Colby Magazine Volume 112 Issue 1

Vol. 112 Issue 1

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At Colby, we’re expanding the boundaries and stretching the possibilities of a traditional liberal arts education while creating academic programs, research opportunities, and the promise of life-changing scholarship for students and faculty alike.
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Contributors
Kayla Voigt ’14
Tristan Spinski
Colby Magazine Vol. 112 Issue 1 cover
About the cover: Since the beginning of COOT 50 years ago, Colby students have been hiking mountains and engaging in other outdoor adventures as part of their College experience.

Staff

  • Giovanni Aceto
    Web Applications Developer
  • Lindsay Brayton
    Assistant Director of Digital Marketing
  • Jennifer Butler
    Administrative Assistant
  • Ashley L. Conti
    Multimedia Producer
  • Abigail Curtis
    Staff Writer
  • Rosalind Drisko
    Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
  • Lauren Garrard
    Director of Communications Project Management
  • Andrew Herrmann
    Senior Director of Digital Strategy
  • Bob Keyes
    Editorial Director
  • Jasper Lowe
    Senior Multimedia Producer
  • Laura Meader
    Associate Director of Communications
  • Katherine Morrison
    Content Marketing Manager
  • Arne Norris
    Senior Designer
  • Matt Proto
    Senior Vice President
  • Jessica Segers
    Associate Director of Media Relations
  • George T. Sopko
    Executive Director of Media Relations
  • Gabe Souza
    Senior Director of Multimedia Services
  • Brandon Waltz
    Senior Web Operations Manager

Alumni Council Executive Committee

  • Nicholas Cade ’08
    Council Chair
  • Kaitlin McCafferty ’04
    Executive Vice Chair
  • Molly Beale Constable ’92
    Colby Fund Chair
  • Amy Cronin Davis ’08
    Alumni Trustee Search Committee Chair
  • Brady Lenahan ’12
    DavisConnects Chair
  • Catherine Mullin ’11
    Award Nominating, Committee Chair
  • David Stephens ’96
    C Club Chair
Letter from the Editor

Building Communities, Improving Lives

There are no shortcuts to excellence.

This issue of Colby magazine highlights pillars of excellence that distinguish the College, all achieved with vision, commitment, and steadfast work by many people over many years.

At Colby, our efforts revolve around shaping well-rounded, analytical people who use their liberal arts education to navigate an increasingly complex, complicated, and interconnected world to make it better and more hospitable for those who share it and those who will inherit it.

Case in point is Colby’s commitment to civic engagement. The College has long encouraged students to get involved in the community, and that effort took on greater prominence with the opening of the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons in downtown Waterville. Students who live there are required to perform community service. Colby also established the O’Hanian-Szostak Fellowship for Civic Leadership to support community needs in Waterville and throughout Maine.

Fashion Statement

Colby News logo
Makeup and hair artist Juan Alberto Bazan applies finishing touches on model Aila K during a Colby-centric mid-winter fashion show in New York City led by Jack Richard ’25. In a collaboration with the Lyons Arts Lab and the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship, Richard sourced his upcycled denim creations for his collection, Richouthebox Presents GOOD VALUES, from New England thrift stores.

Read Colby News for all the news from Mayflower Hill and beyond.

In This Issue

Outstanding opportunities in the sciences
A touchstone Colby program turns 50
A new residential complex is all about community
Fletcher Schoen ’10 is on a mission

Planting Seeds to Grow a Stronger Community

Colby students have a long history of civic engagement with the Waterville community. In recent years, that connection has grown stronger.
Words by Abigail Curtis
Photographs by Ashley L. Conti and Gabe Souza
A tutoring setting with a group of students sitting at tables, engaged in a learning activities. Crystie Frometa, a Colby student is interacting with one of the students in the foreground.
Crystie Frometa ’27, a psychology and education double major, talks with students at the Albert S. Hall School in Waterville as part of an afterschool science club. The tradition of civic engagement is a part of Colby’s DNA, which encourages students to do their best work outside of the classroom, engage with their communities, and become a positive force in the larger world now and in the future.

Planting Seeds to Grow a Stronger Community

Colby students have a long history of civic engagement with the Waterville community. In recent years, that connection has grown stronger.
Words by Abigail Curtis
Photographs by Ashley L. Conti and Gabe Souza
On a cold December afternoon, the smell of pancakes cooking on a portable griddle and the hubbub of laughter and conversations—sometimes in several languages—made it feel warm and welcoming inside a Waterville Senior High School classroom.

It was the last regular Friday afterschool meeting for the fall semester of Yad b’Yad, a one-on-one mentorship program developed by Colby’s Center for Small Town Jewish Life, and there was clearly a lot to say before the break.

Through Yad b’Yad (“Hand in Hand” in Hebrew and Arabic), Colby students work with multilingual youth from many different countries, offering mentorship and education to many of the more than 100 such students in the city’s junior and senior high schools. It’s the second year for the program, which trains students from the College over a weekend day in the fall on aspects of cultural understanding and much more.

Margaret McFadden flipping through papers

Retiring Provost McFadden: Colby’s ‘Special Sauce’ is What Makes it Great

After 29 years on Mayflower Hill, Margaret McFadden will step down at the end of the academic year
Words by Bob Keyes
Photographs by Ashley L. Conti
Margaret McFadden has many theories why Colby is attractive to faculty. Among them, research opportunities, creative time and space, and resources for teaching and projects of personal interest.

But it’s something intangible that keeps them here.

“I think there is maybe a little of that special sauce here at Colby,” she said. “People who really want to be in a place like this, who really want to be in a community and know each other, and are people who think expansively. They are not just thinking about doing their own work, but they are thinking about how they can do their own work in partnership with other people.”

‘Pinnacle of Athletic Success’ The women’s 4×400-meter relay team brings national title to Mayflower Hill

Colby News logo
The women’s 4×400-meter relay team became national champions at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships at Nazareth University in Rochester, N.Y., in March. In this composite image, Tally Zeller ’26 hands off the baton to Kristina Pizz ’25, who passes it to Kaitlyn Ewald ’27, who turns it over to Fiona Mejico ’25. Click below to read about their accomplishments and other important College news at our digital news site, Colby News.
Photograph by Ashley L. Conti
Dimitri Lin wearing a white lab coat and Nitrile gloves while sitting in a lab
Dimitri Lin ’25 studies the mechanisms behind aging, cancer, and chronic illness. As a Pulver Science Scholar, he has spent his summers interning at major cancer research centers, including the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore.

Pulver Scholars Explore Scientific Possibility

Five years in, the Pulver Science Scholars Program continues to provide outstanding opportunities for undergraduates passionate about the sciences
Words by Kayla Voigt ’14
Photographs by Tristan Spinski
The vision of Colby Life Trustee David Pulver ’63 intersected perfectly with the ambition of the College when they came together to create the Pulver Science Scholars Program.

Pulver wanted to support the next generation of science scholars, while Colby wanted to be at the forefront of liberal arts colleges in providing a rich undergraduate environment for research and the exchange of ideas across disciplines.

With the Pulver Science Scholars Program now firmly established and flourishing, Pulver and the College are both enjoying its success. Colby is able to offer university-level science experiences within the setting of a small liberal arts college, while Colby students are able to work in some of the world’s most prominent scientific research institutions.

A Warm Wilderness Welcome for New Colby Students

The Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, a touchstone Colby program, turns 50
Words by Abigail Curtis
Photographs by Ashley L. Conti
and courtesy of the COOT program
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, or COOT, the touchstone program in which all first-year students start their college experience by spending a few days on an adventure. Those trips can be as strenuous as a backpacking trip along Maine’s high granite peaks or as grounding as a yoga retreat.
A calm lake with a big mountain in the distance. There are some trees along the shore and a canoe with two people on the water. It looks like a peaceful nature scene.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, or COOT, the touchstone program in which all first-year students start their college experience by spending a few days on an adventure. Those trips can be as strenuous as a backpacking trip along Maine’s high granite peaks or as grounding as a yoga retreat.

A Warm Wilderness Welcome for New Colby Students

The Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, a touchstone Colby program, turns 50
Words by Abigail Curtis
Photographs by Ashley L. Conti
and courtesy of the COOT program
When Sally Reis DelGreco ’94 signed up for her Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip, her first choice was canoeing. She didn’t get it.

Instead, she got her second choice, an “intermediate” bike trip that kicked off with a hilly, 50-mile ride from Waterville to the Camden Hills. The experience became a defining moment of her time at Colby, one that connected her to a lifelong best friend.

The summer before college, DelGreco had been riding a lot and figured the intermediate trek would be the right fit. But the first day was so difficult, at around mile 35 she asked the leaders if she could be picked up by the support van. Every day she struggled to finish. But she persevered and found the physical toughness of the experience was exceeded by the solidarity and kindness of her COOT group.

“I give Colby a lot of credit because it is a great way to throw everybody together. We had no technology, we just had each other,” DelGreco said. “And so it was a kind of trial by fire to quickly meet people and make connections. I still look back with fondness on my COOT trip. Even though my butt still hurts.”

Dare Northward is Shaping Colby as a Global Leader

A residential complex under construction on Mayflower Hill is all about community
Words by Bob Keyes
Photographs by Gabe Souza
Illustrations courtesy of Hopkins Architects
view of courtyard in front of building with people and trees
To blend with the landscape of Mayflower Hill, the new residential complex will consist of several connected smaller buildings that are three and four stories and clad with masonry and timber.
Dare Northward, among the most ambitious initiatives by a liberal arts college, continues to reshape Colby. The latest major campus addition is a new residential hall for more than 200 juniors and seniors under construction on Mayflower Hill Drive and slated to open in fall 2026.

Designed with input from current students, the residential hall will feature four-, five-, and six-person suites with single-occupancy bedrooms and shared bathrooms, living spaces, and kitchenettes. The living spaces and common areas are intended to promote social engagement at the individual and community levels, representing the College’s effort to build stronger connections between residential, academic, and community experiences, said Andrew Barnett, principal with Hopkins Architects, the firm that designed the building.

Hopkins was the lead architectural firm for the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, which opened in 2020 and has earned numerous industry accolades. That experience made Hopkins eager to collaborate with Colby again.

Bringing Them All Back Home

Fletcher Schoen ’10 has helped secure the release of U.S. citizens held around the globe, including Evan Gershkovich and Brittney Griner
Words by Bob Keyes
Photographs by Gabe Souza and the Associated Press
On the plane home from Ankara, Turkey, after he had been freed from a high-security Russian penal colony, journalist Evan Gershkovich finally got the chance to sit face to face with one of the people most responsible for negotiating his release.

Though they had never met, Gershkovich, a Bowdoin College graduate, felt a special bond with Fletcher Schoen, the State Department employee and Colby graduate who spent the entire time Gershkovich was illegally held in Russia working to get him out.

In a message to his mother when he learned he would be released from the notorious Lefortovo Prison where he had been held for more than a year on allegations of espionage, Gershkovich made a simple request: “Tell Fletcher to bring his broad American smile and a bottle of whiskey.”

Fletcher Schoen looking off into the distance with a light blue button up covered by a black blazer
Fletcher Schoen looking off into the distance with a light blue button up covered by a black blazer

Bringing Them All Back Home

Fletcher Schoen ’10 has helped secure the release of U.S. citizens held around the globe, including Evan Gershkovich and Brittney Griner
Words by Bob Keyes
Photographs by Gabe Souza and the Associated Press
On the plane home from Ankara, Turkey, after he had been freed from a high-security Russian penal colony, journalist Evan Gershkovich finally got the chance to sit face to face with one of the people most responsible for negotiating his release.

Though they had never met, Gershkovich, a Bowdoin College graduate, felt a special bond with Fletcher Schoen, the State Department employee and Colby graduate who spent the entire time Gershkovich was illegally held in Russia working to get him out.

In a message to his mother when he learned he would be released from the notorious Lefortovo Prison where he had been held for more than a year on allegations of espionage, Gershkovich made a simple request: “Tell Fletcher to bring his broad American smile and a bottle of whiskey.”

Class Notes

60s Newsmakers

Expressive oil painting portrait orientation headshot view of Peter Ketchum, an older man with graying hair and round eyeglasses, rendered in bold brushstrokes with predominantly orange skin tones against a green background; He is wearing a light blue collared shirt
Peter Ketchum ’63
Brooklyn-based artist Peter Ketchum ’63 was the subject of a Magpies magazine Q&A titled “Art as a Bullhorn.” Ketchum’s art “hits us on the head and wakes us up, peeling back the sad, absurd realities of our society,” Magpies’ editor said. ♦ Lifelong painter Mary Sue Hilton Weeks ’66 was the January 2025 Artist of the Month at Maine’s Waldoboro Public Library. Weeks specializes in trompe l’oeil and faux finishing and has been the scenic artist for the Lincoln County Community Theater for more than 20 years, reported the Penobscot Bay Pilot. ♦ Derek Schuster ’67 published Youth in Jeopardy (Red Penguin Books, 2024) based on his 23 years (and counting) of work with high-risk teenagers in Harlem and the Bronx. Schuster is associate executive director and program director at SCAN-Harbor, a youth service provider in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx.

70s Newsmakers

Portrait orientation photograph headshot of Gregory M. Lanza, M.D., Ph.D., an older elderly stage physician with gray hair and eyeglasses as he is grinning while wearing a white lab coat over a blue and yellow checkered button-up dress shirt and a patterned tie; The Washington University in St. Louis Physicians logo is visible on his coat
Gregory Lanza ’75

Matt Miller at WashU Medicine
The BBC interviewed Rob Burgess ’74 about the March 29, 2025, partial solar eclipse, visible in parts of the northern hemisphere. Burgess is an amateur astronomer and president of Southern Maine Astronomers. ♦ Gregory Lanza ’75, M.D., Ph.D. has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Lanza, the James R. Hornsby Family Professor in Biomedical Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is an innovator who has patented numerous nanoparticle-based methods applied in imaging, diagnostics, and drug delivery. ♦ Arthur Levering ’75 released a new CD titled OceanRiverLake on the New Focus label. The CD contains works for orchestra, string quartet, mixed trio, and solo piano performed by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Lydian String Quartet, and others. ♦ The video podcast Radio Maine interviewed Sue Inches ’77 about her environmental advocacy and recent trip to “Cancer Alley” along the Mississippi River. Inches, an author and educator, offers timely insights through her Substack newsletter. ♦ Pauline Belanger Rodrigue ’78 was featured in Franklin County’s Daily Bulldog about her work with the Farmington (Maine) Rotary Club. Because of her commitment to the community and its youth, Farmington Rotary is the “only club in the world that has a continuum of Rotary youth clubs,” the Bulldog reported.

80s Newsmakers

Portrait orientation photograph of Jonathan Salem Baskin, an older man with graying hair, wearing a black button-up dress shirt with white piping and a guitar strap with sun and star designs, playing an electric guitar on a stage with blue lighting behind him and a microphone stand nearby
Jonathan Baskin ’82
Jonathan Salem Baskin ’82 was featured in a Chicago Tribune story about the rock band Mortal Fools, which he formed in 2022. The band adapts classic literature as rock tunes and performs single shows around it. The story ran ahead of the band’s Jan. 15, 2025, performance of “The Odyssey Retold.” ♦ Martha Oaks ’82 is the newly named and inaugural Henrietta Gates & Heaton Robertson Chief Curator at the Cape Ann Museum, where she has worked since the 1980s. “Martha’s commitment to the museum, to excellence and scholarship, has helped elevate CAM to one of the best regional museums in this country,” said Museum Director Oliver Barker. ♦ Stefanie Rocknak ’88 was selected as the sculptor for New Bedford’s statue of Herman Melville at the historic Seamen’s Bethel chapel. “To create a sculpture of truly one of my literary heroes in the city that inspired his greatest work is truly an honor,” said Rocknak, a professor of philosophy at Hartwick College. ♦ Schwilliamz Creative Consultants, a global footwear design consulting firm cofounded by Dean Schwartz ’88, received multiple honors from the prestigious Global Footwear Awards in recognition of its footwear-design prowess and commitment to product excellence, innovation, and performance. Schwilliamz’s designs and industry expertise have been featured in Elle Decor, InStyle, OK!, and CNN Underscored.

90s Newsmakers

Portrait orientation photograph headshot of Jen Millard, who is an older elderly stage woman smiling with short blonde/graying hair pulled back, wearing black-framed eyeglasses and a colorful patterned blouse top, against a solid teal background
Jen Millard ’90
Entrepreneur Jen Millard ’90 participated in Authority Magazine’s interview series discussing “the unique challenges of building a business from scratch.” Hailed as an “energized leader,” the 12th-generation Mainer’s current project, mainelove™, brings her previous experiences back to Maine. ♦ Paul Butler ’93 will be inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. Now the principal at Bangor High School, where he was a basketball star, the 6’ 5” center was named the 1992-93 New England Small College Athletic Conference Player of the Year while at Colby. ♦ Amy Clapp ’94 won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Clapp is a fourth-grade teacher at Salisbury (Vermont) Community School, where her “science contributions … have been the stuff of legend during the past quarter-century,” the Addison County Independent reported. ♦ Steve Higgs ’98 won the Oregon State Bar’s 2024 President’s Sustainability Award. Since 2013 he has been executive director of Senior Advocates for Generational Equity. Higgs was formerly a lawyer with Perkins Coie in Portland.

00s Newsmakers

Portrait orientation photograph headshot of Melyn McKay, a young woman with dark black hair styled with bangs and a low bun, wearing a white collared button-up dress shirt and a delicate necklace, as she is looking slightly away from the camera against a soft white background
Melyn McKay ’08
Steve Bogden ’05 appeared on Grant’s Current Yield Podcast talking about global macro, financial, and geopolitical forecasts. Bogden is an investment and geopolitical strategist who served as an adviser to the late U.S. Sen. John McCain and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. ♦ Filmmaker and journalist Emily Judem ’06 received a 47th Boston-New England Emmy for the piece “Priced Out: What Happens When You Lose Your Home at 72.” She also won a 2025 Gracie Award for the short film “Never Cried: Boston’s Busing Legacy.” Judem is a senior digital video producer with GBH News in Boston. ♦ Justine Ludwig ’08 has been named to the Observer’s Business of Art Power List. Since 2018 Ludwig has been executive director of Creative Time, showing “a determination to make public art a catalyst for urgent societal conversations.” ♦ The Giving Block recognized Melyn Heckelman McKay ’08 as one of the Top 100 Most Impactful People Shaping Crypto in 2024. McKay founded Coala Pay, a platform that uses stablecoins to deliver cross-border aid efficiently and connect donors with grassroots initiatives. In January 2025, Fortune Crypto profiled McKay and Coala Pay.

10s Newsmakers

Portrait orientation photograph headshot of Heidi Minghao He, a young woman grinning with short dark black hair, wearing a dark blue sleeveless dress top and a layered pearl and silver necklace, against a blurred background of a bright sky and city buildings; She is also wearing dangling pearl earrings
Heidi Minghao He ’19
Sam Andler ’12 was featured in a Q&A in the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston about growing up Jewish on the North Shore. As the father of two sons, Andler is “trying to deliver a blissful Jewish existence to a new generation.” He works as director of development at the JCC of the North Shore. ♦ Entrepreneur Nick Zeller ’13 was featured in a Morning Sentinel article about his pop-up bagel shop Sebagel, operating in Maine’s Lakes Region. Zeller is “the type of artisan baker who ‘tweaks’ flavors and his recipes, and said he’s pretty proud of his bagels,” the Sentinel reported. ♦ Sloan Cargill ’15 was included in the Women in Academia Report as the new vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs at Jackson State University in Mississippi and executive director of the JSU Development Foundation, Inc. ♦ Marina Wells ’15 was a guest on the podcast Curious Objects (hosted by Antiques magazine) for an episode discussing scrimshaw titled “Whale Teeth and the Pirate Princess.” Wells, previously the photography collection curatorial fellow at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, is now the museum’s assistant curator of history and culture. ♦ Emma Brown ’16 was named to TIME magazine’s TIME100 Next list, created to recognize today’s most influential leaders who are not waiting long in life to make an impact. Brown is executive director of GIFFORDS, where she oversees the organization’s work to save lives from gun violence through shifting culture, changing policies, and challenging injustice. ♦ Creative technologist Heidi Minghao He ’19 and her collaborators won a gold MUSE Creative Award for their “groundbreaking project” Experiential Shopping Experience for Press-on Nails, a conceptual exploration of AI-powered nail design. Her innovative work has also won a gold dotCOMM Award, a silver NY Product Design Award, and a London Design Award.
Aerial view of a campus with multiple red-brick buildings, including a prominent church-like structure with a clock tower, set among green lawns and trees.
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In Memoriam

’41-’50

Wilfred R. “Dick” Granger ’46, Feb. 6, 2025, in Auburn, Mass., at 102. He earned a master’s in education from Clark University in 1957 and enjoyed a long career as an educator. He began teaching English, Latin, and French at Sherman Mills (Maine) High School and continued teaching at North Brookfield Junior High School. His tenure in Auburn began as principal of Pakachoag School before he became vice principal and guidance counselor at Auburn Junior High. His final position was as principal of Auburn Middle School, from which he retired in 1988 after 38 years. He was an active member of the Rotary Club of Auburn, serving as president for the 1984-85 term and earning the Paul Harris Fellowship for 35 years of perfect attendance. He belonged to the Worcester Country Club and joined senior golfer friends on outings, attended Boston Braves and Red Sox games and collected baseball memorabilia, and loved growing and sharing vegetables. He was married for 71 years, but leaves only a surviving cousin.

Lois Bowers Came ’48, June 6, 2024, in Marblehead, Mass., at 97. After Colby, she did graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley, falling in love with the “City by the Bay.” She also met Clifford Came ’42 following his return from the U.S. Navy in 1951. They married in Boston, and she raised a son and daughter, following her husband to New York City, Chicago, and Simsbury, Conn. She moved to the North Shore in the 1980s and became involved in the arts community. She became a librarian in Arlington, Mass., and at the National Maritime Fisheries in Gloucester. At 64, she studied for her master’s in library science at Simmons College. She possessed a joie de vivre, loved to travel, was an avid golfer (who played her last round at 96), and was the “happiest and proudest” of grandparents. Predeceased by her husband, Clifford Came ’42, she leaves two children, including Pamela Came Barker ’76, three grandchildren, and a brother.

David M. Marson ’48, Jan. 29, 2025, in Dedham, Mass., at 98. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years before transferring to Colby. After graduation, he followed his grandfather and father as the third generation running the family business, NewCan Company, a leader in the production of tubes and perforated components for the filter industry. He was promoted to president of the company in 1976 and retired nearly 20 years later. An active supporter of the College for five decades, he served as chair of the Colby Fund, chair of the Alumni Council, and president and correspondent for his class. He joined the Board of Visitors in 1981 and served until 1985, when he was elected to the Board of Trustees, serving for 12 years. In 1979 he received a Brick Award, and in 1990, the Ernest C. Marriner Distinguished Service Award. He was well-traveled, including making frequent trips to Waterville, and loved to sail his 41-foot sloop Hero. He leaves two daughters, including Deborah Marson ’75; three grandchildren, including Jessica McNulty Sargent ’07 and Mark McNulty ’11; and two great-grandchildren.

Janice McKenney Crossman Murphy ’48, Oct. 19, 2024, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., at 98. In the early 1950s, she moved with her husband, Bernard “Steve” Crossman ’49, to California, where she worked as an elementary school teacher while he was an attorney. They settled in San Luis Obispo and raised their family. She worked alongside her husband in the law office as he built a successful practice. He passed away unexpectedly at 43, but she continued to work in the law office with his partner. She married again in 1982, sharing a passion for camping, ski trips, and international travel with her new husband, Nick Murphy, until he passed in 1991. She remained active later in life, working part time in another law office until age 88. Deeply engaged in her community, she was honored as San Luis Obispo Republican Women Federated Woman of the Year in 2005 for her contributions and commitment. She leaves two children, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Shirley Stowe Sarkis ’48, Jan. 13, 2025, in Glastonbury, Conn., at 99. After raising her children for a period of time, she earned a master’s in library science from Southern Connecticut State University in 1969. She worked for the Town of Manchester as a librarian for many years and ran the Whiten Memorial Library Branch before retiring. A true character who loved reading and listening to classical music, her ultimate pastimes were Mozart and martinis. She was happiest attending the opera at Lincoln Center or a classical music event at Tanglewood. She was a huge fan of Luciano Pavarotti, Puccini, and Verdi. She leaves three children and a grandchild.

Lois Norwood Engelking ’49, Jan. 26, 2024, in Newcastle, Maine, at 96. She pursued many interests and career paths after college, living in New England, Florida, and California. While working for General Electric in California, she met her future husband and was married in 1982. They lived in Washington and New York and settled in her family home in Warren, Maine, upon retirement. She loved being active and enjoyed bicycling, skiing, and hiking. She was the “fun aunt” who played games with her niblings. A lifelong learner, she took art courses and music lessons. She was also a member of the Warren Baptist Church. Survivors include a sister and extended family.

Evelyn Armstrong King ’49, Jan. 18, 2025, in Brunswick, Maine, at 96. Originally from Machias, Maine, she was proprietor of Evelyn’s Tea Room, an ice cream and sandwich shop in Jonesport, during the summers while in college. Her first job after Colby was at the Bath Memorial Hospital as a medical technologist until her marriage in 1951. While being a housewife and mother in Bath, Maine, she was president of the Huse School PTA, Sunday School teacher at the old Central Church in Bath, member of the Morse High School Band Boosters, and band mother. She was also a Cub Scout den mother for eight years and especially enjoyed marching in the Bath Memorial Day Parade with her den. She was a member of the Plant Memorial Auxiliary, the Cosmopolitan Club, and Bath Senior Citizens. She leaves four children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Donald E. Nicoll ’49, April 3, 2024, in Miyazaki, Japan, at 96. He was an architect of the modern Maine Democratic Party and a longtime aide to Senator Edmund S. Muskie and Congressman Frank M. Coffin. He earned a master’s in history and government from Penn State University in 1952 and was a news editor and reporter for WLAM in Lewiston, Maine, when he was tapped to serve as executive secretary of the Maine Democratic Party in 1953. In that role, he and Coffin, a friend and colleague, helped revive the party and propel Muskie into Maine’s governorship. In addition to many roles with Muskie, including senior advisor 1972-96, he was vice president for planning and public affairs at Maine Medical Center (1975-86) and an independent consultant with D&H Nicoll Associations. He led many Maine state committees, commissions, and task forces, was a founding member of the Edmund S. Muskie School Board of Visitors, and was founding president of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation. Committed to social justice, environmentalism, and world peace, he was involved with the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Japanese-American Society of Maine as a goodwill ambassador and host to Japanese visitors. He was visiting his oldest son in Japan from his home in Portland, Maine, when he passed away. Predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Hilda Farnum Nicoll ’49, he leaves four children, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Joan “Jay” Smith Rogers ’49, Aug. 23, 2024, in Bar Harbor, Maine, at 96. A dedicated mother and homemaker most of her life, she also led a life full of activity while living in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. In addition to church-related activities, she and her husband bought and sold antiques, refinishing old chests and perusing yard sales. She was an active knitter, a dedicated diarist, and loved cooking, reading, collecting, and music. Retiring first in Waterville, she was a mainstay in the Waterville Universalist Unitarian Church and its Evening Sandwich Program. She also traveled extensively during this period. Three years after the death of her husband in 2013, she moved to a retirement community in Bar Harbor. She hails from a long line of Colby graduates, including her grandparents, Clarence and Alice White, her parents, Ralph and Marion White Smith, both Class of 1917, and an uncle, Donald White, Class of 1913. Also predeceased by her husband of 65 years, A. Raymond Rogers Jr. ’49, and a brother, Douglas N. Smith ’45, she leaves five children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Jean Desper Fitton Thurston ’49, June 5, 2024, in Nobleboro, Maine, at 96. She began her teaching career in 1959, earning a master’s in education from Worcester (Mass.) State Teachers College in 1962, and spent most of her career at West Tatnuck School in Worcester. She retired to Nobleboro in 1979 and became active in the Baptist Church and volunteered for the historical society, garden club, and Buddies Program at the town’s Central School. She loved painting, gardening, reading, and all sorts of needlework. She leaves six children, including Deborah Fitton Mansfield ’70, three stepchildren, eight grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

Martha “Marty” Jackson White ’49, June 9, 2024, in Cullowhee, N.C., at 96. She did graduate work at the Boston University School of Music for three years following Colby, marrying in 1951 and working for United Airlines in New York City for a few years before moving to New Jersey and starting her family. Later, she worked as a public school music supervisor for more than 20 years. She was active with the Episcopal Church, becoming a licensed lay reader, singing in the choir, serving on the Altar Guild, and being elected vice president of the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Newark. In retirement in North Carolina, she joined the Church of the Good Shepherd and served as a chalice bearer and supervised Christian education. She was also a member of the Western Carolina Community Chorus, which sang in Europe and along the East Coast, and the Cashiers Knitting Club. Predeceased by her husband, Conrad G. White ’49 and her sister Sally Jackson Frailey ’52, she leaves two children and two grandchildren.

Philip P. Dine ’50, April 28, 2024, in Kingston, Mass., at 97. Before coming to Colby, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Panama. After Colby, he spent his career in retail and finance, including with Gorin’s Stores, a Boston-based department store chain, where he served as general manager and company credit manager. During retirement, he spent 10 years as a volunteer at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, Mass. He leaves his wife of 57 years, Barbara, three children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

’51-’60

Elwood “Woody” Gair ’51, June 28, 2024, in Ojai, Calif., at 94. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and then earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1956. He went on to become a successful marketing and advertising executive, working for Colgate-Palmolive, Burry Biscuit, and later for Foote, Cone, and Belding and SSC&B in New York City and Los Angeles. He had a lifelong love for horses, which he enjoyed through the Fairfield Hunt Club and on ranches in Montana and New Mexico. He was an avid competitor in tennis, skiing, ocean competitions, sailing, water skiing, and swimming. In the Pacific Palisades, he was dubbed “the Old Man of the Sea” for his participation in ocean competitions. He leaves four children, including Debbie Gair ’77, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Robert E. Hartford ’51, Aug. 29, 2019, in Duxbury, Mass., at 92. His matriculation at Colby was delayed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps at the end of World War II and served in the South Pacific for two years. After Colby, he was a lending officer at insurance companies and eventually became an investment officer with the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. He raised his family in Topsfield, Mass., and later moved to the Berkshires. He read history and traveled to locations around the country where geological history influenced human history. Survivors include two children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Philip C. Heywood ’51, Nov. 17, 2024, in Portland, Ore., at 95. He enjoyed a 40-year career in the insurance and financial services industry, beginning in Indianapolis and then in Cincinnati, where he became president and CEO of Inter-Ocean Insurance Company. In 1983 he moved to Worcester, Mass., and was named vice president of brokerage sales at State Mutual, retiring in 1991. In Worcester, he was active with the First Baptist Church as treasurer and a board member. He also served on the boards of Elder Services of Worcester, Mass Care Home, and Salem Community Corp. He was also a docent for the Worcester Art Museum. Active with the American Field Service student exchange program, he served as president of both the Cincinnati and Wellesley, Mass., chapters. He was a host father in 1974 and maintained a 50-year friendship with his German host son. Along with his wife, he loved traveling and gardening, was an avid card player of bridge, cribbage, and Oh Hell, and was a devoted father. At age 94, he moved to Oregon to be near his daughter. He leaves three daughters and six grandchildren.

Deborah Smith Meigs ’51, July 24, 2024, in Farmington, Conn., at 95. For the first 10 years after college, she worked jobs in Boston and New Jersey. She married in 1958 and moved to Danville, N.H., buying an 1849 farmhouse, later adding a 19-acre woodlot. She worked for 31 years as the librarian of the Danville Town Library, having earned a library science certificate in 1968. Following a small fire at her house in 1969, she joined the volunteer fire department and by 1979 earned her certification, becoming New Hampshire’s first female certified firefighter. She also served as secretary and treasurer for the Danville Historical Society, as a member of the Village Improvement Society, as a ballot clerk, and on the scholarship committee for the Timberland Regional High School in Plaistow, N.H. She enjoyed genealogy, chair weaving, playing cards (especially bridge), camping, and making memories at the family lake house on Pawtuckaway Lake. She leaves her husband of 68 years, Peter; three children, including Ellen J. Meigs ’88; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a brother, Steven Smith ’63.

David W. Miller ’51, March 7, 2025, in Brewster, Mass., at 95. Inspired by Colby’s geology professor Donald Koons, he went on to a career as a geologist with a focus on groundwater. After earning a master’s degree in geology at Columbia University, he founded a groundwater consulting partnership, Geraghty & Miller, which was involved in the development of water supplies internationally in developing and underdeveloped countries. They expanded to water supply development in the U.S. and provided consulting services on water supply management to municipalities, industries, and government agencies, including the EPA. In the late 1970s, the company broadened its practice into cleanup at contamination sites, including many Superfund sites. Eventually, the company grew internationally and merged with the worldwide Dutch engineering firm Heidemij in 1993, later renamed Arcadis. Known as a pioneer in the field, he authored seminal texts and guidelines for groundwater management, lectured extensively, and was recognized by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) in 1979 with the M. King Hubbert Award and in 1996 with the NGWA Life Member Award. He retired in 1997 and continued consulting work from his home on Cape Cod. In 2000 he designed and built a 12-acre horse farm and equestrian facility, Lever 2 Late Farm, in Brewster, which he owned and operated. A loyal Colby alumnus, he donated paintings to the Colby College Museum of Art and was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001 at his 50th Reunion. He played tennis and golf throughout his life, enjoyed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at his New Hampshire condo, and was an avid sailor. Survivors include his wife, Paula, five children, including Andrew Miller ’80 and Judith Miller Thomas ’82, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Jean MacDonald Peterson ’51, Dec. 29, 2024, in Santa Cruz, Calif., at 96. After college, she worked as a secretary at the Harvard Business School until she decided to drive out to San Francisco with three of her co-workers. There, she got a job at Crown Zellerbach and met her future husband, Richard Peterson. They married in 1958 in Carmel but moved back to the Boston area, where she started her family. After several more moves, she settled in Rio Del Mar, Calif., and raised their family in a beautiful home she and her husband planned and built in Aptos, in Santa Cruz County. She worked for years as a secretary, and then as an office manager for her husband’s private architecture firm, Richard Peterson Associates. She developed a love of weaving and was active with the local community of weavers and craftspeople. She walked Seacliff Beach nearly every day and loved sitting on her deck in the sun listening to the radio. Survivors include two children and her sister, Nancy MacDonald Cultrera ’52.

Charles W. Tobin ’51, Feb. 4, 2025, in Dennis Port, Mass., at 99. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Marine Corps combat medic at the age of 17 during World War II. After three years of service in the South Pacific, he attended Coburn Institute and Colby. In 1953 he earned a master’s in education from Bridgewater State College. He was a biology teacher at Randolph High School for several years and then shifted to sales, where he spent the majority of his career at Boston and Taunton Transportation. He retired in 1993 and bought a large home overlooking Nantucket Sound that had been a guest house for many years. He and his wife opened it as a B&B, the Old Wharf Inn. He enjoyed his role as innkeeper until his retirement last summer at age 99. He spent summers on Cape Cod and winters in Florida for decades. Survivors include a brother, five children, and seven grandchildren, including Jonathan Amadei ’08.

Sally Shaw Cameron ’52, Oct. 28, 2024, in Snyder, N.Y., at 94. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and homemaker in Pompton Plains, N.J., where she lived for 40 years. She also volunteered for many years at Dial-a-Ride. In 1994 she and her husband retired to Snyder to be near their children and grandchildren. The last 30 years of her life were spent caring for her growing brood. Predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Donald O. Cameron ’52, she leaves four children, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a brother.

Russell A. Dixon Jr. ’52, Nov. 19, 2024, in Westchester, Ill., at 93. After Colby, he earned a D.D.S. from Howard University Dental School in 1956. During his senior year, he joined the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command, spending three years on assignment in England, earning the rank of captain, and developing an interest in oral surgery. Back in the United States, he earned an M.S. in pathology from Northwestern University Dental School and a certificate in oral and maxillofacial surgery from Cook County Hospital in 1966. From there, he worked in the Veterans Administration and established a distinguished career as chief of oral surgery at the Jessie Brown VA Hospital for 50 years. He leaves two children and two grandchildren.

Dorothy Thurber Lamphere ’52, March 23, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn., at 93. A homemaker and mother for many years, she began teaching while her children were young. She taught English in Uncasville’s first high school, became certified, and earned a master’s in English from Southern Connecticut State University in 1975. After a 25-year career at the school, she retired to enjoy friends, family, and travel. Survivors include three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Herbert S. Nagle ’52, Feb. 24, 2025, in Bridgewater, Mass., at 95. In September 1952, he joined the U.S. Army and spent most of his two-year stint in Germany. He also played for an all-star baseball team for the Army. Most of his working life was spent in the family shoe manufacturing business, Victory Shoe Company in Brockton, Mass., which he took over from his father. The factory employed between 150 and 200 people, many of them new immigrants. It closed in 1969 with the advent of imported footwear, and he helped to find jobs for people now out of work. For a period, he worked on a part-time basis with a local shoe importer. A standout athlete in high school and college, he was inducted into the Brockton High School Sports Hall of Fame. Later, he played competitive tennis and volleyball. He was active in his community, serving as president of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, member of the Rotary Club, and fundraiser for the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club of America. A loyal Colby alumnus, he served as president of his class for its 50th Reunion and as head class agent for its 60th Reunion. Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Judy Nagle, three children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Barbara Gifford Whitepine ’52, Nov. 18, 2024, in Brunswick, Maine, at 94. She moved to Germany after graduation to live with her husband, returning to the States in 1954 and starting her family. Fifteen years after being a hausfrau, she began working as a secretary to a team of biologists at Brown University. In the 1970s she was introduced to writers Carolyn Heilbrun, Doris Grumbach, and May Sarton, which changed her worldview. She divorced, moved to Maine in 1985, and legally changed her name to Whitepine to honor her love of Maine’s state tree. She worked for eight years as an administrative assistant in the Music Department at Bowdoin College while pursuing a fulfilling life of travel, children, writing, and music. She practiced yoga, played her euphonium horn in community bands, and worked part time for a group that provided services to the elderly. Survivors include her partner, Catharine M. Chase, three children, and three grandchildren.

Quintilio Berasani Jr. ’53, Oct. 26, 2024, in Peabody, Mass., at 94. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for two years at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky and Ft. Jackson in South Carolina. He spent his career in the insurance industry at the Insurance Company of North America, living first in Melrose and then in Marshfield, where he was closer to the ocean. He enjoyed traveling, square dancing, bowling, golfing, playing cards, family camping trips, volunteering at church, and celebrating milestones with family. He leaves his wife of 70 years, Ruth Sheehan Bersani ’53, five children, eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and a brother.

Carolyn English Beane Caci ’53, Jan. 18, 2025, in Peabody, Mass., at 93. She married her high school sweetheart, Joseph Beane, in 1955 and settled in Stoneham, Mass., where they raised their five children. She worked as a librarian at the Stoneham Public Library and attended Salem State University, studying library science. She continued sharing her passion for reading in her next job at the Billerica Public Library, serving as a librarian on its mobile library called Bebo. While at the library, she brought an up-and-coming writer named Stephen King as a guest speaker to promote the opening of the new library. Following her husband’s death, she remarried, to John Caci. They enjoyed their blended family and spent time sailing. In retirement, she worked part time at UMASS Lowell in its Department of Diversity and later moved to Brooksby Village in Peabody, where she continued her passion for music—begun as a child and fostered at Colby, notably through the Colbyettes—by participating in two choirs. She also ran a book club and volunteered. She leaves five children, two stepchildren, 11 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

David W.H. Harvey ’53, May 4, 2024, in Warwick, R.I., at 96. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps after high school, from 1946 to 1948 during the Korean War. After Colby, he earned a master’s of education in guidance from Harvard in 1956 and joined Mitchell College in New London, Conn., as a counselor and psychology instructor the same year. He left to earn his doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut in 1971 and then returned to Mitchell, where he was named dean of students and eventually dean of the college. He retired in 1989 after 28 years at the college. He also served as deacon for the First Congregational Church in New London, and he enjoyed research and writing. A lover of nature, he enjoyed hiking with his grandsons and was an active tennis player. He leaves three children, two grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Helen L. Osgood Keeler ’53, March 26, 2024, in Duxbury, Mass., at 92. A homemaker, mother, volunteer, and philanthropist, she was active with the Alliance of First Parish of Norwell, Seaside Gardeners of Marshfield, and the “Bookworms” of the James Library. She was also a board member, volunteer, and supporter of the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell. She loved gardens, nature, reading, and spending time with family at their Cape Cod cottage. Three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters survive her.

Helen Connolly McAuliffe ’53, March 7, 2023, in Mansfield, Mass., at 91. She was a mother, grandmother, and homemaker who volunteered in her community. Predeceased by her husband, Robert E. McAuliffe ’54, she leaves four children, including Robert E. McAuliffe Jr. ’76; five grandchildren, including Meghan Moynihan ’09; and three great-grandchildren. Her son Mark A. McAuliffe ’79 passed away Oct. 21, 2023.

Paul E. White ’53, Jan. 19, 2024, in Portland, Ore., at 92. A Fulbright scholar at the University of Vienna from 1953 to 1954, he received his doctorate in social anthropology from Harvard in 1964. He joined the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught and researched inter-organizational cooperation in health. He conducted fieldwork in Pakistan and was director of social studies and advisor to the government at the Research Evaluation Center in Lahore. In 1974 Colby awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters following his appointment as chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins’ School of Hygiene and Public Health. Later, he taught at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he had homes in Herring Neck and St. John’s. He laughed often and made others laugh, and he attracted friends who savored his wisdom, stories, and debates on topics such as insulation, etymology, tree pruning, art, and architecture. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Caroline, his former wife, Jean, three children, and four grandchildren.

Robert M. Anderson ’54, June 24, 2024, in Fishers, Ind., at 91. He participated in the ROTC program at Colby and joined the U.S. Air Force as an officer after graduation. He was honorably discharged in 1957. After his military service, he worked with Deluxe Check Printers as a sales representative, eventually becoming a sales manager and recruiting manager. He retired in 1993 after 35 years of service. Hobbies in retirement included restoring his father’s 1912 Stoddard Dayton automobile and woodworking. He was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church, Players’ Club, and the Contemporary Club of Indianapolis. He joined Rock Steady Boxing following his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. He leaves two children, a granddaughter, and a sister.

Judith Weeks Dolan ’54, Nov. 28, 2024, in Peabody, Mass., at 91. She married in 1957 and settled in Middleton, where she raised her family in the historic Ebenezer Styles House, which she painstakingly restored to its original splendor. She was active in the Middleton community and a member of the historical society. Following her husband’s untimely death in 1975, she began a career and business in the antique world. She was proprietor of several North Shore antique shops, beginning with Courtyard Antiques in Topsfield, then a shop in Essex, on Charles St. in Boston, and finally Middleton Antiques. She was well respected in the industry for her keen eyes, professional acumen, and passion for antiques. She was also a journalist and regular contributor with the Tri-Town Transcript and Lawrence Eagle Tribune during the 1970s, writing columns on local Middleton news and antiques. An intelligent woman and lifelong learner, she was an avid reader who enjoyed daily newspapers, Time magazine, and The New Yorker. She took great delight in completing the daily crossword puzzle. She enjoyed animals, cooking, gardening, watching birds, and going to museums. She moved to Brooksby Village in Peabody in 2018. Survivors include two children and five grandchildren.

Gertrude “Trudy” Jefferson Hummel ’54, Dec. 30, 2024, in Findlay, Ohio, at 91. She married in 1956 and entered the working world at the U.S. State Department, helping to settle European refugees. A firm believer in lifelong education, she earned an elementary teaching certificate from Glassboro State College and established the first nursery school in Ocean City, N.J., teaching there for many years before joining the emergency room staff at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, N.J. She lived with her family in Ocean City for almost 30 years before moving near her daughter in Ohio. She enjoyed riding her bike, gardening, reading, watching wildlife, and caring for her grandchildren. Predeceased by her husband, Henry Hummel ’52, she leaves four children, seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

John D. Krusell ’54, April 27, 2024, in Kissimmee, Fla., at 91. After Colby, he served in the U.S. Army for four years and learned to fly while stationed in Texas, including crash landing a plane, learning the life lesson “fly it until it stops.” After military service, he became an insurance agent and broker, running Krusell Insurance Agency in Brookfield, Mass., for more than 50 years. He enjoyed antique cars, especially the 1932 Ford fire truck he restored and drove in countless parades and celebrations. He served his community on the zoning board, historic society, and First Congregational Church and as an election warden. He was a dedicated Rotarian, recording decades of perfect attendance and earning the designation of Paul Harris Fellow. Survivors include three children, including sons Jay ’81 and Stuart ’85, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Janet Fraser Mitchell ’54, Dec. 16, 2024, in Waterville, Maine, at 93. She married in 1973 and began her family. She completed her degree from Colby after years of summer school, graduating in June 1974. While raising her seven children, she worked full time as an elementary school teacher for 25 years, retiring in 1991. Her passions revolved around her love of literature, art, and gardening. She served as a docent at the Colby College Art Museum and was active with the Waterville Women’s Club, Waterville Area Art Association, Waterville Historical Society, and Central Maine Garden Club. She served on the board of directors of the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute and the Waterville Women’s Association and as the warden for Waterville’s Ward 3. She was a voracious reader and member of the Readers Epicurious book club, an accomplished tennis player, and an enthusiastic traveler. The centerpiece of her life was her large family, rich with Scottish and Lebanese heritage and strong Colby ties, including her parents, Paul “Ginger” Fraser, Class of 1915, and Phyllis St. Clair Fraser, Class of 1913, who predeceased her. Two siblings, Mary Louise Woods ’45 and Haddon Fraser ’51, also predeceased her. She leaves seven children, including Mary Mitchell Friedman ’79 and Peter M. Mitchell ’82, 30 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren.

Abraham Allen “AA” Sandler ’54, Nov. 18, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla., at 91. He worked in sales, first for a shoe manufacturer, later for a clay and ceramics importer, where he was a vice president and sales manager, and then ran his own company, A. Allen Sandler Associates. He leaves three children and six grandchildren.

Sherman H. Saperstein ’54, April 16, 2024, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at 92. After Colby, he joined his father to run the family business, Fairfield Lumber Company, which prospered under his leadership, thanks in part to the clever and humorous advertisements he wrote for the local newspaper and radio. He married and raised his children in Waterville until his retirement in 1997, when he became a permanent resident of Scottsdale. A man of many talents, he was an artist, poet, and humorist. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Linda, two children, and a sister.

Janice Stevenson Squier ’54, Aug. 14, 2024, in Boise, Idaho, at 91. After graduating from Colby, she worked for a period in the Boston area, including for the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard. While a student at Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1957, she met and married a fellow student, following him to Ann Arbor, Mich., and then Boulder, Colo. A skilled pianist, she began teaching piano in Boulder and continued for the next 36 years. She was also a talented composer, writing for the piano, piano and voice, and violin and piano. An adept artist in writing, illustration, painting, cooking, and pottery, she became a skilled potter working in porcelain. She was a longtime member of the Boulder Potters Guild and served as its board secretary and president. She was also a member of the Boulder Bach Festival’s board of directors, serving as secretary for nine years. She maintained a lifelong friendship with her Colby Delta Delta Delta sorority sisters. In 2015 she moved to Boise to be closer to family and became active by teaching art classes, performing music, and participating in learning opportunities. She leaves two children.

Joanne Bailey Anderson Campbell ’55, March 11, 2025, in Damariscotta, Maine, at 91. She married Wells Anderson in 1954 and worked at Harvard University while he was in law school. They settled and raised their family in Concord, N.H., where she was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church, the Lamplighters, and a garden club. During this time, she traveled and camped with her husband and children across the United States and Europe. She divorced in 1977 and spent several years helping both of her parents in Maine in their old age. She remarried in 2003 and enjoyed three years with William Campbell before he passed. She then moved to Newcastle, Maine, where she was active with the Miles Memorial Hospital League, Coastal Senior College, and Old Bristol Garden Club. Predeceased by her father, Nelson Bailey, Class of 1928, she leaves two children and two grandchildren.

Dorothy Couillard Carlson ’55, Oct. 1, 2024, in Pikeville, Ky., at 90. A lifelong scholar and educator, she earned a master’s in education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis in 1971 and a doctorate from Louisiana State University. Her career took her to Pikeville, where she taught at Pikeville College and later Prestonsburg Community College, where she was recognized multiple times as Teacher of the Year. She was also the first director of the Harlan Head Start program and a tireless volunteer in reading education. Active in her community, she was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, taught water aerobics at the YMCA, worked in the garden club, and volunteered at the farmers’ market. She was also a master gardener, jewelry maker, animal lover, and exuberant hostess who threw unforgettable parties. She leaves three children, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and two sisters.

Susan Franklin Chapman ’55, Nov. 16, 2024, in Northfield, Ohio, at 90. As a young woman and throughout her life, she embraced independence and learning. After Colby, she studied abroad as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Paris. She met her husband while working at the Harvard Observatory Library, and together they moved to Los Angeles, where both of their children were born. The family eventually settled in the newly established Columbia, Md. In 1964 she earned an M.S. at Simmons College School of Library Science and went on to enjoy a career as a librarian for the National Agricultural Library. She served as a role model for many in her family. She loved art, literature, and playing bridge. She is remembered for her warm and loving spirit and the generosity she showed others. Survivors include two children, two grandchildren, and a sister.

Mary “Peggy” L. Nutting Emerson ’55, June 16, 2024, in Freeport, Maine, at 91. She earned a master’s in education from the University of Maine at Orono in 1959. After teaching one year at Clinton (Maine) High School, she transferred to Freeport High School, where she taught mathematics for 36 years, retiring in 1992. She was active with the Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland and a member of the Golden Sheaf Chapter #114 Order of the Eastern Star. She leaves two brothers and 11 niblings.

Leon “Lee” Fernandez ’55, April 1, 2025, in Boston, Mass., at 92. After graduating from Colby, he earned a living selling advertising for the Nuclear News and other publications. Later, he became president of New England Media Sales and then started Northeast Media, all while pursuing his interests in art and music through his involvement in numerous endeavors. He hosted an annual jazz party in his Charleston apartment with a jazz band and many festivities. In 1974 he donated 87 Winslow Homer graphics to the Colby College Museum of Art, which were first showcased in the exhibition Winslow Homer: Wood Engravings Portray America, 1854-1874. Colby had a significant impact on his life, and he stayed involved with the College and his classmates in numerous ways throughout his life. In 1980 he was awarded a Colby Brick to acknowledge his contributions. He was also named Member of the Year by the Theatre Historical Society, a national preservationist group, for his 15 years volunteering with Boston’s 1928 Keith Memorial Theatre. He leaves extended family, including his nephew Dave Fernandez ’89.

Elisabeth “Betty” Dubord Goulette ’55, Nov. 25, 2024, in South Paris, Maine, at 91. She left Colby after her first year and transferred to Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists in 1954. She married a sailor who had a 25-year career in the U.S. Navy, moving with him and her family 19 times in 21 years, from Brunswick, Maine, to Subic Bay, the Philippines, and many stations in between. They eventually settled in Waterville, where her four children attended Waterville High School and where she accompanied the chorus as an accomplished pianist. She was also active in local musical theater, took art classes and creative writing workshops, and was a prolific knitter and cross stitcher.

Carol MacIver Murphy ’55, June 12, 2024, in Lenox, Mass., at 90. After Colby, she moved to Boston and worked for the telephone company and later in public relations at the Arthur D. Little Company in Cambridge. In the mid-1960s, she enrolled in Simmons College, earning a master’s in library science. She worked in libraries for the rest of her career, first at the Milwaukee (Wis.) Public Library and then the Bridgeport (Conn.) Public Library before moving to Northampton, Mass. There, she worked in school libraries before becoming manager of circulation at Forbes Library, a position she held until retirement in 1997. She was an accomplished pianist and played in the bell choir at her church. She also volunteered for the League of Women Voters, the parent-teacher organization, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She enjoyed museums, walks in parks, cooking, baking, cross-country trips, swimming, and skiing. Survivors include her husband of 58 years, Keirnan Murphy, and two children.

Dorothy “Dot” Dunn Northcott ’55, Nov. 13, 2024, in Trumbull, Conn., at 91. She continued her education at Tufts University, earning an M.Ed. in 1957. She taught kindergarten in Fairfield, Conn., until 1960, when she left to raise her family. She lived in New York, New Hampshire, and for four years in Tokyo, Japan, finally settling in Trumbull in 2018 to be closer to family. She enjoyed tennis, exercise classes, walking, her dog, and socializing with her many friends. She leaves three children, including Evan Jones ’82, and seven grandchildren, including Grace Jones ’25.

Anne Burbank Richards Palmer ’55, March 25, 2024, in Augusta, Maine, at 90. A wife and homemaker in Miami, Fla., starting in 1957, she moved with her family back to her hometown of Waterville in 1972. She went back to college and earned a B.A. in nursing from the University of Maine at Augusta, subsequently enjoying a successful career with Maine General Medical Center. After retirement, she worked in the office at Waterville Burger Corporation, her family’s Burger King franchise. She devoted more than 20 years serving on the Waterville Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals while championing community service projects, including the North Street Playground and South End Skate Park and the purchase of a rescue ambulance for the Waterville Fire Department. She single-handedly raised funds for these projects by applying for grants and asking for donations. She also helped raise funds for the Humane Society of the Waterville Area’s new animal shelter and worked diligently to help restore the Blueberry Hill lookout in Belgrade. Survivors include two children.

Mary C. Dundas Runser ’55, March 17, 2024, in Scarborough, Maine, at 91. While enrolled in a master’s program in education at the University of New Hampshire, she met her future husband, ending her studies. They returned to her hometown of Waterville with their four children, and she worked as an ed tech in the public schools. To fulfill her dream of living near the ocean, she moved later in life to Scarborough, where she spent many happy years. She was energized by the vitality of her grandchildren, loved fashion and culture, and had a soft spot for animals. Her children and grandchildren survive her.

Elizabeth “Betty” Harris Smith ’55, Jan. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Mass., at 91. For several years after graduation, she worked as the assistant to the president of MIT. She left that position when she married Harold Smith and became a homemaker and mother. Later, she continued her education at Radcliffe College and established the Lincoln Review, a local magazine she co-owned and edited that published thousands of news stories, artwork, poetry, historical articles, letters to the editor, and more. A talented writer and editor, she encouraged new writers and poets from the area. She enjoyed international travel, played tennis and served on the Lincoln Tennis Committee for many years, and loved anything to do with Betty Boop. She also worked with the Lincoln Scholarship Committee, which established a scholarship in her name to support students after high school. She was also active with her Colby Class of 1955, helping with fundraising and serving as the class correspondent. She leaves four children and five grandchildren.

Henry A. Taron ’55, April 12, 2024, in Manchester, Mass., at 92. His Colby ROTC training took flight after graduation as he joined the U.S. Air Force and became a navigator and then an airborne radar control officer. After his military service, he settled in Manchester-by-the-Sea and embarked on a business career with Travelers Insurance Company, specializing in employee benefits administration. He retired in 1993 and joined his wife in running Tradewinds Antiques in Essex, an exclusive purveyor of fine antique canes and walking sticks, which he became a world-renowned expert on. A lifelong sportsman, he coached youth baseball, harbored a lifelong love of tennis and fishing, and was a diehard Red Sox fan. He leaves three children, including Douglas Taron ’79 and Christopher Taron ’90, and three grandchildren.

Barbara Duer Arnstine ’56, April 13, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif., at 89. Her extensive academic career included receiving a master’s of education at Harvard and a doctorate in the philosophy of education at the University of Wisconsin. She taught at the University of Tennessee, the University of Wisconsin, and Boston University before becoming a professor of education at California State University, Sacramento. During her 25-plus years there, her major focus was teacher preparation and the role of philosophy of education in training and sustaining teachers. She also helped to create and coordinate a master’s program emphasizing women’s studies and women in education. Beginning in 1994 and continuing until her retirement, she served as editor and moderator of the LegiSchool Town Hall meetings, televised throughout California and nationally. She traveled globally and had a passion for harness racing, which began in 1972. She owned dozens of horses and won hundreds of races across the country. In her last few years, she began to breed horses and loved watching her young horses grow and train. Survivors include four children and six grandchildren.

Hope Palmer Bramhall ’56, July 13, 2024, in Falmouth, Maine, at 90. An engaged and joyful homemaker, mother, grandmother, and hostess, she was also an active volunteer in Maine, serving as president of six organizations: Junior League of Portland, Portland YMCA, National Society of Colonial Dames, Society of Bowdoin Women, Colby Alumni Association, and her Colby Class of 1956. In 2006 Colby honored her with a Brick Award for the multiple ways she supported the College and her classmates with decades of service. She also received the Roll of Honor from the Colonial Dames, and the Junior League created the Hope P. Bramhall Volunteer of the Year Award in her honor. She was the longest-tenured member of the Portland Yacht Club, serving as chair of both the decorating and the cookbook committees; a 35-year member of the Maine Medical Center Board of Corporators; and chair of the medical center’s Patient Survey Team for 50 years. Favorite pastimes included sailing the Maine coast with the yacht club, ski trips with her family, and barge cruises in Europe. She was also a painter, inspired by time cruising the waters of Maine. She leaves four daughters, including Faith Bramhall Rodenkirk ’81 and Sarah Bramhall Reynolds ’92, and her husband, Joshua Reynolds ’92; six grandchildren, including Adrianna Twombly ’13 and Hannah Twombly ’16; and a brother.

Roland J. Breton ’56, Dec. 23, 2024, in Topsham, Maine, at 90. After serving in the U.S. Army in England and Germany, he returned to Maine in 1958, working for Prudential Insurance in the Portland office, and then in Brunswick as sales manager while living in Topsham. He retired from Prudential after more than 30 years. While helping his wife raise their six children in Topsham, he stayed active volunteering in the community, including elections and Meals on Wheels. He also served as a pastor in a New Gloucester church during this period. He loved being a grandfather and was active in his grandchildren’s lives, and he enjoyed walking the neighborhood with his dog, Benji. Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Jeanette Breton, six children, including Leslie Breton ’81, seven grandchildren, and a brother.

William E. Haggett ’56, March 1, 2025, in West Bath, Maine, at 90. He served three years in the U.S. Air Force as a radar controller, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. After his service, he returned to his hometown of Bath, Maine, and started his remarkable 28-year career at Bath Iron Works, holding many titles before being chosen to lead the company as president and chair of the board. He was awarded the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award for exemplary leadership in the maritime defense industry. He also served on a Presidential Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense under Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush. In 1992 he moved with his wife to Saint John, N.B., and became president of Irving Shipbuilding LTD, which was building 12 frigates for the Canadian Navy. When they returned to Bath five years later, he raised funds to construct a new 55,000-square-foot YMCA in Bath and for the Y to expand childcare facilities in the Bath area. In the early 2000s, after his shipbuilding career, the Libra Foundation asked him to manage several of their Maine businesses. Until he was 85, he was chairman and CEO of Pineland Farms Natural Meats and Pineland Farms Potato Company. He also served on numerous boards, including the Bath City Council, Colby College, Maine Maritime Academy, Maine Sports Hall of Fame, and Maine Maritime Museum. He helped establish the Hyde School in Bath. At Colby, he was a campaign volunteer, Colby Fund head class agent, and a member of the Alumni Council, the Board of Visitors, and the Board of Trustees, serving from 1982 to 1985. He served his class as its president and chaired its 25th and 50th reunion committees, and he was an active member of the C Club. The College honored him with an honorary degree in 1982, the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989, and a Colby Brick in 2011. He established the Raymond ’36 and Ruth Farnham Scholarship Fund for Maine Students at Colby and was instrumental in establishing the Bath Iron Works Scholarship Fund as well. Predeceased by his brother, Robert D. Haggett ’60, he leaves his wife of 68 years, Sally, three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Franklin E. Huntress Jr. ’56, July 4, 2024, in Marblehead, Mass., at 91. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1956 to 1958 and then went to the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, earning a degree in theology in 1962. He spent his career as an Episcopal priest, his ministry spanning New England, New York, and Great Britain. He leaves a brother and extended family.

Ruthann Simmonds MacKinnon ’56, April 13, 2024, in Damariscotta, Maine, at 89. She went on to earn a master’s in educational psychology in 1957 from Harvard, where she met her future husband. They moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, during the “swinging ’60s” and welcomed two sons. She built a career in educational psychology working overseas and lecturing in universities in Edinburgh, Uganda, Malaysia, and Toronto, Canada. Through her travels, she acquired a special knowledge about African masks and sculpture. She returned to her home in Maine upon retirement and remained active in public service through volunteering for an adult literacy program, area food pantry, and historical society. She was also a reader at the Jefferson Village School. Survivors include two sons and three grandsons.

Joan Williams Marshall ’56, Feb. 19, 2025, in Melbourne Beach, Fla., at 90. An educator, poet, and devoted mother and life partner, she began her career as an English teacher and then worked for decades promoting health and wellness as a women’s fitness instructor at the Westfield (Mass.) YMCA. She was also the front woman at Brownies Cabins, a family business she led for 30 years. Later, while spending summers in Truro, she volunteered at the thrift shop and the historical society. A proud snowbird, she enjoyed winters in Melbourne Beach. She will be remembered for her animated storytelling, can-do attitude, and uplifting energy. She leaves her husband of 66 years, John C. Marshall ’56, two children, five grandchildren, and a brother.

Nancy Stagg McCarthy ’56, Feb. 6, 2025, in Franklin, Mass., at 90. Her career in healthcare began after Colby in Boston at Mass General, where for many years she ran their clinical lab. She married in 1967, retired from Mass General, and started her family in Medfield, Mass. She was seen all around Medfield, running errands, working at the school library, or at her sons’ sporting events. She was quick to have a conversation and was known for her beautiful smile. She enjoyed time on Orr’s Island, Maine, soaking up the sun, reading, and watching her boys and granddaughters play on the rocky coast. Later, when she moved to the Medfield Senior Center, she was an avid bridge player. She leaves two sons, four granddaughters, and a brother.

Shirley Verga Montini-Turiansky ’56, Aug. 15, 2024, in Waterbury, Conn., at 96. She taught nursing in New York City for many years before moving to the Dominican Republic to study medicine in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Her dream was to do missionary medicine. Later, in 1991, she earned a degree from Harvard University. She married twice and had two children.

William W. Pennock Jr. ’56, April 30, 2024, in Fryeburg, Maine, at 90. After Colby, he graduated from Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and served as a U.S. Navy forward air controller aboard the U.S.S. Interceptor with the Pacific Fleet, earning the rank of lieutenant commander. He later found success in the financial department of the pharmaceutical company Hoffman LaRoche in New York City. He earned his realtor’s license, moved to Maine, and sold property with Pike, Lovejoy, and Howe Realty in Fryeburg for many years. Active in his community, he was a volunteer rescuer, member of Kiwanis and the Masons, and supported music and theater organizations. He leaves three children, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Donald “Coach” N. Rice ’56, April 5, 2025, in New London, N.H., at 92. He was a coach and teacher at Bucksport (Maine) High School from 1956 to 1958 and then moved to Greenfield, Mass., to work in the family business, Rice Oil Co. He worked with his father and son and grew Rice Oil into the preeminent energy company in Franklin County. He sold the company in 2010 after leading it for more than 30 years. In 1991 he started the Rice Family Foundation, which championed his belief in giving back to the community by funding organizations within the county. He was an outstanding athlete in high school and college, and he had invitations to play professional baseball. He was a fixture in local sports leagues, was inducted into the Governor Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame, and was named Colby’s C Club Person of the Year in 2016. He was a mentor, source of inspiration and encouragement, and “coach” to his children and grandchildren. Predeceased by his first wife, Ann, he is survived by his second wife, Sherry, eight children, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Julie Brush Wheeler ’56, Feb. 12, 2025, in Milwaukie, Ore., at 90. She studied education at the graduate level at Portland State University and taught elementary school for 25 years in the Portland, Ore., area. She was a founding member of the organization Ceasefire Oregon, which educated people about health and safety issues relating to gun ownership. She was also active with Educators for Social Responsibility. She fished with her husband, traveled to Mexico several times, and made her own soap. Along with her husband, Andrew, she raised three children.

Robert “Larry” Zullinger Jr. ’56, Dec. 22, 2024, in Newtown Square, Pa., at 91. After Colby, he attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and took classes in the M.B.A. marketing program. His first career was in Pittsburgh at the U.S. Steel Training program, which helped him become the sales and marketing manager of Phoenix Steel. His second career began in 1985 in industrial real estate as vice president of Bushar Corporation and a broker for Liberman & Earley, where he continued to work part time until 2023. He was an avid golfer, playing courses across the U.S. and in the UK and having three holes-in-one in his lifetime. His most endearing membership was with his beloved Divotees, a local Quaker golf group. In the 1980s, he and his wife became enthusiastic cyclists, taking seven European riding trips and accomplishing two major U.S. rides, Portland, Maine, to Orlando, Fla., and a 49-day cross-country adventure from Los Angeles to Boston. He was involved with several local organizations and clubs over the years, but his most fulfilling was as chair of the board at Hayes Manor, an affordable retirement and personal care residence in Philadelphia, from 2010 to 2017. Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Diane Schnauffer Zullinger ’57, four children, nine grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

James S. Greenlaw ’57, March 13, 2025, in Surry, Maine, at 95. Before enrolling at Colby, he served as a Marine in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he was recognized for his role in intelligence while stationed in Korea. He came to Colby on the GI Bill, majored in business, and then established a long career in information systems, starting with mainframe computers. His career spanned jobs with Pitney Bowes, Keyes Fiber, Bath Iron Works, and Lukens Steel. After living on and off the coast of Maine, he retired to Isle au Haut in 1991 and began a second career fishing for lobster. In later years, he and his wife, Martha, loved sitting on their deck with cocktails, gazing out across Penobscot Bay. He was also an avid sportsman who enjoyed hunting and recreational fishing. A man of few words, he had a dry sense of humor, quick wit, and propensity for practical jokes. Part of a three-generation family of Colby graduates, he was predeceased by his father, Aubrey Greenlaw, Class of 1920, and two brothers, Charles ’50 and George ’55. His survivors include three children, including Linda Greenlaw ’83, six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and his dear friend and caregiver, Nancy Peers.

Eleanor “Ellie” Jones Rogers Luopa ’57, Aug. 20, 2024, in Peterborough, N.H., at 89. She married her first husband the same year they graduated from Colby, eventually settling in Salem, N.H., to raise their children. Here, she was a church secretary and instrumental with the founding group of the Hilltop Nursery School. Retiring in 1992 to Fitzwilliam, N.H., she was a volunteer member and president of the town’s garden club and earned a lifetime membership to the National Association of Garden Clubs. Later, she opened a small business, Lilies of the Field, out of her home. Following her husband’s death in 1998, she explored new passions, traveled, and eventually remarried in 2010. Her final years were spent in a retirement community in Peterborough, where she rooted for the Red Sox and established meaningful friendships. Predeceased by her first husband, James M. Rogers ’57, and her second husband, she leaves four children, including Chris Rogers ’94, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Beverly A. Colbroth Moor ’57, Jan. 15, 2025, in Darien, Ill., at 89. After Colby, she taught French at Williamstown (Mass.) High School for three years. She met her husband-to-be there and started a family, moving from Washington, D.C., to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois. They traveled together, designed and constructed two of their homes, and kept in touch with lifelong friends. Later, as an empty-nester and widow, she devoted her time to classical music, continuing education, and travel. An alto, she sang with the Festival Chorus in Palatine, Ill., for more than 30 years and was an avid supporter of musical education and performance throughout the Chicago area. She continued to travel domestically and internationally until limited by illness in 2021. She leaves two daughters, including Cynthia “Cindi” Moor Young ’82, three grandsons, a great-granddaughter, and a sister.

Donald S. Tracy ’57, Nov. 14, 2023, in Rockport, Maine, at 88. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a captain until 1964. He married during this time and also met two Jehovah’s Witnesses, engaging in a conversation that spoke to his intellect and heart. He spent the rest of his life studying the scriptures and building his faith in them. He also worked a number of careers, including as a tax accountant and preparer. He was a people person who extended generosity and hospitality to those he met. Survivors include his wife, Linda, six children, four grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Burton M. Angrist ’58, May 17, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y., at 87. He earned a medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1962 and launched a research career focused on the origin and treatment of psychoses. For nearly 50 years, he was a member of the New York University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry, working at Bellevue Hospital or the New York VA. While in medical school, he was introduced to rock climbing, which grew into a passion and lifelong interest. He also enjoyed backpacking, skiing, and canoe camping. He was drawn early to the Shawangunk Mountains in New York State’s Hudson Valley, and after spending weekends there for decades, he became a full-time “Gunks” resident following his retirement. He leaves his wife, Anka, and a daughter.

Owen “Ron” R. Haley Jr. ’58, Jan. 13, 2025, in Fort Kent, Maine, at 87. Post Colby, and after a few years of teaching, he went on to earn an M.Ed. at the University of Maine, Orono. He taught history at Fort Kent Community High School for 35 years and retired in 1997. He headed the Social Studies Department for many years and shepherded generations of students through this formative stage of life. He also enjoyed teaching night courses for many years at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. He grew to love his small town, teaching with a cohort of young colleagues who became lifelong friends, holding leadership roles in community organizations, such as Jaycees, the Lions Club, the local library board, and the Knights of Columbus, and serving as moderator at town meetings. He leaves a considerable legacy as he inspired both his children and students with a love of reading and music, and his vast knowledge of the history of the world and its great conflicts. Always an avid golfer, his family wished that “he finds peace on the back nine.” Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Jeannine; four children, including Laurie Haley Allen ’87 and her husband, Jay P. Allen IV ’86, and Kristen Haley Chamberlain ’99 and her husband, William Chamberlain ’98; and 10 grandchildren, including Elizabeth Allen Mahan ’15, Charles Allen ’21, and Meredith Allen ’21.

Susan Bower Henrickson ’58, Nov. 25, 2024, in Delaware, Ohio, at 87. She dedicated 25 years to nurturing young children as a preschool teacher at First Community Church, from 1973 to 1998. Her commitment to education extended beyond the classroom, deeply caring for her students and their families. She was a lifelong learner herself who found joy in writing, hiking, traveling, cooking, gardening, sewing, painting, and reading. She loved word games and crossword puzzles and found great meaning in Jungian concepts. Her passion was her poetry, and she served as senior editor of Pudding House magazine. Several of her poems were published in poetry anthologies. She leaves her husband of 66 years, Everett “Jack” Hendrickson, three children, and four grandchildren.

Gerald “Jerry” K. Jones ’58, Dec. 15, 2024, in Millbury, Mass., at 88. After graduation, he married his college sweetheart and moved to Boylston, Mass., where they started their family. He served as president of his family’s business, Ken Jones Inc., a wholesale tire and chain distributor started by his father. He instilled a strong work ethic in his three sons, who all joined the business and worked alongside him until its sale in 2020. He also proudly served in the Army National Guard for four years, and was involved in local organizations and his Congregational church, where he served as a deacon, sang in the choir, and led projects to facilitate its growth. His passion was golf, and he won many accolades, including club championships as a member of the Worcester and Bear Lakes (Florida) country clubs. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and vacationing on Cape Cod. Predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Rachel “Rae” West Jones ’58, he leaves three sons and five grandchildren.

Benjamin Frederick Reinmund ’58, June 22, 2024, in Boynton Beach, Fla., at 88. He served in the U.S. Army from October 1958 to March 1959. He started his career in banking in 1959 as a commodities banker with the Bank of New York and had a successful 35-year career on Wall Street, retiring in 1994. A hockey and tennis player at Colby, he continued his love for athletics throughout his life with tennis, squash, platform tennis, golf, and walking. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Juliet Hallock Reinmund, two sons, including Michael Reinmund ’87, two grandsons, and a sister.

Robert J. Bruce ’59, April 19, 2024, in Edgemont Township, Pa., at 86. His journey in education began teaching and coaching at Kents Hill School in Maine. He obtained a master’s from the University of Massachusetts and, in 1964, won a Fulbright grant to teach in British schools for a year. Upon his return, he worked at Colby as a development officer until 1969. After stints at Bard College—as vice president for development and later acting president—and Clark University, he joined Widener University and was named its eighth president in 1981. Under his 20-year leadership, Widener grew from a small, all-male, regional military college to a co-ed, comprehensive university with six schools and colleges on three campuses, master’s and doctoral-level programs, and the School of Law. In recognition of his efforts, Widener awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1992. Following his retirement in 2001, he authored the book Acting on Promise, Reflections of a University President. He twice served as chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania and left a profound legacy in higher education. His philanthropic efforts included board membership with the Crozer-Keystone Health System and board chair of the Crozer Chester Medical Center, helping found the Foundation for Delaware County, the county’s largest philanthropic organization. At Colby, he established the Robert J. Bruce and Judith G. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2011, served on the Board of Visitors, and received Colby’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1985. Predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Judith Garland Bruce ’58, he leaves two children, seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and a sister.

John “Jay” F. Church Jr. ’59, June 4, 2024, in Kingsport, Tenn., at 88. After Colby, he earned another bachelor’s, in 1961, from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in printing management. He spent two years in the U.S. Army and in 1964 started working at Cordage Paper Company as a salesperson. He was elected executive vice president of the company in 1974 and president in 1976, a position he held until his retirement in 1999. He served on many professional, national associations, most notably serving as chair of the National Paper Trade Association and later of the National Association of Wholesale-Distributors. He was a worldwide traveler, a skilled pilot, and involved with the historic Kingsport Carousel, earning him the nickname “Carousel Jay.” He leaves three children, including John “Jay” F. Church III ’86, five grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Carolyn Cummings Crain ’59, July 21, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash., at 87. She married Warren Crain the day before her Colby graduation, and for many years, was a dedicated mother and homemaker. She and her husband served as Baptist missionaries in Alaska for 11 years before moving to Seattle in 1975, when she established a career in adoption services and counseling, earning an M.S.W. degree in 1979 from the University of Washington. For several years, she had an antique business. She thrived in a church community that shared an open-minded spirituality; enjoyed knitting, traveling, and singing; and belonged to a writing group, which encouraged her to publish a book of stories about her father, the Rev. Richard Cummings ’32. Her mother, Barbara Hamlin Cummings ’31, was also a Colby alum. She leaves four children, several grandchildren, and a sister, Barbara Foster.

Carroll Metcalf Hutchinson ’59, Sept. 13, 2024, in Portland, Ore., at 86. She married shortly after graduating from Colby and moved around while her husband obtained his medical degree. They lived in Montreal, Denver, and Kabul, Afghanistan, finally settling in Oregon. In 1981 she went back to school and earned an M.S.W. at Portland State University while being a single mom. She worked at Kaiser Permanente as a social worker for 20 years. A believer in giving back, she volunteered with her church and cochaired a rummage sale and other fundraisers in her community. Travel and exposure to other cultures were important to her, so she took her family to numerous countries such as Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and later she took intergenerational trips with her grandkids to Europe, South America, and Canada. She leaves three children, four grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a brother.

Judith Roberts Jenkins ’59, Sept. 23, 2024, in Hanover, N.H., at 87. She spent her short career as a newspaper journalist before turning her attention to her home and family. After living in New York for many years, she was thrilled to return to New England and take up permanent residency at Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire. She had a profound love of baseball, notably the Boston Red Sox. Following a significant donation to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, she became a lifetime member. Survivors include two children, five grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a brother.

Arleen G. Larsen Munk ’59, May 29, 2024, in Spring Hill, Tenn., at 85. A full-time homemaker and mother, she volunteered with area agencies such as Meals on Wheels and the Welcome Wagon wherever she lived, including the suburbs of Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo. She enjoyed traveling, playing bridge and mahjong, and cooking. She leaves two children and three grandchildren.

Russell J. Peppe ’59, April 4, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine, at 86. He continued his education at Boston University, receiving two master’s while majoring in social ethics, moral philosophy, and theology. He also studied at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He became a clergyman, serving United Methodist churches in Maine towns, including Cape Porpoise, Gorham, Auburn, Bangor, New Sharon, Farmington, and Bath, before retiring in Lewiston. He was named pastor emeritus of the Auburn UMC in recognition of his 50-year association with the parish. He taught as adjunct faculty at Boston University and the University of Maine. He enjoyed hiking, camping, reading, writing, watching horror movies, and photography. He leaves two children, seven grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and two brothers.

Henry “Corky” W. Fitzpatrick Jr. ’60, Sept. 21, 2024, in Milford, Del., at 85. He completed the ROTC program at Colby and was commissioned with the U.S. Air Force upon graduation. He served as a captain for eight years, spending time in Vietnam and earning an Air Force Commendation Medal. He earned a master’s from the University of Colorado in 1969 and then dedicated many years of service to the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C. He retired in 2004 and relocated from Virginia to Rehoboth Beach, Del., where he enjoyed working as a barista at BookSandCoffee in Dewey Beach and took pride in maintaining the CAMP Rehoboth magazine boxes for nearly a decade. A dedicated walker, he was often seen exploring the scenic paths of Rehoboth Beach. He was loved for his laughter, gentle guidance, and unwavering support. At Colby, he established the Henry W. and Elinor Marie Fitzpatrick Memorial Financial Aid Fund in honor of his parents. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Kathleen, a son, and a grandson.

Robert D. Haggett ’60, Aug. 4, 2024, in Batavia, N.Y., at 87. He joined the U.S. Army after Colby and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, serving for two years and working in the personnel department. His military job led to a lifelong career in human resources working for the manufacturing companies Oxford Papermill in Rumford, Maine, and Manchester, N.H.; Mead Corporation in Cincinnati; Hamilton Industries in Wisconsin; and Special Metals in New York. His passion was union negotiations and training. With every relocation, he dove deep into the social scene, creating friendships by playing bridge, tennis, and golf and honoring cocktail hour daily. During retirement, along the Saco River in Biddeford, Maine, he was a substitute teacher. He wrote rhyming poems for special events, was a die-hard Red Sox and Patriots fan, and was a fierce competitor from cribbage to horseshoes. He joined local clubs, including Rotary and the Elks Club, and had a knack for creating connections with people. Survivors include three children, six grandchildren, and a brother, William E. Haggett ’56.

Elaine Starke Jones ’60, July 27, 2024, in Ware, Mass., at 85. She was an educator, teaching high school in Somerset, Mass., early in her career and later at Highcroft School in Williamstown, Mass., where she shared her love of Shakespeare with students. An active community member, she worked with the North Adams Public Library and League of Women Voters as well as staunchly advocating for local schools in communities. She and her husband were well known for their love of gardening, and their extended gardens were a joy to all. “Good company, daily walks together, a welcoming table, music, and flowers supported a life well lived,” her family noted. She leaves five children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Robert H. Littlefield ’60, Aug. 15, 2024, in Boston, Mass., at 86. After graduating from Colby with his twin brother, both majoring in physics, he earned master’s degrees in physics from Tufts University and in education from the University of Maine. Between degrees, he served two years in the U.S. Air Force, prior to accepting a teaching position at Mount Holyoke College, where he met and married his wife. They moved to Brewer, Maine, to raise their family while he spent the next 20-plus years teaching physics and math at Husson College and Nokomis High School. He retired when he developed severe heart failure, opting for a life-saving Left Ventricular Assist Device implantation. He spent the next 15-plus years powered by batteries, becoming the longest surviving recipient of the device. He loved tennis and continued to play (doubles only) with his device. He was also proud of his perennial gardens. His last 10 years were enriched by his involvement with the Maine Air Museum in Bangor, where he served on the board of directors and built several STEM displays. Predeceased by his twin brother, Ronald G. Littlefield ’60, he leaves his wife of 56 years, Sarah, two daughters, five grandchildren, and a brother.

Robert J. MacLean ’60, Dec. 14, 2024, in Wilson, Wyo., at 87. After Colby, he served three years in the U.S. Army National Guard. His love of teaching led him to a distinguished career as an educator, first with the Allen Stevenson School in New York City and later with the Rye Country Day School, where he taught English, coached varsity hockey and lacrosse, and spearheaded the construction and operation of its tennis and ice hockey complex. He also founded and ran the Wildcat Hockey Camp, was chair of the Hockey Committee for the Hickory Hill Skating Rink in Katonah, N.Y., and president of the Southern New England Interscholastic Ice Hockey Coaches Association. After many years of racing motorcycles, he founded World Championship Motorsports in 1991 and was its co-owner and operator until 2005. WCM competed at the highest level of international motorsports in the FIM Grand Prix Motorcycle series, and he was highly regarded for his entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the industry. He also served his community on the board of the South Kent School, the Teton County Sheriff’s Auxiliary, and the New York board of the Shakespeare Globe. In retirement in Wyoming, he found peace and fulfillment fly-fishing and on his ranch. He leaves his wife of 64 years, Mary “Marna” Hanson MacLean ’61, three sons, and five grandchildren.

Ann Monro ’60, Feb. 2, 2025, in Gloucester, Mass., at 86.

Richard A. Walton ’60, Feb. 1, 2025, in Montpelier, Vt., at 86. After Colby, he served in the U.S. Army, driving big trucks, and lived in New York City, where he worked at the Village Gate on Bleecker Street and saw greats such as Dave Brubeck, The Smothers Brothers, and Nina Simone. He earned two graduate degrees, an M.L.S. from Simmons College in 1970 and an M.A. in business from Goddard College in 1977. He worked as a librarian in Vermont before discovering his true passion among high school students at Spaulding High School in Barre, where he was head librarian for more than 20 years, retiring in 2000. In retirement, he was a hospice volunteer, focusing on veterans, and a tai chi practitioner. With an appreciation for beauty, he loved photography, visiting art museums, and collecting driftwood and rocks. He leaves his wife, Kate Gavin, a daughter, a stepson, and three grandchildren.

’61-’70

Nancy Judd Coughlan ’61, April 19, 2024, in Fairfax, Va., at 84. She received her master’s in education from Harvard University in 1962 and married the following year. As an Air Force spouse, she spent 25 years working in education as a reading specialist and later as an elementary school principal. In 2002 she was selected as Elementary School Administrator of the Year for the entire state of Virginia. She leaves her husband of 60 years, Peter Coughlan ’63, three sons, and seven grandchildren.

Charles E. DeWitt ’61, Aug. 30, 2024, in Topsham, Maine, at 86. He earned an M.B.A. in 1963 from St. John’s University and started his business career with AT&T before launching a successful 33-year management career with Keyes Fibre in Waterville. Keyes became Chinet before he earned a well-deserved retirement in 1999. He became an avid golfer in retirement and continued his love of sports, attending events in person and watching them on TV. He also had a lifelong love of reading. His community involvement included service as a selectman, volunteer fireman, and school board member for the town of Sidney. He was also a member of his church vestry. Predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Ann Dudley DeWitt ’60, he leaves three children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Barry E. Long ’61, March 3, 2025, in Norwalk, Conn., at 84. He earned his law degree in 1964 from Cornell Law School and worked as a corporate real estate attorney at Cuddy and Feder LLP for more than 40 years. Those who knew him understood his love of a good negotiation. He enjoyed vacationing on Cape Cod, skiing, and spending time with his children. For many years, he was a member of the Pound Ridge Community Church, serving in numerous ways, and a generous benefactor to many charities. He leaves two children and three siblings.

Wilma Russell Merrill ’61, April 27, 2024, in Hyannis, Mass., at 84. After Colby, she worked in several Boston-area hospitals, including for 10 years in the chemistry lab of the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. She “retired” early to raise her three children and tend to her home. She cared deeply about her family, enjoyed reading, and was a whiz at Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and brain games. Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Gary Merrill, a son, six grandchildren, and a sister.

Penelope “Penny” Dean Robb ’61, Dec. 22, 2024, in New York, N.Y., at 84. Born on July 13, 1940, in London, England, two months before the start of the London Blitz, she was an English literature major at Colby. Her passion for theater became immediately evident during her freshman year through her involvement with Powder and Wig, the student-run theatrical group. This passion continued throughout her life, culminating with her decades-long affiliation with the St. Bart’s Players, the longest-running, nonprofit community theater group in New York City. Her first husband, Frank Spierling ’59, passed away in 1968, but she maintained long-lasting friendships with their mutual friends, including Peter Vlachos ’58, Burt Angrist ’58, Geraldine Harrison and Hugh Nazor ’59, and Geoff Wheeler ’58. She was also predeceased by her daughter, Valerie Spierling ’89, the goddaughter of Peter Vlachos, who established the Valerie Spierling Scholarship at Colby College in her memory to support Colby students from the New York City area, where donations may be directed. Survivors include a sister and extended family.

Henry K. Wingate ’61, Nov. 12, 2024, in Pittsfield, Mass., at 86. He earned a master’s from Columbia University Teachers College in 1969 and later a professional diploma for New York State administrators from Fordham University. He taught public middle school history, social studies, and cultural arts for a decade in Ardsley, N.Y., where he was also an administrator. He was granted tenure in 1971, retired, and moved to Otis and later to Lee, Mass., beginning in 1995. He was an enthusiastic athlete and coach for high school and middle school teams, excelling in baseball, basketball, and tennis. He served on the board of Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.; acted as student admissions interviewer for Colby; and served on the board of the Collegiate School. In Berkshire County, he held leadership positions with the Otis Cultural Council, the Otis Council on Aging, and the Otis Library, where he served as its museum docent. He was an active member of the Congregational churches in Otis and Lee, and he helped found the Otis Gazette. He was also an active member of Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. He leaves two sons, Robert and Peter ’93, and two grandchildren.

Benjamin Blaney ’62, Oct. 21, 2024, in Bar Harbor, Maine, at 84. He earned a master’s in German from Middlebury College in 1967 and a doctorate in Germanic philology from Colorado University in 1972. He taught for 29 years at Mississippi State University in Starkville, where he and his wife raised their three sons. He was a highly regarded professor emeritus of Germanic philology, retiring in 2001. He moved to Bar Harbor and continued his love of teaching at Acadia Senior College, where he taught 28 popular courses. The core of his curriculum was the Sagas of the Icelanders. He loved baseball and Ironbound Island in Maine, where he worked outdoors chopping wood, felling trees, hiking, and reading John Gould books. He loved to sing, in a “most heavenly tenor voice,” the songs of Ironbound Island, which he sang during musical therapy classes at Safe Harbor in Birch Bay, where he lived out his final years. He was also a member of the choir at Bar Harbor Congregational Church and took part in the living nativity, where he was usually one of the wise men. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Anne Rossi, three sons, a grandchild, and a sister.

Edwin B. Cragin Jr. ’62, March 9, 2025, in White Plains, N.Y., at 84. He graduated from Colby as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Vietnam Era. After his military service, he earned his M.B.A. from Boston University and established a career as a financial advisor. He retired from Ameriprise Financial in 2020. He enjoyed the outdoors and spent weekends on his farm in Colchester, often with a chainsaw in hand. He served for 30 years as a trustee of Camp Onaway, where his daughters attended, and was a trustee of the Cragin Memorial Library, a member of the investment committee, and a former Vestry member of the Parish of Christ the Redeemer. Predeceased by his daughter, Susan R. Cragin ’99, he leaves his wife, Virginia Murphy Cragin ’61, three children, and six grandchildren.

Joyce Dignam Flynn ’62, Aug. 24, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga., at 83. She moved to Boston after Colby, earned a degree in dental hygiene from Tufts University, and worked as a hygienist in New York for a period. She married in 1965 and moved to Vermont, where she raised her three sons. Later, she earned a master’s of education from the University of Vermont and taught grade school at Mater Christi in Burlington. She loved flower and vegetable gardening and later in life turned to painting, developing an affinity toward watercolors. Her faith was a key element in her life, attending mass regularly and ensuring her boys received a Catholic education. Predeceased by her father, Walter L. Dignam ’33, she leaves three sons, including Kevin Flynn ’93; three sisters, Judith Dignam ’60, Joan Dignam Schmaltz ’63 and her husband, Richard Schmaltz ’63, and Janice Dignam Mauer ’72; and seven grandchildren, including Kevin Flynn ’93 and Ryan Flynn ’06.

Alice Shest Loffredo ’62, July 8, 2024, in Freehold, N.J., at 83. After Colby, she had a brief career as a French teacher followed by 10 years at home raising her daughters. She returned to work as a systems manager while studying astrology, which would become her career. Dubbed “Alice the Astrologer,” she worked as a karmic astrologer, offering individual readings, authoring three books, and giving lectures and interviews. Other passions included the French language, gardening, Neil Diamond’s music, logic puzzles, cruises, needlepoint, and long walks. She leaves her husband of more than 40 years, Donald Caroli, two daughters, a granddaughter, and a sister.

Bruce C. Marshall ’62, Jan. 14, 2025, in Fernandina Beach, Fla., at 85. He served in the U.S. Navy as a naval flight officer for eight years and flying with a test squadron and with three deployments on aircraft carriers. He then launched a successful career with Westinghouse Defense, spending five years in London, where he was in charge of international business, and then working in Washington as director of operations. In retirement, he and his wife embarked on a global adventure, traveling with close friends and honing their shared passion for fly fishing. They explored North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Their best moments, however, were spent at their homes on Amelia Island and Phippsburg, Maine, surrounded by family and friends. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Linda, a son, and three grandchildren.

Lisa Walker Meyerhuber ’62, Nov. 26, 2024, in Apollo, Pa., at 84. In addition to raising her children, she worked as an elementary education teacher, focusing on gifted students, in the Armstrong-Indiana Intermediate Unit 28 and the Indiana School District, retiring in 2002. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa sorority for women educators and the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees. She enjoyed playing bridge and was a voracious reader. She leaves her husband of 62 years, Carl I. Meyerhuber Jr. ’62, three sons, five grandchildren, and seven siblings.

Brenda Bertorelli Pates ’62, July 7, 2024, in Wadsworth, Wis., at 84. After a period as a mother and homemaker, she earned a master’s in deaf and hard of hearing education from Columbia University. Inspired by a deaf cousin, she dedicated her life to the deaf and hard of hearing community, teaching at the New York School for the Deaf for 25 years and later working as an educator and administrator for the Waukegan Public School District. She also mentored young teachers. She held an abiding faith in Christ that called her to ministry and charity work, feeding and clothing the unhoused through local ministries. Hobbies and passions included travel, food and wine, music, and arts and crafts. She leaves three children, seven grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and a sister.

Patricia Farnham Russell ’62, Jan. 22, 2025, in Falmouth, Maine, at 84. She married shortly after graduation and moved to Millinocket, Maine, where she raised her children, tended her home, and took advantage of the recreation in the Maine North Woods. After 13 years, she returned to teaching and, because her field of mathematics was not available, she earned a master’s in special education from the University of Maine at Orono in 1983, traveling 125 round trip weekly for five years to earn her degree. She retired from teaching in 1998 and relocated to Hampden, Maine. After her husband’s passing in 2011, she was an almost unstoppable force of nature and world traveler who could be found baking “blasberry” pies at her beloved camp on North Twin Lake, cross-country skiing the Bait Hole, tapping maple trees at the family sap camp in Elliottsville, attending her grandchildren’s events, supporting a medical mission in Ecuador, or cruising the Rhine River in Germany, which she did just months before her cancer diagnosis last December. At Colby, she was a loyal and helpful alumna. She was president of the Millinocket Colby Alumni Club, served as class agent and correspondent, and represented her class on the Alumni Council. In 1977 the College awarded her a Colby Brick. She came from a long line of Colby alumni, including her parents, Margaret “Peg” Davis Farnham, Class of 1928, and Roderick E. Farnham, Class of 1931, who established the Farnham Writers’ Center at Colby. Survivors include three children, including Jeff Russell ’87 and Margaret Russell Ewalt ’92; four grandchildren, including Alison Russell ’18; and four siblings, including Alden Sprague ’53 and Jane Farnham Rabeni ’66.

J. Peter Thompson ’62, Dec. 17, 2024, in Auburn, Maine, at 85. He earned a law degree from Boston University in 1965 and practiced law in Auburn at Platz and Thompson. He was an iconic figure and local legend, in and out of the courts and office. He remained a member of the bar throughout his life. In his early years, he was a harbormaster, skilled sailor, and fisherman. Later, at home on Lake Auburn, he was a hands-on master woodworker and craftsman. He was also known for his winding stone walls built over many years with rocks he collected from the lake, woods, and fields. These walls remain a testament to the way he lived, devotedly shaping something beautiful and lasting out of the world around him. He is remembered for his uniqueness, creativity, eccentricity, irreverence, humor, and enormous spirit. He was an avid cribbage and pool player, a blues lover, a gifted storyteller, a master of comfort food cooking, a generous host, and a great friend. Survivors include a daughter, grandson, and two stepchildren.

Ruth Schafer Sarrica ’63, Sept. 18, 2024, in St. George, Utah, at 82. Her first job as a teenager was writing names on Easter eggs at Gifford’s Ice Cream parlor due to her impressively small and precise handwriting. She was primarily a homemaker and mother early in her adult life. Later she worked for Gold Circle stores and for insurance companies in Ohio, New York, and Texas. She retired from the Ohio School Board Association in 1995 after serving as controller. She found pleasure in family, her cats, reading, knitting, needlepoint, and football, especially the Ohio State Buckeyes. She also enjoyed playing bridge with her husband, an activity they began at Colby and continued throughout 60 years of marriage. Anthony Sarrica ’63 survived her, but just for two months; he died Nov. 26, 2024. She leaves their two children, two grandsons, and her sister.

Dean E. Shea ’62, Aug. 3, 2024, in Wiscasset, Maine, at 84. He combined his athletic prowess with his love of language and literature into a career teaching and coaching high schoolers. He taught in Maine’s Dexter High School, Foxcroft Academy, and Schenck High School in East Millinocket, where he was an inspiring figure for 25 years, teaching English and coaching cross country, basketball, and baseball. In 1971 he earned a master’s in English from the University of Maine and was awarded fellowships at Carleton College and the University of Oregon to study Henry David Thoreau. In retirement, he returned to his roots in Wiscasset, enjoying his family; hiking, paddling, fishing, and hunting; running road races, from 5Ks to marathons; and feeding his competitive spirit by rooting for the Red Sox and playing cribbage. He possessed a dry wit and was a master storyteller. He leaves his wife of 63 years, Sandra, three children, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Gerard A. Corbin ’63, June 25, 2024, in Plano, Texas, at 82. He spent his career working at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, holding various positions and working his way up to regional claims manager. He also received a Chartered Property Casualty and Underwriters designation, commonly known as CPCU, scoring so high that he taught a CPCU prep course at the University of Connecticut. During his career, he lived in Hartford, Chicago, and Cincinnati before settling in Dallas. He loved sports cars, owning a Corvette and a Porsche in the 1980s. He leaves two children, two grandchildren, and two brothers.

James E. Lapides ’63, March 2, 2025, in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., at 83. After a stint working for Seagram’s Distillers in New York City after graduation, he began a career in finance with Prudential Securities in New Haven, Conn. The blizzard of February 1978 convinced him to move to a warmer, sunny climate, which he did 20 years later. He retired from Prudential, in Sarasota, Fla., after a 43-year career. A four-year letterman on Colby’s golf team, he continued to enjoy golf throughout his life. He also loved the Red Sox and enjoyed watching spring training. He was described as a “homebody” who loved his life, family, and close friends. He leaves his wife of 55 years, Lucy, two children, including Matthew Lapides ’94, four grandchildren, and two brothers.

Constance “Connie” Miller Manter ’63, Nov. 22, 2024, in East Boothbay, Maine, at 83. She earned two master’s degrees from Syracuse University and was in the doctoral “Leadership in Schooling” program at the University of Lowell. She was a dedicated educator who, from 1969 to 1988, held the position of social studies teacher and department head in the Groton, Mass., school district. In 1982 she was named Distinguished Teacher of the Year in Geography by the National Council for Geographic Education. She was awarded a Russian Studies Fellowship at Yale in 1984 and vigorously pursued a rapport with students and teachers in the then-Soviet Union, a country she visited five times with high school students. In 1989 she went to work for the State of Maine, Department of Education as a social studies curriculum developer and assessment coordinator, traveling the state to assist in staff development and curriculum design and give encouragement to social studies teachers. Much of her professional energy was directed toward at-risk students: the abused, disadvantaged, culturally deprived, or those with special physical needs. She retired from the Department of Education in 2004 and started her own private consulting business, assisting communities and educators around the world. She finally officially retired in 2014. Beyond their careers, she and her husband, Walter, cherished life with family and friends and enjoyed adventures, including world travel, boating, skiing, entertaining, and celebrating throughout. She leaves two sons and a granddaughter.

Cynthia Peters McIver ’63, April 1, 2025, in Pinehurst, N.C., at 83. She continued her academic career at Middlebury College, earning an M.A. in 1964, and at Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in 1968. She was also a Fulbright Scholar in Germany at the University of Mainz and in Austria at the University of Vienna. She spent her entire career as a foreign language educator in German with the Fairfax School System in northern Virginia. Later, she was an educational consultant and freelance editor. She retired to Pinehurst, where she enjoyed golf, gardening, and volunteering, devoting much of her time to the Clara McLean House in Pinehurst. She also enjoyed reading, hosting gatherings with family and friends, and traveling around the world, especially to Europe. Survivors include her husband of 55 years, Roderick W. McIver, and extended family.

Marvin C. Ostrovsky ’63, Feb. 2, 2025, in Salem, N.H., at 82. After graduating from Colby, he attended Tufts University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in pediatrics at the Boston Floating Hospital. He joined the U.S. Army, where he served as a physician and was honorably discharged at the rank of major. Following his military service, he cofounded the multi-specialty Southborough Medical Group and served as president for 28 years. He was a strong advocate for physician and patient-centered health care. However, his greatest professional joy was taking care of the many children in his practice. In 1982, he and his wife shared the honor of being named Southborough (Mass.) Citizen of the Year Award. After retiring at 72, he enjoyed spending time at his home on the lake in Salem with his family. He was described as a gentle and generous man whose philosophy of being kind to others, dedicating oneself to making the world a better place, and passing on durable values to his family inspired others. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Sydney, two children, six grandchildren, and a sister.

Thomas M. Thomas ’63, Dec. 11, 2024, in Gwynedd, Pa., at 83. Two years after Colby, he went to Doylestown, Pa., for a job but fell in love with the area and spent the next 50 years making a home, building a business, and committing himself to the community. He loved to travel and started Thomas Travel Service to share that love with others. The agency grew to four locations and more than 50 employees. He started the travel series “For Women Only” and was well known for helping large families plan trips to exciting destinations. He was also active with the Central Bucks County Chamber of Commerce and was honored with the Business Achievement Award in 2002. He joined the board of the Bucks County Historical Society while in his 20s and stayed active for 50 years. Social justice was also a passion, and he found a home in the progressive community at Pebble Hill Church and later at the BuxMont Unitarian Universalists Fellowship. At both churches, he spoke and organized services, and he was active on the Peace and Justice Committee at BuxMont. He also volunteered with A Woman’s Place and the local food pantry. He traveled for pleasure to exotic locations, but his favorite place was Nantucket Island, where he enjoyed bird walks, surf casting, scalloping, and relaxing with a cocktail on the front porch. He was married to Patricia “Patti” Raymond Thomas ’65 for almost 50 years, until her death in 2014. His second wife, Christina Pappajohn, is among his survivors, along with three children, including Robert M. Thomas ’88, eight grandchildren, and three siblings.

Albert Thomas Andrews III ’64, July 14, 2024, in Chatham, N.J., at 81. He earned his M.D. from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia and completed his residency and fellowship at Harrisburg Hospital. He became director of educational programs in the Department of Medicine at the hospital and then became chair of that department. After 10 years, he established a practice in hematology and medical oncology that aimed to care for families in a homelike environment; they housed their practice in a rebuilt residential home. In 1979 he was a founding member of Hospice of Central PA, an agency that was one of the pioneers of the hospice concept nationwide. He served as medical director there for more than 10 years. In 1994, the agency established the A. Thomas Andrews Award in his honor. An avid naturalist and birdwatcher, he traveled to every continent in search of birds, in all seeing, photographing, and journaling approximately 6,000 species of birds. He also enjoyed skiing, canoeing, rafting, and raising plants and orchids. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Sharon, four children, and eight grandchildren.

Jean Brennon Call ’64, Oct. 21, 2024, in Carrboro, N.C., at 81. She taught French at Easthampton High School in Massachusetts from 1966 to 1977, serving as chair of the Foreign Language Department for four years. She moved to Chapel Hill and became a professional house painter. She traveled to Mexico one summer and picked up Spanish, which she later taught; she eventually spoke four languages after adding Italian. An educator at heart throughout her life, she taught Spanish and French to senior citizens at the Orange County Department on Aging in Hillsborough, even after she became a senior citizen herself. She gardened and shared her love of flowers by creating arrangements to brighten others’ days, even as her health declined. She was an enthusiastic dog-lover, took daily walks with friends, volunteered, and was an avid reader who started the Aunt Jean Book Club to share books with her nieces and nephews. She remained in frequent contact with her Colby friends until she passed.

Alex Lloyd ’64, July 7, 2024, in Avon, Conn., at 81. He earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1967 and joined the firm Shipman & Goodwin in Hartford. He became a partner in 1971 and managing partner in 1985, serving in that role until 1996 and leading the firm through a period of growth and prosperity. His focus was on tax, business, and health care law. He also served as outside counsel for Hartford Hospital. He carried his love of music, fostered at Colby as a vocalist and guitarist in a band, into adulthood, combining it with a love of good food, good friends, and family. He split his time between Avon and Harbor Ridge, Fla., devoting much time to the game of golf and the friendships made on the course. Predeceased by his first wife, Jacqueline Roe Lloyd ’64, he leaves his second wife, Joanne, four children, eight grandchildren, a great-grandson, two stepdaughters, and a brother.

John N. “Nick” Ruf ’64, Jan. 1, 2025, in Rockland, Maine, at 84. He earned a master’s in English literature from the University of Toronto in 1969 and went on to a career with the State of Maine’s Office of Substance Abuse, leading programs for OUI offenders. He spent his free time reading, solving puzzles, listening to music, and traveling. Survivors include his fourth wife, Louise MacLellan-Ruf, and numerous friends.

Carlton H. Winslow III ’64, Aug. 22, 2024, in Port Clyde, Maine, at 83. He earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University in 1966 and moved to Kentucky to serve in the U.S. Military at Fort Knox that same year. He oversaw compassionate reassignments during the Vietnam War. He and his wife loved attending the Kentucky Derby and learned to make mint juleps. After two years, they returned to Connecticut and settled in East Hampton at the Winslow family’s summer home on Lake Pocotopaug, where they raised their two children. His work was in finance. Retirement brought him to Maine, where every August he visited Lazy Gut Island, way Down East. He loved nature, animals, sunsets, and the moon, and he found great joy in his grandchildren. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Katherine “Kitty” Winslow, two children, four grandchildren, and four siblings, including Nancy Winslow Harwood ’65.

Harriett “Fran” Holmes Varney ’65, Jan. 22, 2025, in Waterville, Maine, at 82. After Colby, she continued to succeed academically at Columbia University, where she originally studied French in graduate school but was inspired by fellow students to switch to law studies. Upon graduating from Columbia Law School, she returned to Maine as part of the back-to-earth movement. She purchased an old farmhouse in Mercer that remained her home for the rest of her days. She had two children with her first husband and a daughter with her second. Her law career often took a backseat to her commitment to being a present parent. Highlights of her 50-plus-year legal career include defending conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War era, some public defense work, real estate, and personal law. In her spare time, she enjoyed walking with friends, reading books, watching sunsets, enjoying music, eating good food, watching quality movies and TV, and traveling to visit family. She leaves her husband, William Varney, three children, and six grandchildren.

James Strohn Woodard ’65, April 24, 2024, in Boothbay, Maine, at 81. Thoughtful, kind, and unassuming, he spent his career teaching in Maine, at the old Bristol High School and Coburn Academy in the late 1960s and Boothbay Regional High School in the 80s. He was also the longest continuously serving adjunct professor in the history of the University of Maine at Augusta, where he taught English literature and composition from 1990 until his retirement in 2019. Earlier, he earned a master’s in English from Syracuse University. He read extensively and wrote short stories and one unpublished novel; took sojourns to Manhattan to keep up with the museums, theaters, and concert halls of his youth in Connecticut; and enjoyed cocktails and dinner with friends in Maine or abroad. He had a passion for sailing, spending nearly 40 years on the Damariscotta River or Penobscot Bay in his 21-foot Pearson Ensign. In 2022, at age 79, he returned for the first time to California’s Donner Ski Ranch, which his father owned in the 1950s and where he lived with his family as a child. Survivors include his son and two grandchildren.

Frank W. Musche Jr. ’66, Sept. 25, 2024, in Pocasset, Mass., at 79. He earned his medical degree from Tufts University in 1970 and completed his internship and residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Along with two others, he established a private medical practice, Radiology Associates, with locations in Providence and Woonsocket, R.I. He was an avid golfer and a member of country clubs in Rhode Island and Howey in the Hills, Fla., where he spent winters in retirement. Other pleasures included cruises, fishing, and traveling. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Susan Brown Musche ’65, four children, and nine grandchildren.

David A. Penhale ’66, May 22, 2024, in Glenwood Springs, Colo., at 79. His interest in the theater, begun in high school and developed at Colby, further blossomed at Wayne State University, where he received an M.F.A. in directing. He later studied at the Byrd Hoffman School for Byrds in New York City. He moved to New England and excelled as a singer, actor, and director in Portland, Portsmouth, and Boston. In his mid-30s, he moved to Hollywood and was cast in movies and TV shows, including Cheers, Hill Street Blues, Highway to Heaven, and The A-Team. Over the years, he developed a passion for biking and transforming interior painting into an art form. Survivors include his son, his ex-wife, and two brothers.

James W. Begin ’67, Nov. 18, 2024, in Waterville, Maine, at 81. After Colby, he served in the U.S. Army infantry before an honorable discharge in 1968. He returned to his hometown of Waterville and picked up working at Warnaco Men’s Apparel, d.b.a. Hathaway Shirt Company, where he started working in high school as a shipping clerk and worked throughout his Colby years. Later, he held various manufacturing positions there, from assistant plant manager in Puerto Rico to industrial engineering, retiring in 1994 as director of quality assurance, contracting, and research and development. He was also a well-known tennis instructor, teaching at Champion Fitness as well as coaching at Waterville Senior High School, Thomas College, and Colby. He leaves his life partner, Pamela Strong, and three siblings.

James B. Eisenberg ’67, Sept. 10, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, at 78. He attended Case Western Reserve University after Colby, earning a Ph.D. in 1972 and an M.D. in 1976. He was a researcher and diagnostic and interventional radiologist who worked at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Memorial Medical Center in Ludington, Mich., Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, and Defiance Clinics and Affiliated Hospitals in Ohio, where he was chair of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. He enjoyed traveling and spending time with his grandchildren. He was also a member of Congregation Agudas Achim in San Antonio. He leaves his wife, Tova, three children, three grandchildren, and a brother.

Irving B. Faunce ’67, Oct. 17, 2024, in Wilton, Maine, at 79. As a Colby student, he wrote obituaries for the Morning Sentinel and taught English and French at Belgrade High School. After graduation, he worked in Colby’s Office of Communications and then worked briefly for the Maine County Commissioners Association, Maine Pharmacy Association, and Maine Better Transportation Association. He found his true calling in health care administration and oversaw the development of the first-in-the-nation boarding home solely for victims of Alzheimer’s disease in Gardiner, Maine. Later, he served as director of a brain injury facility in Kennebunk and in long-term care facilities across the state of Maine. A fierce protector of the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable, he sat on the inaugural board of the Maine Human Rights Commission (1976-81), Maine Board of Environmental Protection (2000-05), and the State Board of Corrections (2008-11). He also served on various school, planning, and select boards, city councils, and health care systems boards. In his mid-40s, he found fellowship in the Friends of Bill, which changed and possibly saved his life. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Colby and volunteered in several capacities; in 2017 he was awarded a Colby Brick Award for his service. Survivors include four sisters; his wife, Jan Collins; seven biological and adopted children, including Karen Faunce Rand ’90; and 13 grandchildren.

Richard S. Mather ’67, Feb. 16, 2024, in Melbourne, Fla., at 78. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1967 upon graduation from Colby’s ROTC program and graduated from Squadron Officers School and the Air War College and earned at M.S. from Vanderbilt University in 1977. In his 26-year career as a colonel, he flew 4,000 flight hours in the F-4 D&E Phantom and several models of the F-15 Eagle, serving out of bases in the United States, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Germany. His staff tour was at the Pentagon in AF Ops as Checkmate Blue team chief and later XO JCS joint reader. He was also chief of the Air Force Section, U.S. Military Training Mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He retired in 1993 as a full colonel at Nellis Air Force Base, where he served as acting vice commander, 57th Wing. He was a highly decorated pilot, receiving the Defense Superior Service Medal (normally only awarded to general officers), four awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, and nine Air Medals. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Phyllis, two sons, three grandsons, and a sister. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Barbara J. Kuczun Nelson ’68, July 14, 2024, in Winslow, Maine, at 77. After earning her degree in Spanish at Colby, she earned a master’s in Spanish literature from Middlebury College in 1971. Returning to Waterville with her husband, she taught Spanish at Lawrence High School in Fairfield before joining the faculty at Colby. She became an associate professor of Spanish and taught at Colby for 36 years, retiring in 2014 with emerita status. A vibrant and gifted teacher, she took many student groups to Spain and South America and inspired generations of Colby students with her passion for teaching Spanish language and culture. In the late 1990s, she received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to build an interactive website to teach Spanish grammar. This small project, originally designed for her Colby students, eventually grew into a cutting-edge, award-winning website of free study modules used in more than 115 countries. For her work, she was awarded an Editor’s Choice Award from MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching). She was an avid reader, the caretaker of breathtaking perennial gardens, and a passionate friend and fighter for justice, particularly for women’s rights. She leaves her husband of 55 years, Paul Scott Nelson ’68, two children, and three siblings.

William L. Burges ’69, Oct. 27, 2024, in Euclid, Ohio, at 77. While teaching history and government in Brockton, Mass., public schools, he went to night school and earned a master’s in urban affairs and a doctorate in systems development, both from Boston University. Later, he served as vice president for development, dean of instruction, and director of strategic planning at Cuyahoga Community College, or Tri-C. He was a tireless advocate for Tri-C and led nearly 20 campaigns to fund programs that prepared the region’s workforce. His ability to coalesce civic and community leaders resulted in the launch of Burges & Burges Strategists, a political strategy company he ran with his wife. His efforts secured funding for public schools, community colleges, libraries, parks, human services, and transit systems all over Ohio. He was consulted by many for his straight talk, reasoned counsel, and practical advice. Everyone agreed that he was a problem-solver. He leaves a son and a brother.

Beth Sanborn Burrage ’69, Sept. 10, 2024, in Topsham, Maine, at 77. She pursued higher education after Colby, earning a master’s in education from Boston University in 1970 and another master’s in American literature from Clark University in 1976. After living in Massachusetts, she settled in Connecticut, where, while raising her son, she volunteered at Planned Parenthood in Old Saybrook. Thirty years later, she retired as its clinic manager, having provided guidance and comfort to innumerable young women and men. She stayed physically active through the decades and was a voracious reader and eager book club participant. Retirement brought her back to her home state of Maine, where she became active at Highland Green in Topsham, serving as a board member of its co-op and with the charitable organization Maine Women’s Giving Tree. Owing to her mother’s ancestry, she was interested in all things Scandinavian, including Nordic noir films and police drama and trips to Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. She leaves her husband of 54 years, Thomas G. Burrage ’69, a son, and three granddaughters.

Betsey Baker Cassidy ’69, Feb. 3, 2025, in Attleboro, Mass., at 77. After Colby, she had a number of professional roles, including engineer’s assistant, real estate agent, commodity specialist at a technology company, and bookkeeper at her daughter’s dental practice. As an at-home mom for 10 years in the late ‘70s, she volunteered with the Girl Scouts and other charitable organizations. She found joy in knitting, crocheting, and sewing, loved to read, supported the performing arts, constructed stone walls around her yard, and hiked in New Hampshire. She was described as a multifaceted individual with a dedication to her family, community, creativity, and the arts. She leaves two daughters, five grandchildren, and two sisters.

Barbara “Benjie” Benn Engebretson ’69, Oct. 5, 2024, in McAllister, Mont., at 77. She moved to Montana after Colby and earned a master’s in secondary education from Montana State University in 1972. She taught for a few years before moving to Montana’s Madison Valley, where she made her home for more than 45 years. She ran a fly-tying business, Benjie’s Bugs, for many years before opening a gift store, Benjie’s, which drew a community that shared an appreciation for good deals, laughter, progressive politics, and the joy of shopping. She also raised Labrador retrievers, was an avid reader, and kept tabs on the wildlife she saw in the valley. She leaves her husband, Jim, and a stepdaughter.

’71-’80

Janet K. Beals ’71, Oct. 15, 2024, in Edwards, Colo., at 75. After Colby, she moved to Boston, and then Vail, Colo., initially just to ski, but she ended up making it her home. There, she combined her love of skiing with her talent for waiting tables—begun on Cape Cod the summer after Colby—and worked as a waitress at several nice restaurants at the Vail ski resort. She took classical ballet lessons for 15 years, and in the 1990s she turned to teaching piano after a 27-year hiatus from piano instruction as a teenager. An accomplished pianist, she taught anyone who wanted to learn, young and old. She also collected coins, enjoyed horseback riding, and volunteered every year at the Vail summer music festival Bravo. An active Colby alumna, she served as a class agent and helped organize reunions. She died suddenly from an illness after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom, on the same day as the death of her husband, David E. Nelson ’71. Survivors include two younger siblings. A celebration of life will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 28 at Zino Ristorante in Edwards, Colo. RSVP to nancybeals@comcast.net.

Philip J. Byers ’71, May 30, 2024, in North Andover, Mass., at 75. He earned a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1974 and practiced law, especially family law, for 48 years, with offices in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. In 1990 he was named a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and made contributions to the Amicus Curiae Committee. He coauthored several briefs before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the AAML, notably arguing in support of grandparent visitation and same-sex marriage. He belonged to Temple Emanuel in Andover and taught Hebrew school there for many years. He’s remembered for his deep, boisterous laughter, brilliant intellect, kindness, and voracious reading. He loved the ocean and traveled to Virginia’s Sandbridge Beach every summer. He leaves his wife, Linda, three children, two stepchildren, and five grandchildren.

David E. Nelson ’71, Oct. 15, 2024, in Edwards, Colo., at 75. He lived in his hometown of Portland, Maine, for a few years after Colby. In 1975 he moved to Vail, Colo., to ski for a winter and ended up staying for five decades. He worked in hospitality and property management while taking advantage of living in “an outrageously beautiful setting” by hiking, bike riding, and skiing as much as possible. He also enjoyed working out and practicing yoga. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in Colorado and once traveled to Vietnam to help build houses. While snowbirding in Arizona during the winters, he was active in the local hiking club. As an alumnus, he was a class agent and helped to organize reunions. He died suddenly from an illness after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom, on the same day as the death of his wife, Janet K. Beals ’71. Survivors are a brother and sister-in-law. A celebration of life will be held from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 28 at Zino Ristorante in Edwards, Colo. RSVP to nancybeals@comcast.net.

William B. Williamson II ’71, June 3, 2024, in Portland, Maine, at 74. He worked as an English teacher and school administrator at Fryeburg Academy in Maine and Vermont Academy before entering the world of commercial banking. He went on to a 40-year career partnering with clients and community organizations to realize their goals, retiring in 2023 as state president for Bank of America. He served on many area nonprofits and took pride in his community involvement. He leaves three daughters, five grandchildren, and a brother.

Vernon L. Brown III ’72, April 17, 2024, in Truro, Mass., at 73. He enjoyed a long career as an interior designer, which developed into house redesign and restoration, fusing his interests in design and architecture. He worked for a series of small companies with partners, but mostly independently in various Boston neighborhoods. He relocated to Cape Cod in the 1990s and fell in love with the Outer Cape life: boating, driving his Scout on the dunes and his Porsche on back roads, fishing, walking on the beach, and catching his own lobster. In Provincetown, he redesigned and restored houses large and small. He got into real estate, buying houses, restoring them, and reselling them, eventually working for Thomas D. Brown Real Estate in Truro. He loved the arts and collecting things of beauty, traveling to Paris annually to explore the city’s flea markets. He also frequented antique markets in Brimfield. Predeceased by his wife, Amy Sosland Brown ’72, he leaves a son, two granddaughters, two sisters, and his canine companion, Boo.

Russell G. Condon ’72, April 19, 2024, in Old Bridge, N.J., at 73. He studied microbiology at Rutgers University and enjoyed a 42-year career at Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical Corporation (now Merck) as a research scientist. He worked on several antibiotics, an alpha interferon product, various interleukins, and gene therapy. His main hobby and passion was electronics, including robotics and computers. He could fix any radio, TV, clock, or electronic, and he happily did so for family and friends. He also enjoyed walking and jogging and participated in a number of 5Ks. He was an active member of the United Methodist Church at New Brunswick, where for 40 years he ran its sound system. He leaves his wife of 50 years, Cynthia Lindgren Condon ’72, two children, and three granddaughters.

Edith “Edie” R. Febiger ’72, Oct. 20, 2024, in Hopkinton, Mass., at 74. Her main calling in life was an artist, and she painted with watercolors and oils, sketched with pencil, and made pottery. She exhibited her work in Essex and Tiverton Four Corners, R.I., near where she was raised and lived for many years in the Essex “cottage” on her family’s homestead, helping her parents and working the grounds. She also worked in antique restoration, greenhouse operations, caring for cattle, and waitressing. Later, she moved to Montville, Maine, where she continued with her art, walked the fields and woods with her dog and neighbor, raised chickens, and oversaw the design and construction of a handsome barn. She loved animals and kept many dogs and cats over the years. She leaves three siblings and four nieces.

Donald “Nipper” M. Harding ’72, Dec. 11, 2024, in Brunswick, Maine, at 75. He worked for software companies in Maine, including FMG Systems and DH Software Alliance. Hockey was one of his greatest passions: he loved playing, watching, and talking about it. He also loved gardening, playing in the yard with his grandchildren and neighborhood children, sailing, spending time on Vinalhaven, and singing. He found great joy in helping other recovering alcoholics on their journey. He died in a tragic car accident. Survivors include his wife, Mettie Whipple, two sons, two stepchildren, three grandchildren, and two sisters.

Catherine “Cathie” R. Joslyn ’72, July 21, 2024, in Gulfport, Fla., at 74. She earned an M.F.A. in textiles at Indiana University in 1977. A professor emerita at Clarion University of Pennsylvania who began her teaching career at the Kansas City Art Institute, she exhibited internationally and produced commissioned work. Her works also hang in numerous public and private collections. She has published in Oxford’s Art Online. She won a Fulbright Teaching and Research Grant to Peru in 2001-02, and much of her imagery has been informed by studies of Andean, African, Central American, and other cultures. She was an adventurous spirit and a lifelong learner who enjoyed travel, art, music, yoga, and bicycling. Survivors include three siblings and their children.

Judith Berringer Van Zon ’72, April 18, 2024, in Chur, Switzerland, at 73. Her Colby junior year abroad at the University of Caen in Normandy fueled her lifelong love and fascination with all things French—culture, couture, collectibles, and cuisine. She moved to Montreal after Colby and worked as a customer service representative for Air France and continued with the company when she moved back to Boston. With her first husband, Robert Henriquez, she lived in Brooklyn Heights in New York and immersed herself in the artists and social circles of the mid-1970s. She joined the international Tzell Travel Group and eventually owned and operated her own travel agency within Tzell. The agency, with her office in New York’s Garment District, handled top fashion accounts. One of her clients was her future husband, Adrian Van Zon. She eased away from full-time work and devoted her time to her marriage. They had homes in the Berkshires, Florida, and Switzerland, and as an accomplished cook, she relished entertaining. Avid tennis players, she and her husband were constant spectators at professional matches, including the U.S. and French Opens. She was also an amateur genealogist, tracing her Nova Scotia heritage back hundreds of years. She had no children but doted on her four niblings. She leaves her husband, a sister, and extended family.

Gregory M. Page ’73, March 18, 2025, in Bath, Maine, at 74. He worked for several years at Page Monument Company, but his true calling was in the kitchen. He became a certified executive chef and worked in many restaurants. In semi-retirement, he sold culinary spices. He was a member of the Bath Elks Lodge, served on the Bath City Council, and was a member of the Bath YMCA. He loved golfing and was a member of the Brunswick (Maine) Golf Club, starting in 1997. He also enjoyed the Boston Bruins, his Porsche, golden retrievers, and traveling to the Caribbean. Survivors include his wife, Anne, and extended family.

Richard A. Vann ’74, Sept. 7, 2024, in Methuen, Mass., at 71. His talent for picking up languages began in high school and continued at Colby. After college, he earned a master’s in teaching English as a second language (ESL) from St. Michael’s College in Vermont, where he met his future wife and set out to learn her native language, Armenian. He taught foreign students ESL at George Washington University, American University, and Catholic University in Washington, D.C., for several years before switching to corporate consulting with Booz Allen & Hamilton. In 1992 he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he taught ESL to Royal Saudi Navy personnel and traveled the globe. He returned to the U.S. in 1998, settled in Fairfax, Va., and eventually retired from Booz Allen in 2012. In retirement, he continued to teach and explore community theater until receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2019. A lifelong advocate for the Armenian culture, he was an active member in Armenian churches and the Knights of Vartan, becoming the first non-Armenian member to be initiated. Described as a true humanitarian, he revered art, music, theater, language, and history. He leaves his wife, Araxie, two daughters, two grandsons, and a brother.

Janet L. Bedula ’75, July 20, 2024, in Cresskill, N.J., at 70. A Spanish major at Colby who spent a semester in Madrid, she became a Spanish and ESL teacher. After Colby, she earned a master’s in teaching and ESL from William Paterson College. She began teaching at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts and resumed her career in New Jersey, teaching in Cresskill, Bogota, and for many years at Cliffside Park High School, where she retired as head of the Language Department. She loved being by the ocean, especially on Cape Cod and Sanibel Island, Fla., where she enjoyed boating, fishing, pulling up lobster traps, and finding seashell treasures. She was an excellent cook and reader, did needlepoint, was a whiz at crossword puzzles, and adored cats. She leaves her younger brother, Richard.

Thomas W. Huebner ’75, March 26, 2025, in Rutland, Vt., at 70. He earned an M.B.A. in health administration from Boston University in 1977 and began his career in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as deputy assistant commissioner of public health. He held positions of increasing responsibility at other institutions before eventually becoming president and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center. For 28 years, he guided the organization with a steady hand and a compassionate heart until he retired in 2018. He was also an active board member, lending his expertise and support to organizations focused on health and wellness services across Vermont, including the BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont, Community Health, the Federally Qualified Health Center in Rutland, the Brattleboro Retreat, VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, and the American Hospitals Association. At the time of his passing, he continued to serve on five boards. He was especially appreciated for and excelled in his role as chief maintenance officer at Rutland’s own Phoenix Books. A beloved family man and friend, he savored traveling, spending time outdoors, and cooking. He especially reveled in the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beauty of Lake Champlain and Lake Wesauking. Predeceased by his first wife, Jean Crowley Huebner ’75, the mother of his two surviving children. He also leaves his second wife, Tricia Huebner, three brothers, and his father.

Carolyn “Carrie” E. Johns ’75, Dec. 4, 2024, in Canton, N.Y., at 70. She earned her Ph.D. in botany from the University of Montana in 1984. After post-doctoral research as an environmental scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey in California, and a brief stint teaching at Deep Springs College, she joined the environmental studies department at St. Lawrence University in 1988. At SLU, she taught a wide variety of courses, chaired the department for a number of years, and was named the Grace J. Fippinger Professor of Sciences. She greatly enjoyed her research, which focused on heavy metals in mussels of the St. Lawrence River. She published academic articles and traveled broadly to present her findings. She retired as professor emeritus in 2018. She lived in Waddington, N.Y., where she found pleasure in gardening, raising sheep, and renovating her historic stone house built in the early 1800s. She often traveled to Silver Bay on Lake George, her parents’ retirement home and a place of joyful childhood memories. She loved science fiction, mysteries, and making yarn from the sheep she raised. She was hard working, quiet, kind, and generous. Survivors include a brother, a niece and nephew, and a dear friend.

David A. Bengtson ’76, Feb. 8, 2025, in Middletown, Conn., at 71. He spent 35 years working as a sales manager at Johnson Gage, retiring in 2018. He was also a longtime president of the Bay Point Club in East Hampton. He leaves his wife, Liz, three children, including John D. Bengtson ’15, and a granddaughter.

Janet McManama Linehan ’76, Aug. 25, 2024, in Cotuit, Mass., at 70. She established an early career in financial services at the First National Bank of Boston, rising to the vice president level. She married and had her first child before relocating to Asia for her husband’s job. They spent nine delightful years abroad, returning in 1993 and settling in Dover, Mass. She focused on her children and community, volunteering at her church and organizing annual town tennis tournaments. A standout tennis player in high school and at Colby—winning the Maine State Championship in 1975—in retirement, she strived for three forms of exercise a day: pickleball, biking, paddle boarding, walking, or golfing. She leaves her husband, Mark, three children, a grandson, and six siblings.

Douglas V. Gathany ’77, Nov. 25, 2024, in Raymond, Maine, at 68. Raised in Lake Forest, Ill., he returned to the area after Colby and earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. His career in finance began at Montgomery Ward as an inventory analyst, and he eventually rose to treasurer of the company. In 2001 he joined SIRVA as senior vice president-treasurer. Family was most important to him as he and his wife raised their daughters in Riverwoods, Ill., where they created beautiful family memories. His hobbies included woodworking, landscaping, and home improvement projects. He was a devoted Chicago White Sox fan, loved football, and enthusiastically shared his classic rock music catalog at his legendary Christmas parties. He learned to sail as a teenager on Lake Michigan, and in 1979 joined his father, uncle, and cousin in crossing the Atlantic Ocean on his uncle’s 41-foot sailboat. It was the trip of a lifetime. In 2016 he retired to a lakefront home in Maine, where he hosted countless friends and family. He especially cherished summer gatherings with his children and their families. Survivors include his wife, Andrea Linnell Gathany ’77, three daughters, seven grandchildren, his father, and two sisters, including Robin Gathany Shea ’80.

Pierce Archer ’78, Dec. 29, 2024, in Villanova, Pa., at 68. For more than 40 years, he had a successful career in the financial services industry, becoming a trusted investment advisor and building relationships with his clients that spanned decades and generations. Hailed as a “Renaissance man,” he held wide-ranging interests, talents, and knowledge spanning the natural world, craftsmanship, pyrotechnics, history, and more. He was known for his quick wit, wry sense of humor, big heart, and unique perspective on life. Family was everything to him, and nothing made him happier or prouder. He leaves his wife, Cynthia Hill Archer, two children, two grandchildren, and two siblings.

Christopher V. Hughes ’78, Feb. 25, 2025, in Little River, S.C., at 68. He received his D.M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1982. After a general practice residency and a pediatric dental residency, he was selected for a clinical staff fellowship in the Patient Care and Clinical Investigations Branch of the National Institute of Dental Research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. While there, he was awarded a National Research Service Award to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in the Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, earning his Ph.D. in microbiology from Georgetown University in 1991. His teaching career included jobs as an assistant professor of pediatric dentistry and oral microbiology at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, 1990-93; chair of pediatric dentistry and associate professor and professor of pediatric dentistry at the Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and attending staff member at Boston Medical Center, as well as Franciscan Children’s Hospital, 1993-2013; professor and chair of pediatric dentistry at Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine, 2013-17; and professor and chair of pediatric dentistry at the School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, from 2017 until his retirement in 2021. He was certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and was a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He authored numerous publications and presented nationally and internationally on various dental and scientific topics. He was a founding board member of Global Smile Foundation, participating as a team member on at least 12 missions to serve children in Central America, South America, and Africa. He had a love of travel, all genres of music, reading, and crossword puzzles. Cats and dogs, martinis on the piazza, and a good one-liner also brought him joy. He leaves his wife, Dorothy S. Hughes, two children, and two brothers, including his twin.

John T. Bennett III ’79, Feb. 29, 2024, in Colrain, Mass., at 68. A dedicated civil servant, he worked as the town planner for Montague, Mass., and for 20 years at the Windham Regional Commission. In 1990 he earned his master’s from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in regional planning. He dedicated nearly 40 years of volunteer work to the Franklin County Conservation District, a testament to his unmatched affinity for nature. He was a diehard New England Patriots fan and flannel connoisseur who drove with the windows down year-round. Hobbies included hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, map reading, and cooking outdoors. He leaves his wife, Katherine Montague-Bennett, two children, a granddaughter, and two siblings.

Mark A. McAuliffe ’79, Oct. 21, 2023, in Scarborough, Maine, at 66. He earned a master’s in management from the Sloan School of Business at MIT in 1981. He started working for Bath Iron Works the same year and rose to vice president of planning and materials until 1994, when he became managing partner at Orthopedic Associates. He transferred in 2006 to Martin’s Point Healthcare, where for two years he was chief clinical operations officer. In 2008 he opened Apothecary by Design Pharmacy with four other partners in Portland, Maine. He belonged to the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce, serving as president 2002-2009, and he was a trustee of the Tilton School and on the board of the Maine Health Management Coalition. He was an avid hiker, bicyclist, and outdoorsman who, since 2005, volunteered with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club’s Maine Trail Crew. In his final days of life, he made a gift in excess of $1 million to the MAMC for its capital campaign; in his honor, a new facility in Skowhegan will be called “The Maine Trail Center: Honoring the Memory of Mark McAuliffe, a Devoted Member and Volunteer of MATC.” Predeceased by his parents, Robert ’54 and Helen Connolly McAuliffe ’53, he leaves three siblings, including Robert McAuliffe Jr. ’76, and niblings, including Meghan Moynihan ’09.

Sidney Karl Mohel Sr. ’79, July 20, 2024, in Berkeley Twp., N.J., at 67. He earned a J.D. degree from the University of Bridgeport (now Quinnipiac University) School of Law in 1983. He worked in the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office before practicing as an attorney at his practice, the Law Offices of S. Karl Mohel, PC in Toms River. He was a parishioner of the St. Joseph RC Church, certified scuba diver, hypnotist, and world traveler. He leaves his wife, Lisa, four children, four grandchildren, and two brothers.

’81-’90

James W. Bourne ’81, May 6, 2024, in Littleton, Mass., at 65. He earned a master’s in environmental management from Duke University School of the Environment in 1987 and then embarked on a 36-year career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A national leader in water policy working at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., for 20 years, he helped establish the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and supported states’ efforts to increase state drinking water program funding. He was a key player in the establishment of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and he set up and managed the national Drinking Water Academy. For the second half of his career, he worked in EPA Region 1 (Boston) as the regional CWSRF coordinator. An enthusiastic Colby supporter, he served as president of his class, treasurer of the Colby Club of Washington, D.C., and co-chair of the Alumni Council Clubs Committee. At his 25th Reunion in 2006, he was awarded a Colby Brick Award. He enjoyed fly fishing, hiking, skiing, and camping, and he loved to travel. He held a vast knowledge of history, forestry, and architecture and was an excellent tour guide for friends and family. He leaves his wife, Elizabeth, two children, two step-children, and a brother, Robert Bourne Jr. ’76.

John J. Masiz ’81, May 11, 2024, in Topsfield, Mass., at 65. He earned a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1985 and became a pioneer in the pharmaceutical research and development field. He spent many years as CEO, president, and chair of the board of directors of Vaso Active Pharmaceuticals, a spinoff division from its parent company, BioChemics, where he also worked. An avid outdoorsman, he cherished time hunting and fishing; a boating enthusiast, he was happiest on the open waters. Survivors include his longtime partner and fiancée, Laura Stephens, his parents, and two brothers, including Mark Mscisz ’83.

Chappell F. “Chappy” Nelson ’82, June 19, 2024, in Levant, Maine, at 64. He earned a master’s in athletic administration from The Ohio State University in 1984 and returned to Colby the next year, beginning a 30-year career as athletic equipment manager for the Mules. In 2016 he began working for Bowdoin College as manager of equipment services. He was a longtime member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association. Additionally, he umpired high school baseball for more than 40 years, serving on the executive committee of the Umpires Association for many of those years and earning a reputation statewide for his umpire skills. He also coached, as assistant baseball coach at Colby from 1989 to 2017, as the American Legion baseball coach, and for three summers as coach of the highly successful Mid-Maine Marlins of the Eastern Maine Amateur Baseball League. Survivors include his mother, S. Carleen Nelson, a sister, and extended family.

Lisa Murray MacLean ’83, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Yarmouth, Mass., at 63. She earned a master’s in education from Northeastern in 1986 and a CAGS degree from Anna Maria College, focusing on school counseling and counseling psychology, respectively. She pursued these degrees while working as a guidance counselor at Maynard High School, where she worked for 35 years, changing the lives of students and colleagues. She had a passion for water and sailing, which she learned at an early age, and a great love for teaching and one design racing. She was the program director at her beloved Lewis Bay Yacht Club and, for the past 25 years, was the chair of the One Design Race Committee at Hyannis Yacht Club. She helped to build a strong, vibrant community on the water. Survivors include her husband, Norman MacLean, two children, her father, and two brothers.

Stephen T. Garrity ’84, July 26, 2023, in Boston, Mass., at 60. He carried his love of and talent for singing and stage performance beyond Colby, nurturing a passion for music, theater, and the arts by sharing it with his nieces and nephews. His lifelong career was as a clinical trial manager for several pharmaceutical companies—namely Dupont, Wyeth, Organon, and Millennium—running clinical drug studies in hospitals throughout New England. Diagnosed with AIDS 30 years ago, he was an advocate and friend to others with the disease. He donated to charities through fundraisers and events, and he mentored unhoused individuals, often taking them in to help them rehabilitate. He leaves his parents, two siblings, and five niblings.

Steven P. Montebello ’84, Jan. 10, 2025, in Monson, Mass., at 63. He worked for the Hartford Insurance Group, retiring as a manager. He enjoyed music, movies, reading, nature, and travel. His greatest happiness was found in spending time with his family and friends. He leaves his wife, Susanne “Susie” Montebello, a son, and a brother.

Dana Friedman ’87, Dec. 11, 2024, in Mission Viejo, Calif., at 59. After attending Colby and the American University in Paris, he settled in Southern California and launched a career in advertising and public relations before pivoting to various entrepreneurial pursuits, including a business—Seal Guard—focused on sea lion abatement strategies in Newport Harbor. For many years, he and his wife volunteered every Sunday at Friends of the Sea Lion (later Pacific Marine Mammal Center) in Laguna Beach, where they rescued, rehabilitated, and released sea lions, harbor seals, and elephant seals. The terrorist attacks of September 11 encouraged Dana to re-evaluate his career. He sought out the training and certifications necessary to become an animal control officer and was hired in 2009 by Coastal Animal Services Authority, serving San Clemente and Dana Point. Being an animal control officer was the perfect match for his gifts. Underneath his bravado was a deeply caring soul with an amazing, hilarious wit. He died after a fierce battle with stage 4 cancer and is survived by his wife, Lynn, two sisters, many cherished cousins, and a boisterous community of chosen family.

David E. Philbrick ’87, Nov. 19, 2024, in Duxbury, Mass., at 59. After graduating from Colby, he joined the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant in the Supply Corp., where he served in the Red Sea during the entirety of the First Gulf War. He received his M.B.A. from Babson College and went on to work at EY as an executive director in the Corporate Finance Division, specializing in business valuation. But his favorite job was after he retired, working for Duxbury Conservation, creating and maintaining the town trails. For him, his life had come full circle, as he and his father had spent many hours in the woods of his home state of Maine chopping 20 cords of wood each summer. Intelligent, curious, honest, and hard-working, he was above all a family man who coached his children in baseball and softball. He loved to travel, ski, and dine at restaurants. He was an avid Star Trek fan and had an encyclopedic knowledge of classic television shows. Survivors include his wife, Elaine Mullen Philbrick ’87, two children, and three sisters.

Michelle L. Perron ’90, May 17, 2024, in Waterbury, Vt., at 56. To realize her dream of being a pediatrician, she earned her doctorate of medicine in 1995 from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She was a dedicated partner in the Timber Lane Pediatrics Group in Vermont, providing care for families in the area. She also enjoyed baking, following in the footsteps of her Grandmother Clark. A consummate homemaker, she hosted family events at her home, enjoyed gardening, and welcomed cats and dogs into her home. She embodied how to live a life grounded in caring, compassion, and love. Survivors include her parents, her husband, Jim Percy, a brother, and extended family.

’91-’00

Jennifer Fenton-Jones ’91, Dec. 23, 2024, in Harvard, Mass., at 56. From Colby, she attended Boston University and Manhattanville College, where she earned a master’s in education. She taught special education for 10 years before turning her full attention to raising her children. She was an active volunteer, serving as a substitute teacher, chairing an annual family trees celebration, and helping at an elementary school library before becoming ill with cancer. She was a “pacesetter” for the Jimmy Fund Walk in the 2021 and 2022 fundraisers. She also loved reading and treasured her membership in the Women of Candleberry Book Club. Survivors include her husband, Christopher Jones ’90, four children, her mother and stepfather, her father, and a sister.

Douglas T. Oppenheimer ’92, Jan. 30, 2025, in Hilton Head, S.C., at 55. Following a robust Colby experience—All-New England soccer player and co-captain, varsity lacrosse player, theatrical performer, and senior class president—he played soccer overseas for the Bank of England A.F.C. First Team. He also completed a two-year acting program with the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, worked for producer Nancy Tanenbaum on films such as The Daytrippers, and earned a master’s in historical studies from the University of Maryland. He found his calling as a history and math teacher, and as “Mr. O,” enriched the lives of students at Ruxton Country Day School for almost a decade and at Garrison Forest School (GFS) for 13 years, both in Owings Mills, Md. He was nominated for the national Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction Award and honored by GFS with the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2016. He also built a career as a highly respected soccer coach with a holistic vision. He coached where he taught but also at other institutions in the area. He was also a technical trainer with Coerver Coaching and earned several prestigious coaching certifications and licenses, traveling the world to study at academies and work with coaches. Most recently, he was cofounder of DSA Labs, serving as director of coaching and player development for the innovative sports analytics company and using DSA’s Statlink software to advise college teams through to professional and national. He passed away after facing esophageal cancer with resolve, courage, and heart, leaving as survivors his father and his brother, Jeffrey Oppenheimer ’98.

Caryn M. Harris ’93, May 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn., at 53. After Colby, she did graduate work in government at Georgetown University and worked as a researcher for several think tanks in Washington, D.C. She moved to Nashville, where she earned an M.A. in conflict management at Lipscomb University and worked as an ombudsman for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church and loved the live music available in Nashville, especially performances at Ryman Auditorium. She traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean; her favorite city was London, where she worked as a teaching assistant during her junior year at Colby. Survivors include her parents, Phillip and Frances Harris, and her former husband, Peter Carney ’92.

Karl A. Oliver ’93, Oct. 2, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn., at 54. He earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996. He opened a successful practice, The Oliver Group, in St. Paul and offered bankruptcy services, represented clients in commercial litigation, and practiced corporate and real estate law. He died from a heart attack and leaves a sister.

Stuart G. Pitrat ’93, Jan. 27, 2025, in South Daytona, Fla., at 53. He worked as a web developer and programmer, starting first in Boston before moving to Florida. He enjoyed hanging out with his friends, took yearly ski trips out West, and spent summers at his family camp in Maine. Survivors include two brothers, niblings, and his beloved dog, Onyx.

Michael D. Keller ’95, May 17, 2024, in Saint Augustine, Fla., at 51. He worked as an options broker on the floor of the American Stock Exchange for many years. After his family moved to Florida, he enjoyed his job as an assistant baseball coach at Beachside High School. With a larger-than-life personality, he exuded strength that he instilled in his children, even as he battled colon cancer. He leaves his wife, Lisa, four children, his parents, and three siblings.

’01-’10

Katherine “Kathy” Rittner ’05, in Northampton, Mass., at 41. She pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a physician by graduating from the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine in Worcester in 2010 and completing her “med-peds” residency in four years at Baystate Medical Center. She thrived in the world of primary care and over the course of her career served Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska, as well as Indigenous people in Australia. She also served at a Christian clinic in Honduras, and for the last several years, she worked in clinics in Colorado and South Carolina. Her last position was at the Federal Prison Hospital in Devens, Mass. She had a passion for traveling, accomplishing her goal of doing some type of activity in each of the 50 states, and also visited England, continental Europe, Africa, Central America, and India. Other interests included chocolate, ice cream, ballet, and being outdoors. Living in a social world was a lifelong struggle, and she died after a long battle with depression. She leaves her parents and many friends.

’11-’20

Samuel E. Funderburg ’19, May 12, 2024, in Chicago, Ill., at 27. An economics major at Colby, he moved to Chicago after graduation and worked in consulting and software sales. He started playing competitive golf in high school and continued at Colby on the golf team. He also enjoyed ping-pong, the outdoors, long walks, reading, and watching sports and documentaries. His travels included to Argentina, Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, and Mexico. He leaves his parents, three sisters, and extended family.

Faculty Emeriti

Thomas R. Berger, Oct. 22, 2024, in Oberlin, Ohio, at 83. He earned a B.S. in mathematics and physics from Trinity College in Connecticut and completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at California Institute of Technology. In 1967, he started his career in group theory and representation theory at the University of Minnesota. His interest in education also led him to teach in the University of Minnesota program for gifted and talented high school students. From 1988 to 1991 he worked at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., overseeing the awarding of grants for the improvement of mathematics education nationwide. He resumed teaching as the Carter Professor of Mathematics at Colby, where he remained a passionate practitioner of transformative education until his retirement in 2006, earning emeritus status. He was a lifelong learner with interests in travel, music, amateur radio, electronics, literature, scouting, carpentry, and folk dance. It was the latter that had him venturing out via scooter from CalTech to Pomona College, where he met his wife, Jeanne. She joined him in research sojourns in Coventry, England; Canberra, Australia; Auckland and Hamilton, New Zealand; Essen and Mainz, Germany; and Guangzhou, China, frequently with family in tow. He played a mean harmonica and also dabbled in guitar, banjo, ukulele, and autoharp. At home, he was most often found in his workshop designing and building electronic equipment or in his armchair, deeply engrossed in a book. He profoundly valued education. Contributions to the Berger Family Scholarship at Colby are appreciated. This fund helps underrepresented students gain access to a STEM-focused education. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne, and his children, Amy and Scott.

Murray F. Campbell, March 13, 2025, in Chesterville, Maine, at 78. He earned a B.A. in physics from Pennsylvania State University in 1968 and a Ph.D. in physics with an astrophysics minor from Cornell University in 1974. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Arizona before moving to Maine and joining Colby’s faculty in 1980. He rose to become the Merrill Professor of Physics, retiring and earning emeritus status in 2011. His research focused on the formation of high-mass stars and their interaction with the interstellar medium. An important part of his legacy at Colby is the launch of the astronomy program that has since grown impressively. He helped set up the first large telescope and dome at the Collins Observatory, and he coauthored research papers with many of his students. He also held open houses at the observatory to share his passion for astronomy with the local community. As a department chair, he provided effective leadership and support for his colleagues during a time of transition, while working to make the department a welcoming place for all students. For many years while teaching, he was a member of the “Rocking Chair” men’s hockey league and could also be frequently spotted going for a run around campus on his lunch break. In retirement, he moved full time to his “camp” on Parker Pond, dividing his time equally between Maine’s seasons by hiking, skiing, kayaking, or sailing. Survivors include two daughters, three grandchildren, and a brother.

L. Sandy Maisel, Dec. 9, 2024, in Rome, Maine, at 79. Scholar, sought-after political commentator, and a modern man of letters. A Buffalo, N.Y., native, he was as much a Maine institution as is Colby, where he taught for 50 years, retiring as the Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of Government, Emeritus. He followed his father to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in government and took part in civil rights marches during Boston’s school busing protests. He was a deputy campaign coordinator for Buffalo Rep. Richard “Max” McCarthy’s first re-election campaign in 1970 while completing a doctorate in political science at Columbia University. He joined Colby on a one-year contract in 1972 and immersed himself in Maine politics, assisting in the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hathaway, a Democrat who famously ousted the legendary U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith. He later worked for longtime U.S. Sen. George Mitchell. At Colby, he taught courses on the U.S. Congress, American government, the press, and other subjects. He had a large impact on the Government Department and was its chair for 21 years. In 2003 he became the founding director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs. He was nationally known for his scholarship on American political parties and elections, political campaigns, and Jews in American politics, writing or editing numerous books, compilations, journal articles, and book chapters. He contributed op-eds to major newspapers and was a regular guest columnist in the Waterville Morning Sentinel. Visiting positions included professorships at Harvard and Stanford universities, fellowships at the University of London and the Brookings Institution, and two Fulbright scholarships in the Philippines and Brazil. After he retired from teaching in 2021, he continued working at Colby as the faculty athletics representative. He was an active member of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville and served several terms on the synagogue board, including as president in the 1980s. In 2024 he led the successful $3.7-million The Foundation and the Future capital campaign that guaranteed the financial stability of the congregation. He was a devotee of singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, a Boston Red Sox fan, an outdoor enthusiast, and a determined duffer on the golf course who shot a hole-in-one in 2000. He possessed an unwavering support for students, colleagues, and the larger community and was a lifelong presence in the students he inspired and shaped, attending many of their life events long after they graduated. He leaves his wife, Patrice Franko, the Grossman Professor of Economics and Professor of Global Studies, two children, and five grandsons.

Tamae Prindle, March 13, 2025, in Waterville, Maine, at 80. She earned a B.A. in English literature from SUNY Binghamton, an M.A. in English from Washington State University, and later an M.A. in Asian studies from Cornell University, where she also received her Ph.D. She began teaching at Colby in 1985 and retired from the College in 2019 as the Oak Professor of East Asian Language and Literature [Japanese], Emerita. She taught a wide variety of courses on language, literature, and culture, including classes in the Japanese language sequence and advanced offerings. She was known as a truly supportive and caring teacher who was dedicated to the well-being of her students. Much of her scholarship focused on Japanese business novels. She not only provided critical analysis of these works but also translated a number of them into English, bringing them to a wider international audience. Later in her career, she published and gave frequent lectures on the roles of women in Japanese cinema. In 2016 she received the Foreign Minister Commendation Award from the Japanese government for her contribution in promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. Survivors includer her husband, Peter, and two children.

Richard C. Sewell, Sept. 14, 2024, in Portland, Maine, at 89. Poet, playwright, director, and teacher. He attended Bard College, where he was the youngest student to win the Glascock Poetry Prize, and where his poetry appeared in the Quarterly Review and The New Yorker magazine. From 1956 to 1959, he served in the military and received training in the Russian language at the U.S. Army Language School at Monterey. He was stationed in Germany, where he won his first directing award. Stateside, he taught and created theater at high schools in New Hampshire and central Maine, usually building sets and designing costumes and props. His plays received awards and productions nationwide. In 1970 he helped found the Theater at Monmouth in Maine, for which he served as the artistic director and as actor for more than 25 seasons of “theater of language.” He began his career at Colby in 1974, where one of his first responsibilities was to help design and guide the renovation of the old Runnals Hall gymnasium into Strider Theater. He taught courses in acting and directing and in literature, with an emphasis on drama. He typically directed three Colby plays per year and served as the advisor to countless Powder and Wig productions. He was the author of many original plays, including The Winter Crane and The Ruckus at Machias. He retired from the College in 2002 as adjunct associate professor of theater and dance, emeritus. In the spring of 2023, he was present for the final performance at Strider Theater, where he provided opening remarks about the rich history of the venue. Most recently, he acted in five films, an NBC true-crime series, and a dozen commercials. Survivors include his wife, Kim Gordon, children Gavin and Bronwyn, a stepdaughter, and three grandchildren.

Colby Museum of Art

Join us on campus for
Community Day
Sat. July 26
Paul J. Schupf Art Center
Love Your
Langlais:
A Community
Curates
Bernard Langlais, Untitled (Giraffe), 1975-76. Stained and painted wood. 43 3⁄4 × 23 1⁄2 x 10 in. The Bernard Langlais Collection, Gift of Helen Friend Langlais
Giraffe sculpture with cream patterns on brown.
Free and open to all

museum.colby.edu

Two lions playing chess under a moonlit sky, with a crowned woman standing nearby.
Gertrude Abercrombie, Game of Kings, 1947. Oil on canvas. 24 x 36 in. Private Collection, Illinois. Photo: Michael Tropea.
Colby Campus
Gertrude
Abercrombie:
The Whole
World Is
a Mystery
Birds Eggs and Dominoes with Pyramid, 1963. Oil on Masonite. 8 x 10 in. Private Collection. Courtesy of Freeman’s | Hindman
Surreal landscape with dominoes, stones, and a pyramid under a crescent moon.
Free and open to all

museum.colby.edu

Reunion 2025

Reunion 2025
A stately brick building with a clock tower, surrounded by green lawns and tree branches, under a clear blue sky.
Reunion Weekend
June 6–8, 2025

Together on the Hill

Whether it has been decades since you stepped foot on campus or you just received your diploma last May, Colby will always be a place you can call home. Join us to reconnect, reminisce, and relive your transformative time on Mayflower Hill—all while making new memories.

colby.edu/reunion
207-859-4311
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Thanks for reading Vol. 112 Issue 1!