three-line stanzas, recalls the natural disasters, tuberculosis, and war of that historical period, filtered through the personal lives of those who tried to shape it.

Prof. Evarts continued his passion for sports in college and beyond. As a freshman at Harvard, he won the boxing championship and played on the football team. In the 1960s, he began entering local distance-running races, joined athletic clubs, and completed 17 marathons. He loved running and compared it to poetry, its cadence to the meter of a poem, the world the runner moves through becoming subject and inspiration. He also enjoyed hiking near the old family estate in Windsor, Vt., and in the French Alps. Tennis was the family sport when members gathered at home. Prof. Evarts is deeply missed by his wife of 54 years, Janine Gaubert Evarts; his sons, Christopher and Geoffrey Evarts; his daughter-in-law, Jill Duthie Evarts; his grandchildren, Sylvie, Tatum, and William Prescott Evarts; and his brother, John Dumont Evarts ’67. He was predeceased by his brother, Jeremiah Evarts ’60.

1957 Samuel Dwight Brewster

A man of many talents and interests, of Hones-dale, Pa., and Sarasota, Fla., died on August 8, 2017, near his home in Pennsylvania. He was 78. The son of Warren D. Brewster of the Form of 1919 and Marion M. Brewster of Glen Cove, N.Y., Mr. Brewster was born on March 11, 1939. He prepared for SPS at the Green Vale School in Locust Valley. He entered SPS as a Second Former in 1952. Mr. Brewster sang with the Choir and Glee Club and was a member of the Acolyte’s Guild, Cadmean Literary Society, Propylean Literary Society, Library Association, Art Association, Mathematics Society, Scientific Association, and the Rifle Club. In the Fifth Form, he studied abroad at the Harrow School in England. As a Sixth Former, he served as a supervisor in Conover and earned his varsity letter playing Isthmian football.

After leaving St. Paul’s, Mr. Brewster took a year to bicycle across Europe. Spending most of his time in Germany, he cycled throughout the country and, ever the collector, sent home numerous cases of fine vintage wines, much to the surprise of his unsuspecting family. After returning from Europe, he attended Columbia University for a brief period until the early 1960s, when he bought the 200-acre Yale Farm outside of Honesdale, Pa., and renovated the 1732 farmhouse to its original glory. It was there that he spent most of his adult life, taking on numerous roles and expanding his engineering and entrepreneurial skills.

Very much a self-taught Renaissance man, he was a chicken farmer, a bicycle maker, and a truck driver. Mr. Brewster raised sheep and horses and even became an amateur house designer and architect. For a number of years, he was the voice of Santa Claus on the local radio station, so children could call in to tell him their Christmas wishes.

Mr. Brewster also was active in and outspoken about politics. A lifelong Democrat, he actively campaigned for candidates and was part of the Nuclear Freeze movement of the 1980s. In the mid-2000s, he and his wife bought a home on Sanibel Island, Fla., where they spent their winters for nearly a decade. While on the island, he pursued his artistic passions and created several dozen imposing and interesting ceramic sculptures, which dotted the property and put his stamp on the place. In 2015, they left Sanibel and moved their winter home to a small ranch outside of Sarasota, Fla. where he continued to create art. However, each spring they returned to the farm in Pennsylvania, and it was there that he died after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Eliza, and brothers, Richard W. Brewster, ’60 and Thomas S. Brewster ’52.

1959 Seymour Sanford “Sandy” Saltus

A banker, who loved music and his family, died on July 14, 2017, in Dover, N.J. He was 75. Known as Sandy to his friends and family, Mr. Saltus was born on January 11, 1942, in Morristown, N.J., to Lydia and Seymour Saltus of the Form of 1927. He attended local public schools in New Jersey, before entering St. Paul’s School as a Second Former in the fall of 1954. At SPS, he developed his musical talents in the band and Glee Club and participated in a variety of sports, including crew, football, ice hockey, and squash. He also became adept at target shooting, a hobby he continued to enjoy throughout his life. 

Mr. Saltus was a third-generation St. Paul’s student, described by faculty members as “good natured” and a “thoroughly decent citizen.”  His grandfather, Lloyd Saltus, was a member of the Form of 1883. A number of other family members also attended the School, including his brother, Arthur Saltus ’66. 

Mr. Saltus attended Yale, earning a B.A. in 1963. He joined the U.S. Air Force that same year and served as a Munition Supply Captain until 1968. He then took a job at Bankers Trust Company in Manhattan, where he rose to vice president, before retiring in 1998. In adulthood, Mr. Saltus made frequent trips home to see his parents in New Jersey. During one of those visits, he met Sarah McDougall, the daughter of one of his mother’s friends, who was working in New York City on what she thought would be a short adventure away from her home in England. The two fell in love and were married for 48 happy years. 

He remained interested in music well into old age, and loved the opera. He also enjoyed sailing and spending time near the ocean. Mr. Saltus is survived by his wife, Sarah; his son, Nathan Saltus; his son, Edward Saltus, and his wife, Lauren; four grandchildren; and three sisters, Lydia, Nina, and Sarah. He was predeceased by his brother, Arthur Saltus ’66.

1961 Christopher Paige

An advocate in the fight against poverty for migrant farmworkers and for many others across the State of California, died suddenly on October 7, 2017. He was 74 years old and a resident of Sebastopol, Calif. Mr. Paige was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1943, in Washington, D.C., the middle child of Jason Paige and Patricia Quigley Paige. He spent his early years on his family’s Carrington Farm in Delaplane, Va. He entered St. Paul’s School as a Third Former in the fall of 1957, having previously attended Potomac School in McLean, Va., International School and Institut Lefebvre in Brussels, Belgium, and The Hill School in Middleburg, Va. At SPS, Mr. Paige was known for his gallant spirit and keen intellect. He served as business manager of The Pelican and secretary of Le Cercle Français and was a member of the Athletic Association, the Missionary Society, and the Mathematics Society. He played soccer, squash, and lacrosse.

At Stanford, Mr. Paige played varsity soccer but, more importantly, he met his future wife, Bettina “Tina” Dungan. He fell in love with Tina, and with California, and remained permanently on the West Coast after his 1965 college graduation. He considered Sonoma County the ideal place to live, work, and raise a family. In 1975, while completing graduate studies in U.S. history at the University of California, Berkeley, Mr. Paige took a part-time job as a grant writer in the Vallejo office of the Sonoma County nonprofit, California Human Development (CHD). This was the beginning of what would become his life’s work. Mr. Paige spent his entire career with CHD, rising from chief of operations to deputy CEO, before retiring in July 2017 as CEO, a position he held since 2011. During his years at CHD, Mr. Paige was instrumental in helping the agency move from a single-focus entity to an agency that provided multiple services and advocacy for farmworkers and other individuals in need of help to achieve self-sufficiency. By the time he reached retirement, CHD was serving more than 15,000 individuals in Northern California in the broad areas of employment and training, affordable housing, disability services, and drug-free living. 

Among the many projects he helped to oversee in his tenure with CHD, Mr. Paige said he was most proud of the acquisition of Santa Rosa’s historic Stonehouse, a residential treatment center for women recovering from addiction, and the Ortiz Family Plaza in Santa Rosa, which provides affordable housing for low-income farmworker families. Shortly before his retirement last summer, Mr. Paige told the North Bay Business Journal, “I am so proud of the work we’ve accomplished on behalf of farmworkers and many others who struggle to overcome poverty. To me, this has never been a job, but rather a passion and how I have truly wanted to spend my time.”

Outside of work, Mr. Paige also was an active community volunteer. He served on the board of Sutter Care at Home Hospice program and, for many years, organized a human centipede of runners to benefit that organization in the Volunteer Center’s Human Race. He also served on the board of the Redwood Arts Council concert series in Occidental, Calif., and on the Workforce Investment Boards for Sonoma County and San Joaquin County. In 2005, Mr. Paige received the Dolores Huerta Lifetime Achievement award from The Central Valley Opportunities Center and, in 2017, an Achievement Award from La Cooperative Campesina de California. He was a past president and board member for the National Association for Farmworker Opportunity Programs and received the President’s Award from that organization in 2016. On the night of his passing, October 7, 2017, he was posthumously awarded the Connie Codding Humanist Award by the local organization, Listening for a Change, at an annual awards event.

Mr. Paige was a wonderful cook and host, who enjoyed many other pastimes, including photography, landscaping with California native plants, traveling, and running. Chris Paige leaves his wife of 50 years, Bettina “Tina” Paige; his daughter, Margaret Paige; his son, Matthew Paige; his grandchildren, Caleb, Melia, and Devon Blumenfeld; his brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Marylyn Paige; his sister, Sheila Paige; his brother-in-law, Andrew Dungan, and his wife, Vivian; and many nieces and nephews. 

1968 Stephen Clarence Ahlgren 

Who specialized in the restoration of old houses and barns, and cultivated wonderful relationships with friends and family, died
of acute myeloid leukemia at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., on November 9, 2017. He was 68 years old and his room was filled with friends, family, music, storytelling, and pictures. Born in Manchester, N.H., on July 21, 1949, Mr. Ahlgren was the son of Ellen and Clarence Ahlgren. At SPS, Mr. Ahlgren was a member of La Junta and the Epicurian Society and greeted new students to campus with Maroon Key. He played Isthmian and SPS soccer, lacrosse, and hockey, captaining his Isthmian hockey team as a Sixth Former. 

From SPS, Mr. Ahlgren attended the University of Denver and the University of New Hampshire, and eventually graduated in 1993 from Granite State College, then called the UNH  School of Lifelong Learning. Mr. Ahlgren became a general contractor. In his first construction company, founded in the 1970s as Solar Carpentry, he specialized in building passive solar, super-insulated houses. He continued to design and build solar homes throughout his working life. He built barns in addition to houses and was an active member of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. He also taught math, boat-building, and painting. 

Mr. Ahlgren came into boat-building later in life, and was building his first professional dory for Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, Mass., when he was diagnosed with AML in the spring of 2017. The boat went on to win in its class at the Blackburn Challenge rowing race in Gloucester, Mass., in July. Mr. Ahlgren was a writer, an artist, and an actor. He even produced music videos. He was open to any new endeavor, enjoying where the journey took him. He nurtured relationships with candor, kindness, and humor. He shared, he laughed, and he made breakfast for his grandchildren, although he didn’t do pancakes.

From a young age, Mr. Ahlgren displayed, according to one SPS faculty member, “a tendency to see ideas, issues, and problems in a very large context.” Steve and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Nelson, whom he married in the spring of 1971, bought land in Sanbornton, N.H., and began to live off the grid. The couple’s three children, Josiah, Benjamin, and Kerstin, spent their childhoods learning to live off the land. When his children were young, Mr. Ahlgren’s flexible work schedule left him with time in the winter to play hockey, ski, and groom the driveway for sledding. He is sorely missed. Steve Ahlgren is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, Josiah; his daughter, Kerstin; his daughter-in-law, Jessie; his son-in-law, Sean; five grandchildren; his brothers, David and John; his sisters, Janet and Leslie; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Benjamin, and his nephew, Peter.

 1975 Peter Lyon Dudensing

A beloved music teacher and fierce Boston Red Sox fan, died peacefully at home in Plymouth, Mass., on November 23, 2017. Born on March 21, 1957, to Peggy and Patrick Dudensing, Mr. Dudensing was raised in Duxbury, a coastal Massachusetts town that he would return to often throughout his life. He attended local schools, before entering St. Paul’s as a Third Former in the fall of 1971. Two of his uncles, Richard B. Dudensing ’51 and Edward J. Dudensing ’52, also attended SPS.

Mr. Dudensing played basketball and baseball, and ran cross country. He was a member of the Student Council. Much of his time at St. Paul’s was devoted to music. He served on the Coffee House Committee, organizing weekly gatherings to give himself and other students opportunities to perform. His teachers praised his musical skills and invited him to play the piano at a public ballet performance. Mr. Dudensing spent a term completing an Independent Study Project at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Mass.

He went on to graduate from Marlboro College and, in 1981, earned a master’s in music education from the University of New Hampshire. He accepted a teaching position at The American International School in Surrey, England, where he met his wife, Nicola McCaffrey. Together the couple raised three children, twin sons Chris and Dan, and daughter Lauren.

Mr. Dudensing returned with his family to Massachusetts in 1988 and taught for 20 years at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham. He spent summers in Duxbury and, after retiring, moved there full time to live in a house on the marsh, where he enjoyed beautiful sunsets. He continued to teach music privately and was active in the music programs of the First Parish Church.

In 2010, Mr. Dudensing moved to Plymouth after he and his wife divorced. His apartment was full of records, books, paintings, model ships, and family memorabilia. As his health declined, he continued to share his love of music through Plymouth’s Unitarian Church and the Middle Street School of Music. Survivors include his son, Dan Dudensing; his son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Angela Jones; his daughter and son-in-law, Lauren and Michael Halloran; three sisters, DD Allen, Ellen Strickland, and Elizabeth Udell; and his partner, Susan Gelotte.

1976 William Morrison “Will” Waggaman, Sr.

A man who was unfailingly honest and kind, died suddenly on October 21, 2017, in Washington, D.C., where he had been celebrating his mother’s 98th birthday. He was 59 years old and a resident of Edgartown, Mass. Mr. Waggaman was born in Oak Bluffs, Mass., on July 13, 1958, to Adele and Robert Waggaman. He grew up in Chevy Chase, Md., and attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. He enrolled at St. Paul’s School as a Third Former in the fall of 1972. He was a member of the Athletic Association and the Missionary Society and competed in alpine and Nordic skiing, cross country, and crew. 

At Brown, Mr. Waggaman was a distinguished rower with the varsity heavyweight crew. He earned a B.A. in history in 1980. After college, he started his career in marketing and advertising, living in Connecticut, New York, and Washington, D.C., before moving to Edgartown, Mass., on Martha’s Vineyard, in 2015. For many years, Mr. Waggaman worked for Danone Group, specializing in consumer beverages. Among the titles he held at Danone was VP of worldwide marketing for Evian Natural Spring Water. He left that job in 2003 and moved on to The Ivy Group, where he continued to market beverages, particularly bottled water. He was president when he left the company in the summer of 2017 to pursue work as an independent rowing coach. Mr. Waggaman was rightfully proud of his own rowing career at both St. Paul’s and Brown, whose programs benefited from years of his support. It was a sport that provided him with lifelong friendships, lessons, and strengths. 

A beloved and captivating figure within his circle, with a mischievous and clever sense of humor, Mr. Waggaman was a complicated man; smart, maddening, funny, irresponsible, entertaining, troubled, and sweet of heart. His SPS friend, Michael Ives ’76 often described Mr. Waggaman as his “biggest support” and “harshest critic. Will was a fiercely loyal friend,” he said. In 2016, Mr. Waggaman reconnected with St. Paul’s School formmate Audrey Baird ’78. The two were married on January 25, 2017. Audrey brought much peace, caring, and love to her husband’s life. She helped him get his affairs in order. She made him eat fruits and vegetables. He, in turn, enchanted her with affectionate and funny tales of his life, remembering every detail and embellishing with relish when needed. He loved dogs, monkeys, the New York Jets, and a dozen oysters every night at Alchemy. He was not afraid to point out the imperfections of those in his orbit, but always with a smile and a twinkle in the eye.

In Edgartown in the summer of 2017 in, Mr. Waggaman orchestrated the joyous wedding of his younger daughter, Natalie, as well as the simple and dignified burial service of his son and cherished namesake, Willie, who died in 2016. He was devoted to his children, who also included eldest daughter Christina ’04. More recently, he was content in the quiet of his Edgartown home, venturing out daily to add sparkle to nearby family and friends. The island brought him a great measure of peace. He enjoyed the comforting familiarity, gazing at the South Beach ocean, the lifelong memories generated by his grandparents’ purchase of waterfront property in the 1930s, and the pleasant banter among his many clamorous, abutting relatives. He also used his Vineyard time to keep in touch and meaningfully connect with scores of friends. 

Mr. Waggaman is survived by his wife, Audrey Baird Waggaman ’78; his daughter, Christina Waggaman ’04; his daughter, Natalie Solar, and her husband, David; his mother, Adele Waggaman; his sister, Victoria Knopes; his half-brothers, Alexander Welles, Arnold Welles, and David LeBreton; and many friends. He was predeceased in 2016 by his son, William Waggaman, Jr.

1983 George William Warren Packard 

A kindhearted man, who fought bravely for 21 years against illnesses deriving from a brain tumor initially diagnosed in 1996 died peacefully at Sherrill House in Jamaica Plain, Mass., on October 26, 2017. Mr. Packard was born in New York City on June 30 1965, the son of Peter F. Packard and Jarmila Daubek Packard. His family included many accomplished and colorful members, including his grandmother, Jarmila Novotna, a Czech diva who sang in Prague, Berlin, and Vienna in the 1930s before performing more than 200 times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Mr. Packard’s own creative talents were first recognized in kindergarten with a “Best Dancer” award and later as a gifted singer in choirs, choruses, and a cappella groups.  

He grew up in New York City, three blocks from Central Park, an avid Yankees fan, who attended St. David’s School before enrolling at St. Paul’s School as a Third Former in the fall of 1979. On his SPS application, he listed his favorite activities as “large family get-togethers, playing football with my friends in Central Park, traveling, and giving someone a present they really appreciate.” At SPS, Mr. Packard sang in the Choir and for the a cappella group Deli Line, wrote for The Pelican and served as circulation manager and business manager, played soccer for Isthmian, rowed with the SPS crew program, and was station manager for WSPS. He was a lighting tech on several SPS theater performances and performed in a Fiske Cup version of Jesus Christ Superstar as a Sixth Former. He was unofficially recognized as the best backgammon player in the School. He was praised for being a young man with “an enormous reservoir of warmth and good humor.” His SPS classmates fondly remembered him as “Gentleman George.” He twice earned Second Testimonials and graduated magna cum laude. Throughout his life, St. Paul’s remained a vivid touchstone and Mr. Packard would often reminisce about details of his time at the School and the important friends and teachers with whom he felt such a strong connection.

Mr. Packard continued on to Yale, where he was a history major and sang with the Baker’s Dozen and the Whiffenpoofs. He earned his B.A. in 1987.  On November 13, 1993, Mr. Packard married Louise Campbell Burnham, with whom he remained close after their divorce in 2006. At the time of his marriage, he was working as an account executive at Ketchum Communications, an advertising agency in San Francisco. That same year, 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Packard co-authored the book Central Park: A Visit to One of the World’s Most Treasured Landscapes.

Mr. Packard maintained many strong SPS friendships, including Sandy Hurlimann Herz ’83, Cam Sanders ’83, Eliza Eager ’83, Carole Murray Bonpun ’83, and Jennifer Groman ’83. Richard Kennelly ’83 served as his best man, while George Hinman ’83 Forbes Black ’82, and Alex Wilmerding ’82 were groomsmen in his wedding. The Packards relocated to the Boston area in the late 1990s, settling in Lexington, Mass. Mr. Packard worked in sales and marketing at Dancing Deer Baking Co. Later, he was active at Hancock Church in Lexington and sang with the Lexington Pops Chorus. The lights of Mr. Packard’s life were his children, Daniel (born in 1996) and Anne (born in 1999). His children inherited their father’s love of music, talent for singing, welcoming smile, and kindhearted nature.

In the spring of 2000, Mr. Packard entered a hospice facility, yet his strong spirit and joy for living helped him leave hospice care, recover, and persevere. He was able to see his children grow, be part of their lives, and be present for school graduations, concerts, choir performances, family celebrations, and summer days on Fishers Island. He was admired for his gracious acceptance of his health challenges, his unfailing politeness, and positive attitude. Despite his challenges, Mr. Packard took great pride in being referred to by his doctor as her “miracle patient.”

George Packard is survived by his children, Daniel and Anne; his sister, Jarmila “Jaji” Packard ’79, and her husband, Luther Flurry; nieces Thea and Virginia Flurry; his ex-spouse, Louise Burnham Packard; his uncle, George Daubek ’56; and many other relatives and friends.

1984 Hollas “Lisa” Purcell Rivera

A loving and compassionate wife and mother, died peacefully on October 14, 2017. She was 51 years old and a resident of Woodbridge, Conn. Mrs. Rivera was born in Greenwich, Conn., on March 17, 1966, the daughter of Constance Neher Purcell and Martin Alexander Purcell. She grew up with her older sister, Cynthia, and younger brother, Hunter ’87. She attended Greenwich Country Day School, before her family moved to Palm Beach, Fla., where Mrs. Rivera continued her schooling at Palm Beach Day School, beginning in the seventh grade. While there, she ranked first in her class.

Mrs. Rivera entered St. Paul’s School as a Fourth Former in the fall of 1981. She twice earned Testimonials and was a gifted language student, who spent the summer of 1982 in Spain. She danced in The Nutcracker, played an apostle in Jesus Christ Superstar, and acted in and led the technical and lighting crew for the School performance of Much Ado About Nothing. She sang in the Choir and the Madrigal Singers and was a member of La Junta, the Cadmean/Concordian Society, and Eco-Action. She was well-liked on campus and a favorite babysitter for faculty children. After St. Paul’s, Mrs. Rivera earned her B.A. from Yale, where she majored in film studies. Fluent in five languages, she went on to earn an M.A. from Fairfield University in 1998. In 1995, Mrs. Rivera married Peter Rivera, and was dedicated to raising their three sons, Chase (18), Simon (14), and Miles (10). The couple enjoyed 22 years of marriage until her unexpected death.

A unique personality, known for her wit, vibrancy, sense of humor, and whip-smart intelligence, Mrs. Rivera instinctively made those around her feel loved and appreciated. She considered her years at St. Paul’s School some of the most enriching and stimulating of her life. She is survived by her husband, Peter Rivera; her sons, Chase, Simon, and Miles; her mother, Constance Neher Purcell; her sister, Cynthia Purcell; and her brother William “Hunter” Purcell ’87.

2009 Nicholas St. George Gates

Beloved son, brother, grandson, and friend, who was admired for his leadership, work ethic, and humility, died in New York City on October 24, 2017. Nick was born in San Francisco, Calif., on March 7, 1991, the son of Natalie Bigelow Gates and Courtlandt Dixon Gates ’77. He attended Ross School in Ross, Calif., outside San Francisco, before enrolling at St. Paul’s School as a Third Former in the fall of 2005. Nick entered SPS full of passions. He had earned his black belt in karate, was a certified scuba diver, an avid skier, and played the guitar and steel drums. An engaged and disciplined student with notable intellectual curiosity, Nick quickly earned the respect of his peers and teachers. He worked hard and displayed a humility and sense of humor that belied his exceptional academic talents. He earned Second Testimonials as a Third Former and First Testimonials in his final three years at SPS and was a two-time Ferguson Scholarship finalist. Nick was particularly interested in Chinese language and culture. He was awarded the Dickey Prize in Chinese Studies as a Fourth Former and the Ma Prize for the student most dedicated to the study of Chinese language and culture the following year. With the prize money, Nick was able to spend the summer of 2008 with the School Year Abroad program in China. 

Nick also was a talented athlete, captaining the wrestling and track teams as a Sixth Former. He twice earned All-ISL and All-New England honors in cross country, was an All-ISL wrestler in 2009, and earned the Coaches’ Award for both wrestling and track as a Sixth Former. He was awarded the Frazier Prize in 2008, recognizing him as the top male student-athlete in the Fifth Form. Nick also was a leader in other areas. He served as a Prefect in Armour House, represented the School on the Athletic Association, served as president of the Chinese Society, and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society in 2009. He graduated from St. Paul’s summa cum laude and was the recipient at Graduation of the Benjamin Rush Toland Prize for “intellectual achievement, athletic ability, and a gallant spirit.”

At Harvard, Nick was a freshman walk-on to the lightweight crew, rowing for four years. He contributed to four undefeated regular seasons, one IRA National Championship in the varsity lightweight 4, and two IRA National Championships and Eastern Sprints Championships in the varsity lightweight 8. Nick also was a member of the Porcellian Club. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 2013, with an A.B. with honors in chemistry and a citation in Mandarin Chinese.

Fresh out of college, Nick took a job as an investment analyst at Athyrium Capital Management. From March 2014 to July 2016, Nick worked as an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan in New York City. He next took a job as a private equity associate at Clayton Dubilier & Rice, a position he held for 15 months, until his death. Nick loved skiing, scuba diving, fly-fishing, science fiction films and books, and music. He enjoyed spending time at Point Reyes National Park in California, where his mother worked.Nick is survived by his parents, Natalie Bigelow Gates and Courtlandt Dixon Gates ’77; his brothers, Courtlandt and William; his paternal grandparents, Joan Bryan Gates and Peter Parker McNair Gates ’52; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.