The Bulletin: Summer 2021

Gilman Connections

Editor

Lauren Rauseo

LBK Designs

Assistant Editor

Brooke Blumberg Director of Marketing and Communications

Contributors

Nathaniel Badder ’94 Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach

Heather Harlan Warnack Director of Development

Mary Ellen Porter

Associate Director of Development & Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving

Design

Kevin Zwirble

Printing

Mt. Royal Printing

The Gilman Bulletin is published by Gilman School, Baltimore, Maryland 21210. Gilman School welcomes students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, and national or ethnic origin. gilman.edu facebook.com/GilmanSchool1897 twitter.com/GilmanSchool instagram.com/gilmanschool linkedin.com/school/gilman-school gilman.edu/lumenblog

Gilman Connections

Three Decades, Two Service Academies, One Gilman

J.D. Kameen ’10, Andrew Mighty ’10,

General John “Mick” Nicholson ’75, and Brendan Aronson ’08

Coaching, Collaboration, and Community

Poe Sykes ’02 and Joe Battaglia ’ 04

Speaking Up and Drilling Into Issues

Reverend Dr. Charles “Chaz” Howard ’96 and Piper Bond ’18

Advising Clients, Cultivating Connections

Brown Advisory Connection

Fond Farewell

A fond farewell to Joe Ciattei, AJ Howard, Andre Jones, Carol Schuch, James Spragins ’73, and Rosa White

In Memoriam

William Hamilton Porter

Richard E. “Richie” Evans ’60

Maryann Wegloski

John Layman Eric Marner

Dear Gilman Family,

When I was in 10th grade, my basketball coach was a man named Tom McGraw. That year, he was also my Shakespeare teacher. (A Gilman reference for many of you might be Dan Christian.) I loved basketball; my relationship with Shakespeare was more challenging. By the time I joined his English class for the spring term, Coach McGraw and I had formed a strong bond on the court, where he pushed, very intensely, my teammates and me to be better players and teammates. In the classroom, Mr. McGraw challenged us, very intensely, to be better thinkers and communicators. (This was the first time I had seen the word “banal” used to describe one of my papers. I am sure that it was applied correctly!) In both arenas, he constantly connected the topic at hand (basketball, Shakespeare) to the world beyond the walls of the gym or the words on the page. On the court, he taught us about mnemonic devices for defensive positioning and the etymological connection between “patience” and “suffering.” In class, he helped us to understand that Shakespeare connected us more deeply to life and the human condition. Mr. McGraw understood so well that, in order to teach and coach effectively, he needed to connect.

So what is connection? What does it mean to connect or to be connected?

Our youngest Greyhounds in pre-kindergarten may connect Legos to build something out of their imaginations. More figuratively, Lower School boys learn to make connections between characters and events within a piece of literature or between those stories and their own lives. Boys in seventh grade may begin connecting what they learn about our country’s history with what they know about the state of our nation today. Young men in Upper School are forming connections all the time, too. In our Baseball and Statistics course, they explore the connection between sports and math. Through the literature curriculum, they discover how texts are linked both to our modern era and to timeless questions about humanity. In Engineering class, they realize the association between STEM subjects and real-world applications. In our athletics program, they understand how skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship work together to make the best teams. I could go on and on.

Connections made in school are not just academic and intellectual. Just as the mind, body, and spirit interact in concert with each other to make a whole, integrated person, our individual intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth occurs not in isolation but through our interactions with others. We understand that boys learn best through strong relationships with their teachers. When they listen to a teacher’s feedback on their work and when they get a fistbump from a coach, they feel supported and can engage more fully with the task at hand. We also know that the boys learn from each other. When they share ideas with friends in the classroom and when they rely on their teammates on the field, they are forming important bonds that strengthen their personal growth. Through daily school life, Gilman boys are experiencing what personal connection — with each other and with the adults who are guiding them — feels like.

This edition of the Bulletin features stories of unique connections among the Gilman family. On the pages that follow, you’ll read about alumni whose time together on Gilman’s football field led them on a path of overlapping careers; about alumni whose dedication to service and social impact brought them together on a college campus; about alumni, separated by 30 years, who, after sharing how profoundly their high schools shaped them, discovered that their experiences were a shared one at Gilman. In one story, a recent alumnus sums it up when he says, “The Gilman connection is something real.”

As human beings, our basic need for connection is real. This is one of the great affirmations of the COVID-19 pandemic. When we connect with one another, we feel a sense of belonging and greater purpose. Whether you have begun to return to in-person connections, or you find yourself still Zooming through your days, I hope you enjoy catching up with Gilman’s campus life and alumni activity reflected here.

Be well,

Henry P. A. Smyth Headmaster

Gilman Connections

Anyone who has spent any amount of time at our School knows that the Gilman connection is almost palpable. The relationships built at 5407 Roland Avenue — among classmates, teachers, coaches, administrators, and staff — are really something special. Many Gilman grads go on to make personal and professional ties with other alumni through The Gilman Network. Others have had the experience of a chance run-in with someone who turned out to be a Gilman alum, so they know the warm feeling of meeting someone who instantly just gets you.

The following pages are stories of unique connections between Gilman alumni — some who were friends and teammates way back when and then continued or grew their friendship later on in a meaningful way, and some whose Gilman graduation years are separated by decades, but the power of blue-and-gray fate brought them together.

THREE DECADES, TWO SERVICE ACADEMIES, ONE GILMAN

When J.D. Kameen ’10 and his business partners, Brendan Aronson ’08 and Andrew Mighty ’10, traveled to Washington, D.C., for PenFed Foundation’s “Deal Day,” a new program for veteran-owned startups, they didn’t realize that part of the deal they’d be making would include close contact with another Gilman alum — one whom they already revered from afar.

Gen. John “Mick” Nicholson, Jr. ’75, PenFed Foundation president and a retired United States Army four-star general, approached the young entrepreneurs after they pitched their business idea for Paintru, an online platform that connects customers with artists to transform a photograph into a painting. And the unlikely connection began.

Kameen already knew about Nicholson; his reputation as a decorated officer preceded him. “He is an amazing human and a humble leader in the U.S. military,” Kameen said, with unmistakable admiration for the general.

While sharing their business plan in D.C., the young entrepreneurs, who not only attended Gilman together but also the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, noted that in creating their company, they had leaned on lessons learned at their high school in Maryland, where character, humility, and honesty were underscored.

“It did not occur to me that they were talking about Gilman,” Nicholson said, because very few Gilman grads go on to serve in the military, noting that he considered himself an exception to the rule when he went to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, after his 1975 graduation.

But he inquired with the trio about what high school they attended anyway, mentioning that he was also greatly shaped by his high school in Maryland. When the group revealed their alma mater, “to say I was pleasantly surprised is a massive understatement.”

“I wish we had gotten it on camera,” Kameen said, remembering the moment they learned that they all had gone to Gilman.

Though he graduated 11 years ago, the teachings from Gilman are still fresh on his mind. Kameen refers to leadership skills, knowing how to be a team player, and having strong character when things get difficult as some of the lessons he has carried with him through his time in the military and in business. When forming his company, Paintru, he immediately looked to Aronson and Mighty because they shared his values, and he knew he could work well with and count on his Gilman teammates.

Nicholson, who walked across Gilman’s graduation stage 35 years before Kameen, also has clear memories of his time on Roland

Avenue. “I really do believe that the values, the work ethic, and the character instilled at Gilman were instrumental to me.” The messaging of integrity and “always doing the right thing” was consistent with that which he’d go on to receive in the service academy.

Gilman’s mission statement — to produce men of character who make a positive contribution to their communities — is a sentiment that Nicholson seems to embody when he talks about helping veterans, which he is able to do in his role at the PenFed Foundation. The organization seeks to empower service members to be free of financial worry and to create a strong financial future for themselves. He is passionate when he reports that they have assisted “5,000 service members with grants, tools, and resources to help them through a rough patch.”

Kameen’s company was the very first group to participate in the foundation’s entrepreneurship program, which is now held twice a year. Though Nicholson is eager to help all veterans who come through the program, he said, “We are really excited about this particular connection.”

With the backing of the PenFed Foundation, spearheaded by General Nicholson, Paintru has been able to expand its offerings to large commercial and residential real estate art procurement and production. The Gilman Network has facilitated great business opportunities for startups like Paintru, investors like PenFed, and others.

COACHING, COLLABORATION, AND COMMUNITY

Napoleon “Poe” Sykes ’02 and Joe Battaglia ’04 spend a lot of time together. So much so that their wives like to joke about how they must run out of things to talk about. But when you go to school with someone and then your careers overlap not once, but twice — well, you just have a lot to say.

Sykes and Battaglia, two years apart at Gilman, played football together. They weren’t close friends at the time, but like many teammates, they respected each other and kept in touch over the years after high school. They went their separate ways for college. Well, not totally separate — both headed to North Carolina to play football — Sykes at Wake Forest and Battaglia at Guilford College. And after that, they each began their coaching careers at various colleges across the country.

In 2017, when Sykes was working at the Naval Academy and looking to add to their coaching staff, he immediately thought of Battaglia and got his name into the mix. They ended up working there together for two years before Sykes began coaching in the XFL.

One year later, in the summer of 2020, Battaglia also left the Naval Academy. He was offered a position — several positions actually — at Concordia Preparatory School in Towson. As assistant principal, assistant athletic director, and head football coach, Battaglia knew the value of having a good staff in place. “When we talked about the position of director of diversity and inclusion, I pointed to Poe,” he said. “He’s an amazing football coach and even more so, an unbelievable person to add to this school.”

Sykes’ career had mostly been in coaching, but his coach approach has never been limited to the football field. For example, at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he built a Division 1 program from scratch, he did a lot more than help create game plans and coach outside linebackers. “My role has been coach, but also to be heavily involved in community outreach, and how we talk to kids about wellness, masculinity, and toxic masculinity.” He worked with the coaching staff not only to help them become better coaches but also better advocates for the kids.

“My senior year at Gilman was when Jeffrey Marx wrote ‘A Season of Life,’” Sykes said, recalling the book that chronicles the life and career of former NFL player and former volunteer Gilman coach Joe Ehrmann, and the specific ways he mentored and inspired the Gilman football team at that time. “That coaching philosophy is what drove me to coach,” he said, noting the “building men for others” doctrine instilled in him by Ehrmann and the importance of the overall development of boy into man, rather than boy into football player.

Needless to say, Sykes got the diversity and inclusion job at Concordia Prep and is also the assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator there. Battaglia was pleased to have him join the team. “Poe is my partner. We see things the same way. I have full trust in him.”

The feeling seems mutual. Both men are passionate about their coaching culture, which they said formed organically when they played football at Gilman and were “fortunate enough to have coaches who did it the right way.” Sykes continued, “We want to

create an environment where we’re not only building up kids, but where kids are learning how to build up each other.”

Making the move to Concordia Prep was a “no-brainer” for him, and he said that it was an opportunity to create something for kids that he himself got to experience at Gilman. “We know that football is a vehicle to help build these guys up. … It gives us an opportunity to work with kids who may have different kinds of issues — financial, academic, social — and also kids who have never faced any of these things, to help them know what it’s like. That’s why it’s really cool to work alongside Joe — because we are clear about that ultimate goal.”

Battaglia remembered the high expectations that were set for him and others at Gilman, in both academics and athletics, and brings that to his work at Concordia Prep. “We were around the best of the best all the time. ... An environment of excellence. When you grow up in that environment, you know that it’s possible.”

Sykes recalled his experience at Gilman: “I had great classmates — older guys — who took care of me, who would come and check on me.” He said that being at a school where he could see the values they were teaching modeled by students who weren’t that much older “really connected me to Gilman.”

Battaglia agrees. “You don’t know it when you’re in there, but looking back, my best friends come from Gilman.”

Sykes said that working with someone he’s known for such a long time who has the same goals and philosophy helps them to be on the same page. But “we still fight like brothers like we did at Navy.”

SPEAKING UP AND DRILLING INTO ISSUES

Reverend Dr. Charles “Chaz” Howard ’96 had been University of Pennsylvania’s chaplain for 12 years before he was appointed the university’s first-ever vice president for social equity and community in the summer of 2020. His charge in that position, among other efforts, is to lead initiatives that promote and support communication, collaboration, and programming within the Penn community, and to bring together diverse groups to boost social impact.

That’s exactly what Sport + Society Week: The Athlete Impact was designed to do. The program, held in April, was co-sponsored by Penn’s Office of Social Equity and Community and created by student athletes. It celebrated athletes’ accomplishments, recognized their influence, and showcased the power of sports in advocacy work and community service.

Piper Bond ’18 is no stranger to community service. When he heard about the weeklong event, the junior-year midfielder on Penn’s men’s lacrosse team knew he wanted to be a part of it. He had grown up at Gilman, where service was just part of the culture. It didn’t hurt that his dad, James Piper Bond ’77 is also a Gilman man, and with that foundation, had made a career of helping the community. (He is president and CEO of Living Classrooms in Baltimore.)

When Bond was home on a break during his freshman year of college, a Gilman family he spent time with mentioned to him that he really should meet up with fellow Gilman alum, Chaz Howard, who worked at Penn. So he set up lunch with the man who had not one, but now two schools in common with him, and their affinity for one another began.

“The Gilman connection is something real,” said Bond, who currently has banners for both Penn and Gilman on display behind him during all his Zoom meetings. “When I found out Chaz was involved with The Athlete Impact, it inspired me to be a part of it.”

Howard puts their relationship quite simply and with a genuine smile: “I’m just a Piper Bond fan.” It is clear that working with another Gilman graduate on such a meaningful project fills him with delight. “When I saw the student committee forming and I saw Piper’s name, it made me do a Gilman chest puff,” he said, executing the move again at the mere mention of it. He noted that “Piper is still carrying the character-building lessons that are instilled in Gilman guys.”

Howard continued, “And to see a white Gilman alum engage in this kind of work means a lot. I am deeply proud of the connection I have with Piper, at Gilman, and at Penn.”

The pair understand the visible platform and accompanying responsibility athletes have — not only professional athletes, but those at the college and high school levels, and even in youth sports as well. “Not every athlete needs to speak on every issue,” Howard said. But it’s important to “point toward things greater than ourselves.”

Bond agrees that “using our platform not to ‘shut up and dribble,’” — a reference to words spoken toward NBA superstar LeBron James in 2018 for asserting his political opinion — “but to have a voice in what is going on” is imperative for athletes.

As part of the committee for The Athlete Impact, Bond had the honor of introducing the panel discussion during one of the livestreamed events, where a group of Penn student-athletes talked about how elements of personal identity impact the athletic experience.

Howard moderated the program’s culminating panel discussion with Penn alumni athletes on what being a student-athlete really involves at a school like Penn, setting the record straight about this often misunderstood and underappreciated dual identity.

During that conversation, he talked about how change is possible and how he can see ones that have taken place over time on Penn’s campus since he was a student there. He also

Sport + Society Week: The Athlete Impact livestreamed panel discussions are available sec.upenn.edu/ content/events.

led the participants in an analysis of the “shut up and dribble” notion, which drew talk about racial censorship, celebrity impact on social change, and how athletes are more than just the sports they play — they are, first and foremost, people.

Now that Sport + Society Week is over, Howard and Bond may not interact with each other as frequently, though they do occasionally cross paths on campus when Bond is riding his bike to class and Howard gives him a wave.

Howard said of Bond, “The way he is employing his talents to lift up other populations — to me, that is the best of Gilman and the best of Penn.”

ADVISING CLIENTS, CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS

The power of connection brings us back to Baltimore, where a mix of 30-plus Gilman parents and alumni have found themselves currently working at Brown Advisory. Here’s what some of them have to say about relationships, what they learned at Gilman, and their best ‘connections’ advice.

Bill Paternotte ’63

“By far the most important skill I developed at Gilman that helps me at Brown Advisory is communications — both writing and speaking. For 20 years, I wrote Brown Advisory’s quarterly investment letter, articulating the firm’s investment strategy and how it related to clients. The letter was widely read and apparently well regarded. In working with a number of private clients, my verbal communication has been critically important. I learned how to write and speak at Gilman under the wise and experienced tutelage of several beloved English teachers.”

CONNECTIONS ADVICE:

“Always maintain good and positive relationships and high ethical standards with those around you.”

Jack Cavanaugh ’87

“Fortunately, I have remained connected to many Gilman classmates and connections over the years. Gilman is a special place, filled with extraordinary and accomplished people across many decades and geographies. It is a strong network. Gilman taught me several things, including how to think critically, work hard, pursue excellence, be accountable to one’s teammates and oneself, be humble, and have fun. In the investment field, these traits are invaluable when it comes to finding solutions and serving our clients.”

CONNECTIONS ADVICE:

“Focus your efforts on helping others and making connections for them. Additionally, stay engaged with your network. Cultivate it. Your network may be the most valuable tool you have to offer your clients, colleagues, and business.”

Victor Abiamiri ’03

“I give a lot of credit to Gilman for providing a strong academic foundation that helped me transition from professional sports to a career in finance. Engaging with the School on the Alumni Board and Board of Trustees was a great way to reconnect to the Gilman network when I moved back to Baltimore. There is a strong Gilman contingent at Brown Advisory, and it helps to have colleagues with similar experiences. It has been interesting to share the perspective of being a Gilman parent with my colleagues, like going through the admissions process and building relationships with the teachers and coaches. Your perspective of the School evolves over time as you engage in different ways.”

CONNECTIONS ADVICE:

“It is a skill that you constantly have to work at and build over time. You have to stay active and be authentic.”

Benjamin Griswold ’58

“I was extraordinarily fortunate to be at Gilman at the time I was there. The teachers were wonderful role models. They were wonderful guides as to how you should lead your life. I’m thinking about Headmaster Callard, who was an absolutely superb individual. The experience I had at Gilman, being imbued with the Gilman Five, has been very, very important. The central idea is: with great honor and integrity, be good at what you do, but be very humble about it. Adherence to the Gilman Five is absolutely essential to my business life, and my life more broadly.”

CONNECTIONS ADVICE:

“Be guided by the Gilman Five, and you will form great connections. Those are the fundamental tenets of establishing relationships with other people.”

Tim Schweizer ’62

“Gilman taught me about teamwork, hard work, and discipline. In the 1980s, a group of alumni got together. I went to Reddy Finney’s house on campus and told him we wanted to build a gym and name it for him. After an hour and a half of saying no, he finally agreed. We went around town to Gilman alumni — the ones who like to give to bricks-and-mortar projects. We had to build a case for why we needed a gym. We told them about how the old gym housed wrestling equipment in the basement. It used to take 12 of us to carry it upstairs for our matches. And then afterwards, we’d have to bring it back down to the basement. Everyone was very generous, and we raised a large sum of money in a matter of months to build a new gym, the one that is there today. It was a lot of fun to work on.”

CONNECTIONS ADVICE:

“Lead by example. Communicate effectively. And take care of your employees.”

VIRTUAL CONNECTIONS

Jeff Seibert ’04

Social media has fundamentally changed the way we live our lives. It has impacted how we get our news, how we communicate with one another, and many other aspects of everyday life. And, as the film “The Social Dilemma” shows its viewers, this uptick in usage does not come without consequences, some of which are unexpected but others that, more troublingly, are entirely planned.

Jeff Seibert ’04, founder of Digits and former head of consumer product at Twitter who is featured in the film, joined Upper School students, teachers, alumni, and parents for a conversation on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. Seibert spoke about making the movie, the issues at the heart of it, and possible long-term solutions. He answered questions about participating in a potentially contentious project, the technical side of how social media sites capture your data, the downside of an ad-supported business model, the dangers of seeing only one side of an issue, and more. Watch a recording of the conversation at gilman.edu/socialdilemma

Phil Han ’04 and Marcus Wang ’00

Phil Han ‘04 and Marcus Wang ‘00 spoke to Upper School students on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, about their experiences as Asian American students at Gilman and life beyond Roland Avenue. Coincidentally, the date represented the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Han talked about living two lives, one at School and one within the Korean community; defying stereotypes; how Gilman allowed him to make the decisions that were right for him; and how he’d done a 180 from bringing turkey sandwiches for lunch at school to serving Korean food at Dooby’s, one of his Baltimore-area eateries. Wang talked about the history of the relationship between Americans and Asian Americans, the danger of the “model minority” stereotype (a minority demographic whose members are perceived to achieve a higher degree of success than the population average), the harm of social conditioning, and the importance of maintaining an open mind in all interpersonal interactions. Joshua Chung ’21, who co-moderated the conversation, said, “As a school, we need to be more vocal about the issues that face the Asian American community. Having these discussions and conversations are paramount to understanding one another. And with that greater understanding comes a greater capacity to be a good person.”

His co-moderator, Aaron Meng ’22, said, “During our discussion, it became evident that many issues within minority groups, and in this case, the Asian American community, are often overlooked in our society. One important distinction we made is that these issues not only pertain to the groups affected but also to everyone else within the community. Taking time to listen to one another is just as important as speaking out as we all work to better ourselves.”

Dr. Ethan Weiss ’87

See page 29 to read about Cotton Lecture speaker Dr. Ethan Weiss.

David Brown ’91

See page 27 to read about the Student-Alumni Networking series, kicked off by David Brown.

Dr. Paul Offit ’69

Internationally recognized vaccine and immunology expert Dr. Paul Offit ‘69 returned to Gilman via Zoom on Thursday, Jan. 28, to talk with students about COVID-19, vaccines, and efforts to immunize the American population. His visit was part of a whirlwind media tour that included stops on NPR’s 1A, as well as CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and even in front of the U.S. Congress.

Offit discussed virus variation, the expected efficacy of vaccines, the FDA emergency use approval process, what young people can do to stay safe and healthy, the reality of vaccine mandates, the anti-vaccination movement, the possibility of another pandemic breaking out in the years ahead, and herd immunity. He even offered a few pointers on telling jokes and making predictive mistakes on Zoom.

As Head of Upper School Rob Heubeck said in wrapping up the assembly, “It’s not every day that high school students can get an immunology lesson and a stand-up comedy routine at the same time. Only Gilman could produce that combination.”

Duane Holloway ’90

See page 29 to read about Cotton Lecture speaker Duane Holloway.

Brandon Copeland ’09

As part of the celebration of Black History Month, Gilman’s Black Student Union (BSU) met with New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Copeland ‘09 via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 17. He joined Nigel Parker ’21 and Jalen Marshall ’21, co-presidents of the BSU, for a virtual Q&A from the New England Patriots’ defensive line locker room. Copeland talked about his experience at Gilman; the need for empathy toward students of color; the importance of having and hiring teachers of color; the NFL’s and teams’ responses to last summer’s civil unrest; the differences between the narrative the media portrays and the “real story”; and the need for him to carry forward the baton that his grandparents passed on to his parents, who then passed it on to him.

Copeland recently launched a program called Life 101 to help people navigate and master the complex financial decisions everyone faces — from buying a home to retiring with confidence. Learn more at life101.io.

Childs Walker ’94

See page 29 to read about Mountcastle Lecture speaker Childs Walker.

David Kim ’97

Bruce Beehler ’70

Bruce Beehler ‘70, author of “Lost Worlds: Adventures in the Tropical Rainforest,” Zoomed with some of our youngest greyhounds on Thursday, April 22. The prep-one classes had been studying the Amazon rainforest, specifically focusing on the characteristics of a rainforest habitat and the animals in the Amazon. Beehler’s presentation was centered on his time in New Guinea, speaking about the indigenous people, life in a tropical environment, different animals on the island, and the birds he studied.

David Kim ‘97 came back to Gilman via Zoom on Wednesday, April 7, to speak with Upper School students. His interest in the link between economics and education led him to found a tutoring service in his college dorm room that has grown into a truly national company (C2 Education has more than 200 locations in 15 states). He was introduced by students Joshua Chang ‘21 and Aaron Meng ‘22 and shared his experience as an Asian American man at Gilman and beyond. He talked about the danger of allowing history to repeat itself and how he spoke to his children about the hate crimes in Atlanta and related racial tensions and unrest.

Kim urged the students to fight for justice and underscored the importance of being courageous enough to have the difficult conversations that can make things better systemically. He shared that he’d put his own willingness to do so to the test in a bid to win a Congressional seat outside of Atlanta in 2018, which did not come without racially charged barbs directed at his family and him. He ultimately lost the seat in a run-off election by fewer than 500 votes. But that loss has not dampened his desire to dive into these tricky issues in the hopes of making the world a better place.

Beehler is the author of 16 books, including the recently published “New Guinea: Nature and Culture of Earth’s Grandest Island,” an enthralling exploration of the most biologically rich island on Earth.

PATH TO FOLLOW

By Jake Scott, Upper School Teacher

One of my favorite podcast episodes of all time is Episode #1278 of the Joe Rogan Experience with Kevin Hart. I have followed Joe Rogan for years. He is probably the most successful podcast host alive, and I have enjoyed listening to his conversations with guests from all backgrounds. Joe knows how to draw people out and get them talking about themselves. He’s a great listener, and he’s humble enough to admit what he doesn’t know. I admire a lot of Joe’s qualities, but I never knew much about Kevin Hart’s story, and I probably wouldn’t have seen Kevin as a personal inspiration before listening to this specific episode.

The most inspirational moment of the episode is the segment when Kevin talks about his personal successes in comedy, acting, and publishing. He talks about his story. He talks about what he truly cares about, what motivates him, and how he inspires others. One quote hits me particularly hard:

“We’re all writing a book. What’s your book look like? (...) Your life is a book. You got a bunch of chapters in your book, but when they close that book, how good was the book? (...) All of the things that can be associated with you and your existence become a part of the chapters in your book. So my drive is about my book.”

What does your book look like? It’s a question we can all ask ourselves daily; it’s motivating, reflective, personal, and central to living an examined life.

On every episode of the Path to Follow Podcast, which I began hosting in October of 2020, I ask my guests to bring a book recommendation. Perhaps more than any other possession or observable characteristic, a person’s favorite book reveals their true self: the genre they enjoy, the subject matter that stirs

“ANY MAN’S LIFE, TOLD TRULY, IS A NOVEL…”

Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon

their curiosity, their priorities, who they want to be, and how they see themselves. Of course I’m interested in the book recommendations themselves; I’m an English teacher, after all, and I’m constantly looking to add to my personal stack. Any librarian at Gilman School will confirm. I live in the library.

But the reason I ask my podcast guests to share a book recommendation is not so much my interest in the titles. It’s deeper than that. The Path to Follow Podcast is simply a means of diving into the pages of the untold novels that exist in the minds, experiences, and futures of individuals I call “people of purpose.”

The idea for the Path to Follow Podcast sprung from the disconnection wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gilman School community prides itself on interpersonal relationships, but the past year presented several challenges. Gilman teachers and students were no longer sitting down for lunch together as we once had. We were not gathering for the great morale-boost of weekly assemblies. Senior speeches were being delivered over webinars, without the entire community standing afterwards in exuberant applause. With these realities

in mind, I approached Gilman’s technology specialist, Cesare Ciccanti, at the beginning of the school year with an idea to chip away at the interpersonal chasm. I wanted to start a podcast where I would be able to talk to teachers, coaches, alumni, and staff about their unique journeys, and share these conversations with others. Cesare was immediately sold on the idea, and agreed to help me with the intricacies of podcast production.

On the podcast, I speak to my guests about their individual journeys to the world of education, their motivations and inspirations, and the mentors who helped them. Before each podcast episode, I prepare specific questions and discussion topics, but the podcast runs most smoothly in a more conversational format, where I can play off my guests’ responses and allow moment-to-moment curiosity to fuel the dialogue. I decided to name the podcast the Path to Follow Podcast after a 2018 documentary film of the same title and made in memory of legendary Gilman Headmaster Redmond C. S. Finney.

Since October, Cesare and I have filmed and produced more than 50 podcast episodes, and we plan to continue recording over the summer. Some of the guests I have spoken with so far include: Brian Ledyard, Beth Knapp, Jeff Gouline ’00, Carter Spahn ’21 and Jared Spahn ’91, Del Dressel ’81, Russell Wrenn ’96, Dia Matthews, Jay Brooks ’10, Tim Holley ’77, Larry Sheets, Johnnie Foreman, Boo Smith ’70, and Joe Ehrmann. I have spoken with guests beyond the grounds of Gilman School, as well; I’ve hosted John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, my influential

high school English teacher, Lauren Nordsiek, and my good friend and former Harvard Lacrosse teammate, Noah Knopf (who now teaches and coaches at Milton Academy in Boston).

As an English teacher, friends and family are always asking me: Jake, what should I read? Do you have any good book recs? Yes, in fact, I do. They’re recorded in the form of rich conversation. They’re stories, lessons, memories, goals, and failures. They’re people of purpose. They’re the embodiment of Kevin Hart’s memorable words: We’re all writing a book. What does your book look like? And you can find them all on the Path to Follow Podcast.

Path to Follow Podcast

All podcast episodes can be found by searching “Path to Follow Podcast” wherever you listen to podcasts, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Learn more and follow this podcast via the links below.

All Links: linktr.ee/pathtofollowpod

Instagram: instagram.com/pathtofollowpod

Twitter: twitter.com/pathtofollow

Founders’ Society Virtual Dinner: Impact and Experience

Each year Gilman recognizes its most loyal supporters with a festive celebration called the Founders’ Society Dinner. In addition to honoring these special individuals, this event helps to remind us all why institutions like Gilman are so important in today’s complex and ever-evolving world.

Although the pandemic prevented us from bringing together several hundred alumni, parents, and friends in person this year, the School didn’t want to miss the opportunity to thank these individuals. A trio of remarkable alumni — Victor Abiamiri ’03, Stewart Finney ’77, and Arif Joshi ’94 — were invited to talk on video about their personal experiences, how Gilman impacted their lives, and what lessons they carry with them to this day.

In the video, Abiamiri describes his football experience at Gilman, remembering how the coaches were like father-figures, and the following advice they imparted upon him: “Even though our differences were noticeable off the field, … on the field, we were like brothers working toward a common goal.” Abiamiri went on to

play for the Philadelphia Eagles for five seasons beginning in 2007. After retiring from the NFL, Abiamiri says he consulted with his mentors and contacts in the Gilman network before deciding to obtain a master’s degree in finance, which then led him to return to Baltimore where he now works in the investment industry for Brown Advisory. (See page 13 to read more about Abiamiri and other Gilman alumni who work at Brown Advisory.)

Dr. Stewart Finney is a cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. His list of academic and professional accolades is long, but at Gilman, he is best known for being former Headmaster Redmond C. S. Finney’s son. In the video, Finney shares stories of his childhood living on Gilman’s campus with his family. He notes that Gilman provided him with a moral code that shaped his character. The values that Gilman instilled in him, such as hard work, persistence, and discipline, are ones he says are present with him in the operating room to this day. “Gilman was my home, my town, my neighborhood, and my school.” Finney says that Gilman

continues to challenge him, citing the recent example of the June 2020 letter to the community addressing racism. Without explicitly naming it, he analogizes his father’s well-remembered guidance to be a “first-class citizen,” which encourages everyone to pick up trash even if it’s not yours, to the work of a first-class citizen not only to not be overtly racist but also to be actively anti-racist, and someone who breaks down barriers to true equity.

Joshi, who is a portfolio manager/analyst on Lazard Asset Management’s emerging markets debt team, talks in the video about how Gilman affected his life “in a much deeper way that is core to who I am as a human being” than experiences in academics or athletics might. He says compassion and empathy were constantly modeled by everyone at Gilman during his time there, and that even now, when he interacts with students or alumni from Gilman, he can immediately “recognize them as Gilman boys and Gilman men.”

Physically Apart But Together At Heart

Formerly known as ‘Out and About’

Dozens of alumni turned out — or more accurately, tuned in — for our virtual regional alumni receptions, held “in” six cities across the country. Highlights included:

Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

• Virtual co-host Will Gee ’95, founder and CEO of Balti Virtual, a creative studio for augmented and virtual reality, showed off his latest animations, and co-host Andrew Pasternak ‘05, section chief in the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, detailed the proactive responses to potential threats that our federal government takes to protect us on a daily basis. Both men talked with fellow alumni about their lives and work, and how Gilman has impacted them.

• Lively panel discussions were held with Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth, Middle School teacher Donell Thompson ‘91, Upper School teacher Ned Emala ‘13, school president Tucker Hebert ‘21 and co-chair of the Diversity Council Nigel Parker ‘21

New York and Boston

• New York virtual host Ryan Gisriel ‘09, director of basketball operations for the Brooklyn Nets, who concluded a successful summer season in the 2020 NBA Bubble, connected his career path to his Senior Encounter at Gilman. (See page 30 for Senior Encounter stories.)

• Boston virtual host Garrett Weinstein ‘14, founder of CareFull, the only peer-to-peer app connecting diners to COVID-safe establishments, talked about how he caught the entrepreneurial bug and the realities of entrepreneurial life. (See page 36 for more on Weinstein and other alumni who are part of the road to recovery.)

• Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth discussed the dueling needs of being together and continuing to adapt and evolve during the pandemic.

• Middle School teachers Chris Bendann ‘03 and Donell Thompson ‘91 explained the many ways teachers have created connections through virtual learning.

• School president Tucker Hebert ‘21 and cochair of the Diversity Council Nigel Parker ‘21 highlighted some of the unexpected benefits of the virtual and hybrid teaching models.

California

• Jason Finkelstein ‘94, chief marketing officer at AdRoll, an ecommerce marketing platform, talked to a group of California alumni about his life and work in the tech sector.

• Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth, Middle School teacher Chris Bendann ‘03, and Tem Koleosho ’21 talked about the year and answered questions about their different perspectives of school during the pandemic.

Florida

• Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth welcomed the group and talked about how the pandemic has driven us apart physically but underscored our need to get together and forge real connections.

• Upper School history teacher Brooks Matthews ‘87 and Tem Koleosho ‘21 joined Smyth to talk about this unusual school year.

See back cover for in-person reunion dates in the fall!

Virtual Alumni Weekend

More than 300 alumni gathered around computers and mobile phones to reconnect with one another and the School during Virtual Alumni Weekend 2021.

Are You Smarter Than a Gilman Student?

Alumni who found themselves in this Zoom room tested their knowledge of the current Gilman curriculum in a fun-filled trivia game hosted by Charm City Trivia. Subjects included math, science, history, English, and languages. Tom Lynn ’71, Marvin Miller ’71, and Ben Morgan ’01 proved that they were, in fact, smarter than — or at least as smart as — current Gilman students. (1)

Classes Without Quizzes

Alumni who were missing the academic rigor from their Gilman days (but not the tests or grades!) joined longtime English teachers Dan Christian and Tim Holley ’77 to revisit classic scenes and powerful themes from Harper Lee’s masterpiece “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (2)

Coffee With the Coaches

Head Baseball Coach Larry Sheets and Head Lacrosse Coach John Nostrant talked to Gilman alumni sports enthusiasts in attendance about their outlooks for the spring season and the challenges of training during a pandemic. (3)

Gilman Forever

Gilman Forever welcomed post-50th reunion alumni and retired teachers back to campus — virtually this year — for a chance to see old friends, make new ones, and re-experience Gilman firsthand. The celebration included a special tribute to the late Richard Evans ’60, an “around the Zoom” catch-up, and an update from Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth on the state of the School. (4)

Navigating Uncertainty: The Student Perspective

Joshua Chung ’21, Tucker Hebert ’21, and Tem Koleosho ’21 informed and entertained alumni at this popular event. They shared stories about their Gilman experiences, how they were impacted by attending School during a pandemic, and what they will remember most from their time on Roland Avenue.

Reunion Class Parties

Eleven reunion classes held virtual class parties, many of which included cameo appearances from past and present faculty members. Our two alumni classes celebrating their 50th reunions — 1970 and 1971 — met with their third grade pen pals to compare notes about what Gilman was like during their elementary school days. (5)

Logged On

Formerly known as ‘On Campus’

Reunion Zero Virtual Edition

In 2019, Gilman kicked off a new tradition, Reunion Zero, of welcoming the School’s most recent graduates back to campus in December of the same year that they graduated. And, it was a big hit! Safety concerns, unfortunately, prevented bringing the class of 2020 back to campus this past December, but we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to reconnect with our most recent alumni. So, the Alumni Office organized a Zoom call, invited some favorite teachers, and enlisted Charm City Trivia to host a trivia game. The class of 2020 reminisced about funny stories from virtual learning, positive takeaways from life during a pandemic, and, of course, their favorite memories from Gilman.

As for the trivia game, it included some Gilman-specific questions. You may have already tested yourself against these recent grads if you saw the questions in our January e-newsletter (David deMuth ’80 was selected as the winner and received a Gilman prize pack). If you didn’t take a stab at it already, try your Gilman knowledge here! Answers provided on page 28.

1. Which legendary (mostly) fourth grade teacher whose tenure exceeded 50 years and who is famous for his geography songs and Poof gun, passed away in 2020?

2. What sits on top of the bell tower on Carey Hall?

3. What is the name of the Middle School celebration held in May that features the Homeroom Book Bag Rally, the Tugo-War, the Latin Chariot Race, and the Faculty Auction?

4. Mr. Christian, who retired in 2019 after nearly four decades of teaching and coaching at Gilman, famously taught a senior elective class on which Italian poet?

5. In what year was the first Gilman-McDonogh football game held?

Student-Alumni Networking Series

David Brown ’91, CEO of Hays US, a $7-billion-a-year recruiting and staffing firm, came back to Gilman on Thursday, Jan. 14, for the first time since his graduation (albeit by Zoom). Brown spoke to Upper School students about the megatrends in the employment market, the industries and jobs of the future, and the skills that the students of today will need to master in order to become the leaders of tomorrow. Without knowing it, Brown made repeated references to the Gilman skills: think, communicate, collaborate, and create. His talk kicked off a six-part series of student-alumni, industryspecific networking events that took place throughout the spring.

Finance

The first of these events, held on Thursday, Feb. 4, focused on the finance industry. Fourteen curious students joined Matt Berger ’10, private equity investor at the Wolfson Group, Chad Burdette ’02, partner and chief operating officer at Nosara Capital, Andrew Lucas ’00, director of capital markets at Trion Properties, and Alex Puthumana ’14, private equity associate at Calvert Street Capital Partners, by Zoom, to learn about different career paths in the industry. After introductions, the group split up into smaller breakout rooms so that students could ask more personal questions about college and degree choices, internship opportunities, and desirable skills in the workplace.

Law

Next, on Thursday, Feb. 18, Michael Brown ’00, assistant attorney general at the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Singleton Mathews ’02, partner at Client First Legal Services, and Justin Redd ’01, associate at Kramon & Graham, joined 10 Upper School students to discuss different career paths in the law. The trio shared their personal journeys to date and their views of the most desirable personal traits, like tenacity and adaptability (Mathews recalled Mr. Siwinski’s motto that “Life is 10 percent of what you do and 90 percent of how you react to what happens.”). The group also answered student questions about college major selections, deciding when to settle a case versus pushing it to court, and the relative merits of the Gilman Raiders versus Poloman.

Alumni News

Tech

Ten more Upper School students joined Will Gee ’95, founder and CEO of Balti Virtual, Jon Laws ’02, senior manager of Consumer Insights at EA SPORTS, and Teddy Lewis ’03, head of Data Cloud Strategy at Snowflake, on Zoom on Thursday, March 4. The group had a lively discussion on a number of topics: the mix of art and science in tech, career changes and redirections, how much data big companies have on us, the challenges of running a company, different approaches to augmented and virtual reality projects, the importance of timing in launching tech products, being patient with yourself in your career journey, how to gather feedback on a product, and the incredible value of being a lifelong learner. Gee even shared a virtual Lombardi trophy with the group!

Tech industry professionals Jon Laws ’02 (right, top), Teddy Lewis ’03 (right, bottom), and Will Gee ’95 (not shown) led a virtual discussion with students and fellow alumni.

Medicine

Khalil Altalib ’10 is a senior planning analyst for Physician and Ambulatory Care Planning at MedStar Health, and Dr. Kharod France ’03 is a clinical assistant professor at Loyola University Maryland. During the fourth student-alumni networking event this spring, these alumni met with students from Gilman and Roland Park Country School on Thursday, April 1, to talk about careers in medicine that go beyond more traditional tracks like doctors and nurses. Altalib emphasized the importance of being nimble and ready to pivot when challenges present themselves, and France encouraged the students to remain open to whatever comes next, stressing that the next opportunity could take each boy in an exciting, if unexpected, direction.

1.

2.

Arts

Performer-teacher-discoverer Matt Cahill ’03 (mattcahill.online) and Andy Shea ’14 (andrewlshea.com), an editor at the arts magazine The New Criterion, joined students on Thursday, April 29, to talk about careers in the arts. Cahill discussed the dual economies for artists — the one that feeds your belly and pays your rent and the one that fills your soul — and encouraged the boys to “develop your eccentricities. That’s where your power as an artist comes from. Follow your interests, follow the green lights. Don’t spend too much time worrying about the red lights and rejections.” Shea explained the importance of developing a broad network, the role of art criticism, the anonymity of writing and painting, and the essential nature of evolving as an artist while maintaining a sense of self.

3.

4. Dante

who Mr. Christian was fond of saying, “is everywhere,” is likely best remembered for writing “The Divine Comedy.”

5. 1914. The game has been played every year since with the exception of 1916, 1918, and 2020.

Cotton Lecture

Two impressive alumni were the featured speakers at the 39th annual H. K. Douglas Cotton Memorial Lecture, held via Zoom on Thursday, April 1. Dr. Ethan Weiss ’87 is associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a principal investigator in the Cardiovascular Research Institute. Duane Holloway ’90 is senior vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer, and chief ethics officer at U.S. Steel.

thousands of people and move millions or billions of dollars around the globe. Holloway spoke of his own Cotton Lecture experience as a student when Mike Austin ’77 was the key speaker and inspired him to push forward. Holloway also challenged the boys to be bold and to take calculated risks.

He shared the many lessons he learned at Gilman: to be a leader, a team player, and a problem solver; to treat others well; to have discipline; to work hard; to focus on mind, body, and spirit; to be a positive contributor to society; and, of course, to always beat McDonogh!

Learn more about the history of the Cotton Lecture and watch a recording of this year’s speeches at gilman.edu/cottonlecture.

Mountcastle Lecture

Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth welcomed the Upper School student body and connected the speakers’ two seemingly divergent career paths on account of their shared focus on “doing good by doing well.”

Weiss opened by sharing his remarkable story of leaving San Francisco, which had been mostly spared at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, to fly to New York and assist the overextended health care workers who were valiantly battling at the pandemic’s U.S. epicenter. He spoke of patients so weak that they couldn’t move their facial muscles to smile and of the medical teams who worked tirelessly to nurse them back to health and also cheered ecstatically when many of them were able to come off ventilators. Though Weiss risked his own health to lend his time and expertise to this situation, he described the experience as a gift. He said, “I got to re-experience a sense of duty and responsibility that I swore I would never miss!”

Holloway started by answering a simple question, jokingly asked often by the U.S. Steel CEO: What exactly does a chief counsel do? Focusing more on business than actual law, he advises the CEO and board of directors on key strategic decisions that can impact

Baltimore Sun sports enterprise reporter Childs Walker ’94 returned to campus via Zoom on Wednesday, April 28, to give this year’s George E. P. Mountcastle Memorial Lectureship, which brings a distinguished writer to Gilman each year to give a formal address and to spend a day in informal conversations with students and faculty. Walker called writing an act of curiosity and talked about writing on a deadline: “... when the world around you blurs and the words spill out from you …” He spoke of the challenges of writing as a profession: “No matter how many pieces you’ve published or how many awards you’ve won, the screen will be blank the next time you sit down to write a story.” He shared the importance of getting to know your subjects intimately: “Write like you know the person and like you’ve been to the place.” He challenged the boys to live up to the material they’ve been given and encouraged them to find a good editor and hold on for dear life. He concluded his talk by saying, “I hope you find work that, on the best days, hits you in your soul.”

Learn more about the lecture series and see a video of Walker’s talk at gilman.edu/mountcastle.

Senior Encounter

Senior Encounter, the capstone experience of Upper School, enables each senior to explore a field of interest with an adult who works in that area. This program has been in existence at Gilman for decades; many alumni report that their Encounters were formative experiences.

In typical years, Senior Encounter has involved the senior spending two weeks engaged in a full-time internship with a mentor of his choice. However, during this unusual school year, students were given an option to either have the traditional experience or participate in research and virtual interviews with a mentor in a field of interest culminating in a formal presentation.

Whichever option was chosen, the near-graduates worked for the last two weeks of the school year in various professions and industries, ranging from medicine and dentistry to advertising and marketing; from farming and agriculture to arts and athletics.

Matthew Wills ’21 doesn’t know exactly what he wants to study in college, but he knows he likes math. To figure out what he should do for his Encounter, “I asked Ms. Follensbee [Gilman’s Associate Director of College Counseling and Director of the Encounter Program] for a list of financial places, and Tufton Capital jumped out at me. I looked through their website. They talk about their commitment and honesty to their clients. It seemed like the perfect place to start learning about finance.”

Carter Spahn ’21 has always been interested in the inner workings of the U.S. government, so securing his Encounter with Maryland’s 2nd District Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger’s office was a perfect fit. “I learned quite a bit about how the government operates and how to properly converse with your representative to have your voice truly heard,” he said. However, the most memorable part of his experience was the scavenger hunt that had him wandering through the Capitol. “I was sent out to find certain rooms and paintings scattered throughout the building. I ended up getting lost quite a few times, but eventually found everything I needed, and became good friends with Nancy Pelosi’s security guard as she helped me find my way.”

Nigel Parker ’21 also had a clear idea of his interests going into this process: “Much of the work that I do at Gilman through the CIE

[Community, Inclusion, and Equity] Council inspires my future education and occupation, so it was meaningful for me to do something that would allow me to continue to interact with those concepts.” He shadowed Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, an associate professor of communication and African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland. Half the time, he worked with the university’s Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice, which Whitehead founded. Parker said, “It was really important for me to see how ‘diversity work’ evolves into the next level of education. The Karson Institute actively does the work of increasing awareness and starting conversations around critical race theory and striving for a more inclusive community. It was inspirational for me to be a part of something that could look very much like what I will encounter in my own college experience.”

The other half of Parker’s Encounter was spent working on Whitehead’s radio show, “Today With Dr. Kaye,” on WEAA 88.9 FM at Morgan State University School of Global Journalism & Communication. “Knowing that I had a hand in the content of a widely listened-to radio show was amazing and gave me a different level of purpose and intentionality with my research. Each day I was able to contribute something to the conversation, which made me realize how fulfilling the work that I do can be.”

Parker’s role on the radio show was to do research to collect articles, statistics, and sources for Whitehead to reference throughout each episode that week. During his time at the station, he worked on two special shows: one that fell on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, and the other in honor of the 100th memorial of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Parker said, “I was able to see how the whole show came together. On my last day, I was even allowed to go on air with Dr. Kaye!”

Whether on a microphone, in an office, around the halls of history, or even inside a chicken house — like the students who worked at Liberty Delight Farms — this year’s Senior Encounters didn’t just give the class of 2021 the opportunity to dip their toes into the real word; it showed them that the world needs them, and the skills and gifts that they have to offer.

1 Carter Spahn ’21 shows off his Gilman graduation tie in front of the Capitol with Walter Gonzales ’91, who is deputy chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Charles “Dutch” Ruppersberger III.

2 Tem Koleosho ’21 and Matt Cooper ’21 get the full farm experience at Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown. Seniors enrolled in the Environmental Sustainability class went on a virtual field trip to Liberty in March of this year.

3 Nigel Parker ’21 stands with colleagues at WEAA 88.9 FM at Morgan State University School of Global Journalism & Communication. Parker worked on the radio show “Today With Dr. Kaye,” as part of his Encounter.

4 Owen Holmgren ’21 works with broadcaster Brett Hollander ’03 of the Baltimore Orioles broadcast team. Back in 2003, Hollander, along with Scott Kidder ‘03, brought live audio broadcasts of Gilman sporting events to the Gilman community through what was then a groundbreaking new medium — internet radio — which eventually evolved into what is now Greyhound TV.

5 Matthew Wills ’21 gets a taste of office life at his two-week Encounter at Tufton Capital, where he learned about finance topics, such as mergers and stocks.

Alumni Connect With Students and One Another

Startup Experience

This year’s Startup Experience — a crash course in entrepreneurship in which student teams are paired with alumni mentors to go through the startup business life cycle, from problem identification to product development and through business pitching to a “Shark Tank”-style team of judges — looked a little different. The event was held entirely over Zoom instead of in Centennial Hall. However, this virtual format meant that alumni did not have to come to campus to participate. Instead, mentors logged in from Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portsmouth (Rhode Island), and San Diego, which added an exciting flavor to the experience. This year’s student business ideas even seemed slightly more out-of-the-box than in years past.

Fast Food developed a social media cookbook for college students that provides quick and easy at-home recipes, as well as engages a community to share tips and tricks.

CollegeU debuted a peer-to-peer college counseling service that connects current students with alumni who have attended specific colleges so that they may share detailed information about the application process and life at the school.

Hairmergency pioneered a single-use, disposable comb with hair gel in it to be sold at airports and solve bad hair days for male travelers once and for all. Plus, the combs are biodegradable!

C-YA ANT showed off their reusable, customizable, safe, and eco-friendly ant traps made using 3D printers that fight infestations of these summertime pests.

After a heated debate, judges Frank Bonsal ’82, Charlie Moore ’76, and Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth felt that the thoroughness of their product development efforts coupled with the energy and excitement in their presentation made C-YA ANT the clear winner. Congratulations to Ben Weinfeld ’22 and Arden Lawson ’23! And, many thanks to our mentors: Brendan Aronson ’08, Kevin Buerger ’87, Jon Cooper ’98, J.D. Kameen ’10, Jay Menton ’96, and Jamie Schapiro ’90!

Black Alumni Mentoring Program

Sixteen eager Lower School students gathered in front of their phones and computers on Saturday, Feb. 6, to meet their alumni mentors for the first time. Led by Tyrone Crosby ’96, Brandon Croxton ’96, and Malcolm Ruff ’02, this event had been months in the making and was the first major initiative of the Gilman Black Alumni Society. The student-alumni duos participated in a Black History Month-themed trivia game hosted by Justin Adams ’13, and spent some time getting to know one another.

At their next event on March 27, the group discussed what diversity means and why it’s important at Gilman. The students talked about times at Gilman when they felt they were not treated fairly, and the mentors shared some of their own experiences and how to navigate these situations.

Entrepreneurs In Action

The Gilman Entrepreneurship Affinity Group held its first meetup on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Led by Garrett Weinstein ’14 and Haftan Eckholdt ’83, the group convened to share experiences and ideas that are unique to entrepreneurs. Collin Wallace ’02, co-founder of ZeroStorefront, talked to the group about his path as a founder and angel investor, idea generation, leveraging one’s resources, and gauging impact.

Founder and investor Mark Bower ’99 discussed three metrics essential in the evaluation of investment opportunities: a strong management team, a positive macro environment, and a sound business model. Weinstein then pitched his business, Ably, to the group, which offered constructive criticism and suggestions for how to move forward.

The group also launched a newsletter and held another meeting in May. Interested alumni can sign up to join at gilman.edu/eag.

Alumni Buzz

Check out these buzz-worthy announcements from the alumni community. Find more at gilman.edu/buzzworthy.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan appointed Erik Atas ’97 as a judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court. (1)

New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Copeland ’09 was named to the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports list for his efforts on and off the football field. (2)

President Joe Biden nominated Jonathan Davidson ’89 to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Treasury. Jonathan has worked on Capitol Hill for more than two decades, serving as Senator Michael Bennet’s chief of staff since 2011. A press release on April 15 said that Davidson’s nomination was sent to the Senate. (3)

Stephon Jackson ’80, previously associate head of U.S. Equity and a 13-year veteran of T. Rowe Price’s Equity Division, was named the head of the newly formed entity, T. Rowe Price Investment Management. (4)

Leon Newsome ’88 was named senior vice president, chief security officer for the National Basketball Association (NBA) to oversee all aspects of security operations for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G

League, NBA 2K League, and the soon-to-launch Basketball Africa League, as well as the NBA’s 15 offices worldwide. (5)

Dr. Edward Trusty Jr. ’91 was named the 33rd head of school at St. Paul’s School for Boys. (6)

A number of Gilman alumni were named to Baltimore then Mayor-Elect Brandon Scott’s transition team. As a member of the Environment & Sustainability Committee, Will Baker ’72 worked to protect natural resources. As members of the Housing & Neighborhood Development Committee, Charlie Duff ’71 and Khalil Uqdah ’06 worked to increase access to affordable housing. As members of the Business, Workforce & Neighborhood Development Committee, Mark Caplan ’76 and Cheo Hurley ’92 worked to strengthen Baltimore’s neighborhoods and businesses. As co-chair and a member of the Fiscal Preparedness Committee, respectively, Mark Kaufman ’83 and Doug Schmidt ’85 worked to align resources to ensure fiscal stability and innovation. And, as part of the Public Health & Public Safety Committee, Wally Pinkard ’69 helped to re-imagine public safety and public accountability. (7)

ALUMNI ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

In our last edition of the Bulletin, we featured a dozen alumni who had answered the call to help their communities on the front lines during the pandemic. While we are not quite out of the woods yet in terms of beating COVID-19, much progress has been made since then. Below we spotlight more Gilman alumni who have stepped up and contributed in their own way to the effort on the road to recovery.

You Can Never Be Too CareFull

Garrett Weinstein ’14 has developed CareFull, the only peer-topeer app connecting diners to COVID-safe establishments. CareFull instantly tells you the safety precautions like table distancing, sanitization practices, and seating arrangements including heat lamps and tent installations that restaurants are taking. The app launched in Boston and has expanded to New York, with plans to later include Miami and Washington, D.C., and other cities nationwide. Learn more and download the app at carefullapp.com

Vaccine Pledge

Jakob Metz ’11, a Baltimore-based attorney, and friends from the University of Maryland noticed a concerning amount of hesitation about the new COVID-19 vaccines. So, they decided to create a vehicle for people to show their support for vaccinations. Their website, vaccinepledge.org, allows individuals to sign a pledge to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to them and to share this pledge on social media. Their hope is that when people see family, friends, and neighbors committing to getting vaccinated, they will become more comfortable with the idea themselves. They are also working to compile and share information about COVID-19 vaccines, including interviews with experts explaining the importance of vaccination as well as how to sign up to receive the vaccine in their state. Bright red #vaccinepledge bracelets are available for purchase to help accomplish these goals, with 20% of the proceeds to be donated to organizations supporting COVID-19 relief.

Pulse Check with Dr. Fauci

Then POLITICO health reporter Dan Diamond ’98 talked with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, about the coronavirus outbreak for the Aug. 6, 2020, episode of the podcast Pulse Check. In this wide-ranging conversation, they discussed how Fauci views the outbreak, what he thinks average Americans must do to fight the virus, and how Fauci is trying to protect his own mental health during the pandemic. Listen to the interview at gilman.edu/pulsecheck

Diamond is now reporting for The Washington Post.

ON THE FRONT LINES: ACUTE CARE

Gerry Brewster ’75 serves as the chairman of the board of the Maryland State Fair & Agricultural Society, a nonprofit whose mission is to educate Maryland’s youth and to promote and showcase Maryland’s agriculture industry. Since the pandemic’s onset, however, the organization has shifted gears to help those with the greatest and most immediate needs. This has included:

• Transforming the 4.5-acre Cow Palace into a coronavirus testing site, the first in Maryland to offer free testing without the need for a doctor’s recommendation or appointment.

• Turning another building over to the American Red Cross for ongoing emergency blood drives.

• Turning 600 stalls over to the State Veterinarian for the care of livestock of farmers who became ill with COVID-19.

• Hooking up three emergency management vehicles to Fairground utilities to serve in whatever capacity they are needed.

• Hosting a Baltimore County pop-up food market on Saturdays for those experiencing food insecurity.

• Partnering with Amigos of Baltimore County and 4MyCiTy to provide free food — donated from food warehouses and restaurants — on Sundays to Maryland’s hard-hit Latino and immigrant communities.

PART OF THE SOLUTION

When Nick Polydefkis ’18, a junior water polo player at George Washington University, made the difficult decision not to go back to GW last year, his parents encouraged him to be “part of the solution” to the pandemic. So rather than simply continue his virtual studies which already included research on viruses in the Department of Emergency Medicine

Polydefkis didn’t just get one job. He got three: as a full-time EMT and as a transport safety officer at Johns Hopkins, and on weekends as a volunteer EMT for the Baltimore County Fire Department and George Washington University EMS. While his work has brought him face-to-face with the harsh reality of this pandemic, Polydefkis has also been witness to a number of inspiring moments including births and life-saving CPR resuscitations. Read the full story at gilman.edu/ partofthesolution.

We welcome Shonique Alexander, Christina Kim, and Linda Fussell in their new positions at Gilman. Read on to learn more about their leadership roles in the School.

Shonique Alexander is the First Assistant Head of School for Pre-K-8

Shonique Alexander has been named Assistant Head of School for Pre-K-8 beginning July 1. This is a new role at Gilman, one that will support the School’s strategic plan to focus on delivering a robust, consistent, and continuous PK-12 education.

In her new position, Alexander will set a vision for our pre-k through eighth grades, and ensure alignment of that vision from one division to the next. Among many strategic responsibilities, Alexander will work with grade-level teams to ensure effective curriculum development and program coherence throughout the divisions. Alexander will provide senior administrative support for the Head of Lower School and the Head of Middle School. Additionally, her new role involves supporting enrollment management and admissions processes in these divisions.

Alexander will represent the Lower and Middle Schools on the Academic Council, which is the School’s leadership group that seeks to enrich Gilman’s culture of teaching and learning. She will serve on the Academic Council executive committee as well.

Since 2004, Alexander has been part of the Gilman family when she joined as a teacher in the Middle School Math Department. In 2011, she became Assistant Head of Middle School, and in 2019, she stepped up to serve as the Interim Head of Middle School. She earned her bachelor’s from Loyola University Maryland and a Master of Education and a Master of Science from Goucher College. Alexander has taken leadership roles in professional development through AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools) workshops and conferences.

“As a seasoned educator, I know on a deep level that continuity and coherence of any academic program is crucial to its success,” Alexander said. “I look forward to partnering with faculty and parents, and ensuring that the experience of every Gilman boy is one of excellence.”

Congratulations to Alexander on her new role!

Christina Kim is the First Director of Wellness and Support

Christina Kim has been named Gilman’s first Director of Wellness and Support. The School’s strategic plan prioritizes the promotion of students’ physical and mental health, and the creation of this new position was the chief recommendation of a task force charged with examining student emotional wellness at Gilman. Kim will work with the team of counselors, learning specialists, and health professionals at Gilman to oversee three critical elements of student wellness: program development, shared communication between appropriate people and departments, and coordinated responses to student health emergencies. We are very excited to fill this important new position that will help us realize an essential part of our strategic vision.

Kim comes to us most immediately from The Park School here in Baltimore, where she served as a school counselor. Prior to moving to Baltimore last summer, Kim served for five years as the director of student life at The Willows Community School in the Los Angeles area. At Willows, Kim oversaw all social emotional programming for students, faculty, and parents. She was also a field instructor at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, helping to bring graduate students in social work into elementary schools to support students. Kim moved to California from New York City, where she had worked for seven years as a teacher, learning specialist, and school social worker at The School at Columbia University. Her experience in New York also included four years as a clinical social worker for the Jewish Board of Families & Children, as well as a few years teaching at the Manhattan School for Children. Kim holds numerous degrees: an undergraduate degree from New York University (during which she studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea), a Master of Education and a Master of Social Work through a dualdegree program at Bank Street College of Education and Columbia University School of Social Work, and another Master of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kim joined the Gilman team officially on July 1, and we welcome her, her husband, Mark, and their twin sons to our community.

Linda Fussell is the Next Head of Lower School

Linda Fussell has been named the next Head of Lower School at Gilman.

Fussell comes to Gilman most immediately from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she was the Head of Lower School at Dwight School, Dubai, overseeing a startup International Baccalaureate (IB) program in a pre-k through grade 5 division of approximately 200 students within a pre-k through grade 12 school. She has enjoyed nearly a decade-long tenure overall at Dwight School; prior to being asked to lead the Lower School in Dubai, Fussell worked for seven years at Dwight School, New York, both as a teacher and as the associate director of preschool and kindergarten.

In addition to her time at Dwight School, Fussell has extensive experience in early childhood and elementary education. She served for four years as the language arts coordinator for kindergarten through grade 4 at the United Nations International School in New York, where she also taught first grade and kindergarten. While in New York, Fussell also served as an adjunct professor teaching early childhood literacy (birth to grade 2) at Hunter College, City University of New York.

Born in Germany and raised in Panama, with an early teaching career that included international posts in Latin America, Africa, and Europe, Fussell also brings a wealth of global experience to Gilman. She earned her bachelor’s degree, as well as a master’s in early childhood education, from Florida State University.

Throughout these experiences, Fussell has earned the heartfelt admiration and respect of her colleagues, parents, and students. The combination of her knowledge base, work ethic, commitment to the students and teachers, and ability to connect with people has made her a highly effective educator and school leader.

Fussell and her family were officially welcomed to Gilman when she assumed her role on July 1.

Mentoring Program

Gilman’s long-standing Mentoring Program is coming up with new ways to connect its Upper School mentors and their Lower or Middle School mentees so that they may continue to come together for support and fellowship. One such meetup for the 40 pairs of students was a virtual visit from award-winning authorillustrator Chris Soentpiet (pronounced “soon-peet”) at the end of January. His work has been featured in the New York Times and USA Today, among other publications, and reflects his interest in people, history, and culture.

In December 2020, mentors wrote personal messages that were delivered to their mentees along with a copy of “Amazing Faces,” authored by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Soentpiet. Through its 16 poems by a variety of impressive writers, the book explores themes of similarities and differences, respect, pride, identity, self-esteem, and adversity. The poetry collection alongside intricate, photo-like images was chosen for its appeal to readers of all ages and its invitation to discuss both the written and visual material to different depths.

One of the book’s poems is authored by Carole Boston Weatherford, a Baltimore native who, with her illustrator son, virtually visited some Lower School classrooms in mid-January (see page 42). The

boys who take part in the Mentoring Program and have read “Amazing Faces” were already familiar with some of her work.

According to Lee & Low Books, a company committed to publishing diverse books that are about everyone, for everyone, the poems are “brought to life in diverse and detailed faces that reveal the universal feelings we all share ... invite us to experience their world, understand their lives, and find the connections that bring us together.” In a time when we are all seeking connection, and for a program that works to meaningfully connect Gilman students across different divisions for a unique relational experience, the book seems aptly selected.

The Mentoring Program held additional events that provided virtually connected experiences, including a Zoom paint night with Lower School art teacher Trevlin Alexander, a class with chef and owner of Liliahna, Brendon Hudson ’12, who walked students through baking his five-ingredient sugar cookies, and a fall-inspired gathering where the group decorated pumpkins.

Virtual Author Visits

October 8: Author Chris Barton and illustrator Shanda McCloskey read aloud their book “Fire Truck vs. Dragon” and led a drawing session for first grade students.

October 22: “Dear Martin” and its sequel “Dear Justyce” are young adult novels that address race in present-day America. New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone visited Middle School and Upper School assemblies to discuss her work.

October 19: Author Dan Gemeinhart answered questions from fifth grade students about “Scar Island,” their required summer read.

October 26: John Gallagher, author of graphic novel “Max Meow: Cat Crusader,” led a how-to-create-yourown-comic workshop for first and second graders.

The physical challenges of the pandemic did not deter the Gilman Libraries from promoting literature and enlivening the curriculum in innovative ways. Through a multitude of virtual visits across campus, students met authors and illustrators who shared their processes for researching, writing, and expressing their creative ideas. These interactive Zoom sessions provided an opportunity for the boys to connect with one another, explore history, and engage in rich discussion about the world they live in.

November 3: Tonya Duncan Ellis, author of the “Sophie Washington” series, joined the third grade students to discuss their reading of the series and held a Q&A.

November 13, 16, 17: Authors Miranda and Baptiste Paul held multiple grade-level sessions based on many of their books. They led workshops on the craft of writing and researching.

November 4: “Scar Island” author Dan Gemeinhart returned to visit the Middle School.

December 3: Marcus Wicker spoke during Upper School assembly and also visited Dr. Smith’s creative writing class.

January 15: Carole Boston Weatherford and her son Jeffery Boston Weatherford spent time with students in all Lower School grades in various Zoom rooms throughout the day. The author-illustrator pair shared some books, like “Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom” and “Freedom on the Menu,” and held a hip-hop-writing workshop for fifth graders.

January 27: Carole Boston Weatherford and Jeffery Boston Weatherford returned for an afternoon to hold a webinar for Upper School students on “You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen,” followed by an MS assembly and hip-hop-writing workshop where they examined “The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-hop.” Carol Boston Weatherford held a professional development session for faculty to discuss anti-racism resources.

February 5: Author Dan Gemeinhart returned for a webinar assembly for grades 3 through 5.

February 18: Lucy Biederman visited th Upper School as part of the Writers at Work series. She worked with seniors on creative writing and read from her book, “The Walmart Book of the Dead.”

March 31: Pura Belpré honoree Pablo Cartaya explored issues of family, culture, and community in his books with four advisory sections in Middle School.

April 21: April was National Poetry Month, so when Rochelle Hurt took part in an Upper School assembly, she read from her books of poetry “The Rusted City” and “In Which I Play the Runaway.” She also visited Dr. Smith’s creative writing elective.

May 19: Andrew Maraniss joined Middle School students for an interactive discussion detailing the author’s process for researching and writing his book “Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke,” which explores the life of the first openly gay MLB player. Maraniss visited Gilman in person in February 2020 to share his expertise as a narrative nonfiction sports writer.

February 4: Author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson shared their book, “Milo Imagines the World,” with pre-k through grade 2 students.

February 17: “Hilo #7: Gina the Girl Who Broke the World” author Judd Winnick spoke to third and fourth graders. He presented his body of work through drawings, taking the boys on a journey of how he wrote the Hilo series.

March 12: Nancy Kennedy, author of “Women Win the Vote: 19 for the 19th Amendment,” gave two interactive presentations to seventh grade boys over two Zoom sessions. They discussed the history of the 19th amendment in nine objects, including an original ballot box, Susan B. Anthony’s red shawl, and a picture of the original flag whose stars were sewn on as each state ratified the women’s right to vote in 1919.

April 27: Marylander Laura Shovan held a poetry workshop with the second grade to create self-portrait poems. She returned in May to lead a sensory imagery workshop with fourth graders, who then composed food poems.

Photo by: Linda Joy Burke

Library Spirit Week

Gilman students in grades 5 through 8 spent the first-ever Library Spirit Week, held Feb. 19 to March 4, connecting with friends, teachers, and the community through the joy of reading. The activities were full of fun, games, and of course, plenty of books! A scavenger hunt where the answers were hidden inside the online Scholastic Book Fair encouraged students to use their technology skills to identify a diverse selection of books at the fair. The literary costume contest, where faculty and students dressed as famous characters and authors using book covers and illustrations for inspiration, produced winners in the following categories: Overall Winner; Most Creative; and Best DIY Costume. Book enthusiasts had the chance to test their knowledge against classmates in a Kahoot trivia game. The fun continued with book-themed bingo and a video showcasing books Gilman faculty members say they will always remember. Finally, the Middle School held a book drive and collected more than 250 gently used chapter books to share with the community. “While we could not gather together for a Book Fair as we traditionally do, we were grateful to share our appreciation and enthusiasm for reading with one another,” Faith Ward, Gilman’s Middle School librarian, said.

The Francis J. Carey, Jr. Lecture Series brings Gilman students and the extended school community face-toface with deans of admission from leading colleges and universities.

This extraordinary year marked the inaugural Francis J. Carey, Jr. Lecture. The series is designed to connect Gilman boys and our community with deans of admission from leading colleges and universities through their presentations on admissions, leadership, and accomplishments.

The event was a success thanks to the hundreds of Gilman students, parents, faculty, staff, and special members of our community who attended the inaugural lecture on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. We remain grateful to Gilman Trustee William P. Carey II and the Carey Foundation for their commitment to this series and its important purpose, and to lecturer Karen Richardson, Princeton University’s dean of admission, for her invaluable advice to students and families. Learn more about the series and Dean Richardson, and watch a recording of this year’s lecture at gilman.edu/careylecture.

GREYHOUNDS AND TIGERS

Long ago, there was a myth that promising Gilman boys went to Princeton for college and then returned to Baltimore to work for Alex Brown. Turns out, at least the first part of that story appears to have been accurate … particularly in 1929. Check out the following fun facts about the long-standing ties between Gilman and Princeton:

• Gilman’s first graduating class was in 1903. Of the four students who graduated that year, two went to Princeton: Lawrence Goodwin 1903 and Clapham Murray 1903 (both Princeton class of 1907). Of the two other students, one attended Johns Hopkins and the other went on to Yale.

• John M. T. Finney, who was the chairman of Gilman’s Board of Trustees 1912-1932, graduated in Princeton’s class of 1884.

• In the class of 1929, 33 of 34 Gilman graduates attended Princeton. According to an October 1929 Gilman News article, 80% of Gilman graduates who were then enrolled in college were at Princeton.

• Gilman headmasters who are also Princeton Tigers include Samuel W. Kinney (1903-1909), E. Boyd Morrow (1926-1943), Redmond C. S. Finney ‘47 (1968-1992), and Henry P. A. Smyth (2013-present).

• One member of the class of 2020 now attends Princeton. And, the School’s database of living alumni includes more than 200 Gilman grads who attended Princeton.

• Random fact: Gilman used to compete against the Princeton freshman teams in athletics. A Baltimore Sun article from 1930 tells how Gilman students beat the Princeton freshman wrestling team, which included several Gilman grads.

Student Buzz

Gilman Team Wins Awards in the NASA App Development Challenge

Team Equinox, comprised of a group of nine Gilman ninth graders, competed in the culminating virtual event for the NASA App Development Challenge (ADC), which streamed worldwide on NASA’s YouTube channel on Feb. 16-17. The 10 selected teams in this national competition presented their C# code and navigation apps they developed, built to visualize the moon’s south pole for NASA’s next mission, Artemis.

After an impressive presentation, Team Equinox was awarded in the following categories: Most Professional Interview, Most Novel Data Management Loading, and Best Custom Way-Finding Algorithm.

“I initially joined this challenge to better my understanding of computer science; my direction shifted, however, after I was inspired by the drive of my teammates, as well as the combination of our minds and personalities that complemented our strengths and weaknesses. This cooperation allowed us to produce a project and presentation that we could collectively be proud about.”

– Arya Kazemnia ’24

Manav Parikh ’22 and Silo Kim ’23 Win Awards at Yale Model United Nations

Model UN members Manav Parikh ’22 and Silo Kim ’23 gave award-winning performances during this year’s Yale Model United Nations (YMUN). Manav won Best Delegate in the NATO committee, and Silo won Honorable Mention in the Historical Legal Committee.

Gilman’s Model UN is a club where students can improve their debate, communication, and writing skills and attend collegiaterun Model United Nations conferences. In January, 18 club members attended YMUN 2021, a virtual conference for students worldwide.

“I wanted to share this as I am very proud of all of the members of the club who attended this conference. They all worked very hard to prepare for this conference, including writing multiple papers and preparing speeches. Our club is growing every year, and our success at this conference is a testament to our dedication to this club and interest in world affairs.”

–Manav Parikh ’22, co-president of Model UN

Danny Gallagher ’23 and Sean McCarthy ’23 Compete in National Speech and Debate Association’s Annual National Tournament

Danny Gallagher ’23 and Sean McCarthy ’23 won the Chesapeake District qualifying tournament for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) in February. They competed at the NSDA’s annual national tournament, held online in June. The qualifying teams debated on the issue of criminal justice reform. “Sean and I have enjoyed learning about criminal justice policy throughout the year,” Gallagher said. The students finished the preliminary rounds undefeated, were ranked as the #3 seed of roughly 250 teams coming into the elimination rounds, and finished in the top 25 teams in the country.

Members of MathCounts Club Qualify for MathCounts Chapter Invitational

Congratulations to MathCounts club members Arjun Hariram ’27, Jackson Heether ’25, Jonathan Yu ’26, Lucas Wang ’27, Peter Yang ’26, and Pranav Parikh ’25. They qualified for the MathCounts Chapter Invitational, which was held on Thursday, Feb. 25. These students placed in the top 20% of all students who took the MathCounts Chapter Competition in the area.

Alex Gray-Rice ’21 Selected to Serve Maryland General Assembly

Alex Gray-Rice ’21 was selected as a page for the 2021 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The Maryland General Assembly Student Page Program provides high school seniors with the opportunity to participate as pages for the Maryland General Assembly. As a page, he worked with Delegates and Senators from around the state to get an insider’s view of Maryland politics’ inner workings.

Gilman Wins First Place for Best Middle School at HackTrin

Team Fire Typers’ members Nicholas Guthrie ’27 and Arjun Hariram ’27 won first place for “Best Overall Middle School Application” in this year’s HackTrin, the eighth iteration of the hackathon coding competition offered through Trinity School in New York. Students were tasked with coding a website or app that helps people with disabilities. After a day of writing tutoring code in the Java language, they created a website that teaches people sign language.

Nate Krieger ’28 and Simon Tovar ’28

Win First Place in Stock Market Game - Elementary School Division

Nate Krieger ’28 and Simon Tovar ’28 earned first place honors within the elementary school division of The Stock Market Game™. The boys received an account with access to a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in common stocks listed on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the Nasdaq Stock Market.

During the 10-week simulation, they traded stocks, reviewed their portfolio, and made changes based on the value of their current holdings, brokerage commissions, return on investment, team or individual ranking, and other information. Students qualified based on the success of their investment management strategy.

Morgan Mednick ’22 Selected

for

World Trade Center Institute’s Youth Diplomats

Program

Mattheus Carroll ’21 Included in 2021 Maryland Big 33 team

Mattheus Carroll ’21 was selected as defensive lineman for the 2021 Maryland Big 33 team. The Annual Big 33 Football Classic was held at Landis Field in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Monday, May 31, against the Pennsylvania Big 33 Team.

“Mattheus has been an active leader in our football program for several years now and his guidance has shown our younger players how to stay positive and put in a great effort. His desire to improve has provided him with numerous opportunities at the highest level of college football. I am honored to be his coach. Congrats, Stretch! You certainly deserve to be among the best!”

–Football Coach Nick Bach

The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) selected Morgan Mednick ’22 to participate in their Youth Diplomats program. Morgan is one of 30 Maryland high school students to be selected.

The program for Maryland high school juniors and seniors helps students who are interested in building leadership and crosscultural communication skills take their first steps towards becoming global citizens through a series of workshops, meetings with professionals, and volunteer opportunities.

The Youth Diplomats Program is an eight-monthlong program designed for students who are curious about the world, open to diverse perspectives, committed to making an impact locally and globally, and are advocates for human rights, equality, and peace. In the past, this program also incorporated components such as a group trip to Washington, D.C.; a meeting with the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program; and a hosted dinner with international families.

The Work Ahead

“At Gilman, we believe that our community is strengthened by courageous conversations among individuals with different backgrounds, ethnicities, heritages, and perspectives. Together, we can create an inclusive, anti-racist culture at Gilman in which all feel safe and included, and that will serve as an example to our larger community.”

–Johnnie L. Foreman, Jr. Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity

The chart on the following page organizes and outlines our path forward as we engage in this important work.

Community, Inclusion, and Equity: THE WORK AHEAD

Program People Resources

Thoroughly review the School’s curriculum to ensure that all students are fairly represented and celebrated.

Partner with subject-matter experts who can facilitate meaningful conversations with our entire community.

Expand and strengthen community outreach efforts, build significant and impactful relationships with Baltimore organizations.

Strengthen our ability to enroll a diverse mosaic of the most gifted and motivated boys from all corners of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Establish hiring practices that are intentional and guide how we attract, hire, and support more BIPOC and other underrepresented faculty and administrators.

Invest in regular professional development aimed at reinforcing the cornerstones of inclusion and equity, including identifying all forms of racial unfairness, whether overt or subtle, intentional or unintentional.

Allocate additional resources (time, funding, and personnel) to community, inclusivity, and equity efforts to ensure that all students will be successful regardless of any social identifier.

Begin a review of current policies and procedures to uncover any discriminatory language or processes in place that may not be equitable.

Establish a set of inclusivity and equity benchmarks, and develop a system of accountability through regular surveying and data collection.

Community, Inclusion, and Equity Event Recap

The focus of our programs is to strengthen the community by offering workshops, helping students and faculty to build relationships, and cultivating the notion that people can learn together, regardless of differences. Take a look at some of our recent events.

Rosetta Lee was our CIE Night special guest speaker on Thursday, March 11. Lee works at Seattle Girls’ School as both a faculty member and an outreach specialist, designing and delivering trainings for the school community and also for educational and nonprofit sectors. She is a diversity speaker and trainer, and she gave members of our community tools for having hard conversations, speaking up for one another, and calling people in.

The fourth annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) night was held virtually on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020. The event was co-hosted by Gilman and five other area independent schools. The Middle and Upper School families in attendance listened to keynote speaker Michael Molina, head of school at Bishop Walker School for Boys, and participated in breakout sessions on various topics.

Dr. Howard Stevenson, an expert on racial stress and racial trauma, joined our CIE Night on Thursday, April 22. Stevenson’s work focuses on how educators, community leaders, and parents can emotionally resolve face-to-face racially stressful encounters that reflect racial profiling in public spaces, fuel social conflicts in neighborhoods, and undermine student emotional well-being and academic achievement in the classroom.

Students Focus on Self-Reflecting, Forming Allies, and Building Community

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) held its Online Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and Online People of Color Conference (PoCC) November 30 through December 4, 2020. Six Upper School students and several Gilman faculty and staff members attended the events. Read about some of their experiences.

Nigel Parker ’21

BSDLC (Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference) - “As one of the student organizers that designed the format of the conference, I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish. The new virtual platform presented some challenges, but we were able to work well as a group with various technology companies to create and facilitate the same essence of the safe and brave space that makes BSDLC so special. I believe that this was an important conference — especially this year — to allow participants to share their stories and process the events of 2020 up to that point. Simply reminding everyone that they are not alone in this struggle was invaluable to me and those who participated.”

SDLC - “This was my third and final year attending SDLC as a student participant. Of course, I was saddened when I heard the news that this lifechanging experience would be moved to a virtual platform. I came into the conference knowing that it would not be the same conference that I know and love. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the traditional conference was able to be preserved. I was still able to make connections with students who share my experiences throughout the country. Those connections are the ones that prepared me for years like 2020. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a loving and affirming community of people who want to see a better world.”

Matthew Grossman ’22

“Going into both SDLC and BSDLC, I was worried about being able to feel the same sense of community of past conferences. To my surprise, despite the challenges of a virtual conference, I was able to connect with other students across the Baltimore area and across the country. It was so amazing to get to discuss such important topics with other students who are also involved in this work in schools like Gilman. While I have many takeaways, the most impactful parts of both were moments where I got to examine my own privilege. What stuck out to me as particularly impactful was the time I spent in the white affinity space. I had never spent time in a space like that before but it gave me a productive time to reflect on whiteness, privilege, and things I can be doing in my community to be actively anti-racist.”

Wesley DeCosta ’22

“It never hit me how much the curriculum affects your way of thinking until that conference. If we teach kids diverse history rather than tell them about diversity it’s bound to have a lasting impact. I heard examples of that succeeding at people’s schools from my family group and it made me happy that schools around the country are improving. Also, the energy in the Black affinity group was unmatched; you rarely see this many Black students in one space.”

Athletic Recap

As with most aspects of our lives these past months, COVID-19 played a role in Gilman athletics during the 2020-2021 school year. The fall and winter seasons were able to go on through the “open season” approach put forth by the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), which did not include official league games but allowed for competition among schools that wanted to participate. Fortunately, the spring season was business as usual, with safety precautions in place.

Varsity Baseball: 17-8

Gilman Brings Home the Most MIAA Championships Ever in One Season

This spring, Gilman won four varsity level MIAA championships and two junior varsity level MIAA championships, breaking the 1998 record for the most championships in one season.

Congratulations to Varsity Baseball, Varsity Tennis, Varsity Track and Field, Varsity Water Polo, JV Golf, and JV Tennis teams on a fantastic season!

GIVEN THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS GOING IN?

RUSSELL WRENN: First and foremost, to give kids opportunities to get up and move. Secondly, to do so safely in small groups to help with reconnecting socially with friends and also with mental and physical well-being. Finally, while not a priority for the entire student body, we thought it was important to advocate for and investigate opportunities where teams could compete and play, both for the aforementioned mental and physical health benefits, and also for the boys for whom this is a major part of their self-identity.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SPECIFICALLY DURING A PANDEMIC?

LORI BRISTOW: Physical activity allows students to be kids again. It offers an outlet as well as an avenue for support. The mental crisis that has erupted from the pandemic has only just started to be realized. Physical activity helps improve the students’ mental outlook on themselves, others, and the environment around them. The activity has been a safe haven for students who are now also struggling with their new home life. These struggles could include a family member losing a job, a family member dying from COVID-19, or their family managing stress related to the pandemic.

Making a Move to Keep Kids Active

Q&A with Athletic Directors

Russell Wrenn ’96 and Lori Bristow

RUSSELL WRENN: I agree 100% with Lori. Also, I think another benefit is the added structure. At the start of the pandemic, the lack of daily/weekly scheduled activities really had a negative effect on the health of all of us, but especially our kids who are used to living busy, structured lives. Having activities to plan for and around provides some needed structure again.

HOW HAVE YOU BALANCED THE NEED FOR ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN GENERAL FOR STUDENTS WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND SAFETY REQUIRED DURING THE PANDEMIC?

RUSSELL WRENN: First, we worked hard to operate within the guiding safety parameters. That often meant reiterating that our priorities were physical exercise and community spirit, as opposed to skill/team skill development. For example, practicing in small groups at a distance during the summer meant the football team could not line up with a full 11-man team to practice running plays. So be it. When we were practicing in A/B cohorts in the fall, the lacrosse team did not always have a goalie for a particular practice group. So be it; we adapted and were creative. The baseball team had one cohort with a bunch of pitchers and not enough catchers for them. So we threw into nets and pads on the wall. So be it. When the alternative was not doing anything, everyone was willing to follow guidelines and be creative. Having what you love to do taken away makes you much more willing to do whatever is necessary to get it back!

WHAT CREATIVE APPROACHES HAVE YOU USED FOR EACH DIVISION (AND FOR EACH SEASON) TO MAKE IT ALL WORK?

LORI BRISTOW: In the Upper School we offered all three seasonal sports throughout the year. Each season was given two days a week. Students were allowed to participate six days a week if they chose. Once the MIAA declared a competitive season, we moved that season to regular practices five days a week. This model would not have worked if the interscholastic sports coaches had not dedicated so much of their time to improving the students’ well-being.

In the Middle School, the grades were split in half and given a different time for physical education as well as recess. During physical education class, we offered activities the boys could do safely. We re-imagined each season.

In the Lower School, the students continued with their physical education classes. The biggest adjustment was keeping the boys outside as much as possible.

“WE HAVE TRIED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX BY OFFERING DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING BUT ALLOW FOR INTERACTION AMONG STUDENTS. WE HAVE REIMAGINED EVERY ACTIVITY OR SPORT WE OFFER. THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE.”

–Lori Bristow, Director of Athletics

HOW HAS THIS SCHOOL YEAR PUSHED YOU TO GROW OR STRETCH AS AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR?

LORI BRISTOW: This year forced us to think beyond traditions. It gave us the opportunity to try new things without worrying about failure. We learned so much from trying new things. We will continue some of the ideas after COVID-19 is in our rearview mirror.

RUSSELL WRENN: Certainly, we were problem-solving much more frequently, and in arenas and topics that we would normally assume are safe staying the way they are. It also allowed for us to grow in terms of cooperation/collaboration with our coaching staff. We could not have offered the wide array of options, particularly the three-season practice model in the Upper School, without the support and buy-in of the interscholastic coaches. At a time where everything you do in a classroom takes at least twice as much prep time, it is amazing how willing that group has been to put more on their plates, from before we returned to the classroom through the entire year, all to support the boys. Amazing.

FINAL THOUGHTS OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

RUSSELL WRENN: In times of struggle, we rediscover the joy in activities we otherwise take for granted. Each time we got a team on a field/court/pool to compete, it was such a rewarding feeling. The first day this fall that we had a full slate of socially distanced and separated-by-cohort practices, it was awesome to see how excited the kids and coaches were, regardless of the restrictions they were operating under. I am so thankful for the kids, coaches, athletic trainers, cage staff, and school nurse Edie Meacham and her health team for putting in the hard work to make these simple pleasures a reality for our boys.

LORI BRISTOW: While many of the schools around us struggled to offer activities, we flourished. By reinventing the Gilman model we hope we have given the students as well as the adults involved a glimmer of hope and normalcy.

Athletics

Donovan Young ‘22 Sets Gilman Record in Triple Jump

On Jan. 17, Donovan Young ’22 finished third place in triple jump at the Virginia Showcase indoor track meet. His jump of 47’11.5 finished third place in the meet. He is currently ranked third place in the country, setting a new Gilman record previously held by Ayende Watson ’17.

Josh Green ‘21 and Donovan Young ‘22 Earn All-American Honors in Triple Jump

On Feb. 28 at the Adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach, Josh Green ’21 and Donovan Young ’22 finished third and fifth place in the triple jump, respectively, with marks of 47-5 and 47-0. As a result of their stellar performance, they both earned All-American honors.

Amir Whitehead ‘21

Talks About Breaking Barriers in Fencing

Amir Whitehead ’21 was featured by Afro News in an article, “Fencing and the future.” Whitehead, who is committed to attend Lafayette College to fence competitively, talks candidly about his love of the sport and his desire to be an example to his community.

“It’s a definite goal of mine to introduce more African American young people to fencing.” Read more of this article at afro.com/ fencing-and-the-future.

Grant Farley ‘21 Selected to Play in the 10th Annual High School AllAmerican Game

Grant Farley ’21 was selected as one of 45 soccer players to play in the 10th annual High School All-American Game, which took place on May 29 in St. Louis, Missouri.

“Grant has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the country. To me, what is most exciting is that Grant is still motivated to improve in all facets of the goalkeeper position. His All-American honors are well deserved. Congratulations, Grant!”

–Gilman soccer coach Jon Seal

“After the MIAA indoor track season was canceled, Donnie and Josh deserve a lot of credit for staying disciplined and hard-working independently and taking advantage of limited opportunities to compete. They are both excellent student-athletes who pushed each other month after month under difficult circumstances to form the best triple jump duo in the country.”

–Gilman track coach Matthew Tully

Three for Three: Gilman Swimmers Continue to Smash Records

Gilman swim records improved at all three dual meets, thanks to Ryan Blumenfeld ’21, Tim Brooks ’23, Bryce Lloyd ’22, Brodie Schrepfer ’23, and Eric Zhang ’21

Left to right: Eric Zhang ’21, Ryan Blumenfeld ’21, Brodie Schrepfer ’23, and Bryce Lloyd ’22

March 10 was another record-setting day for the Gilman swim team, who went 3-0 in the shortened season.

Zhang, Blumenfeld, Brooks, and Lloyd and their 200 yd freestyle relay bettered the record of 1:28.82 set last year, to 1:28.02.

In the 100 yd butterfly, Lloyd set a new school record of 51.20 secs, lowering the record of 51.52 that was held by Connor Wills ’07 set in 2007.

With these records, that brings to a total of seven new school records this season, of which Lloyd featured in all — four individual and three relays!

Zhang, Blumenfeld, Schrepfer, and Lloyd are the other relay recordsetters of the 200 yd medley relay and 400 yd freestyle relay.

National Signing Day 2021: Eighteen Athletes Participate

In front of faculty, staff, friends, and family, 18 of Gilman’s top athletes announced where they intend to continue their athletic and academic careers. Please see the full list below.

BASEBALL

Casey Bishop - Towson University

Peter Heubeck - Wake Forest University

Matt Leikus - James Madison University

Ryan Martinez - University of San Francisco

Bennett Speicher - Emory University

FENCING

Amir Whitehead - Lafayette College

FOOTBALL

Matheus Carroll - Virginia Tech

Rayuan Lane - The United States Naval Academy

LACROSSE

Charlie Pope - University of Vermont

Capp Reynolds - Dickinson College

Remi Reynolds - Rutgers University

Sam Ryu - Oberlin College

Talbot Troy - Franklin & Marshall College

SOCCER

Grant Farley - Duke University

Johnny Melancon - Dickinson College

SWIMMING

Ryan Blumenfeld - Colgate University

TRACK AND FIELD

Josh Green - Cornell University

Beck Wittstadt - Duke University

Setting The Stage

In the spring of 2020, Upper School English teacher and theater director John Rowell was preparing to put on Gilman’s annual spring musical: a production of “Me and My Girl.” Two months into rehearsals, COVID-19 hit the country, and along with nearly everything else, the play got shut down.

After that disappointing ending, Rowell knew he and his team would figure out a way to revive the stage for the 2020-2021 school year. With students on hybrid schedules and safety guidelines that seemed ever-changing, he asked himself: How can we do this under these conditions?

They landed on an elaborate version of a staged reading of the play “The Government Inspector,” which was performed in March to a limited in-person audience, and also livestreamed for at-home viewers. Chris Flint ’07, audio-visual coordinator at Gilman and technical director for the production, said, “We partnered with Greyhound TV and had a three-camera setup that provided a dynamic viewing experience and allowed us to zoom in on the actors.” From this dual-audience experience, they learned that different types of viewers have different requirements, “and we had to figure out how to balance the needs of each.”

The staged reading format allowed students to learn and grow in their roles in a shorter period of time than usual. The cast rehearsed — mostly via Zoom — for only a couple of weeks leading up to opening night.

Staged readings typically look like this: members of the cast dressed in plain clothes, reading their lines from the stage. No costumes, no sets, no movement. Traditionally, they are reserved for new plays in the development phase, which need audience feedback to gauge pacing and other dramatic elements that may end up being adjusted based on audience reaction. But this was not a new play. And this was not what Gilman’s staged reading looked like.

The cast of 15 characters, played by a mix of Gilman students and faculty, remained physically distanced from one another, each in front of a music stand. The play is a satirical period piece, set in Russia in the 19th century, a fact that was on display through the cast’s intricate costumes. They didn’t hold back on their set either, which was expertly designed and beautifully created by Flint with help from a few students. Since COVID-19 guidelines didn’t allow for The Bryn Mawr School or Roland Park Country School girls to participate, the female parts were played by Gilman boys.

Kelsey Carper, English teacher and assistant theater director, said, “Though the actors carried scripts and utilized minimal blocking, the theatricality of the performance wasn’t impeded at all. Our cast displayed an impressive caliber of talent and comedic skill, and more importantly, they had a fantastic time diving into such absurd and entertaining roles. I’d love to see Gilman take advantage of the staged reading format in the years to come.”

Read about the spring musical on page 66.

The performance of “The Government Inspector” in March 2021 was the first time Gilman livestreamed a production. “To me, live theater takes place in the room where it happens. But with pandemic restrictions, you have to think about other ways to get your production out there,” said director John Rowell.

Happiness is... Putting on a Production in a Pandemic

Rowell never thought he’d get a chance to direct “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Gilman. The School typically chooses musicals with large ensembles so that more boys can be included. But he knew that would not be possible this year due to pandemic restrictions, so he jumped at the opportunity to put on a timeless production that involves only six actors.

Flint said, “Having a small cast makes it easier to manage all the technical elements.” Although there were only a few actors on stage, a dozen or so boys took part in various tasks related to the set, costumes, lighting, and backstage jobs.

The smaller cast allowed the group to really bond. Rowell said, “It’s been an amazing time with these six guys. They are doing such incredible work and I’m so proud of them.”

The musical was performed in May four times for limited inperson audiences and livestreamed for anyone to watch online. “In planning our production of ‘Charlie Brown,’ we could draw on the lessons learned from ‘The Government Inspector’ to provide a better experience for both our in-person and virtual audiences and for those involved in the production. By its nature, a musical is more complex than a play, so having the experience of producing a staged reading prior to the musical was invaluable,” Flint said.

While Flint spoke of the complexities of delivering the musical to multiple audiences, Rowell noted that the story itself has “deeply complex material.” He described the Charlie Brown character and his pals: “They are very complicated children. They are trying to navigate a world that forces them to be adults.”

He draws a timely parallel to the student actors portraying those roles: “COVID-19 has forced children to face something that they should not have to face: loss, disappointment, and radical changes in how they go to school,” he said. “All of us at Gilman have worked hard to give them the best we could; to give them opportunities to do what they love.”

Gilman’s production featured a cast of six talented Upper School students, led by Charlie Niccolini ’21 as Charlie Brown, Ben Richardson ‘21 as Sally, Britton Ambrose ’22 as Lucy, Anay Agarwal ’23 as Linus, Curtis Lawson ’23 as Schroeder, and Brody Schrepfer ’23 as Snoopy. The show’s artistic team included John Rowell (director), Elizabeth Sesler-Beckman (musical director), Andrew Gordon (choreographer), Peter Lander (conductor), David Crandall (lighting and sound designer), and Christopher Flint ’07 (scenic designer/technical director).

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Or At Least a Few)

We all know that the state of the world can feel like chaos some of the time, and children are no exception to this experience. The art programs at Gilman engage boys in aesthetically meaningful and impassioned ways, stressing the importance of art in one’s life, especially in times when life can be stressful. Read on for how our students used art this year — as a way to connect with each other and with themselves.

Lower School art teacher Trevlin Alexander taught her fifth graders about the work of Brooklyn-born artist Jean Michel Basquiat. They learned how Basquiat’s work broke through barriers of the art world in the 1980s, providing a unique perspective that often drew attention to social issues through poems and images of marginalized people. In 2017, his 1982 untitled work commanded the highest price ever paid at auction for work by an American artist at $110.5 million!

Then the boys created their own interpretation of Basquiat’s style using mixed media. They incorporated meaningful words into their artwork to impress upon the viewer their individual thoughts around social justice issues. Some students even translated their chosen words into other languages in order to connect to their own heritage or culture.

“I BELIEVE THAT THE ACT OF CREATING ART INHERENTLY HELPS TO SOOTHE AND EASE THE SOUL, AND HEAL.”

– Trevlin Alexander, Lower School art teacher

Guiding Light

David Anderson, Middle School art teacher, challenged his seventh graders, most of whom met together in class on campus this school year, with a lighthouse-inspired project. The class talked about the purpose of a lighthouse: to guide ships away from troubled waters. Then he asked the boys to think about what the “storms” were in their own lives, and who or what had served as a lighthouse for them. In addition to the artwork that developed from the assignment, the students created artist statements that spoke to this writing prompt.

While some boys chose more traditional guidance figures, like their mom or dad, Anderson was pleasantly surprised to see how deep some of the boys were able to delve inside themselves to answer this question.

Peter Yang ’26 wrote about his bed being a place of safety: “A simple bed may not seem like much, but it guides me through all my troubles and allows me to enter meditation, where I can forget about the day and plainly relax.” Another student expressed his reliance on technology to get him through. Others saw sports as a steady force during a rocky time. Niko Eggers ’26 chose his grandmother as the centerpiece for his statement: “My grandmother helped me become a good person,” he wrote. “She is my light in the darkness.”

Sam Sinofsky ’26 said, “My lighthouse is art. Art has brought me through tough times … Art allows ... people to express themselves.”

More Than Meets the Eye

For Anderson’s eighth grade elective art class, which was taken exclusively through Zoom every other Wednesday, he tasked boys with creating a piece that conceptualizes the human eye. To prepare, they learned a little bit about conceptual art in general, and they studied the anatomy of the eye. They examined what is reflected in a person’s eye and what people see when they look into someone’s eyes.

The students came up with impressive interpretations, including depictions of themes relevant to the times, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, essential health care workers during the pandemic, and the cellular structure of the novel coronavirus. Their artist statements describe their work.

Ellis Thompson ’25:

This piece of the eye is centered around the Black Lives Matter movement, and it is easily shown through the fist which takes the place of the pupil. The background of the pupil is made of a news article about Breonna Taylor’s murder, as it is one of the many cases that shocks me the most. She still has not gotten justice. Her murderers are still free. I immediately had this idea as I began brainstorming the project, and it was important to me that I followed through with it as police brutality is an issue I am very passionate about.

As a young Black man, I find it easy to be frozen by fear — fear that I might be next — and I chose to act on my fear and concerns by making this. I have been outspoken on these issues many times before and it’s shocking we, as a community, still have to be having these conversations.

Sawyer Enright ’25:

2020 is a year of new sights with people in masks, social distancing, and a pandemic that is out of control. I drew the COVID cell inside Dr. Fauci’s eye symbolizing his importance and view of the pandemic. The COVID cell in his eye symbolizes that COVID has no boundaries, so I drew the COVID cell overtaking his cornea and protruding from his eye.

Timmy Edwards ’25:

My eye composition represents how I and many other people have felt during this COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The eye shows the view of our emotions and how many of us have felt trapped or isolated. The iris of the eye is a jail cell holding us within it. The pupil of the eye represents us inside of that jail with our hands on the bars, desperate for escape. The jail cell bars spell out the word, “COVID,” as it is the barrier trapping us from the sense of normal life. A single large tear is also spouting from the eye, as well as the phrase, “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE” on the back side, additionally supporting the concept of despair and sadness.

Fortunately, every locked door has a key…

Making the Work You Want to See

The following pieces were created by students in Karl Connolly’s Advanced Studio Art class. “Each of these young artists, in his own way, has been making work that is in some way related to his unique experiences this year as we’ve navigated school and life against the backdrop of COVID-19,” Connolly said. “Their charge is to make the work they want to see.”

Aidan Feulner ‘22:

This was one of the last pieces of my sophomore year. It was the beginning of my exploration into a new subject area for me. This exploration has continued into my junior year as my concentration focuses on portraits and figures. This painting was really where I found my own painting style and interest.

Sometimes art can be an escape for me. I like to put on my headphones, turn the music up really loud, and just get lost in my work. COVID has changed my process and how I paint. Before, I would paint in the art room with my classmates, taking critiques and inspiration from other people. Being at home so much has forced me to come up with these things myself. I think this has helped make me a more experienced painter.

Charlie Nuermberger ‘21:

Joseph “Benson” Harlan ‘21:

This is a somewhat small (around 9x12-inch) oil painting on canvas paper. At the time I had been experimenting with some nocturnal scenes. This painting was the start of a big shift in terms of my artistic direction. Originally I had only been exploring technique and style, but this sparked an interest in exploring my high school relationships and how they have impacted me throughout the last four years. Because of the pandemic, it was difficult for me and my friends to be together over the last year, and as a result we can’t share as many memories as we’d like to. Through my new direction in art, I am able to commit these memories onto canvas, memorializing our last few months together.

I really like the idea of a casserole being this mundane amalgamation of disparate parts that also kind of points to these antiquated American traditions. There’s also real explorative value, I think, in the creation of a casserole, and this piece is intended as an acknowledgment of my own exploratory tendencies. This piece is meaningful, first of all, because it’s a painting where I “committed the crime,” as Mr. Connolly likes to say, that is to say I committed fully to a lot of artistic conventions I was dabbling in, namely the assemblage piece. The accumulation of artifacts and the development of a variegated surface is pretty evident in this piece. That process of collection for each of those objects — the family photos, the picture books illustrations, the old childhood drawings, etc. — is also very meaningful to me.

Art, in its most basic sense, is the act of thinking on the canvas; it sometimes precipitates an almost therapeutic or meditative process for me, but it’s always the individual at the heart of the experience, not the work itself.

William “Dutch” Senft ‘21:

This piece is of LeBron James’ hands, one in a series of four titled, “Dopamine Drive-by,” which are being created by my brother, Archer, and me. Last summer we started the process on the four pieces and hope to complete it by the end of summer this year.

About a little more than five years ago, my brother Archer, who was an incredibly talented artist, shattered his C4 vertebrae in a diving accident and was paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, he has still been able to do some art digitally, and he even started a small clothing company, but he has never been able to get back to painting and hasn’t been able to devote much time to art-making. Last summer, he decided it was time to set aside significant time to work on art and invited me to work alongside him in a studio space in Hampden. There, we worked together and began to collaborate, something we had never done before. It was amazing to work alongside my brother and to be able to share the same passions as he does.

Art has one thousand percent helped me cope and heal amongst all the chaos caused by the coronavirus. Just working in a studio and having a space separate from my home where my brother and I could go was such a benefit after/during the lockdown. It gave us a stress-free environment where we could be ourselves and do what we wanted to do without anyone around to worry about or look over us. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the deep love for art that my brother and I share.

Noah Spore ‘21:

The piece, one of hopefully six, stems from Luigi Nono’s late composition La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura (1988-89) for violin and 8-track tape: the violinist wonders about six (or more) music stands, around six separate composed sections of the music, while various sounds, mostly of Nono and the dedicatee, Gidon Kremer, experimenting with violin techniques, bits of conversation between the two, and industrial sounds of metal doors slamming, etc., sound sporadically, as dictated previously by the violinist in conjunction with a sound engineer.

The impression ... is music of intense fragmentation, grasping to a path that cannot lead to a goal, but at best might offer a manner of moving in of itself. Similarly, the painting I have created tends towards grasping at questions that are never fully answered, towards a nature which is not itself overcome but at best understood as transitory.

... each black form on my canvas has its form questioned and abandoned in every white, grey, or brown form or space which reconciles itself to the forms. It creates, I hope, an inner dynamic of intense complexity which mirrors the transience that is experienced in the mere state of nature, which cannot be overcome but by illusion, by its confining to second-nature and the horrors of convention.

This piece, and the others which I hope will accompany it, represent a culmination of what I believe art really is: namely, the expression of suffering.

Service Saturdays

DONALD BENTLEY FOOD PANTRY

Students replenished the shelves of the Donald Bentley Food Pantry, named for the late Gilman graduate, with two busloads of non-perishable items!

BROWNS’ MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH

Middle School students collected pantry items to donate for a Thanksgiving food drive.

OUR DAILY BREAD EMPLOYMENT CENTER (CATHOLIC CHARITIES)

Gilman families prepared hundreds of frozen casseroles and thousands of PB&J sandwiches for ODBEC, which provides a hot, nutritious lunch for anyone in need, every day of the year.

PICKERSGILL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Letter-writers and video-makers provided warm greetings to residents who may have been feeling lonely due to restrictions on visits and social gatherings.

BALTIMORE HUNGER PROJECT

Even the youngest Gilman boys could take part in writing notes of encouragement to accompany food bags.

MOUNT WASHINGTON PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL

In November, boys created DIY face masks and donated them to patients at MWPH. In December, they turned their attention to collecting stocking stuffers for patients and their families.

Above all else, Gilman seeks to help boys grow into men of character. We believe that the qualities of honor, leadership, dedication, and service to others should be emphasized through all aspects of the School community.

Service Saturdays, an ongoing event held about once a month throughout the school year, is one way we provide opportunities for boys to get involved with service learning. This school year, with the leadership of Donell Thompson, Jr. ’91, Director of Service Learning, we registered a total of 467 students/families to participate in the service activities shown on this page.

METRO KIDZ

In December, the Gilman community spread some joy with a toy drive for children through Metro Kidz, an inner-city youth ministry in Baltimore.

OPERATION GRATITUDE

All three divisions of our School took part in writing letters of gratitude for veterans, active military, and first responders, thanking them for their service.

HILDA’S PLACE

Students collected various needed supplies for this organization, which provides treatment for addiction and behavioral health.

500 HATS PROJECT

Knitters and crocheters got to work for this ongoing effort to collect hand-knit or crocheted child-size hats for children in Baltimore City.

WARM FEET FOR WARRIORS

Gilman boys jumped in with both feet in the effort to collect thousands of pairs of new socks for deployed service members and veterans.

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN-UP

The Gilman community knows all too well that being a first-class citizen means picking up trash when you see it. These participants did just that when they took part in cleaning up their own neighborhoods or nearby parks.

Unique, Just Like a Snowflake

Q & A with Max Sternlicht ’21, founder of the Snowflake Project

HOW DID GILMAN PLAY A PART IN YOUR BECOMING SERVICE-MINDED?

At Gilman, we are exposed to opportunities for service from a very young age. In the Lower School, I participated in donating food to the Donald Bentley Food Pantry and volunteering to make lunches for the homeless. In fifth grade, I began volunteering at The United Way for events like Stone Soup, where I have prepared meals for and alongside families who are homeless or struggling with meeting their families’ food needs.

The first time I organized a volunteer project was in third grade: a lemon stick stand at an event at the Baltimore Humane Society, where I donated the funds to help animals in need.

In Middle School, Mr. Thompson organized the opportunity for us to volunteer at Pickersgill (a retirement community), which was a very meaningful experience. Since 2016, I have also organized a glove, winter clothing, and blanket drive that benefited The United Way, Our Daily Bread, and the Baltimore Humane Society.

I continued with Lunches for the Homeless in Upper School, and volunteered making short promo videos for food drive events for the Bentley Food Pantry as well as Gilman UNICEF, where I am

the film liaison. I also supported many Gilman initiatives: making promo videos for the Tickner Writing Center, serving as a mentor in the Mentor Program, and participating in pre-pandemic weekend sessions with the Bridges program.

All of these experiences have helped instill in me an understanding of our diverse school and local community.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE SNOWFLAKE PROJECT?

I learned about Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids after I saw a flyer in a window, which turned out to be one of the

packing locations for food bags that attempt to meet the tremendous food gap for more than 3,000 homeless school-aged children in Baltimore City.

I thought about the children I met while volunteering at Stone Soup and knew that many of them might not receive anything for the holidays. Each one of those children was awesome and I thought that they deserved to know that someone thought they were amazing and unique, just like a snowflake.

The Snowflake Project was born in 2019 when I contacted Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids and The United Way to ask if they would have interest in distributing nondenominational handmade cards for children at the holidays.

WHAT GROUP DOES THE SNOWFLAKE PROJECT SERVE?

That first year, the handmade cards along with winter clothing were donated to The United Way and Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids, who distributed them to children in Baltimore City.

During a tri-school sports event night (Triple the Spirit) at Gilman in 2019, with the support of Mr. Schmick, I created a table with information about Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids and supplies to create cards, including donated paper, markers, glitter, and snowflakes that I cut out. The guideline was simple: create a non-denominational holiday card to accompany the weekend backpacks.

The intention was to let the children receiving the cards know that people in the community care about them and that they are not forgotten. After speaking with the Lower School guidance counselor, Ms. Laura Jordan, I created supply boxes for each classroom so that students could create more snowflake-inspired cards. They were amazing. When I went to pick them up the first year, the students told me how much fun they had making the cards.

For the last two years, through the Snowflake Project, more than 500 handmade cards as well as gloves were donated to Weekend Backpacks for Homeless Kids through the generosity of the community. Ms. Sandie and the volunteer staff said that they were touched by the kind words and beautiful art, and that many were brought to tears.

AS YOU REFLECT ON THE EXPERIENCE OF LEADING THIS PROJECT AND PARTICIPATING IN OTHERS, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED?

I feel so fortunate to have been involved in volunteer opportunities at Gilman and in the Baltimore community. I know that every opportunity I took to volunteer not only helped someone else but also helped me become more aware of how every individual impacts our community and how important it is to care about your neighbors so the world becomes a kinder place for all of us.

I hope to continue the Snowflake Project next year at Gilman and at my new home, Yale University.

Lower School Read-a-thon

WHO: 195 Lower School students

WHAT: Read-a-thon

WHEN: January 11 – March 12

WHY: To raise $23,724 for Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Division of Pediatric Oncology

HOW: By collectively reading 4,534 hours!

Hula Hoops for Habitat

For more than a decade, Gilman Middle School has supported the work of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake through its threeon-three Middle School basketball tournament, Hoops for Habitat. This year, the Middle School community sponsored a unique, COVID-safe edition: three-on-three Hula Hoops for Habitat.

Students formed teams of three and asked family and friends to sponsor them to raise money for the cause. When the timer started, each team member’s goal was to keep his hula hoop going (making sure the hoop stayed above the knees and below the armpits, per tournament rules) for as long as possible. The teams with the last hula-hooper remaining were declared the winners:

•Sixth grade: Aiden Kang, Arveen Kazemnia, and Cian Connolly (18 minutes and 30 seconds)

•Seventh grade: Patrick Morrow, Walton Staley, and Richard Nesti (19 minutes and 6 seconds)

•Eighth grade: Eli Asiedu, Daniel Son, and Ellis Thompson (10 minutes)

The special tournament was held during the athletics period on Thursday, March 11 (postponed from the original date of Thursday, Feb. 11, due to snow). As always, the proceeds from this tournament, totaling $400 this year, were donated to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, a foundation that supports the building and/or rehabilitation of homes for families.

Joe Ciattei Upper School Math Teacher

17 years at Gilman

By Ian Brooks, Upper School Math Teacher

I have had the privilege of working beside Joe Ciattei for the past 17 years, and during that time, I have come to value him as a trusted colleague and friend. Joe is a lifelong teacher; this school year marks the completion of his 42nd year of teaching.

Joe was born to be a teacher. Before he came to Gilman, he had stints at Notre Dame Prep and St Paul’s. He is meticulous in his preparation for classes, sets high expectations for his students, and is thorough in grading the papers his students produce. At Gilman, Joe has touched the lives of hundreds of students as advisor, teacher, and coach of golf, basketball, and soccer. He has taught nearly every math course that Gilman offers in its Upper School, from Algebra 2 to AP Calculus, and he approaches all of them with the same enthusiasm and professionalism that he brings to everything he does.

Joe is taking a well-deserved break at the end of this year; he is moving to the shore to spend more time with his cherished family. As Joe retires, there are many things about him that will be missed. Various members of the Upper School Math Department have shared these sentiments below:

-We are going to miss the early morning chats. Joe is almost always one of the first to arrive in the department. Having a cup of coffee and chatting with Joe about the previous night’s sporting events or classes in general is a delightful experience.

-We are going to miss his generosity with his fellow teachers. Joe is always the first to welcome new members of our department and is very willing to share whatever resources he has to make your life a bit easier

-We are going to miss his devotion to his family. Joe’s desk has always been covered with photographs of his family — his kids, and now, his grandkids. He talks about them often, and his devotion to them and passion for them is obvious. He deserves the additional time to spend with them that he is going to have.

-We are going to miss the unmatched enthusiasm he has for teaching and his students. Joe is always loud in his classes.

-We are going to miss his dedication to Gilman and his willingness to do whatever was needed. There is a reason that Joe has taught just about every course that Gilman offers. He was willing to teach whatever class on whatever level if it was needed.

We are going to miss the music coming out of his office at all hours of the day. Joe is an aficionado of classic rock, and his tastes are varied. From The Boss to Jimi Hendrix, Joe was always listening to interesting music and providing the soundtrack to the third floor.

We are going to miss his steady presence, and we wish him the best in his retirement.

AJ Howard

Middle School Design and Woodworking

Teacher

32 years at Gilman

By David Anderson, Middle School Art Teacher

Some people might recall that the woodshop, also known as “the shop,” was located in a room directly under the cafeteria of Carey Hall. This is where I first met AJ Howard. Walking into this space was intimidating. It was loud, and it was busy. Still, AJ found a moment to chat personably about the latest student creations, and then, without missing a beat, he quickly returned to the business of teaching. This memorable introduction was a shared experience for the countless individuals who walked through the doors of the woodshop.

AJ had a talent for orchestrating excited, apprehensive, and in some cases, unmotivated boys around loud machinery, heavy materials, and sharp tools. At back-to-school nights in September, he would introduce the Design and Woodworking program to Middle School parents by waving his hands and fingers in the air to reassure them that he still had all limbs intact, and in turn, their sons would follow his lead. The moment AJ captured the boys’ interests, he channeled their excitement through the process of sawing, sanding, and polishing their projects to completion. Because of AJ and his efforts, there are thousands of woodworking creations proudly displayed in the homes of Gilman families and lovingly passed on as gifts.

The woodshop space went through many transformations during AJ’s tenure, and with each transition, he found ways to cultivate ideas and inspire the students. When Carey Hall was renovated, the woodshop was temporarily moved to the Auxiliary Gym for just over a year. Then, when the construction was complete in late 2007, AJ facilitated another move back to Carey Hall in a space more suited for the progression of the Design and Woodworking program. In the years to come, AJ would be responsible for acquiring new machinery and software that allowed boys to expand upon their creations and articulate their ideas. He was one of the first teachers I observed who utilized student-made videos as a form of assessment.

During the year of his retirement — the year of COVID-19, AJ was again in a place that required flexibility, patience, and change.

Still, he found ways to alter his curriculum to teach Design and Woodworking virtually. And, although the boys could not be physically in the shop, AJ spent countless hours personally cutting out wood for the boys to assemble their work at home and in the Middle School classrooms. I am confident that no other Gilman teacher has experienced as much change to their physical space and program as AJ, and for this alone, he deserves our gratitude.

Beyond his work in the shop, AJ shared his love for music through conversation, assemblies, clubs, and the occasional Gilman Bull Roast musical performance. With or without the microphone, AJ rarely missed an opportunity to offer his perspectives about current events or provide a voice for those who were silenced. AJ bravely shared components of his life that permitted individuals to feel comfortable with who they are. These attributes will have a lasting impression on his students and colleagues, and they will be a part of his legacy at Gilman.

AJ, your retirement is well-deserved. Thank you for your time and commitment to Gilman and the boys. I look forward to hearing about your future musical endeavors and seeing your latest woodworking creations. Enjoy your cross-country motorcycle travels and your trips abroad with Kenneth. Cheers to your next adventures in life!

Andre Jones

Middle School Social Studies Teacher

15 years at Gilman

By Brooks Matthews, Upper School Social Studies Teacher and Chris Downs, Middle School Social Studies Teacher

How does one replace a legend? When Mr. Edward L. (Ned) Clapp retired from Gilman in 2007, Ron Culbertson faced the kind of problem no school administrator relishes: replacing a master teacher, knowledgeable in content and adroitly versed in the habits that routinely deliver successful teaching and learning. Not only was Mr. Clapp one of a kind but he was also one of the original faculty members when the Gilman Middle School was founded in 1972. Where does one look to find a teacher who truly understands the essence of educating the middle school boy and who can comfortably step into a classroom previously occupied by an institutional legend like Mr. Clapp?

If you’re Mr. Culbertson, you simply strike up a conversation with Andre Jones at the Gilman-hosted AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland and D.C. Schools) job fair. “I wasn’t sure he was interested in working at Gilman,” recalled Mr. Culbertson. “We didn’t discuss a job; we just talked about the unique nature of middle school education, and it was apparent that we shared the same vision. I knew he was a perfect fit.”

A week later when Mr. Jones called to express his interest in working at Gilman, Mr. Culbertson knew he had to make it happen; the rest, as they say, is history. In the fall of 2007, Mr. Jones walked into the John M. T. Finney Middle School following 33 years in the Anne Arundel County public school system, where he had served as a distinguished teacher, revered enough to have earned the county’s Teacher-of-the-Year distinction in 2003.

Mr. Jones wasted no time in making his mark in very clear but subtle ways. As only an experienced and passionate teacher might, Mr. Jones energized the Middle School Social Studies Department with his ideas and infused the sixth grade geography curriculum with new approaches, which included adding more human geography elements and broadening the scope to the Eastern Hemisphere. His skill in the classroom earned him the Walter Lord Middle School Teaching Prize in 2018, but perhaps his greatest strength, according to Mr. Culbertson, is “his sense of wonderment that is the essence of middle school.” Mr. Jones’s enjoyment of all things middle school was evident in everything he did.

Mr. Jones threw himself into every aspect of the Gilman community. A car buff, Mr. Jones started an automotive club and helped run his beloved car wash fundraiser with the student council. He also helped found a Middle School Model U.N. club, and loved helping to deliver food gathered during the Thanksgiving Food Drive each year. Mr. Jones took a backseat to no

competitor on the intramural baseball diamonds, managing with Earl Weaver intensity while simultaneously engaging his boys in bubblegumbubble blowing and sunflower-seed spitting contests. In other words, he is the consummate middle school teacher — understanding when it was time to focus and work hard, when it was time to act a little irreverently (many teachers and students alike took note of his infectious laugh), and when it was time to subjugate his own needs for those of his students or colleagues.

Joining Gilman at about the same time that Headmaster John Schmick initiated a focus on the Gilman Five, Mr. Jones provided his students and colleagues with the personification of respect and humility. His impact on his advisees was evident. Alex Fang ’13 regularly called him “Papa Bear,” and Andy Andrews ’19 lauded Mr. Jones for his approachability, reliability, perspective, and empathy. “Mr. Jones is selfless; he always wants to help and is a great listener.” Such consistent thoughtfulness and genuine care led to his recognition with the Gilman Advisor Award in 2011.

Above even his love of education, Mr. Jones adores his family, which is clear from how he beams when talking about his wonderful and talented wife, Debbie, and their accomplished son, Ben, who has used his experiences while earning his degree from M.I.T. to great success in the technology field.

Thank you, Mr. Andre Jones, for all of your contributions to the Gilman community over the past 15 years. We are so fortunate that you were ready to replace a legend and share your love of middle school education with your colleagues and students at Gilman. In doing so, you leave a grand legacy, not to mention another set of big shoes to fill in the Gilman Middle School.

Carol Schuch Athletics Department

Administrative Assistant 20 years at Gilman

By Tim Holley ‘77, Director of External Relations

As I write this bittersweet farewell to my old and dear friend, Carol A. Schuch, so many warm memories flood my mind. I have known Carol since I was a ninth grader at Gilman. She is a big sister to my friend, classmate, and teammate, Paul Englert ’77. She would come and watch her little brother play football, basketball, and baseball when we were in high school. Since Paul and I played the same sports, for the most part, we were always on the same teams over our four years in the Gilman Upper School. Little did I know back then that Paul’s biological big sister would also be a big sister to me over her many years, and her 20 years, working in the Gilman Athletics Department.

Carol followed in the tradition of two wonderful, longtime Athletics Department administrative assistants, Bonnie Newton and Nancy Raymond. Carol succeeded Nancy without missing a beat. For years prior to coming to Gilman, Carol worked in a doctor’s office as an office manager and from home raising her three children. A proud alumna from Mercy High School and what was then Towson State College, Carol decided as a young woman to serve and support others, especially her family and friends. From a work and efficiency perspective, Carol was the glue that held the department together. The ultimate team player, although having the title administrative assistant, she was as valuable and important an athletics administrator as those of us who held those more senior titles. The logistical minutiae involved in running an efficient athletics operation can be daunting and, quite frankly, often overwhelming. Carol’s steady and consistent approach to “staying calm and keeping the trains running” made our departmental engine go! Frequently, she would hear from all kinds of sources, “Carol, there is no bus!”

“Carol, we only have one official?” “Carol, what games are going on today?” “Carol, what field are we on?” “Carol, do you know the status of that work order?” “Carol, it’s too hot/cold in the office!” “Carol, the copy machine doesn’t work…AGAIN!” “Carol, where is Timmy???”

“Carol, why doesn’t Timmy do it this way?” These and many other questions made up her daily life in the Athletics Department, year in and year out. On almost every occasion, in her maternal, supportive, and caring way, Carol’s response would be, “It’ll be okay. We’ll work it all out.”

Beyond her prodigious talents in running the Athletics Department, what makes Carol so special is her warm and giving spirit. As mentioned earlier, she is the proud mother of three wonderful children, but in reality, Carol mothers everyone. I can’t count the number of times that I have heard Carol offer the following explanation on almost any subject: “Well, I am a mother.” From having candy available for any visitor to the office, to offering motherly advice to those seeking it, to being there as a true and loyal friend, Carol is the kind of person who makes the work environment more like being with family. As any little brother would, I often teased Carol about her age and being my older sister. The truth is, in all of that teasing, she really was my big sister. I don’t have any biological sisters, but in my time working in athletics, God blessed me with two real sisters. Carol is my big sister, and Lori Bristow is my little sister. There will be another time to pay tribute to and thank Lori, but on this occasion, I send my gratitude, thanks, best wishes, and the most little brother love that I can muster to my dear big sister, Carol Schuch. She and her beloved Marty have earned their stripes and deserve all the joy and happiness that they can find in retirement! After a life filled with helping and supporting others, I pray that they now focus on themselves. I know that Carol and Marty have recently bought a house “down the ocean” where they can share this new and exciting chapter in their lives with family and friends. Well done, Big Sis! I wish you nothing but fair winds and following seas!

Jamie Spragins ’73

Upper School English Teacher

34 years at Gilman

By Patrick Hastings, Upper School English Teacher

Shortly after I was hired to teach at Gilman, Iva Turner invited me to swing by the School to collect a stack of books and, more importantly, to observe Jamie Spragins teach his European Humanities class. As I sat in that room and watched Mr. Spragins’ masterful engagement of sophomore boys in a discussion of Nietzsche, I saw what Mrs. Turner and the entire Gilman faculty already knew: that Mr. Spragins — with his keen sense of humor, his incisive intellect, and his inspiring passion for the material that sometimes caused him to “Sprago-babble” — represented the very best of a Gilman classroom teacher. From that afternoon to today, Jamie has set the high bar of excellence to which I and my colleagues in the English Department aspire.

Jamie has been on the cutting edge of education for his entire career; indeed, his interests and innovations have been ahead of the trends. A decade before “breaking down academic silos” became the imperative of 21st century curriculum development, Jamie was teaching sophisticated interdisciplinary courses in American Studies and European Humanities. A decade before Google Docs changed the way all teachers provide feedback on student writing, Jamie had developed his Writewell program to mark essays on the computer, allowing him to codify his assessment while using data to quantify and track student progress. He was already including texts with diverse voices and perspectives in each of his courses before our department undertook a revision of the curriculum in 2016. He aligned his curriculum with Gilman’s mission, creating an Urban Studies course with a meaningful service-learning component, pushing hundreds of his students to understand their responsibility to the wider Baltimore community. In short, Jamie Spragins’ interests and achievements as an educator had a profound impact in shaping the Gilman that we know today.

Beyond the classroom, Jamie’s work in the theater and debate programs has inspired hundreds if not thousands of students to find their voices, refine their thinking, and express themselves artistically. When he arrived at Gilman in the late 1980s, he was charged with invigorating a theater program that was crying out for his enthusiastic leadership and vision. Under his direction, the annual dramatic production became a highlighted fixture in the Gilman calendar. Likewise, Mr. Spragins led a debate program that honed the public speaking and analytical skills of generations of

Gilman students who have gone on to successful careers with the benefit of that formative experience.

For decades, Jamie has been one of the leading scholars of the Upper School faculty, and my colleagues in the English Department and I rely on him as a resource in all areas of our work. When I am struggling to understand a passage of literature, I go to Jamie for help. If we want to transform an old assignment into something more multi-modal, we go to Jamie. If we want advice on how to best support a student, we go to Jamie. His expertise and collegiality were never more valuable than in March of 2020 as we all recognized that the basic idea of school was about to change for the foreseeable future. Leveraging his experience as a teacher with GOA (Global Online Academy), Jamie met individually with almost every member of the department to share a few practical, manageable, and effective strategies and exercises to use in a remote learning environment. If our department has been successful in upholding the high standard of a Gilman education through COVID-19, we have done so largely because of the leadership and collegiality of Jamie Spragins.

As he begins his well-earned retirement, Jamie Spragins leaves a meaningful legacy at Gilman that will continue to inspire its faculty.

We in the English Department will celebrate his career by leaning into academic rigor, by finding new ways to innovate with technology, by asking challenging questions, and by supporting students with care and good humor. Mr. Spragins will be missed, though his impact on the School will be felt for decades to come.

Rosa White

Accounts Receivable Analyst and Receptionist 23 years at Gilman

By the Business Office

If you’ve been to Gilman’s campus in the last few years, or called the School to speak with someone on campus, you’ve almost certainly been greeted by Rosa White, who sits at the front desk at Carey Hall.

Rosa was hired as an analyst in Gilman’s Accounting Department to be responsible for student billing. She has been committed to her job and has always been helpful to Gilman parents and families. She was an active and involved member of the community. From speaking at an assembly to participating in the Lower School Halloween parade, Rosa was always willing to lend a helping hand.

In 2017, Rosa was asked to transfer to the receptionist position while continuing to assist with student billing. She took on her new role with a smile and a bright disposition. She was a natural fit as the first face people see when they visit Gilman.

After seeing her welcoming face, visitors may have noticed a box of candy bars on her desk. “Supporting charities is important to Rosa,” said Sean Furlong, Director of Finance. Rosa and Sean have worked together to help raise money — hence the candy bars for sale — and to serve food for Metro Kidz, an organization that supports Baltimore City youth.

Angela Johnson, Director of Human Resources, agrees that “Rosa is always very selfless and willing to help others.”

Parents, students, faculty, and staff alike have shared that Rosa makes them feel welcome and comfortable. The Gilman community will surely miss her warm greeting when they enter Carey Hall. We wish her the very best in her retirement as she takes time to spend with her family and volunteer in the community.

Founders Day 2021

One hundred and fifteen graduates appeared in the stands of Sotir Stadium on Saturday, June 5, marking the 124th Founders Day at Gilman.

Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth warmly welcomed the crowd on the very hot day. “It is so, so, so good to be here in person with everybody,” he said to all the families, friends, and faculty. He gave a special thanks to Head of Upper School Rob Heubeck for his efforts “to make Upper School life happen” in this unusual year. Smyth noted the attendance of the Brood X cicadas and acknowledged the O’s recent three-game winning streak before officially welcoming the class of 2021.

As he does at every graduation, Smyth encouraged the young men to look out at those in the audience. “These people love you more than you can possibly imagine,” he reminded them. “Take in the moment … with appreciation for what you have accomplished and for the role others have played in your lives.”

In his remarks, Smyth considered the long-term implications of COVID-19 and what they’ll mean specifically for education, listing

two important take-aways from this historic moment in time: the acceleration of the use of technology to break down the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom experience and the affirmation of the value of being together.

But how do we make sense of these two things that seem to sit directly in opposition to each other? Smyth said it starts by recognizing this lesson: “Most things in life are not either-or propositions. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. We should take the best from both. With respect to education, we should come together on campus, and use these new technologies to enhance our learning.” In short, we can take both notions, and see how they can work in concert with each other.

He suggested that the graduates go out into the world with another pair of opposing ideas — confidence and humility: “The confidence that there is a light within you that the world needs to see, and the humility to know that you are a part of something much larger than yourselves.”

Valedictorian Heath Otenasek applauded the work of Gilman teachers, who, with just 10 days’ notice in March of 2020, made a swift transition to virtual learning. He recognized the great task they

faced this year of teaching their students — some of whom were right there in their classrooms, and others who were logging in from somewhere else to accommodate hybrid schedules.

Otenasek gave a nod to all the parents and their distinct experience, and he spoke of the extra time he got to spend with his, having family dinners and deep conversations.

He ended his address with, “...as our lives return to normal, we can use the strength and perseverance we have developed over the past year to thrive in our studies and change the world around us. I am proud to say I am part of the Gilman class of 2021.”

Before diplomas were presented, several students received awards for scholarship, community service, and athletic performance. Some faculty members were recognized as well. The Traveling Men performed the School hymn, and then the newest Gilman graduates walked, diplomas and commemorative water bottles in hand, through the center of the audience for the recessional. As each pair of Gilman grads met in the aisle, they shared a celebratory exchange with one another. Fist bumps and elbow knocks were common among many; handshakes made a return for some; the last group of two embraced in a hug, and then waited for the final student to join them so he wouldn’t have to walk alone.

ALUMNI HELP SENIORS TIE UP THE SCHOOL YEAR

Last year, the Gilman Alumni Association Board of Governors (AABOG) re-imagined its tradition of presenting Gilman ties to the graduating seniors during their final weeks on campus. Because of pandemic restrictions, we couldn’t bring the class of 2020 together in Centennial Hall. So instead, we took their ties to them. The event provided a great connection between the alumni and the seniors and was so well received by all that we decided to replicate the experience this year.

So, on Wednesday, May 26, more than 40 family members, faculty members, and/or members of the AABOG — all Gilman alumni themselves — met at School early in the morning and then headed out to at least 10 different Maryland counties (as well as D.C. and Pennsylvania) to deliver Gilman ties and 2021 class pins to this year’s seniors. These ties are cherished mementos of Gilman graduates dating back to the School’s earliest days, and help to connect Gilman across the generations.

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND

ELON

UC Santa Barbara

Stevens Institute of Technology

Franklin and Marshall

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

Lafayette College

Northwestern

Juniata College

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - AUSTIN PENN

UC San Diego STATE

COLGATE

EMORY

Colorado Mesa University

Oberlin

William & Mary

RUTGERS

PRINCETON

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

DICKINSON

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO

Vanderbilt

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

University of South Carolina

UNC Wilmington

NC STATE

Auburn University

Chapel Hill

Rhodes College

Pitzer

Davidson

M.I.T.

Towson University

Allegheny College

UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO

MIAMI

UC IRVINE Alabama

RIT

Univ. of Vermont

CLASS OF 2021

From the Archives

Located on the terrace level of Carey Hall, the Gilman Archives holds the historic collection of Gilman School, from its establishment in 1897 to the present. The collection includes photographs, documents, multimedia, publications, and various types of Gilman memorabilia.

The Gilman Archives was established by May Holmes in 1965. She began working at Gilman in 1916 as secretary to the business manager, and later as secretary for Headmasters Miles, Morrow, Callard, Baldwin, and Finney. In 1965, Holmes created the Gilman Archives as a collection of photographs, subject files, news clippings, and publications. In 1972, she took charge of the Archives full time, and the following year, the collection received a new home on the School’s first floor, near the library. Holmes continued to collect and categorize material for the Archives until her retirement in 1982. Since then, the Archives has been overseen by members of the Development Office, librarians, and more recently, full-time, professional archivists.

Today, archivist Johanna Schein continues to appraise, collect, organize, describe, make available, and preserve records of enduring historical, administrative, legal, and/ or fiscal value to the School. At its core, the role of the archivist is about connecting: Connecting one generation of students to another. Connecting pieces of history in formats of changing technology over time. Connecting us to our past and building a bridge to the future.

Johanna Schein

Connecting the Gilman Community to the Past, Even Remotely

As has been true for decades, many alumni are familiar with the work of the Archives based on experience at Alumni Weekend and other alumni events. The Archives continues with the tradition of photograph displays for reunion classes. However, the

purpose of the Archives goes much deeper than just reunion photo displays; over the last few years, an increasing focus has been on how to digitize materials and make them accessible to the Gilman community, even remotely.

In 2017, the extensive photograph collection of the Gilman Archives joined Digital Maryland, a collaborative, statewide digital preservation program hosted by Enoch Pratt Free Library/Maryland State Library Resource Center. Thanks to the work of dozens of student interns, more than 1,100 historic Gilman photographs can now be found in the Gilman Digital Maryland collection at gilman.edu/digitalmaryland

All three of Gilman’s major school publications, The Gilman News (1914-present), Cynosure Yearbooks (1918-present), and Bulletin (1942-present), have all been digitized and are available upon request.

Connecting Students to Gilman’s Legacy

In addition to working with alumni, the Archives also serves as a resource for students, helping current Gilman boys in all three divisions connect with their School’s past.

The major entry point for the Archives is in the Lower School as part of the third grade curriculum. Tied in with developing the skill of primary source analysis, students visit the Archives several times over the course of the school year to analyze photographs, objects, and documents. Through these experiences, the students

Video and audio from Gilman’s multimedia collection can be found at gilman.edu/archive-youtube Videos include recordings from Founders Day and clips from more than 100 Gilman football games, with more historic moments being uploaded regularly. Thanks to the recent uncovering of a large collection of 16mm silent films found in the Finney Athletic Center, 40 lacrosse games from 1950 through 1970 are also now available online. These videos provide good insight — not only into the evolution of the sport but also the evolution of Gilman’s campus.

The Archives is collaborating with the athletics staff to build up an athletic archive, and then sharing the information online. With no GilmanMcDonogh football game this past fall, efforts instead went to creating a rivalry history landing page on our website, which includes videos, photographs, original game plans, and statistics from the 105-year rivalry (gilman.edu/rivalry). Similar efforts are underway for other Gilman sports, and the Archives Office is actively seeking donations of past game plans and recordings.

learn about Gilman’s past as well as the value of primary sources in research. Over the last three years, students have also learned that the past doesn’t exist only in the physical space of the Archives room but also lives vibrantly in the alumni community. In 2019, beginning with the classes of 1969 and 2028, students were matched up in pairs with Gilman alumni and corresponded in preparation for their 50th reunion. After learning about their partners in the Archives, the boys had the chance to ask the alumni about Gilman 50 years ago. This school year, 28 Gilman

alumni from the class of 1971 joined the class of 2030 via Zoom to reminisce about the past and learn about Gilman today.

In recent years, students from all three divisions utilized the Archives to connect with topics covered in their classes. While reading “A Night to Remember,” sixth grade students learn about Walter Lord ’35 and his connection to Gilman School. While studying WWI, 12th graders learn about how the war impacted Gilman and the alumni who served. For obvious reasons, a popular lesson during 2020-2021 related to the Open Air School, which operated at Gilman from 1911 to 1922, in part to ward off the spread of contagious disease.

In addition to classroom lessons, students in the Upper School can also experience the Archives through internships. Beginning in 2017, Upper School students have had the opportunity to intern in the Archives. Collectively, more than 25 interns have described more than 1,000 photographs. They have combed the Archives for information about integration at Gilman and they have conducted research about specific topics. Every year, one or two seniors spend two weeks in the Archives for their Senior Encounter experiences. Projects have included diversity at Gilman research and Athletic Archives inventory.

Connecting to the Future

The Archives continues to actively collect both physical and digital records, providing a bridge to future generations to learn about Gilman today. 2020-2021 has been an incredibly unusual year for Gilman and around the world. In addition to preserving the typical school publications and photographs, we are thinking of unique ways to document COVID-19 at Gilman, including select Zoom recordings, email announcements, and posters, and also recollections from students and faculty.

Do you have any materials you would like to donate? Please get in touch: archives@gilman.edu

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES!

Studying material archives is a critical component of fully understanding the School’s past as we celebrate new accomplishments and engage in the inclusion and equity work that still lies ahead. If you have a story to share, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at archives@gilman.edu.

Richard E. “Richie” Evans ’60

Richard E. “Richie” Evans ’60 passed away on Friday, April 9, 2021, due to complications from COVID-19. He is survived by his brothers, Lee R. Evans ’65 and John Gardiner “Gardy” Evans, his daughter, Brooke Evans Christianson, his son-in-law, Stephen Christianson, and his grandson, Jack Evans Christianson.

Richie was a longtime member of the Gilman Alumni Association Board of Governors, an outspoken fan of Greyhound lacrosse, a devoted Bull Roast volunteer, and a regular point person for class luncheons and get-togethers. He earned a degree at the University of Virginia, where he was a stand-out lacrosse player. Richie later played for the Mount Washington Club, and would eventually be named to the Virginia Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015.

He settled in Washington, D.C., where he was a political advance man, working on the campaigns of George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, and Edmund Muskie, and where he opened his first bar, Aquarius (later renamed Sarsfield’s). Richie is perhaps best known locally for his ownership of The Crease on York Road in Towson, a bar he opened in 1972 upon his return to Baltimore that was named for a lacrosse term for the circle around the goal. His friend from Gilman, Stan Heuisler ’60, said, “Richard was really into the early years of rock ’n’ roll. He liked the music, and he knew who was doing it best.”

A well-respected lover of politics, Richie once stated in a 1977 Baltimore Sun article, “A knack for diplomacy and public relations and providing a personal touch are essential. How do you get people to pick your restaurant out of thousands they could go to? They pick them because you make them feel more comfortable … How do you get things accomplished on the campaign trail? You do it by working well with people.”

Richie was also a founder of the Bartenders Ball, a charity that benefited cystic fibrosis research.

William Hamilton Porter

Longtime Gilman physics teacher William Hamilton Porter passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 from COVID-19, three weeks shy of his 98th birthday.

Raised in Baltimore, Bill was the son of Naval Captain William H. Porter and Amy Manning Porter. His father died when Bill was 12 years old, leaving him and two sisters to be raised solely by their mother. Accepted into Gilman at age 13, he met Headmaster Boyd Morrow, who (in his own words) “terrified him” and declared he would never go to school there. He subsequently attended boarding school at Millbrook School in New York, where Henry Callard was a teacher.

After graduating from the Naval Academy and a stint in the Navy, Bill returned to Baltimore and was hired by then Headmaster Henry Callard in 1947 to teach Upper School science and math. He taught from 1947 to 1980 and was head of the Science Department from 1974 to 1980. Bill is largely credited for strengthening the physics and chemistry programs and revamping the science curriculum. His students remember his puns in physics class — plays on words that helped make difficult lessons understandable — as well as his many creative and often entertaining in-class experiments. Sam Dell ’61, who established the endowed Porter Fund in 2012 to elevate the teaching of S.T.E.M. subjects, said, “Mr. Porter could bring science down to real things that a boy in high school could understand.”

Bill also conducted the Glee Club from 1953 to 1956 and founded and led The Traveling Men, holding weekly evening rehearsals. He required the T-Men to be Glee Club members, as being in the Glee Club was not “cool” but being a T-Man was. For years he served as chair of the Gilman Circus, which raised money for major school projects, including the Alumni Auditorium and the pool.

A hands-on guy who could build almost anything, Bill designed and — with the help of his physics class — installed the original sound system in the Alumni Auditorium. He was known, perhaps a little less popularly with the students, for plowing snow from the parking lots and sidewalks with his beloved 1959 Willys jeep, ensuring that Gilman never had a snow day. The school closing

announcements on Baltimore radio station WBAL invariably said “Gilman School: open with no transportation.”

Bill’s greatest contribution to Gilman was the mark he made on his many students. Following his retirement to Cape Cod in 1980, many of them continued to stay in touch by mail, email, and in-person visits.

An admirer of Beethoven and Chopin, he was an accomplished pianist. He also had a talent for oil painting on canvas; his portrait of Henry and Clarissa Callard was installed in Callard Hall (Gilman Lower School) upon its dedication.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Jacquie, in 1994, and his sisters Penny and Priscilla. He is survived by his sister Barbara of Jamestown, Rhode Island, his three children: Dolly Rowles (Walter “Bud”) of Brewster, Massachusetts; Romeyn Bombanti (Jim) of Beaumont, California; William H. “Skip” Porter, Jr. (Peggy) of Towson, Maryland; five grandchildren — Vail, Gretchen, Hans, Lauren Ketryn, and Hamilton; and two great-grandchildren — Remington and Willow.

Maryann Wegloski

Maryann Wegloski, 58, of Richardson, Texas, passed away on Thursday, March 11, 2021.

Maryann was born in Chicago in 1962. She earned a degree in philosophy from The University of Chicago and a master’s degree from Towson University. She worked in the library at Gilman School for 20 years, and also as the Director of Summer Programs for a number of years.

Ms. Wegloski started out at Gilman as a library assistant in the Lower School, moving on as a librarian in the Middle School after she earned her master’s. Although she worked on many different programs over her time at Gilman, the most popular one, which continues today, is Books & Bagels. Ms. Wegloski would meet with each homeroom and talk about some of the new books in the library over breakfast.

Middle School Director of Academic Support Kim Eddinger recalls Maryann hosting a lunch club called Board Games. “She loved having the boys in the library playing these ‘old-fashioned’ games

John Layman

John Layman, 72, of Towson, passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2021.

Beginning in January 1994, he taught design and woodworking in the Lower School at Gilman. Mr. Layman had not been teaching this year because of the pandemic, but he remained very much a part of the faculty and our lives. This was his 27th year on the Gilman faculty.

John was a beloved colleague, and the boys loved him, too. No doubt there are countless families that have proudly displayed in their homes various woodworking pieces that their sons made in Mr. Layman’s class — visible and tangible evidence of his ability to empower the boys to build.

Surviving are his sons, Christopher Layman and Andrew Layman; a sister, Barbara Layman Stine; and a nephew, Mark Stine, and his wife, Joann; as well as many cousins, and two great-nieces.

in lieu of the digital versions of today. She could always be heard laughing and enjoying her time with the boys.”

Her sons, J.B. Cooke ’07 and Max Cooke ’10, attended Gilman.

Maryann is survived by her sons, her brothers, her grandchildren, and her nieces and nephews.

Eric Marner

Longtime Middle School teacher and Dean of Students

Eric Marner passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 5. Mr. Marner had been hospitalized to treat complications related to some pre-existing, ongoing medical conditions.

To say that Mr. Marner was beloved at Gilman would be a giant understatement. Since arriving at Gilman in 2005, he wore many hats within the Middle School: language arts teacher, admissions officer, Middle School Director of the Finney-Greene Program, and Dean of Students. Even as the chief disciplinarian in the Middle School, Mr. Marner was wildly popular with the boys, who saw him as someone who was on their side. Headmaster Henry P. A. Smyth said, “Having had two sons go through the Middle School (one of them is still there), I witnessed this affection first-hand. Any mention of Mr. Marner in our household immediately elicited an enthusiastic outburst along the lines of ‘Marner is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)’ or ‘Marner is a beast!’ No doubt, countless other Gilman boys have shared those sentiments.”

As the School’s newly appointed Assistant Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity, Mr. Marner was just beginning to wear a new hat that was expanding his reach within the Gilman community, and everyone was excited for him to take on the new role. We will miss him deeply and dearly.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, one son, two older brothers, and his parents. A celebration-of-life service is planned for the end of July.

IN MEMORIAM

WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE DIED RECENTLY. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.

Class of 1939

Mr. G. Ross French

Class of 1941

Mr. Charles Gillet

Class of 1942

Mr. Charles Fenwick

Class of 1945

Mr. C. Goldsborough

Class of 1947

Mr. Braxton Mitchell

Class of 1948

Mr. Guy Hollyday

Class of 1951

Mr. Thomas Gorter

Class of 1952

Mr. Chaloner Schley

Class of 1953

Mr. Robert N. French

Mr. Charles Mitchell

Class of 1954

Mr. Willis Kluck

Class of 1956

Mr. Frederick Wagner

Mr. Albert Wilkerson

Class of 1957

Mr. Francis G. Riggs

Class of 1958

Mr. William C.C. Barnes

Mr. Michael Canon

Class of 1959

Mr. George Brown

Mr. Daniel W. Rudy, II

Class of 1960

Mr. Richard Evans

Class of 1961

Mr. Andrew Fairfield

Mr. Robert Moss

Mr. Doug Small

Class of 1962

Mr. Robert Boyd

Class of 1963

Mr. John Shaw

Class of 1966

Mr. Eric T. Hendrix

Mr. Thomas Parkinson

Class of 1967

Mr. Stephen Brooks

Deaths reported to Gilman between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021

Class of 1970

Dr. William F. Johnson

Mr. Robert Lloyd

Mr. Jeffrey Peabody

Mr. Douglas Warner

Class of 1975

Mr. Michael Phipps

Class of 1977

Mr. William Whitehurst

Class of 1980

Mr. Ned Sacktor

Class of 1987

Mr. John Buchanan

Class of 1994

Mr. Mark G. Cornes

Class of 2003

Mr. Luke Allen

Class of 2006

Mr. John D. Black

Class of 2008

Mr. Gabriel Donnay

Faculty/Staff Members

Mr. John Layman

Mr. Eric Marner

Mr. William Porter

Ms. Maryann Wegloski

In the print version of the Fall 2020 publication, we inadvertently included Robert K. Rigger ‘40 in our list of deceased alumni. We are delighted to report that Mr. Rigger is, in fact, alive and well, and living at Roland Park Place in Baltimore. We apologize sincerely to the entire Rigger family for this mistake.

Class Notes

The following notes were submitted by Gilman alumni, mostly in the spring of 2021.

1950

Haswell Franklin haswell@franklin-group.com

Our 70th and 71st anniversaries have now come and gone. Since the School has canceled our campus celebrations, I am going to direct my future efforts into promoting a first-class celebration of our 75th anniversary, which will be here before you know it.

I am most appreciative to classmates who responded to my plan for input. Johnny Boynton continues to run the golf programs at Fairhaven where he also sings in the Fairhaven vocal group, just like the good old days at Gilman with the Octet, except his golf game is much better.

Fletcher Lowe advises that he and Mary Fran have now been married for 61-plus years and are currently residing in a continuing care community where the CEO was ahead of the COVID crisis. Fletch continues to be the convener of two monthly Zoom gatherings for a National Episcopal group and a local group of business folks discussing ethics in the marketplace. Fletch also serves on the 12-person Community Advisory Board of the Richmond Times Dispatch. I am also pleased to advise that Fletch’s health has improved greatly after a three-and-a-half-month series of adverse medical events.

Tom Powell advises he is still alive, which in his opinion is remarkable.

Some time ago, I read in the Baltimore Sun that classmate Furlong Baldwin was honored for his many contributions to the business community.

Bill Jarrett continues to make regular visits to Baltimore and hosts at the Hopkins Club lunch. Interestingly, I just learned that before dating Bill, his wife dated my wife’s little brother. His

grandson, who is in his second year of medical school at Tulane, recently delivered a paper to the American Osler Society. Unfortunately, my memory is failing me, and I cannot think of any newsworthy information that these luncheons produce.

I’m told that Bruce Lloyd is alive and well and enjoying life at Blakehurst.

Finally, yours truly (Haswell Franklin) has now celebrated 63 years of marriage producing eight children and 22 grandchildren, not bad for a poor little Presbyterian boy as a reward for marrying a good Georgetown Visitation Catholic girl.

1951

Bob Swindell bbncc444@gmail.com

Only a few of ’51 still around. Dan Moore, Rollin Otto, and Bob Swindell are all at Blakehurst in Baltimore County. Bill Burgan is in D.C. and Lew Barker is in Chevy Chase. Tom Calloway is in Georgia and Henderson Dorsey in Florida. If any others still exist, please contact me or Gilman.

1952

Bruce Follmer bf0629@gmail.com

I had a nice long chat with Charlie Obrecht, my featured class grad for this year. I believe he’s the only class member still living in the house in which he raised his family. His house on Roland Avenue is so close to the Gilman campus, if he were any closer he’d have to start taking classes again.

Charlie and wife Margaret (Peggy) raised two boys and a girl and now have six grandchildren. I forgot to ask him, but I believe both boys went to Gilman and their daughter to Bryn Mawr.

Charlie spoke with pride about Peggy and the fact that she had been the first director of church relations at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in D.C.

A graduate of Princeton, he went into industrial real estate development after graduation.

I asked Charlie if they did much traveling as his kids were growing up. He said they had spent some time in England now and then, as Peggy’s mother was British.

During Ludlow Baldwin’s and Reddy Finney’s time as headmaster, Charlie became a board member for some years and was pleased to mention that he had started up the annual giving program during that period.

I asked if he was still getting together with Bill Blue, Dick Gatchell, Chipper Hoff, and Tom Waxter for their monthly luncheons. He said they had not met for a while because of COVID, but he expected they’d be starting up again soon.

Just for fun, I asked if he had any fondest memories of his days at Gilman. He said they would be the support of the faculty members, both during his days at Gilman and the years after.

1953

Pierre Bouscaren pierreb225@gmail.com

Well now, the scary pandemic of 2020 and 2021 seems to have forced many of our class into some sort of soporific hibernation, or just a general malaise. Perhaps the communication skills evidenced in the past will be resurrected in a subsequent issue. That being said, know that your temporary correspondent, Pierre Bouscaren, and Sarah are both fully “vaxxed” and planning to

escape our quarantine efforts in our modest Gainesville, Virginia, home and take a three-day trip to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in May and then a similar shot to Corolla, North Carolina, in June. Our home will meanwhile be the focus of graduation parties for grandchildren, a fine venue thanks to Sarah’s prodigious gardening talents and her husband-management skills.

Talbott Huey writes that he and Abhirada have been relegated to long but scenic walks to Lake Roland and the occasional obligatory foray to the grocery store. A couple of laps around Eddie’s will get the heart pumping.

George “Pope” Urban reports from beautiful Silver Spring, Maryland, that he and Alicia have found considerable respite in their Deep Creek Lake vacation home. Fully vaxxed after several weeks of battling, George is “giving back” by volunteering to give shots, having experienced a run of COVID-19 through one of his daughters’ families. All are OK. Tania and Bert Muecke in Berkley Heights, New Jersey, are keeping the “COVID 15” at bay by making themselves go for a hike almost every day along the trails in the Lenape Nation Reservation near their property. Being only 25 miles from NYC, the Mueckes often visit and enjoy walking the Big Apple and Lower Manhattan. Bert commented that they were actually stunned by the almost serene atmosphere of the usually bustling harbor as a result of our enforced distancing.

Harry Thomas and Karen have taken the bull by the horns. They have decided to leave comfortable Tarrytown, New York, and relocate back to Maryland. Not Baltimore, mind you, but to a very nice senior community, Asbury Village, in Montgomery County. Quite a few of us now reside south of Laurel!

Rick Betts chimes in from sunny Oakland, California, with an observation that, whilst brunching outside with Laura on his birthday, he endured too many people going maskless.

From remote Wingina, Virginia, Andrew Gantt and Digna, our class tree farmers, revel in the noteworthy accomplishments of their three children while planning another summer trip to their place on Madeline Island, Wisconsin. That is a neat spot! One of The Apostle Islands, it’s located on Lake Superior, an area that was formerly inhabited by the Ojibwe tribe. … it has it all, including a fine eatery, Tom’s Burned Down Café. That will be much less stressful than their last summer vacay touring the Badlands of SDAK. That cheapskate Andy nearly ran out of gas with no decent mirage in sight. Not fun.

Bill Trimble reliably sent news from Owings Mills, Maryland, that he and Barbara are comfortably surviving even though The Baltimore Sun is not. He reminisced about former teachers Lipscomb, Barker, and especially Bill Porter (recently deceased) and the original Traveling Men of 1952-1953. Mostly staying close to home, Bill, a successful lawyer, learned a trade in his seventies, and volunteered his new welding expertise at Gettysburg to assist with work in the cannon and monument restoration shop at the battlefield … merely an extension of his continuing interest in the Revolutionary, Civil, and 1812 Wars. Not to be outdone, Barbara stays busy transforming their home into a gardener’s paradise.

John C. Seiler, or “Cotton” as his Cornell pals nicknamed him, and Harriett seem to be getting in their travel needs in spite of pandemic restrictions. I mean Christmas in Florida and a week or so in Maine ain’t chopped liver! Louisville is nice, but the Seiler ideal

place to regularly vacation is Leland, Michigan. Located on Lake Michigan and not far from Traverse City, this is a “kick back and relax” sort of fishing village with wonderful shopping, good restaurants, and lots to do recreationally. Any conversation with John will include mention of his grandson at Sienna College with the 94mph fastball and a trail of big league scouts.

Not to be outdone, Doug Godine and Ellen will tell you lots about their granddaughter at McDonogh who was recently featured in The Baltimore Sun as one of the phenoms of high school lacrosse and a sure-fire collegiate star. Granddad and other family members, former lacrosse standouts, were prominently mentioned in said article, of course.

A breath of fresh air arrived with a newsy bit of information from Warren Buckler. He and Pat live in Northwest Indiana where wildlife and wildflowers abound and Lake Michigan is not far away. Warren gardens aggressively, expanding his wildflower plantings whenever possible, and hikes his neighboring lush dunelands for enjoyment (his description, not mine). Located on the Central Flyway of North America, he and Pat are treated to and enjoy each year the migration of the striking Sandhill Crane. They also get to take any grandchildren that show up to what he calls the sandy and sunbaked beaches of Lake Michigan. HAH! They seemed rocky and super windy to me.

Another Midwesterner, Professor Kent Flannery, laments in his latest communique that he has to teach his (archeology) classes online. I’m sure his University of Michigan students would rather enjoy his spirited deliveries from the lectern too.

Bill Eaton checked into a retirement home in D.C. last February whereupon the dining room closed! Pandemic you know. He is looking forward to using the exercise room and enjoying the food and camaraderie when “things get back to normal.” Super short notes received from Cristobal Bonifaz, Cary Woodward, and Wiley Faw indicate that they are indeed alive and/but unhappy with the current status.

That is all we have for now … but … breaking news: I have been convinced that I need hearing aids. But I’m only 86! Those babies are expensive! The pair I ordered online will arrive any day now and will be critiqued in the next issue. Stay well and safe.

1954

David Woods dfwoods@comcast.net

To paraphrase “September Song,” by Willie Nelson, “The [classmates] dwindle down to a precious few.” But after all, we are all 84 or 85. What do we expect? But there’s hope and precedent. I’ve lost four friends in the past year who were 90, 91, 92, and 97, respectively and all active until the last. The class of ’54 may well not be finished yet. Those of us who reported in are all of sound mind and a body that still works reasonably well.

Winston Churchill said, “A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt; long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.” It was in that spirit that I provided a five-item questionnaire. All who answered pretty much stuck to the formula, some with short, miniskirt-length responses, others with ballgown-length accounts. In a couple of cases, I’ll include a lengthier quote from the responses.

Happily, I had no reports of COVID-19 among our happy band of what Cliff Harding calls “octos.”

The first to respond was Dr. Dave Andrew from Honolulu where he and Bonnie have been in the same house for 30 years. Evie and I visited them a few years ago, and when he says they have a “spectacular view from 400 feet above the Pacific Ocean,” he understates the reality.

Dave is a medical marvel. He seems “put together with chewing gum and bailing wire.” The fact that he still plays tennis twice a week after “four-vessel cardiac bypass, right hip replacement, lumbar spinal stenosis decompression times two, cataract lens replacement in both eyes, gall bladder out, right shoulder and rotator cuff repair” is nothing short of miraculous.

Dave has been retired from his pulmonary practice for the past 21 years but continues to do some yearly assessment work with geriatric patients.

And he speaks proudly of his and Bonnie’s three children and four grandchildren.

Larry Wagner checked in from Marathon in the Florida Keys to say that he a) fishes, b) sits on two boards, by which I presume he means corporate boards, c) rides his bike around the island, and d) reads a lot. Many of us remember Larry has had several (13) ankle surgeries over the years so that he now walks with a cane (I’ll bet if we all fessed up he would find he’s not alone) and accompanies Deedee on her walker.

Four of his five grandchildren are out of college and he says he is “almost” a great-grandfather. His kids run the two plants his business now occupies.

Yale’s longtime 1958 class secretary, New Orleans native, and current resident Scott Sullivan, sent a wonderful summary of his life which I will share verbatim in a moment. He laments the loneliness of the plague and the loss of his beloved wife, Peggy Polk. He brags shamelessly and justifiably about his children and grandchildren. Were it not for my wish to include his summary paragraph I would report on the latter in greater detail. But I will exercise the rare privilege of editing certainly the most accomplished and prolific writer in our class. Summing up his life he said:

“I thank the dear Lord morning, noon, and night for the splendid life He has given me. I’ve had some tragedy — the death of my second daughter by suicide, the loss of my beloved Peggy to cancer, a couple of broken marriages — but the bottom line is 83 totally wonderful years, born in comfortable circumstances, growing up in charming Roland Park, attending Gilman (possibly the best high school in the country then) and Yale and Cambridge. Then a fairy-tale professional life, at The Sun and Newsweek, traveling the globe, meeting Everybody who was Anybody in politics, business, and the arts, crossing wits with the KGB agent assigned to follow me. Forty-three years in Paris (hey, somebody’s gotta do it). Exploring fashion and science, breakfasting with Presidents, watching Depardieu make movies, directing a huge reporting team at the fall of the Berlin Wall. And on and on. A pleasant post-retirement sojourn as publisher for the International Energy Agency (discovering that I could make big bucks for an employer, if not for myself). Then, my golden years here in the Crescent City with my adorable wife, Peggy. And the music. And the gumbo. Thanks again, Lord.”

I have reported in the past about Frank “Hal” Loweree’s travails with alleged

copyright infringement on the part of Netflix. He didn’t report on the progress of that action, but perhaps as the result of moving back in with his wife a year or so ago, he was contentedly brief this year. Or perhaps the contentment comes from the fact of no COVID and that he has been holding daily open 12-step meetings for “anywhere from 10 to 100 people.” It appears the Lord to whom Scott Sullivan is so grateful for guiding his life is also guiding our classmate Frank in his missionary work.

Dick Fryberger reports from their longtime neighborhood of Watertown, Massachusetts, that he and Nancy are living in an assisted/independent living facility. He reports good food, good neighbors, good activities, and free covered parking, although covered parking is something he no longer needs for his racing cars since his nephew Chris took them over and is racing them “with joy and success.”

Dick reports an “up and down year” what with COVID etc. but said he and Nancy will spend the summer at the place her father bought in 1940 in Chocorua, New Hampshire, a lovely part of the world with a very imposing Mt. Chocorua overlooking Lake Chocorua. It’s a mountain I know something about since I’ve climbed it a couple of times with various of our kids.

Like all of us I suspect, Dick reports that he is an accomplished “Zoomer” which has allowed him to enjoy lectures, museum programs, school discussions, etc. Who could even have imagined such a marvel in 1954?

Carlton Seitz, our very own Henry Louis Gates, Jr., reports that over the past COVID-19 lockdown, he reconnected with an old high school girlfriend. “Reconnected” that is, in a

completely virtual and platonic sense since he still hasn’t seen her since 1984, but by happenstance they came across each other and chatted endlessly by phone. In the course of the conversations his deep interest in genealogy surfaced and he has spent a fascinating time tracing her roots back to Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, queens, kings, and princes all over Europe and the Middle East and, of course, America’s early founders and leaders. He didn’t say Mayflower, but that would not surprise me. He said she had no idea.

With spring he’s now refocused on his gardens and fruit trees.

And speaking of trees, Oregonite Sam Sadtler reports that his large tree farm is thriving. And he reported they sold their Oregon Coast getaway. Perhaps he needed more time to continue to collect the cascading trove of Lacrosse Hall of Fame memberships. The latest two are the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s and the Stanford University Men’s Lacrosse Hall of Fame. This latter was particularly meaningful to him since he coached there for 16 years. He is the winningest lacrosse coach in Stanford lacrosse history.

Jim Keesey tested my knowledge of geography by reporting that he lives in the same Oregon house “close to Lat 45 deg N.” That puts him about halfway between the equator and the north pole. In this age of polarized almost everything from politics to Android vs. iOS to free child care etc., comfortably in the middle as Jim seems like a safe bet.

He admits that chess games with his granddaughter are “taking longer than before” and his ping pong games with his grandson now have a “predetermined outcome.” Congratulations, Jim. Sounds like you are a successful grandpop.

His grim memories of “Uncle Ed’s” warnings about a feared McDonogh wrestler and Miles Marion’s (that forever West Pointer) daily quizzes also include a fond memory of our exuberant and intelligent and tragically too soon deceased classmate Walter Armor.

Like others, e.g. Bill Woods, Archy Sterling, Bill Smith, and some I’m sure I’ve forgotten, Walt didn’t live to realize the great potential he had. A loss for many and a tiny corner of history, or perhaps a big corner.

Gary Carr, like most of us, celebrated COVID-19 liberation in one way or another. Gary and his wife, Sally, celebrated their older son’s 50th birthday with a family gathering in a restored old house, now a B&B, in Fells Point by the Baltimore Harbor. In addition to their son, Garry, his wife, Daphne, from California, sophomore grandson Henry from NYU, and freshman Sabrina from Emerson, they were also Zoomjoined by “younger son Stephen from Rochester during breaks from rehearsals and staging for the spring opera he is directing at the Eastman School of Music. This year the show will be a film product marrying solo studio-recorded voices, green screen set design and character placement, and performer lip syncing of their studio voicings.” Ah, technology.

While each member of the class of 1954 is unique and influential in his own way, some are more visible in their endeavors. An obvious case in point is our actor, artist, and collector Remak Ramsay:

“I have no career anymore, as the theater and film have died hereabouts, and so have spent more time either painting in Maine in summer or working on the art collection, which numbers in the thousands between oils, watercolors, drawings, etchings, woodblock prints, a huge collection of mostly American art (with the exception of a large collection of hundreds of Venice Italy pieces). I have had to move most of it into storage in Connecticut ... I toyed with the idea of giving it to Princeton (and gave them a lot) as well as to the Farnsworth Museum in Maine and the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut. They are also already beneficiaries.”

As for me (David Woods), I asked each of you to answer five questions and each did in his own fashion. Here are my answers.

1) Still living in our home of 33 years — our “wheelchair house” as Evie called it. Not a step up or down in the house or going to the outside. No reason to move to a retirement facility.

2) My office is a wing on our house with its own outside entrance. I have kept my insurance and securities licenses and registrations as I still retain a handful of (very) old clients who wouldn’t be happy with anyone else. Plus it forces my assistant of 44 years and me to keep the office looking respectable.

I also have some reduced volunteer committee work. And I’m doing some memoir writing, some of which I’ve compiled into a couple of three-ring bound collections mostly for our kids and grandchildren.

I walk a couple of miles every day, a big comedown from my 53 years of jogging four to five miles a day six days a week and lots of road races — 5k, 5 miles, 10k, 10 miles, marathon, all of which I miss,

but my knee finally said, “OK, you’ve had your fun. That’s it.”

Health is pretty good — a little Type 2 diabetes plus pills for cholesterol and blood pressure and drops for the one eye I can still see out of. Very limited night driving, but no problem in the daytime.

3) Two grandchildren gainfully employed, the older living with a wonderful young woman we all wish he’d marry. Two graduations this spring — one from Georgetown. She is off to Tulsa with Teach For America. The other from high school in Virginia who is headed to Montreal and McGill in the fall. Three more in college — Georgetown, University of Vermont, and Boston College. And the youngest of the eight will be a sophomore in high school. All seem to have survived and actually flourished with their virtual schooling this past COVID-19 year.

4) Lastly, the pancreatic cancer finally caught up with Evie last summer. We met when we were both 16 and she was at Garrison Forest School. We dated pretty steadily for the next six years and were married for almost 62 so we considered ourselves to be lifelong companions. I miss her, but she would give me hell if she thought I was moping around. So I keep busy.

5) We had a wonderful life — four kids, their spouses, and our eight grandchildren are all happy and successful. We have many longtime and loyal friends. Evie and I literally traveled the world, east, west, north, and south — I jogged in 30 countries (barely avoiding being shot or arrested in one case) and all 50 states. We finally made it below the equator two years ago with three weeks in southern Africa, just one year before she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We have been blessed.

Until next year, David

Ted McKeldin trmjr@mckeldin.com

George Hess: This has been a difficult year for all of us because of all the COVID restrictions, lack of travel, and a very restricted way of life. Black Lives Matter and our need to develop more respect for other people have been concurrent factors. With all this, Betsy and I have had to adapt as never before in our 61 years of marriage, and that also has been true of Gilman. In the more than 50 years I have been involved in the governance of the School, I have never been prouder of the administration and staff than this year. Henry Smyth, the three school heads, teachers, and the wonderful staff have set an amazing example about how to keep a great school great in such a difficult environment. I know that Henry Callard would be applauding as I am.

Theodore McKeldin: I hope everyone is well and fully vaccinated. It’s been quite a year but we are going out to eat and doing some limited traveling, at last. Hopefully, we’ll gather at a class luncheon by the fall. Keep your fingers crossed. Hope to see you soon.

Dennis Rawlins: A photo-bio of my ever-inspiring wife is available at dioi.org/bunny.htm, chronicling her from high school “brain” to scholarship-Harvard-grad to one-month NYC model to half-century as devoted college librarian. Bio ends with photo of Lyric Opera House’s prominent star-granite Rachmaninov Memorial (100% funded by her) for the Baltimore 1934/11/7 world premiere there of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the composer himself at the piano. Of spon-

sors’ names in the granite, all eight have Gilman School connexions, including two well-remembered faculty members: the late Christine Sarbanes and (DR’s close-by childhood neighbor 1937-1947) Ruth Weaver Williams.

Click on bio’s final glowing link “Rachmaninov Memorial” to hear him play the justly beloved 18th variation in 1934.

Just had first birthday for planet Uranus. Here on Earth it’s 84th, but staying active anyway:

Astronomical-history research papers (2018-2020) beautifully illustrated by Griffith Observer at dioi.org/g828.pdf (geodesy), dioi.org/g835.pdf (Great & Greater Pyramids), dioi.org/g841.pdf (heliocentrist Aristarchos’ genius & vast universe)

Our publication DIO: The International Journal of Scientific History (& fitful satirical supplement, The Journal for Hysterical Astronomy) is now at work on Vol.32 (late 2021)

Vols.7&10 made NYTimes p.1. Vol.26 is a play, “Shakespeare’s Perfect Crime: From Topless Queen to Feckless Armada to Godless Resurrection” at dioi.org/jq00.pdf

Vol.30 is “Subtractions From the Sum of Human Knowledge”: dioi.org/ju00.pdf

Hope to get together again a few last times with classmates before we vanish — grateful to so many, including Gilman, for exceptionally fortunate, wonderful lives.

1956

Mert Fowlkes, Jr. fmfowlkes@aol.com

What a year we have just experienced! Let’s hope that we never see another one

like 2020. And we lost two classmates recently, I am sorry to report. Fred (Sheddy) Wagner died in November 2020 in Ketchum, Idaho, where he had lived since 2002. Those of us who went to Calvert School were his classmates for 12 years. Wilkie Wilkerson died in January 2021, following a long career in education as both a teacher and a coach at Boys’ Latin and St. Paul’s Schools in Baltimore. He dropped back to our class from the class of 1955 for our Sixth Form year.

Last year’s class report was very unusual in some ways, in that we had members doing everything from navel-gazing to working on the big bang theory! This year’s report will be a little less dramatic, maybe because we are a year older, and because of the virus!

Bill Zeeveld reports from Hendersonville, North Carolina, that he enjoys the independence of running his own engineering consulting business, which he has done for 20 years.

Phil Briscoe continues living in Cockeysville with his wife, Liz, where he pursues various hobbies, plus cycling for exercise. He welcomed his fourth grandchild in January — “a handsome little guy.”

Julian Jones and wife Pat completed a trip to the Galapagos Islands before the travel shutdown, and since then they have enjoyed staying closer to home in Baltimore with family visits to their daughter’s home to babysit their 3-year-old grandson. Julian enjoys his current hobby of “trying to make sense of Postmodernism, the philosophy, art, architecture, and general perspective.” Sounds impressive!

Dave Sowell reports from Owings Mills that he and Judy are doing well in spite of the COVID-19 limitations. With his children scattered from New York

City to Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles, FaceTime has become the base for their family communications. He recently retrieved his original version of the Traveling Men’s popular ditty, “The Persian Kitten.” Lots of memories!

Tom Carroll and Winnie are enjoying life in Havre de Grace where they sail their little catboat, “Water Music,” whenever the weather permits. He underwent triple cardiac bypass surgery in October but is feeling “wonderful” now. That’s good news!

Ron Nelson and Cynthia continue to lead the good life in Fort Myers, Florida, near their son and his family. He welcomes any classmates visiting in the area to look him up.

Leland James and Marion are well-entrenched on Carter’s Creek in Irvington, Virginia, where they have been for many years. He stays active in many community organizations in that area, and he and yours truly have become regular email correspondents on numerous topics.

Nick Penniman reports from Naples, Florida, that he and Linda are well-settled there, while keeping a townhouse north of Baltimore. His two children live in St. Louis and Washington, D.C., and his grandchildren range in age from 14 to 24. His most recent book is about how sugar became “the most egregious example of corporate welfare in America,” and it can be found at ontheknife.com. Nick keeps up with Harry Lord, Graham Slaughter, and Ambler Moss.

Ambler Moss retired in January 2021 from the University of Miami, where he taught since 1984, and is professor emeritus of international studies. He and Serena live in Coral Gables, Florida, and they have four children and three grandchildren. They love to travel in Europe

and look forward to resuming when COVID-19 is out of the way. His retirement brought to a close a very interesting and varied career ranging from service as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy, to being appointed Ambassador to Panama by President Carter, to being a respected college professor. Well done!

Sandy Dugan and Betsy live in Wrenshall, Minnesota, not far from Duluth, on a 45-acre farm near their daughter and family. He stays involved in preserving the environment through pollinator gardens; maintaining a building with solar panels that supply all of their electricity needs; extensive gardening; and nature interpretation. His frequent activities include caring for two young grandsons, campaigning in local politics, yoga, walking, birding, and streaming movies. He didn’t mention it, but I’d guess that he’s as physically fit as he was when he was a star wrestler on the Gilman wrestling team!

Sam Smith reports from Timonium that he and Judy now live in a mid-rise 80-unit condominium, and are enjoying good health. Walking a brisk mile every day certainly helps, he says. He continues his ongoing project of tracing and documenting graves of War of 1812 veterans.

Cooper Graham and Pat are enjoying good health in Baltimore, and he says, “we are content in our little bubble here.” They have a married daughter living in the UK, and a married son in Los Angeles. Cooper has just published another book entitled “Love and Loss in Hollywood,” which “explores the relationship between rising Hollywood star Florence Deshon and well-known writer and socialist Max Eastman, even as Deshon was embroiled in a clandestine affair with Charlie Chaplin.” It was published by Indiana University Press.

George Dowell writes from home in St. Louis, where he is still practicing psychiatry three days a week, usually remotely. He finds it incredibly convenient that way and foresees working remotely as probably the way of the future. He and wife Jacki have six children, 16 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, who are all healthy and doing well.

Guy Dove continues the good life dividing his time between winters in Vero Beach, Florida, and home in Middleburg, Virginia. His health is good, and he continues to be active in a syndicate with racehorses in Baltimore. He keeps up with Bentley Offutt.

Harry Lord and Sarah stay active and enjoy good health in Baltimore, as depicted in their well-illustrated Christmas card: cute children, affectionate dog, and bird-watching.

Howard Stick reports (via Christmas card) from home in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, that he and Alyce are doing well, yet hoping for a better year in 2021, like most of us.

Mike Fisher and Sue had to adjust their typical travel schedule this year because of the virus, and spent much less time in their home in Rio Verde, Arizona, than usual, before returning to home in Black Butte Ranch, Oregon. And they welcomed a new great-granddaughter in July!

Dave Eaton and Debby have returned to Baltimore after a hiatus in Singer Island, Florida, and Washington, D.C., and are happily settled back in their old territory. He, Dick Biggs, and yours truly keep in regular contact via Zoom.

Ralph (Merrill) Lincoln writes from New Castle, New Hampshire, that he and Jane are healthy and still enjoying sailing in the Cape Cod area when weather permits.

Mert Fowlkes: My life this year has been unremarkable in most ways — and maybe that’s a good thing. Sue and I are enjoying our two children and three grandchildren nearby, and everybody is healthy, I’m happy to say.

Thanks to all who contributed news this time. Inquiring minds want to know!

Frank Gluck gluck.frank@gmail.com

Frank Gluck: Like most of us, the past 14-plus months have been a huge void. With virtually no travel and contact with other human beings, our lives have been relegated to social media and the safety and comforts of our own homes. While lacking in stimulation, our lives seemed to have survived the worst, and, hopefully, the light at the end of the tunnel is brightening. Largely thanks to the efforts of Sam Hopkins, several members of our class were able to connect via Zoom in 2020. We were able to update each other on families, current endeavors, and reminiscences of the old days in the mid ’50s at Gilman and Baltimore. It was gratifying to see how many of us retained vivid memories of that time. They say that remote memories are the last to go, but as various body parts become progressively challenged, I guess we’ll take it! Personally, life has paralleled that of others. Through Zoom and social media, I’ve been able to continue volunteer work at our local hospice and participate in advisory board and committee meetings.

Walter Birge participated in both our class Zoom meetings. Although he has lived away from Baltimore for most of his adult life, it is very apparent that he has maintained strong emotional ties to the School and the city of Baltimore. His recollections of life at Gilman and

Baltimore seemed photographic and encyclopedic. The person voted by our class to have done the most for the School provided his classmates a service by bringing the late ’50s back to life.

Bruce Brian and wife Linda have sold their place in The Villages, Florida, and moved full time to Priest Lake, Idaho. We all had lots of fun reminiscing at the Zoom reunions about the great times at Gilman and the glory days of the Colts. He may be the best-read person in our class on the Colts and was able to regale us with relevant reading material. It should also be pointed out that Bruce may have been the most versatile athlete in our class, lettering in football, basketball, and lacrosse. And tennis was his best sport. Still remember Roy Barker nabbing him after the lacrosse season was over to booster the tennis team. Not sure, but I think Roy awarded him a letter for tennis, too. Not even Frank Riggs accomplished that.

Very close to Bruce as a versatile athlete was Eddie Brown, who lettered in football, wrestling, and lacrosse, where he served as captain. He also narrowly missed receiving the citywide McCormick “Unsung Hero” award his senior year. No wonder he went on to become a beloved wrestling coach at Gilman. Eddie continues to keep close ties to the School and our class. Was great having him participate in our Zoom sessions.

Enjoyed reconnecting with our class valedictorian and former Admiral, Millard Firebaugh at our Zoom reunion last May and December. He and wife Barbara were able to escape to Eagle Creek in Naples, Florida, for a few months during the winter. It seems that all body parts still work, and he can still swing a golf club and maintain a handicap of about 21. That should qualify you for a “Lifetime Achievement” athletic award, Millard! Like all

of us, he views the love and support of friends and family during difficult times as a blessing we should never take for granted.

Tommy Garrett escaped last fall’s fires in Santa Rosa. His son, Tom, Jr., who lives in the neighboring Napa Valley was not so fortunate. The grapes at his winery suffered smoke damage, and his home narrowly avoided the flames. I’m sure our city of Nashville, beset with severe storms and flooding rains, would be happy to donate water to the Sonoma and Napa valleys. It was nice connecting with Tom at our Zoom meetings. He seems headed for full retirement from the California Department of Public Health and urges all to “drink more wine.” Always happy to comply, Tom!

Jim Gieske and Judi may have been the first in our class to become vaccinated, becoming beneficiaries on New Year’s Eve of some unused vaccine. They are hopeful that traveling will reappear soon in their future. Although mostly retired, Jim’s skills with technology have enabled him to stay connected with friends and volunteer activities. From his appearance on Zoom, he looks to be in the picture of health. Keep it up, Jim!

Haven’t heard from Sam Hopkins since our December Zoom reunion, but his help in enabling us technologically challenged souls was invaluable. He seems to have mastered the use of digital media in his endeavors. It should put us all to shame that we are not as skilled, but also make us eternally grateful for all his efforts. Our heartfelt thanks, Sam!

Butch Khoury is another of our classmates who spent a limited time with us at Gilman, but we’ve had a chance to reconnect via our Zoom meetings. He’s spent most of his post-school years in the San Diego area and currently resides in Delmar. As of our December

get-together, he has still been practicing law. Butch said that he’d love to see any Gilmanites that should get to his area. It has the best climate anywhere. I’d take him up on it.

John Lewin and Tolly are now permanent residents of a house they call “Beach Cove,” situated on a tidal bay in the Bethany Beach area of Delaware. They have been busy renovating and upgrading, which has helped immeasurably in enabling coping with the COVID boredom. Their two small dogs, Oscar and Ernie, have also been “godsends.” As fellow dog lovers, Judy and I can certainly relate. John’s contributions to maintaining class solidarity need special recognition. I recall him as one of the main forces in the orchestration of our 50th class reunion as well as the main author of the class trivia test. Since I became class secretary about five years ago, John has been invaluable in helping me and making suggestions for class get-togethers. I give him the main credit for planning and orchestrating our reunion luncheon in 2018 and conceiving the idea for our Zoom reunions over the past year. One of the “ripple effects” of being class secretary has been the opportunity for me to work with John and enhance our friendship.

Gus Lewis also participated in our Zoom sessions. Like most of us, the last 14 months have resulted in a huge void. Previously, he was spending time with children in New Zealand and spending time with our oldest living faculty member, Jerry Downs, driving him to Lifelong Learning sessions. Hopefully, some of this can resume as we become fully vaccinated. One piece of mutual trivia I learned is the fact that he now lives in the same apartment building in Charles Village where I grew up. It was fun to share stories about the neighborhood. I also seem to recall that Gus

was very close to Bill Porter, who we all dearly miss.

Heard from Hill Michaels that he has moved into the senior living community of Blakehurst in Towson. “Plenty of Gilman folks here.” I’ll always remember Hill’s devotion to Frank Riggs during the years, especially recently. They had an endearing friendship.

Although only a Lower School student at Gilman, Peter Ness has been one of our more loyal classmates in terms of keeping up with Gilman and our class. Pete and George Barker had remained close friends, and he was present at our 50th reunion. We also have a history as cabin mates at Camp Wallula eons ago. Pete continues to reside in Connecticut. Having some family close by has helped coping with COVID restrictions, but sports have been an equal salvation. We both share a glimmer of hope that there is a ray of light at the end of the Orioles’ dark tunnel.

Always one of our most adaptable classmates, Crossan O’Donovan and wife, Brenda, have tolerated and survived COVID isolation in their new retirement center in Raleigh, North Carolina, and are seeming to appreciate the gradual opening up of things. Two of their three children live close by, which has made life more tolerable. We both appreciate the internet and the opportunities for us to exchange corny jokes and essential sports trivia. Other than that, a successful knee replacement and discovering Netflix and Amazon Prime have been the most significant happenings during the pandemic. How our values have changed!

It was nice catching up with Dick Riggs at our December reunion. He has coped with COVID boredom and stress by religiously continuing a daily exercise program. “It makes the body better but

rejuvenates the mind.” It seems to have carried over to at least one of his sons, who is an avid marathon runner. Way to be a role model, Dick!

In February, our class lost our top athlete and friend, Frank Riggs. “Number 31’s athletic prowess and accomplishments were legendary and speak for themselves. More important was his humility and decency as a human being. Frank always viewed his athletic skills as a gift and never seemed to feel entitled because of them. His future successes in life reflect this attitude, I have always remembered the friendship, encouragement, and support he gave me at both Calvert and Gilman. To this athletically challenged classmate, it meant everything.

1958

George Michaels georgemichaels611@gmail.com

On Monday, January 18, William Calvin Chesnut Barnes passed away at the age of 80 at a memory care facility in The Villages, Florida. Bill was born on July 23, 1940, in Baltimore to Judge Wilson K. and Elizabeth (Chesnut) Barnes. He attended Gilman and Lawrenceville, and graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1962. After he received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1965, Bill was a captain in the army during the Vietnam War and served in the JAG Corps in Wash-

ington. D.C., where he was called upon to briefly represent one of the soldiers involved in the My Lai massacre.

He went on to practice law for 56 years in Baltimore, primarily doing estate work. Becoming an attorney was his goal from a very early age, as he came from a family of legal scholars — including his mother, who was the second woman to pass the bar in the state of Maryland. He was extremely close to his grandfather, Judge William Calvin Chesnut, known as Calvin, who was a federal judge, and who supported and encouraged Bill greatly throughout his schooling.

Bill was very active in the Episcopal church and enjoyed singing in the choir and occasionally playing flute solos. He loved to ski, and he counted among his favorite memories the semiannual trips he took with a group of friends, to places like Jackson Hole. His passion for the game of golf moved him from his lifelong home to Florida. He was proud to have scored two holes-in-one over the many years he played the game.

Bill was known for his corny jokes, his gentle, unexcitable nature, and his fine brain. Watching dementia take him was a shock for all who knew him. Due to COVID restrictions, Bill will be interred in a small private ceremony in Florida. A memorial service at the Church of the Holy Comforter will be scheduled when it is safe to do so. Bill is survived by his wife, Janice Gordon-Barnes, his three children, William C.C. Barnes, Jr., Nancy, and Andrew; three grandchildren; his ex-wife Leigh Barnes; and his brother, Wilson King Barnes, Jr.

1959

Chip Markell c.b.markell@comcast.net

In a once-in-a-century (we hope) pandemic, with activity much reduced and safety at a premium, our annual fall class lunch for 2020 was conducted virtually by Zoom, as was our spring meeting. Those who tuned in included Adelson, Ahern, Andrew, Brown, Callard, Emory, MacKenzie, McPherson, Pine, Ramsay, Schmick, Stifler, Tinley, and myself. Once again we had the gracious help of Mary Ellen who put it on and joined in. It was again an enjoyable success. We started with a talk by Heather Harlan Warnack, Gilman’s Director of Development, who talked about activities at Gilman, including the diverse class schedules in response to the pandemic, some real, some virtual, and 120 seniors applying for college with 56% applying early admission. We much appreciated her keeping us up to date with what was happening at Gilman. We then went on with our customary talks by those classmates on hand and exchanging fun with each other.

I was very happy to engage Andy Adelson from Florida to join the event as moderator for our May 2021 luncheon, combined in-person and Zoom, with his enjoyable humor and upbeat style. He mentioned at the last meeting he had been having a number of doctor visits, and he has some more in May, all the more reason to appreciate his visit and to wish him the very best in resolving his problem. He and Didi are spending most of their time in Miami.

Bill Spencer-Strong announced his marriage on Valentine’s Day to his new wife, Sylvia, whom he met at The Villages in Florida where they both live and where he found her to be very compatible in the activities of the community that they both enjoyed.

Congratulations and best wishes to Bill and Sylvia!

Dick Emory continues to pitch his book, “Fighting Pollution and Climate Change,” on his environmental career and he has added a video as well, definitely worth a look. He continues to get high praise from readers, one of the latest being Don Hooker. He has said he would like to be a special advisor to the Climate Treaty. Maybe with his crowd back in he can. He and Donna continue to spend half the year in Boynton Beach, Florida, the rest in Cross Keys.

Don McPherson, unlike so many others who have eschewed travel during the pandemic, made an opportunity for him and Ann to take his grandson, Tyler, who is living with them, on a wonderful and extensive trip for three weeks in June through 17 states, taking great care in their behavior to protect themselves. Beginning with the Carolina Blue Ridge and through the Midwest as far as Colorado and Wyoming, and back. They visited parks, saw scenery, interesting tourist attractions, cities and towns, state capitals, a number of universities, saw friends and family, took hikes, boats, horses, played games. They had a marvelous trip that Don said he would do again in a heartbeat.

Pam and Tim Callard have retired to North Hampton, Massachusetts, to be near family, including four grandkids. At our fall meeting, Tim discussed his career in education, including being director of admissions at Princeton, and having teaching and management roles at several schools, the last being at Flint Hill School, a prep school in Northern Virginia, while Pam taught at the Cathedral School in Washington.

Clark MacKenzie has bought a home in Brightwood, the senior community he developed on Falls Road some time ago,

and he and Andy are splitting most of their time between there and beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where they have had a second home for some time. They also spend time in Delray Beach, Florida, but were leery of Florida the past year.

Clark advised that he owned the Milton Inn for 20 years, something I didn’t know, but a place I much enjoyed. Clark said that the restaurant, unfortunately, was closed recently by the chef who closed it and moved to South Carolina. I am pleased to learn that it has been bought by the Foreman Wolf Group, prominent owners of excellent Baltimore restaurants, so that will assure that it will continue to be a special restaurant, and will reopen in late spring.

Clark continues to keep his small golf museum on Falls Road next to the Valley Inn; well worth a visit. Clark’s dad and an uncle of mine competed together in the then-dominant amateur circuit in the late ’20s and early ’30s, including majors and the Walker Cup.

Herb Tinley and Betty moved last year from their longtime home in Cape Coral, Florida, just north of Fort Myers, to Huntsville, Texas, close to Betty’s son. They wanted to be closer to family. Huntsville is a small town 70 miles north of Houston of about 40,000, known for being the home of Sam Houston State University and the residence of Sam Houston.

Nonetheless, they continue their relationship with their business partners, Cruise Everything in Fort Myers, and will continue to promote and host international cruises, which they have been doing for years.

Bonnie and I have shared cruises with them as well as taken other cruises they have set up for us. Much has been put

off but they are expecting to do a very nice cruise in Portugal later this year.

Larry Stifler’s Maine Mineral and Gem Museum is back open and getting excellent ratings from visitors. The Stiflers have kept busy giving talks, being politically active, and being involved in education with their foundation.

Rick Uhlig has been adjusting to the loss of Susan by keeping active and helpful in the community with, among others, Gilchrist, the Veterans, and providing food to families.

Frank Pine and Lorraine have spent much of the past year in their Adirondack Park home in New York because the risk of exposure to COVID is much less there than here.

Tom Andrew is retired in Seattle doing what he wants and enjoying time for seeing his grandkids.

Tom Ahern writes about their active and varied life. He and Nancy live in Key Largo, but with a condo in Miami where Nancy had lived, and another just bought in Philadelphia so they can visit with Nancy’s daughters. Nancy has regrettably had a case of ovarian cancer but seems to have come out of it and is active, but she does need to have medical visits to Miami. We certainly wish her the best for a complete recovery. Nancy is in real estate in Key Largo for Coldwell Banker, and both she and Tom are buying fixer-uppers to use for AirBnB. Tom is very pleased to have his daughter, Julianne, her husband, and their two daughters in Clearwater, relatively close so he can see her and his two granddaughters, which, of course, he relishes. I have seen his pictures on Facebook with the cute girls. Julianne and husband are active in flipping houses in the Clearwater area, taking their example after Tom who has done it for some time.

Tom will be on Zoom for the class lunch. We look forward to seeing him.

The Markells like all others have had considerably reduced activity but nevertheless were able to make two trips over the summer, one to Bethany Beach with family, having the use of the house of a good friend, and a trip to Maine to visit Bonnie’s niece and family. They live on a beautiful inlet that comes seven miles from the sea and ends not far past their house on the outskirts of Brunswick. Her enterprising sons, both of whom are now in college, dug clams on that inlet for several years, making $300 and up each per day worked, getting up very early. They have also set up an oyster farm on that same inlet with help from their father, where they can plant about 250,000 nascent oysters in the summer and wait until the next summer and have mature oysters that can be sold for a good price.

We resumed our annual trip to Captiva, Florida at the end of April for 10 days after canceling it last year. We have been fortunate to be able to see a lot of Bonnie’s family, all of whom live in our area; mine is spread around the country — with eight grandkids aged 2 to 14.

1960

Ted Knowles feknowles@verizon.net

We have lost our friend and classmate Richie Evans, who died from COVID-19 on Friday, April 9, 2021. A eulogy can be found on page 100.

Stan Heuisler: The filmmaker Ken Burns recently said, “the half-life of grief is endless” and as I go towards 11 months without my wife of 52 years I would add “and changing every day.” All this was reinforced by hearing Richard Evans had died, reading expressions of

grief from many classmates, being called by The Sun’s reporters to put some framing memorial thoughts on paper, and shortly thereafter I ended up his primary eulogist. I hope his friends and family and classmates approved. The paper said they needed to rush to print because he was a celebrity.

We should all continuously celebrate how Richard touched each of us with his genuineness. And how dutifully he worked to keep us all together. He had a good soul with a twinkle in the eye.

This has been a challenging year for all of us but things seem a bit on the uptick. I have one family pod living and working and schooling in Cambodia and a second the same in Baltimore. They are coping well. FaceTime allows frequent time and appropriate comments from the grands. Their reaction to a picture of me in the Army in the early ’60s was “you walked around all day with a gun?” They were unmoved by the excuse that all the communist enemies were acting similarly.

We hope to stage a memorial service for Betsey this summer and are working on an online retrospective inventory of her remaining paintings after requests from past and prospective collectors.

I am writing again and her notebook memories recently enlivened an account of a magic mushroom trip on Bali in 1975. This only contributed to the assessment in my Roland Park Place retirement community that post-hippie stoners could live productive lives and be good neighbors, but I attribute that to Betsey’s memory.

Chris Scott: Susie and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on June 20, 2020, almost exactly the same date as the 60th anniversary of my Gilman graduation. I have recently retired from ten years as a mediator in private

practice, and with the Franklin and Delaware County, Ohio, court systems. I thoroughly enjoyed serving in this capacity, after a long career in banking and finance. Susie and I have a son, John, who is in corporate real estate finance at KeyBank in Cleveland, and with his wife, Tracy, has two children. Our daughter, Betsy, is director of the lower school at Columbus School for Girls, and has two children with her husband, Jeff. Two years ago, we sold our home of 30 years to Betsy and Jeff, and built an adjoining in-law suite for us, a very satisfactory arrangement for all. During the COVID-19 crisis, Betsy has had her office in one room of the house, where she has had to develop and administer an online education curriculum for 156 students in grades 1-5. Jeff is in another, which serves as his office for Huntington Bank. Susie and I each have our own space for our various endeavors, while our two resident granddaughters, ages 11 and 7, attend school online. I find that being a grandfather is the most satisfying job I have had. Altogether, 2020 has been a very eventful year.

Kent Mullikin: Losing Rich is very sad news indeed. I remember him as a great lacrosse player, one of the friendliest members of our class, and a lifelong Gilman loyalist. I was last in touch with him after Virginia won the NCAA lacrosse championship in 2019 to say, “Virginia probably has not played such an amazing defensive game since you were on the field in Charlottesville.” Until his grievous loss, I could say I did not know anyone who was seriously ill. May he rest in peace.

If you want to fill in an address for Mac Deford, he and his wife live in Spruce Head, Maine. I have not been in touch with him recently, but I wrote to him when Frank died. Mac and I were teaching fellows at the International

College in Beirut in 1964-65, back in the days before everything fell apart in the Middle East. He had a career in the foreign service and then in investment banking. In retirement, he moved to Maine and, among other things, wrote regularly on politics and foreign affairs for The Free Press in Camden and organized a forum on foreign affairs that I would regularly hear on the radio. His pieces for The Free Press were collected and published as a book.

Looking back over the past year it is easier to list things not done than those done. For the first summer in 40 years, we did not go to Swan’s Island, Maine, and for the first time in 70-some years, I did not spend time on the water or sail a boat. I missed singing in the choir at church and regular morning workouts at the Chapel Hill YMCA, though I have recently recommenced the latter in hopes of getting in some kind of shape to enjoy the coming summer on Swan’s Island now that Miriam and I have had both our shots. All things considered, our pandemic experience was not that bad. In nice weather, we took long walks and worked a lot in the yard. When we were indoors, we read many good books. Our older daughter and her family live in Chapel Hill, so we regularly saw at least two of our grandchildren. I have also been in touch online with a number of old friends — from Gilman, from fellow alumni of the Princeton Nassoons, from downeast Maine, et al. Compared with what many Americans have suffered in past months, we got off easy in our pleasant university town.

I put Mac’s name and location on the list of classmates who were ever at Gilman, including those who did not graduate. I assume he left at some point to go to one of the big-name prep schools in New England, but I actually do not know.

John Lewis: Tragically, I have to report that Jo DeWeese, my wife of 47 years, died October 26 in a bad fall. There is an excellent obituary detailing her life and career in the January issue of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2021, 1-2. I am now living with my daughter, Brett Lewis-Deweese, in Nashville Friday through Sunday while she works at Vanderbilt Hospital. We are at our farm the rest of the week. Jo and I had recently sold our house in Louisville and bought one in Bradenton, Florida, where we lived for four months before her death. I plan to move back there within the next six months. Thanks and best regards to all.

Ned Sullivan: We have almost made it through another ski season in Aspen without being prematurely shut down like last year. I had to quarantine for a week in January due to exposure to an M.D. friend who tested positive and was in and out of the hospital twice, but I had already gotten the first Pfizer shot by then and was OK. I saw George Fesus (also an Aspen resident) skiing a few weeks ago. I’m still working five-day weeks at the mountain restaurant and skiing to and from work, but the job ends for the season on April 12. Can I make it for another year? Classmates seem to be dropping like flies, but I think that I’m the youngest member of the class of 1960, and without too many health problems. I had no paid work at all last summer, and this one appears to be similar, with lots of hiking and biking, and a bit of volunteer trailbuilding and restoration with several local environmental organizations. If things loosen up elsewhere, I would like to go back to Hawaii and Greece before fall arrives.

Ted Knowles: Richie Evans’ death is terrible news. His organizing the class lunches for local classmates showed his love for the school and for us too.

His devotion never wavered. He often invited guests such as Reddy Finney, Nick Schloeder, and Tim Holley. All this deepened my sense of closeness to Richie and to the School. I think Snowden’s and King Barnes’ suggestion of honoring Richie is great. I suggest changing the “Class of ’60 Scholarship Fund” to “The Richard E. Evans Class of ’60 Memorial Scholarship Fund.” And if we all make a contribution to the Fund, it will increase the amount of the scholarships that are awarded. When Gretchen and I were fully vaccinated we felt free enough to visit Tommy ’96 and his family in Seaside, California. His and Meghan’s daughter, Maisie, 4, is strongwilled and delightful. When she wanted me to read her a story, she grabbed my hand and pulled me — actually dragged me — down the hall to the books! We had been seeing David’s (Gilman ’92 through seventh grade; Friends ’92) and Sam’s ’90 families all along. They are carefully isolating as we are. Seeing them (with their approval) was a calculated risk, but it turned out very well. All my sons and their wives are now fully vaccinated, but we continue to be careful because of their children. One of my regrets about being on the baseball team is that I never got to see any of the lacrosse games. Not one! I knew then that they were playing at the same time on some other field. I still regret it.

John Rouse: Very sad news. I think you caught the essence of what kind of person Richie was. He was a fighter in his own personal life, on the lacrosse field, and did so much for his fellow teammates and for Gilman. An outstanding athlete at Gilman, UVA, and afterward, a born leader. We will miss him.

Peter Wood: Richard Evans. Oh dear, this is very sad news for all of us. He was such a unique individual and such an energetic and positive force in those important things we all shared

at Gilman. I know he will be greatly missed by our whole class. Hope all is well in Chestertown. Any ospreys in the nest yet? Several ospreys are nearby here. Thanks for giving Lil a shout; she is teaching an amazing course from home this semester on, get this, The Global History of Epidemic Disease! Yes, even Hank Aaron, whose memory was to be honored in Atlanta in July, would be very pleased that MLB is to bring the All-Star Game to Denver! In the thin air, there should be lots of homers.

While I’m at it, here’s the update I owe you this month! Thanks for keeping us all in touch. During our quarantine year, I poked through the bubble by giving a number of Zoom talks. I spoke to archaeologists in St. Louis about my work on ancient dugout canoes, to K-12 teachers in Jacksonville about views of Reconstruction, and, in the year of Black Lives Matter, to CU grad students in the molecular and cell biology department about the origins of human enslavement in colonial America. I also talked to an MIT undergraduate seminar about rice cultivation in early South Carolina, and during Black History Month I spoke to Weber State U. (Ogden, Utah) about generations of forced illiteracy among African Americans before the Civil War. Strangest of all was an invitation from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to give an illustrated talk, with simultaneous translation, about my favorite American painter, Winslow Homer. “You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can’t, etc. …” Boulder, like every other U.S. county, remains vulnerable to senseless gun violence. But Colorado’s simple election laws, using mail-in ballots, provide a sane example for the rest of the country. My backyard gourd crop was good last summer, and I hope this year’s will be even better.

Jim Constable: Awful. Richie did so much to bring the Baltimore guys

together. Our class godfather. Let’s find a way to honor him.

Karl Mech: Sad to hear of Richie’s death. I will never forget his zest for life.

King Barnes: Thanks to Rich, he recognized my fondness for the class of 1960 at Gilman, as I was close to several from earlier years at Roland Park Country School from kindergarten through third grade and Gilman Lower School with one year at Gilman Upper School, (seventh grade). Richie was so nice to include me in Gilman 1960 class lunch gatherings in Baltimore and Baltimore County so that I could still participate with my friends. He also wished someday to have Gilman Alumni Association recognize those very accomplished athletes at Gilman and those who played at colleges and universities with athletic distinction as he did at the University of Virginia Lacrosse program and Club Lacrosse in Maryland.

I am recommending that my suggestion to Snowden Stanley is to change the name of the Class of ’60 Scholarship Fund to “The Class of ’60 Scholarship/ Athletic Fund” as Richie felt that scholars and especially athletes should be recognized by Gilman alumni and that Gilman athletes and scholars have the opportunity to donate and participate too.

Snowden Stanley: Remembrances of Richie are well said by all. He was such a friendly person for all the years we knew him. I particularly respected the way in which he transitioned to selling furniture after the end of his time at The Crease and before his real estate business got going. He was good at that too!

Steve Plant: Richie’s death is very sad. A really good guy. Jim Constable put it well with “godfather of the class.” Although I was geographically remote,

I still really vicariously enjoyed the get-togethers he led, thanks to the group photos. May he rest in peace.

Jim Winn: Richie was a fighter. Most times he won. Sometimes he lost, but it was never from a lack of effort on his part. His devotion to Gilman sprang from the heart. He established this email net for our class, organized our class lunches often around visits to Baltimore by out-of-town classmates, worked on our class annual giving and reunions, and lobbied heavily for a Gilman Athletic Hall of Fame. Goodbye, Richie. I will miss sitting with you at Gilman events. I will miss hearing your stories of old victories, real or imagined. If only I had played as well as you in our last lacrosse game against St. Paul’s, we would have won that one, too.

1961

Bill Hardy billhardy@comcast.net

What a year 2020 was for everyone. We certainly hope never to experience anything like it again. As we pull these

notes together, it seems that many of us have received the COVID vaccination or are in the process of getting it. Please do so. Fortunately, by my notes, none of us succumbed to the virus. Unfortunately, several of our classmates did pass away or we received news of their deaths recently. Doug Small died in October 2019. Andy Fairfield died in February 2020, and Bob Moss passed away January 2 of this year. Brief write-ups about them are in the notes below. In addition, our beloved mentor and teacher, Bill Porter, died January 26, 2021.

Below are the notes that people sent to me. Most are unedited or lightly so. The time spent sending in your updates is appreciated by all.

Pope Barrow sends the following update: All is well. My kids are doing great, mostly. My two grandkids are both beautiful and talented. My girlfriend is keeping me out of trouble, mostly. I have a great new car. I won some sailboat races in 2020. My pickleball game is improving. My doctors, all six of them, are being encouraging. With the coronavirus hopefully ebbing, I am

expected to get back to traveling, eating out, and socializing soon, maybe as soon as summertime. I also hope to see some of my surviving Gilman classmates again in 2021 at one of our extravagant Grumpy events.

Rick Born remembers when the School had an alumni dinner at the old Greenspring Inn, soon to be Chase Bank/Jimmy Chiu. As recent graduates, we sat in the very back of the room. There weren’t many men in the 60-plus year classes there. But look at all the class email addresses. Most of us are hanging in there pretty well. Suddenly seventy-plus!! All is well with our family as the years roll by. We now have four grandchildren, with our son (’00) and his wife welcoming a new daughter last May. In late March 2021 after vaccinations, we drove to Florida visiting friends. One stop was to Henry and Nancy Hopkins’ new Hobe Sound, Florida residence. Henry is a veteran home construction manager and has outdone himself this time. The beautiful new New England-style house is perched on the Atlantic beach. No detail

has been overlooked, and the infrastructure is state of the art. Henry and Nancy are always welcoming, and their new home is worth the visit.

Bryson Christhilf is like many of us. He says he can’t think of a single notable thing that happened this year other than getting his COVID shots in February in Florida. It was the high point of the last 12 months. Next year will have to be better.

Steve Cordi reports Marque and he are doing just fine. They have used the time they’ve been given this past year to thinning the impedimenta about their place, practicing social distancing with a handful of friends and relatives on their porch, and watching and re-watching much-loved old movies. To him, it’s been a surprisingly short year, almost as short as the 1960-61 school year, though for different reasons.

Chris Creed sent the following note: The past year or so has been different in so many ways. We were on a cruise in Australia when that country closed down on account of COVID. We were put off the ship in Adelaide and had to make our way back to San Francisco while everyone else was also trying to get out of the country. We made it, but it was a somewhat harrowing experience.

The community in Portola Valley (west of Stanford/Palo Alto) where we live locked down on March 18, 2020. We were well-protected from the virus, well-fed and well-Zoomed until things started to open up a bit this past month (March). Now we are vaccinated and free to go out into the world again — wearing masks and maintaining distance. Even during our year of “isolation,” Barbara and I were able to get away to our second home on the north Sonoma County coast — where we over-

look the ocean and have perfect peace and quiet.

Carl Cummings sent this news: I am completing my 12th year as pastor at St. Jane Frances Church in Pasadena where the locals refer to the area as “the Dena.” This past September I went under the knife and had two discs in my neck removed and replaced by Henry Hopkins’ spine surgeon. The operation was successful. Thanks, Henry.

Like the rest of you, COVID-19 had a big impact on St. Jane’s. We had to cancel our pilgrimage to France to visit the home and church of our patron, Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, her mentor St. Francis de Sales, and other shrines. For a number of months, I celebrated Mass without a congregation. There were only a few altar servers, a reader, and a videographer present in the church as we streamed to our people on Facebook and YouTube. When people were finally allowed to return, we practiced social distancing, hand sanitizing, and pew sanitizing after Mass. Even hearing confessions has required an unusual dimension. After the prayer of absolution which wipes away the sins of the penitent, I hand him or her a disinfectant cloth to wipe and cleanse the chair upon which they had been sitting.

Naturally, contributions have been down, but the discovery and promotion of electronic giving and the PPP helped alleviate our financial shortfall somewhat. However, hardest hit of all was our school. After 72 years of service, a huge drop in enrollment forced us to close our doors. It was hard not only on past graduates and current students but particularly hard on our long-serving staff and teachers, some of whom attended the school in their youth. Yet the future is looking brighter as more people have started to return on the weekends. The vaccines seem to

be giving our people a sense of cautious security. And it is just in time as the parish gears up to celebrate its 75th anniversary in November. Thanks be to God our anniversary is this year and not last year.

Jack Emory: Katherine and I are past our second shot and adjusted pretty well to winter in Maine after seven winters at Vero Beach (we have already booked for next year). I read recently that Maine leads the nation in vaccinations, and seems to be opening up. It will be nice to do something besides endless indoor tennis (masked up, of course) and Bridge Baron. The one family boasting point is that we have a 12-year-old hockey goalie grandson in Boston who was admitted to BC High middle school (ice hockey in Boston is like lacrosse in Baltimore), and was just recruited and is now in a lacrosse goal for the summer. He reminds me of Harvey Stanley — he obviously likes to have things thrown at him. All the best to the class of ’61.

Andrew Fairfield: Andy attended Gilman in our First and Second Form years as a five-day boarder before moving to St. Andrews in Delaware and then Trinity College. He became a priest in the Episcopal Church spending 21 years in Alaska before being elected bishop of North Dakota in 1989. He served there until 1993 when he retired and moved with his wife, Sally, to his family farm in Massachusetts. He died on February 16, 2020.

Scott Faulkner checked in: The family has escaped COVID so far, and all that are eligible are vaccinated. Katie and I continue to live in a downsized manner in Franklin, Tennessee. We seem to be the primary after-school babysitters for 9- and 3-year-old granddaughters, and this provides a great deal of entertainment.

Working my way through my family tree, I have learned about many new distant relatives as well as much early history of Maryland. Planned trips to the Eastern Shore have been postponed but I am hopeful about getting there by the end of summer.

Jim Garrett: The main thing is that Edie and I have remained healthy throughout the past many months of the pandemic. During the 2020-2021 academic year, my connection to Gilman deepened in two different ways. The first involved a new role, described in The Gilman Fund Leadership publication as “Chairs–Grandparent Division, James ’61 and Edith Garrett, GP ’24, ’29, ’32.” Edie and I fulfilled our obligations with, we hope, good results. The second involves our daughter, Julia Randolph, who has returned to teaching after a decade of full-time parenting and is now a longterm substitute in the Lower School. Her Gilman sons are completing first, fourth, and ninth grades this year. Meanwhile, their sister, Anne Garrett Randolph, is a middle schooler at RPCS.

I’m happy to report that Gilman’s ninth graders, along with the tenth graders

who missed the opportunity last year, will have the chance to experience the Gilman-Outward Bound Expedition at the end of this school year, either in June or August. This collaboration between Gilman and the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School is particularly meaningful to me, and, I believe, also to the students.

Our oldest grandson graduated from Vanderbilt in 2020 and is now an analyst with Deloitte in Atlanta, working with health care companies in the Business Strategy Group. His sister will graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill in May — destination to be determined.

Several gifts from this period of pandemic sequestration are worth noting. Edie and I are continually grateful that we still live in a beautiful place, as stewards of ancestral land and its history. We are gathering and recording the history of the Rockland Farm and family members who have walked this land over the past 300 years. We suspect that our initiatives to restore the Rockland Barn and the pasture fencing are the reasons that the number of horse boarders has doubled in the past 12 months. Our “small business” is thriving!

In addition to my role in the horse operation, I have continued my service as a trustee on a number of boards and lead two of them. Running meetings via Zoom certainly has its challenges.

A final thought: I suspect that there may be classmates who will agree with me that Tennyson was right when he wrote, in the final six lines of “Ulysses”:

“Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’/ We are not now that strength which in old days/ Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;/ One equal temper of heroic hearts,/ Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will/ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

John Gerhardt has had a challenging year. He sent this: Time is certainly hurrying by. COVID-19 and health issues are keeping me pretty much locked up. Sadly, Mo [his son], is under 24-hour care for his breathing issues. Ann and I feel fortunate we live next door. Ann is unbelievable with her daily care for him and her concern for me — dialysis every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — and now treatment for clogged arteries in both legs. To top it off, she is having a knee replacement.

Bill Hardy’s input: As with everyone else, Lin and I spent the early part of the year learning how to cope with the reality of this terrible virus that took so many lives. Fortunately, we had just returned from a trip to Arizona to visit our son living there. Also, fortunately, because of our state in life, the adjustment to staying home was not as much of a disruption to our lives as it was to our children and grandchildren. I feel for them because they literally had some of their life experiences kept from them by the situation. I am glad that we, in our formative years, did not have to experience this and that we are able to remember our experiences as normal memories. We got to be seniors at Gilman and play sports, be in plays, and celebrate our youth. Last year’s seniors missed this. The hardest part to me was not seeing our families and friends as we usually would have done. We missed our monthly Grumpies gatherings. Last year, most of us were planning for 55th college reunions which had been in some cases up to a year in planning.

These got abruptly canceled. Some had children or grandchildren who were supposed to have graduated from college. It never happened. Fortunately, I think our numbers survived the scourge. The time was not a total loss for Lin and me. It gave us time to plan and re-plan and plan some more for our move to Broadmead in November of last fall. Everything went well and we are now happily ensconced here enjoying the change, meeting new friends, and glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel. All of the residents have been vaccinated so things are loosening up. For those who keep score, our phone number is 443-578-8541. I am looking forward to our Zoom reunion in the spring and, hopefully, an in-person one in the fall.

Henry Hopkins reports from his Florida home: Nancy and I have been hunkered down on Jupiter Island, Florida, since COVID came on the scene. We are waiting patiently for the pandemic to take its course and hopefully returning to a less monastic life. We are fortunate to have FaceTime and Zoom to keep up with family and friends. I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. Porter. He was a remarkable teacher and mentor of young men and a dear friend. I recently learned that Sam Dell started a fund at Gilman to honor Mr. Porter that helps fund the School’s STEM program. Henceforth I will equally divide my annual donation to the School between the Porter fund, our class scholarship

fund, and the Nick Schloeder scholarship fund.

Corbin Marr spends much of his time as a currier of medical samples around the D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia areas. Corbin and Liz continue to enjoy living in D.C., but his recent trips have been to Michigan, not Maryland … In the fall of 2019, before COVID, his son Carson met (at church) a wonderful, tall, and attractive girl from Grand Rapids. … February 2020 engaged; married August … a whirlwind from courtship to wedding ... Along the way, in May 2020 he had planned to enjoy his son’s graduation and his own 55th reunion (same weekend) from Penn … Neither happened. However, their consolation prize was displaying their IDENTICAL (in Latin) diplomas at a celebratory party in his apartment … (see photo above). Carson works in cybersecurity for a multinational in Tysons Corner; Claire is assistant to the president of The Heritage Foundation. Best wishes to you all, Corbin.

Bob Moss: Bob had written last year that he was looking forward to our 60th reunion. He and Marguerite had moved from Texas to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she had grown up, and were reconnecting with people there. Unfortunately, in November, he was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer and succumbed to it on January 2, 2021. Bob was a respected and admired friend of all of us being elected as class president for the last five years

of our time at Gilman, and received the Fisher Medallion our senior year. He is survived by his wife, Marguerite, two daughters, and four grandchildren.

Moby Mudge: It is April 15. The National Weather Service is predicting snow for tonight, and I am dusting off the snow shovel. Looking back a year, the most important thing was to avoid and survive COVID, both physically and mentally, and eventually to receive two jabs of Moderna. The psychological, even emotional, relief of receiving the second jab was as real as it was surprising. Benefiting from the jabs, I am slowly coming out of COVID hibernation and look forward to resuming social contacts and shorting Zoom time, TV news time, newspaper reading time, and brooding time about the pandemic and the overall health of the country and the world. Hopefully, my camera club and book club will resume meeting in person and it will be possible to swat some tennis balls in the near future. Actually “playing tennis” may now be beyond me, but I like to think I can still hit a few in a gentle rally. Last summer’s drought required me to spend a lot of time watering newly planted trees, a very boring exercise which gave me plenty of time to appreciate the low level of the O-to-HS ratio in my life; that is the ratio of Opera to Horse Sense — the lower the O-to-HS ratio, the better. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of tree watering in the summer of 2021, all the more time to assess the O-to-HS ratio. I have volunteered to

teach English as a second language in Connecticut. Teaching ESL was very rewarding for the 10 years I did so when we lived in New York. As far as I know, there is not much difference between Connecticut English and New York English (putting Baltimore English aside); so for the moment, I feel fully qualified. For a more complete update, see my website (fotobs.com) and my Facebook page (GA Mudge). Importantly, photography continues as a wonderful hobby. This reminds me: Beware the dandelions; they are on the prowl despite the prediction of snow tonight. Stay Safe, Moby

Ed Muhlenfeld is still in Scottsdale, Arizona. He writes that it was a dicey year for him. He had a replacement aortic valve (known as a TAVR) at the Mayo Hospital in mid-July, which was successful. His condition was the result of radiation treatment given to some Vietnam-era soldiers as they were discharged and which manifests itself at our age as heart valve problems. Then in August he had a GI bleed. Now he is dealing with central canal stenosis in his cervical spine. Recovery is a slow process he says, but he is managing to do a split workday at the office with his business partner.

Rick Ober is juggling many things. He moved into Stonebridge at Montgomery, a continuing care resort community just north of Princeton in September of 2019. No ski trips this year; just got back to doubles tennis in mid-March, having gotten his first Pfizer COVID-19 shot. Carol has been very busy with garden/ greenhouse group and as secretary of the residents committee. Daughter Molly Ober Fechter-Leggett, (psychologist at U. West Virginia) and three grandkids (Aubrey, Emmett, and Simon) are touring the United States in their 32-foot RV, doing at-home schooling each day, and exploring history live.

Husband Ethan is very busy as CDC epidemiologist. Daughter Julie Ober Allen is assistant professor of public health at University of Oklahoma and grandson Bem is playing soccer. Rick is also volunteering as a legal analyst for the Princeton Gerrymandering Project. He is analyzing existing state laws and proposed state-level reforms for their ability to prevent gerrymandering.

Mac Passano reports the following: The summer of 2020 was a bit different although as a family we were able to spend good quality time together.

Groton Long Point, Connecticut, summer activities were limited to individual or family gatherings so we made our own plans around boating, sailing, sports, and picnic trips. Catherine, Seth, and their three girls: Emma (17), Abby (15), and Cate (12) were able to spend the whole summer at GLP. Tammy, Justin, and their three girls: Courtney (10), Ellie (8), and Lizzy (5) were there for a month as were Sarah, Mike, and their four: Annabelle (10), Grady (8), Sawyer (5), and Callie (3). The fall, winter, and spring in Baltimore provided a lot of time to walk in the fresh air, small group and family times to get together, and club and restaurant visits following protocols. Looking forward to continued relaxing of restrictions and an open and active summer.

Tom Salisbury reports during the previous 12 months, we’ve finally completed the house remodel and have moved back in the house, just in time to become recluses as we sheltered in place to deal with COVID-19. Except for periodic trips for supplies and medical appointments, we found lots of time to get comfortable with the “new house.” The focus this spring is on several landscaping and road maintenance projects, which should keep me occupied through the summer and fall. We’ve both received the Moderna vaccine, but

will continue to mask up when going to town for the foreseeable future as a continued preventive precaution. I’ve been dealing with Wet Macular Degeneration for going on two years, resulting in twice monthly injections at a Seattle medical center. Finally, we are looking forward to finally being able to be with our children and grandchildren later this year, assuming COVID decreases sufficiently as a risk.

We belatedly learned that Doug Small passed away on October 11, 2019, after an injury sustained while mountain biking. Doug left Gilman after his Fifth Form year. He became a Master Naturalist capping his love of the outdoors. During his career, he was a steeplechase jockey as well as an avid outdoorsman. He also was an architect and builder of post-and-beam homes along with his wife, Lori. Their firm was located in Onancock, Virginia. He later lived in the Fair Hill, Maryland area.

Ritchie Solter: I continue to work full time in the finance world and still find it both challenging and stimulating. I have lived in the same house for 37 years. Amanda and I continue a relationship, which keeps me on my toes and out of the bars. I recently served on the Alumni Association Board of Governors, which provided a very clear picture of how Gilman works and continues to set high standards for its students. I have been blessed with nine grandchildren. Four of them live in Maryland, which provides me with countless opportunities to see them perform in various sports and other activities. Also, I am the proud grandfather of Colton Edmunds, Gilman class of 2018. I look forward to gathering with all who can make it in the fall. That will be a worthy celebration provided COVID -19 is under control by then.

John Stockbridge sent these notes: It was a year of learning some new skills

and changing some habits. Our time on the computer dramatically increased with virtual meetings. Our Brady Bunch has four kids and seven grandkids and all the birthdays were Zoomers. We had one journey, down to Bermuda, to see the youngest grandboy turn 5, but some quarantine was necessary. For exercise, lots more walking, and for dining, all at home with my marvelous chef/spouse. All I had to do was wash the dishes. Gained 10 pounds. Hopefully this year will get us back to our fortunate, pre-pandemic existence, and we might even have an in-person class reunion!

Harry Swope sends this: My son, Forrest, continues in his senior position in information technology at the University of Virginia. A team of which he was a key member received recognition for the outstanding work they did to manage the University’s IT-related responses to COVID. His eldest daughter will graduate in May from Mary Washington University, which she accomplished in only three years. My wife, Libby, and I will come east in May to celebrate that with them.

My daughter, Alexandra, just purchased her second veterinary practice and has stayed very busy throughout the pandemic. My wife has been busy assisting friends in the design and execution of home remodeling projects — from simple to major. I remain active on the board of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute.

T Tall: As with all of us, COVID threw a monkey wrench into T’s life, but things turned out pretty well. His wife, Cy’s, planned retirement from her company, Beau Ties, was cut short by the company being shut down. She agreed to stay on to help navigate through things. Then masks became a hot commodity and sales changed from ties to masks. She finally retired to part time in July. The

other big event for T and Cy was the marriage of their son, Christopher, on December 30. Thanks to technology, they were able to attend via Zoom as the wedding was in Madison, Wisconsin, and T and Cy were in Vermont. As T remarks, “as this year ebbs, we find that while it has been challenging, mystifying, maddening, infuriating, and depressing in turns, it has also reminded us to be grateful for many things we take for granted.”

Peter Wilkes: Not much has changed in the Wilkes/Wilson household. Health is still relatively good for the two of us. The kids and grandkids seem to have survived the last year (or four) in decent shape, although time will tell for all of us in that regard, I suppose. Theatres are still closed down, so still no acting opportunities, but even that area of my world is showing some signs of revival these days. I continue to work on various writing projects, and participate in the Standardized Patient work at both the University of Maryland Medical Systems and Johns Hopkins Hospital, which I greatly enjoy. [In this work, he uses his acting skills to be a simulated patient for doctors in training for real life situations.] Life is definitely not dull.

Cooper Winston was unable to join us in our Zoom call in May, but he writes: “Sue and I are doing fine here in Franklin, Massachusetts. We’ve managed to stay COVID-free and are looking forward to getting back to normal life where we can do short trips, etc.”

1962

Van Wolf vvw@slwplc.com

First off, many thanks are owed to Gordy Hammann for his work in the last 50-plus years as class secretary

providing periodic reports of our activities and hosting gatherings in the reunion years. Gordy retired three and a half years ago from a 35-year career in the insurance business in Baltimore and now spends half the year on the west coast of Florida, playing tennis six days a week (doubtless both in Baltimore and Florida, though the weather may be less cooperative in the former), and enjoying life, which includes seven grandchildren (five boys and two girls, ages 9 to 24).

In late March and early April, I sent two rounds of emails requesting information to the 43 classmates (both graduates and those who graced our class at different times) whose email addresses the School had (Gilman’s list contains 93 names). Charlie Emmons, the second to reply in the initial round, sent his response to the whole mailing list, and there followed a string of responses from a number of us that went to everyone on the address list, which was a really neat and quick way for everyone to get back in touch. I hope those who have not yet responded will let us know your whereabouts. Inasmuch as the initial replies were sometimes lengthy, following is a truncated report to meet the limitations of the School’s publication, but the fuller reports circulated to all of us are terrific.

Andy Barnes: As with many of us, semi-retired, but continues to provide “expert” services in complex real estate litigation, as well as serving on three nonprofit boards, but “purposely working to wind this down as my priority is more time for family (three grown children [teacher, broadcast journalist, and architect] and three grandchildren), travel [I met with Andy seven years ago in Phoenix, and he joined Renny and Jain Daly for a Ft. Mojave Indian Reservation service trip along the Colorado River in 2018; sees Fielding Lewis in Martha’s Vineyard],

and more.” Andy keeps the planes aloft by spending winters at his Honolulu home, spring and fall in the Bay area, and summer at Martha’s Vineyard, at least when COVID did not impose limits on travel. Sara (married 40 years, volunteer work and “lifelong pursuit of artistic endeavors”) and Andy got their “jabs” earlier in the year; enjoying “as much good health as any 77-year-old can reasonably expect, I am aware that the future is not unlimited and I am interested in using our remaining healthy years (whatever they may be) as fully as possible.” Finally, as I am sure with many of us, Andy is “amazed and deeply concerned at the turmoil the last year has brought to us all — and the world.”

Winston Brundige: Retired for 20 years, and “by living on a mountainside for the last 27 years [Ogden, Utah], we [with wife Ann] still get to enjoy spectacular sunsets, the trails of the National Forest and BLM land across the street and good golfing. … Our deer herd and quail flock are thriving. Unfortunately, I no longer ski although I may try again next season now that I have had both knees replaced.” Of special note is Winston’s expertise with raptors and giving volunteer programs at local schools for HawkWatch International, although COVID stalled this effort. Planning a trip to Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2022 with his nature photographer brother, who has extensive Africa experience.

Renny Daly: “I left Baltimore for Colorado in 1996 and have never looked back.” Renny and Jain (married in 2006) live in Loveland; his daughter Elissa (Bryn Mawr) lives in Longmont, Colorado, and son Mike (Gilman) lives with his wife south of LA; Jain’s two boys and five grandkids live in nearby Loveland. Renny spends much of his time overseeing Jain’s family’s “camp” on New Hampshire’s Squam Lake. Renny and Jain visited me in Phoenix a year ago,

and he is obviously enjoying retirement from a long law career.

Charlie Davidson: Transferred to McDonogh in the Fourth Form (10th grade) because Gilman did not have sufficient “things musical” (until recently, Charlie had a jazz band) in the late ’50s/early ’60s, though I expect it has changed. Charlie lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his second wife (Charlie’s first wife, who attended our 50th, lost a 10-year battle with cancer, a too-common story) post-retirement from his psychotherapy practice, pastorate, and teaching by enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountains, writing and editing books, and having “grandfatherly conversations” with neighbor kids. No grandchildren yet but looking forward to a long-delayed (thanks, COVID) visit to son in LA and daughter in Louisville. To sate his music side, Charlie occasionally takes up his sax and clarinet for worship services.

Rick Buck: After 42 years in private practice of allergy and asthma, continuing to stay active (for the brain) in a part-time consultancy with community health centers and (for health) hiking, biking, rowing a small White Hall skiff, cross-country skiing (or as his children call it, uphill skiing) and, for the last year, golf. His great joy has been singing in a large concert choir, and they hope to return to Carnegie Hall in June 2022 to sing Brahms German Requiem. Rick’s wife, Ginny, passed away in 2010 after a long bout with breast cancer, and three children with six grandchildren keep Rick hopping. Rick is also kept hopping with a long-term relationship with Cynthia, a wonderful downhill skier and cycler.

Charlie Emmons: New England is certainly the preferred home for a number of us; Charlie and his wife, Margie, have lived in Yarmouth, Maine,

since 2002. Daughter Beth, son-in-law Ben, and three offspring are also in Yarmouth, while son Chip (carpenter) and partner Rachel (physical therapist for us older folks) are 45 minutes away in Hollis. Other son Matthew (makes maple sugar and has a property maintenance/construction company) and Heidi (upholsterer specializing in refurbishing boat/car cushions/seats) and their two children live two hours away in Holderness, New Hampshire, two minutes from Charlie and Margie’s house on Squam Lake. Besides neighborhood dog-walking, Charlie is in search of other activities to keep the synapses going.

Jack Emory: We had Jack for only his and our last year, but the class of ’61 reclaimed him as an honorary member, and that is where his greatest loyalties reside. Nonetheless, his report to ’61 is that he and Katharine are still in Freeport, Maine, (after seven winters in Vero Beach) and looking forward to the freedom of full vaccination, especially seeing his Boston grandson who apparently is a hockey goalie phenom; “reminds me of Harvey Stanley — he obviously like to have things thrown at him.”

John Hart: John and Linda, married 53 years, have lived the last 40 years in Weston, outside Boston. “Now longterm retired empty nesters, not likely to leave until there’s no other choice … Sufficient space, friendly helpful neighbors, and nearby wooded trails to help stay reasonably active … and friends are a Zoom conference away.”

Son Bob and wife Megan, with twin 11-year-olds (“impossible to over-rate the experience of being Grandpa to two active boys”) live in Hinsdale, Illinois, while daughter Elizabeth lives in Washington, D.C., with husband Mark; unless COVID surges again, he and Linda are planning another round of visits. The bright side of the pandemic and recent political events: regular

Zoom meetings among family, friends (including Charlie Emmons), and guests “has brought us closer and allowed us to support one another in trying times … New or renewed friendships, a great support network, long email discussions of nearly everything (OK, politics does predominate), and an appreciation for classmates’ accomplishments, talents, and friendships.” That, John, is the purpose of our getting back in touch.

King Hurlock: King lost his 57-year partner, Sherry Doeller (Bryn Mawr), suddenly in the fall of 2019 from a virulent form of cancer, leaving two daughters and five grandchildren (ages 16-22); one daughter, a special ed teacher in Pennsylvania, has extensive experience in virtual learning (a gold star for 2020 into 2021); the other daughter gave up a promising business career to home-school her three boys to avoid the issues in the public school system; oldest grandson, Timothy, had many medical challenges since birth (“his records probably fill an entire file cabinet at Hopkins”) but is making a slow recovery, with risks still ahead. After a two-year teaching/coaching stint post-college, King returned to the investment world (where he had worked since the Fifth Form) and rose through the ranks in Connecticut, Boston, and Pennsylvania before returning to Baltimore in 1977; 10 years later, he started his own investment advisory and wealth management firm, which he sold in 2018 and finally retired last year. Not completely giving it up, however; King has an unregistered family office for his own interests and those of a dozen long-term clients. King’s 35-year mission has been involvement with a low-income senior housing complex in Hampden (a “tense situation given the COVID threat to seniors”), as well as teaching adult biblical studies. As King puts it, “’retirement’ is merely a euphemism.” His sports at a younger age

made King “an orthopedist dream with spinal fusion, total shoulder replacement, and two new knees — the bionic man.” Activity now is the basement gym, swimming, biking, and maintenance of his 3.5-acre spread in Monkton.

Bob Little: Bob and Diane have been married for 40 years and live in Cincinnati where Bob is “actively building (or trying to).” They met in New Orleans when he was building a large downtown riverfront project called Canal Place, then moved to Santa Monica to build shopping malls in San Diego, LA, San Francisco, etc. The theme: building and creating learned in shop and art with Mr. Garver at Gilman! Three grown children with six grandchildren ranging from college grad (Michigan) down to 5 years. Both Bob and Diane are fully vaccinated and ready to head for St. Michaels on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for spring and summer.

Bucky McAdoo: Back on land in Bellingham, Washington, where he took advantage of the COVID lockdown to produce a 576-page guide book, “Profiles of Northwest Fungi.” How Bucky went from two-plus years in the Peace Corps in Niger to a mushroom expert is a story we will need to hear; his Peace Corps project was digging wells in N’Dunga, and, in a story that will be familiar to all of us who have been in government projects, his language training was Hausa, but in N’Dunga they spoke only Djerma. In retirement, Bucky is kept busy with his 1939 wooden sloop, “which is always rotting somewhere.”

Two sons in LA, stepdaughter in Bellingham with two sons, and stepson in Ventura, California, with two sons. Currently working on two mushroom projects and getting back to painting. Bucky’s email handle is “lobovago,” meaning “wandering wolf”; fall-out from a five-decades story from his sailing time off the east coast of Central America.

Don Proctor: Don and Judith celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in August 2020, but it will be 52 years by the time you read these notes. Judith retired as Vicar at St. Paul’s Church in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, in 2017 but continues to contribute as a member of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center ethics committee. After law school, Don clerked with Bobby Oster’s uncle, then at the Maryland Attorney General’s office, and then at Miles & Stockbridge. Tiring of “Big Law,” Don established a small firm in Towson centering on complex litigation. Two decades later, he, like many of us lawyers, is “semi-retired” and has a small law office in the basement of his Ruxton home. Don and Judith have three children (two Gilman sons; one the finance chief of a Bay Area startup hoping to develop digital solutions for eye disease, and the other heading the English department in an Anne Arundel County school; and an RPCS daughter who is a pediatrician outside Philadelphia) and six grandchildren running the age spectrum. By remaining in the Baltimore area, Don has probably stayed most in touch with classmates still in the area, and I always enjoyed my annual December chat with Don during Gilman’s fundraising blitz.

Bill Shaffer: Connie and Bill celebrated 52 years married this past June, 47 years of which were in New Jersey, 41 years of which were, and still are, in Princeton, New Jersey, across the street from Tim Schweizer’s sister and brother-in-law. Connie, an accomplished painter of still life and landscapes, retired after 28 years teaching French at The Hun School. Not one for limiting himself, of course, Bill spent 32 years as an engineer with Boeing and Mobil Oil, retired and then followed with 17 years with Merrill Lynch in finances; then the second retirement when he continued to restore

limited production model brass trains. Two children have brought five grandchildren, and the entire tribe is planning a last trip to Italy in 2023, Connie having much experience in Europe to enhance her teaching.

John Sheldon: Betti and John (who christened Gilman sports teams as “The Greyhounds” in 1961) get the prize because they will have celebrated 55 years of marriage by the time you read this. Being quarantined on Gibson Island, where they live full time, is not a bad gig, and their seven grandchildren will visit when COVID winds down, doubtless including the 5-year-old youngest. For company, they are joined in the summer months by Joanne and Lyle Schill

Chuck Slagle: Chuck transferred to McDonogh because, in his words, he was “a handful and needed some military discipline, which later came in very handy serving in the Navy for four years.” The military did not dampen his entrepreneurial spirit, however, as Chuck ran a homeowners service business in Baltimore for 34 years, retiring and building a home in Delaware. Chuck’s wife, D’Arcy, died five years ago from muscular dystrophy, the same disease that claimed his son, who left Chuck three grandsons. When you read this, Chuck may well have remarried to MaryAnn, a hospice nurse, who keeps him happy and healthy.

Ken Van Durand: From the occasional music reminders of Baltimore, we know that Ken was full into the music business, from which he is now retired and getting what exercise he can, mostly on a stationary recumbent bike, as well as drive-through and take-out meals in sunny Florida. Since most doctor appointments were considered “essential,” those have mostly been in-person. Ken’s biggest “miracle” was cataract

surgery with implants so for the first time since Lower School, no glasses.

Van Wolf: Three and a half years in the Peace Corps (East Africa), law school, New York City corporate lawyer, teaching law in Indonesia, briefly in Interior Department Solicitor’s Office, five years as editor of environmental law research publication in Washington, D.C. Moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in November 1981 to practice environmental and natural resources law and here ever since. Married Ann (from Peoria, Illinois; we met in Washington, D.C.) in May 1984, followed by Casey (GVVW, III), Timmy (Dec. 1989), Chris, and Libby. First two are in finance and M&A in Dallas, married, and first grandson (GVVW, IV) last February. Libby, a modern dancer, “evacuated” from NYC last year and is now pursuing a graduate degree in physical therapy (getting her prerequisites online while quarantined in Phoenix). Semi-retired but still doing interesting legal work. Volunteer boards: American Cancer Society (local and national) and performing arts organizations in Phoenix. Ann is still working at a local Jesuit boys school. When it gets too hot in Phoenix, we retreat to Flagstaff on the weekends. Back surgery in late 2019 and maintaining daily long walks (thanks to Audible, I have passed the mornings with Amor Towles, Lincoln, James Baker, the Obamas, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, etc.) and other exercise to keep reasonably healthy.

60th reunion?? Zoom, though doable, is simply not much fun. Gilman’s reunions in May 2022 will probably be in-person so is there interest in gathering?

In memoriam: Bud Adams, John Armiger, Robby Boyd, Councill Chase, Cary Jackson, Bill Kerr

1963

Jake Slagle jake@jakeslagle.com

A year ago, our class notes concluded just as COVID-19 started affecting everyone’s life. Presumably, thanks to currency measured in years, most in our class were among the first to be vaccinated. Regardless of COVID, and sadly, our numbers have become fewer. Bob Dyer’s response to my request for news was, “How many have we lost?” Dave Larrabee’s response attached the obituary of Bob Leonard with whom he had long stayed in touch. Bob passed on May 7, 2020, after spending his entire career as an esteemed professor/researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s department of cell biology and neuroscience.

Three other classmates who were non-graduates but well-liked and well-remembered have also left us. Ted Mudge informed me that shortly before COVID, he attended the funeral of Rufus Barrett, who came up through the Lower School. The other two classmates entered the First Form from Calvert and were with us for several years before heading off to boarding school: Johnny Shaw died of kidney failure on June 26, 2020; Warren Stewart died from complications of dementia on Feb. 2, 2021. During our Second Form year, Warrie accompanied yours truly and Ward Coe in some Sunday mischief that landed us in the room adjoining the jail cells at Pikesville police station. When the police called each of our parents to the station to retrieve us, only Warrie’s and my parents arrived. Ward recalls that his father told the police to keep him there. Sixty years later, Ward authored an eloquent recollection of the experience for reading at Warrie’s virtual funeral on Zoom. More to Warrie’s credit, his fraternity brother

and fellow defenseman on Washington and Lee’s lacrosse team, Lance Bendann, noted that Warrie won 12 letters for athletics at W and L, was voted the best athlete in his graduating class, and played lacrosse in the Western U.S. until age 70. Johnnie’s renown was closer to home on the point to point circuit where he was Master of the Hounds and an annual fixture impossible to miss atop the judge’s stand at the Maryland Hunt Cup.

Other than all the sad news, most responses had at least some acknowledgment of COVID. Bob Dobbin reported “a personal best in terms of hours of March Madness watched.”

Considering Eddie Supplee’s propensity for travel, it was even more telling when he reported a year of no trips for him and Sally.

Bill Paternotte looked ahead to travel that he and Nan are currently planning: Alaska in June, the British Isles in the fall, and Chile/Argentina for fishing next February. Regarding the pandemic, Bill mentioned golf as “my primary source of social interaction and sanity.”

From Dave Robinson: “COVID shut down my training business — in-person training was taboo and virtual is not practical for what I do — so I decided to fully retire.”

Ted Leach eschewed mention of COVID when sharing plans to leave his teaching position at Frank H. Netter Medical School. Of more importance, he said, was that his and Bonnie’s youngest daughter Beth is expecting in May.

Despite all the canceled travel and worse, Robin Baker found a way to express some COVID-related positivity, at least over the pandemic’s timing. Mary received her second breast cancer diagnosis in July. Robin, who still works full time, was

grateful when COVID positioned him to do so at home and be with her.

Ted Rugemer spent the first months of the shutdown packing up 50 years of stuff in Homeland where he has lived his entire life and then happily moving with Virginia to Broadmead near Hunt Valley. On a similar note, Bill Lamb, once again a resident of San Diego, noted that he and Jenny “are beginning to seriously consider future living options.”

A few classmates reported life to be relatively normal. Taking in stride the cancellation of his planned annual trips to Canada last summer and to Florida this past February, Jack Nesbitt and Patricia brought their family together for a week last July at Lake Anna in Virginia. Otherwise, Jack continues with his woodworking, is finishing up Les Miserables for his Great Books course, and takes on Teaching Company lectures on a regular basis.

John Claster reports only that he’s “enjoying life in Florida, finds it nice once again to have a more open daily existence, and is looking forward to things returning to normal sufficiently for him to travel and visit family.”

George Scarlett is still teaching full time at Tufts and actually enjoys doing so on Zoom. George also continues to oversee the development of the Tomorrow’s Earth Stewards online magazine.

Jimmy Rouse continued to be busy on two counts as of last year: advocating for better public transit in Baltimore through Transit Choices and, of course, with his artwork.

It was great to hear from Ernie Cornbrooks. For a time, it seemed like Ernie had dropped out of sight. Then a much belated response to last year’s class notes request arrived this past September. Chemotherapy was why he missed our

55th reunion. The good news was that the doctor informed him the treatment was successful enough for him to be “good for another 100,000 miles.” Shortly before the diagnosis, he and Bravard purchased and moved to a farm about 10 miles downriver from Salisbury. Ernie still works at the law firm he joined in 1971, but not as much. His and Brevard’s kids are in Sarasota, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Bath, England. They have thus far produced eight grandchildren.

Another surprise, belated, off-season response to last year’s request for class notes arrived on September 30 from Jerry Nelson. Accompanying it was a picture of him in a small boat on Colorado’s Roaring Fish River holding what looked like about a two-pound kokanee salmon. What he wrote included, “I flunked retirement” and “COVID be damned.” He also hopes to be at our 60th reunion.

I saved word on Tom Chase for last. He has done an amazing amount of work researching and recalling events and people from our years at Gilman. With assistance from Gilman’s Archives department, he has produced scans of The Gilman News (our ’62 and ’63 year) and also obtained films of Gilman’s 1963 lacrosse games. Tom is also a prominent force behind chains of emails amongst classmates covering a wide range of notable recollections and thoughts relating to our Gilman days. Frequently, they combine with perspectives and very pertinent insights on how the Gilman community has evolved since we were students. A few of the participants not mentioned herein, among them Tom Farley, Terry Ellen, Pete Rodman, and Hunt Walker, have clearly enjoyed the dialogue. Hopefully in future years they will expand their Gilman communications to include news of themselves for class notes.

1964

John Redwood III jredwood3@gmail.com

I am happy to report that with only one exception all who have communicated appear to have avoided COVID and that all are well. I am also pleased that we have news from some who have not contributed before, at least not during the past few years. Many thanks to all who responded and let me provide your updates, from A to Z (or at least to W), in your own words.

David Abrahamson wins this year’s prize for brevity, having stated only “no real news beyond completed vaccinations,” which is the best news that the majority, if not all, of us can now share.

Bill Anderson observes that he “tried to come up with anything exciting or at least newsworthy that occurred in 2020, and I am unable. What a waste!!!! My wife, a nurse, has been riding roughshod all over my Type 2 diabetes for well over a year, or basically ever since COVID reared its ugly head. The diabetes puts me into a high-risk category, and the fact that I have it well under control with medication — well, that doesn’t count, and since I follow the Denzel Washington’s formula for a happy marriage — ‘head down, mouth shut, do what you’re told,’ I stayed inside and did what I was told. But that’s it!”

Bill Barton found it “very interesting watching the emails from our far-flung classmates.” He reported that “Jane and I are in our 55th year of marriage and are residing in the Worthington Valley of Baltimore County opposite the famous Sagamore Farm. Don’t worry; they keep ‘the rest of us’ in hillside developments, forested … off the valley floor. But it’s beautiful countryside. I operate my own general contracting company and happily serve a growing group of clients

in principally the ‘affordable housing’ market. Our industry was also judged essential, and we haven’t missed a step during the pandemic. I have always said if you enjoy what you do, it’s not work, so why stop. It keeps me ticking. Fortunately, our market is recession-proof, interest rate-proof, and as a society, we always seem to need more of it, and it’s politically popular. We have three adult children; the oldest is 54 years old, and five grandchildren ranging in age from 18 to 6 years. The youngest, Tommy, looks to be entering Boys Latin this fall as a first grader. We are blessed to have an oceanfront beach home in South Jersey, comfortably behind a large man-made dune, and built on wood piles first floor 12’ above the ground, and in the quiet north end of town away from the hubbub of downtown (Sea Isle City, New Jersey). We are all well and happy. God bless the Gilman class of 1964!!!!”

Jim Campbell also said “not much to report. No move. No travel. No new doctors. No new grandchildren (I wish!). We — Karen and I — are living in Potomac like monks … well, like monk and nun. But we have a beach house in Bethany Beach, which has been a great comfort, especially for Karen. She is there this week, organizing a bathroom remodeling. We are in good health and certainly cannot complain. We got our first shots last week. Second shots due end of March. I must say, Fife’s experience is a cautionary tale (glad to hear you survived, Fife! — see below). Daughter Hayley works for NY Attorney General Letitia James and contributed to the infamous nursing home report that is making life so difficult for the governor. She called to announce with pride that the report has even made it to SNL … the BIG Big Time! She was living with us from Thanksgiving to New Year’s since she is working remotely, but she moved back to her Upper East Side

apartment several weeks ago. Because of the reliance on subways, the city will take a long time to get back to normal.”

Jim also reports that “son Chris, wife Emiko, Sophie (7), and Jamie (5) are still living in Tokyo and working for Sumitomo. A great age for kids. Not much virus there, but Japan has not even started to vaccinate. Alas, we have not seen them in person since August 1999. They are doing very well, but Chris is ready for a new challenge and a move back to the U.S., which we would love. As for work, I am still consulting with FedEx on postal and customs and other issues. The issues are still interesting and FedEx guys are great but working with the folks beyond FedEx can get a little difficult. On personal time, I have been transferring old Beta and VHS family videos to MP4 videos. This has been a time-consuming project, but rewarding. My best wishes to all classmates and families for sure. I hope all have been healthy and are getting the vaccine (not so easy around here). I am really looking forward to another nice dinner with the Washington gang — maybe this summer?”

Jim Cianos wrote in caps, “I am still alive, and I am still working as a pharmacist in sunny downtown Brookland Park. Now I am ready to come out and speak about all those wonderful life experiences. I still have my old ACD dictionary.” I encouraged him to tell us more about his “wonderful life experiences,” but it appears we will have to wait until next year for that. Stay tuned!

Hamilton Easter notes that “all is well here in Park City. Barb and I have isolated ourselves and have kept the virus at bay. One exception is that I have continued to volunteer at the local free health clinic. That made me eligible for the vaccine in December, with the second dose in January. Once I had

both shots, I now volunteer at the local vaccination clinic once or twice a week as the medical supervisor. Fortunately, we have not had any serious reactions. We haven’t done much skiing this year since you have to have a reservation. Well, there will always be next year. Let’s hope we can all have a great 4th of July celebration.”

Michael Ewing writes that “Bambi and I are Maryland expats for six months a year in Delray Beach, Florida. I still like my work, but with bricks-and-mortar retailers almost extinct, the opportunities are few and far between. Our children are in health care, acupuncture, private investment, sports marketing, and artistry, and all but one flew the coop to Boulder; Denver; Wellington, Florida; and Brooklyn (who could blame them). Looking forward to returning to trips abroad when safe to do so, but in the meantime enjoying sunny Florida and Zooming with family and friends.”

Doug Green reports that “Laurie and I are doing well, hunkered down here in Gaithersburg. Highlights (and lowlights) from the past year include: retained by Duke Energy to defend the company in federal court in North Carolina vs. spurious claims of attempted monopolization (yes still practicing at Steptoe & Johnson); unretired from golf and hope to shoot my age someday; underwent prostate surgery (not related to my golf swing or my legal tactics); son Dan and his business, Jaffurs Winery, and my three granddaughters all doing fine in Santa Barbara; Laurie’s son, Sam, has been opening new rehab centers successfully across the country despite the pandemic, and son Peter is thriving and had the wisdom to escape NYC for the Hamptons where we hope to visit over Easter. We all feel very fortunate in these challenging times and hope our classmates are all strongly hanging in there. Further affiant sayeth not.”

Leith Hermann contributed, “Like so many others, Susie and I spent much of the past year hunkering down. COVID testing permitted us to spend last summer in Maine, where the mountains and lakes were a welcome change from being indoors. Now we are both fully vaccinated and feeling relieved to have weathered the storm so far. Amidst the corona crisis, our family has been blessed with good health and some wonderful news. This winter, our son, Will, still a bachelor at age 44, announced his engagement. Will and Carly have lived together in Denver for several years, and we adore her! Their wedding is more than a year away, as venues are backed up with couples whose weddings were postponed because of the pandemic. Further exciting news: our daughter, Jenny, was selected to ski in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia in January 2022. Training has been a challenge, as we have been unable to travel this year, but Jen has a regimen of exercises to keep her fit until she can hit the slopes again. As a person with developmental disabilities, she was eligible for COVID vaccinations and has received both. I have helped coach her ski team for years, but the pandemic put a disappointing halt to that — and nearly all my other volunteer activities as well. Regardless, Susie and I have been masking up and getting outside for pickleball regularly, and I have enjoyed plenty of time on the golf course. My guitars and banjos still keep me occupied when life’s pace slows down; I quite enjoy the time to pick apart James Taylor and Earl Scruggs recordings note by note until my fingers can replicate them — very therapeutic!”

David Johnson, with some news of other classmates as well, informs us that he is “fully retired and permanent resident of Vero Beach, Florida. Summers in

Newport, Rhode Island, and still trying to keep my balance on 35-foot sailboat. Tom Beck and Rob McCormick visited Vero Beach for three days in February. Thankfully, Beck did not bring golf clubs. McCormick was ecstatic to be in a red state, a long way from Seattle and Hood River, Oregon. Rob still weighs 145 pounds and looks just like CP, his father. Barbara looks much younger as always. Thankfully the three of us are in relatively good health, so minimal conversations on ailments and doctors.”

Jeff Jones exclaims, “I’m still vertical having survived COVID (so far) retired and just hanging out at home in Pennsylvania currently. Ginny and I have recently received our two COVID injections and are planning to fly to Arizona to visit our vacation home. We usually spend the cold winter months there but haven’t been there since last March. Our son, Ben, continues working for Aetna Health Insurance as an Underwriter Analyst.”

Bert Keidel informs us about his book that is expected out in June, called “China’s Economic Challenge: Unconventional Success.” When I first asked him about the book, he responded, “I am doing page proofs now after cutting it from 800 pages to 350!” Then, when I suggested that he just convert it into two books, he said, “Thanks for your interest. There is enough left over for the sections on social unrest and corruption to flesh out into a book, but I am gathering stuff from one of the undergraduate courses I teach that includes the Xinjiang Uighur and Hong Kong human rights issues so prominent these days — although I have a couple of other ideas I am more excited about, so choices, choices. There is so much misinformation out there, threatening our national security.” However, he later wrote that the book “combines a seven-chapter chronological analysis of

China’s growth, with three additional chapters on the government’s leadership role, success in poverty reduction, and China’s combined international finance and trade experience. The book recaps why China’s success challenges the United States and the field of development economics. One of its emphases, the 1980s, reports how generous rural price and land-tenure reforms caused a rural income boom that threatened urban subsidized livelihoods and underpinned consequent violence at Tiananmen in 1989.” He also notes that “on another topic, my only child, Savi Keidel, graduates from Phillips Exeter Academy this June. She’s still waiting to hear about colleges.”

Fred Kelly tells us that he “is still stopping pollution in the Severn River while enjoying striper fishing in the Bay. We regularly visit our daughter and grandchildren in Savannah, and son and his kids in Steamboat Springs. Georgia was interesting this year as we were able to put two Democrats in the Senate and give Joe Biden a win in this state. Our grandchildren visit our home in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where on their first sail of the season they encountered a fin whale. They were amazed that a sea creature three times the size of our 30-foot sailboat seemed intent on staying next to us far into the Gulf of Maine. Cheers to one and all.”

Bob Locke observes, “Since I retired in 2014, I have been writing my memoir. Doing one last edit, then turning it over to the printer. I am writing this for my grandkids and their offspring. They may find it of interest 50 years from now. If not, so be it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It has been a uniquely satisfying exercise, and I highly recommend it (the exercise, not the book) to my other fellow retirees. I am calling it “Fortunate Son” as I was immediately struck by how lucky I have been. As Ann Richards,

the late governor of Texas said about George H. W. Bush, ‘He was born on third base, but thought he hit a triple.’ That really applies to almost all of us.” Bob and I would both encourage others among us to consider writing memoirs as well, as we have had interesting lives and adventures indeed!

McKee Lundberg notes that “there’s a lot to be said for ‘reply all.’ It’s been a real pleasure to read everyone’s submissions. But since I now feel guilty for not adding my own update, I’ll mention Lissa and I are both now eight years retired. We each tended databases. My career was on the materials side of manufacturing; Lissa, for an insurer. We’ve both been trying to be retirees and leave responsibility to those younger.”

Sandy Martin was another one with “not much to report, except wife Beaumont and I both received both shots!! All 11 grandkids doing well with oldest a sophomore at Yale and playing lacrosse (next year). Other grands at Calvert, Odyssey, Garrison Forest, Bryn Mawr. Last one headed to Chapel Hill next year!”

Stuart McCarthy reports that he is “still hanging on in Hong K; 52 years on, and 95% of my adult working life … It’s been an exciting adventure so far, but there’s a season for ending things. Planning to bail out in two years or so. My PA is making plans to move our business to Taiwan. Logistics and the politics are ‘interesting’. Need to move seven to eight people and their families plus my girlfriend and her girls. Retirement? It’s in the cards now; looking like three to four years out. My youngest, Sean, graduated from Cornell last June, but we sadly missed his graduation because of the pandemic. He is on his way to graduate school at Duke to get his master’s degree in environmental

science. Daughter Sam is working with Sotheby’s, building their international bidding platform. Quite the ‘techie’. Michelle and family are into real estate development in Costa Rica. Lots of Americans looking to relocate there. Don’t know when I’ll get back to the USA let alone Baltimore. Thailand as a destination is also a possibility. Watch this space. Warmest personal regards to all of you and keep on truckin’.”

Doug Ober observes, “Fran and I have been blessed with lots of snow this winter and have done plenty of downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife observing. Moose have come to visit, elk abound, and there are several bald eagle roosts nearby. Our new house in our same neighborhood is coming along, despite the snow. I broke down and ordered a golf cart for this spring — starting to get serious about the game. I continue to serve on the boards of the country club and the local hospital foundation. The latter foolishly made me chair of its investment committee. The hospital has done amazing work during the pandemic, providing counseling for the community as well as vaccines. We’re in the process of finishing up a new senior living center with memory care and rehab facilities — a big capital campaign has covered the costs. Thus far, my health is good, with all my original limbs and only one arterial stent (2018 heart attack). Fran, unfortunately, is continuing to battle breast cancer, but her spirits are great and she’s looking forward to the new house. We’ve both gotten our second vaccine shot with near zero reactions and will be getting more social next month.” (Editor’s note: Sadly, Fran lost her five-year battle with cancer and passed away in May.)

Yours truly (John Redwood III) adds to the updates that I am still traveling around the world, mainly to places in

Europe, Asia, and Africa, but only by Zoom! This is due to new consultancies for the Multilateral Organizations Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), a 19- (developed) country partnership whose Secretariat is located at OECD in Paris. I am presently leading an institutional assessment of the Nairobi-headquartered United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and, together with five fellow World Bank retirees and a few others, carrying out an analytical study on how selected Multilateral Organizations, including the World Bank Group, the IMF, now managed by my former Bank environmental colleague and friend, Kristalina Georgieva, four regional development banks, several UN organizations (including UNEP and UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), are responding to the Paris Climate Agreement. This has been most interesting and is intended to help MOPAN countries, including the U.S., prepare for the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow in November of this year. I am also engaged as an international consultant in an evaluation of the Asian Development Bank’s work on climate change over the past decade. This included a two-week “virtual mission” to India, which meant late night and early morning Zoom meetings. A one-week outing during late December to a fairly isolated beach south of Sarasota was our only real travel since November 2019. The family continues to be healthy and well, but like all of us, I suppose we are very much looking forward to getting out of the house and the neighborhood again soon at this point. Walking in the ‘hood can nevertheless be quite interesting as we often run into our most distinguished neighbor, Senator

Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who is again president pro tempore of the Senate, and his lovely wife, Marcelle, together with his 24-hour security detail that must shadow him everywhere he goes, even on their “discrete” neighborhood walks as Mrs. Leahy puts it. Lúcia and I are now both fully vaccinated. Son André, Yale Ph.D. in 2012, who is now 39, is teaching Music Theory at SUNY remotely from his home in Albany, New York. Grandniece Victoria, who will be 17 this summer, is finishing her sophomore year at Bishop O’Connell high school in Arlington, Virginia, and continues to excel in travel soccer.

Rick Reese best summarizes 2020 by aptly describing it as a “uniquely troublesome year.” But he is “pleased to report that Linda, Rick, and I have survived without catching the virus. We have curtailed many of our outside activities in Georgia in order to remain safe. All three of us have had both of our COVID vaccine shots. I am still very active in the Sons of the American Revolution. However, as a result of virus restrictions, in-person meetings, school activities, and outside ceremonies stopped last March. I began hosting monthly meetings on Zoom for our Piedmont chapter, and that concept caught on with many other of our 35 Georgia Society chapters. I started hosting Zoom meetings for some chapters and helping others to begin doing that on their own. Virtual meetings and ceremonies have continued to be a way of life for the foreseeable future. At this point, I have hosted many of our Georgia State Society Zoom meetings, as well as a large number of Revolutionary War Battle commemorations on Zoom. If you are interested in viewing a recent example of one of those, you can visit this YouTube link to see the Battle of Kettle Creek commemoration that I hosted this past February: youtu.be/

oceh-WDDF84. This ceremony was attended virtually by 357 participants from all over the U.S.”

Our Rick also reports that his son, Rick, “is living in Roswell and is still a very active musician playing bass guitar with a number of bands locally, but the virus has reduced opportunities to perform in other locations throughout the southern states, as he had in the past. When back home, Rick and a partner have a remodeling business utilizing his past experience and skills in the home building industry. He just celebrated his 52nd birthday at the end of February. Our daughter, Ashley, is still living in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband, Mark Carman, son, Parker Carman, and daughter, Sammi Carman. All are COVID-free. Ashley is still a successful sales executive with SalesForce.com, working with major account customers within the U.S. Mark is also a successful sales executive with SAP, with key account customers. He also has purchased a number of houses in the Dunwoody area, and manages them as rental properties. Our grandson, Parker, is now in his freshman year at Oklahoma State University as a member of Sigma Chi and is doing extremely well academically. Our granddaughter, Sammi, is a senior this year at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. She has been involved in competitive cheerleading over the years and has been a cheerleader at Mount Vernon for football teams. Sammi has also competed in intramural track for Mount Vernon. She plans to attend the University of Kentucky as a freshman next year. It is my sincere hope that we all will see better times later in this year, but most of all that we will all be able to send John an update this time next year.”

Tom Revell communicates that “as 2020 closed, we moved from the Las Vegas area to Meridian, Idaho, a suburb of

Boise. After 35-plus years of living in Southern California, southern Nevada, and on Maui, we have returned to cold and gray winters; however, the area does not get too much snow. We are just a few minutes away from our younger son, Craig, his wife, and our granddaughter. Our older son, David, remains in Santa Cruz, California. As a well-respected coastal geomorphologist, he needs to be near the coast (and his favorite pastime, surfing). We will soon receive our second COVID-19 shot and may soon be able to explore Idaho. The most difficult thing about moving at our age is finding new doctors. We miss our Vegas Golden Knights hockey team; only in its fourth year, it has been to the Stanley Cup finals once and division championships twice.”

Stephen Scott modestly responded that “I believe that the quantity and quality of responses to your request must set an all-time record! They make a most interesting read which we cannot rival, so we will remain mute this year. We (Betsy and I) do send our best wishes.” I induced him to unlock the mute button, and in response he added that “other recent events include my stepping down from board chair positions at Harford Mutual Insurance and the Eudowood foundation after six-year stints each. I’ll remain on those boards. Betsy and I look forward to visiting our Martha’s Vineyard house after a year-and-a-half absence.” I am also happy to report that Steve and his class of 1964 Gilman ring, which he had worn since Second Form in the Upper School but somehow lost last year, were reunited. A very nice lady, whose grandson was then in the fifth grade at Gilman and “loves it,” found the ring while she was walking along Roland Avenue. She contacted the School, which gave her my coordinates, and she wrote to me to ask if I knew who a classmate having the initials

“STS” might be. That was not too difficult to figure out and I was then able to put her in touch with Steve, which led to the happy reunion mentioned above. Given Steve’s outstanding lifelong dedication to Gilman, it would have been very sad indeed had the ring been permanently lost.

John Silverstein writes that “with an assist from the pandemic, I have transitioned from trying to satisfy clients to trying to meet Fitbit goals. I hope our classmates have been able to stay safe. My recently replaced knee provides a big assist in reaching the steps goal but doesn’t seem to have any impact on the practice of law, so I’m done. I start each day with a blank list and never get to everything on it by the end of the day.”

Hershey Sollod notes that “Barbara and I are taking our first trip/road trip since COVID — visiting four of our five children and their families in Arizona and California. Right now in Sedona, our first time — just spectacular beauty. We have been fortunate to have not lost anyone to the virus. Denver continues to be our home base. Barbara has a full couples psychotherapy practice. I decided recently to retire from my psychiatric practice by the end of this year. I am a rare bird in psychiatry to have a solo practice, still taking insurance and actually doing psychotherapy as well as medication management. I have known a number of my patients for 30 years as well as their families. Gilman was a special place, and how it has evolved in its inclusiveness along with its grounding in character and academic excellence is impressive. Warm regards to everyone, for good health and happiness.”

Bill Stafford exclaims that “there are several (Leith, John MacLean, and so on) who are way better qualified to comment on New England than I, but

I can say that the transition to the Northeast from the Upper Midwest still seems like a good thing to have done. Bonnie and I continue to enjoy the slightly milder winters in Exeter vs. Milwaukee and the fall colors were pretty spectacular this year. And it’s pretty great (in normal times) to be on the “flyway,” otherwise known as I-95, that moves lots of family and friends around and through this area. COVID has certainly put a bit of a damper on our activities, but the community we live in has done a very good job of keeping us safe and attending to the important stuff. Management spent hours on the phone in order to obtain clinic status for our community so that they could provide the time and place for us to receive our shots (the second of which came on 2/24). We feel very fortunate to be relieved of the hassle of signing up, traveling to a distant clinic, and then waiting. Zoom has become second nature and an important adjunct to Skype, FaceTime, etc., so meetings with family, other residents, and friends (near and far) could be accomplished and, although certainly not as much fun as in person, way better than not seeing each other at all. And now it’s rather fun to begin contemplating the process of opening up. Like Gally, any classmates traveling through this part of the world are welcome and, with notice, might even be fed along the way!”

Fife Symington tells us that “I’m happy to be a COVID survivor! Two days after my first Pfizer jab, I came down with the virus. The virus then proceeded to infect everyone in our household (five of us) … none too serious but pretty uncomfortable. The interesting question was whether I needed the second booster, having defeated the virus (active antibodies at work)? My medical circle was divided but I went forward with the booster and had no reaction. My

cooking school, the Arizona Culinary Institute, now in its 21st year was deemed an “essential service” because we help feed the homeless. Thus, we stayed open throughout the pandemic with just a few virus incidences. At one point we tested 90 people in one morning (PCR) fearing a flare up. We have always run the place like a hospital in terms of hygiene and it paid off. With a PPP loan and increasing enrollment we will survive this challenging time. On the personal front, my five children and 11 grandchildren are prospering. Ann and I, after 43 years of marriage, are getting divorced. I view the change as positive and necessary as we both want to pursue different interests (and have for some time). I wish my hardy classmates good health!!”

Gally Warfield also sums up our general dilemma by asking, “What can we say about such an unusual year? I hope and pray that all of our classmates got through it OK, and that they are ready to face the future with renewed optimism. As for myself, it’s pretty much been business as usual in our San Diego mountain retreat. Judy and I continue to spend our time in the creative arena; she with her books on meditation, and me with new novels and screenplays. Hollywood has been essentially shut down for the duration, but I’m confident it will rebound in 2021. I have also enjoyed staying in touch with many in our class via Facebook. It’s good to see the spirit of ’64 has never waned. Grandchild count still at seven ranging in ages from 25, 19, and down to 1 year. Still a joy despite the distancing requirements. My very best wishes to one and all, and an open invitation to get together if SoCal is on your itinerary. Take care, good friends.”

Ford Weiskittel, finally, reports that he has “lived in the same house in Geneva, New York, for 40 years. Married to

Harriot (Hopkins) for 49 years; we met at a mixer at Wellesley my senior year at Princeton. Two daughters, Elisabeth (41) and Charlotte (38). Two granddaughters, 9 and 4 (they share a birthday on June 18). Mentor to the Hobart-William Smith rowing teams; started the rowing program at the colleges in the early 1980s. Serve on various community boards (Geneva Light Opera, Smith Opera House, Rotary Club). Was president of the Geneva School Board for 20-plus years. No family members affected by COVID. Regards to all.”

1965

William Baker williamrosbaker@gmail.com

This has been quite a year to say the least. When last I wrote these notes, we were a couple of months into the pandemic, thinking it would be tailing off as we hit summer. Little did we know that we would still be in the thick of it a year later, and thinking that it may last in some form for a while yet. Many of us have been finding ways to get vaccinated, finally finding something that being old helps with. The pandemic has now scratched our 55th reunion for a second year, but I have received some news from classmates. Of course, as John Helfrich pointed out, since all of this news has been reported on the email chain, and most of us read it there, there isn’t much reason to put it in the Bulletin. However, on the chance that not all read the email chain, I will at least make sure our class is in the Bulletin!

Let me start with John Jenkins, who was really replying to Dawson Farber, but since we haven’t heard from John in a while, I will pass on his news. John and his wife, Jean, live on Kent Island, and between them, they have three children and five grandchildren. John’s oldest

daughter, Libby, married a classmate from the Naval Academy after they graduated in 1997. Libby spent 10 years in the Navy, and her husband, Mike, spent 20, and now live and work in McLean, Virginia. Their children, Jack, (heading to college), Rachel, and Claire are all musicians and played “Anchors Aweigh” at Mike’s retirement from the Navy. John’s youngest daughter, Hayley, graduated from the College of Charleston in 2009 and then got her master’s in historic preservation from the School at the Art Institute of Chicago. John admits to wondering if there were jobs in that field, but reports that Hayley is running her own business in New Orleans and doing well. Jean’s daughter, Whitney, lives in Trappe, Maryland, raising two sons, Maddox and Watson. John says they enjoy watching Maddox play soccer and ice hockey.

After 41 years, John retired from Naval Station Annapolis, which has a boat yard that maintains more than 400 boats (12’ to 110’) that the Naval Academy uses for training. John started out running the sail loft, but eventually got into every aspect of the operation. Along the way, John started Jenkins Sails as a backup when faced with layoffs and base closures, which were avoided, and since retirement, John runs Jenkins Sails full time and still designs some one-design sails, but mostly he designs spec larger sails, which are built by contractors in Cleveland and Sri Lanka.

John was also good enough to mention his brother Henry Jenkins, who retired from Northrop Grumman several years ago and lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with wife Kathy. They have four children, Ande, Brooke, Molly, and Alec, and five grandchildren. Henry spends his time restoring his ’66 Corvette and his vintage Alfa Romeo, but he also sees lots of lacrosse games at St. Stephen’s St.

Agnes, where Kathy is the girls lacrosse coach.

Mac Lewis writes that they are surviving the pandemic, kids and grandkids doing well, all young adults fully employed. Mac has become a student of entomology. After years of photographing wildflowers and the insects that inhabit them, Mac took an online course in entomology and is now doing a second course (insect identification) as a non-degree graduate student at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. So Mac is now a Cornhusker, as well as a Tiger. Mac and Catherine’s latest getaway was snowshoeing in three to four feet of fresh powder in the hills above Santa Fe.

Since Mac mentioned insects, I also got a note from our class beekeeper, Steve McDaniel. He and Angie are still taking lots of pictures and tending to their honey bees. He says most of their sales are online now. They are also building a new house, for which Angie does the plumbing and Steve does the electrical work. The house should be finished by this summer. Now that’s a good use of COVID-restricted time. Their granddaughters, Katie, 26, and Sammie, 22, also help out from time to time in the various endeavors.

I also got an email from Temple Grassi that he has added pickleball to his ‘quiver’ of racquet sports, which include tennis, squash, court tennis, and now pickleball. I get to join him for a round of golf in May down in Chevy Chase, which we do a couple of times a year. I am trying to get Temple up to Baltimore in June to play golf with David Winstead and Jay Wilson, but I fear the Grassis will have departed for Maine by then. I also get to play golf quite often with Richard Tilghman down on the Eastern Shore. Richard and I do better on the 19th hole than the other 18.

Alex Fisher continues with the investment business, and also spends lots of time on nonprofit endeavors like the Baltimore Tree Trust, Church of the Good Shepherd, and BMoreAg, which fosters the advancement of modern urban agriculture in Baltimore. Four grandchildren, 2 to 14, also take some of Alex’s time, with all kids and grandkids healthy and employed.

Neal Harris (I still think of him as Sandy) reports from New England. He and Ann got stuck on Sanibel Island in Florida last year, and had to stay there for months. As Sandy said, not too bad a place to get stuck. Once back in New England, they hunkered down in New London, New Hampshire, but kids and grandkids were not far away, and they saw them from time to time. Finally, Sandy mentions he still teaches a course at Babson, The EU Today, which is pretty timely.

Geoff Leboutillier is now out of the film and TV world, but continues to work hard in the environmental advocacy arena. He is now engaged in a monumental fight against open-net pen finfish aquaculture, which I had to look up. Geoff also remains involved advancing a more enlightened forest policy and definitely not advancing offshore drilling on the Scotian shelf. He also continues his quest to breed the perfect poodle, which I thought his parents did with regularity on Old Court Road. Geoff’s wife, Jan, who spent most of her life as a globe-trotting film content consultant, has reinvented herself as a Zoom queen, now doing the same work with no travel.

Fred Whelan reports that he and Peggy are floating in grandchildren, with the 11th having just been born. Fred and Peggy will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer, a real

milestone. I imagine a number of us are either at that milestone or nearing it.

Steve Thomas says not too much has changed in his and Audrey’s world. Their kids, Stasia, Alex, and Steven, are all working hard in various careers, raising children and waiting out the pandemic. Tome is still working with no plans to retire, also chairing the Baltimore County Revenue Authority Board and sitting on the health care board of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Currently Audrey works managing a group of real estate investments. Both of them play golf, and Tome says Audrey can’t wait to abandon virtual golf and get back on a real course. Stasia has two kids at Calvert, and she works as an attorney with Tome at Thomas & Libowitz. Her husband, Matthew, works for a large regional electrical supply company. Alex and her husband, Max, have been working remotely and living with Steve and Audrey since December. They normally live in Marina del Rey. Alex is in-house counsel for a national nonprofit, and Max works as the lead computer engineer for a division of Universal Studios. Steven and his wife, Becca, are currently living in Storrs, Connecticut, as Becca is getting her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCONN. Steven is a programming engineer for Amazon on its Alex project. Home base for Steven is Boston. Tome concludes that it is good to be a grandparent, which couldn’t be more true!!

Back to Dawson Farber, who is retired on Cape Cod after running one of the largest marine companies in the Northeast. Dawson reports that he now concentrates on fundraising for nonprofits, following in the footsteps of his father, one of Gilman’s greatest trustees in its history.

I have emailed a couple of times with Rocky Ober. He and Scarlett live just

outside of Burlington, Vermont. They too have been hunkered down, but also have two grandchildren nearby that they have been waiting to see more of. Rock has been retired for many years from Johnson & Johnson, so the recent snafu in manufacturing Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine cannot be connected to him in any way.

Your scribe (William Baker) continues to split time between Baltimore and St. Michaels on the Eastern Shore. I must admit golf was sort of a savior this past year, an outdoor activity with at least some exercise involved. My only granddaughter, Maddie, also takes up a good bit of my time. She enjoys fishing and crabbing on the Eastern Shore with my daughter, Lea, and her husband Jason. Lea teaches at the Jemicy School in Baltimore County, where she works with kids with various learning styles and abilities. The school worked hard last summer to develop a plan to make in-person learning work during the fall and winter, and it’s gone very well.

I must begin with some sad news: Tom Parkinson passed away in late November, after a several-monthslong battle with pancreatic cancer. He died at his home in Maine, surrounded by his three sons, Carter, Zach ’07, and Reed ’09, and his former wife, Rosemary. Tom and I stayed in close touch during the months he received treatment and up until the end. So also did a number of class of ’66, who were good friends while at Gilman, reaching out to him by phone, text, and email. Unfortunately, the status of COVID in Maine during that time was such that in-person visiting was not reasonably possible.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. His wife, Jeanne, and children, Debbie, Donna, and David, were at his side. Eric had graduated from Johns Hopkins, where he majored in political economics, and he later studied at the London School of Economics, leading to an MBA, earned at the University of Chicago. He served in the U.S. government for 30 years before retiring to Myrtle Beach, where he designed his retirement abode and built many things, including a car engine. His family recalled that “his ability to analyze and solve problems and to instruct others in building and repairing things, was unparalleled. He loved his 1968 Dodge Charger, the Grateful Dead, and the Tour de France. He will be remembered for his unending patience and persistence, and for his wonderful smile.”

Rick Buck rick.buck@blueridgeriskpartners.com

I hope the reading of these notes finds you and your loved ones well, and fully vaccinated! This pandemic seems to be on the wane, at least in the U.S., but it surely is not over!

One of the few bright spots for me has been the ability to be in closer and somewhat regular communication with friends from the class of ’66. It’s difficult to believe that five years have passed since our outstanding 50th reunion!

After finishing UVA, Tom completed studies and exams to receive his CPA designation, leading to work in public accounting. From there he began a series of CFO positions at two prominent local engineering firms, and at the Baltimore law firm of Tydings & Rosenberg. His last position prior to retirement was as CFO of Baltimore Research, a national market research firm in Baltimore County. Tom handled his illness with courage and dignity, happy to be living in Stockton Springs, Maine, where he enjoyed a spectacular waterfront view in a locale that he loved.

Just three months prior to Tom’s passing, another of our classmates, Eric Hendrix, died peacefully at his home in

Bryson Cook was forced, due to COVID, to abandon his weekly routine of commuting to Baltimore from Florida. He remained very busy with his law practice, while being able to spend much more time with Cindy. Their daughter, Laura, and husband, Brooks, are residing in Baltimore County, both busy with their respective jobs, while Rosie Cook has been working in retailing in Minneapolis, discovering what upper Midwest winters are all about. Bryson’s son, Jeb, is exploring employment opportunities in Boston.

Dave Irwin is now more than a year into his new role as of counsel at the Baltimore firm of Kramon & Graham. COVID enabled Dave to work remotely from the Bethany Beach, Delaware, house where he and Kendi love to spend time. His work at Kramon & Graham has kept him busier than expected, but no complaints, and fairly regular day

trips to Baltimore are part of his work routine. Dave still has his Towson office, which has become a suburban office location for K&G as well. Dave and Kendi are greatly looking forward to some traveling, now that they are fully vaccinated. He relates having spoken recently with Hap Klinefelter, who is still active with his practice of psychological therapy, but also able to enjoy regular rounds of golf.

Charlie Fenwick reports that he now has seven grandchildren around the world, and all seem to be thriving. The two most distant are Grace and Tony Garner (children of Ben and daughter Beth Fenwick Garner). Grace and Tony are both in elementary school in Oxford, England, and seem to have made ponyriding a serious part of their “curriculum.” George, Wixie, and Bowdie Johnson (children of daughter Emily and Ned Johnson) live in Charleston, South Carolina, with Georgie in the first grade. Charlie advises that this trio seems to have mastered the art of creating parental chaos! Finally, Annie and Charlie Fenwick (children of Muffy and son Charlie Fenwick) live in Cockeysville, Maryland. Annie is a senior at Garrison Forest School, where she plays varsity lacrosse and will be heading to Bucknell. Her brother Charlie is a sophomore at Gilman, where he plays on the varsity golf team.

Joe Moore writes: I am now semi-retired as a graphic designer and have been transitioning to a new career as a printmaker. My current work picks up on ideas that I began to think about as a grad student at Yale. In my prints, I create abstract worlds, by combining typographic shapes, geometric forms, digital imagery, and color. I enjoy combining an etched copper plate with drawn and painted digital imagery through chine colle. By using a 500-year-old process (intaglio) with recent processes (Adobe Photoshop and

inkjet printing), I try to create images that go beyond the capabilities of each medium. I have had some success, exhibiting at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking’s Footprint Biennial International Competitions in 2018 and 2020, as well as at several Boston-area galleries. (Editor’s note: Joe’s gallery can be viewed at josephmoore.myportfolio.com.)

My primary focus continues to be my family: the past three years have brought the addition of two granddaughters, the graduation from college of our younger daughter — now a first-year medical student, and the advancing medical careers of our two sons and their spouses, all physicians! My wife, Annette, continues to be very involved in civic issues in Cambridge and is nearing completion of a book on a slice of Cambridge and women’s history. For relaxation, I continue to enjoy sailing the coastal waters of New England.

Joe Moore’s print entitled “Burble”

Fred Sachs reports: We have gotten through COVID with minimal inconvenience, due to choosing an RV lifestyle several years ago. We were able to spend the winter in Florida and the summer in Maine, being just as safe as we would have been at home (Roanoke, Virginia). No hotels, and restaurants, only outdoors. Now, being vaccinated, we’re getting back to feeling relaxed about most activities. Our daughter got married in 2020, in a family-only ceremony in her backyard, and we now have

a delightful baby granddaughter. She was worth the wait!

In addition, our daughter is now teaching at Gilman, about which I am most pleased.

For any of you interested in electric cars, I most enthusiastically recommend the Tesla. Have driven mine for three years now and cannot adequately describe the benefits and sheer enjoyment of the car. Don’t test drive one unless you are prepared to buy it! To further enhance the enjoyment of owning the car, we installed solar panels on our house, in order to use solar power to charge up the Tesla. During a horrific time for the world, we’ve been very fortunate to be able to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!

Lew Rumford and Fran were able to receive their vaccine shots in time to permit them a trip to their favorite Florida east coast winter destination, albeit for a shorter length of stay. On the way to and from, they were able to visit daughter Julia and family, including Elliot and Emma, and to witness Emma’s baptism. Lew’s activities have featured lots of long walks, tons of reading, and most recently, a resumption of regular bridge games. Sadly, his treasured getaways to Ligonier, Pennsylvania, were sidelined due to the pandemic, but will likely return in the very near future.

David Naquin relates: Carola and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in May of 2020, by staying home! Daughter Julia and son Cameron noted the day from their homes in St. Louis and Burlington, Vermont. We’ve been well situated in the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico, for 30 years now and have no thoughts of moving, unless it’s to the colder climate of southern Colorado, or the warmth of Hawaii. Maybe both would be in order? We have spent lots

of time on the Southwest Chief, riding the rails between here and St. Louis to visit our granddaughter, now 3, and a grandson was born in December, creating a second reason to go.

I’ve been back to Baltimore often in the past three years, because of the deaths of my mother and stepfather. Both lived to be 100, and died quietly at their home on Gittings Ave., which has now been sold to a friend of my brother Stuart ’68, who will take good care of it. It took all four of us children six months to empty the house and ready it for sale. Word to the wise: don’t leave that job to your kids; get rid of your stuff before you die! Overall, we are healthy, save for heart valve problems which apparently run in the family. I had one of mine (mitral) replaced with a bovine one in 2014. It keeps on ticking …

After spending a decade working with NM Indian tribes, I retired four years ago from running a tribal economic development company and took up a board position at an economic development think tank. I spent five weeks in China in 2018, traveling for business and pleasure, including two weeks on my own, visiting astonishing places like Ping Yao and Zhangjaijie, and riding real trains across China. Twenty-course meals, toasting, squat toilets, and Chinese birthday parties were all part of the experience! In 2019, I met up with some of my Chinese friends in London for a two-week visit, poking around some of its nooks and crannies. Our 2020 plans were of course curtailed by the pandemic.

Now, as of April, we are double-dosed with vaccine and ready to get back to St. Louis soon.

Michael Stanton reports from San Francisco that the family and his architecture firm survived the past 14

months of lockdown without serious illness and without going broke. Things are now starting to look up. Michael and Maureen plan to spend a lot of the summer remotely from their cabin in Ely, Minnesota. “While canoeing in Canada will likely still be off limits with the border closed, my summer plans do include two five-day canoe trips along the boundary waters, one with brother Tony ’67 and one with daughter Brenna. The anticipated highlight of the summer will be daughter Abby’s wedding to Zack Jacobs, a terrific young man, in early September. As is often the case these days, Abby and Zack went, ‘Ready, shoot, aim,’ buying their house in Oakland together early last year, before getting married.”

Chip Leonard writes, “Since our 50th, I have continued to work on Defense Institution Building, under the auspices of RAND and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During that time, I supported security and defense institutions in Montenegro, Ukraine, and Georgia; since 2018, my focus has shifted to Iraq and the Bahamas. As you can imagine, since last February, my work has been done virtually — conference calls, web meetings, etc. Fortunately, there are people connected with our work on the ground in Baghdad and New Providence who can help us stay connected and coordinated.”

Chip and Barbara decided a few years back they wanted to find a more peaceful, but not too remote, place to live, and they have found a very nice house in a secluded neighborhood just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, and only five to 10 minutes away from shopping and other amenities.

They are slated to move in May. New address: 245 Terrell Road W., Charlottesville, VA 22901, On the family front, Chip reports, “sons and daughters-in-law

with three more grandchildren, so we now have a total of four: two boys and two girls. All three sons have made it through the pandemic without any major hiccups in their work or family lives. Son Charles lives in Austin and heads up the cyber security consultation organization for Price Waterhouse. Thomas works for Boston Consulting Group in Denver; he just finished working a couple of years for With Honor, a bipartisan PAC devoted to raising funds for veterans running for Congress. Alden now works for Amazon in Seattle, heading up part of their consultancy for executive communications.”

Ben Legg provides the following update: “Having retired from my career as Judge of the U.S. District Court in 2013, I began a third career with JAMS, the world’s largest Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, and until March 2020, the job involved quite a lot of travel. Since then, I have conducted arbitrations and mediations via Zoom, a technology that I did not know existed.” My wife, Kyle, and I follow the sun, spending winters in Vero Beach, Florida, summers on Chebeague Island, Maine, and the ‘shoulder’ seasons in Baltimore. We have three children, Jennie, Charlie, and Matt, all of whom are married, and two grandchildren. Everyone is healthy, thank goodness. I do a lot of fishing and have taken up golf. Hard to fathom that it’s been five years since our 50th. I frequently think about my Gilman days and my Gilman friends. No matter how old I grow, the Gilman boy remains within, close to the surface!”

Dick Hoffman retired in June 2019, after 44 years in higher education, in which his last posting was at Salisbury University. Dick says, “I miss the students, but not the grading or committee meetings! I have returned to my first academic love, history, and am presently taking grad courses in

American history at SU.” The pandemic put our travel plans for retirement on hold, but before it began, Dick and Karin fit in a lovely trip to France, with daughter Hillary and her husband, Dan. After visiting some family in Brittany, they toured Bordeaux, where Dan had arranged some vineyard tours, where the weather was great and so were the wines, and they ended the trip with a couple of fine days in Paris.

They remained homebound during COVID, but Dick reports that Hillary and Dan have been super busy, with Hillary working in media relations at the NIH under Anthony Fauci, and Dan has served as a quality engineer for a Germantown, Maryland-based firm called Qiagen.

Andy Koman provides the following update on his family and work: Leigh and I continue to live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I am still working full time for the Wake Forest School of Medicine as chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the president of the Musculoskeletal Institute. I still enjoy what I do, and in October, I will have been at Wake Forest for 40 years. My job is much more of an administrator than a surgeon, but I still see patients and operate.

Leigh and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary this August. We have two grown children and two grandchildren. COVID has been horrible and a disaster for the world; however, a silver lining for us has been spending almost four months with our grandchildren in the West Virginia mountains, while they did school remotely! I still think fondly of Gilman and how well it prepared me for the world. Best to all.

Roger Novak reports that he and Kathy were enjoying an early March getaway last year as the full serious nature of

COVID became apparent. Their sons, Ned and Alex, along with Alex’s fiancé, were looking after things back home in Baltimore, and equipping the house with an emergency food supply and some enhanced security, in case the advice to stay home should transition into all-out quarantine mode. So, as the months passed by, the Novak household was very busy within, as everyone staked out their own turf. Rog writes, “gradually, as regulations loosened up, Ned returned home to northern Virginia, but Alex and Meg, finding life at Rog and Kathy’s house to be much to their liking, stayed on through their wedding in Wyoming, last October.” The wedding site was in an aspen grove, close by the Snake River, near Jackson Hole, but regrettably, had to be greatly downsized, to primarily very close friends of the couple and family. He remarks that the contrast they noticed, between the attitude/response to COVID in Wyoming vs. the extreme cautious nature of Maryland’s response, was like night and day, with Wyoming’s response being “let’s stay very laid back. Happily, the maskless welcoming and wedding receptions were great events and resulted in NO COVID cases.” After the wedding, Alex and Meg returned to living at Roger and Kathy’s house, until they recently purchased a house about a mile away, and Ned has relocated to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.

On the business front, Rog and Jack Biddle mutually agreed to wind up their great 25-year business partnership to focus on their respective family holding companies, and both now agree that their timing could not have been more perfect. Rog continues to do some earlystage seed investing, through Novak Holdings LLC, primarily in the Security and Edtech spaces. He recently made an investment in a new Edtech company, Class Technologies, which provides a set

of software tools that enhance Zoom technology to make online learning easier and more effective; in doing so he found that one of his co-investors was none other than football great Tom Brady. Now that COVID is on the wane, Rog and Kathy hope to return to some travel plans that had been delayed and to find some property to enjoy in Florida and Wyoming.

In December, I received a caring note from Bruce Michelson sharing some knowledge and reassurance at the news of our having three class members — Gordy Allen, Rick Green, and myself — who had received radiation and hormone treatment for prostate cancer within months of each other in late 2019 through early 2020. The three us have remained in regular touch and are all receiving favorable follow-up PSA readings, so all is well on that front.

Bruce reported: Next summer, when we finally get through this pandemic, I am supposed to hike the Coast to Coast Path (across northern England) with an old friend from McDonogh (’68), who had a go-round with this disease 18 years ago. He’s been clear of it since then, and he’s raring to go. I expect him to set a ferocious pace through those Yorkshire peaks!

Rick Buck: Barbara and I have been able to survive the past 15 months without major difficulties, although we certainly have taken a very cautious approach in protecting against exposure to the virus. Initially, son Matt kindly took care of our food shopping for a couple of months. Later, we availed ourselves of the special early morning hour reserved for seniors twice a week at Graul’s Market, and we typically found there were fewer than a half-dozen people shopping when we did ! Now, being double-vaccinated, and with the relaxation of rules, we’ve begun revisiting

some favorite restaurants and feeling comfortable with that. We’ve done a ton of reading and walking, and I continue to work, typically about six hours a day, entirely from home. Work has been more challenging due to the pandemic, but not overwhelming, and I’m definitely not missing the metro area and beltway driving!

Daughter Maggie and family: Pete, Lucy, and Simon, spent the summer of 2020 in Canada and were able to spend significant time at our island retreat in Ontario, as well as at Pete’s family’s mountain retreat in the Laurentians, north of Montreal. When it became clear that Montgomery County schools and UMBC (where Maggie teaches) would not be opening for in-person attendance, they decided to enroll the children in a French-speaking private school, situated in those scenic mountains. The entire family fully embraced the many winter outdoor sports opportunities; downhill and cross-country skiing; skating, and ice hockey, played on some of the many rinks created on frozen lakes, etc.

Due to some tweaking of the Canadian regulations, we were able to drive to Quebec in early December and spend a month there, with the first two weeks being in quarantine, at a beautiful lake house that the kids rented. Then we were all together for the week before Christmas and two weeks following, having a great time, just being together in a gorgeous, but sometimes scary cold, winter landscape.

Matt’s family managed their way through the pandemic very well, in part because Calvert School, where Matt is Middle School head, got out ahead of the curve with preparations for in-person attendance, and was open right from day one, in September, a wonderful achievement, the success of which has

continued right through to the present. Matt and Natasha have three children at Calvert now: Ted and Caroline in Middle, and Milo in Lower. His oldest, Abby, is a sophomore at Friends, and Nathan a freshman at Park School.

Last summer was the first in my lifetime that I was not able to vacation in Canada, an experience that I truly hope not to repeat in 2021!

Harry Baetjer: I decided after receiving Rick’s communication to go back five years and figure out what had happened since our last reunion and was surprised at all that had happened. So, here goes.

I was still working at Tower Hill School when last we gathered, but I decided the next year after 47 years at the school that the time had come to retire. I had been lucky enough to have had five major changes of position during my time including a tour as head of school; however, it was pretty unique to be at one place all that time. Retiring certainly did make it easier to go to see our oldest son and his family in Italy twice more before they came home in the spring of 2018 at the end of his tour at the embassy in Rome. It is pretty nice to be able to go to Rome, have a place to stay and a daughter-in-law, Jessica, who plans out trips using their car. In three trips during their posting, we were in Rome, Tuscany, and the south of Italy. What a way to travel! They got home just in time as their second child, Aurelia, was born in June a week after her dad got back to the States. Mom had come earlier, but their house was still rented, so Aurelia arrived while they and son, Jackson, were staying with Caryl and me. There certainly were memories from long ago with a newborn in the house. While oldest, Patrick, was abroad, he had to make one trip home to attend the wedding of his brother in October 2017. Sean and Linda’s wedding was a

great event, and they made the COVID year of 2020 a bit brighter when their son, Calvin, was born last December. Throw in a trip by rail across Canada from Vancouver to Toronto with a stop in Jasper and Banff in the summer of 2019 and a 50th wedding anniversary this spring. I also had the chance two summers ago to spend the day with Ted and Becky Reynolds and Mike and Linda Boland. So it has been pretty busy since I saw you last. I hope all are well.

Stan McCleary: Greetings from Oregon! The last five years have not produced profound change, as I still have the same habits, still practice psychology, still surf, and as I write this, am today celebrating the 46th anniversary of my marriage, still, to my lovely wife Louisa. Being able to say I still do anything has increasing and more evident value though, with each passing year, as I think about it. Appreciation for pretty much everything that isn’t thoroughly annoying, or along with the annoying, has increased, I think. Perhaps a compensation for aging. Our son, George, has a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, so the son is new since last report. My daughter also has a new son, now a year and a half old. Son George is here in Portland, so we see him and his family a fair amount. Daughter Angenie is in Sun Valley, Idaho, and we get over there when we can. The main classmates I actually still physically see some, living out here, are Gordy Allen, Rob Baker, and Greg Jones. Always such a delight to enjoy a sense of history with people that go that far back — a somewhat rare thing here. I am working less lately, playing more, hopefully dialing in some kind of balance, and savoring the blessings where I remember to find them. May you all enjoy good health and happiness!

Ken Price: I REALLY wish that I could have attended our 50th class reunion to

celebrate and catch up with everybody, but there was a little schedule conflict: just a few days later, I flew to Hawaii with my bride-to-be, Samy, for our wedding on Shipwreck Beach in Kauai. Hey, priorities.

Like most everybody else I guess, Samy and I have been hunkered down for the past year, doing our best to play it safe during COVID. Being retired for several years now, the frustrations of endless Zoom meetings was not an issue for either of us, thank goodness. In late 2013, I retired from my position after a 20-year stint at Tektronix, capping a career in high tech product development and management.

During 2020 we made the most of lockdown time at home to complete various projects, escaping a few times for backpacking and other outdoor activities. Once winter arrived and the snow began to fall on Mount Hood, we were set free to escape to the mountain for frequent ski trips, our winter sport passion. A side benefit is that it’s usually much sunnier at 7,000 feet than down near sea level in the Portland winter grey.

Another silver lining from COVID for me was plenty of time to devote to another lifelong passion, music. Unable to gather and play with local friends, I took advantage of some wonderful new technology that enabled me to jam in real time with musician friends 3,000 miles away. Think Zoom for musicians. This resulted in a renewal of some old friendships going all the way back to college days at Bucknell.

Now that we’re fully vaccinated, Samy and I are looking forward to travel again, first within the U.S. and then exploring Europe some more when restrictions are lifted. Vaccination has enabled us to finally lift our own self-imposed restrictions and spend

quality time with the “kids.” My two daughters live nearby in Portland, the elder of the two in her third year of medical school. The younger is in real estate development. My son, Jeremy, just recently accepted a new position as chief technology officer at a profitable startup in San Francisco, near his home there. It is such a continuing joy to see them all flourish and succeed in following their own paths.

Jim Robins: Luckily Barb and I were in Santa Fe, which is base camp, when it became obvious in March 2020 just how serious this virus was. So, we hunkered down and went nowhere. Not a bad place to get stuck, considering. Rural on 10 fenced acres and halfway up a mountain side with a crazy dog and at 7,400 feet above sea level. Our first trip was actually just last week, to see my late brother’s 8-year-old twins in San Diego and check on our house in La Jolla. My brother, Jere, 11 years younger, Park School ’77, passed away in January 2019 of a virulent and fast-moving cancer, so we’re doing our best to stay connected with his kids.

In spite of the headlines about how well New Mexico did with its vaccination program, it actually didn’t. We finally gave up, and went up the road two hours to Alamosa, Colorado, for Moderna #1 and, 28 days later, Moderna #2. We have several neighbors who actually drove to Amarillo, Texas, and back. Eleven hours, round trip. Ugh!

We’re headed to Iceland in August, with a stop first in Minneapolis to see Barb’s family. We’ll hit Chicago on the return to see how things are doing there. At least our place there is in a condo building with a full staff.

I officially retired on 12/31/2017, so have been living the retired life. Boxing three times a week, active with some local

philanthropies and general mischief making. Still keep an office at the Santa Fe airport where I can be around my pilot buds and get out of the house, but sold the business plane in early 2017 and my little aerobatic plane one year later.

Did quit drinking six months after our 50th Gilman reunion, so, just maybe, if we have a 60th, I remember some of it.

Ron Sheff: I continue to represent hospitals in the Maryland office of a national health care law firm. I primarily work from home, although this year, as part of my job, I have been spending several days a week at Sheppard Pratt as their general counsel, which I greatly enjoy. Pam’s job at Johns Hopkins usually affords us opportunities for international travel that we have built our vacations around, but that ended after we got back from Spain at the end of January 2020. Hopefully travel will resume next year, but we have been very fortunate to have our three children and four grandchildren (ages 2½ to 12) all live within a short distance from us in north Baltimore. With the family to entertain us and not wanting to leave our almost 16-year-old dog for too long, we have basically been staying put, remaining grateful that we are still healthy and able to keep working.

1967

Key Kidder keykidder@gmail.com

It is my sad duty to report that Steve Brooks — aka “Twig” due to his slender frame — died this past April after a 20-year struggle with COPD. Steve carved out a career at Hollingsworth & Vose, a global manufacturer of materials used in filtration, energy, and industrial applications. After retiring as purchasing manager, he moved to a

family home in York Harbor, Maine, a favored vacation site.

Steve and I became constant companions during our misspent youth. He grew up on Longwood Road just south of Gilman, where Frank Brooks, Bill Beehler, Jan Finney, and Crane Houston lived a stone’s throw away. Paul Beadle was his fraternity roommate at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

He savored good repartee, enjoyed fishing aboard his boat Aliceanna and “played golf badly, like me,” said brother Andrew. An avid reader, Steve would put down the book he was reading, move to another room in his house, and pick up another book he’d started on.

Survivors include son Stephen Bonsal Brooks IV, daughter Lily, four siblings and a large extended family. His marriage to Irene P. Moore ended in divorce.

1968

Bill Reilly billr52@comcast.net

1969

Wally Pinkard wally.pinkard@cushwake.com

Thrilled to be connecting with our class, even if shorter than normal given the major catch-up associated with our 50th reunion. As we come out of this pandemic, however, two plugs:

• Let’s keep the reunion spirit of remaining connected alive!

• Put Rob’s Boordy Vineyards in your family’s future plans — more details below.

I am sure that all of you who watch the news have seen Paul Offit on national television lending his expertise on infectious diseases to inform the public

in these unique times. As most of you know, Paul is the director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Fauci gets more airtime than Paul, but not many others do.

Jack Machen has retired from his role helping Baltimore City with its real estate requirements. The city was lucky to have his considerable expertise for a number of years. Now retired, Jack spends a great deal of time at the new home that he and Louise built in Wyoming. Fortunately, he still gets back to Baltimore and I get to see him often since we are two of the three trustees of the Stulman Foundation.

Lee Gaines has also been enjoying some time down south but he still remains actively involved at the helm of Gaines & Company. This premier site development company has a diversity of clients including home builders and developers, general contractors, state, federal, and municipal authorities, and military installations. It also has an expanded footprint that encompasses Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. Not surprisingly, the company also has the next generation of Gaines men ascending through the ranks. Lee’s energy level allows him to balance family, business, and civic (he currently is a member of the Maryland Transportation Authority Board) yet he still finds time to pick up a tennis racquet. We have been fortunate (pre-pandemic) to catch up with him and Beth for dinner at our club.

Woods Bennett was selected as a Super Lawyer for 2009-2021. I am told that such designation requires an evaluation of numerous criteria and peer recognition.

Jim Burghardt is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished

Neutrals. I bet many of you aren’t familiar with this group. It is affiliated with the national top tier of mediators, a vocation that has fascinated Jim after several decades of his law career. From what I can garner, Jim has been taking on some of the more challenging assignments in his field and the word that seems to describe him is “tireless.” Not surprising, Jim. Congrats on this new endeavor, of moving from a member of a significant-sized law firm to a sole practitioner.

Rob Deford continues to thrive at Boordy Vineyards. I drive by there regularly since my daughter Casey and her family live nearby. Check out the vineyard’s website for their engaging events — boordy.com. But the big news about Rob was the accolade he received last spring when he was honored at the 2020 Eastern Wine Exposition with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Citing his ongoing land stewardship and exemplary operation of a family winery on the East Coast, this award recognized Rob’s efforts and role at the helm of Maryland’s oldest winery. From everything I hear, Rob has not lost a step either, as evidenced in his star performance in M&T Bank’s television ad. Keep it up, Rob, you make us proud.

Mitch Koppleman has enjoyed quite a career at Thomson Reuters. Over his more than 36 years there, he has had a fulfilling and diverse career. Maggie Fox of CNN commented: “Mitch is a rare journalist who made the move to marketing and turned it into a second career. He uses his journalistic instincts to ferret out what customers need and gently persuades his colleagues on the editorial side of things to actually provide it. He manages to use all carrots and no sticks to do this and, surprise, surprise, it works! Mitch is funny and charming, too.” Pretty cool accolade. Congrats, Mitch!

Continuing his distinguished legal career, John Stalfort was recently selected as a Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel, which recognizes leading public finance lawyers throughout the United States and promotes high ethics and professionalism in the practice of public finance law. John joined 15 other lawyers from across the United States who were so designated.

Tom Whedbee continues to labor on behalf of the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council, where he has been board chair for around five years. The organization works on behalf of the 750 farms in Baltimore County whose economic impact is more than $200 million per year. We need the dedication of the Toms of this world if we are going to preserve our past and protect our future. Thanks for your labors, Tom!

On my personal front (Wally Pinkard), I am finishing these notes gazing out at the Severn River, where Mary-Ann and I spend a good bit of time on St. Helena Island, the perfect spot for quarantining. It is also a delightful place to watch our five grandchildren splash in the river, catch crabs, attempt to fish, swim in the pickle barrel (our version of a pool) and generally develop an appreciation for all that the Chesapeake Bay has to offer.

As we come out of this pandemic I look forward to the opportunity to see some of you in person!

1970

Howard Baetjer (outgoing class secretary) hbaetjer@verizon.net

Thayer Simmons (incoming class secretary) sim1214@aol.com

As I did last year, I’ll give only a summary and highlights of class news, because almost all news of interest is

available on the class list-serve that Bob Cole set up for us months ago.

I’ll start with news from Alumni Weekend 2021 that is not on the list-serve:

As I write this on April 22, a bunch of us have just logged off a pleasant, big Alumni Weekend Zoom gathering with Gilman’s fourth grade. Participants Jeff Putterman, Bob Cole, Bob Tickner, Allen Moore, Bob Siems, Don Gettinger, Harry Shaw, Warren Marcus, John Gilpin, Bruce Eisenberg, Mike Russo, Bill Fitzpatrick, Chad Pistell, and Howie Baetjer were pen pals with a number of those boys last spring when they were third graders. We were supposed to meet with them face to face then, before our 50th reunion, but of course COVID scotched that, so we made it up with the Zoom meeting. All the fourth graders and several of their teachers were there, so in all we made up three Zoom screens’ worth of participants. In breakout rooms of two or three of us, our pen pals, other boys, and a teacher, we talked about the sports they play, the books they are reading, the musical instruments they play, and lots else.

In the whole group wrap-up, Howie (discouraged as usual at the poor preparation for college of many of his Towson University students) asked them to be grateful for the reading and writing skills they are learning and urged them to read all they can. Harry Shaw backed that up by telling of the rewriting he has to do for his clients in the publishing world, and Don Gettinger got us all smiling and nodding with remembering the page of 12 punctuation rules we used to be given each year, and the red-ink notations of “p3,” “p7,” and so on that decorated our papers. Bob Cole remarked on how well prepared we found ourselves when we got to college. Warren Marcus advised the boys in his low-key way to “be true to themselves”

in a world where there is pressure to conform to one thing or another.

The boys seemed to enjoy our visit with them (it was a bit hard to tell behind their masks). Certainly it was fun for us.

The next night we had our virtual reunion on Zoom with the following in attendance, in the order I copied the names from my Zoom window: Gettinger, Frank Sanger, Fitzpatrick, Siems, Duane Chase, Putterman, Pistell, Tickner, Marcus, Shaw, Bill Mueller, Rick Gumpert, Stewart Wise, Julien Hecht, Russo, Steve Wexler, Moore, Ed Sutton, Cole, Page West, Eisenberg, Andy Quartner, John Gilpin, Boo Smith, and Baetjer, H.

There was the banter we’d expect, with Duane instigating a lot of it, naturally, but we also focused on a few of us for a few minutes each, learning how Bill Fitzpatrick ended up in NYC, about Jeff Putterman’s musical career (7string guitar only now), Bob Tickner’s recent daunting treatment and strong recovery from brain surgery and melanoma (all signs are positive! And Bob tells us that Thayer Simmons and Carlton Sexton have been a valuable source of support and information about his treatments), Allen Moore’s favorite of the many Ken Burns films he has worked on (The Vietnam War), and Boo Smith’s being back to work full time after (daunting, again) treatment for multiple myeloma.

It was a good gathering, but it lacked the richness of face-to-face interaction. So we look forward hopefully to our long-delayed true reunion, now scheduled for November 5-6. Keep those days clear!

We have had sad news of the loss of three of our classmates over the past year.

Rob Lloyd is one, and I have no information other than this obituary, which Hunter Nesbitt found for us:

candlelightfuneralhome.com/obituary/ Robert-Lloyd

Here is a photo of Rob for us to remember him by. He does not appear to be doing schoolwork. Rest in peace, Rob.

Rob Lloyd

Jeff Peabody died last December also, after suffering from Alzheimer’s. Classmates wrote in remembering Jeff this way: He was “a really kind, friendly guy.” “A really sweet, friendly and good person!” He was “always friendly, never pretentious.” “I loved his thin smirky smile. And I was inspired by his athletic ability. He sort of walked around stand-up carelessly, but boy was he fast. No, maybe he was quick more than he was fast. It came as no surprise that he excelled in lacrosse.” Rest in peace, Jeff.

And we lost Doug Warner to brain cancer on February 17. His passing came with no warning for many of us. His wife, Yvonne, wrote to the class before he died, asking for “some stories/memories to add to his bio.” She read it all to Doug as it came in. Here is some of what we said:

[He was] “one of the kinder and easier going people in our class. He exuded a strength of character that few had, and while strong overall, he was a gentle soul.” “I recall his kindness and his being a sort of shining light.” “He personified solid and fair and approachable.” Rick Gumpert recounted the highlights of a drive across country and back after grad-

uation; see the photos of Rick by the tent and Doug at the Grand Canyon.

This is from Cranston Dize: At Union, Muv [Doug] would emerge in the Spring and play touch football with all of the jocks on campus as it dug out from the winter. My roommate Mark Chittim was a Western Mass sprint champion. Nobody knew him or Muv. They became campus legends — “Those Rabbits” — and connected with regular 50-yard TDs. Could Doug ever throw!

Some weeks after Doug died, Yvonne sent the following, along with some photos (the group shot is of Carlton Sexton, Thayer Simmons, Dick Richardson, Bill Fitzpatrick, Bucky RulonMiller, and Doug, at Dick Richardson’s wedding).

“I want to thank you all for your wonderful emails and photos and phone calls to our home, both before and after Doug’s death.

I read all the emails to Doug, which brought many smiles to his face (especially mention of the vigilante egg squad! He tried claiming innocence, but the notation next to his yearbook photo says it all!).

And as he lay there, pretty unresponsive the last few days, I would sometimes call him “Muv” … and it must have brought back good memories every time I said it, because through the haze, he would summon up a smile.”

Rest in peace, Doug.

Stewart Wise writes with “greetings from the distant past! Here’s my news: After working in property management for 37 years, I have finally retired. The plan is to fix up our house, sell it, and move to Greensboro, North Carolina, so we can be closer to our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, who live down there.”

Chad Pistell’s update: “I will turn 70 this summer, and my wife and I hope to ride at least one tourist railroad to celebrate the momentous event.”

Your secretary, Howard Baetjer, is eagerly looking forward to getting back into the economics classroom (at Towson University) and off Zoom!

I have experienced more stress and anxiety over teaching in the last year than I did in the 20-plus previous put together. Reworking presentations for the computer screen rather than the whiteboard has been challenging. And I hate not being able to read students’ expressions and body language and get them talking to one another easily. I plan on staying full time two more years, then going part time.

Last August, Jeff Putterman announced the release of his new album, Solo 7string 2020, a collection of tunes composed and arranged over the past decade, all recorded in his home studio on a Hill 7string Classical Guitar. For a preview and links to one’s preferred listening platform, go to jeffputterman.hearnow. com. Then, in October, Jeff announced Quartet 97, available at jeffputterman. bandcamp.com/album/quartet-97. He writes, “This recording was made 23 years ago. I was still playing 6string guitars and using a pick on the electric guitar. (I’ve been a 7string player with fingers only since the turn of this century.) The sessions were completed in one weekend without sound separation between instruments, so they truly sound like live recordings with spirited moments and with blemishes.” Way to go, Jeff!

Bruce Beehler writes with news of yet another book. For scholarly output accessible to everyone, he seems to be our class star. His latest book is out (Princeton University Press 2020): “New Guinea: Nature and Culture of the Earth’s Grandest Island.” The book provides an overview of the history, natural history, and anthropology of the largest and highest tropical island, complemented by more than 250 photographs by National Geographic photographer Tim Laman. Bruce has done research on the island of New Guinea for more than 35 years and the

new volume captures the wonders of this faraway place.

The other of Bruce’s books that most Gilman readers might want to own is “Birds of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia” (Johns Hopkins, 2019, 461 pages). Bruce says he is “currently working on my biggest book yet (to be published by Hopkins), entitled “Photographic Atlas of the Birds of North America.” That sounds like a terrific reference book for people serious about birds.

I hate to report that Bill Johnson sends distressing news that, unlike Boo, he is not responding well to his treatment for multiple myeloma. The night of our Zoom reunion (April 23) he wrote that he has “been having a hard time with the myeloma. My pain level has increased considerably, and I have low energy and spend more time lying around. The drugs they try haven’t stopped the cancer very well of late … Side effects are frequently present. Options are dwindling. We consult again with the Mayo expert early next week.” He added, positively, “At least the signs of spring are ‘sprung’. I hope the virtual reunion was/is a success!” Sadly, Bill lost his battle with cancer and passed away early this summer.

Let’s finish with a quick glimpse at what has interested us enough for us to write about it on the class list-serve in the last year. This sampling shows a

pretty rich intellectual life, and some reminiscing.

Earth Day and the beauty of the planet –Renneburg

Single-payer health system –Renneburg

Shareholder capitalism –Jade Tippett

Lincoln on capital and labor –Mark Morrill

Quality of U.S. health care system based on life expectancy stats –West

The Mayflower Compact and the 14th Amendment –Farber

U.S. criminal justice system –Baetjer, H. The divergence (or not) of wages and productivity –West, Baetjer, Tippett

John Taylor Gatto’s 14 Themes of the Elite Private School Curriculum –Dize

An “incident” the night before the Gilman-McDonogh game our senior year –Baetjer, G. and various others

Our 40-0 loss in that game: “That was a sad and futile day!” –Ted Bauer

Critical Race Theory –Cole, Tippett, Dize

And a final item: Consensus has it that this is our Second Form year class photo, as Bill Mueller says, “ablaze with Madras.” I think it was also Bill who observed that this might be the last photograph taken of us as children. Fifty-five years ago. I hope to see you kids in November.

1971

Tom Lynn tklynn610@gmail.com

As these class notes are being written/ submitted, we have just finished our virtual 50th reunion gathering during the weekend when we would normally have had our in-person reunion in a non-pandemic time.

I write/compile these notes for my last time. I relinquish that duty once these are submitted. At the in-person reunion in (hopefully) November, either another classmate can be elected/drafted to be class secretary, or I can continue as class secretary with someone else (it doesn’t have to be a classmate!) stepping up to do the class notes going forward. Not sure if anyone would want to do that without the full trappings and grandeur that comes with the title “class secretary”!

In spite of a couple of well-worded and diplomatic entreaties, we received “official” class notes from only three classmates. Their news follows.

Michael Blum reports (unsurprisingly in the third person!), “It’s been a very challenging year for Michael and Annette Blum, who are still living in ‘Joshua’s Meadows,’ their 280-year-old house in Bel Air, Maryland. Michael and Annette spent the winter of 2020-2021 fighting off groundhogs, which set up residence in the inaccessible-to-humans crawl space under their study, dining room, and living room.

If you’ve always wanted to hear what groundhogs sound like when they loudly mate at midnight, right below your feet, Mike and Annette have the experience for you! They also have been fighting with an idiosyncratic radiator system that revels in inconsistent heating, moving the hot water randomly from room to room.

In October 2020, Mike and Annette hosted the marriage of their son David Blum to Angie Edmond, a ceremony performed by Michael, who got himself ordained by the Universal Life Church for the nonce. The ceremony and luncheon were held outside in the back garden, and, due to the pandemic, only 11 people in all were present, all spaced far apart. So it goes!

Also due to the pandemic, Michael suffered the cancellation of the musical “Dogfight” that he was directing, less than a week before it was scheduled to open (March 20, 2020) at Spotlighters Theatre in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon area, and the cancellation of two more plays he had been scheduled to direct in 2020-2021, plus two parades and at least four outdoor events. On the other hand, he presided over a “Virtual Halloween Costume Contest” and a “Virtual Talk to Santa at the North Pole” children’s event, which put Zoom tech mightily to the test!

On a happy note, Michael and Annette now have two wonderful grandchildren: Adam and Ida, the children of their daughter Julia Blum and Andy Chang ’96; both Julia and Andy are evolutionary marine ecologists, dealing with invasive species in the San Francisco Bay, working in the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Sausalito, California. Thanks to Zoom and FaceTime, Michael and Annette are able to “see” their grandchildren on a regular basis.

Also, son Robert Blum received his Ph.D. in physics from Yale in May 2020, and continues to pursue post-doctoral work in nuclear magnetic imaging of rocks. Ask Robby about it!

On a sad note, Michael’s beloved sister, Joanna, known to many of his classmates, died unexpectedly from a viru-

lent, untreatable lymphoma in October 2020 in Boston (she was able to see her nephew David’s marriage via Zoom a week or so earlier). COVID-19 protocols meant that Michael couldn’t visit or see Joanna, and the funeral and shiva services were all held virtually. Trust me — it’s not the same thing.

Michael has also taken over “management” of his parents, aged 89 and 92, who are doing pretty well overall — still living in the same house in Owings Mills that many of his classmates will remember! No more summer escapes to Fire Island, though — he sold his parents’ house there in November 2020, since his parents weren’t able to get out to it any more.

Michael also still manages the “family farm” up in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, and, at least for now, keeps his advertising/ marketing business going. He and Annette both use email and Facebook to keep up with many classmates, including on the Gilman side; of course, Charlie Duff (buy his book “The North Atlantic City,” if you haven’t already, OK? It’s wonderful!), Tom Casey, Harry Turner, Kirk Levedahl, Bill Rich, Fred Nelson, Chip Manekin, Bill Scherlis, Benjy DuBois, Arch Montgomery and many more … even TKL!

Finally, Michael, who worked hard as a volunteer for many blue candidates in the 2020 election, is happy with the result of that election and cautiously optimistic for the future of the country. As we all progress through our late sixties, that’s about all we can hope for — a cautious optimism. Ad astra per aspera!”

Chip Manekin writes: “Rachel and I flew to Israel last June to sit out the pandemic in our Jerusalem apartment, within walking distance of our four children and 12 grandchildren. We have

been Zooming classes this year at the University of Maryland. We plan to return for the fall semester and to retire sometime next year, after 36 (for Rachel, 12) years of flying back and forth from Jerusalem to Maryland.

For a research academic, retirement means not teaching and not getting paid but the research continues. Still, retirement also means more time with the family. I have returned to the piano after more than a half-century, and I have not retired from Jerusalem amateur Gilbert and Sullivan productions, either.

I was privileged to participate last spring on a panel of Gilman alums on the impact of the pandemic on teaching. Re: the reunion, which I am planning to attend, God willing, I had great Zoom chats with Nigel, Buck, Bill Rich, and Harry Turner. Stay safe, all, and see you soon.”

Marvin Miller lets us know: “I was just named a Distinguished Agriculture Alumnus by Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. It was actually for 2020, but they had told us a year ago to keep it quiet until it actually happened, and then they canceled the ceremony due to COVID and the closing of campus activities. This year, they decided to make it a virtual event, which just happened (though I still have to give a departmental seminar on April 15). They limit this to a maximum of 10 per year. For 2020 there were nine of us. For 2021, there were only four. So, it is kind of special, and I feel very honored.” Congratulations, Marvin!

I will now “fill in some blanks” by reporting (or near-reporting) on various other classmates about whom I think I might know some “stuff.”

Buck Baker has been a valuable member of our 50th Reunion Committee, as have Ben DuBois, Frank Fiske (co-chair),

Bill Gamper, George Gephart (acting in capacity as consiliarius/consigliere), Mike Hilliard, Nigel Ogilvie (chair), Pete Waxter (co-chair), and your humble class secretary, Tom Lynn.

Randy Beehler continues to provide facts to go along with the sometimes-removed-from-reality stories we tell of our Gilman days. Bert Berney is managing to keep nine bridges in place — or in sight, or en route. Tyler Campbell still enjoys flying his well-maintained airplane built in the 1970s (as were we, essentially). He has made gracious use of it for his photography business. John Danzer is nearly ready to take flight (see what I did there?) from the good old USA and permanently take up residence in Spain, where he has had a second home for many years.

Frank Davis continues biking — and staying youthfully in shape — to his professorial university job in Cali-Land. John Deford still enjoys going fast in fancy racing cars, as well as bringing down birds and bringing up fish. Will Doug Dobbin come to our reunion? Hope so! Ben DuBois has been our voice of caution/reason during our planning-in-times-of-pandemic. Charlie Duff authored another terrific book and keeps renewing important parts of our challenged/challenging Baltimore. Frank Fiske has gracious plenty of pretend ducks in his den/basement — while he still goes out to bring down the real ones. Bill Floweree is a Nashville musician — and all that implies.

Bill Gamper enjoys being “only” a teacher once again. George Gephart is keeping his part of Charleston, South Carolina, accurate — but comfortable. Ned Grassi is scarce in Baltimore (though is present occasionally) but plentiful in South Carolina. Chris Green has reconnected with us — and his company is doing a bunch of

construction work for C. Duff’s Jubilee Baltimore rehab/revitalization projects. Mike Hilliard keeps his hand in. Michael Koger stays connected to our class from the Midwest. Bill McLean will hopefully get Taylor McLean to attend our reunion! Edwin Merryman actually is a member of our class Facebook group. Really! Arch Montgomery is in Asheville. (Environs in which I hope to reside within the next four to five years!) Fred Nelson is yet another one in South Carolina — and building another boat in his garage (better than in the basement, I’m thinking …).

Nigel Ogilvie tries to avoid mucking out anything when he can. Charlie Scarlett loves his grandkids and his pontoon boat, in the St. Louis vicinity. Harry Turner will likely try to attend as many of his 50th high school reunions as possible! Pete Waxter is essentially still on his honeymoon and trying to stay in training for his longed-for resumption of his musical odysseys with trips to Florida and New Hampshire. Mark Wilson stays in touch through our class Facebook group. Dick Councill might have sold his beautiful and historic “Clynmalira” (site of our 40th reunion) by the time of these notes. Or not. He’s been trying! Dwight Douglass has stayed in touch and was part — as were 30 of us — of our virtual reunion in April. Hugh McCormick impressed everyone during our virtual reunion with the length of his hair! Impressive! Chris Minkowski did not. (Sorry, Chris. Me, too. And a lot others …) Charles Piven has stayed in touch. A little bit. Will Ruff has also stayed connected with us. Joe Sandler added insightful (or do I mean “inciteful”?) thoughts to our virtual reunion. Mid Walsh might be leading a yoga class, or a singalong — or both, maybe? — during our in-person reunion in November. Who knows? (A “Gephart, Walsh & Young”

reunion might occur as well, perhaps? Along with a Mikado medley? A Marvin Miller bulletin hand-out? A Milton B. Allen sticker-in?) Bill Scherlis might be bringing Bernie (no, not Bert) to the reunion. Maybe. Bill Rich will be taking the lead on our reunion “memorial service” for our 10 departed graduate alumni classmates. Alvin Thompson shared a book during our class’s “pen pal” event with current third graders — a book that was given to him senior year by our two similarly last-named librarians! (Loved Mrs. Davison!) That’s it!

Really hope that some of you can help track down some of “we 71” — the still living 71 graduate members of the class of ’71! We have little or no idea where these guys are — or why they are so hard to get in touch with: Ed Bell, Jon Ehrlich, Lloyd Felton, Alex Gardiner, Bill Hoatson, Bob Isaacs, Taylor McLean, Chris Miller, Pete Stamas, Mark Wallace, Markell Whittlesey, and Phil Wiswell. That’s a LOT out of 71 classmates. If you are in communication with any of them, please encourage them to be in touch and definitely make it to our 50th (only ONE of those!) reunion in November.

Well, that’s about all I have or know — or think I know. We’ll find out in November if much of it is true — or maybe even perhaps offensive/libelous! Hope to see everyone at “5407” that first weekend in November. You will have received or will be receiving information about on- and off-campus events and activities. It’ll be a fantastic time for the class of ’71 — once more! Please visit/join — if you haven’t already — our “Gilman School Class of 1971” Facebook group for lots of information, photos, and stories about our class over the years. Be well and see you soon!

1972

J.

Richard Thomas, Jr.

rthomas@csfllp.com

Roger Bowie: All is fine with retirement in the San Francisco Bay Area. COVID has kept us hiding out at home but we are well. No skiing for me this year but been playing golf. Hope to be back east in the fall.

John Burghardt: Hello, folks. I’ve been retired for five years now from my career of 10 years as a miner and mining engineer at Henderson Mine near Berthoud Pass, Colorado, and 28 years managing mining issues nationwide for the National Park Service as a mining engineer/geologist. In the last year, I had a nasty bout with COVID that put me in the ICU and rehab from 11/24/2020 to 01/19/2021 with double pneumonia and a gall bladder infection. Treatments included intubation, a ventilator for six weeks, induced coma for 15 days, tracheostomy, and a lot of rehab: pretty crazy but I’m almost back to 100% and expecting a full recovery. I have an RV and side-by-side and love to explore the desert country until the snow melts in Colorado, then I stay closer to home. In fact, I’m just back from Tucson and heading to Moab next week. I also enjoy doing some counseling through my church and mentoring through an outreach to at-risk teens in my mountain community. So, I’m back to living large and enjoying my renewed lease on life. I hope all is well with you!

Emerson Coleman is continuing to develop and launch new media projects in his role as SVP for Hearst Television, where he created the weekly national political show “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien” and the Listening Tour

digital series “The Hard Truth About Bias: Images and Reality and To Be An American: Identity, Race and Justice.” The content is always available online at matteroffact.tv, on FYI cable, streaming on Pluto TV, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and nationwide in broadcast syndication — in the Baltimore area on WBAL TV and radio, WUSA TV Washington and WGAL-TV Harrisburg-Lancaster. Each show is centered around untold, overlooked, and underreported stories — so new ideas are welcome and appreciated.

David Cross: This past year, two of my sons were married in COVID-restricted ceremonies. I even officiated at one! I am still working as an attorney at the California Labor Commissioner. Performing on stage has been on hold, so I have pivoted to video productions. Looking forward to seeing classmates in person next year.

Mark Fetting reports being “so sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. Porter … he was the best as teacher, Circus Director, T-men founder, contractor (he helped build the Auditorium), snow plow man with his jeep. I even think he and Cary Woodward were “Big League” football coaches when Will Baker and I attempted to be quarterbacks. Truly, Mr.

William H. Porter, among the very best of Gilman.”

P.S. We did win the Circus in V & VI Form!

John Hargrove: Retired life continues to work for both Beth and me. The past year was difficult for us as it was for most, but we got through it. As a senior judge on the court, I have recall status (meaning I am allowed to sit and hear cases while retired); however, I have not “worked” in over a year due to the pandemic. That will change in May 2021, as I have accepted assignments for that month. Our daughters continue to thrive in their chosen fields (Sydney is an attorney with a firm in D.C., while Taylor is an assistant professor of sociology at UNC-CH).

I talk with Roger Bowie frequently, and, prior to COVID, he and his wife were frequent house guests of ours when they visited town (a couple of times a year). We are their hotel of choice when they are here! I guess that will resume soon! I had a nice phone conversation with Alan Kaufman recently, and he has me excited about our upcoming 50th reunion next year. Where did the time go?

Most importantly, our family is healthy in these trying times. We have all (Mom, sisters, wife, children) been vaccinated, and we look forward to resuming a “normal” (whatever that is) life in the near future. It goes without saying that Steve is still sorely missed, but his memory is deeply embedded in my heart. His art is displayed throughout my house, so he is never far away.

still sailing, working up a vacation rental in Bermuda, helping my wife, Lauren, finish an MFA in sculpture at MICA, launching our children, and just whelped our first litter of puppies.

Philip Kass: When I arrived home from Italy on February 19, 2020, I had no idea that this would be my last plane flight to date, or that it would be well over a year and counting until I could return there.

Jonathan

Hyde: Moving to Black Rock Road in horse country north of Baltimore,

It’s been years since I last sent a post, but for the past few decades I’ve been working primarily as an independent consultant on bowed stringed instruments as well as researching and writing about the classic Italian luthiers. My biggest current project is a book on the history of violin making in Mantua, which I have visited repeatedly for research and, most recently, as a quiet and familiar place in which to write the book. This is a multinational enterprise: my co-author and publisher is Italian, our photographer, a German, and the instruments we seek, scattered worldwide. The pandemic has caught us all in mid-stride. Important instruments that must be photographed for inclusion lay tantalizingly out of our reach. The biographical essays can be revised via the wonders of email, but the serious work of writing our analytical essays requires us to be sitting together, poring over and comparing photos. Furthermore, some minor research was never concluded, and the archives are not always currently accessible. So, it could be that our planned 2021 publishing date will probably be pushed back a year.

orchestras, and the Curtis Institute here in Philadelphia. And, I have not given up my music making — far from it, in fact. In my traveling days, musical get-togethers were infrequent, but now I have a quartet of forcibly idled professional musicians which has been meeting several times a week since last July (I have named it “The Covidian Quartet”). I cannot tell you how much the music has helped to make these times not just bearable, but even enjoyable.

Nathan Nachlas: Jumping on the first time in decades because I felt sorry for Richard Thomas emailing me that there were very few responses. Everyone is probably waiting for next year’s 50th! Fran and I live in Boca Raton, Florida. We have four amazing grown children, from here to Northern California. I am about to start my 35th year here in Boca fixing noses and helping people breathe. Best to all of my classmates!

When not working on these sorts of fun projects, I still provide appraisal and consultation services to players and dealers alike, as well as a few museums,

Jack Orrick has moved to the law firm of Offit Kurman in Bethesda from his prior law firm of Linowes and Blocher where he worked for more than 25 years. It has been an interesting transition during COVID times with virtual working conditions. He has also become a grandfather for the first time this year,

with daughter Becca having son James in September.

Jack has a new email address: jack.orrick@offitkurman.com.

Tony Talalay: Likely most of us have been looking at the same four walls and same screens for most of the past year — my family and I have been fortunate that we have plenty to do, even in quarantine. My broccoli nutritional products company has been busier than ever — as have many health companies — and the family fostered many cats and dogs. But looking forward to seeing my Gilman friends soon.

J. Richard Thomas, Jr.: It is great to hear from everyone, especially in anticipation of our pending 50th reunion. For many of us, there will be reconnections that have been nonexistent for 50 years.

Personally, it has been a very eventful year. The most notable being the death of my father in January of last year. He was my friend, my confidant (sometimes) and my true “Best Man.” He was a devoted Gilman grad having served as the president of the Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1985 and he likely presented diplomas to many of our younger schoolmates.

We welcomed a new grandchild into our family in March, which brings my total grandchildren count to four, which is a completely indescribable experience.

Thank you to our classmate Mark Fetting for serving as the current president of the Gilman Board of Trustees. This is a huge job and Gilman is fortunate to have Mark so integrally involved. Mike Karas, time to reinvestigate the mini-reunions in hopes that a few of us can get together before our 50th. See you at our reunion.

1973

Steve Parker stevenhparker@msn.com

Being lifetime class secretary was a job I don’t remember asking for, and I can’t say I’ve done a very good job over the years keeping up with everybody and writing it down for the Bulletin. That being said, maybe a slowed down year of COVID, the great reunion we had a few years ago for our 45th and the Weems Scholarship, or an impending 50th reunion inspired me to try and gather as many responses from classmates as possible and try to catch up with everyone’s news to date. I can’t say the response has been overwhelming, but it wasn’t bad, and it was absolutely great to hear from those I did.

I’ll start with myself, Steve Parker After graduation, I went to Brown and obtained a B.A. in English literature, without a doubt inspired by my Fifth Form year in English with Roy Barker. I then went on to medical school at Maryland, trained in NYC and went into anesthesia. Almost my whole career has been at Anne Arundel Medical Center, a wonderful hospital in Annapolis. I commuted from D.C. for a long time and now from Bethesda for a long time, which has earned me probably my greatest claim to fame — getting 410,000 miles off of my 2000 Acura TL, until I had to retire it in 2017. I got a late start with kids, and then an even later start, and have four kids (all my own) ranging in age from 12 to 25. Yes, I’ll never be able to retire, but my job’s enjoyable and pretty low key (no nights or weekends), and I take off eight weeks vacation a year plus every other Friday, so I’m kind of slowly retiring anyway. They say it keeps you young to have young kids; I find it keeps you poor, but the kids are wonderful, and everything will be free if these Democrats have anything to say

about it, so why worry? Please keep in touch! I’d love to see classmates and hear from everybody even if you didn’t write back this time. I can be reached anytime at stevenhparker@msn.com or 202-8415269.

Best, Steve (P, the Big P, Mr. P, Dr. P, Stevie P...).

On to those who responded this time (and in order of response):

Scott Melby: Hello from Naples, Florida … aka “God’s Waiting Room” to some. Retired to here and Vermont after 35 years in hotel development, mostly with Marriott. “Retired” but incredibly busy with various real estate projects and getting little done. Constantly shamed on the golf course by my spouse and also by my two boys that don’t make me look/feel any better when they visit. I trust that all of you are happy and well. Our 50th will certainly be a hoot though we may wish to wear name tags by that point.

Ned Hooper: I’m recently retired from a 30-year career in orthopedic/hand surgery. UNC, Duke Med, UVa Ortho, Univ Texas hand fellow along the way. Have been blessed with 31 years and counting with my wife Kelly, and raised our three (now grown) kids in Roanoke, where we plan to stay. Retired this year, but staying engaged in issues that embroil our society, environment, our collective futures, and pursuit of happiness. Have stayed in touch with a number of classmates, and regularly with Alex Armstrong, Rob Gettinger, and Jake (aka Dicky) Washburne. Hope all’s well with you! Good luck posting everyone’s news. BTW, the class reunions (I have made about every fifth year milestones) are always fun and inspiring. We truly have a super group of classmates that gets better, not simply older.

John Magee: My life since Gilman: BA in American history from Washington

& Lee. MBA from UVA. Eighteen years banking. Twenty-plus years management consulting as advisor, CRO, president, and/or CEO in a variety of industries. Primarily domestic work, but engagements involved travel to India, China, and numerous countries in Europe. Three children with Frances (John — counselor in Asheville; Elizabeth — construction engineer in Raleigh; and Charlotte — finishing Ph.D. in neuroscience in Salt Lake City); one with Tami (Greyson — a third grader). No grandchildren yet, but you don’t need grandkids when you have a 9-year-old and a 70-pound goldendoodle. I have given up tennis and anything else requiring a modicum of fitness, but I still do enjoy losing golf balls, and I would welcome a visit from any classmates who find themselves in the Queen City (jamagee5@gmail.com).

Dick Cromwell: I live in Newport, Rhode Island, and own Maritime Solutions, a boat dealership and the Freedom Boat Club Franchise for Connecticut and Rhode Island. Three daughters and two grandkids. Still working too much and not fishing enough.

Court Fulton: Married 40 years. Two grown children, both with graduate degrees. I am a lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina, far too young to think about retirement.

Dave Tickner: Living in Rockville, Maryland, with my wife, Margaret. My three daughters are now grown up and married — I have four grandkids — three boys and one girl — Connor, Brooks, Augie, and Lila (ranging in age from almost 4 years old to 3 months). Currently working for a startup small business named RevTekSolutions.net, selling services to the federal financial agencies. Playing lots of paddle tennis and some golf in warmer months. I’m in regular contact with Brem and

BI (Bremermann and Isaacs), and sometimes with Bruce Barker, and less often with other classmates, mostly at Gilman-sponsored reunions. Looking forward to ‘Post-COVID’ life, whenever that can happen!

Rob Gettinger: Living in Denver for 22 years now and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. Still work in financing, mergers, and acquisitions for lower middle market companies, thinking of retirement sooner than later. After all we’ve been through, there’s just no waiting anymore. Want to get out and do all the fun stuff on my bucket list. Wife Kelly cooks up a storm, which keeps me healthy, and loves to salsa dance. We are hoping to travel more in the near future. Daughter Ava is in fourth year of a program to become a doctor of natural medicine in Seattle at Bastyr University (I think Alan Gaby taught there), and Willy is in the aerospace engineering program at the University of Colorado Boulder graduating next year (after going to Gilman his last two years of HS). Looking forward to our 50th and getting back together with all you great guys … and give a shout out on your next trip to Colorado.

Forgot to mention, met up with Tom Callanan at the Vail lax tourney last year and we had a blast. He lives in a treehouse in Santa Cruz living on chia seeds and sunshine (slight exaggeration), loving life quite off the grid.

Bunky Wehr: I retired about two years ago and am living happily in Perth, Western Australia, after a career as a geologist in the energy sector. We had the good fortune to live all over the world and — through a series of unlikely events — were able to settle here permanently. My wife (Nikki) and my three daughters are all happy and healthy: one is an accountant, one a

graphic designer, and one owns an auto repair shop on the south coast about five hours from Perth. I am still playing music — in a pub band of “vintage” musicians, and have been co-producing an album with a friend of mine from Cairo. Life is good. Western Australia is an extraordinary part of the world with great weather, scenery, and wines, and we’d love to catch up with anyone who passes through — although that isn’t likely anytime soon!

Gino (John) Robinson: I retired in 2017, and Mary and I established residency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about a year ago (January 2020). That has worked out well as we can do more things outside during COVID. Our son and his wife live just nine miles from us in Davie, Florida, and our daughter is about the same distance away in Hollywood, Florida. We returned to Maryland twice during the year for about a month to visit family, etc. I hope to see you all at the next reunion!

Lance Miyamoto: A year ago, in February, my wife, Donna, and I moved from New Jersey to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to enjoy retirement. My son, Jasen, is living in Brooklyn, waiting for Broadway to reopen so he can return to work.

One or two days a week, I spend my time consulting and serving on advisory boards for a few companies. I also lend a hand to my former company, Catalent, which is a contractor to Moderna, JNJ, and AstraZeneca on their COVID-19 vaccines. The rest of the week, I am taking online courses, reading, and catching up on mindless TV, which I missed while fully employed. All in all, I am enjoying a slower pace to life (quite to my surprise).

Boredom has yet to occur, but it may be just around the corner. Perhaps I should

reach out to Dick Cromwell to learn how to sail!

To all of our classmates, give a shout if you are in the neighborhood or vacationing in OBX!

Dave Senft: I am in Baltimore and still hawking insurance with classmate Guy Warfield at HMS Insurance in Hunt Valley. My wife, Mary B, and I are enjoying our four granddaughters (ages 1, 2, 4, and 6): Lucy, Kearney, Sawyer, and Brady. “Little women” is my favorite movie.

I’m still in touch with Gilman as my disabled brother, Dano, has been working at the gym for 30 years. Also my brother-in-law, Boo Smith, is the dean of students. That allows me to keep my finger on the pulse of those Gilman lads about to be tossed.

Still have fond memories of my Gilman days, classmates, and Jethro Tull’s greatest hits.

Brad Sinclair: I’m retired from DuPont where I spent most of my career (with a couple M&A side trips) in IT management. I moved out to St. Louis in 1998 and have been here since. I like the Midwest location, particularly for road trips out west to visit the Tetons, Rockies, Grand Canyon, etc. I’m still a Birds fan, but the birds are now Cardinal red (my office was three blocks from Busch Stadium). My wife and I have three daughters — one here in St. Louis and the other two up in Chicago. We have two grandkids with hopefully more to come.

I’m not overly ambitious in retirement but I do enjoy working on projects around the home, tinkering with and driving my ’75 BMW 2002, and spending too much time on eBay and various other auction sites. My wife and I enjoy our every-other-year road trip to

Florida for spring training, where we try to include an Orioles game, schedule permitting.

Bill Isaacs: Louise and I are still living in beautiful downtown Butler, Maryland, with dog Holly, five chickens, two cats, snake Corny, and lots of firewood split by Paisley Louise — love it. Family inventory: Son Bob, 23, works at a machine shop in Timonium, he brings metal shavings home; daughter Martha graduated UNC 2017, circled the globe several times, speaks Mandarin, birdwatcher, now working for DOT in Manhattan, lives in Brooklyn (who doesn’t?) with Danny. Daughter Edith and husband Dave are teachers outside Boston, Edith special ed and Dave high school biology at Natick High (Doug Flutie’s alma mater), they have three glorious offspring: James, Nor-nor, and Bellie, ages 3 to 5, in virtual constant contact. Albert, Gilman class 2000 (may not admit it) lives in Hoes Heights off Falls, and is professor of film at MICA/JHU. Catch his movies online — “Sylvio” and “Strawberry Mansion” (debuted at Sundance and SXSW), and animated “Tux and Fanny” (in Russian), all by Albert Birney. Oh yes, staying at home all this time we’ve gone dwelling crazy — we’ve put a yurt in our back field, tiny house adjacent to our house, row houses in Fells Point, and 39th and Greenmount (garden district), and remained car crazed with a ’79 Ford truck (runs intermittently), ’92 Toyota truck (runs all the time — drive to work), ’82 VW rabbit truck (diesel — starts right up), ’61 Corvair (runs great — was featured in a movie), ’09 Kia (most reliable we have), VW station wagon (too fancy), ’72 VW bus (needs work), ’86 Toyota RV (love it, been to Canada and South Carolina, it’s a dog, top speed 55), and Honda dirt bike, and minibike with new oversized motor I put in (too fast — very unstable), two

tractors — a ’61 Ford 2000, and a ’59 Massey TO35 (cut the grass with the ford, T035 is a lawn ornament) — bus and TO35 — retirement projects. Tore my Achilles last fall pushing the dumb a** Ford pickup — Obie called me to commiserate — made my day.

Co-presided with Wick Sollers at the wedding of my goddaughter, Alex Tickner, at Lake Tahoe a year or so ago. I think David was looking to save a few bucks and I was very honored to participate. In case Dave forgets to write in, Alex and Brian have a beautiful new baby boy — sure to be an All-American with that pedigree!

If you’re in the neighborhood, check out the reincarnated Butler Cabin — Ted Bauer’s worked his magic again — he’s got a big Triumph motorcycle strapped on the ceiling — it’s packed almost every night! Dodging COVID, I’m still going into work at JHH five days a week — I like work but every day I can’t wait to get home. Last week on the way home I noticed the Crusaders of St. Paul’s playing a lacrosse game, something drew me, and I turned in. Just seeing a live contest of any sort was a welcome, but I must say unusual experience — I know I’m getting even further over the hill when I got choked up, simply looking around at the family spectators in masks, cheering and clapping, flashing back while thinking about what we’ve gone through the last 12 months or so. How will these kids remember all this?

I hope everyone has all their family members to celebrate this reawakening with them. Was great to see everyone at our 40th — I regret not spending more time talking with all you guys back in the Fifth Form room — what a blessed opportunity we had — it’ll be our 50th before you know it — look forward to seeing you all!

Henry Myerberg: As I write this note my wife, Karen, and I are taking a two-week road trip, driving across the country with our daughter’s Australian Shepherd, who loves all hiking trails between LA and our home in New York. During this past year, we have been gratefully fortunate to stay healthy and active with work and family, which includes our two young grandsons, Theo and George.

Todd Galvin: Forty-eight years in a nutshell: Graduation from Gilman was followed by college, medical school, and residency, during which time I met and married my wife, Linda, in a small ceremony with family and friends in Cape May, New Jersey. Two years later we moved to a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in Keymar, Maryland, on the border of Carroll and Frederick counties where I established an internal medicine practice. Over the next six years, while restoring the farmhouse and building the practice, we had our three sons. Eleven years later we traded life in the country for better schools and relocated to Cockeysville/Hunt Valley, where we continue to live. Jack, now age 34, is married to Hope and living in Washington, D.C., with our first grandchild, Brooks, born this past September. Thomas, age 32, is engaged to Katie and living in Homeland in North Baltimore. Connor, age 29, moved back east after four years in San Diego and is also living in Homeland. We are fortunate that they are close and we get to see them often, even more so since the arrival of Brooks. I’m still enjoying practicing internal medicine, although gradually slowing down to allow more time for family, golf, and spending time in Cape May, our favorite home away from home.

Al Adams: I retired with 39 years of service from the U.S. Department of Treasury five years ago, on February

29. I spent the last 31-plus years of my career working for the Internal Revenue Service in various management and analyst capacities. I also retired from the MD Army National Guard as a Sergeant Major, Finance Operations Chief, with 27 years of service.

Since my retirement from the IRS, I continued to support several volunteer organizations in several capacities, including as Grand Inspector for the MD Prince Hall Masons (for the last three-plus years). Since about 2008, I have served as Mid-Atlantic Region Treasurer of the Association for the Improvement of Minorities in the Internal Revenue Service (AIM-IRS). Recently, I accepted an appointment as National Treasurer for AIM-IRS and relinquished my position as Grand Inspector for the MD Prince Hall Masons, as well as the Regional AIM-IRS Treasurer appointment. In January of this year, I decided to do something a little different, so I obtained a commission as a Notary Public for the State of Maryland, and expect to become a loan-signing agent in my spare time some time in the near future.

As far as family is concerned, my wife, Bernie, is considering retiring from the nursing profession later this year, although she is also working on a master’s degree in nursing, which will be her second master’s degree. Our son, Andrew, has worked for the Department of State for the last 10 or 11 years, at U.S. embassies in various locations around the world. He also plans and coordinates international trips as a partner in a travel company. Right now, he is stationed close to home (in the D.C. area) for the first time since he started with the State Department, which Bernie and I love, but he will be leaving for his next international assignment sometime next year.

Tom Obrecht: I am still working in the real estate business; however, thinking about slowing down. Married to my wife, Carol. I am an old guy with a young daughter named Kathryn. She is graduating from Garrison Forest this year and she is heading to Vanderbilt in the fall. I see Brem, Greg Davis, BI, and Guy Warfield on a regular basis. Gracefully getting older. I enjoyed seeing many of our classmates at the 40th reunion. I still live in Balto and travel to Bethany Beach off and on during the summer. Love playing golf, hunting, and traveling. Obviously COVID put a lid on that for the time being.

Guy Warfield: Two daughters. One in Charleston, South Carolina. And one in Bmore. One here married Beau Smith. Gilman guy. They have two kids. Boy Reid, who is in first grade at Gilman and having good experience, and little girl Milly who is starting at RPCS next year. Going to retire in a couple of months and looking forward to postCOVID travel. Most important thing I would like you to address is Weems Scholarship, which is going great. There have been three recipients to date and a number of us had lunch one year with the initial one, and then the next year the first two. We had a dinner scheduled with the three awardees last fall but COVID knocked it out. Lunch/dinner in early summer with hopefully the first four is in the plan and hopefully we can have some new class of ’73 participants.

Roger Hankin: I am an usher for the Charleston Riverdogs (Low A, was a Yankees affiliate, now Rays). Moved here in 2017 with intent of peri-retirement but still staying busy with longstanding clients despite not seeking any new work. I’ve worked from home for the past 20 years, so the pandemic just meant much less travel and the invasion of Zoom. I’m minutes from downtown Charleston and/or the barrier islands’

oceanfront. Beach walks beat shoveling snow as exercise.

Erik Kvalsvik: After 18-plus years in D.C.: twins Linnea and Henry graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. Linnea is headed to Oberlin. Henry will take a gap year in Norway and defer either Ithaca or Oregon. My 11th book of photography, “Architecture and Interiors,” landed during the pandemic (perfect timing! Available on Amazon). My wife, Celia, is supplementing her usual cancer epidemiological work with a COVID study. Looking forward to the 50th!

Michael Kamtman: I’m currently a full-time teaching professor in the department of theatre and dance at Wake Forest University in WinstonSalem, North Carolina. This is a dream job for me that has come to me late in my career, and I’m extremely fortunate to work with an extraordinarily gifted faculty and wonderful students. I still act occasionally and have been a busy director (except for this past year) and stage fight choreographer. Even though the N.C. Shakespeare Festival, where I’d worked for 15 years as an actor and occasional fight choreographer, had to close its doors several years ago, my abiding love for the Bard’s work has not diminished.

My wife, Leslie, and I will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary in July. Our son, Jeremiah, just turned 23 and is a first-year grad student at Indiana University in Bloomington where he is pursuing a master’s in library science with a specialization in music librarianship. We will be meeting up this weekend in Nashville to attend his delayed 2020 graduation from Vanderbilt.

Leslie and I have lived in WinstonSalem for 27 years now. From spring through fall we spend a great deal of

time in our gardens — weeding, digging, planting, mulching, landscaping, and sometimes just sitting and gazing and listening. That’s the best part.

Pat Lohrey: I’m simply enjoying a “working” retirement, as I help my wife during tax season.

BTW do you remember who won the ‘Hairy Legs’ contest? Was it Marty Sutton? I know you and Ned Hooper were competing, as well. Always a Greyhound, Shemp

Bill Hooper: How are you? Probably a lot worse for wear after decades of the thankless job you volunteered for (what were you thinking?); hopefully your liquor cabinet is well stocked. Nonetheless, you have opened the door for weirdos like me to jump in with rumor, lies, and fantasy. So here goes — but first, some veritas. Kudos, again, to Guy Warfield and his crew for bringing the Weems scholarship to fruition. Thanks to them, the class of ’73 leaves more than a burnt out Sixth Form room as our legacy.

So what have I been up to? In no particular order: putting on 117 COVID pounds, and trying to figure out where to hide them (trust me — black sweaters don’t work); trying to unearth the details of the Normandin/Nickel affair, since you schlubs at the Gilman News dropped the ball on that; using my cover/front job in the moving business to gather intel on classmates (blackmail letters to follow); trying to talk Washburne into shooting the sequel: Hermes Charles — Las Vegas!; … that’s about it.

I say, for the 50th reunion, we all crash Bunky Wehr’s place in Australia. As long as I don’t get a middle seat …

Will Gorman: Taking care of an aging parent or spouse, as one is also aging,

is not easy. But there’s a silver lining to this as well.

Several years ago, I returned to the house in which I grew up to take care of my now 94-year-old mother with the assistance of a daytime caregiver. When the pandemic hit and the lockdown began, I worked from home as an IT security engineer trying to remotely protect the University of Maryland at Baltimore from multiple computer viruses, hackers, and careless faculty, students, and staff. I could write a book, but I won’t.

At the same time, I was locally trying to protect my high-risk (COPD) mother (and my old self) from a deadly virus as well.

As for that silver lining that I mentioned earlier, my isolation at home has allowed me to focus on what we have been commanded to do. I have tasked myself with trying to honor my mother and her life’s work. My mother, Mary Simpson Gorman, minored in art in college. When my father had a major stroke soon after I graduated from Washington & Lee University, my mother took up her marriage vow and cared for him for 13 years until he parted in 1987. She had been taking art courses at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), one at a time, to keep her sanity from the hand she had been dealt. An administrator at the school suggested that she sign up for a degree.

So, she did, and soon received the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts, magna cum laude, at the age of 65.

My task to honor her includes collecting all her artwork to photograph, digitize, and frame. You’d be amazed at all the greeting cards, sketches, drawings, collages, watercolors, paintings, etc. that can be stored throughout a house in all rooms, basement, and attic. I’m even

considering making prints and merchandise of her artwork — like coasters, placemats, calendars, mugs, etc.

John Bremermann: Trust you’re enjoying retirement, too! Following my “career expiration date” in 2017 we (my bride and I) briefly attempted to inhabit one of the sea islands near Beaufort, South Carolina. However, we’re now back on the Eastern Shore near St. Michaels (which has a lot fewer hurricanes, alligators, and no-see-ums).

Among other things, I pass the time chasing both a little white ball (around the golf course) and a Black Lab (into every nearby creek, river, and bay). I also spend a fair amount of time proving that there’s a big difference between “fishing” and “catching.” Thanks for your efforts in keeping track of your fellow reprobates, and hope all’s well in your world. It’s great to hear from you after all these years! Best, Brem

Chris Hansen: My story arc is short. Returned from Brown to Baltimore for med school (JHU), then Cleveland/Case for residency, then back to Baltimore for fellowship in gastroenterology. Along the way we managed to raise three kids, now all off the payroll, but my two boys have moved to California, one in LA, the other north of San Diego. Yeah, nice weather, and they ain’t coming back. My oldest, a daughter, is still here in Baltimore working as a therapist. But, she has noted the weather in California, so we will see. Anyway, our youngest has gifted us with two grandsons, so that is a draw for us, as well.

Gilman definitely taught me a lot. My favorite subject was physics, taught by the talented and pun-prone Mr. Porter. He single-handedly elevated my physics component on the new MCAT, and several interviewers inquired as to why that portion was 99th percentile when

I was so obviously lacking in the other components. Never underestimate a good teacher’s effects on learning.

In private practice, several teachers showed up as patients. I am confident they were as surprised to see me as I was to see them, but it was fun. Gilman must expunge our transcripts after a few years, or surely they would have reconsidered.

Our class is diverse, and when we were at Gilman it seemed we were all divided into jocks or nerds or some other simplistic label. It has been eye-opening and refreshing to see those labels melt away as we age and get back together. Some of us, or maybe most of us, actually turned out to be very interesting and thoughtful people. Didn’t see that one coming.

1974

David Seiler dseiler4@yahoo.com

Our annual holiday luncheon, started by A.C. George and Jamie Murray, continued for a 13th year, and the pandemic merely shifted the event to the Zoom format.

A.C. George wrote this about the event: “As fully expected and most consistent now for 13 years, our annual holiday luncheon again scored above 90, an alpha! To those attending, thanks, and to those unable to attend, you have many years ahead to be a part of this fun mini-reunion and purposeful event.

Accolades to George Murnaghan and his outstanding outreach ministry efforts with Lex Eat Together, supporting those in need of food, spirit, and camaraderie. George’s work with his team, 200 volunteers, a board, and a pandemic requiring significant adaptability, is exemplary humanitarian, “on

the ground” inspiring outreach to those most in need. I hope all copied on this study, yes study, more detail on Lex Eat Together’s website (lexeattogether.org) and support it with donations going forward too. Outreach: how might one or we give back, help out, assist, and support is core for our class of doers, and this annual gathering reminds us of our responsibility as citizens. George’s presentation of the mission and daily work was terrific, and we were all so appreciative of talk and results so humbly presented. Inspired we are!

Thank you!”

George is celebrating the 50th birthday of his restored and quite fun-to-drive 1971 BMW 1600 sport sedan.

Joining the event online were A.C. George, Bill Fritz, Tom Gamper, Andy Brooks, Greg Pinkard, Jamie Murray, Bill Nesbitt, Andy Felser, Steve Richards, Dave Emala, Marty Himeles, Bill Baker, Bennett Sweren, and David Seiler. Many others RSVP’d that they could not make the call but hope to join next year.

Andy Brooks reviewed the nonprofits that are dear to our class, so that we may support them each year as we can.

• Jamie Murray’s John Brown Liberty Ship docked in Baltimore

• Clinton Daly and Andy Brooks’ Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School

• Gregory Pinkard’s Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum

• Tommy Gamper’s Friends of the State Parks of Maryland

• Peter Bowe’s The Center For Urban Families

• Clinton Daly’s Maryland Center For History & Culture

• George Murnaghan’s Lex Eat Together

We also thank Nathaniel Badder of Gilman School for the Zoom call, helping on the front end, administratively making the call, and reaching our entire reachable class of gentlemen.

To that list of nonprofits we can also add Dave Emala and his team at STX who support Baltimore SquashWise, an organization that supports the deserving youth of Baltimore City with a development program combining academic tutoring and support with coaching in the sport of squash. Baltimoresquashwise.org has continued its good work despite the pandemic restrictions.

Clinton Daly and Andrew Brooks continue on the board of the Maryland Center for History & Culture, formerly known as the Maryland Historical Society. Clinton is now serving a term as the board chair, and Andy serving as first vice chair.

Peter Bowe writes that he and Andy Brooks are serving on the Board of Trustees of Gilman School!

COVID-19 did not deter Clinton and Diana Daly and A.C. and Kathryn George from enjoying a road trip through the United States in two Mercedes Winnebago Revel Sprinters. They covered 6,000 miles over three weeks via 20 states, and did “disperse camping” in national forests, national grasslands, and on Bureau of Land Management property. Highlights of their trip included Mesa Verde National Park, the Grand Canyon, and the Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, and Arches National Parks. In a tinge of hedonism, they also relaxed in Aspen and Arkansas’s The Alotian Club. As only A.C. can say with enthusiasm, “epic it was!!!”

Jim Vandenburg writes that he is changing his residence in the Richmond, Virginia, area. He achieved something so many of his friends have not, by selling

the big house and downsizing in both square footage AND price! That’s one step at a time towards retirement, where he and his wife will go back and forth between Richmond and their Nags Head home. Jim says they have been very blessed with successful careers, a grandchild, who is almost 2, and the flexibility to retire.

Doug Nelson and Clinton Day both became grandparents around Thanksgiving 2020 when their married children had a baby girl, Ridgely Warfield Nelson.

Andy Felser writes that he and his family have managed to avoid any coronavirus issues. His son, Josh, an accomplished violist, 6-foot-4 and fighting-trim, is a junior at the Denver School of the Arts, and will attend his senior year in the early-college program at the Colburn Music Academy in Los Angeles. Andy is in his 40th year of law practice, a litigation partner at a small Denver firm, and his wife is an administrator with the Aurora Public Schools system. For all this, Andy counts himself lucky that somehow he has made it just far enough to appreciate the ride.

Dave Albright retired from representing the children in Baltimore City who suffered from lead paint poisoning, having represented these children for more than 20 years as a plaintiff’s lawyer. He is now semi-retired, still doing some legal work (old attorneys never retire, they just lose their APPEAL!). He and his wife now live in Perry Hall, spending much of their time with their children. They have a Shih Tzu named Smarty Pants and a parrot named Buddy Boy who are adorable. Dave also started investing in residential homes at the beginning of the pandemic, and hopes that turns out well with a buy-and-hold strategy. The couple still owns and drives one favorite 11-year-old Lexus.

Jack Gray has been holed up in his Manhattan apartment since early March 2020, working from home. He gets out most days for a walk in Central Park and to get supplies, but has not been more than a mile or so from his front door since then. Jack writes that both of his children are good, and both work in biotech; now from their apartments in New York and San Francisco. His son’s company is working on a COVID therapy; Jack said that one day they were discussing the intricacies of the disease, and Jack realized his son knew more about a subject of great moment than Jack, proudly knowing his son was fully fledged.

Kimball Byron is a man of many talents and interests, and his years of work on his home in Baltimore County was showcased on a Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage. He and wife Hannah have made spectacular improvements as they renovated the former Diary Building starting in 1990. (MHGP Presents: Burnside Farm Dairy - YouTube).

Dr. Marco Zarbin writes that he, wife Susan, Nicolas (17), Francesca (15), and Isabel (15) are doing fine in Chatham, New Jersey. There’s been a surge in clinical and surgical volume that coincides with the maturation of the vaccination program, so his work has been busy. His children are mostly in school with occasional Zoom classes when COVID outbreaks arise. He is hoping to be able to take a family summer vacation out of state!

Kevin Matthews writes that life is still good in Greensboro, North Carolina. Like everyone trying to do an in-person job via Zoom, that has been a challenge, and a monitor can’t give people communion. His church started limited services back on Easter Day.

David Seiler accepted the role of vice president of the specialty manufacturing company he has been working for in Baltimore, Alpha Biosciences, and was appointed to its board of directors. He plays physically distanced doubles tennis as often as possible.

And where in the world is Jock Whittlesey? Jock writes that the last 12 months have brought big changes. Son Philip graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in May 2020 and is now in flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Monique and Jock moved to Jupiter, Florida, in August 2020 and are still in the process of moving stuff from Virginia and disentangling from their house there. He is happy to be near (but not on) the beach, and goes for a swim or a beach walk almost every day. Jock is semi-retired from the State Department, and works September to February every year as an editor on the Human Rights Report. He never thought he would know so much about the prison system in Haiti!

The medical knowledge and practices related to the coronavirus are in continuous motion, so stay safe, classmates!

1975

Joseph Hooper hoopdedo2@earthlink.net

Ian D. MacFarlane imacfarlane@eaest.com

2020 was a year like no other. True, I’m supposed to be writing the ’21 notes but as neither Ian MacFarlane nor I could get it together to write a proper class notes last year, I’ll consider March ’20 (when the pandemic descended) to now (May ’21 as I write this) as a single annus horribilis. With better days visible on the horizon. Last year, in New York City, where I live, there were ambulance sirens on an endless loop and a field hospital going up in Central Park in a

matter of days. This year, it’s a new and spectacularly effective generation of vaccines.

The infection rate in my little cohort of NYC responders looked to be 50% (Tom and Andy, positive; Mackay and I, not) with no serious casualties, a testament to Gilman good luck, if there is such a thing.

Tom Miller: “Ah, life in Pandemia! So, the Miller family were early adopters of COVID-19. I was first to contract it, in February 2020. I’m not sure where I got it: possibly a lunch, a concert, or maybe a party. Social distancing was not in vogue then, so mingling with 300-plus friends and strangers was not an issue. I lovingly shared COVID with my wife and son, but we all recovered pretty quickly without major complications.

When New York closed the schools last March, we decamped to our place in the Poconos and stayed there pretty much until after Labor Day. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy numerous outdoor activities in the country that we couldn’t do in shut-down NYC. But things are returning to a new normal in New York, with schools at least partially reopened, restaurants and bars (those that survived) climbing back, and most of our adult friends (and ourselves) are fully vaccinated at last. So, here’s to a much better end to 2021!

Hope all my Gilman friends and classmates have stayed healthy throughout the pandemic.”

Andy Kaufman: “Divorce was 20172018 … I’m back in the dating pool as we speak (had one first-meeting dinner last evening and another scheduled for tomorrow evening) … Both my kids are post-college working in NYC now and each got first apartments in 2021 taking advantage of the 25-30% drop in rents in NYC — one on the UWS and the other

in Hell’s Kitchen … For myself, COVID and NYC shutdown was reason to ‘get out of NYC and travel’ and in the TTM I’ve taken three ski trips, four bike trips, two gold trips, plus weeklong to Maine and Wisconsin — but ALL will be more fun once we ‘open up.’

Got COVID in late January (probably picked it up on the Florida bike trip) but was totally asymptomatic — so like winning the lottery IMO … Better yet, both my kids and my daughter’s BF also got it and only my son had any symptoms and he’s fine … Got my first PFE vaccine shot this morning … So far no ill effects from that (but it’s only been six hours since).”

And MacKay Wolff, still professionally engaged in international relief and refugee efforts, writes (in the third person): “MacKay Wolff spends two-thirds of every month in New York City, engaging virtually in local culture, and the remainder in D.C. contributing to a study of Syrian refugee movements.”

By contrast, life in the D.C. area seems relatively placid, electoral politics aside. Giovanni Prezioso replied to my e-request for “interesting stories” with the caveat that his recent stories “may not really be very interesting.” Graded on a 2020-2021 curve, I’d say that makes him a winner. I trust he’s humming along as a family man and high-powered D.C. attorney.

Brian Benninghoff, a longtime Bethesda resident and a partner in a commercial real estate concern, replied in a similar vein: “I will try to come up with something, but life has been a bit dull.” But I had been in touch with Brian in the not-so-distant past; we’d had lunch in Roland Park before heading over to the School for the celebration of Reddy Finney’s life that was held in October of 2019. We’d talked politics, as one might

with the 2020 presidential election heating up, and he expressed an interest in doing some political volunteer work. And, unlike many of us who have contemplated such a thing, Brian actually did it. At my prompting, he recently wrote back:

“Last November, Susan and I went to the Midwest to some battleground states to help out on the election. Our most interesting experience was working in the downtown Chicago precincts handing out food and water to people standing in line to vote, encouraging people to wait it out and keep turnout high. We were part of a group organized by José Andrés, a D.C. restaurant guy and founder of World Central Kitchen — there is some good information about him on Wikipedia — who had teamed up with local establishments to provide the food and delivery services. There was a lot of enthusiasm, a huge turnout, and the whole thing was a lot of fun. And, of course, it was an excellent excuse to travel a bit during the COVID shutdown.”

Back to more local concerns.

The Mr. Finney celebration was worthy of the man (which is saying a lot). It was also, for me, a chance to briefly catch up with classmates like John Tompkins, John Colston, Reiley McDonald, Mike McCarthy, and Chris Hutchins. John Tompkins and I talked about health issues. I’ve written a lot about them as a magazine journalist and John seems to have a lot. Or rather, had a lot. He wrote back recently:

“Retirement is turning out rather well now that I am finished being sick. I have enjoyed reconnecting with Bill Harwood and Bill Miller. Have shared a few songs and some fun old stories. Pip Smith is about to turn 65, so he is a good one to roast! I also recently spoke

to Kevin Lynch who seems to be happy and well.”

John Colston and I discussed various mid-life (plus) transitions, and more recently, he filled me in on the details. He is no longer the country squire, the digital don of the Worthington Valley, but has moved back into the Roland Park house, on St. George’s Road, where he and his family lived our last two years at Gilman.

“Mackay lived down the street,” John writes. “So, the headline is, Bruce Matthai moved out to the country and I moved back to the city and we wave to each other as we pass on Greenspring Ave.” He adds that his boys are now both in college, one at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the other at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Reiley McDonald I see more often (or did, until COVID) as he is the longtime significant other of my sister, Cricket Jiranek. Recently, they’ve been spending more time in Florida, which I guess is what you do during a pandemic if you don’t get a puppy (much of the Upper West Side of Manhattan having opted for the latter option).

Gerry Brewster reports from the Maryland COVID front lines, which turns out to be the Maryland Fairgrounds. Gerry, not coincidentally, is the chairman of the board of the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society.

“Both Chris Hutchins and I are actively involved in running Maryland’s 142-year-old Fairgrounds with two million annual visitors. We are also now a Maryland State Super Vaccination Center vaccinating nearly 1,000 people an hour, six days a week and have become the model for all state vaccination centers.”

Gerry is involved, if less centrally, in another enterprise these days. He’s been assisting with the research on a biography of his father, former U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster, the book proposal just now going out to agents and publishers. Gerry himself is no stranger to political life. He is a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates who memorably failed to recapture his father’s old 2nd District Congressional seat, defeated in the general election in 1994 by his (and our) old classmate Bob Ehrlich — Greyhound vs. Greyhound!

Gerry writes, “I certainly have known defeat (Ehrlich) but hoping my father’s story has a better result!!!”

Gerry describes his father’s life as a “roller coaster,” but that doesn’t do it justice. He writes that Danny Brewster went “from being the youngest combat officer in the Marines during World War II, being wounded seven times, being a United States Senator at age 38, winning Maryland’s 1964 Presidential Primary over Alabama Governor George Wallace, breaking the filibuster on the 1964 Civil Rights Act, giving House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer their first jobs on Capitol Hill (Speaker Pelosi was Senator Brewster’s receptionist), to being committed to hospitals and even an asylum after suffering brain damage from excessive alcohol consumption, to being indicted for bribery, to rebuilding a life of meaning and purpose.”

He said, “I think you would be particularly interested in the [book manuscript] prologue, which talks about Chris Hutchins and me staying overnight at my father’s, and him barging into our bedroom in the wee hours of the morning waving his loaded Colt 45

handgun that he used in combat during World War II.”

Yes, I am.

Bill Harwood seems like a Baltimorean because he’s so good at keeping in touch with so many classmates, hometown or otherwise, a class president to his bones. He is, in fact, a longtime Princeton, New Jersey, man, the co-founder and managing partner of New Level Partners which does something beyond me in the insurance industry. He writes:

“Of all the downsides to family life during COVID and 2020 (especially missed holiday gatherings and other trips/visits not taken) — two silver linings relate to our two young adult sons … one son and his fiancé living in NYC spent most of the summer with us as refugees out of the city … and our son and girlfriend living in Charlotte decided to move back to the New York area! Partly motivated by his employer needing people to be in the office and partly FOMO, wanting to be closer to the rest of the family to make holidays, etc. easier to manage. Both these situations would definitely not have happened if not for the dislocations and stresses of the pandemic.”

Another well-connected out-of-towner is Hank Young, who reports he’s been in touch in recent months/years with Bill Harwood (of course), John Tompkins, and, a few years ahead of us in school, Dickie “Jake” Washburne. He’d be game to see more if anyone is having (plane) engine troubles, as he explains.

“Where to begin? I’m still working. I plan to retire 5/1/22. I’ve got three well-adjusted kids, all doing wonderfully. I have tried to hike as much as possible over the past few years with my youngest, Tom. We had an extraordinary trip in July/August 2019 on the Via Alpina in Germany and Austria

(I was with him for 14 of 45 days on the trail). (BTW, I highly recommend; their hut-to-hut system is incredible.) COVID forced us to stay in the U.S. in 2020 so we did a week in September in the San Juans in south-central Colorado instead. 2021 has brought reestablished connections with some old friends from high school, which has been great fun. Collectively, we can remember about half of our high school and college years. We just make up the rest. My wife (Ann) and I are still living in Oklahoma (weird, right?). We’ll leave a light on in case anyone’s plane is forced to make a landing for emergency repairs.”

Hank and I went on a brief email/ texting jag about now-receding mountain adventures. I impressed him (or did I?) with a photo of me reclining next to Alex Honnold near the summit of Yosemite’s El Capitan in 2015, back before Alex became super-extra-famous for free soloing the thing and also back before the magazine industry semi-collapsed and stopped paying me to do fun stuff. (Alex and I climbed up and down El Cap’s East Ledges, quite adventurous enough for me, but not to be confused with the mountain’s vertical face.)

Magazine writers treasure the nifty segue that ties together what are often only vaguely related ideas in one piece. I can’t think of one for Adam Weisenberg. I haven’t seen him since our class reunion in Annapolis during Bob Ehrlich’s tenure as governor and, Boston not being, so far as I know, a hub of Gilman ’75 activity, I don’t know if any other classmates have either. But Adam, an attorney with the Sullivan & Worcester firm, surprised me with this story, his Gilman notes debut.

“We’ve had our difficulties this past year, both pandemic-related and otherwise, but on the positive side we’ve been blessed by two additions to the family.

Our first grandchild, a boy named Sam, arrived in August. A colleague of my wife’s jokes that the one thing in life that’s not overrated is being a grandparent, and he’s not wrong. The second addition is less conventional. It turns out I have a half-brother, Michael, I never knew about. We have lived strangely parallel lives, including both settling here in Boston (he’s a biology professor and a trauma surgeon). The discovery came about because Michael’s cousin on his father’s side was doing genealogy and asked a bunch of cousins, including him, to take a DNA test. When the results came back, it turned out he wasn’t related to anybody on his father’s side but was matched with someone in the database who turned out to be my sister’s youngest son. Michael worked his way to finding me and reached out. We actually look alike (for years he has occasionally been mistaken on the street for a doppelgänger who turns out to be me). The story is the same as in the recent book “Inheritance” by Dani Shapiro. Michael’s parents were infertile, and they got a treatment common in the ’50s where donor sperm would get mixed in with the father’s sperm. The mother would conceive and there was a chance the father was the father — a feature, not a bug. The donors were young doctors in training. Our dad was just that at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, which was apparently a hotbed of this kind of treatment. Michael was born in 1959, a little more than a year after me. After I get my second vaccination, we’ll finally be able to meet in person and I can give him a 61-year overdue hug.”

There are non sequiturs — Adam’s out-of-the-ordinary family reunion story certainly qualifies — and then there are hard pivots. One such would be the death of our classmate Mike Phipps

who passed on Dec. 17, 2020 from complications of a stroke.

His obit in the Gettysburg Times describes a life spent in harm’s way that would be foreign to most of us. (The notable exception here would be retired four-star general John Nicholson, the longest-serving American commander in the Afghan War, who currently serves as the president of the PenFed Foundation.)

After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Mike served in the military, both as a reservist and an active duty officer. His military career included three separate tours in Iraq with the 109th Infantry Regiment and the 5th United States Cavalry Regiment (“The Black Knights”) of the famed 1st Cavalry Division. He was severely wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart. Mike also served as a Baltimore police officer and was, for many years, a licensed battlefield guide at the Gettysburg National Military.

Mike was, per the Gettysburg paper, a gifted public speaker and author. If my Google surfing can be trusted, he wrote a short book about one of the Union heroes at Gettysburg, Brigadier General John Buford, “The Devil’s to Pay”: General John Buford, USA. (You can buy a copy on Amazon; I just did.) Buford played a key role on the first day of the battle, staking out the high ground that allowed the Union troops to hold off General Lee’s numerically superior Confederate forces. I’ve toured the battlefield a couple of times. I wish I’d heard Mike lecture about it.

What most of us remember about Mike was that he was a hell of a basketball player. This from Brian Benninghoff: “Mike Phipps was a good guy. He had a really sly sense of humor, a kind of cool elegance in the way he acted and dressed, and he lived and breathed

basketball, approaching it like a Ph.D. student tackles their subject. We were lucky to have him in our class.”

Another death deserves mention here even though it happened back in May 2018. As the Baltimoreans well remember, Kevin Kamenetz, then Baltimore County Executive, had a fatal heart attack in the middle of a hardfought primary campaign to become Maryland’s Democratic nominee for governor. I think we all felt we knew Kevin at Gilman — his was an oversized personality you could not not know. But Joe Howard kept up with Kevin in the years after, and his words at the time of his death were much appreciated. I’ll quote some excerpts from his email that went out over the ’75 wire.

“When Kevin was first elected County Executive, the County had lost a housing discrimination suit that was clearly legitimate and Kevin’s predecessors had tried to delay, tie the suit up in litigation, deny and disregard, etc. Kevin took an unpopular stance and agreed to settle the suit and implement key changes that still are helping people today.

I’ve seen Kevin go into the ‘lion’s den’ and face adversity head on. When Bethlehem Steel and the Southeast Baltimore County Industries closed, Kevin went to what we joked was ‘enemy territory’ and told the people the truth that these industries were not returning; these people had not voted for Kevin and openly disliked him. He fought hard to give alternatives for those suffering from the economic gut punch. Kevin gained some of those peoples’ respect by fighting hard to introduce new industries and convince businesses to locate and/or relocate in Southeast Baltimore County to alleviate the pain. He did the right thing. He made us all proud.

I gained even greater respect for Kevin when, against advice and pressure, he made Baltimore County and Baltimore County government as diverse as possible; including many more minorities, women, etc. He wanted his administration to truly reflect the diverse community he represented.

He wasn’t always right or always eloquent but he worked hard to improve people’s lives. Kevin had a temper but it wasn’t because of arrogance or elitism; it was because he was passionate to make change that was good for all his constituents.

He was a good man, a man of character, a good husband, a good father, a caring person, a community leader and a fighter for the good. He was one who chose substance over style as long as the job was being done to improve people’s lives.

He loved his family, adored his friends, and embraced his enemies.

I’ll miss you my friend; until we meet again.”

I caught up with Joe Howard recently. He had a lot on his mind — COVID, economic hardship, Black Lives — and I’ll let him share it. He wrote this note quickly, from the heart.

“Dear Class of 1975,

It is with great angst that I, and we, have already conceded to COVID-19 and have had to postpone our in-person class reunion last year. It finds me in a difficult place in my life and in the world.

When I received the second note from Joe Hooper, I thought long and hard whether I should chime in with my jaded view on the current events both personally and collectively. It ate at me for a while and then my angst turned to the realization that sharing may be

cathartic and maybe even helpful to others … or not. Eventually, it made me decide to share my thoughts.

I call my current state of mind ‘Sand and Water.’

The Sands of Time are changing for many of us; glass half full shifting to glass half empty. We have to concede that we are now on the downside of Life when it seemed so far off just a few years ago. We experience the loss of our parents, our parents’ friends, our heroes, our family, our friends, etc., etc., etc. Time coldly marches on.

No longer with my hero around, I sorely miss my dad and I dream of how fascinating it would be to talk with him now about all that’s going on locally and in and around the world. It turns out upon second thought, that it’s probably good that he’s not around to see the love of his life struggle and suffer with dementia. Life and time are sometimes not fair.

It’s funny but the one thing that keeps me hopeful is my family and close friends, but my rock and my inspiration is my wife, Yvonne. A blessing I am grateful for but also, sometimes, wonder why God blessed me so.

As time marches on, one then naturally becomes more introspective. Personally, I have overcome, so far, prostate cancer (2018) and a stress heart attack (2019) and various maladies that seem to increase with time. Growing old mentally is a great thing; physically, it sucks! Now, and for the first time in life, I’m tentative. Should I … or should I not?

Sometimes it seems that those grains of sand seem to be flowing faster.

As far as business, we have been declining, and my senior staff and I did

not receive pay since late 2016 and/ or early 2017 in an attempt to hold on in the ever-changing and fragile world of international business. Thank God, just recently, things changed, ironically because of COVID, because the need for PPE and such manufactured goods were in such high demand; I’m now busy.

Before the fall of last year, I was saddened by the plight of my city, the police violence, the upcoming election, the violence, the division amongst us, the violence, the effect of the virus, the personal loss, the violence … etc., etc., etc.

At that time, my job had changed from pursuing business leads and contacts to being reduced to filling out forms and paperwork for employees trying to hang on during this pandemic. One day, as I traveled highway 83 North to Harrisburg, my normal NPR station was informing me as usual when they started to talk about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery; the young man shot while jogging in his neighborhood. The constant noise was overwhelming and debilitating.

I must share a story with you about an employee in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Her name is Fran. A 70-something, quality control supervisor who has worked at the factory far longer than my 28-year association. Barely 5’ 0” tall, uneducated formally, talented, loud, efficient, opinionated, and dedicated, she is part of the backbone that I rely on. I traveled to Harrisburg to check on and help my employees and sign off on paperwork hoping to speed up money for those eligible for stimulus checks. She lives up the street from the office; her back porch gives her a view of our front entrance. Soon after I pulled up, she walked through the front door with her toothless smile and radiant energy ready to give a big hug, virus protocols be damned. I said hi to those unpaid

staff members that showed up, signed a few forms, and collected the bills piled up on my desk, chatted with the general manager briefly and emotionally prepared myself to visit a client that refused shipments because they arrived from China. On my way out at the end of the block, I passed a fired African American employee who stands on the corner and stares at me when I visit because he’s still mad from being terminated for harassing the Asian employees for bringing the virus to the U.S.

Before I can pull off into traffic, Fran runs to the car to offer and show me the masks she’s making for the needy that she gives away to people who can’t afford to buy them. In the back of my mind I can’t help but remember that she and her wheelchair-bound husband barely have two pennies to rub together. I try to convince her to sell them for a couple of dollars at least as I force her to take the 40 bucks in my pocket for the four she gave me. I call and tell the G.M. to give her whatever cloth is available for her to make more masks. She hugs me again while commenting on the silliness of wearing masks and reminding me that we live in America. We both purposely avoid talking politics because we know where each other stands.

I spent about an hour and 25 minutes with my idiot client trying to convince him that the containers with his inventory were not contaminated and had arrived at the end of November and had cleared customs, etc., in late December and have been available since. Accumulating storage charges was the basis of our argument. Ignorance and intolerance are the real problems.

On my way back through downtown Harrisburg to I-83, I gaze over from the eastbound bridge I’m crossing and I see an enormous line of cars lined up for miles and, for some reason, I

turned to investigate. It turns out, a group of volunteers were giving out free food to people who were suffering from economic hardship because of the pandemic. The line went on for blocks and my heart sank as the reality of the need set in. As I began to make the turn for home, I saw something that caught my eye. It was a couple pulling a rickety cart standing in line amongst people in the cars. As I rode closer, I noticed it was Fran hand in hand with her husband sitting in his wheelchair. I pulled over to say something and offer my assistance when she and her husband saw me and turned their backs and ducked their heads in embarrassment.

I froze … and then I turned around and returned to my car. I started on my way home and, as luck would have it, it began to rain. As I got on the road past the factory on my way to return to my stable and safe place back home, the watery tears started streaming down my cheeks as the rain poured. Sometimes, I thought, life just isn’t fair as I passed the pissed employee still standing on the corner, staring, in the pouring rain.

I arrived home with my constitution back intact, and my mom, who hadn’t seen me that morning, looked at me strangely and said respectfully, “Good morning,” painfully not sure of who I was. As I departed I could hear the caregiver reminding her that I was her son. The tears started again.

I returned to my office in the basement where CNN and MSNBC, which keep me company while in the office, kept pounding my brain about another Black man killed by either police or racist whites. Also the constant reminder of the increasing murder rate in the Black community and it all makes you want to scream. Somehow my mind takes me back to my first days at Gilman in the fall of 1968 (to take some entrance exams)

going through checkpoints around the city divided by neighborhoods, the smell of smoke not too far in the distance and returning to the safe “bubble” called Gilman. Who thought when we graduated in 1975 that we would be dealing with the same issues we thought we had solved or progressed on.

Now back to the present, when all the noise seemed to take over and I’m feeling sorry for myself, my mother comes downstairs to my office with that always loving and reassuring look in her eyes and with outstretched arms she says, ‘Give me a hug, I love you.’ The tears once again streamed down my face and all of the sudden life went back to normal, if just for a moment.

When I stop to think about my, our, the collective situation, I have to stop feeling sorry for myself, ourselves because, in reality, we are blessed in so many ways. Hopefully there is a lesson somewhere that makes us think of the needs of others.

My only thought that comes to mind is to count your blessings before the sands of time are washed away.

I hope this was helpful in some way.

I love you guys and wish the best for all of you. Stay safe and let’s keep in touch and keep each other up.”

This has been a long class notes and an even longer year. Selwyn Ray will take us out:

“I had a granddaughter born in Cuba and I worked in the COVID Command Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview where I am director of community relations … I almost bought a 6K Ravens-painted Harley but got cold feet … I built a Tai Chi garden path in my backyard where the weeds were … it freaked a lot of people out because they couldn’t believe

I did it; I often make them walk the short path three times at a minimum. By May 1st! Love, Hope, and Peace, Sel”

1976

John Wharton jw213@yahoo.com

Reunions at Gilman reveal transitions in our lives, and how we’ve each evolved since our last get-together or most recent swap of emails. In April of this year, the pandemic prompted a virtual gathering online, where we learned not only of our own changes, but also of ongoing ones at Gilman.

The more than two dozen of us pictured on the screen provided our usual updates, reflected on our unity, and mostly had a lot of fun. We were scheduled to celebrate our 45th reunion for an hour; we rolled through two before saying goodnight.

“This little band of brothers,” as Bob Thomas described us during an opening prayer, honored one of our own, Baltimore Circuit Judge Sylvester Cox, and learned that a full third of our members took part in collectively donating $100,000 toward Gilman’s Community, Inclusion, and Equity mission.

“We’re pleased to be able to support that,” Charlie Moore said, later noting that decades ago, “Gilman was leaning into those challenges at a time when it was hard to do so.”

No one was on Sylvester’s docket that evening, but all attendees complied with a customary admonition.

“All rise!” Andy deMuth called out, having experienced that bailiff’s call to order during jury duty at the courthouse where Sylvester works. “I do get called in every year for that,” Andy said. “It

gives me an excuse to knock on his door in chambers.”

Sylvester said that he and other Black members of our class arrived at Gilman amid the strong leadership of then-Headmaster Redmond Finney and William Greene, who was the school’s first African American faculty member and retired in 2001 as assistant headmaster.

“I cannot imagine the pressure that Mr. Finney endured,” Sylvester said. “We all know the mountain of a man he was.”

Appointed to the bench in 2003 by then Gov. Robert Ehrlich ’75, Sylvester said his varied judicial career, including presiding at two dozen homicide trials, now finds him taking up another term in juvenile court, and he expressed his gratitude for the recognition from our class. “Thank you for the honor,” he said. “I’m very humbled by it.”

Guests at our online gathering included current Headmaster Henry Smyth and Johnnie Foreman, Gilman’s Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity (CIE), and they spoke of the continuing CIE process, one that includes an array of committees and seeks input and information from both within the School community and well beyond the campus.

Participants in the series of “courageous conversations” at Gilman include its students, often in affinity clubs, Foreman said, adding “I’m proud of what these young men are doing.”

The remarks by Smyth and Foreman also touched on the students’ progress toward a full return to the classroom and the achieved resumption of spring sports, but most of the discussion continued to focus on CIE, including what Smyth described as professional development that encourages faculty

members and other staff to “get into the heads and walk in the shoes of the students.”

When the School issued a letter about the mission, “The range of receptivity was pretty broad,” Smyth acknowledged, adding that as the “community conversations” continue, “We need to show what we’re doing.”

Building on the School’s earlier progress, CIE’s adjustments to curriculum, aided by a consultant, would retain traditional studies such as Western Civilization, the headmaster said, while taking a “windows and mirrors” approach to education, allowing students to see other cultures while reflecting back their own life experience. “We ask the boys about the role they’re going to play in making it a better world,” he said.

Many of Smyth’s comments were in response to questions from Dave Heubeck, who urged that all viewpoints also be included in the CIE process itself. “I want to make sure that all of these views are taken into consideration,” Dave said.

Dave said he has retired from his law career, still living in Baltimore and enjoying North Carolina’s Outer Banks during the summer, and other members of his profession talked about the continuance or curtailment of their own careers, as Charlie called on participants one at a time for an update. Frank Vecella, reporting from the Florida Keys, said that he is “trying to retire” from a law firm in Texas, where he has put his house in Dallas on the market, and that he plans on spending winters in the Sunshine State and summers in New Hampshire. Bob Thomas, joining us from St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, also is working toward retiring from his legal career, and now is playing a lot of tennis.

Dudley Parr and his wife continue to operate a non-denominational ministry out of their coffee shop in Cambridge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Bill Spragins’ move two years ago from Denver to San Francisco’s East Bay quickly was followed by the pandemic, and “everything that we were going to do moved to the living room.”

Frank Rosenberg is still in Baltimore and operating his family’s gas-and-oil business, and Keith Christian has two more years of work as a police officer in Philadelphia before he retires and moves to Florida. Doug Rice, sporting a recently grown beard, continues doing mortgage work in Annapolis, with two offspring in South Carolina and one still at home, and he continues to enjoy mountain biking and playing squash.

Mark Caplan, tuning in from Bethany Beach, said he’s looking forward to being involved in education during his retirement, and Andy deMuth, with 40 years in at Morgan Stanley, called from his new home on the Eastern Shore’s Tred Avon River as he announced he is also moving into a townhouse in Roland Park.

Laurey Millspaugh, still in D.C. doing real estate investment work and recovering from the most recent of orthopedic mishaps, noted the wide range of the environments and experiences of our virtual reunion’s participants, including Jim Burgunder in Switzerland. “It’s amazing how different all these experiences are,” Laurey said.

Mike Austin’s 23-year-old son, Marcus, died in February, and our classmates and the School’s representatives continued expressing their condolences during the virtual reunion. Mike said that he is currently conducting a research project for the Baltimore Housing Authority.

“Once I got to 60, I wasn’t in a mid-life crisis anymore. I want to keep working,”

Mike said, and he’s also busy with four grandchildren at his parents’ home in west Baltimore. “It takes a lot of energy. It keeps me focused.”

Mike added, “We had one of the best classes. We’re still tight. We stick together.”

Carl Combs, living in Ellicott City and still working for IBM, said he likewise felt a sense of being a part of as a member of our class, including as “another kid who happened to run real fast,” and he had a big announcement to make as he joined our conversation, from a bar that sounded even livelier than our online venue.

“In 40 days, I’m getting married, for the first time,” Carl said, accompanied by his bride-to-be.

“Does your spouse know she’s marrying the rest of us? I think we’re all going to be wedding crashers,” Bob Thomas replied, also concurring with Mike and Carl’s observations. “We knew each other. We learned so much from you guys. We have a base of understanding, because of proximity, and those core friendships.”

1977

Hap Cooper hap@prospectsc.com

Tim Holley ’77 (right) and former math teacher Jack Thompson caught up for golf in June 2021. Jack taught Tim in 11th grade, and the two were longtime colleagues when Tim returned to Gilman to teach and coach.

1978

Charlie Herndon caherndon3@gmail.com

Will wonders never cease?

Wonder No. 1: That while it took until 2021 for me to discover the magic of email, I finally embraced modernity and figured out that I could use the Gilman Alumni Directory to assemble a database of the class of ’78 and use it to contact many of you in a long-delayed appeal for news. And for those of you who didn’t hear from me, please send me a current email address to better populate my newfangled electronic Rolodex and to hear of your wondrous exploits next time!

Wonder No. 2: That so many of you responded, and wrote back, and provided fabulous fodder for our classmates to read and savor. Thank you! I might note that in the heretofore mentioned Alumni Directory, we are one of the few 1970s-era classes not represented at all in the Class Notes section, meaning that we/I have been less than diligent about staying in touch. But considering the first blush of responses from my timid and entirely too-late outreach efforts, all is forgiven. We’re on a roll, gentlemen!

Wonder No. 3: That many of us — most of us, I hope? — seem to have survived this recent Year of Living Dangerously, despite quarantines and social distancing and too many take-out dinners. For that, we can be thankful in ways great and small. My fondest hope is that each of you, your loved ones, and acquaintances managed to outlast this pandemic in good humor, good company, and good health.

Charlie Wright summed up the year quite nicely, actually: “Last year has SUCKED,” he wrote. “I’m lonely and bored, as I suspect are most people.” Having gotten that off his chest, however, Charlie reports that he traveled to St. Lucia in May to help a British friend of his — a chum he met during his ninth grade year in Cambridge — deliver a sailboat to New York. He notes that his amazing mom and dad, for those who remember them fondly, are doing well on Wilmslow Road still. And, in continued defiance of the dastardly virus, Charlie and Karen are once again making plans to celebrate their 25th (now 26th) anniversary with a visit to Norway to see the Northern Lights; the first trip was scuttled thanks to the pandemic. God reise, Mr. and Mrs. Wright!

Wanderlust seems to be a theme among our class when it comes to breaking

out of the COVID rut. While Murray deMuth spends his regular “retirement” days running up and down the Chesapeake Bay and offshore Ocean City as skipper of TWT Fishing Charters, now in its fourth year, he recently added a new outdoors adventure to his business — taking a group of friends hunting waterfowl in North Dakota and Saskatchewan! Meanwhile, Susan and Murray are planning for the December wedding of their daughter and enjoying life. It is, says Murray, “a great way to enjoy retirement.” I’ll say! And if you have a hankering to hit the bay/sea/interior, check out twtfishingcharters.com for all your charter needs.

Dr. Lou Dibos knows a bit about planning for children’s weddings — he’s celebrated nuptials for both his daughters in the past three years since moving to southwest Florida, and he is currently looking forward to his youngest son’s upcoming knot-tying. When he’s not dry-cleaning the tux and providing sage advice (being happily married for 37-plus years now), he’s busy running a cardiac surgery program and, like the good doctor he is, staying active and playing tennis regularly to better stave off age and decrepitude. No doubt it helps that he sees Gus DeLeon, Lou Close, and Mitchell Brown every so often, and not even the south Florida heat and humidity seems to faze him — it’s no worse than August in B’more, he says. Hope to see you at the next reunion, too, Dr. Lou!

A bit further afield, Tina and Patrick Cranley rode out the pandemic in Shanghai and endured at least a year and a half being unable to see their “stateside” family or friends. That didn’t mean he wasn’t on the go, however; his work with Historic Shanghai (historic-shanghai.com) has never been busier! And despite the distance, he’s been plenty in touch with

his children, who have been staying with Tina’s mom in Bethesda, and with his family on the West Coast. “Warmest regards to all you wonderful guys,” Cran says. You, too, friend!

It’s also great to see David Bealmear checking in! He’s doing well in Charlottesville, Virginia, celebrating 30 years working for Bank of America, these days as a portfolio manager for the Private Bank. Dave, his wife, and son Wills love living in the central part of the Commonwealth, where Wills attends the Miller School of Albemarle. Ah, domestic tranquility in the Blue Ridge — enjoy it all, Dave!

Yet we are reminded that the past year has been hard on everyone, no doubt. Jim Wetzel writes from Villanova that it took him six months at least to get used to teaching via simulcast. While half his students, masks on, would be seated in front of him in class, the other half are behind him on a screen, learning via laptop from home. “It is bizarre,” opines Jim, “and I have the technological abilities of a kumquat.” I would assume he has handled things with Zen-like patience and nearly supernatural understanding, given that Jim continues to teach philosophy at Villanova, where he has held an endowed chair since 2005. Carry on, Mr. Wetzel.

Speaking of educators, it was great to hear from Erwin Hosono, whose exploits recently selling his house in Palo Alto, California, I’d been following on Facebook. When he’s not making periodic angel investments for startups, Erwin has been volunteering his time and talents for an education nonprofit that teaches critical and creative thinking to children. Can’t have enough of that, Erwin. He’s also working on his guitar skills and has sheltered in place during the pandemic with his family. He reports that he’s run into

Mitchell Brown, who with his lovely wife visited during the Browns’ son’s years at Stanford. He and Mitch actually once took in a Ravens vs. 49ers game together. And Erwin says he also enjoyed the 2019 CFB Championship game, Clemson vs. Alabama, with Marc Paul during one of Marc’s West Coast jaunts.

In regards to Mr. Paul, it appears he has succumbed to what is known in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and environs as “the Southern part of Heaven.” After 32 years in Northern Virginia, Marc and Donna pulled up stakes and set down roots 10 minutes south of the UNC campus, which also happens to be 15 minutes away from son Dylan, a Carolina grad who still lives in Chapel Hill. In the past year, Marc has set up a real estate concern called Greyhound Capital Properties — what’s not to love with a name like that, Gilman? — which owns and operates residential housing in central North Carolina and vacation rentals on the Outer Banks. Meanwhile, he’s still a partner with a transactional practice at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, which, until the pandemic, saw him commuting to D.C. every other week, though now he works remotely exclusively. And after 35 years of marriage, he and Donna operate their home as an unofficial shelter for homeless animals, including a Greyhound/ dog rescue operation. Of course, I am jealous. But I am happy for Marc, too. “If you had told me 40 years ago that one person from our class would be living in Chapel Hill now, my bet would have been on you and not me,” Marc wrote to me, solicitously. “But there it is.”

Before the worldwide shutdown, Marc says he had dinner with Chet Carey at least monthly in Washington, and lunches with Ward Classen near his office in Silver Spring. John McDaniel reports some other classmate sightings

as well, including Dan Evans, who with wife Julie celebrated the recent wedding and gainful employment of their daughter, Claire. John and Barbara, who say they are “happy enough where we are,” also celebrated the recent wedding of one of Barbara’s sons, though like the Evans, in a greatly scaled-down manner thanks to COVID. Nevertheless, our class does seem to be going through a wonderful transition these days as our offspring begin to pair off and begin their own families. Surely a surfeit of splendid grandchildren cannot be far behind!

John also gives major props to Larry Eisenstein for “standing up for what is right at the Baltimore Museum of Art and convincing the director and board of trustees to not sell part of their collection to raise money.” Larry’s advocacy, John says, “kept the museum from shooting itself in the foot and really damaging its reputation in the art and museum community.” Let’s all join John in saying thanks, Larry, for taking the initiative!

I mentioned Erwin’s impressive relocation saga, but I have also been delighted to see Bill Bramble, wife Sally, and his amazing nature photography find a comfy new home in Pittsburgh. Bill and Sally have enjoyed settling into their sylvan new digs, and any given day you will find Mr. B deep in the outback of western Pennsylvania digitally recording the lives of fox kits, barred owls, or striped salamanders, all with a glorious artist’s eye. He’s working for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and doing good volunteer work with Project Owlnet with the National Aviary. Look for Bill’s work on the ASWP’s website and a nature book for children called “Nature Play Workshop for Families: A Guide to 40-Plus Outdoor Learning Experiences in All

Seasons” — his first work printed in a book! Bravo, Bill!

Tolly Albert, Charlie Albert, and John Gephart have been taking in the outdoors in another way recently. Tolly says he saw Charlie and John on the golf course not long ago, and he also reports encounters with Dave Willis, Ward Classen, and Murray deMuth, all of whom are doing well, he says. Tolly and Wendy are looking forward to traveling again soon, perhaps to Florida to see eldest daughter Annie, who’s a historical preservationist for the Sunshine State and due to marry this November. Their other daughter, Eleanor, keeps an eye on the ponies as she works in the Racing Office of the Maryland Jockey Club.

When it comes to travel, Tolly may want to ring up Kraig Holt, who reports having visited every continent but one — Antarctica — and that’s next on his list once the world opens back up again after COVID. To prepare for his polar visit, Kraig says he’s staying healthy by running five to six miles every other day — supposedly to counterbalance the sweets he claims to eat every day! Sweets or no, Kraig, keep up the great work!

Prior to my happy discovery of electronic communications and databases, and quite befitting my niche in the digital world, I delighted in keeping up with some classmates’ exploits on Facebook and, of course, around town. Thanks to our shared membership at Second Presbyterian Church, I get to see and hear from Cheryl and Rick Sunderland quite often, though not as much as we’d like with the pandemic shutting services down for much of the past year. They are well, residing in Homeland, and enjoying watching their children grow and thrive.

Andy Somerville continues to mountain bike his way across the American West,

centering mostly around Nevada, Idaho, and environs in the past year; as a result, Andy is staying buff and happy riding the trails and breathing in all that fresh Rockies air. I see Peter Keyser every so often plying his trade with UPS in Towson, and it’s nice to watch Phil Cuffey online as he celebrated a recent birthday by learning to zip line through the Georgia wilderness. Meanwhile, all the way across the world in Liloan, Cebu, Philippines, Bob Delano has broken ground on what looks to be a beautiful new house and home — enjoy that hard but gratifying work, Bob!

One last wonder from my foray into online outreach: I heard from one of our class’s MIA members, the esteemed Jack Parrish, who happily writes of 37 years and counting of being a teacher of history in several private middle and high schools, and, he notes, “a few more left in me.” He’s recently become single again and moved into center city Philly to embrace the change. “And what changes! Oy. Happy to buy a brother a drink in Penny’s city,” says Jack. And we’re all brothers at heart, right? Happy trails, Jack, and someday soon I hope to take you up on that offer.

Charlie Herndon: Neaville and I rode out the pandemic hunkered down in Charm City, welcoming our daughter Shelby home after her graduation from VCU and helping son Charles IV (“Cal”) transfer from East Carolina U to his new home at the University of Maryland in College Park. I’m back jousting with the media for Baltimore County Public Schools again, which I do enjoy, though dealing with virtual school and, last November, a catastrophic cyber-ransomware attack on the entire school system on top of everything else, has been, um, well, interesting. When I’m not haunting the Greenwood mansion on Charles Street, administrative offices of BCPS, you can find me walking the track at

Gilman and reliving track team memories of Messrs. Greene and Thompson, or scheming how to quasi-retire and resettle at our Outer Banks half-acre overlooking the sea.

Once again, many thanks to all of you who responded to my plaintive plea for news. I’m fascinated by the new information I’m unearthing in the Gilman alumni vaults — a lot of our class seems to be migrating to Florida, interestingly enough — so I pledge continuing mining of class news to bring you as we approach the sapphire anniversary of our Gilman graduation. Until then, stay safe, stay busy, stay happy, and stay in touch. Ad astra, y’all.

1979

Has Franklin has@franklin-group.com

I did not receive much information this year since most everyone was staying home and protecting themselves from COVID-19. Here is what I did hear.

Tom Booker is busy watching his son, Thomas ’18, play football for Stanford. He will be a senior this upcoming season and is a two-time captain of the team. He made the All-Pac 12 team last season.

Ann and Sam Hillers now live in Claremont, California, on the eastern edge of LA county. He is finishing a master’s degree in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language). He has two boys in college (Bo and Redding) and one finishing high school this year (Mason). These days he is playing golf (poorly) and cooking on the grill (expertly) until Del Mar and Santa Anita race tracks open back up. He and Ann will resume traveling the world as soon as possible. (Ann already has trips planned to Namibia, Egypt, and Argentina.) If you see him, ask him why there are so many

buildings and roads named Gilman on California college campuses. He will tell you the answer.

To pass the time during this unusual year, Roberta and Rick Watts have been traveling the United States in their RV. They made it out to Colorado and visited Alan Taylor. They had to evacuate from his cabin due to the wildfires happening. Rick has always liked excitement. Alan’s cabin survived. Roberta and Rick ride bikes, play pickleball, and sail to pass the time away in retirement.

Rick mentioned that he bumped into Pat Edeline, and both of his daughters were getting married this year. Pat also mentioned that they were selling their home with no idea of where they were going to settle.

John O’Donovan and Lisa’s oldest son, Jenks, graduates from Tulane this year and their second son, Henry, goes to Alabama where he spent the entire year studying remotely. They spend much

of their leisure time at their home in Bethany Beach, Delaware.

Marietta and George Kelly have been splitting their time between Denver and Baltimore. Their third son, Woody, is graduating from the University of Denver this year. His oldest son, Whit, is trying to break into the music business.

Ted Millspaugh and Sean Darby had minor battles with the coronavirus. They both are doing well now. Sean’s son, Charlie, graduates from Bucknell this year. Guy Davis and Jim Wilkerson have been battling major health issues. I spoke with Guy on the phone in November of 2020. He has a brain tumor and his body has reacted well to the treatment. I am hoping to see him this year in Richmond when I visit. Wilky has had a successful liver transplant. He is doing extremely well. His oldest boy, Jay, is a freshman on the varsity lacrosse team like his dad.

Marc Dubick’s youngest son is going to follow his father and brother to the

University of Maryland to play lacrosse. I have heard that Rick Snyder is going to retire from the Navy this year as a three-star admiral. Dave Willis spends much of his time watching his youngest son play baseball for Georgetown University while running a successful family business.

Biff Poggi is still coaching football and growing boys into men at St. Frances, although they have not played any games in more than a year due to the pandemic. He has had an extremely tough winter/early spring as he helps his players deal with a loss of one of their teammates.

Has Franklin: As for myself, it has been an interesting past year. I had a tough battle with COVID-19 as I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital on oxygen. The virus kicked my butt and it took me three months to get back to a new normal. It was nice hearing from so many classmates during my illness with their words of encouragement. My family is fantastic. My youngest son, Drew, is graduating from Rhodes College this year with honors in history and my middle son, Luke, is earning a master’s in kinesiology from McDaniel. Both accomplishing something that Dad never did in academics. My oldest son, Mac, is working with my brother, Henry, providing employee benefits to businesses, while my daughter, Leslie, is moving back to Baltimore to pursue her master’s. Sean Darby and I continue our quest to become competitive pickleball players and win our division at the nationals. Patty and Ellen are now learning to play pickleball so we can play mixed doubles socially.

Please send me information for future publications.

1980

Jimmy Franklin jim@franklin-group.com

We had another classmate pass recently. Ned Sacktor passed away November 11, 2020, from pancreatic cancer. After Gilman, Ned graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1984 and obtained a medical degree from Penn in 1988. He completed his neurology residence in 1992 at the Columbia University’s Neurological Institute of New York. He is survived by his wife, Christine Layton, and daughters Elizabeth and Laura. I will always remember Ned as being a nice, quiet soul. RIP Ned.

We had a small Zoom reunion on April 23. I wish more people could have been there, but understand the difficulty in this type of event. I will say it was nice seeing all those who were able to attend. Alan Macksey has offered his house for an in-person reunion potentially in October when Gilman has some events planned. Stay tuned for more info. Speaking of Alan, his daughter is graduating from Princeton this spring and heading to Penn Law School.

Tolly Merrick was able to join us from his home in Charlottesville where he is continuing his career in academia. He enjoys being able to go outside and see history and then be able to teach it to his students. Coach Schloeder would be proud. Tolly is the proud father of three boys, and his youngest just graduated.

Another teacher joined the show, Peter Pozevsky. Peter is teaching history at a small school in Ohio. He is also the proud owner of a full head of hair. Color me jealous. And Peter has a seventh grader, who I believe was the youngest child on the call. I believe some other classmates may have younger but I cannot confirm or deny as of this writing.

Tom Scott also joined wearing the hated New York Yankees hat. We will cut him some slack since his money is in New York with his daughter. She is an actress and you may have seen her in a recent Crest commercial. Tom is the grandfather of a 3-year-old girl, which he loves.

Speaking of New York, Tom Brodie joined from his apartment. His beautiful bride, Renee, was kind enough to say hi. I see them on Facebook all the time so it was nice to actually say hi. Their daughter is studying law in New York.

Also in New York, Bill Hall sent this: “Single. No kids. Ninety percent retired. NBC decided to fold our division at the end of 2019 and laid off 30-plus of us. During lockdown, I edited some shows at home and realized I wasn’t enjoying it (hadn’t been for more than a year), and when my father died last May, I realized I didn’t have to do it anymore. So now I work on projects that I want to with people I like. I’m very lucky.

Just bought a place on 58th Street so apparently I believe NYC isn’t dead or dying.

Still play music, though the last band I was in dissolved before the lockdown. A number of people have expressed interest in playing when we’re all vaccinated and maybe putting together a band (or two). Can’t say what kind of music, hard rock, classic rock, singer-songwriter … I don’t care so much about the style as long as I get to perform.

Spend a lot of time driving. I’m a member of the ZSCCA, which is for owners of BMW Z cars. I have a 2011 Z4. We go driving all over, mostly on lovely back country roads, sometimes fast (sometimes very fast) and sometimes for sightseeing, groups of as few as three

cars to as many as 200 at the annual convention.

And driving, particularly quickly, led me to high-performance driving, specifically Monticello Motor Club about 90 miles northwest of NYC. I’ve been spending a lot of time up there over the past year and a half driving the big track and sometimes the rallycross tracks. First it was BMW M3s and M2s; more recently it’s been race prepped Miatas and Caymans (what they call cage cars because they have a roll cage — every sport has its jargon). I’ve done race schools at MMC, Road Atlanta, BMW M School in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and High Performance driving schools at Lime Rock and New Jersey MotorSports Park. I have no illusions about a career as a racer (I started too late and I don’t know that I have the temperament) but it’s fun to go fast and feel like I’m mostly in control (last summer I ran a couple of laps in a BMW M8 and saw 161 on the backstretch). I tend to drive slower on public roads now because, in part, I know that at least a couple of times a month, I get to go really fast and not have to worry about distracted civilians in other cars. It’s also fun to hang out with serious car guys. My plan is to do track days at interesting and famous tracks all over — even in Europe — and (hopefully) not make a fool out of myself.

So there ya go. I’m not on social media, except for YouTube and Vimeo, but I have a work website, multimediahall.com, which has clips from some of the shows and projects I’ve worked on over the years.”

Speaking of grandfathers, Keith “Pop Pop” Keel has SEVEN grandchildren that he is having a blast with. Keith still lives in Baltimore and has three children, but just loves being a granddad.

He had to leave the call early in order to chase one of his grandsons down.

Continuing the lots-of-children theme, Paul Danko is getting married and will now have a clan of seven children ranging from 17 to 30. Rumor has it he will be starting a new show called The Danko Bunch.

A big thank you to Will Griffith for posting for the Zoom call. We know how hard it is to get him off the surfboard. At least he did most of the call poolside in La Jolla, California. I also wanted to thank him for getting me in touch with other classmates.

Hunt Brawley is one of them and Hunt sent this: “My daughter, Maddie, graduated from Duquesne in Pittsburgh and just finished her internship in music therapy at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in D.C. She just got a job at Streamwood Behavioral Center outside of Chicago. Not bad during a pandemic! I will be coming to Baltimore May 7 and then will head down to D.C. to help her move.

I am turning into the Marietta Hippodrome Hunchback, having been sequestered in the closed Peoples Bank Theatre for more than a year. I have survived by eating the theater’s supply of concession candy and have polished off our entire supply of wine and beer. Hey, I didn’t want it to spoil!!! Semi-delirious, I wander the corridors of an empty theatre and have nightmare visions of small children chanting, “Redrum, Redrum!’”

Paul Lohrey also joined from California. Paul now works for BlackRock and lives in Oakland.

Paul Hazlehurst was cajoled into joining the call as well. He is back to being a federal public defender and has been involved in some fairly big cases. Paul reports that a Zoom class reunion is …

well, we need to keep it clean for those with grandchildren. Hazle was also spotted with the infamous Gerard Marie Woel. TJ is in Philly and keeps threatening to move back to Baltimore so he can beat me at golf. I have not stopped laughing since he uttered those words.

Mark Hillman joined the call late, but I thank him for taking the time to join. He has not sailed in more than a year and he looked like he was going through withdrawals. Get back out there, Mark!

Mark Licht also joined late. He could not get Karis on the call with him, which was a shame. She is like a classmate. Mark is still our tech guy, but it was funny he was unable to get on the call at first.

Steph Jackson returned from London in early 2020 working for T. Rowe Price, and is taking on the role as head of T. Rowe Price Investment Management, a new business unit to launch in 2022. Family healthy and happy despite the pandemic. Steph left me with this quote, “Golf game, middling at best!” I don’t buy it. I see him playing at BCC all summer.

Another thank you to Bill Atkins for updating me on some other classmates. Rob Haley is a bank manager at M&T Bank in Virginia, Brad Dwight is in San Diego working for the Padres, Tim Codd is the man to see if you have a shoulder issue, Mike McGeady is in his family’s marine construction business, and Tom Schermerhorn is a doctor in North Carolina.

Coming on the call two hours and 45 minutes late was none other than George “Mad Fin” Finney. I distinctly remember hearing “Did I do that?” and yes, George, you did. George has been happily married for 31 years now and is living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, selling retirement plans for the Mennonites.

Charlie O’Donovan visited John Zentz in St. Louis to do some shooting in the fall. Charlie had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed John’s Cobra. John is currently adding to his collection and is building a replica of the 1966 Ford GT 40 that won LeMans in 1966. I have seen pictures and it is impressive to say the least.

Shockey Gillet has a grandchild on the way. He is doing well living on a horse farm and still riding every day. Shockey married his high school sweetheart, Bruce Ann. Love it.

Speaking of becoming a grandparent, Steve Plunkert is a new grandfather as well. Congrats, big fella!

David deMuth says that after working downtown for the previous 36 years, his office moved to Towson last spring. His youngest son graduated from Gilman in 2018 giving the deMuths 54 years at Gilman. The Franklin family has a total of 69 years at Gilman and counting.

Alan Livsey sends his best from London but was unable to make the call since it was past his bedtime. Totally understandable.

Brian Lyles, the host of our Zoom call, just celebrated a birthday. Brian did a fantastic job and we will get together to try and organize an in-person event in October.

Jimmy Franklin: As for me, my wife is doing COVID testing every day at St. Joe’s when not in the pediatric emergency room. My oldest is in nursing school and working part time in St. Joe’s emergency room. I just picked up my middle daughter from college at Coastal Carolina. And my son is finishing up his sophomore year of high school. He is taller than his dad, which makes him happy. I am still working with my brothers in Hunt Valley and would love to hear from anyone in the area. And I

am still stuck at 99 of the top 100 golf courses. I will be playing in my 49th state this coming October, which is nice. So I got that going for me …

If I forgot anyone, I am sorry. Please email me at jim@franklin-group.com with any updates.

1981

Willy Moore wmoore@southwaybuilders.com

Greetings ’81ers,

Good grief, what a strange year it has been. I hope you all have been spared tragedy at the hands of COVID-19 in your families and circles of close friends. With my business being deemed critical per State of Maryland guidelines, I have been going to the office every day since the start of it all. Pre-pandemic, our office would usually have around 30 people in it, and we have only had three to five regulars, with everyone else working remotely or on project sites since the beginning of the shutdowns. Not sure about the rest of you, but I am Zoomed-out, and look forward to the days when we can go to a full Ravens or Orioles stadium for a game. OK, the Orioles might have to get substantially better before they are filling Camden Yards any time soon, but you know what I mean.

Guess what this year happens to be? Are you ready for it? If you haven’t figured it out already, it is our 40th reunion year! Four decades ago in June, we were on the stage in the old gym for our big ceremony. Most everyone was taking in all the excitement of hearing who got which awards, while I was just praying the entire time, “Please, please, please Lord, I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life if Mr. Finney has a diploma for me. No, wait — church

every Sunday isn’t enough for me to give. I know … Lord if Mr. Finney gives me a diploma, I will do the one thing that NOBODY wants to do … I promise I will take the job of class secretary from JB Howard, and I will do it for 15 years … OK, OK, that’s not enough … OK, I’ll do it for 20 years!” So there you have it. This year I will have paid my dues at 20 years! But I don’t know if you will be rid of me yet.

Regarding our reunion, tradition has been to have the events in the spring, but with COVID-19 impacting everything, the school has wisely opted to push our reunion event to October 23. This happens to be the day of a home football game, so we are all welcome to arrive early and take in the game. Upon completion of the game, we can retire to a School-supplied tent, and enjoy cocktails and dinner, all compliments of the School. There will be plenty of announcements circulated, but regardless, be sure to block out the date on your calendar, because the more the merrier; we want EVERYONE in attendance.

On to the news of the last year …

In mid-September of 2020, Mac Ford and his wife hosted their daughter Molly’s wedding at their home. Mac remarked how they had to “bob and weave in this pandemic!” Mac hosted our 25th reunion at the same house, and it surely made a beautiful backdrop for his daughter’s big day.

A week before penning these remarks, Mac and his Notre Dame Prep girls’ lax team were in the sports section of the Baltimore Sun, where an article went into great detail about NDP’s bounce back win in the last one and a half minutes against St. Paul’s School for Girls. Per the article, “Notre Dame Prep (9-1 overall, 9-1 A Conference), the

nation’s No. 13 team, grabbed the upper hand in the race for the top seed in the conference tournament, tied in the loss column with St. Paul’s (11-1, 11-1) with two games to play. The Blazers will be aiming for their first championship since ending McDonogh’s national-record 198-game winning streak in 2018.” Fingers crossed that Coach Ford and the team make it to the finals on May 15 at the field at US Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.

In December, I became the proud owner of a gorgeous petty knife (a chef’s small knife) handmade by Marcus Ranum. The blade has a grain on it, very similar to a burled wood grain, that is a byproduct from traces of carbon on welds in the original piece of wrought iron that was forged into the blade. The handle is made from Wenge wood, a super dense African hardwood, and it is trimmed with a resin-based ivory. If you are interested in seeing some of his work, do a quick Google search of Marcus and Badger Forge, and you can see pages of his fine craftsmanship. Marcus has also recently started turning wood bowls on his lathe. An average wood turner would make their product from whatever hunks of wood they could obtain from any nearby downed trees. Not Marcus! He sent me a photo of a beautiful bowl turned from “4,000-year-old bog oak” that he acquired through a source in Ukraine. Marcus has been a craftsman since our days at Gilman, and it is nice hearing how he has been dedicating more regular time towards exercising his artistic muscles.

In my appeal for class notes, Andy Rich responded with: “As with you all, the year of COVID brought us many challenges, but it brought many blessings, so I will focus on them. I hope everyone in the Gilman family has been met with more positives than negatives and that

your families are well. Carrie’s and my youngest, Haley, graduates from Tufts U in Boston with some Anton Vishio phrase after her B.A. She’s all jobbed-up and excited about the next step. Of course, no more tuition effectively delivers us a massive raise in income, which is pretty cool. Her older sister, Chelsea, has been working in New York City with some “lit” tech brands doing market research. Carrie has started a cleaning business as a way to escape our downsized empty nest, where I work from home. I have taken up volunteer firefighting and bought a Sandler Sales Training business to expand on what I have been doing in sales consulting for years. Guys, give me a call if I can potentially help you out with your sales/ salespeople. If nothing else, it will be fun to catch up: andy.rich@sandler.com or LinkedIn.”

With Andy stepping up as a volunteer firefighter, he will be at least the second ’81er to fight fires. If memory serves, Leonard Frenkil was volunteering while we were still students. I think our yearbook has a photo of him wearing his fireman’s helmet. Do we have any more firefighters?

Clark MacKenzie shared a terrific photo of himself with his two sons, and remarked that he “worked for eight months (May 2020-January 2021) as a loan specialist (EIDL) for the U.S. Small Business Administration. This helped me rediscover a core value of ‘learning while helping others’ — very inspiring as I seek meaning in my chosen work. My sons stayed on track in college with the oldest graduating last May, and the second now just completing his sophomore year. Steady as she goes — I am still exercising, riding my Harley, chasing the dream, and holding down the fort here in New Canaan, Connecticut.”

Todd Stokes was interviewed for an article in the Calvert School newsletter, where his life as Calvert’s first African American graduate was celebrated. As one of the 23 or so of us Calvert classmates who moved to Gilman, I remember Todd’s first day very well. He arrived midyear in third grade, or the 9th Age as Calvert called it. At that time, everyone had their own big collections of stickers for every kind of product imaginable. By the end of Todd’s first day, he had a desk full of stickers that everyone had chipped in for him so he would not feel left out. As Todd said in the article, “I think it was an experience for everyone, because I don’t think my classmates had encountered too many African American students, and I hadn’t encountered too many white students.”

The article detailed his journey after graduating from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s in psychology, to doing counseling and intake work, and then transitioning in 1991 where he served for 25 years as a U.S. Probation Officer for the District of Maryland. The article went on to say, “For years, he regularly received thank-you notes from the men and women on his caseload. Some of them said that he helped save their lives. Now retired for several years, Todd still gets phone calls from people he used to supervise, some of whom continue to look to him for help and guidance.”

Todd has a daughter who is a senior at Tuskegee University, where she has been studying animal science, and he and his wife of 10 years, Chantel, have a son who is a rising first grader, who will be going to school next year near my neck of the woods on the southwest side of Baltimore County.

Doug Hoffman, aka Dougie, contributed, “Hello classmates! I miss you and can’t wait for our next chance to be together. My family and I are well ... I am still a United Methodist

pastor, serving now in downtown Hagerstown at John Wesley United Methodist Church (UMC). It is great to be back in Maryland, after serving in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, for five years. We love our home that we bought in ‘Bath,’ the name of the WV town preferred by those like us who love its history. We currently live in Hagerstown in the beautiful church parsonage. We return to our home in Bath for days off and to continue our improvement of the home. My wife, Donna, just started a job as the administrator at Otterbein UMC, the ‘other’ (LOL) big downtown UMC in Hagerstown. It is cool to see how Donna’s presence there is already helping our two churches communicate better with each other. Churches today cannot afford to let our petty differences divide us any longer. Our divided land needs us to be agents of togetherness, service, and love given and received.

Our children are acclimating well to Hagerstown. We all find it refreshing to be in a more diverse community. Our son, Cory, 19, graduated last year from Berkeley Springs HS and the James Rumsey Academy with a certificate in masonry. Cory has patiently waited for more COVID-19 safety, and with his mom and dad now vaccinated, he is ready to begin working, looking to begin his masonry career. My daughter, Calleigh, 15, is a freshman at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, here in Hagerstown. She is a gifted writer and is thrilled to be at BISFA, surrounded by artists! We all wish you well.

I have such a profound appreciation for you all, for your parts in the amazing experience I had at Gilman. You all were so good to me. I’ve so enjoyed reuniting with you at reunions and can’t wait until the next one. I’ve been so blessed to be in touch with some of you. I think of all of you. Please be COVID-19 safe,

so we can cross the finish line. Please get vaccinated, if you have not already. God be with you till we meet again.” As an aside, my company is planning to start a large renovation project in Hagerstown in the coming months, so I am hoping Doug and I can get together during some of my monthly site visits.

In October, Pam and Tom Fusting officially pulled out of Maryland and moved to Franklin, Tennessee. Pre-COVID, Pam left her job with Maryland Human Services and accepted a similar position in Tennessee State government. Her sister and parents had both moved there several years ago, so with the new job, and given Tom’s ability to work remotely, it was an easy decision. Tom is VERY happy having left a Blue State, and now being firmly entrenched in a Red State. His office is in a detached garage, thereby requiring eight steps to get to work in the morning. Being the good Republican that he is, Tom went into great detail sharing how property taxes are about the same between both states, Tennessee has a much higher sales tax at 9.75%, but they also have a $0.00 state income tax. As such, he suggests it is a big net positive for the family. With Tom living so far away now, it will be much more difficult for the two of us to continue having the politically heated discussions that we have enjoyed having together for the last many years. His new life will surely be much more subdued whilst living amongst his peeps.

Willy Moore: As for your classless secretary and his wonderful wife … Caroline and I have felt quite fortunate to stay very busy throughout the pandemic. Pre-COVID, Caroline was traveling a lot, and she has happily spent the year-plus working from home. We had been dogless for about one and a half years, so for Christmas we treated ourselves to a new puppy. It proved to be a stellar maneuver, because we have

benefited from our younger son, Ben, (class of ’15), who lives and works in New York City, coming home several times to see the dog. Our older son, Henry, just had an offer accepted for purchasing his first house, which is in Federal Hill, only five short minutes from my office. Work for me has been remarkable. When the pandemic started, I was terrified about the prospects for the business, but throughout 2020, we grew from managing 10 or 12 projects at a time, to a peak of 19 projects that stretch from Northern Virginia, to Frederick, Taneytown, and Harford County, as well as our usual collection of projects in Baltimore City and County. We have a terrific group of almost 100 professionals who love what they do, building budgets and managing the construction of apartment buildings, affordable housing, housing for the homeless, renovations of senior living communities, several schools, the new Lexington Market, a boutique hotel, and a new Gilchrist hospice facility that we are building on the site of the old Memorial Stadium.

I am sorry I don’t have more to share from classmates, but I think everyone is perhaps a bit out of sorts. The pandemic has stretched us all in different ways, and I, like all of you, look forward to opening up the world for social gatherings. And what could be a better gathering than our 40th reunion?!? I can think of nothing finer! I look forward to seeing you all on October 23, for a FREE evening with great company and good vittles. You saw that, didn’t you — I said FREE. No excuses. Come one, come all!

Stay positive and test negative! All the best. –Willy Moore

1982

Brian Doud abcdoud@bellsouth.net

1983

Andy Buerger climbforhope@gmail.com

Besides being godfather to my son, Alan Fleischmann has been scaling his firm Laurel Strategies: hiring folks and growing his CEO clients during the pandemic. His SiriusXM radio show, “Leadership Matters,” has also thrived during this last year. Alan and Dafna have been working from their Chevy Chase home anticipating that work travel will resume again soon enough after all are vaccinated. Their girls — my nieces — Laura Julia (17) and Talia (14), are as active as their busy parents. They are great cousins to my kids.

Joel Cohn answered, (not edited for brevity): All is well. COVID was nice in that the kids were home for a while. Alex works in banking in NYC. Hannah graduated from U Michigan in May; now in NYC. Like most people, drank a lot, walked the dog a lot, and sat outside by fire pits a lot. FYI Robby DeMuth and I work at Morgan Stanley.

Jay Schmidt: Legg Mason was acquired by Franklin Templeton in 2020, so I’m now working for Franklin Templeton. It was sad to see an old Baltimore firm disappear, but so far, so good with Franklin. My wife, Michelle, is still teaching in the Baltimore County Public School system, and my kids are all great. Henry is an associate at Price Waterhouse, and lives with some of his Gilman classmates in Federal Hill. Caroline will graduate from Episcopal High School in Alexandria in May, and will attend Ole Miss in the fall. Georgia is a freshman at McDonogh, and it kills me to have that “M” sticker on my car. Lastly, Lily, the

caboose, is almost 3 and loving life. She’s a true joy.

LinkedIn told me that Griff Evans just celebrated 28 years as the owner of Ecological Restoration and Management, a full-service landscaping firm specializing in the construction and enhancement of native ecosystems.

Mark Kaufman let us know that he’s “living in Baltimore and running a nonprofit investment fund that targets disinvested parts of Baltimore City. Looking for opportunities to bring jobs and development to communities that have not seen them. If you see opportunities, let us know — baltimoreniif.org.”

Woodberry-based architect David Watts has big news: “I am engaged to be married to Ashley Ingraham. We are looking forward to a small wedding in 2022 where everyone can gather post COVID and each of our daughters can ‘give us away.’”

Wonderful to hear from David Nelson, humorous as ever: “Favorite COVID activity: skiing. We rented a mountain house and spent six weeks on the slopes this winter ... a truly once-in-a-lifetime family opportunity we’ll never forget. Second favorite COVID activity: not catching COVID (so far).

Family update: our two oldest are teenagers with all the wisdom and poise that comes with that age. Seriously though, Lane is starting an orthopedic rehab support group for injured athletes, encouraging them to get back in shape and back on the field. She had double knee surgeries and knows the space well. Jack on the other hand is determined to lose all his device privileges until he’s 21, dominating the house with his special brand of temper and humor that screams ‘pay attention to me!’ 16 hours a day. Ironically his grades are the comeback story of the year turning Cs and Fs into

Bs and As. Interesting how it correlates to his loss of all things Apple.

Christine spent much of the year working out and finding her space in a house filled with humanity more than she likes. Bless her. For my part, I’m diversifying my business beyond commercial real estate (it actually went fine last year in my little practice) and into unrelated startups: one in fitness (check out FitFighter.com on Shark Tank), one in computer vision, and frozen grilled cheese sandwiches. Clearly there’s no rhyme or reason to my investing; I’m just an easy mark.”

Wayne Farley, after realizing he does have exciting news to share: “Diana and I are about to be empty nesters. Our two older children, Madison and Brooks, are both in New York City working remotely, and our son, Grant, is off to Duke in July. We have recently purchased a second home in Fenwick Island, Delaware, and are looking forward to splitting our time between the two homes.”

Peter Ratcliffe’s quick summary: “Still four kids 20-25: two boys, two girls. Two in college with COVID making a disastrous experience and basically all living at home including the two that work. Never thought I’d allow that seeing as how I was allowed two days in the house after college ended.

Still manning Ratcliffe Architect — 13-person staff. Commercial and residential.

Great year despite what we thought would happen in March 2020. Busier than ever. I guess government-print trillions has given people freedom to spend.

Bizzy and I are taking a two-week Pacific Northwest tour in a four-wheeldrive revel sprinter van this summer.

Playing golf with my two boys a ton. Both now better than me … surprise.

Trying to have as much fun as possible now that I figure we only have 20 good years left to get crazy and live aggressively like I prefer.”

Daniel Stuelpnagel: “I currently have my fifth feature screenplay, a fast-paced drama, in preliminary development with a startup production company based in Los Angeles. That and five bucks will get me a cup of coffee but we are hoping to get to a green light and bring it to the screen.” Break a leg, Daniel!

David Cosby sounds like the same guy I met in sixth grade — living a musical life with a smile on his face, “I am well, and have had both vaccine shots. My wife works in health care, and my son, Alex, is 17 and plays the tenor saxophone and the lute. I, at my old age, am working on my doctorate of music education at Boston University, and am still the music department chair at Besant Hill School, a small boarding school in Ojai, California. Outside of teaching and going to grad school, I still play a lot of guitar and compose a lot of music. I am really looking forward to a return to normal so I can start playing in front of people live again. I also have really enjoyed presenting research papers at conferences on music, African American music, and jazz music.”

When asked about his year of COVID, Haftan Eckholdt responded, “Things I did NOT do in the last year: I did NOT get sick. I did NOT enter a room without knowing why I was there (this is a thing now, apparently). I did NOT not vote. I did NOT spend time with Felipe Albuquerque. I did NOT get arrested. Did I tell you I did NOT visit Felipe? I did NOT change jobs (really big one for me). I did NOT change husbands. I did NOT get a dog (yet). I

did NOT move. I did NOT call Richard Jacobs about some great startup idea (just so-so ones). David Brecher did NOT call me about another great startup idea (yet). I did NOT share my class note update in time.”

Keith McCants didn’t update us on his running status, but managed to say “New rescue dog, Raven, plus daughter engaged. Wedding date tbd. Still working mostly from home but campus coming back to life.”

From The Maximus, Max Curran, “My wife, Jennifer, and I are empty nesters living here in Baltimore (just a few blocks away from Gilman). Both of our daughters are doing very well in college. Maeve, who turns 22 this year, is finishing up her studies in fine art at the Corcoran School in George Washington University. Dacey just turned 20. She’s a professional music major and a sophomore at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. I’m still plugging away as an energy lawyer and a partner at Venable here in Baltimore. Unfortunately, I got a little carried away with my COVID-19 exercise regimen back in January and broke my right femur during a bike accident near Hopkins (caused by my reckless need for speed). I’m doing well with physical therapy and should reemerge with the rest of the country after we are all vaccinated.”

Dr. Gino Freeman let us know that he’s “still in Baltimore, practicing internal medicine, trying to swim better — weekly at Meadowbrook — learning French, and thinking ... just thinking about living on a farm.” Merci, Gino, and I don’t see you leaving the city.

Lee Sterne’s Facebook page leaves me envious of his wonderful travels. Unfortunately, it was there that I learned about the passing of his beloved father,

Joseph. Please look up the wonderful obituary in the Baltimore Sun.

Congrats to John Roe. His latest development project, Union Brothers Furniture in Baltimore City, received the 2021 Maryland Preservation Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and Sustainable Design. It looks beautiful online. I know he’s spent years bringing this dream to fruition.

John Clarke, like many of us, commented, “I’ve been sitting at home in front of a computer for the past year! My wife, Susan, and I, and our kids, Eleanor (11) and Steele (about to turn 10), are all OK and holding up well. Susan and I got our shots, and schools in our part of Connecticut have been in person since last September, so those things have been working in our favor. I saw Jake Hendrickson and his wife, Marty, last weekend, and they are doing well.”

I saw and managed to wave to Gideon Brower as I drove past him. He seemed to be walking to MOM’s Organic Market with his wife, Marisa Kurtzman, and … baby girl, Julia Sidney Brower, born November 6, 2020. They normally live in LA.

David Zura lives in Dallas with his wife, Susan. He’s the CEO of Global Z Holdings, an “investment firm providing capital and strategic support to enable entrepreneurs and business leaders to realize their vision and dreams.”

John-William DeClaris marked the one-year anniversary of his father’s death on March 28. In other news, John-William continues to enjoy working at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like many others who have weathered the pandemic, John-William has sheltered at home and explored a new hobby: genealogy. Has gone back in time to explore his Italian, Irish, and, of course, his Greek

roots and takes great satisfaction in the knowledge that money spent studying European history at Gilman has truly seen a return on investment.

Please take a moment to check out Gero Verheyen’s gorgeous woodworking skills on his Facebook page. I need to place an order for some mugs. I’m sure David Watts will. He has the biggest support of our class artists. He owns originals from Daniel, Mackie Cromwell, and he just bought a copy of my book, “Carrying a Flag From Pain to Passion.” It weaves together lessons I learned from mountaineering and applied to my startup, nonprofit work, and family. Those lessons served me well navigating the peaks and valleys of running those and the challenges of daily life. The book came out in December. (David owns the copy.) Jennifer and I moved to West Towson in July 2020 where our kids are now in fourth grade. We live near Cotton Swindell, Del Dressel, and Chris Alevizatos

1984

If you would like to serve as class secretary, please contact Gilman’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Nathaniel Badder ’94, at nbadder@gilman.edu.

1985

Ted Winstead tedwinstead@gmail.com

In Atlanta, Chip Dates has become a pescatarian as he prepares for a return to the boxing ring. “I’m trying to get down to a certain weight for USA Boxing Master’s Division,” he said in April after his gym reopened. “When I stop drinking and just eat fish, I drop weight.”

Chip works in business development at the Lucas Group. One of his jobs is to help former members of the military

transition into the civilian workforce. When he travels for work, Chip tries to find places to spar.

I’ve never been hurt during old-man boxing,” Chip said. “It’s a controlled environment, and I have a good jab. Of course, I could be knocked out at any time.” He has also boxed to raise money for charities.

Chip and his 14-year-old pit bull live in the Old Fourth Ward, just one block from where Martin Luther King, Jr., was born and in the district of the late Rep. John Lewis. His neighborhood is also home to the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where MLK and Senator Raphael Warnock have preached.

In 2020, as Georgia became the center of the political universe and people took to the streets of Atlanta to issue calls for racial justice and make their voices heard, Chip was there. “I would head out with a gas mask in my backpack,” he said. “When you live where I do — amid the history of the civil rights movement — you just have to show up.”

The prize for teleworking during the pandemic may go to Eddie Rosemond, who ran his Maryland-based web design company from Senegal. He marked the 20th anniversary of the company, Liquid Web Designs, during a period of political unrest in Senegal that made headlines worldwide. When he was not working, Eddie was enjoying family life.

Robert Landon is also overseas. Early in the pandemic, he got stranded in a tiny Spanish town in the Sierra Nevada, about an hour from Granada. “I fell in love with the place,” he writes. After returning home to sell his place in New York City, he moved to Spain and has been working on a nonfiction book.

Steven Comfort’s 11-year-old daughter is an avid ski racer for Squaw Valley in U.S. Skiing’s Far West division.

“These little kids are amazing athletes, combining the strength and flexibility of gymnasts (which many of them are in the warm months) with all of the technical skiing skills, daredevil attitudes, and superb coaching,” Steven writes, adding that a silver lining of the pandemic was that his family remained in Lake Tahoe from December through April.

Steven has a new role at Tickr, a cloud software company that uses applied machine learning to give global brands better insights on their marketing and sales efforts. Over the past year he discovered the joys of Peloton. “Mitch [Caplan] Rock is on there, and he was having trouble keeping up with me even before he injured his leg,” boasts Steven, whose Peloton username is StevenNoeValley.

He added: “We should put together a group of former Gilman athletes who can ‘encourage’ ourselves to stay fit in our advancing years! The Strava app is a good alternative for those of you that don’t have a Peloton bike or tread.”

The pandemic postponed the arrival of Andrew Balfour’s empty nest, but he is now settling in nicely. “We have one daughter who is a sophomore at Northeastern, and the other just headed west to try to launch her career in film out in LA.”

David Sigman’s son, Ethan, is attending the Maryland State Police Academy to become a trooper, and his daughter Jessica teaches fourth grade in the Baltimore City school system. His other daughter was at Northwestern, living in a house with eight other women and doing virtual school. David also has granddaughters — Audrey, a kindergartner at McDonogh, and 2-year-old Maddie.

“After 25 years living in Owings Mills, we are moving in June to the hills of Cockeysville adjacent to Oregon Ridge for a little more isolated country life

while still in the midst of Baltimore County,” writes David. He is chief of urology at Sinai and Northwest Hospitals and a partner in Chesapeake Urology, a division of a now national organization called United Urology Group.

Ben Keenan and his wife, Natalie, and their two daughters have been in Wilmington, Delaware, for 20 years. The older daughter is a sophomore at Wake Forest and the younger one will be a freshman at Bucknell in the fall. “The isolation of the pandemic has worn on me, but mainly I am struck by having much to be thankful for,” writes Ben. “I have a job (I practice law), a roof over our heads, and our kids have been able to forge ahead in school. All good stuff.”

Pragathi Katta has kept up with classmates and other Gilman folks mainly through Facebook. Back in the spring, as he awaited his second COVID shot, he said he was “already looking forward to getting back on the water.”

Ken Kang lives with his wife and two kids in Vienna, Virginia. “I have been working at the IMF (International Monetary Fund) in Washington, D.C., as an economist for nearly 25 years now, mainly on countries in Asia and Europe.” After working from home for the past year, he is looking forward to returning to the office and resuming his travels.

Ken attends the same church as Phil Koh, who plays several instruments in the church praise team, according to Ken. In addition to playing music, Phil led a team that developed a gaming technology called the Goose Enterprises LagMeter, which “can measure and report the total lag time of your gaming system.”

Last fall, Bill Buchanan made a solo pandemic trip to Squam Lake in New

Hampshire, where he kayaked, enjoyed the solitude, and came within 30 feet of a bear. After two decades in New York City, Bill has now been in the Washington, D.C., area for 13 years. He runs his own financial firm and enjoys working for himself. “My best investment tips come from Charlie Garland, who is rarely wrong on the markets,” said Bill, who has also been working hard on his golf game.

Perhaps Bill can follow the example of David Cook, who is now retired and winning golf tournaments. In 2020, David got his third hole-in-one. “My luck outweighs my skill,” he said at the time.

After 30 years in the military, Joe Ortiz plans to retire in 2023. “I live in Arlington, Virginia, with my beautiful wife, Joanna, and our two Schipperkes, Thumper and Sansa,” he writes. A Colonel in the Army, Joe serves as the consultant for occupational health and environmental medicine to the Army Surgeon General and as the associate program director/assistant professor for the occupational medicine residency program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

Leon Sachs writes, “Despite the global tumult of 2021, not much has changed in my life. I still have one wife (same one), one daughter, two dogs, and four bicycles. I’ve spent the last year on research leave from the University of Kentucky to write a book exploring the ‘theory of the classroom.’”

When pressed for details about his book, Leon agreed to share some themes with classmates. “The book project, provisionally titled ‘Rooms for Improvement,’ makes a case for renewing our commitment to the idea of the classroom as a

discrete environment insulated from the real world,” he writes.

“For a citizenry to form, it needs a protected space in which individuals can safely and confidently converse with — and correct — one another in a leisurely, rational manner,” Leon continued. “Since I’m essentially a literature teacher and scholar, the book’s main chapters examine how literary reading in a classroom fosters this kind of collaboration.”

He added, “My book is merely a starting point for reflecting on how ‘unreal’ spaces of learning are actually necessary for fostering the kinds of conversations that we need in an egalitarian democracy.” No word yet on an expected publication date.

Bernie Rhee writes: “My son, Joey, is still at Calvert, and fortunately every grade there has had in-person classes since the first day of school.”

Doug Schmidt has two sons at Gilman — Spencer in 11th grade and Bennett in eighth grade — and his daughter, Lila, is a fifth grader at Calvert. He continues to lead a real estate development company called Workshop Development. “COVID has been tough on our retail and office tenants, but things are getting better,” Doug writes. “I remain dedicated to making the city better. I was honored to serve on Mayor Brandon Scott’s Finance Transition Committee.”

When Darin Hall needed a name for his real estate development company in Cincinnati, “civitas” came to mind. “That’s a good Latin word we learned from Mrs. Sarbanes,” he said, noting that it means citizenship or citizen community. Darin brings to the Civitas Development Group his experience at the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority, where he oversaw develop-

ment efforts to re-imagine parts of the city or surrounding areas.

“Civitas is a little company and we are trying to demonstrate that, with our experience working in cities, we can collaborate with larger companies that may not have this experience and do public-private partnerships,” Darin explained. One of his recent projects involved building 20 new homes in Columbus. On future projects, Darin hopes to work with another Gilman grad in the area, Tilghman Strudwick.

Darin’s older daughter is a rising senior at Spelman College, and his younger daughter is a rising high school junior. His wife works with Macy’s Corporate Services. “We are fully vaccinated and doing fine,” he said last spring. “We are thankful for what the universe has given us.”

1986

If you would like to serve as class secretary, please contact Gilman’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Nathaniel Badder ’94, at nbadder@gilman.edu.

1987

Tripp Burgunder hb3@rimonlaw.com

1988

David Carroll dcarroll@capitol-strategies.com

1989

Winston Rigsby winstonrigsby@yahoo.com

Well, they said it would never be done, but finally, the Gilman School class of 1989, the last class of the great decade that was the 1980s, has a class notes

submission for you. It only took three class secretaries, and lots of negotiation and pleading, but here we are. Most if not all of us are turning 50 this year, so I couldn’t think of a more fitting time to finally get one in the books. Enough talk, let’s see what these guys have been up to …

DJ Saluja runs a private primary care practice with offices at the Rotunda and in Pikesville. DJ lives with his wife and two kids in Hunt Valley. DJ’s son is a freshman at Gilman and daughter is a fourth grader at Calvert.

Andrew Martire is head of school at Tatnall School, a pre-k through 12th grade school in Wilmington, Delaware. Andy and his wife, Eva, have three kids, Belle (21), a junior at W&M; Tyler (19), a freshman at Notre Dame; and Max (13), a seventh grader at Tatnall. You can usually catch Andy in closed-door meetings with the Secret Service as POTUS literally lives next door to Tatnall.

Michael Ballesteros works at the CDC as an epidemiologist and the associate director for science for a CDC division focusing on injury and suicide prevention. Mickey lives in Atlanta with his wife, Erin, (infectious disease pediatrician at Emory University) and their 7-year-old son, Francisco (named after the city where he was born). Thanks for all you do at CDC, Mickey!

David Baltazar lives in Ellicott City with his wife, Rose, and their two sons, Josh (15) and Ryan (13). Dave is a patent attorney with a Washington, D.C., law firm.

Chris Hooper is a corporate attorney for Piper Sandler and lives in Denver with his wife, Athena, and two sons, Lachlan (18) and Grady (15), where they all enjoy skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking in the Rockies.

James Hamilton is an associate professor of medicine, director of hepatology, and the associate director of the Division of Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins, where he enjoys working with Andrew Cameron ’87 on liver transplant patients. Jamie lives in Reisterstown with his wife, Meena, and their three daughters, Zarina (15), Yasmin (13), and Laila (11). All three go to McDonogh, but I’m very happy to report that Jamie sits on the Gilman side for football and lacrosse games.

John Snead is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors and lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, with his wife, Ginny, (an environmental engineer) and their three sons Jack (18), Will (16), and James (13). Before Jack heads to UVM in the fall, John hopes to get the family out for lots of golf this summer to show them the skills that were honed as a varsity golf letterman back in the day.

Richard Logue is senior VP for Envision Health and lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Kim, and daughter, Charli (7). Richard still wears too much black while being the really old guy in the back at punk rock shows. (His words, not mine!)

Peter Chung has been a pediatrician for the last 20 years at Carroll Children’s Center in Westminster and lives in 21093 with his wife, Pam, daughter, Emily, and son, Eric. Emily will be heading off to Maryland (go Terps!) and Eric will be a freshman at Loyola-Blakefield (sadly).

Brad Burgunder lives in Baltimore and has a daughter in high school and a son in middle school. He is currently writing his second children’s book. His first is titled “Nana and the Banana” for kids 5 and under. Get yourself a copy, as the proceeds go to a great cause.

Steven Sherman is in the insurance business and lives in Stevenson, where

he combats his three teenagers. He has been married for 20 years, and enjoys writing, playing music, and hiking. He would like everyone to know that he still can’t stand McDonogh. Hear, hear.

Ted Wight Jr. lives in Baltimore, where he has a company that does financial planning for physicians. Ted has a son at Bucknell and a daughter who is a junior at RPCS. Mr. Wight sees Josh Levinson, Jamie Hamilton, and Tommy Biddison fairly regularly.

Drew White is regional medical director at Alteon Health. Drew lives in Cockeysville with his wife, Emily, and they have three kids, Jack (18), Ellie (16), and Cabot (13). Jack is a senior at Gilman and will be attending William and Mary in the fall; Ellie is a sophomore at Notre Dame Prep; and Cabot is in seventh grade at Gilman.

Myron Jacobs is senior director of finance at United Healthcare, and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife. He is the proud owner of an 85-inch television, the lucky son of a gun.

Paul Wilson lives and works in Ft. Lauderdale, and thankfully has managed to dodge COVID while living in wideopen Florida.

Tony Armstrong is the other Florida boy in the group, living and working in Miami. Outside of hanging out in South Beach, Tony likes to enjoy a fine cigar and a fine single malt.

Rajib Amin is chief financial officer at Granicus, a cloud software company. Raj lives in Lansdowne, Virginia, with his wife and three kids, His oldest daughter is in her second year at UVA and his twins are finishing up the 10th grade. Raj also still believes the Cowboys are *this* close to winning another Super Bowl.

Rob Marbury runs the creative department at Imre, a media agency in Towson. Rob lives in Baltimore with his wife and two boys. He is hotly anticipating the return of Brood X.

Danny Green has lived in Los Angeles for many years and definitely has his finger on the pulse. He has worked behind the camera in every facet of the movie industry, working with many household names. Look him up on IMDB.

Michael Lee is VP, finance technology at Fannie Mae. Michael currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Hana, daughter, Jordan (8), and son, River (5). I say “currently” because Michael and family are moving back to Maryland (Potomac) in 2022. Good luck, Michael!

Amahl Foster is a fire specialist at the Baltimore County Fire Department and lives in Baltimore with his wife, Kendra. Amahl has two daughters, Ashonna (26) and Kendahl (13); Kendahl will be attending the Baltimore School for the Arts in the fall. Amahl is also the proud owner of his own landscaping company, Anointed Lawn Care, LLC, all the while preaching the gospel as an ordained minister since 2018. Oh, and one more thing. Amahl defended our country as a member of the United States Army for 20 years. Thank you for your service, Amahl!

Josh Levinson and his wife, Kara (first grade teacher at Gilman), own the iconic running specialty company Charm City Run, and live in Towson. They have three children: Ben (20), Gilman class of 2019 and a junior at GW, Lucy (17) and Samantha (16), who are both at RPCS. It’s Friday night as I write this, so there’s a solid chance that Lev is blasting “Candy’s Room” on the living room stereo right now.

Arnold Turner is a test engineer at Northrop Grumman, and lives in Severna Park with his wife, Evelyn, and kids, Claire (10) and Patrick (7). Arnold keeps himself busy (and young) by coaching girls lacrosse/field hockey, and by playing “old man” lacrosse and beer league ice hockey. Protect that 5-hole, Arnold!

Carlton White lives in Atlanta with his wife while pursuing further education. He would like everyone to know that he is “holding it down.”

Jon Davidson has been involved in D.C. politics for many a year, and was recently appointed Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, a key role in the Department of Treasury, by President Biden. Well done, Jon!

Tom Biddison is a managing partner at wealth management firm Cornerstone Advisory, which he co-founded in 2007. Biddie lives in Hunt Valley with his wife and two kids, Tommy (a junior at Gilman) and Katelyn (a freshman at Maryvale Prep). In his free time, Biddie loves to go to the Eastern Shore to see friends and family. You can also catch him lighting up the fire pit for some hangout sessions with fellow ’89ers Ted Wight, Drew White, and Jamie Hamilton.

Lucas Scheps is an oncology therapeutic specialist living in Baltimore with his wife, Becky, and their four kids, Lily (junior at Bryn Mawr), Toby (sophomore at Gilman), Luke (eighth grade at Gilman), and Holden (sixth grade at Gilman). The Scheps clan is currently in the process of relocating to Connecticut, due to a promotional opportunity for Becky. Lucas still loves Led Zeppelin and Van Halen (RIP Eddie) and still loves to play the drums whenever his kids aren’t playing them themselves. Good luck in the Nutmeg State, Scheps family!

Joe Nguyen is in Singapore and has been since college. He is married to Linda and they have three boys, Lucas (21), Jamie (18), and Linus (17). Joe left the corporate life of digital advertising and research and is currently consulting while trying to set up his own company. Joe is soon-to-be president of the new Official Tesla Owners Club of Singapore due to the ruckus he caused a few years ago bringing in the first one to Singapore and getting penalized for emissions. (Search “Joe Nguyen Tesla.”) Get ’em, Joe!

Gabe Procaccini is an energy lawyer living in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Maria, and also lives part time in Panama. Gabe is a self-described “funcle,” enjoying spending time with his seven nieces and nephews.

Michael Blumenfeld is a trial attorney with Nelson Mullins, handling a variety of nationwide commercial disputes. Mike lives in Baltimore with his wife, Michele, and their two children, Ryan (Gilman ’21) and Lauren (seventh grader at RPCS).

Jay West is a partner at a boutique estates and trusts and litigation law firm in Towson. Jay has been married for 23 years to Allison, a professor at Hopkins. Their son Taylor, Gilman ’21, is headed to UVA in the fall, and their daughter Ella Kate is a sophomore at RPCS. Jay has enjoyed being back at Gilman via Taylor over the past four years and seeing familiar faces like Coach Holley, Jim Morrison, Lori Bristow, et al. As an aside, Jay used his extensive lawyering skills to convince me to become class secretary, so his firm got themselves a good one.

Last but not least, there’s me, Winston Rigsby. I’ve been living in California since 1997, most of that in San Francisco, with a three-year stint in LA. I now reside in the burbs of San

Rafael, about 25 minutes north of San Francisco. I live with my partner of 11 years, Angelique, and we have a son, Grant (7 but will be 8 by the time you read this), and a daughter Marlowe (5). We also added a third child to the family during quarantine last April, a French bulldog named Gigi (17 months). I’ve held various jobs over the years, bartender for most of them (the Isaac joke in the ’89 Cynosure came true!) , but the most important one has been a stay-at-home parent to first my son and then my daughter when she came along. Seeing literally every minute of their growth has been rewarding, challenging, but most importantly, a blessing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. When I’m not waiting on them hand and foot, I’m collecting vinyl records, listening to said records, practicing DJ-ing (quarantine hobby), gaming with the kids, coaching soccer, and spending not enough time on the Peloton. I also am a part of a monthly Zoom call with Myron, Paul, Tony, Danny, Carlton, and Amahl. It’s only been about three months in but it’s been great catching up with them. It would also be awesome if we could do a large one with the class, just for fun. If anything, we can make this the first of many ’89 class notes, and with even more attendance next time! I just turned 50 three weeks before this writing, and to quote the classic Italian film, “Life is Beautiful.” Go O’s!

1990

Jun Song junhsong@gmail.com

Stefano Saccone: Always international and debonair, Stef has taken his style and smarts to Woolrich, where he’s CEO. He’s back in his motherland of Italia (if that’s where he was even born …), spending time between Bologna and Milan. He’s not only far from us, but also far from his fiancé, who works in Paris!

Matt Horwitz: Matt moved back to Baltimore, in Rodgers Forge (south of Towson), after several years living in California and south Florida with his wife, Jen, and teenage daughter, Janessa. His son remained in Florida, finishing up his freshman year at FSU, 100% virtual, but while staying in a traditional dorm!

Ryan Rippin: Has been with Principal Financial Group for many years and moved over to the firm’s international business unit a couple years ago to lead a digital product team. He is tasked with expediting PFG’s digital implementation in Latin America (Chile, Mexico) and Southeast Asia (HK, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia). Excited to do some interesting traveling, Ryan spent the next several months getting up to speed, only to face a global pandemic! Oh, Phuket!

For now, he’s grounded in Des Moines, the most cosmopolitan city in central Iowa. He’s enjoying life with his wife and two kids — a daughter finishing her sophomore year at Iowa State and a son who’s a junior in high school. Until business travel picks up, Ryan’s happy to spend some quality time fishing and golfing with his buddies. Pretty idyllic!

Henry Cha: Henry and his wife, Zan (BMS ’91), live in Ellicott City. They’ve been having fun watching their youngest child, Esprit, play lacrosse for St. Paul’s School for Girls. Sadly, she’ll be graduating soon, but they’re happy knowing Esprit will continue to play her sport at High Point University, where she’s getting a full ride! Henry’s son, Xavier, will be a sophomore at UMCP, and his oldest daughter, Gabby, lives in Canton and works for Morgan Stanley.

Neal Smith: Neal is back in Baltimore, living in Owings Mills with his wife and 12-year-old son. His son has Neal’s great

locks, but longer and cool, but Neal insists his son cannot be cool, because he goes to Friends School!

Greg Friedman: Greg is having a blast working in commercial real estate while living just a mile from Gilman, next to Boys Latin School. Though he didn’t go far, he regularly gets out to hit the slopes of Utah, where he owns a house. Greg has two kids: an 18-year-old son at Loyola and a 17-year-old daughter at Friends.

Andy Cohen: Andy has been navigating the pandemic from the vice chairman’s office of the NY Mets! Never a dull moment, and a good reason for swapping his tennis rackets for golf clubs. His passion for investing, however, remains unwavering. Andy has been working with Steve Cohen for two decades, ergo the Mets connection. In addition to overseeing the baseball business, Andy is continually scanning the landscape for other promising investments. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two sons, one 10 and the other 12.

Rick Pearson: I have been living in San Diego for over 20 years. I am a trader and investment adviser.

Jun Song: I’m in LA with my wife and two daughters, 13 and 16. When I’m not paying taxes, I’m working to pay more taxes … I left a career in financial restructuring to work on a couple personal projects. The long game is to avoid getting run over by the train of automation by building an asset of my own. One project is an investment in “ghost kitchens” and another is a hybrid algorithmic system to trade equity markets. Both are beginning to draw investor interest, so hopefully the momentum will continue. Grateful to have been part of an amazing class of guys and hoping to reconnect!

1991

Jared Spahn jspahn@5304dorsey.com

I had hoped to see many of you this April on campus to celebrate our 30th anniversary from Gilman. Once again, COVID-19 spoiled a potentially great event, but as we continue to age, the next reunion will seem like only moments away. At our next reunion I will make sure to have James Edward’s son, James, and my son, Carter, stop by to introduce themselves as they will be attending their five-year reunion as members of the Gilman’s class of 2021. How crazy is that?

COVID has given me the opportunity to reach out to some of our classmates that many of us haven’t seen in quite a while. I don’t think any of those contacts brought a bigger smile to my face than speaking with David Brown. Affectionately remembered as Bubba, David and his family currently live in Atlanta where he is the North American CEO of Hays US, one of the world’s largest job recruitment and placement agencies.

Alex Shawe and I were able to share an IPA together a few weeks ago. Alex moved back to Baltimore from Washington, D.C., just a little more than a year ago. Alex, his wife, Sara, and their two children now live on St. John Road, just across from Eddie’s, in the home in which our classmate John Pfaff grew up. I asked Alex to search the basement for any longlost Gilman ski team paraphernalia. Alex and Andrew Thut were to serve as our reunion chairs.

Our class president, Peter Daneker, still resides in New York City. Peter runs a family office called Dolomite LLC, named after the mountain range in Europe that he and his wife like to visit. Peter continues to work on his dream of creating a robust charter school program in Harlem. Peter is vice chairman of

DREAM, which was formerly known as Harlem RBI, and consulted with Alex Shawe on the design of these new schools.

This past year has been difficult on everyone, and now more than ever it is a good time to reconnect with some of your classmates. Certainly, if you are ever in Baltimore and would like a tour of the School, please get in touch with me or Mike Weinfeld and we will be happy to show you around. Mike, in an effort to make sure I never equal his tenure on the Gilman Board of Trustees, rejoined us at 5407 Roland Avenue. Perhaps it was just an excuse to see his youngest child, Ben, make it through the remainder of his time in the Upper School. I have been working with a committee on a 50-year plan for our School. A small group of us have been working for two years on a plan for changes, modifications, and additions to our physical plant. We hope to release our findings to the community in 2021-22.

I hope that each and every one of you is safe and healthy.

1992

Marc Lewis-DeGrace marc.lewisdegrace@gmail.com

David Olsen just moved to Michigan last summer after completing a one-year graduate program at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He is serving as the operations officer for the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team, an Army organization tasked with developing future combat vehicles at the Detroit Arsenal. David, his wife, Heather, and their three children, Abigail, Claire, and Elliot, are hoping to explore more of Michigan and the surrounding area as things open up this summer.

1993

Matt Tucker matthewallentucker@gmail.com

I recently caught up with classmate Mike Ginsberg online. He and his wife, Cara, a psychologist, live in Centreville, Virginia, with their two kids, Andrew (5) and Maddy (2). Mike is vice president and deputy general counsel at CACI, a Fortune 1000 defense contractor, after spending several years in the GC’s office at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He is also on the Virginia Republican Party’s State Central Committee. His first novel, “Debt Bomb,” is out July 1 and is based on his own experiences in government and politics. It’s available on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Jon Hamman checks in from southwest Virginia, where he’s in his 16th year as pastor of the Rural Retreat Lutheran Parish. His wife, Chelsea, is a family medicine physician in the nearby town of Marion. This summer will mark their

22nd wedding anniversary. They have five beautiful children: Faith, Annabelle, Jonah, Micah, and Luke. They live on a small farm where they also operate a goat milking barn and cheese processing facility called Sugar Maple Springs. Check them out on Facebook or at sugarmaplesprings.com.

Tom Pinit: After 20 years in the environmental field, I switched careers to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a professional pilot. I recently obtained my commercial pilot license and will be working on becoming a flight instructor this summer in Portland, Oregon, where we’ve lived for 21 years now.

Living in Baltimore, I’ve had the opportunity to catch up with Michael Saunders on many occasions. After running a transportation company for 16 years, last summer — in the midst of the pandemic — Michael launched Spinning Cups Coffee, a mobile coffee truck and coffee distributor. During the pandemic, Spinning Cups focused on community engagement through various campaigns including several ‘Pay It Forward’ campaigns in which contributors purchased meals for frontline workers, and a food drive with Gilman that benefited the Donald Bentley and Bea Gaddy Food Pantries. Check out Spinning Cups Coffee on Facebook or Instagram and consider them for your next event!

1994

Boyne Kim boyne.kim@gmail.com

Peter Bogue: John Kim hosted me and Stewart Kesmodel (their sons actually attend the same school) in his memberguest tournament at Burning Tree CC in Greenwich on July 24, 2020. We had a blast catching up and talking about Gilman. We also won! John had closest to the pin on one hole and was lights out all day. Stew was amazing. For me, it is great to be up in the northeast and close to old friends for once. John adds: Pete forgot to mention the highlight of the day was his 4 iron from 220 placing it 2 feet from the pin. Not bad!

Thomas Coleman: I accepted a new director position with Chubb Limited managing outside counsel. It’s where I’ve wanted to be, and doing what I’ve wanted to do my entire career. My three boys also continue to excel and I have otherwise opened some new chapters in my life, some of which have been very hard. But onward and upward remains the motto.

Jason Finkelstein: After living in Northern California for 16 years, my family and I will be moving back to Baltimore. My San Francisco-based company has decided to allow people to work fully remote so we’re taking

the opportunity to try something new and live closer to family. Best news of all — my 11-year-old son will be attending Gilman as a sixth grader in the fall. And my daughter will be attending Bryn Mawr as a fourth grader. Looking forward to reconnecting with some old Gilman friends and classmates! Below is a recent picture of my family from Hawaii, taking advantage of our proximity while we have it.

Prem Kumta recently co-hosted a virtual event to support Andrew Yang in his bid for mayor of New York. Prem first met Andrew while supporting his presidential run more than a year ago, and is excited to continue to support him in this effort. The virtual event was one for the books as two visionary thinkers came together for the first time ever.

Ryan Isaac started an email newsletter, “Warning Track Power,” offering an insider’s take on a variety of stories and issues around baseball, some of which aren’t covered by traditional sports media. Check it out and subscribe at warningtrackpower.substack.com.

Randy Michels: All is well in Nashville! My son, James, is finishing up fourth grade, and my daughter, Mae, is finishing up kindergarten. My wife, Clare, took a break from teaching this year so she could manage their crazy schedules. As for me, I’m still providing trademark services at my law firm, Trust Tree. We’re one of the top 25 trademark law firms in the country. So if you need any trademark help, feel free to give me a shout.

1995

If you would like to serve as class secretary, please contact Gilman’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Nathaniel Badder ’94, at nbadder@gilman.edu.

Doug Sandler and Sung Min Chung caught up recently at a family party in Hong Kong, where their families have been weathering the pandemic storm together. Doug has been in Hong Kong since 2008 running various sourcing operations for consumer products companies. If you have used a Braun Digital Thermometer or a Honeywell Air Purifier, for example, you would have been using one of his products.

Sung Min Chung ’95 and Doug Sandler ’95

1996

Lee Kowarski kowarski@gmail.com

The class of ’96 would not let the global pandemic totally derail our plans to celebrate our 25th reunion: we had a great evening via Zoom in April, highlighted by a panel discussion with classmates Gaurab Bansal, David Freedlander, Chaz Howard, and Sean Kiernan. After spending time in the Obama administration as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Gaurab is now back in Seattle, Washington, as a managing director with North Forty Group (the family office of Jeff and Tricia Raikes). David is a journalist based in New York City. He lives with his family in AOC’s district in Queens and has recently published “The AOC Generation: How Millennials Are Seizing Power and Rewriting the Rules of American Politics” (available now at your favorite bookseller). Chaz, who, like David, has two daughters, remains the University Chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania and has also taken on the role of VP for Social Equity and Community. He has been an important voice in Philly and beyond for many years, but particularly during the social unrest and protests of 2020 and this year. Sean lives in Los Angeles with his family and is an agent to NFL players, coaches, and executives. Each of these guys shared a bit about their careers and perspectives on the world, as well as their memories of Gilman.

Also participating in the reunion were two classmates who work at Gilman: Russ Wrenn, who is Gilman’s Co-Athletic Director, and Steve Ruark, who has been filling in for a Gilman art/photography teacher who is out on maternity leave. Continue to keep your eyes peeled for Steve’s photos in all forms of media, especially The Baltimore Sun.

While I haven’t been able to see as many classmates as I would have liked over the past year (or any for that matter), I did get far more updates than usual, which is great. David Anderson still covers Harford County (where he lives) for The Aegis, which is part of Baltimore Sun Media. He moved last summer from Bel Air to Abingdon after being displaced by an awful fire at his apartment complex, but luckily no one was physically hurt. Brett Brandau continues to run the personal loans business at Barclays. He lives outside of Wilmington, Delaware with his wife (Jen), son (Turner), and daughter (Piper), all of whom spend a lot of time at a local lake water skiing and enjoying life.

Tommy Knowles has been in California for 20 years now, most of it living on the Monterey Peninsula with his wife, Meghan, and now also their daughter, Maisie (4). He has enjoyed working with jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for 18 of those years and has recently begun working with deep sea animals. He recently published a children’s book, “Blobbert’s Ocean Adventure” (available now at your favorite bookseller). Tommy has been super generous with his time, taking some of my friends on amazing tours of the aquarium when they were in town — I can’t wait to get out there myself!

Speaking of amazing places to travel, Ted Swingle continues to live happily in New Orleans with his wife, Jeanne, and two sons, Teddy (8) and Max (4). Jason Mersey, who still works for AQR Capital Management, is now splitting time between Chicago and Austin, Texas, since his wife, Rachel, became the associate dean of research for UT-Austin’s Communication School.

Kevin Frank is also connected to UT: he lectures on energy topics at UT-Dallas’s business school. Kevin continues to be

a (very busy) attorney for Atmos Energy in Dallas, where he lives with his wife, Rebecca, and their daughter, Elanor (2).

Joe Lee, whose wife, Ellen, is on the faculty at UTSouthwestern, also lives in Dallas. Joe invests for a family office and plays a lot of tennis while raising their 9-, 12-, and 14-year-old children.

John Raiti remains in Seattle, where he has two children and teaches in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Washington.

Noah Gallico continues to work at NBCUniversal and lives in LA with his wife, Sarah (who recently took a job running a new Amazon show entitled “Panic”), and their two boys.

A little closer to Gilman, Evan Kreitzer is still in Owings Mills with his wife, Keren, and two sons. Evan has been busy as a mortgage broker with rates at record lows, but found time to get a new lab puppy, Blue, last year. Evan shared that Chris Tully switched jobs and is now in-house counsel for the University of Maryland Medical System, still living in Homeland with his wife, Jodi, and two daughters, Emerson and Parker. They continue to run the Spencer Grace Foundation in honor of their daughter who lost her battle with pediatric brain cancer (thespencergracefoundation.org).

John Morris is an EVP at Tribridge Partners, where he is a financial and insurance advisor and also directs their insurance practice. John says that trying to run a business and educate his kids in a virtual environment has been tough, but not different from anyone else, and that all in all, they are doing well.

John Boyle lives in Columbia with his wife, Tara, and son, Johnny. As of press time, John had recently finished up his time as CEO of the Immune Deficiency

Foundation and was considering his next move.

Scott McHale and his wife live in Phoenix, Maryland, with their two daughters (8 and 9). He and his partners have been growing a Rent-A-Center franchise business, just celebrated their 10th anniversary, and now have 12 stores in three states.

Packer Rodgers is head of operations for Canton Stevedoring, which operates three marine terminals: two at the Port of Baltimore and one in Sandusky, Ohio, on Lake Erie. He and his wife, Brooke, have four kids: two girls at Calvert School and two boys at Gilman — an eighth grader and a sophomore (who has Russ as his advisor!).

Some additional quick updates:

David Boyd is a veterinarian living in Virginia with his wife, Carrie, and three children.

Jason Yang is head butcher at Fleishers Craft Butchery in New York/ Connecticut and lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lizzy.

George Brown runs a residential construction company in Baltimore.

James Davis lives in Tampa and is a Business Development Representative at Interventional Associates.

And Josh Kohn sent in my favorite update: “I wish I had something exciting to report … I don’t think ‘works from home in a t-shirt and occasionally shops at Costco and Target is all that exciting.’” Here’s hoping that something more exciting happens before we all get together, hopefully, for an in-person reunion in the fall!

Lee Kowarski: As for me, my wife and I remain in Manhattan (and are happy that our apartment renovations were

completed pre-COVID). New York was hit hard in 2020, but is coming back strong, and I hope that many of you visit us at some point. I continue to work for SS&C Technologies, where my team provides data and analytics to asset management firms. If we aren’t already connected, you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @kowarski, as well as on Facebook. I welcome your updates!

1997

Will Lanahan will@vineyardvines.com

Aaron Hunter has his two boys, now 6 and 8, who he has been coaching in soccer and baseball. Aaron upgraded slightly from his Dodge Neon back in our high school days to an Audi R8, but he asked the dealer if they could wrap it in Barney purple for old times’ sake!

Jay Sullivan is the Tiger King of West Palm Beach where he winters and spends the warmer months in Locust Valley, New York. Jay’s time is split between Zoom calls, his kids, and his bride, Sara Gilbane Sullivan, who is a top interior designer up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Jay keeps busy playing golf, fishing, and can probably be seen around town on an electric scooter.

Bobby Moran and his wife, Becca, have been incredibly lucky over the past year. Just before the pandemic, they bought a house on the water in Arnold, Maryland, just north of Annapolis, and they have thoroughly enjoyed living in the area. Aside from that, Bobby continues to run a nonprofit he started a few years back: The Geoff Greenblatt Center for Kids Who Played JV Soccer Three Years in a Row!

Mike Stanley is living in Astoria, Queens. He, his wife, Dana, and 3-year-old daughter, Sara, are doing well,

especially since Sara is able to be in daycare. At work, he’s been able to help the organization he works for, Metro IAF, to expand Wi-Fi access to hundreds of low income New Yorkers, and get New York’s City Housing Authority to really fix mold and leaks in thousands of apartments.

Alec Riepe during the last year has learned Italian, picked up archery, took online courses in multiple disciplines and read at least one book every week. Just kidding. With two small children, he survived by drinking what would normally qualify as excessive, but in 2020 counted as drinking appropriately.

Jordan Angell continues to be a glowing light in the Baltimore community. He connects people he meets each and every day and builds bonds that will last a lifetime, not to be confused with what he does at his day job where he quite literally cuts ties. Jordan is a top urologist in Baltimore following in the footsteps of the late Dr. Fray F. Marshall, known for his banter in the operating room, development of surgical techniques to treat cancers, and ability to call plays before they happen better than Tony Romo. #HeyBudde

David Kim is still in the heart of downtown Atlanta. He has a gentleman’s farm with fruits and veggies, some chickens and even a goat! Chicks are not only hatching on the farm as David and Minjae just had their fourth little one, Emma. David as always is looking into new ventures and getting lots of family time with the kids.

John Allen is a self proclaimed “girl dad.” He is loving all the close family time with his first and third graders and his oldest daughter, Kya, is a Terp like Dad and dominating her studies at University of Maryland! I think Sykes enjoys having girls because he likes

intimidating the crap out of their future boyfriends. Who am I kidding? John won’t let them out of the house.

Clayton Apgar and his wife, Kate, and son, Cal, are looking forward to a move to San Diego in spring 2021! A side note about Clayton’s sister, Sarah Apgar, she is a total rock star! Sarah was featured on “Shark Tank” and gave an epic presentation about her company FitFighter.com; she picked up a deal from the CEO and founder of KIND Bar.

Brooks Marshall’s highlight of 2020 was a visit from yours truly (Lanacow) in their epic voyage across the country! With Jolly Boy, we still managed to send underprivileged children on modified nature experiences despite the pandemic, thanks in part to continued support from the B’more and Gilman community.

Geoff Greenblatt and his wife, Carly, hunkered down in Brooklyn for the past year with their dog, Lola. Geoff began work at a company that makes video games for doctors; when he needs a good laugh, he thinks of Bobby Moran’s senior speech (Geoff’s words, not mine).

James Bentley is running communications for the city’s pandemic response and he also took over as director of communications at the Department of Public Works.

John Schmick continues to enjoy working in the Upper School at Gilman. His wife, Kate, is a learning specialist in the Lower School, where his two sons are in pre-k and third grade. His daughter, Anne Miller, is finishing first grade at Calvert. He is thankful that Gilman is able to operate during the pandemic. John has enjoyed catching up with Ben Stevens, Will Lanahan, and Jordan Angell on recent adventures on the Eastern Shore. If you find yourself on campus, please stop by to say hello.

Ben Stevens still lives in Maryland with his wife (Megan), three kids (Greyson, 9, Olivia, 6, and Tucker, 4) and their 135-pound Bernese “puppy” named Putter. Ben has spent the pandemic navigating the morass of Maryland Court System, learning how to download video games for his kids and tracking all of the Amazon orders. Despite the pandemic, he still does not have any social media, so to contact him you will have to call, email, or write to him directly.

Billy Buppert’s oompa loompas were hard at work this year at Ruxton Chocolates gearing up for Valentine’s Day. Nothing says ‘I love you’ during a pandemic like chocolate, booze, and more booze! In addition to Billy’s German Shepherd, his family also picked up a miniature teacup Great Dane named Clementine.

Mark Scott: The Scott family has been enjoying the challenges of balancing full-time employment with full-time homeschooling for our two children, Dylan (9) and Bronwen (7). We are doing our best to stay in touch with friends and family via FaceTime and Zoom, but look forward to being able to travel and see people in person sooner rather than later. Our best wishes to everyone struggling with additional personal impacts caused by the pandemic. Stay positive and stay safe!

JV Scott: 1) Still trying to hit this Mega Millions (only missed five out of six numbers last time!). 2) Still raising Sykes and Bentley into productive citizens, you know how that goes. 3) About to finish my 17th year as admissions director/ dean of students at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy … JV Luv da kids!

Danny Mooney and Stu Wyeth, after years of preparation, are finally launching the Zebra Lacrosse League (ZLL). It’s an annual lacrosse game played

on the salt flats in Utah in mid-August. The game is played by retired lacrosse referees. Rules of the game are as follows: Slashing, spearing, wrap checking, cross checking, tripping, unnecessary roughness, and crease violations are all allowed and encouraged. Chuck Baker and Keith Baker have signed on to commentate. Should be a blast to watch!

Detective Alan Woods is still doing his part to help keep Baltimore safe!

Noah Bengur retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years and seven successful tours overseas. He is flying for Delta Airlines. Noah and his wife, Carmen, enjoy minimalist camping in the great outdoors time of the firing range and getting back up to Baltimore from time to time to eat crabs. Morgan Salmon must have had a heck of a year at Amazon as they continue to take over the world. Expect some drone deliveries of this Gilman Bulletin soon!

Remember when classmates Brian Margerum, Andrew Wooten, Matt Garrity, John Steele, Vince Tuohey, and Josh Hrebiniak would drive into Baltimore every day from Annapolis to attend Gilman on a bus? Well, now Josh Hrebiniak lives in that very same bus. Brian Ransdell is competing and winning staring contests around the world.

As for me, Will Lanahan, I apologize for the limited notes this year, it always seems to sneak up on us secretaries to get these in. I promise for our 25th reunion to have the centennial class’s notes dialed in and polished. My year was filled with road trips up and down the Eastern Seaboard and across the country. I covered 38 states and drove a total of 16,000 miles. My wife and I found the silver lining and had the chance to see a ton of Gilman classmates. In closing and jokes aside, this last year was a crazy one and I hope all of you and

your families were safe and sound and that 2021-2022 brings new life and positive outlook to you all. One Love!

1998

Chat Prather

prather.chad@gmail.com

Hey, fam. Not much to report this year … or perhaps there is, and I just don’t know it. Either way, please do me a favor: hit me up so I can add you to a contact list for these notes. You don’t have to type anything in the message; just put your name in the subject and send it to me. Stu, Dan, and Sandy: I’ve got you, and I’m happy to share your updates and congratulate each of you on your outstanding recent accomplishments.

Stu Cherry recently served as Deputy Legal Counsel to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a position he held for two and a half years until September 2019. Since then, Stu became a partner in the Baltimore office of Rifkin Weiner Livingston, LLC, where he works in the firm’s commercial litigation group. Stu still lives in Pikesville with his wife, Stephanie, and their children, Nate (12), Jared (7), and Jordana (4). In 2021 he was named a Super Lawyer in Maryland Super Lawyers magazine as a business litigator.

Dan Diamond, after a high-impact run covering health care politics for POLITICO, joined The Washington Post’s Health and Science team in January 2021. His journalism has focused on federal health agencies, their leaders, and the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sandy London’s 26th (!) book is coming out from Scholastic this September, the first in a new series for young readers called Battle Dragons. “It’s basically

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ meets ‘The Fast and The Furious,’ and 12-year-old me would’ve lost my mind over it (41-year-old me kind of is).” Unfortunately, on account of the pandemic, an NBC/SyFy adaptation of Sandy’s young adult novel got shut down, as did another film project he was working on. Family-wise, Sandy’s husband, Tim, has been teaching fourth grade online and in person in Philadelphia throughout the pandemic. Their daughter, Maddie (3), is happily thriving. “She’s been a real source of joy in what has otherwise been a hard year.”

Chat Prather: Turning to House Prather, I’ll just say that we are incredibly blessed. Nashville 2020 was a festering scab of heinous yuckstank, yet our little family remained happy, healthy, and safe. Professionally, I continue to work for the city school system. Though no longer in the classroom (for now), I nonetheless think of the many educators who empowered and equipped me into this work. Five in particular. Five teachers of such profound personal impact that if asked to describe my “teacher soul” I would simply state their names. One of them was Betsey Heuisler. If you paid close attention, then you know her lessons weren’t just about art. “Establish the dark, reserve the light, and negotiate the middle.” I will always be grateful for her wisdom and her ways. I am sad she is gone, and yet she will always be present in any classroom I enter, her light permanently reserved.

1999

Bill Miller bmilleriv@gmail.com

Ward Bank just got his vaccine and could not be more excited about it. His girls (6 and 9) are enjoying McDonogh (Go Eagles!) to the fullest. His boy (4)

is heading to his safety school (Gilman) this fall to begin life as a Greyhound in pre-k. Ward continues to observe the no-flex zone and wishes not to disclose his numerous accomplishments or feats of athleticism over the past year.

Bruce Bower got married in March of 2019 in Spain. Despite the distance, several ’99ers made the journey, including brother MBow, Kittu Rao, and Dave Ahn. Since then, Bruce has been busy churning out babies and now has two (14 months and 2 months). Bruce is a private investor mainly with health technology. As an expat in London, he is looking forward to the day the government lets him leave his house again.

Mark Bower is working with Helm Partners in research and business development. He is also working with a fund manager group in London, CEO (Collective Equity Ownership, collectiveequity.com), that helps founders pool their shares and diversify their risk. He also works with Bruce on their entertainment company, Life and Soul Pictures (lifesoulpictures.com). One of their screenwriters just won his second Oscar for the adapted screenplay on “The Father.” Mark recently moved full time to Miami Beach and is looking forward to traveling again.

Jack Dietrich and his wife, Ellen, have been busy with their three daughters (6, 4, 2) while growing their children’s sunglasses brand, WeeFarers, in Charleston, South Carolina. This spring, Jack has been training twice a day as he looks to put in a dominating rookie year performance in a 40-and-over summer soccer league.

Jeff Hossfeld has been grinding along and is now a “senior” project manager at Whiting Turner Contracting Co, which he says “is basically the same job with a new title.” Jeff still enjoys living in Fells

Point and is looking forward to a trip to Yellowstone National Park this June.

After exiting the financial services rat race almost a decade ago, Jonas Mendoza became a sommelier based in New York. He is now sharing his expertise more broadly as the wine, beer, and spirits category manager for FreshDirect, a pioneer in the online grocery space. Jonas is also a huge F1 fan, which means he wakes up early on Sundays to yell at the TV and is hoping to attend Miami Grand Prix 2022.

Your author, Bill Miller, has two kids: Natalie (7) enjoys Bryn Mawr and the Roland Park Little League, while son “Five” is soaking in his inaugural year as a Greyhound. Bill manages the Miller Value Partners income strategy, while Becky’s business, Tinyhood, continues to grow. When he’s not working, Bill enjoys hanging with the kids and two German Shepherds (12 and 3) or improving his golf game. Bill also stacks sats regularly and is fired up to hit Miami for the Bitcoin conference in June.

Chisom Opara is entering his fourth season with the Minnesota Vikings in the personnel department, and he is moving to Minnesota after the draft to work in the front office. Chisom and his wife, Megan, just had their first child, Brooklyn Emiko Opara, who is turning 2 this May. Chisom also started a real estate investment company, ESB Leasing, with a fellow NFL scout (Ravens). Chiz has caught the golf bug and is headed to Scottsdale for a “mancation” after the draft to get a few rounds of golf in.

Steve Pulimood runs a real estate business in Baltimore when he’s not collecting cool cars and art. He also had a significant voice at the table in the Baltimore Museum of Art’s decision to retain Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper,”

which is the main painting many of us remember from our Gilman field trips.

Beau Smith has been focused on growing an epic set of locks during the pandemic. When he’s not preening his ’do, he enjoys spending time with his kids — Milly (5) is very excited to start RPCS next year. Reid (7) is hoping — well actually Beau is the one who is hoping — that the NBWC Stingers will be back on the wrestling mat next winter. Beau has been hanging out a bunch with Lawson Grumbine ’00 recently, as their wives operate a successful kitchen design business together. Beau recently retired from squash and is focused on Peloton and tennis.

2000

Charlie Ring charlie.ring@gmail.com

2001

If you would like to serve as class secretary, please contact Gilman’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Nathaniel Badder ’94, at nbadder@gilman.edu.

2002

Chris Atkins catkins135@yahoo.com

2003

John Mooney jhmooney@gmail.com

2004

Alex Cole alexander.w.cole@gmail.com

Trevor Hoffberger ’09 and Tory Klein Hoffberger

2005

Tyler Hoffberger wthoffberger@gmail.com

2006

Adam Kovars askovars@gmail.com

2007

Whit Johnson wwj6s@virginia.edu

David Fitzpatrick and his wife, Meredith, welcomed their first child, James … a son and future Greyhound! The family also recently relocated to Roland Park and are excited to be back in Baltimore!

2008

Will Finney wrfinney@gmail.com Evan Redwood evanredwood7@gmail.com

2009

Eli Kahn ebkahn25@gmail.com

Will Fenwick: Moving from Atlanta, Georgia, back to Austin, Texas, in summer 2021.

Trevor Hoffberger married Tory Klein (McDonogh ’09, but we’ll let it slide) in a small ceremony on October 10, 2020. They live in Hampden with their dog, Chloe.

Former Greyhound baseball teammates Matt Tilley ’13, Gavin Sheets ’14, and Ryan Ripken ’12 caught up recently in Norfolk, Virginia. Gavin’s Charlotte Knights were in town to play Ryan’s Norfolks Tides. The Tides got the better of the Knights that night, but Gavin homered in the loss.

Jett Ratcliffe ’14 taught Alex Puthumana ’14 how to swing a golf club over the summer of 2020.

2010

Christian Moscardi moscardi79@gmail.com

2011

Austin Dase ahdase@gmail.com

2012

Evan King eking110@vt.edu

2013

Quinn Flaks quflaks@gmail.com

2014

Greg Alspaugh gralspaugh@davidson.edu Christopher Kohler kohler.christopher95@gmail.com Kyle Tarantino katarantino@gmail.com

Aaron Gokaslan was featured in Wired Magazine for his work on an artificial intelligence language software that was released to the general public.

Gavin Sheets was selected to join the Chicago White Sox 40-man roster during spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. He is now playing AAA ball for the Charlotte Knights.

Phillip Kwon completed his master’s degree in an accelerated program from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Melvin Keihn started his own health, wellness, and fitness brand called Kraft by Keihn. Melvin is now competing in national body-building competitions all over the country.

Vincent Posterli successfully restarted his company that we all know and love, VP Jerky. The company was founded during his time at Gilman and restarted in May of 2020. There are two great flavors available with more on the horizon!

Jeremy Hairston became one of the first 2014 Hounds to tie the knot — he married Danari Hairston on January 2.

Taylor Swindell proposed to his girlfriend, Francesca Whitehurst, on September 6. The two started dating while attending Gilman and RPCS!

Trevor Tomlinson successfully completed his law degree from the University of Baltimore, and Trevor is now a senior law clerk at the Maryland Environmental Service. Also, Andrew Glick is set to graduate with his law degree from U-Balt next year — way to go, Andy!

2015

If you would like to serve as class secretary, please contact Gilman’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Nathaniel Badder ’94, at nbadder@gilman.edu.

2016

Peter Kohler pkohler10@gmail.com

2017

Lucas Randrianarivelo lucasrandrianarivelo@gmail.com

Sam Cosimano ’18 celebrates his 21st birthday at dinner in Ocean City, Maryland. Pictured left to right: Colton Edmunds ’18, Peter French, David Cosimano ’15, Jon Hazlehurst ’18, Bryson Webb ’18, Jeremy Cranston ’18, Piper Bond ’18, Sam Cosimano ’18, Mr. & Mrs. Cosimano

2018

Piper Bond piperbond007@gmail.com

Piper Bond: Despite COVID, this past year has not been THAT different from the pre-pandemic times. Last summer (2020) I lived at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, with my fellow classmates Jeremy Cranston, Sam Cosimano, and Jon Hazlehurst, and I worked for Colton Edmunds’ dad at Will’s Beach Service. Living at the beach was fun, and miraculously, everybody stayed pretty healthy!

This past school year has been interesting, as we have been completely online at Penn. Despite not having in-person classes, I still have been living at school and practicing with the lacrosse team. Unfortunately, the Ivy League decided to not let us play any games this year (which was a very questionable and disappointing decision), but it is still fun to be with my friends and teammates up here at school.

This summer, I look forward to interning with Under Armour as a part of their finance team. The internship is online, but it should be a great experience regardless! I will likely be working from either at home in Baltimore or at the beach, but I also hope to travel some as well.

I look forward to getting back to Gilman soon to check out some of the changes that have been made on campus and to catch up with faculty and friends!

Gustav Gulmert: I’m about to finish my junior year at Georgetown University. No one could have predicted COVID’s impact on my junior and sophomore years, but I’ve done my best to make the most of it. I’m working for the GU Law School as a technical facilitator and have applied to a few law schools. I’ve made countless friends, competed at collegiate MUN tournaments, and coached the Georgetown water polo club team. I hope the rest of our class is doing well, and hope to see people at alumni events in the future.

Gulmert ’18 with Clay Volino (GU friend) awarding at a CHOMUN (University of Chicago’s MUN conference)

2019

Ben Levinson ben@charmcityrun.com Noah Seth noah.m.seth@gmail.com

2020

Nick Boucher nickboucher2024@u.northwestern.edu Connor Vogel connorvogelmd@gmail.com

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