Governor's, The Archon Magazine spring 2026 issue

The Archon Magazine SPRING 2026

MLB ALL-STAR: SHANE SMITH'S ’18 COMEBACK ALEX CARPENTER ’11 BRINGS HOME OLYMPIC GOLD

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SPRING 2026

Lay All Your Love on Mamma Mia! A peek behind the curtains of the Academy’s Winter Musical Behind every successful show is a team of actors, musicians, dancers, and crew members all working toward the same goal: to bring the audience into their joy; to offer, for a few hours, a glimpse of what being part of this community is all about.

ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

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Alex Carpenter ’11 and the United States women’s ice hockey team capture gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Latest pics of alumni events throughout the year

ALEX CARPENTER ’11: GOLDEN

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

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FOR OTHERS

Why alumni give back

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CLASS NOTES

Latest happenings from alumni In Memoriam

20 The Sun Comes Up Tomorrow MLB All-Star pitcher Shane Smith ’18 triumphs for the White Sox after years of setbacks Despite the odds, Shane Smith ’18 remains a positive force of nature, taking Coach Mike Kinnealey’s words to heart: “The sun’s going to come up tomorrow.”

DEPARTMENTS

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ONLY AT GOVS

PUBLISHER

In and around campus

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 Head of School

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THE MILESTONE

New and newsworthy

Lindsay McPherson Batastini Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications Leslie Dickey Director of Advancement EDITOR

Ola Russell P’21,’23 Director of Advancement Marketing & Communications CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bridget Burns Emily Cretella Steve Suomi P’27 Megan Tady

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CARDINAL RULES

Highlights from the field

CLASS NOTES EDITOR

Dionne Kelly P’17 DESIGN

Sadagursky/MCC ACADEMY ARCHIVIST

Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24 PHOTOGRAPHERS

Yoon Byun Porter Gifford Carly Gillis Ellen Ohlenbusch P’23 Paul Rutherford William Tangorra PROOFREADER

PROFILES

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TEACH AND LEAD

Meet English Literature teacher and musician Tom Robertson P’16,’20’24 Meet community facilitator Juliana Lucero ’26

Congratulations to Govs college-bound athletes

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Put your knowledge of Govs history to the test

Liz Pease

We want to hear from you! Share letters to the editor: orussell@govsacademy.org Share Class Notes: classnotes@govsacademy.org Request address changes or cancellations: alumni@govsacademy.org The Governor’s Academy 1 Elm Street Byfield, MA 01922 On the Cover: Shane Smith ’18, photo courtesy of MBL

Letter from Dr. Quimby

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t the beginning of this academic year, I challenged our community to be more present with each other. In my opening Chapel Talk, I was candid about my attachment to my cell phone—confessing I’ve probably spent too much time playing Wordle—and invited our students to reflect on their own phone habits and the moments of connection they might be missing. Rather than adopting a ban on cell phones, we focused on creating phone-free zones on campus to promote awareness and intentional presence. As a student in the 1980s (well before cell phones), I loved playing hockey—but I also discovered a love for theater when I landed a role in George Orwell’s 1984 as a new sophomore. On both the ice and the stage, I found a profound sense of camaraderie, belonging, and connection—an experience that continues to shape my belief in the importance of showing up fully for one another. Nowhere is that more evident than in our arts performances, when students, faculty, families, and friends gather, phones aside, to share something created with care and commitment. Our Winter Musical, often the highlight of the theatrical year, exemplifies this spirit. While students on stage deserve every bit of applause, the production’s success depends just as much on those behind the scenes. From stage managers and technicians to musicians and set designers, countless students contribute their talents to create something greater than any single role. In this issue, we explore that collaborative process, highlighting student growth and accomplishment through the lens of the students who bring the production to life. Govs is at its best when we are fully engaged: inviting a new friend to share a meal, showing up for the wins and losses, helping a classmate study for a hard test, and shining the spotlight on center stage. The arts, athletics, and academics alike reward that presence—they ask us to listen closely, collaborate generously, and commit fully to each moment and share the experience. As you read this issue of Governor’s magazine, I hope you’ll feel that same sense of connection—to the students, faculty, and alumni whose stories fill these pages and to the enduring values that define our community. Presence is a gift we give one another, and it remains at the heart of what makes Govs such a special place.

Peter H. Quimby, PhD ’85, P’14 Head of School

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Only at Govs

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1 Our Pie Race tradition began in 1966 under longtime track coach Bill Sperry P’80,’83. Held each year after fall sports conclude—and again during Reunion—the race remains a beloved Academy event. This year, Thomas Ireland ’27 took first place with a personal-best time of 19:04. The storied course winds through Middle Road, the marsh, and past Ingham before finishing at the Field House, where every runner is rewarded with a traditional fruit pie.

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2 Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel MJ Forrest ’89 was the featured speaker for the Academy’s second annual Veterans Day Convocation, sharing lessons on humility, perseverance, sacrifice, and service. Forrest reflected on his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and later met with students for candid conversations about military life, civic responsibility, and the lasting impact of a Govs education. 3 For the second year running, the Govs community jumped into the new school year with a refreshing ocean plunge on nearby wildlife refuge Plum Island. A record-setting 51 members took the plunge! 4 Our community gathered under snowy skies for the cherished Candlelight Service tradition, featuring readings and songs from many faiths to celebrate the joy of the season and the light that connects us all.

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THE MILESTONE

The Milestone

Honoring Dr. King with Music, Dialogue, and Celebration

Students participate in a Drum Circle in celebration of Dr. King

Every year, students and faculty step away from classes to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a dynamic celebration centered on community and joyful engagement. This year, the day began with student reflections on Dr. King’s legacy and a high-energy performance by Ammaya Dance and Drum, inviting students and faculty alike to connect through rhythm and movement. Throughout the day, students selected from dozens of workshops exploring identity, equity, creativity, and service. Sessions ranged from step dancing, beatboxing, and improvisation to conversations on environmental justice, accessibility, belonging, and purposeful leadership. The celebration concluded with spirited performances by students, alumna Destiny Gonzalez ’20, and guest artists, reinforcing Dr. King’s vision of a “beloved community” grounded in belonging, joy, and collective responsibility.

It’s 4 pm. Where are you? Maybe you’re on the basketball court, writing a play, or heading out for a community service project. Or perhaps your afternoon is all about robotics, throwing pottery, or setting a new school record on the track. At Govs, afternoons are where students take the lead, try new things, and discover hidden talents that often turn into lifelong passions. 6

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THE MILESTONE

An Extra, Extra Elective The Governor, the Academy’s campus newspaper, is thriving again thanks to English teacher Tom Robertson P’16,’20,’24, who reimagined the paper as a credit-bearing English elective. After decades as a student-run Afternoon Program, The Governor faded as participation declined. Robertson proposed relaunching the paper as a semester-long journalism course, ensuring a consistent, committed staff while giving students hands-on experience in reporting, editing, and page design. The course moves quickly from discussions of journalistic style to real-world production. Students publish a newspaper every three weeks, led by rotating student editors and covering news, opinion, arts, sports, and human-interest stories. For students like Elliot Evans ’26 and Cole Riehl ’26, the class offers an authentic writing experience and meaningful community engagement. For Robertson, the goal is simple: pride in thoughtful, widely read work—and a revitalized Governor.

Young Authors, Ocean Advocates

Tom Robertson P’16,’20,’24 relaunched The Governor, a student-run campus newspaper, as part of a journalism course

AI as a Partner, Not a Shortcut

After completing Mr. Lefebvre’s Honors Marine Science class, seniors Anna Doherty and Joshua Xiang took their learning beyond the classroom—and into print. Over the summer, the pair wrote, illustrated, and published My Blue Ocean, a children’s book inspired by our local beaches. The story follows a young mermaid as she discovers simple, everyday ways we can all help protect the ocean. Available on Amazon, the book supports an even bigger mission: All proceeds are donated to ocean protection organizations.

In Monica Kirschmann’s English classroom, AI is a helpful tool—but the ideas and final work always come from the students. Technology helps organize research, generate study guides, and even create visuals, yet Kirschmann emphasizes the skills AI can’t replicate: critical thinking, creativity, empathy, collaboration, and natural learning. Her assignments are hands-on and process-driven, built stepby-step in class with plenty of reflection, discussion, and annotated research. While AI-detection tools provide checks and even help guide learning, the focus stays on imagination and critical thinking. By blending technology with human insight, Kirschmann creates a space where curiosity, judgment, and creativity are front and center—preparing students to navigate a world where human perspective still matters most.

Monica Kirschmann’s English class seeks to ensure that critical thinking is not lost with technology

Top: Published book, My Blue Ocean Bottom: Joshua Xiang ’26 and Anna Doherty ’26 book signing

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THE MILESTONE

A Wide-Ranging Evening of Music The Winter Concert, the culmination of the fall semester, showcased the depth and range of musical talent across the Academy—from student-led chamber groups, a cappella ensembles, rock bands, and soloists to the school’s largest performing ensembles. The Jazz Band energized the audience with classics like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” and the Japanese pop-rock hit “Fightman,” while the Academy Singers presented contemporary and musical theatre selections, including “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. The evening concluded with the Academy Orchestra performing works by Georges Bizet, Edvard Grieg, and Antonín Dvořák.

Left: Daisy Qian ’28 from the Academy Orchestra · Right, top: Jazz Band members Josh Taylor ’26 on guitar and Matthew Brace ’26 on keyboard · Right, center: Academy Singers · Right, bottom: Hayden Ebbrell ’27 in the Jazz Band

The Game Is Afoot—and Onstage Mystery, laughter, and student leadership took center stage in this year’s fall play, Clue, inspired by the cult classic film. Directed by Latiyfa Fayzullaeva ’26, the fast-paced production brought a dark and stormy night at Boddy Manor to life with bold physical comedy, bright costumes, oversized props, and playful Govs traditions. Reflecting on the experience, Latiyfa shared, “Don’t be afraid of your authority as a director, but lead with kindness and understanding.” “Clue is a very physical show with extensive blocking and timing… and I am proud of the work that Latiyfa has done,” said Geoff Brace, Govs film teacher and Fall Play faculty director. 8

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Student director Latiyfa Fayzullaeva ’26 (center) led the cast and crew to a raucus and fast-paced production of Clue

THE MILESTONE

ELINGs by Bella

FE PARENTHETICAL

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards We are proud to celebrate our students’ remarkable success in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s premier program for young creators. This year, Govs students earned an impressive 52 honors—38 in art and 14 in writing. Leading the way, Renee Tse ’26 received a prestigious Gold Medal for her writing portfolio, “all the love we never named.” Nicholas Zhou ’27 and Alex Wang ’27 stood out, winning Gold and Silver Medals for their photography.

Duong ’27

n of me s, There is a versio y through room sil ea that moves unaware. .) hout interrupting (I watch her wit d. thing is rehearse In this version,silno . ce en Silence is just d: Instead, s already divide everything arrive s what happensa about it. and what is id I enter a spacetely begin adjusting and immedia ming, posture, tone,attitention. of e gl an the (too much) I think. There are rules,rules. be t us m There ) st out of reach. (They remain ju ence: So I collect evid , almost-gestures es us pa s, glance into patterns arranging them n something. that might mea (or nothing) mething I invented) (or worse: so es, Predicting outcreom tations, rp happened. te in g sin vi re d of what hasn’t ea ah ep st e on g stayin l) (I call this conttroright) no ’s (no, that And afterwaried,t work of return: there is a qu framing, reducing replaying, re sense) (until it makes y feels smaller, until the memor contained. (it isn’t) (almost)

Left, top: Pottery by Saanvi Nidadavolu ’26 · Left, center: Photo by Nicholas Zhou ’27 · Left, bottom: Photo by Alex Wang ’27 · Above: Poem by Bella Duong ’27

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LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON

MAMMA MIA! A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF THE GOVS WINTER MUSICAL

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Left: Josh Taylor ’26 playing Harry Bright · Right, L to R: Spotlight operators Charlie Linder ’27 and Richard Kmec ’29

PADRAIG VALENTI ’28 It’s two hours before curtain, and Padraig Valenti ’28 is moving through a familiar pre-show ritual: microphones, belt packs, last-minute checks. This year, there are 26 individual mics; many more than last year’s winter production of Little Women. Mamma Mia! is an ensemble show after all—part jukebox musical, part concert, propelled as much by song and dance as by dramatic performance. Soon, Padraig will fit the belt packs to the actors and take his position in the tech box, where he’ll monitor audio in real time, balancing voice levels, the student pit band, soundscapes, and effects. “Sound is a good challenge. It’s fun, but it’s also pretty stressful, especially during the show,” he says. “You have to get it right. There’s no way to do it over.” A sophomore, Padraig had never been to a live stage production before his ninth-grade year, let alone imagined himself in a lead technical role. Now, he’s considering sound engineering as a potential career path. “The theater community here is just so varied but so incredibly tight-knit. You can act, you can do pit, you can do tech. It’s easy to find your people,” Padraig says. As showtime approaches, the excitement backstage builds. For Padraig, it’s time to lock in.

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Above: Padraig Valenti ’28 consults with Art Department teacher Geoff Brace

Theater at Govs arrives in cycles. Fall brings drama. Winter brings the musical. Spring closes the year with more drama, often student-written and directed. Each production asks students to step up, either backstage or into the spotlight. Student actors, musicians, dancers, and technical crew members work together for months to piece together creative performances enjoyed by the public in the school’s 490-seat Theodore G. Bergmann Theater.

This year, more than 50 Govs students are bringing Mamma Mia!, the hit musical featuring ABBA’s iconic discography, to the stage. Behind them is a team of adults steering the production: director, choreographer, music director, pit band director, technical theater director, and costume designer. “Theater is one of the safest ways to take a risk,” says Jack Norton ’17, who is the director of the winter musical and a Spanish language teacher during the academic day. “You’re putting yourself out there, of course, but you’re playing a character in someone else’s story. That’s freeing.” This welcoming environment makes theater an ideal way for students to get involved. “I want to support the kids whose future goal is to act or work in theater at the highest levels,” Norton says, “but I also want to support the kids who think, ‘Maybe I’ll try it out.’ Because that has as much value to students, just in a different way.”

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Govs productions belong, unmistakably, to the students—but they run with an almost professional exactness. Govs Performing Arts faculty and staff keep the production official. The different departments—music, tech, costume design, choreography, stage management, and sound—pitch ideas, question one another, and solve problems as a group. The cast and crew puzzle through it together to figure out what will tell the story best. Norton knows the power of this work because he lived it. As a student, he starred in Governor’s winter musical each season, including Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson) and 1776 (John Adams). “Theater helps you with everything,” he says. “You need to do a presentation? When you’re in a production, you’ve presented to 300 people, so what’s 20?” He grows reflective. “Thinking about words and what they mean, working with a scene partner to convey love, loss, belonging … you can try to learn the lessons of theater in other places, but there’s something different about performing stories live on stage. There’s nothing like it.” 14 Governor’s

WILLOW DIXON

’26

The dressing room hums with the particular energy of opening night—part adrenaline, part caffeine, all anticipation—as Willow Dixon ’26 and a group of student actors begin to get into costume. Some have been backstage since the school day ended, ordering food, playing music, getting hyped up for the show. Willow will soon step on stage as Donna Sheridan, one of the musical’s lead roles—yet some of her most challenging work is already complete. A dancer since age three, the senior is also the assistant choreographer for the dance-heavy production. It’s been a major commitment, one she has looked forward to since joining musical theater as a ninth-grader. “The best part of being in this cast is that there are so many people from different corners of campus involved,” Willow says. “It’s one of the only opportunities that brings us all together.” She pauses, aware of how fleeting it feels. “We’re all savoring it. Because once the final performance is done, we won’t see each other as much.”

Opposite page, top: Govs Theater Tech crew build an elaborate set for the musical · Opposite page, bottom: Willow Dixon ’26 on stage · Right: Seasoned and talented Stage Manager Patrick Kim ’27 mentors Wyatt Taft ’29 on set construction

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Left, L to R: Sofia Alves ’29, Sydney Taylor ’26, Bella Duong ’27 as Ali, Sophie Sheridan, and Lisa respectively Opposite page, bottom left: Director Jack Norton ’17 rehearsing with Willow Dixon ’26 and Tavi Marsh ’27 Opposite page, bottom right: Tavi Marsh ’27 on stage

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SCARLETT ZHAO ’2

As the nerves begin to hit before her final musical at Govs, Scarlett Zhao ’26 adjusts one of the mics in the pit. She thinks back on the technical work completed over the past few weeks: constructing the balcony, coordinating sound cues, figuring out how the beach set should come together… A senior, Scarlett has been involved in Govs theater productions since she was a ninth-grader, trying out different roles in tech and even playing clarinet in the pit band. Tonight, she’ll be focused on sound quality and on making sure the audience experiences the show the way it’s intended. “We’ve really built a strong bond between everyone,” she says. “Working as a team is the core of theater tech.” Scarlett adds with pride: “Tech is also a service to others. Although we’re not directly on stage, we’re a truly integral part of the performance. I think that’s pretty magnificent.”

In a show like Mamma Mia!, no one carries the story alone. The choreography only works if the ensemble commits. The comedy only lands if the timing holds. The sound, the lights, the musicians tucked into the pit—everything has to move in sync. The show doesn’t work without the ensemble. But it also doesn’t work without a lead. That’s a really hard lesson for high-school theater—that the most you can do is your own job well. On any given day, for example, a run-through may be paused to allow the tech team to adjust the lighting. Crew members work quite literally over the heads of the cast, figuring out how to make them look their best. It takes a lot of mutual trust. “Being involved in the performing arts teaches you respect for other performing arts,” Norton says. “Sports teams have lots of games to get things right. But we have one or two performances, so it takes everyone working together.”

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TAVI MARSH ’27 It’s almost showtime, and Mactavish (Tavi) Marsh ’27 can’t resist peering around the curtain’s edge, stealing a glimpse of the audience before he’s supposed to. In his role as Sam Carmichael, Tavi is ready for the spotlight. He thinks back to the beginning—to tryouts, tablereads, and the early days of choreography practice in the Black Box theater, followed by stress and nerves as rehearsals grew more serious. “During run-throughs, if you aren’t in a current scene, you’re helping with tech, fixing costumes, or working on a dance,” Tavi says, “Everyone is doing something, and it’s scary-all-over-the-place but so fun.” The student actors are a bundle of butterflies. They gather in a circle, hold hands, and reassure one another that they are going to be amazing. Then they link pinkies, a pre-show ritual. “Break a leg!”

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“It sounds super cliché, but there’s something magical about the moments that work.” After months of planning, practice, and patience, the show inevitably comes together. When the cast reaches the point where they’re no longer reading the words but telling the story; that is a magnificent moment for everyone involved in the show. Last year’s winter musical made people cry with its production of Little Women. This year, the goal is to inspire the audience to dance with Mamma Mia! That’s what the cast hopes for: to bring the audience into their joy. To get them off their feet. To offer, for a few hours, a glimpse of what being part of this community has meant to them. “If you love theater,” says Norton, “you love it pretty fiercely. And I think the kids who love it love all of it.”

Left: Julia Fanikos ’26 in the role of Tanya Chesham-Leigh Right: Cast of Mamma Mia! showing appreciation to the entire crew

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6 GABE NELSON ’2 Gabe Nelson ’26 is in the pit behind the stage as the audience files in. The space is tight this year—crowded with three keyboards, timpanis, a drum set, and the musicians folded together just out of sight. While Gabe’s specialty is the drums, today he’s playing standup bass. It’s an exciting opportunity; he rarely gets to explore this type of rock bass, and it’s been a fun challenge. “This is what the last three months have been building up to,” he says. “I’m so proud of how invested everyone is. The set looks amazing. We have great singers and dancers. The musicians are having fun. We all want to make it the best show possible, and the teachers trust us to make important decisions and do most of the work. It’s really special.” As the lights in the theater dim, Gabe settles his fingertips on the strings. Just out of sight, the cast waits in the wings. The overture begins. It’s showtime.

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THE SUN COMES UP

Tomorrow MLB All-Star pitcher Shane Smith ’18 triumphs for the White Sox after years of setbacks.

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Photos provided by Shane Smith and courtesy of the Chicago White Sox

“When I’m upset about a start and need to get over it quickly, I think, ‘the sun’s going to come up tomorrow.’ Learn from it, dump it, and get back to work.” — Shane Smith ’18

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Head Coach Mike Kinnealey on Smith's mental and physical flexibility:

the spring of 2017, pitcher Shane Smith ’18 and his Govs baseball teammates had sky-high expectations for their season. The year before, they’d captured the ISL championship, and Smith—already a rising star—had been named the ISL’s (Independent School League), Pitcher of the Year. The team was hungry for a repeat. But the season unraveled, and their championship chances faded. Smith, intensely competitive and wired to win, kept glancing toward Head Coach Mike Kinnealey, known as “Coach K”, waiting for him to bark at his players. Instead, Coach K calmly delivered the same line he’d offered all year: “The sun’s going to come up tomorrow. This is not the end of the world.” “At the time, I couldn’t believe it,” Smith says now. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t you have more than that to kick our butts into shape?’ But now I take ‘the sun’s going to come up tomorrow’ more to heart than I ever did.” Nearly a decade later, Smith has ridden a roller coaster that would have flattened most athletes: shoulder surgery, Tommy John surgery, COVID cancellations, years in the minors, and finally—against staggering odds—an MLB All-Star season with the Chicago White Sox. Through every setback, Coach K’s simple refrain became Smith’s mental reset button. Of his optimistic philosophy, Coach K says, “With teams, it’s almost like we’re a body, and we’re digesting all of this stuff, including games that went wrong, and we have to learn to flush it, otherwise it impacts the next game.” For Smith, being able to “flush” the haywire pitches or the disappointing outcomes is what elevates him as an elite athlete and gives him longevity in the sport. “In the big leagues, you pitch, you wake up—whether your performance was good or bad— and within three or four days you’re pitching again, maybe in a different city, potentially against a different opponent,” he says. “When I’m upset about a start and need to get over it quickly, I think, ‘the sun’s going to come up tomorrow.’ Learn from it, dump it, and get back to work.”

“It’s a power pitcher’s instinct to finish an inning striking everyone out, but sometimes the way out of an inning is actually to hit the bat—to let the hitter successfully bunt or to throw a pitch that sinks so it’s a ground ball. Shane showed remarkable flexibility in trying to get the batter out instead of simply overpowering them. At the same time, Shane was one of the most physically flexible athletes I’ve ever encountered on the male side, and that takes a lot of work. He saw flexibility as a means toward throwing harder.”

A Kid Who Slept With a Bat Growing up in Danvers, Massachusetts, Smith wrestled and played lacrosse, hockey, basketball, and football. At night, he sometimes slept with a baseball bat or football tucked beside him. “Playing sports was my favorite thing in the world,” he says. “I just wanted to be outside.” Spring 2026 23

Sports were also a way for Smith to bond with his father, who has been one of his biggest supporters. “My dad’s a huge part of my life, both athletically and personally,” he says. Smith turned to Govs for more athletic opportunities and to compete alongside other formidable athletes. “When I came to Govs, I realized that I wasn’t such a big fish after all,” he says. “I wasn’t the most athletic, or the strongest, or the fastest. I had to figure out how to be successful, which included putting in the work, like getting up to lift weights at six in the morning.” Coach K remembers Smith arriving at Govs “physically larger than most ninth graders, with a politeness, an earnestness, and a humility balanced with a real fiery competitive streak,” noting that “coaching him was a pleasure.” His freshman year, Smith was a three-letter winner in football, basketball, and baseball, but his talent as a baseball pitcher began to outshine his other prospects. “The summer going into my sophomore year, I had a pretty good feeling I could play Division I baseball in college,” he recalls. In order to have a shot at Division I ball, Smith needed to improve his grades, and he was inspired by the student-athletes around him who were focused on the fields and in the classroom. “Govs was the best and most positive peer pressure that I’d ever experienced at the time,” Smith says. “I saw all these other athletes doing a ton of homework and going to the library for hours at a time, and I realized there was no reason I couldn’t do that, too. It kicked me into gear.” He recalls turning to his advisor, Ray Long ’96, for support. Long, who also coached Smith in football, saw an immediate transformation academically. “He took the work ethic that he had in sports and applied it to the classroom,” he says. Smith would go on to captain both the football and baseball teams his junior and senior years, experiences that helped him develop his leadership skills. “I learned how to be coachable, how to be a good teammate, and how to lead,” he says. And his time at Govs had another lasting impact: “I’m still connected to the friends I made there,” he says. “Some of my best friends from Govs came out to see my MLB debut.” Everything Goes Dark

Smith on staying centered:

“I’ve had to realize that I’m not going to be perfect, and that each pitch is its own pitch. I do a lot of self-talk when I’m on the mound, and I take 10 to 12 seconds off, and then I focus for 10 to 12 seconds. It’s a lot of trusting in what you’re doing, insane confidence in your ability, and then knowing that the ball is out of your control as soon as it leaves your hand.”

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Only, Smith almost didn’t have an MLB debut. He enrolled at Wake Forest University and pitched for the Demon Deacons. Then came the first blow: a shoulder injury that required surgery. His comeback season in 2020 evaporated when COVID shut down college baseball. By his third year, Smith understood the stakes. “Your professional window is really around 21 or 22 years old,” he explains. “I went into that season working my butt off.” He’d spent his summer training under the hot North Carolina sun, lifting, throwing, working out—repeat. “I was putting in my 10,000 hours of what it takes to master my craft and be as best as I could be,” he says. Smith felt at the top of his game, but in his third start of the year, with his family in the crowd, he blew out his elbow throwing a curveball, which required Tommy John surgery, a common over-use injury among elite baseball players. “The light at the end of the tunnel was bright, and then it went dark immediately,” he says. “That really broke me. I thought everything I’ve worked for in my life was now gone.” The Smith family gathered around him, debating his options. He could return to Wake Forest, relinquishing his baseball dreams, or he could try to get drafted as a free agent—no bonus, no guarantees. “I knew I’d get a plane ticket, a place to stay, and rehab,” he says. “But at least I’d have a foot in the door. I hadn’t shown anyone what I could do.” As Smith hoped and waited to be drafted, he made plans to go back to college—and in fact was driving through rural Virginia on his way to Wake Forest with his parents when he received the call: “Do you want to come play with the Brewers?” Two days later, in 2021, Smith was on a flight to Arizona. “It was a wild turn of events, and I approached it as ‘everything you do from now on is a gift and a blessing,’” he says. “Being given that second chance was like jet fuel, and I knew I had to make the most of it.”

“Govs was the best and most positive peer pressure that I’d ever experienced at the time. I saw all these other athletes doing a ton of homework and going to the library for hours at a time, and I realized there was no reason I couldn’t do that, too. It kicked me into gear.” — Shane Smith ’18

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“It was a wild turn of events, and I approached it as ‘everything you do from now on is a gift and a blessing.’ Being given that second chance was like jet fuel, and I knew I had to make the most of it.” — Shane Smith ’18

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One Pitch at a Time

Smith on not specializing in sports:

“I think you become more athletic by playing different sports. When you wrestle or play lacrosse or play hockey, you learn how to contort your body and compensate your body in a bunch of different ways to be athletic.”

Smith on being a proctor at Govs:

“When you’re 14, it’s hard to do your homework and live with other people and maybe talk to a girl or a guy that you might like if you have a semiformal coming up. But that’s what makes Govs so great—you learn those lessons from the people above you. So I wanted to do the same when I was older, passing along the lessons I’ve learned. It was a no-brainer for me.”

Smith worked his way steadily through the Brewers’ system. By 2024, he was a starter at Double-A. Midseason, he was promoted to Triple-A—and he kept dominating. That December, he learned he’d been selected first overall in the Rule 5 draft by the Chicago White Sox. Here’s how the Rule 5 draft works: If a team leaves an eligible minor leaguer off its 40-man roster, another club may select him. In Smith’s case, the White Sox did—and were then required to keep him on their active MLB roster for the entire season. It was the moment Smith had been waiting for, and he remembers watching the draft surrounded by his family. “I was the first name called, and there was this eruption of emotion and relief and joy and recognition that I hadn’t received in a long time,” Smith says. “We were all crying and hugging each other.” He told Coach K that he was building his MLB rookie season one pitch at a time. “Not one day at a time, but one pitch at a time,” Coach K recalls. “He said, ‘I’m going to execute everything as best I can, and then I’m going to do it again, pitch by pitch by pitch by pitch.’” It worked. Smith excelled as an aggressive starting pitcher with the White Sox, finishing with a 3.81 ERA over 29 starts, leading the team with 146 ⅓ innings pitched and 145 strikeouts. Ray Long wasn’t surprised by Smith’s ability to surmount the odds. “It makes sense that he’s been able to have the success he’s had even with all the setbacks, because he’s not ‘woe is me,’” he says. “That’s just not how he’s built.” In another wild turn of events, Smith was named to the MLB All-Star team, the first White Sox rookie to receive the honor. “Two years earlier, I was coaching Govs basketball, working at a bar, and living at home on a minor league salary,” he says. “My life looked nothing like this.” He emphasizes that above all else, he is “grateful for the support I’ve had over the years.” An All-Star, But “Still Shane” In January, Smith returned to Govs to speak with current athletes and catch up with his former coaches and mentors, enjoying giving back to the school that gave him so much. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Govs,” he says. Even in the midst of his meteoric rise, Coach K says Smith is “still Shane,” with the same balance of humility and confidence he had at Govs—and he’s still answering text messages. “I congratulated him the day he struck out Shohei Ohtani twice against the Dodgers, and he wrote back to ask, ‘What are you up to these days?’ That’s pretty generous.” For athletes at Govs, Long says Smith’s story is both inspiring and grounding. “Our students can see that he’s a literal All-Star, but he’s also a regular person who sat in math class and played on the same baseball field as them,” Long says. “It shows them what’s possible if they work hard enough.” A regular person who’s also gearing up for his second MLB season. Smith doesn’t have predictions; all he can do is show up and give it his all, like he’s done day after day, year after year. “Baseball is a game of failures, but every time I’m given the ball, if I go out and do my job and compete and make pitches, more often than not, things are going to go my way.”

Spring 2026 27

CARDINAL RULES

Cardinal Rules

Jillian Bergeron ’27

Girls Varsity Cross Country Places Second at ISL and New England Championship Races On Friday, October 31, the Girls Varsity Cross Country team placed second in the ISL Championship race. The squad was led by Brady Preneta ’28, who finished in third place, and Jillian Bergeron ’27, who finished in tenth place. Two weeks later, the team placed second at the New England Championship. At New England’s, Preneta placed third, Bergeron placed tenth, Ella McDonald ’27 placed seventeenth, and Lucy McCormick ’27 placed nineteenth in the varsity race. Preneta, Bergeron, McDonald, and McCormick were named All ISL and All New England this fall. 28 Governor’s

Girls Varsity Cross Country team

CARDINAL RULES

Seven College-Bound Athletes Seven members of The Governor’s Academy Class of 2026, representing five athletic teams, celebrated their commitment to play NCAA Division I and II athletics next year before a crowd of families, coaches, teammates, classmates, and teachers in the Peter Marshall French Student Center last fall.

Top row, L to R: Molly Vana ’26, Alia Bezzari ’26, John St Phard ’26, Jeffrey Luchsinger ’26; bottom row, L to R: Tripp Schuhwerk ’26, Ford Sullivan ’26, Hawk Stickney ’26

Alia Bezzari ’26

Hawk Stickney ’26

Middleton, Massachusetts Bentley University, Soccer

Byfield, Massachusetts U.S. Naval Academy, Baseball

Jeffrey Luchsinger ’26 Durham, New Hampshire St. Michael's College, Baseball

Tripp Schuhwerk ’26 Hingham, Massachusetts Brown University, Lacrosse

John St Phard ’26 Montreal, Quebec, Canada University of Central Arkansas, Soccer

Ford Sullivan ’26 Newburyport, Massachusetts Boston University, Lacrosse

Hawk Stickney ’26, a four-year varsity baseball team member and senior captain, excelled athletically and academically at Govs. He was awarded the prestigious Whitmore Award, given to the sophomore whose actions best represent the core values of The Governor’s Academy. In his junior season, Hawk proved to be a vital team member. His poise and dominance on the mound were instrumental in the team’s top-three finish in the ISL.

Molly Vana ’26 Boxford, Massachusetts Harvard University, Lacrosse and Soccer

Alia Bezzari ’26

Molly Vana ’26

Spring 2026 29

CARDINAL RULES

Girls Wrestling Has Strong Showing at Choate Tournament Govs Girls Varsity Wrestling team competed at the Choate Rosemary Hall Women’s Tournament on December 6, 2025. Melissa Soep ’27 placed first in the 152 lb weight class, and Ella Studer ’27 placed second in the 165 lb weight class. Over 60 wrestlers from 9 schools in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine participated in the tournament. Below: Ella Studer ’27 (left), Melissa Soep ’27 (right)

Eve Bennett ’26 was named All ISL and All New England for field hockey. Bennett played Varsity Field Hockey for four years, started for three years, and was co-captain as a senior. She will play at Bates College next year.

Indoor Track & Field Records Broken The Girls 4 x 400 meter relay set a new school record at Andover on December 17, 2025, with a time of 4:22.16. Sienna Mercaldi ’27, Skylar Demsey ’26, Molly Vana ’26, and Jillian Bergeron ’27 take over the spot on the record board that has been untouched for 10 years. On January 22, 2026, Brady Preneta ’28 broke the 1000-meter record with a time of 3.13.58. And at the USATF New England Indoor Championships at Harvard University on February 22, 2026, Aiden Bly ’27 set a new school record in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.00 and Preneta set a new school record in the 1-mile with a time of 5:15.73. AJ Bly ’27

Right, L to R: Brady Preneta ’28, Jillian Bergeron ’27, AJ Bly ’27, Molly Vana ’26, Skylar Dempsey ’26, Olivia Di Palma ’28, and Sienna Mercaldi ’27 at the Eastern States Track & Field Championships on March 3, 2026

30 Governor’s

CARDINAL RULES

Girls Basketball and Hockey Compete in New England Tournament On Wednesday, March 4, Girls Varsity Hockey (#4) played St. Mark’s (#5) and Girls Varsity Basketball (#5) played Lawrence (#4) in the NEPSAC tournament. Both teams fell in the quarterfinals to talented opponents. Congratulations on great seasons! Left: Camila Serrano ’27, Girls Basketball Captain · Right: Liz Luong ’26, Girls Hockey Captain

Athletes Sizzle on Media Days Govs hosted our first-ever media days for varsity athletes this year. The events, held at the beginning of each season, energized and bonded teams and helped athletes get hyped for the season ahead.

Top, L to R: Izaiah Williams ’27, Cooper Schuhwerk ’26, Martin Beaumont-Mill ’27 and Thomas Ireland ’27· Bottom, L to R: Tiger Xiong ’27, and Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Seniors: Liz Luong ’26, Cat Johnson ’26, Joey Calderara ’26, Parker Roenick ’26, Cecilia Riiff ’26, and Caroline Justicz ’26

Spring 2026 31

Teach and Lead Meet Tom Robertson P’16,’20,’24 TOM ROBERTSON sings. A lot. Loudly. For those of us who are in the building every day, that singing is an essential part of the Frost ambience. Tom’s singing exemplifies his infectious joy for Govs. He does not merely teach and coach here; he lives and breathes Govs. He is a testament to the good things that happen when boarding school teachers bring their full selves to the job for the betterment of students. In the classroom, he cares deeply about literature and writing while caring even more about the students who sit in front of him. In keeping with the old teaching maxim, he teaches students not content. During the afternoons, he takes to the fields and courts where he coaches the boys’ JV basketball and soccer teams.

32 Governor’s

Not merely checking the boxes, he pours himself into his coaching every day, and when practice is done, he is thinking about how he can get more out of his players. Avoiding the limelight for himself, Tom has always made his players feel like their games, and they, themselves, matter. When he’s not taking care of his assigned duties on campus, Tom is playing in the band, watching theatre performances, cheering on teams, organizing Philoso-Tea, hyping the newspaper, and embodying what it means to be all in. If someone were to ask Tom what was expected of him at Govs, he would probably look baffled. He does not operate on what is expected of him; he rather does what needs to be done with passion and good nature. And then, there is always more singing.

HOW MANY YEARS AT THE ACADEMY: 25 years. RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES: AP English Literature teacher, faculty advisor to The Spire literary magazine and The Governor newspaper, coach, dorm parent. FAVORITE BOOKS: Beloved by Toni Morrison, Underworld by Don DeLillo, Tinkers by Paul Harding, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. FAVORITE MUSIC OR ARTIST: I am a big fan of classical music—I also like jazz, folk, and classic rock. Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, The Punch Brothers, and the band Goose are favorites. PASSIONS: I sing in the faculty chorus, and I play trombone in the school’s orchestra and jazz band. I also play guitar and trombone in a rock band, Revel Up, with friends from town. EDUCATION: BA in English, Dartmouth College; MA in English Literature, UNH. WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT YOUR WORK?: I am able to engage all of my passions through my job: discussing literature, coaching sports, playing music, and working with young people. Govs has given me both the freedom to pursue my interests as an educator and the structure to supply my classes with top-quality students. Every year, I have the privilege to teach the top senior English students in my AP Lit class, and I learn a great deal from our discussions of the poems, plays, and novels we read.

TEACH & LEAD

Meet Juliana Lucero ’26

We caught up with senior JULIANA LUCERO ’26 to reflect on her Govs experience and plans for the future. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT ACTIVITIES OR CLUBS YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF AT GOVS? I have been involved in many spaces during my time here at Govs. In my freshman year, I joined the Black Latinx Association, a space where students of color can support and share their cultures with each other. I have also been a part of the peer advisors, serving as a co-head and one of the directors for Special Olympics at Govs. All of the spaces I have been part of have allowed me to become a patient, driven leader who values communication and kindness. As all of these roles are important to me, there are a couple that I truly hold close to my heart. Being a community facilitator is about creating on-campus spaces for collaboration and mediating conversations on difficult topics related to identity, bias, and inclusion. Becoming a community facilitator has truly shown me that a leader opens spaces for collaboration and expression. It inspired me, as a Latina with a passion for science, to lead a mentorship program with my freshman biology teacher, Ms. Nelson, and teach science concepts to a local inner-city public elementary STEAM girls’ club. We have been doing this since my freshman year, but being a community facilitator inspired me to lead it, and I created a neuroscience curriculum for our visit during my junior year. I am incredibly grateful to be on a campus that has encouraged me to lead in differ­ent ways.

I realized that being a part of Govs was not only striving in the classroom, but more importantly it was about being curious about the world around us and how we take what we learn into our community.

WHO IN THE GOVS COMMUNITY DO YOU LOOK UP TO MOST? I have been fortunate to have so many people that I look up to, including all my proctors throughout my Govs experience. They have all shown me a different part of myself and taught me not only to stay true to my roots but also to have confidence in bringing a different perspective to Govs. Here, people value difference and celebrate culture. My advisor, Michelle de la Guardia, also inspires me to be my authentic self at Govs and value others’ experiences and identities. She has become more than an advisor to me; she is my mentor and inspiration. WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU? My next steps will be at Boston University for my four years of undergraduate studies. I am going in with the intention of pursuing my passion for behavioral neuroscience and public health. As a first-generation college student, I am incredibly excited and grateful to attend BU and be in the city I love. I was admitted to the College of General Studies, and in this program, I have a gap semester in the fall. During my time off, I am planning to intern at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. Then, in January, I begin my freshman year at BU, followed by a study abroad program in London to finish

my second semester. I have never been to Europe, so I am super excited to study in a different country and learn about the culture. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW STUDENTS? Advocate for yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out when you need support. Easier said than done, but I believe that the things that are difficult are usually the things we learn and grow from the most. Govs is a school where there is support in every corner, and the people here want to help you succeed. I used to shy away from raising my hand in class, let alone talking in front of an audience, but I now find myself giving a chapel talk and speaking at morning meetings. I found my voice at Govs. WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT GOVS? When I first came to Govs, I didn’t expect to be as involved on campus as I am today. I thought that Govs was only academic driven, but when I started to meet my classmates, mentors and even the faculty on campus, they all had passions outside of the classroom. Being in this environment I realized that being a part of Govs was not only striving in the classroom, but more importantly it was about being curious about the world around us and how we take what we learn into our community.

Spring 2026 33

Alumni Highlights

Above: Alumni from the 90s gather with beloved faculty at Tree House Brewing Right: Summer gathering on Nantucket

Boston Alumni Reception

Alumni Events

Above, L to R: Tianyu Fang ’20, Xixi Jiang ’17, Peter Quimby ’85, P’14, Laurie Quimby P’14

NYC Alumni Reception

Above, L to R: Ilse Abusamra ’93 and Naomi Fink ’99

Over the months, Govs alumni came together from near and far, finding countless ways to connect— rekindling old friendships, forging new ones, and engaging with each other in new and unexpected ways. Here is a snapshot of our Govs community coming together this past year.

Boston Alumni Reception

Above, L to R: EJ Connor ’13, Claudia Solano ’18, Patrick Farrell ’14, Lauren Robinson Farrell ’14, Mackenzie Cormier ’14, Kip Brown ’87, Frank Cieri ’13

NYC Alumni Reception

Above, L to R: Tucker Marr ’15, Michael DuCharme ’14, Joe Rokous ’13, Michael Rotondo ’12, Corie Grewall DuCharme ’13, Aboubacar B. Okeke-Diagne ’11, Dylan Jarrett, Andrew Colburn ’12

34 Governor’s

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

At Govs, students are encouraged to pursue their passions—and it’s inspiring to see our alumni continue that journey beyond Byfield. Each month, our Passion in Practice series highlights graduates who have turned their interests into meaningful success, from science and the arts to entrepreneurship and beyond. Join us to broaden your perspective—and maybe discover a new passion of your own.

Alumni Kids Skate

Above: George French ’09 and Steve French ’76 with his grandkids at the Alumni Kids Skate in Byfield

Check out upcoming events:

Cardinal and White Day Left, L to R: Grace Everett ’20, Leah Cormier ’17, Olivia Doyle ’19, Lily Everett ’17, Gwen Everett ’16, and Emmy Sullivan '16

Spring 2026 35

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ALEX CARPENTER ’11

Golden

Alex Carpenter ’11 and the United States women’s ice hockey team capture gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In February, Team USA defeated Canada in a thrilling overtime final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, bringing home the gold after a dominant tournament run. Alex Carpenter ’11 was instrumental in the victory. During the semifinal against Sweden, NBC Sports Boston posted a clip of Carpenter peppering the net with shots, captioning it: “Team USA’s Alex Carpenter relentlessly took shots against the Swedish goalkeeper.” It was an apt description of how Carpenter played throughout the Olympics: Relentless. Serving as alternate captain, she tallied three goals and three assists as the Americans surged to the top. She ended the tournament with 18 points scoring. In fact, Carpenter is one of the most decorated forwards in US women’s hockey. Prior to Milan, she earned Olympic silver medals in 2014 and 2022 and won seven IIHF Women’s World Championship titles between 2013 and 2025. After two seasons with the New York Sirens, she currently plays for the Seattle Torrent in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Her dominance in Milan came just one year after a devastating setback that could have derailed her quest for a third Olympic team. Last January, during a game, Carpenter took a catastrophic shot to the face that shattered her jaw, an injury that required reconstructive surgery. Determined to get back in the game, she returned to the ice just two weeks after her injury, telling Govs last May, “The injury was a little bit of a setback, but I am happy to be healthy again and playing alongside my teammates.” Carpenter emerged as a hockey standout at Govs, where she netted an astonishing 239 goals in just 100 games. She went on to star at Boston College, earning the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2015 as a junior. When the final horn sounded in Milan, and Team USA celebrated on the ice, Carpenter summed up the moment simply on Instagram: “Golden.”

36 Governor’s

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

For Others CONSECUTIVE ANNUAL GIVING IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT

Jessica Ross Stratton ’01

Carpenter is one of the most decorated forwards in US women’s hockey. Prior to Milan, she earned Olympic silver medals in 2014 and 2022 and won seven IIHF Women’s World Championship titles between 2013 and 2025.

The Academy’s culture of philanthropy thrives through the Phillips Society, which honors donors who contribute for two or more consecutive years. This consistent giving strengthens the bond between our mission and donors, allowing them to see lasting impacts while fostering a sense of community that endures beyond Byfield. Jessica Ross Stratton ’01 recently shared why she’s committed to supporting The Governor’s Fund each year for nearly a quarter-century. “My mom encouraged me to start giving when I did, and I credit her with showing me how important and special it is to give back to places and endeavors you care about. Once I started, I didn’t stop! Playing sports and developing friendships that are still among the most important to me were incredibly formative and life-shaping experiences. I am so thankful for my time at GDA and all that it taught me about myself, setting me up for life’s experiences. As a result, giving back feels natural to me and is something I want to do. I believe that many small things can add up to something big and special. Giving to The Governor’s Fund, albeit in modest amounts, over such a long period, can add up to something quite impactful.” Stratton’s fondest memories of Govs are “the everyday experiences— meeting friends at the Student Center, getting out on the athletic fields and courts, learning with top-notch teachers, and stretching myself academically—all these experiences have formed my life in wonderful ways.” Today, Stratton lives far from Byfield but visits campus when she is in the area. “It’s amazing to see how things have transformed and how the facilities are so state-of-the-art. It makes me a bit envious! These students have such incredible and advanced resources at their fingertips.” She adds, “What remains the same is what has always made the school so special: its people and the ever-present feeling of community. I knew immediately when I stepped on campus (way back when I was touring it as an eighth-grader) that Govs was a very special, welcoming, and comfortable place that felt like home. I think you see this exemplified in the teachers and staff who stay and never leave! Shout-out to Mr. Gerry, my teacher, advisor, and coach, who just retired after 32 years!”

Spring 2026 37

38 Governor’s

Class Notes WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! CLASS NOTES DEADLINES Please send your news and updates for each issue before the deadlines below to either your class secretary or classnotes@govsacademy.org. Fall 2026: June 15, 2026 Spring 2027: January 15, 2027 CLASS NOTES GUIDELINES Governor’s, The Archon magazine, may edit class notes for clarity and brevity, and to match the magazine's style. Class secretaries may also choose to edit submissions. To respect the privacy of our alumni, we do not publish engagement or pregnancy announcements. Wedding and birth announcements and photos are warmly welcomed! These notes are intended for The Governor's Academy and are not to be used elsewhere.

Spring 2026 39

realize what a permanent impression it had left. Consider my son an applicant for admission about 1960.”

’55

Class Notes ’43

Ben Brewster benbrew@comcast.net

’46

REUNION

Bill Silver billsilver@comcast.net It has been a long time since graduation, but it had to be a formative time in the life of any student who lived the life of a “Dummer Boy.” After being sequestered away for the assigned paid years it was a relief to join the masses at a college level and be on my own! It was actually decision time when we came to the crossroads of taking a professional or other life. Personally, I chose the professional life to follow in my father’s footsteps and went on to NYU dental school and Columbia post grad orthodontics. Then, no choice, off to military service in the US Air Force in Japan! Back to real life and an orthodontic practice in Boston followed by the big move to Florida, where I practiced more orthodontics for about 30 years before spending about 25 more years as the assistant chief in forensic odontology at the Miami Dade Medical Examiner Department and publishing the textbook “Dental Autopsy”! That is the short version of my soon to be 97 years in March, so I thought I better get it out now! Thank you GDA for your important part!

’51

REUNION

George McGregor classnotes@govsacademy.org Continuing with my theme of Phillips building history and reminiscences: In 1934, the enrollment at the Academy was 119 boys, including 96 boarders. Ted Eames had been the headmaster for four 40 Governor’s

years. At that time the dining hall, kitchen, and living room were in Commons. It became obvious that it was overcrowded. The most urgent need was for a dining hall and kitchen. Six boys began meeting in Moody House with a member of the faculty, Phillip H. Cobb. They soon received the support of Mr. Eames and the Board of Trustees, led by James Duncan Phillips, to raise money for a new kitchen, dining hall, and living room. The priority was for what is now the Alfond Dining Hall and it was completed in September 1935, when the first dinner was served. The remainder of the new building could wait. In 1941, it was completed, adding the living room at the south end, which was named the Cobb room. In addition to being a living room, the Cobb Room was the only location possible on campus for what became known as Vesper Services held every Sunday night. Attendance was mandatory and the only time on campus where the entire student body was together quietly. Over time, an impressive number of alumni recalled with appreciation the vesper services at school. During World War II, Headmaster Eames wrote to all alumni serving in the war monthly, and he received many replies from those alumni as well. As an example, in 1942, a young soldier wrote to Mr. Eames from the Philippines: “It sure is a long way from the vesper service I sat at seven years ago tonight, but it isn’t hard to remember. Even now in the midst of all this mess over here I can still hear the singing … I don’t think I ever really knew just how much my lone year at GDA meant to me. Sometimes in the flashbacks you have in times of danger, some one thing will be evident. My wife and son are always first, of course, but a number of times, a clear picture of events at the school came in front of me and brought me to

’59

Randy Light crlight23@gmail.com

George Gardner george.gardner3@gmail.com The class of ’55 graduated 70 years before last June’s Reunion!!! Five members of our class attended the Reunion: Jack Pallotta, Peter Scott, Chris Beebe, Alan Keith, and Fred Young. Four things stood out to our classmates: (1) the number of new buildings, (2) the excellent speech about the future of the school given by the Head of School Dr. Quimby, (3) we were the oldest of "the old guard”, and (4) the announcement of an award given to A. C. Hubbard for his work in the Baltimore School District. Rick Sears says, “How the decades have flown by!” I’ve been married to Bobette (who earned her CPA) for 60 years. My career was spent in New York bank lending, the last few years with an Austrian startup, and the most fun of all. We have two sons and six grandsons. The oldest grandson is a sports writer with the New York Post, and the youngest is just finishing with the Peace Corps in Mongolia. Recently, Bobette and I have moved to Longboat Key, Florida. We have a 3,100 s.f. condo with a nice view of the Gulf of Mexico. We will be selling our house in New York. The decision to sell the New York property was prompted by my kidney disease and need for dialysis. We have recently visited with Phil Angell in Venice, Florida, and T. Burk in Salmon, Idaho. Fred Young reports all is well with the family, and that he and Judy had a very enjoyable 2025. Their youngest granddaughter graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and their middle granddaughter was married at the Art Institute of Chicago (a very impressive venue).

’56

share, please send it to your class secretary.

REUNION

Jim Dean covecottage10@gmail.com Class of ’56, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to

For some reason—or perhaps for no reason at all—our Class of 1959 Notes were omitted from the prior issue of The Archon. The issue was distributed in the fall of 2025. In order to rectify this omission in the all-important (?) archival record, the omitted notes are set out below, followed by our current notes for this issue of The Archon. Fall 2025 Archon Notes: In response to my request for class notes, no matter how brief, for this issue of The Archon, (fall 2025), Tad Adkin took me at my word and replied: “I’m good.” Hopefully, all of us can say the same. I also heard from Brian Marsh, who stated that he is “incredibly busy at work … [but finds that his hard work] is good for [him].” In addition, I received the following class notes: Steve Volpone: “I am enjoying my twilight years in good health. I start each day with a hearty breakfast and NY Times puzzles while I eat. Next, daily walk (1-2 miles) with Maverick, my Havanese. If the weather is a problem, [there] is always the indoor bike. Elizabeth keeps me hopping with all the chores associated with maintaining our home. I do most of the grocery shopping and cooking. Elizabeth sees to the interior housekeeping. An ideal division of labor. I am a homebody, while Elizabeth manages to occasionally get away on trips with her friend(s). I do manage to get to Florida for a week in mid-May (when all the snowbirds have left) to see the grandkids and the great grandkids. On the local front there are my twin girls, Katie and Alie (turning 16 in a few days). They get their licenses a few weeks later. They are excelling in high school [and are] at the top of their class in advanced curriculum courses (several college courses). Alie is a tennis player who recently convinced me to hit a few balls with her. Not my best decision. Still recovering! Katie is a runner and enjoys her 5-mile runs. Have given up any notion of downsizing, at

CLASS NOTES

least at this point. Home maintenance is a challenge, but worth it. Looking forward to our next reunion.” Charlie Langmaid: “[N]othing momentous to report, just pretty much the same old stuff, winter in Vail, two weeks kiteboarding in Costa Rica in January, back to Vail for more snowboarding and snowshoe hiking, then this spring back to South Padre Island for more kiteboarding. We are now in Vail getting ready for our twenty-fifth summer in Hood River for yet more kiteboarding, river paddling, biking, hiking, etc. As they say, just keep moving.” (Editorial comment: “Nothing momentous” is an understatement. The “old stuff” undertaken by Charlie would undoubtedly put me [Randy Light] out of commission and in a hospital for weeks.) Peter Sherin: “Last month, my now-partner Joyce Gell—who is someone I met aboard ship going to Italy in 1962 and hadn’t seen [again until] 2021—and I—now two political junkies, both widowed and possessing a passion for urban life—serendipitously crossed paths again after a barrage of political tweets! Met in Providence and have been together since. Needing a change from the national overdosing of CNN, MSNBC, and FOX, we started to plan a trip for a couple

of weeks out of the country. With so many unwanted ‘what ifs,’ just about everywhere considered (the list seems to expand with age!), we had an ‘out of the box’ idea. What if we spent the money planned to fly out of the country for two weeks and instead drove to New York City and indulged ourselves with a very comfortable hotel, ate at the best restaurants, and bought great seats for the 2 hottest plays on Broadway for a long weekend? And that’s exactly what we did—and came home glowing from the Big Apple binge—AND NO JET LAG!” Ken Wolf: “My golf game has slipped a bit due to age-related back arthritis—but still swinging away and having fun. I have been teaching aeronautical science at several high schools for the past couple of years as a volunteer. As usual, the teacher learns the most and it has improved my flying skills. Recently celebrated 60 years since my first solo flight. You know you are getting old when someone you hired to work at your surgery center at age 21 invites you to his retirement party! That just happened and makes me realize that those of us who are still around have won the lottery to still be here. Wishing good health for you and all our classmates!” Randy Light: My wife and I—in an attempt to escape a long, dark, and snowy winter in Central New

Byers’ Choice Little Red Schoolhouse shared by Bill Whiting ’59

York—traveled to St. Johns in the Virgin Islands for several weeks. The weather and beaches were picture perfect. The trip home, however, brought us back to a spring of seemingly constant rain and dreary weather. Such is life. In any event, until the next issue of The Archon—and whether it is raining or the sun is shining—Buen Camino! Current Archon Notes: Regarding my requests for class notes, Courtney Bird said: “Every year you send us reminders to email you updates on our lives for The Archon, and every year, I resolve to send you something. This time, I’ve gotten past the resolution stage, and am actually sending you something—even before the deadline!” Courtney’s note: “At age 85, I’m still serving on the Falmouth, MA Conservation Commission after 22 years. And, although technically 15 years retired from the construction business, I am in the fifth year of a $5K remodeling project for a long-time client that at most recent count has mushroomed to a project total of $860K and isn’t done yet (isn’t that what builders are supposed to do?). Finally, if that isn’t enough, I am chair of the Municipal Light Board, which is charged with bringing in a private internet service provider to build and operate a $50 mil fiber optic broadband network to compete with Comcast and we are down to three finalists. The broadband thing is something I have been spearheading for the past six plus years. For a change of pace, I have had season tickets to the Patriots since 1996. If truth be known, I don’t know much about football, so driving to Foxboro for a fall day is more about tailgating than the actual game.” Leading up to these class notes, I have had an enjoyable exchange of emails with Ken Wolf. He continues to hit the golf ball and to teach aeronautical science at several North Florida high schools, putting his 60 years of flying experience to good use and keeping him “off the streets.” He mentioned that his “57-year-old son has met with great success owning five restaurants, one of which was twice voted the ‘best ski bar restaurant’ in North America.” The restaurant: Matterhorn Ski Bar

in Newry, Maine. Ken also said that his daughter, although wrestling with a health issue, is doing well under the circumstances and that her daughter is the “manager of a large upscale residential development in St. Augustine.” Ken further mentioned that he has two great grandchildren and that “the 5-yearold recently looked at a picture of [Ken] in his 30s and announced ‘Grandpa, you look a lot worse now!’.” Ken said that he “couldn’t agree more!” No doubt, I am not the only one among our classmates who would empathize with Ken and say: Ken, I feel your pain. Peter Sherin checks in with me periodically with a telephone call. Peter has kept close ties with GDA over the years and his periodic telephone calls allow me to hear about the latest trends at the school. Peter’s most recent telephone call also allowed me to hear more about his long New York City weekend with his partner, Joyce Gell, that he described in his class note for the fall issue of The Archon. Broadway plays and great food at outstanding New York City restaurants—what’s not to like? I await Peter’s next telephone call. In the meantime, Peter sent in the following: “I [Peter] offer the thoughts below, wondering if the Academy can find my right of free speech not in conflict with its proper place of political neutrality—which exactly is what I advocate at this important time in our nation’s history. A childhood friend of mine recently quipped, ‘We may have grown up in the best decade of America, but may die in its worst.’ Politics and religion are wisely not injected into the identity of retail businesses in America or any organization that serves the general public. However, a democracy requires a never-ending conversation between all its parts to maintain its wisdom or understand the errors of its way. “Sadly, we have been advised to AVOID talking with anyone (including family) who possess different opinions. This needs to stop. We all must ‘come home’ in the spirit of civility to measure together the best way forward as the greatest democracy in history, understanding what are the opportunities and obstacles to moving ahead. The commitment of American generations to freedom for all must not be Spring 2026 41

CLASS NOTES

lost. We have earned it. The world relies on it. And we must continue to improve it!’ Brain Marsh gave a quick hello. My guess is that Brain is as busy as ever in his business and philanthropic endeavors. Good to hear from Bill Whiting. Bill’s contact information with the school had been deleted, but now has been bought up to date. Bill said: “It looks like I have been out of the Class of ’59’s communications loop for a while. It is hard for me to believe that I took early retirement 25 years ago and am busier now than when I was in my telecommunications career for 36 years. After graduating from Dartmouth with several GDA classmates, I joined New England Telephone for several months before entering the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. Tours in Korea and Vietnam followed. I returned to New England Telephone and, as the Bell System was being divested, had jobs in Comptrollers, Human Resources, Marketing, and Corporate Planning departments in a succession of companies and locations. I found it very easy to move from a structured office environment to retirement and the freedom to choose how I wanted to spend my free time. For me, it was a chance to work with a number of nonprofit groups involved with conservation and protecting open space. These interests led to a series of community activities. For the last 40 years, I have been working to digitize the town [Topsfield] records and lead the historical society’s efforts to digitize their material and make local history available to the public. Being a volunteer ‘handyman’ has enabled me to set up a woodworking shop and build things for the house and for others. As we were putting away the Christmas decorations last week, I thought about my long-term project to build elaborate sets to display my wife’s collection of Byers’ Choice Christmas. One of my favorite sets is the little red schoolhouse, fashioned after the GDA schoolhouse. We had a photo of daughter Brooke ’92 standing in front of the schoolhouse with a classmate, Carolyn McInnis. This was the inspiration for that year’s Christmas Carolers display.” [Bill’s photo of his little red schoolhouse with Byers’ 42 Governor’s

carolers is set out below. The photo of his daughter is on the back wall.] Bill added that his historical society work “can be pretty interesting when … finding all the Topsfield soldiers who were Minutemen and walked to Concord/Lexington and later Bunker Hill.” As for me [Randy Light], another weather report since the last class note.It has beenaroughwinter so far in Central New York. Accumulation ofclosetosevenfeetofsnowinour backyard as of the first part of January. Fortunately, not all of that snow fell at one time. Nonetheless, my wife and I are looking forward to acruisestartinginmid-Februarythat goes from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with intermittent sightseeing stops between the two cities. Bob Pouch and his wife did a similar cruise a few years ago and raved about it. His photographs and comments about his cruise sparked my interest in doing a similar cruise. However, if our cruise should go near Venezuela and if anyone should ask if I would like to take a trip on a speed boat, I will politely and respectfully decline.

’60

John Elwell johnelwell@verizon.net Governor’s Greetings, Kudos to the Class of ’60 graduates, who I hope enable me to keep this high-paying job of your class secretary. It is so special to hear what many are doing. The Academy lives on in your/their lives! Chris Pruit: As to class notes, I will try. As for 2025, Jill and I have gotten to know way too many doctors here in Vero Beach, but so far, they have kept us glued together. Jill continues with her amazing painting. I have been elected president of the VB Amateur Radio Club. We are very involved in disaster preparation. When everything goes down, we are the only communication. Have been enjoying my two old MGs. The ’52 TD was a body-off restoration done here in my garage. Last one—it can’t get up off the floor!! I wish all in the Class a super ’26 and God Speed to all. Glad to hear, Chris, that you both are still active. I still cherish the time we

spent with you on the Island! Nate Greene: John, your continued efforts are appreciated. Geoff Nichols’ children still stay in touch with me and sometimes visit from Vermont. It pleases me to continue a friendship with the Nicholses and very much appreciate that they call me Uncle Nate. Dick Henry was a favorite of mine. Alas, time takes its toll. Nate … if you are ever in our area, please come by—would love to reconnect. The porch light is always on for our class. Malcolm Flint: John, as an update on Surrey and me, we are both doing well and continuing to dodge COVID, flu, RSV, and the multitude of other viruses trying to take us down. We continue to live in the same place in southeast Pennsylvania and manage to fit in some traveling while we’re still able. Got to Byfield in June for the Class of 1960’s 65th Reunion, followed almost immediately by a trip to California for a grandson’s high school graduation, then a trip to Monhegan Island in September for a few days of respite (and, most importantly, for Surrey’s 84th birthday), and spent Thanksgiving week in Zihuatanejo, Mexico with our son and his family. Now planning a California trip in mid-March for a granddaughter’s performance in her school musical. Happy New Year to you and Carol. Have a great 2026! Cheers, Malcolm You both are very active and traveling a lot … way to go! I am impressed! Norm Kalat: Hello John. Susi and I celebrated our 60th anniversary this year. We are now living in Quail Run, a condo development here in Santa Fe. I still play golf badly, but I enjoy it. My kids are gravitating to the Southwest. Life is good. Take care… Norm. Congratulations on your 60th anniversary. You are ahead of us by 2 years! I hope our paths cross again soon. Don Alexander: Sorry to have missed attending our 65th Reunion. My wife Barbara and I had a good reason. We checked off a prime goal on our lifetime bucket list, visiting Paris and the Normandy beaches in June during D-Day events. We went on a wonderful river cruise from Paris to Normandy. Starting off,

we enjoyed Paris for a few days, and the Normandy visit was so emotional. We were there June 5, nearing the 81st anniversary, and saw many reenactors and WWII era planes, trucks, jeeps, and tanks. We can’t imagine the courage [it took] to leap off those boats and climb the cliffs. The next day we visited a museum depicting the WWII battles in France and the horrors of the Holocaust as perpetrated on the people of France. The memorials to those who served and who fell will remain in our memories, as will the continuing thanks of the French people for what the USA did in WWII. And just think, the month we graduated, D-Day was only 16 years in the past. Late in 2025, we cruised on the Queen Mary 2 out of New York to the Caribbean and back over the Thanksgiving holiday. Lots of good food we had to work off with good exercise and just a very positive 12 days.The ship is a very special place. Here at home, we are enjoying the fourth year in our downsized home in Hallowell, Maine. Barb is active with her work on the University of Maine System Board of Trustees and consults with AARP Maine and clients representing residential customers in other states on energy policy and public utility regulatory proceedings. I am actively helping to prepare legal education programs and annual updates to my book on Maine jury practice and instructions and continuing my work with the Maine Commission providing defense services to indigent defendants. Our son’s and daughter’s families in Maine and Montana are doing well. We count our blessings to see our five grandkids grow into wonderful humans. Everyone is doing well in school and involved in lots of sports and activities. Best wishes to all classmates and all at Governor’s for a happy, healthy, and successful 2026. Don … you and Barabara are inspirations and models for us all! You both are keeping active and helping our world be better! Congratulations Peter Stonebraker: Johnny (I’m submitting this to make sure you keep your job); I made it to Florida just in time to avoid the storms in the upper Midwest and through New England, but I had other problems. I had not realized how complex it is to open a home that

CLASS NOTES

has been vacant for 6 months. All of the remote batteries had to be replaced, keys had to be identified, and I needed to remember how to do things and to reorient to my area map. Equipment parts have swelled and shrunk, thus moving parts do not fit together correctly. And it is difficult to adjust to the differences between the Lake Forest home and here. Most rooms are differently set up, and the organization of all closets/drawers varies. Further, the daily routine varies. There, mail is delivered; here, I have to get in my golf cart and go to the mailbox, a one-mile round trip. There, the gym is 100 yards away, here it is 1 1/2 miles—again, a golf cart trip. When I order from Amazon, I have to remember to specify the Florida address—and my Amazon account was shut down because they thought a scammer was using my different address. I had to put in an EV charging port in my garage and, unfortunately, my water softener no longer softens, requiring replacement. And the spa had to be totally emptied and cleaned. I have had visits by three of the four close family members. Mike ’61 and Dave ’66 found a way to come visit, and son Eric helped me drive from Illinois, which was very helpful because he has driven EVs for several years and knows how to find charging stations. I have been to several dances, (not much shag, country, or rock, but slower dances) and have found several bridge partners. So, life is different, and requires adjustment (a strong positive because it requires my active engagement), but is generally good. Regarding grandchildren: My eldest grandson, Abraham, is a second year Ph.D. student in engineering at MIT, and eldest granddaughter is a senior at Johns Hopkins and is looking for Masters/Ph.D. programs in medical research, both in the States and in Europe. My younger grandchildren are in grammar school and junior high and are both honor roll students and into sports (track, soccer, and horsemanship). Best to all classmates and looking forward to the Reunion in June. Thanks MUCH, Peter, for all your sharing! Keep active as you spread cheer everywhere. We enjoyed spending time with you in June. And last but definitely not least!!

Carl Youngman: As for me … I am in Florida for most of the winter, the Cape for the summer, and back in Newton for the spring and the fall. I am happy to be out of New England for January. You get it … Farmer John might be thinking about getting ready for spring planting, but nothing in agriculture actually takes place in January. Ha. Ha. In fact, the original Roman calendar did not have a January or February in it because no one was interested in those days (only a March–December calendar). HNY. And good health to the great Class of 1960! GREAT IDEA: Carl has suggested that for the next class notes, we ask our classmates for the names of members of the Old Guard who were your teachers and influenced you, and that you submit maybe a little story or thoughts about them. We could then publish that in the class notes for the next time. Happy to share some Elwell news: 2025 was a good year, with some new happenings and many repeats. Speaking of repeats, Carol and I continue to work on the farm raising gourds, pumpkins, blueberries, raspberries, garlic, and honey. Our kids (not really kids anymore!) and their spouses are all doing well. Our son, Che, has a new job as head of delivery for Pointr. His wife Jacki is head of marketing for OnePak. Our daughter Erin ’92, is still working in the Newburyport School District as an occupational therapist and also teaches at Lesley College. Her husband Eric works for Nihon Kohden and travels a lot. Our son Kane works at home and travels for Custom Sign in Columbus, Ohio, while his wife Lori works for Santander Bank, mainly from home in Monmouth, Maine. Our son Jon and his wife Melinda are still in education … Jon is a middle school science/industrial arts teacher in Agawam, MA, and his wife Melinda is currently home-schooling two of their sons. Melinda will have home-schooled all 6 of their children! Our 10 grandkids are doing well and keep us busy. They range in age from 3 years old to 23 years old. Will write more about them in the next Class Notes! In closing, we wish all a healthy and happy new year and hope our paths cross more in the new year. The porch light is always on for you at 266 High Street, Newburyport. And we would

Bookshelf Check out the latest books by Govs alumni authors (and students, too!). Share your recently published works with us at orussell@govsacademy.org.

My Blue Ocean Anna Doherty ’26 and Joshua Xiang ’26 2025

Death at Bitterwood Clearing Anne MacKay-Smith ’75 March 2026

Ellie: A Bear and Bluebird Story David F. Ingrassia ’75 2025

Spring 2026 43

CLASS NOTES

love to have you visit our Maple Crest Farm. Hoping to have a Class of ’60 get-together in the spring.

’61

REUNION

John Carroll johncarroll.43@gmail.com Tom Woodruff reports from California: “Our older son, Tom Jr., has finished medical school and is currently in residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stockton, CA, working in emergency medicine. Our special-needs son, Alex, is an avid participant in Special Olympics swimming, loves to play the piano, attends computer classes, and is involved in work projects at his day program. Alex lives during the week in a Group Home in San Mateo. He comes home most every weekend. My wife, Kathi, stays in close touch with her sorority sisters from college. All the women and their partners get together for Christmas festivities every year. This year we all attended a special holiday concert in Sacramento. Kathi and I are mostly retired. I continue to work part-time at nearby Peacock Gap Golf Course in their pro shop, where I enjoy hobnobbing with the customers and playing golf for free.” “As I write this note,” says Stan Thomas, “it’s winter at our home in Wisconsin, a season we enjoy. Rosalie and I enjoy a warm fire almost every afternoon and evening. An almost unlimited supply of firewood is available to me from the woods on our property, and my wood-splitting axe and I have a good working relationship. We took a road trip to southern Ohio at Thanksgiving to visit our daughter’s family. Then from there to Baltimore to visit Rosalie’s brother. One comment about The Archon: I am always amazed by the entries from classes so much older than our own. I hope others can say the same thing about the class of ’61 in coming years. I hope to make our 65th class reunion in June.” Mike Stonebraker says: “I’m still active at MIT, where I am on the faculty in computer science and involved in (what else) large language models (LLMs). I have a wonderful wife and five grandkids under the age of seven. I still do not have any idea what I want to do 44 Governor’s

when I grow up—other than to try very hard to stay healthy.”

of ’61 Zoom calls hosted by Peter Boynton.”

Geoff Robinson shares this reflection: “As a non-church-goer, I realized that I had many hymns in my head. Lots. No question where they came from. From the fall of 1957 through the spring of 1961, on most every Sunday evening during the school year, we Govies gathered in the Common Room in Phillips for an hour of singing hymns. The blue-covered books contained generic Protestant hymns. We all sat in chairs facing the fireplace, while Ben Stone on the piano played the tunes so our voices had a chance of staying on pitch. Those calm, somewhat contemplative periods brought a measure of happiness to me, a pause before the Monday resumption of reading, writing, number functions, Latin declensions and conjugations, and the rest. The hymns ranged the gamut from the martial—‘... as warriors through the darkness toil ’til dawns the golden day …’to the lullaby—‘… with thy tenderest blessing, may our eyelids close.’”

“As the first person in my family to attend either a prep school or college,” writes Pete Eaton, “I had few opportunities for a ‘second opinion’ when things were presented to me as, ‘This would (or wouldn’t) be a good fit for you.’ Junior year, my advisor at the Academy didn't think I was a good candidate for AP history or English. Then, when I suggested in the fall of my senior year that I’d like to apply to Williams, I got the same response. Those two events colored my GDA experience. But as I reflected over the years, I realized that I had used those rejections as motivation throughout the rest of my educational career. Not very mature of me, but it seemed to produce results! Anyway, after graduating from Colgate, I was admitted to the doctoral program in American studies at Brown. After a year, I left Brown so I could get my feet wet in teaching. After a few years teaching secondary school, I found my true passion: the material culture of late 17th and 18th century New England. That was 1970. Now it’s 2026 and I’m still doing it! Stuck in a rut maybe, but I still enjoy the learning, the material, and the many people I’ve met as my business has grown over the years. Lots of info on my website, Peter Eaton Antiques, for anyone interested.”

Tom Mercer writes, “So many memories … I always loved the Glee Club’s rendering of ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ in the gym before graduation. And who could ever forget Dana Steele’s home run in the 1961 Commencement game against Belmont Hill. Long, long ago, and far, far away!” “Happy to see 2025 in the rearview mirror,” Tom Macdonald reports. “It was a very difficult year for my wife Shirley and me. I was diagnosed with right breast cancer in late 2024. All the past year I’ve had chemo/surgery/targeted antibody treatments. Treatments have ended, and I’m hopeful for good results. My wife has been in and out of the hospital with heart issues. We are hopeful that an anticipated procedure will clear up her problems. Fingers crossed! So, we look forward to a much better, healthier 2026. And maybe, a wee bit of travel. Best wishes to all ’61ers!” David Graff says, “My wife Maritza and I are living in Boca Raton, Florida. We recently enjoyed seeing Mike Stonebraker and his wife when they visited the area. I always look forward to the monthly Class

“July and October 2025 marked the birth of two great-grandsons,” reports Peter Boynton. “It’s hard to believe I’ve got 11 descendants in three generations! Remembering the kids raised by housemasters and their wives at Governor’s, I’m wondering whether the firstborn might be one of those, as his parents serve as house parents at St Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, VA. My wife, Jacqui, underwent a total leftknee replacement in early August. Recovery seems to be on schedule. Last fall she enjoyed watching the football career of her 6’4” 240 lb. grandson take off, generating some interest from college recruiters visiting St. Alban’s School in DC. We’re enjoying our condo community. I’m in my second year on the board of directors, lead a monthly Great Decisions discussion group, and participate in a monthly book

club, while both of us participate in a current events forum and occasional game nights. Since my family all live within a two-hour drive, we were able to host most of them for our annual Christmas Eve brunch.” “It’s curious how aging unfolds,” comments John Carroll. “So many ordinary capabilities I’ve always taken for granted—e.g., running a committee meeting, building a timber-frame barn, remembering a friend’s birthday—are deteriorating as I age. And yet, I’m finding my thirst for learning—reading, studying, assimilating—seems to increase as I age. The harder it is to read and to comprehend dense text, the more I want to learn, learn, learn! Maybe I’m imagining I can keep up with our three daughters (each is a public-school teacher) and our nine grandchildren (grade 4 through senior year in college), which ain’t likely! Anyway, Nan and I are both well, grateful for each other, and for all our family. I’m looking forward to seeing you, each and all, at our 65th Reunion in June.”

’62

Tom Tobey ttobey13@gmail.com Robert MacLaughlin bawbmacz@gmail.com Class of ’62, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretaries.

’63

Bob Taylor bobtayor2532@gmail.com Jon Shafmaster and Bob Taylor attended the official unveiling of the portrait of our former beloved master John (“Jack”) Marr in the Pescosolido Library on October 18, 2025, a gift from the Class of 1963. See the caption under the photo for a complete list of the attendees. Besides Jon and Bob, the portrait was funded by Bill Sloane, Donald Stone, Chad Smith, Steve Hughes, and Cal Mackenzie. Michael Mulligan ’71, along with Tom Trafton and Carly Elliott from the Office of Advancement, supported the project in other meaningful ways.

CLASS NOTES

Ran Langenbach has created a website featuring photos from more than 40 countries where he has worked and traveled over the past 50 years: https://aroundtheworldwithrandolph.com/. The website already includes 2,413 photographs, organized by country, with more added every week (goal: 5,000 photos). As many of you know, Ran is an exceptional photographer, and it is well worth the time to explore his portfolio. [Editor’s note: I thought that the photos of Austria—in particular, one showing Ran at the summit of a mountain in the year 2000—are breathtaking.] Peter Morrin: “My wife Carolyn and I enjoyed taking part in the No Kings march on October 18th. We joined several thousand costumed, sign-bearing and chanting compatriots in Louisville.” Peter also connected with Cal Mackenzie in September on a visit to see his family in Brunswick, Maine (see photo). Bill Sloane: “As Peter Morrin

is doing, I am joining in protest marches in the Boston area. Are other classmates, and the larger community, as concerned as we are for the willful degradation of our Democracy, the Constitution, and the values and norms that have defined our nation’s ideals and actions for 250 years?? The start of Trump’s second term began with the pardoning of the convicted and imprisoned members of the mob that stormed the Capitol in an attempted coup; and, with Trump’s astonishing declaration that they were all ‘patriots.’ They were NOT patriots. The justice system had ruled correctly. Trump’s action was step one in his continuing pattern for undermining our system calling for respect for the rule of law and pursuing actions devoted to achieving a just result.” Well said, Bill! Don Connelly writes, “I guess the biggest event currently is that I turned 80, as we all are doing. Retirement is not a goal for me. I am still speaking to financial

advisors, a fair amount in person, but I am now speaking virtually as well. I also write a weekly column focused on communication and soft skills for financial advisors. Rebecca and I have lived in Sarasota for the past 30years. My daughter, Lisa, is happily married and living in the Philadelphia suburbs. I have two grandsons. One is a Denison graduate, living and working in NYC. The other is a graduate of Northeastern, currently in his second year at Columbia Law School. Overall things are fine. I have come to realize that if you have your health, you have no problems. I try to walk at least five miles a day and work out regularly with a trainer. My major goal is to make it to 81.” You can subscribe to Don’s weekly newsletter, “Don Connelly’s Wit & Wisdom,” at donconnelly.substack.com/about. Steve Hughes reports, “Things here in Tesuque, NM are pretty quiet. I am still mostly retired, though serving as a hearing officer for the State

Clockwise from top left: David Hilgendorff and Cal Mackenzie working on the Milestone in the fall of 1962 · Bob Taylor ’63 and Jon Shafmaster ’63 unveiling the portrait of former master John “Jack” Marr, observed by Scott Maguire ’82, one of Mr. Marr’s nephews · Head of School Peter Quimby ’85, P’14; Bob Taylor ’63; Jon Shafmaster ’63; Scott Maguire ’82, a nephew of Mr. Marr; and Lisa Marr, a niece, at the official unveiling of former master John Marr’s portrait in the Pescosolido Library on October 18, 2025. In attendance, not shown: Tom Trafton and Carly Elliott from the Office of Advancement; Larry Henchey ’64; and Bob’s wife, Mandy Yung-Taylor · Peter Morrin ’63 and Cal Mackenzie ’63 in Brunswick, Maine, September 2025

Land Office. My wife is still singing with her little women’s chorus for the sick and dying at hospitals and hospices. My son continues to work at Lockheed Martin producing and launching GPS satellites. The Ukrainian family we took in from the war several years ago is struggling to find a way to stay here and become citizens. I have enjoyed rekindling ancient friendships with GDA folks, particularly Bobby Taylor and Jon Shafmaster whose amazing lobster business we visited this past summer.” [Editor’s note: Bobby Taylor has absolutely nothing to do with Jon’s lobster business, in case you were wondering. Mr. Mercer or Mr. Murphy might have suggested another comma or semi-colon somewhere in that sentence.] Cal Mackenzie shares an essay he wrote for his family when he learned that David Hilgendorff had died: “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to get old. Perhaps that’s been stimulated by the deaths recently of so many of my friends. Our GDA class had 52 people in it. Three of them have passed away in the past few months. One of those we lost was my dear friend from high school days, David Hilgendorff. Here’s a photo of David and me working on our high school yearbook in the autumn of 1962. It feels like yesterday. David and I did everything together in that time; it was a splendid friendship. But then after graduation, we went off to different universities and different lives and rarely saw each other again. So, it was striking to me how affected I was by the news that he had died. Our lives are full of episodes. Most of them endure for only a short time before we pass on to the next one. But in those episodes—at school, at war, at work—we form deep bonds with the people who share them with us. Those personal interactions may fade over time, but the memories endure of their importance in those moments in time. So, David’s passing filled my mind with snippets of memory, little snapshots of things we did together, fun we shared, challenges we met. I find that happening a lot now as I get older. Aging is not without its burdens, but it also has an abundance of pleasures. My career is complete and well Spring 2026 45

CLASS NOTES

done. I owe no one money. My children have been educated. I have earned and saved enough for a comfortable retirement in the home I designed. I no longer hurry through life. Few deadlines fill my time. Now I can enjoy the magic of small moments that I would have once hurried by. Watching a vibrant leaf slowly ride the wind to the ground on an autumn afternoon. Trying to determine why my dog is so fascinated by a smell that he’s detected in a bush on one of our walks. Re-reading something I wrote decades ago and recalling what inspired me then. Moments like this have a treasured place in my life now, treasures I had to grow old to discover. One day not long from now, I know, my time will come to join my old friends who have passed on. But before that day arrives, I will enjoy the delights of these unhurried moments for what they are: the great desserts of this feast we call life.” Bob Taylor: To follow up on Cal’s essay, besides David Hilgendorff, last year we also lost Peter Coburn and Jeff Eveleth. You may find Peter’s obituary at https://www. legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ peter-coburn-obituary?pid= 208558190#obituary and Jeff’s at https://www.legacy.com/us/ obituaries/wktv/name/jeffreyeveleth-sr-obituary?id=58701066.

(Sorry, we haven’t been able to find David’s obituary. Please let me know if you find it, and I will share the link with everyone in the next issue.)

’64

Larry Henchey lhenchey@verizon.net Not much news from classmates for this issue, but I know that we still have an active, involved group. Last fall, I enjoyed attending two interesting events on campus in Byfield. At Cardinal and White day in October, I was pleasantly surprised to see Bob Taylor ’63 and his classmate Jon Shafmaster ’63. Many of us remember flocking to Alumni Gym to watch Bob emerge victorious in many entertaining wrestling matches. Those teams were the most dominant squads in New England. After listening to Dr. Quimby’s talk on the ambitious new strategic plan, we adjourned to the library for the unveiling of a portrait of former teacher and coach, Jack Marr. The portrait was commissioned by Bob, Jon and other ’63 classmates. The other event was a meeting convened by John Heald in his role as president of the Alumni Council. One of John’s primary efforts has been to seek ways for

Gov’s alumni and students to find more opportunities for working together to support the school mission and contribute to the success of future alumni. Charlie Parker, John, and I joined other members of the Alumni Council and student “STARS,” the senior leadership group for the current year. The discussion was open and lively. Opportunities for mentoring were of great interest. We concluded that coordinated mentoring between alumni volunteers and recently graduated students can be very helpful in making decisions about further education and employment opportunities. The Engagement Committee of the Council is now working on ways to move this important program forward. I recently received a welcome update from Phil Johnson: “I have done very well recovering from my heart surgery. Back to playing bridge, golf, and dinners out with the group. Driving long distances to see family and traveling whenever possible.” Way to go, Phil. And from Peter Thomas: “Am doing a bit of Mars work here (Ithaca) … not sure it will be of much use, but keeping goals in ‘retirement’ I have found to be important.” Once a scientist, always a scientist? Unfortunately, the news on John O’Dea was not good. John passed

away on September 6, 2025. Peter Thomas sent the following information: “Indeed a loss. An excellent person, one who had positive influences on people. I spoke briefly to Mary (John’s widow) who said John developed an infection after knee surgery which could not be controlled.” Howard Foss, Chris Olney, and Tom Maier also sent along their sincere condolences. “Skipper” John was not only a well-respected naval architect, but also loved spending time aboard his restored 19-foot steam launch and taking it to various antique steamboat meets. As class secretary, I have enjoyed staying in touch with classmates and the occasional news you all provide. I am sure that John Mercer and Don Balser found the role interesting but occasionally frustrating when there was little to report. Then again, our busy lives do not revolve neatly around The Archon publishing schedule. I will end this column with some thoughts from Terry Golden: “I want to thank you for taking over the task of class secretary from Don Balser; there should be some award for that!!! I doubt anyone would remember; but Jay Cooke, Don, and I won a blue ribbon in the High Hurdle relay at the Exeter Relays in 1964— we may have even established a meet record. Don, with his lifelong asthma, coveted that ribbon all his life; and unlike my accident, Jay’s accident broke nothing—but left him paralyzed (but, unconquered) for the rest of his life. Though we rarely saw one another as adults, except for a boat ride or a Patriots game, there was always a feeling of kinship and affection borne of our time together at the Academy when we did. I felt that again with my classmates at the Athletic HOF ceremony, as I have previously at Ralph Johnson’s class parties. Finally, I want to say that when I have seen classmates recently, THEY LOOK DAMN GOOD!!!” Fondly, Terry

’65

Ken Linberg ken.linberg@gmail.com Skipper John O’Dea ’64 with his vintage steamboat

46 Governor’s

Class of ’65, we’d love to hear

CLASS NOTES

from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’66

REUNION

Jim Connolly jim@conolly.legal Class of ’66, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’67

Ben Beach benhbeach@gmail.com “Well,” Jeff Wood emailed from Scarborough, NY, “I hope 2026 doesn’t look like 2025, since I was laid off last year. Now that things have settled down with various assortments of retirement paperwork, perhaps there may be room for at least some day trips. Remy, our miniature poodle, is now well over 18 years old, so he’s a concern to be left behind when traveling, even in a kennel, so we stay pretty much close to home. Winston the parrot? Well now, that’s another matter entirely. If he bites me again, I just might leave the back door open and let him see how he fends for himself with the burgeoning hawk population that frequently flies over the house.” Last December Paul Hemmerich spent a day helping Andy Creed and a couple of wooden canoe enthusiasts clinch nails on a canoe that Andy is making from scratch for his granddaughter. “What a labor of love!” Paul wrote. “He has quite the reputation as a canoe builder and repairer. His yard has several in various states of disrepair, many dating back to mid-century or earlier. And every woodworking machine in his basement that you can think of. I love craftsmanship, and he clearly exhibits it.” Bouncing back from prostate cancer treatment, Joe Story reported: “Looking forward to 2026. Anxious to get strength and energy back. Got several projects to work on around home.” Prostate cancer also arrived on Larry Miller’s doorstep. “Proton radiation wrapped last week,”

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Larry wrote at New Year’s, “and I’ll get hormone therapy through September to ‘finish the job.’ Fatigue and other challenges are expected during this period. Looking forward to exercising, healthy eating, and enjoying life. Please convey to everyone to include PSA test in annual exam.” Larry’s niece, Jessica Miller, will be running in the 2026 Boston Marathon with Team Target Cancer 2026. Jessica’s father, who is Larry’s younger brother Bruce, is also being treated for prostate cancer. From farther up the Florida coastline, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Bill Barnes reported, “I haven’t been doing a lot except for cheering on

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my granddaughter as she has taken up sailboat racing. She won several regattas and raced in the nationals last April. Aside from that, I’ve been traveling to California to visit family and also spending some time up in New England.”

Joe’s also got more time to read, and he recommends We Who Wrestle with God by J. B. Peterson and How to Test Negative for Stupid and Why Washington Never Will by J. Kennedy. “Both are insightful, the latter funny.”

The guy sitting right next to Bill in the varsity football team picture, Joe Schwarzer, said, “I continue to rant about socialism and now that it is here (‘warm collectivism’—shades of Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, etc.), I look forward to snatchand-grabs at the Met. Still enjoying retirement, researching medieval weapons and trade routes and ignoring traditional myopic academic parameters.”

Bill Alfond and Joni concluded 2025 with trips to Paris and Portugal alongside their daughter Kenden and family. They celebrated Thanksgiving in Greenwich with their son Reis and family and visited their son Justin and family at Sugarloaf. Over the summer, Bill and Joni enjoyed Belgrade Lakes, Maine, engaging in a range of outdoor activities with their children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren. Bill still chuckles about the Spring 2026 47

CLASS NOTES

time Val Wilkie summoned him to his office to ask if Bill’s roommate, George Swift, was growing grass outside their third-floor window in Pierce. Bill mistakenly thought it was about a golf putting green. Quizzed about what he recalled about Phillips residents’ late-night doughnut raids, Reid Pugh replied, “You want me to name names? I don’t want to get anybody in trouble with Mr. Wilkie, even at this point. I do recall my neighbor on Phillips II, Rich Brayton, enjoying those doughnuts with me after we stood there in the kitchen, frozen with fear when the door flew open and the lights came on and as we waited to be hauled off to see Mr. Wilkie. ‘Flea’ walked casually through the kitchen, glanced at us without saying a word, did what he came to do, then turned off the lights and left. I also recall later upstairs enjoying doughnuts in Biff and Kevin’s room.” The kid Reid expected to room with sophomore year, Mick Doolittle, emailed, “I’m like the Bob Seeger song ’Still the Same’the title at least, not the lyrics. Still practicing law, still trying to make my first hole-in-one, still waiting for the Bills to win a Super Bowl and, after 51-plus years of marriage, still in love with Laurie (who I met on blind date because she’d lost a bet with her roommate).”

Speaking of famous Cottage proctors, Roger Block said that he is “not unhappy to turn the page on 2025 and begin a new year. “Most of 2025 was spent in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal stenosis in my neck. After surgery on six vertebrae in August and as of this writing in January, I have regained much of my balance as well as arm and leg strength. Amy and I are looking forward to getting back on the waters of Penobscot Bay this summer.” “It’s been a quiet year,” Edwin Beatty reported from Albuquerque. “I enjoy being in New Mexico—the seasons, the landscape, the diversity. In November, the viruses that were circulating caught up with me. I’m fortunate to be so rarely unwell; it’s a challenge. Viruses were the likely catalyst for a more serious longer-term illness, PMR (polymyalgia rheumatica)—an inflammation of the hips and joints. It makes movements like bending and raising arms very painful. Treatment is corticosteroids (prednisone). I’m slowly getting better, learning more about PMR and ways to cope with it. Resting a lot

and doing a lot of reading. Latest favorite: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods—a delightful mix of parallel narratives and magic realism.” Another classmate enjoying the Southwest, Arizona’s David Marsh, has had to deal with tooth extraction. “Are anyone else’s crowns getting infected? More positively, was voted Artist of the Month by the El Valle Artists’ Association in November, which coincided with a three-month exhibit called ‘Our Beautiful North Rim.’” To see David’s paintings, go to Davidmarsh.com. One of David’s fans, Stanley Greenberg, emailed: “Highlight of 2025 was my acquisition of a painting by David Marsh, with donation to GDA. ‘Evening Quiet Before the Grand Escalante Staircase’ now hangs in the French Student Center, where American Studies classes are held.” Her little church in Hope, B.C., needs an organist, so Anne-Marie Laverty has been honing her old Sunday school skills, but she finds it

difficult, having been disorganized for so many years. She survived the late-2025 Pacific Northwest floods quite comfortably, thanks to a high location, a big freezer, and an outsize emergency generator. Jeff Harris said, “I am saddened by what is happening in our world, both in our country and around the globe. As children of the Cold War, I didn’t imagine we would again witness such inherent threat and uncertainty reaching into our daily lives. I am doing my best to remain optimistic that sane heads will prevail. Looking forward to stopping by Byfield in June for a fix of the calm and beauty so present on our old campus.” In November, Lew Rumford’s son Will married Kate, a fellow social worker and counselor in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Lew’s daughter Grace and her husband Rahul have moved from Chicago to Baltimore. So, twothirds of Lew’s offspring now live within a short drive. “I am following my plan to travel,”

Mac Barnes is excited about summer. “My son Remy’s wife, Ana, is expecting a girl on June 5, and my daughter Nellie is expecting a girl on July 2. So, we are double blessed. And we already have three boys and a girl.” Seven years ago, a 39-year-old from Chuck Davis’s hometown of Burlington, Vermont, launched a start-up. “This guy had 15 employees, no revenue, and a plan to build electric airplanes,” Chuck said. Chuck decided to take a chance on him and loaned him $5 million to make payroll. Last November, Chuck, now chairman of that start-up (Beta Technologies), was ringing the bell at the NYSE for an $8 billion IPO. “Remember the name Kyle Clark,” he said, “because you will be hearing lots more about him. He is one of a kind.” 48 Governor’s

Clockwise from top right: Paul Hemmerich ’67 and Andy Creed ’67 in Andy's canoe workshop · Chuck Davis ’67 and Kyle Clark celebrating their company’s IPO at the New York Stock Exchange · Ray Huard ’67 feeding a lemur on Necker Island, British Virgin Islands

CLASS NOTES

Wil Poon said in January. “So I’m off to Singapore next week and then Thailand and Hong Kong in March.” Gene Romero receives multiple radio ablation treatments once a year that allow him to walk normally for a couple of months a year. “Despite my cochlear implant,” Gene wrote, “I still have trouble hearing in most situations. I miss the camaraderie of classmates and am deeply saddened by the political schism that seems to divide even some of us.” “I tried retiring for a weekend and couldn’t stand it,” Alan Rothfeld reported. “My three ‘hobby jobs’ have taken on lives of their own. My respiratory therapy team from Santa Monica College won the National Academic competition (called, naturally, the Sputum Bowl) for the second straight year, and we graduated LA Valley College’s first bachelor’s degree class. Ruth and I are exploring a little closer to home these days. There’s more than I thought along the local coast and also inland; I had never been to Riverside or San Bernardino. We are working on collecting hats from all ten of the University of California campuses. It’s a good life!” Sid Bird wrote, “2025 was a good year for Mary and me. We competed at the Iowa Senior National Games and did well. I continue to play racquetball three times a week after cortisone shots in my right thumb, right shoulder, and spine—all three locations stressed by racquetball, but it’s worth it! My son was married last spring, and our nine-year-old grandson continues to excel in flag football.” Dan Morgan and Mayo jetted to St. Louis to spend Christmas with daughter Mayo and family and then headed to Palm Springs to celebrate the New Year with Wynne’s and Robb’s teams. Next stop: Las Vegas. “Did not lose a penny!!,” Dan raved. “Also, did not place a bet.” They saw Cirque Du Soleil’s production of “O” and John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame. “His voice, like Reid’s, is still strong.” Bill Dougherty’s granddaughter Catalina finished her semester abroad at Royal College of Music in

London. She applied to the three top music schools in London and was accepted by all. Granddaughter Renee graduated as the valedictorian from Williamson (NY) High School and plans to major in aerospace engineering. Bill’s genetic material that produced his low math grades at GDA was clearly filtered out. The other graduating grandchild is Donovan Dougherty, who attended high school in De Soto, Kansas. Meanwhile, Bill is teaching a Sunday school class for 9- and 10-year-olds and is doing PT “to try to resurrect some semblance of back muscles.” “I am surviving,” Web Pearce wrote, “but my body is starting to show my age. I have trouble getting up each day. I used to smirk at old people for walking slowly. Now I am that old person. Wife and dog are also getting old.” Lamenting the recent deaths of classmates, Web added, “I just hope that I can make it to the 2028 presidential election so I can see this so-called ‘president’ voted out and our country hopefully return to ‘normal.’” In late 2024, Caroline and Tom Taylor headed down the Amazon River, “but it turned into a cruise to nowhere,” Tom said, “when river levels continued to be low due to drought conditions. A mechanical problem with the boat prevented us from cruising the 500 miles that had been dredged to a depth that would accommodate our ship. We settled for a cruise down the Douro River in Portugal.” This summer, to celebrate their 50th anniversary, they plan to take the whole family (three children and spouses and six grandchildren) to the Azore Islands. Tom’s mile relay mate, Paul Hemmerich, is in almost constant motion. Last year he and Bart hiked in various national parks, including Bryce, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Voyageurs, and Glacier. They also did a pair of European bike tours and hit a number of spots in Canada. Their volunteer activities included clearing debris from hiking trails. Thanks to a surgeon’s skillful removal of a bone spur behind Paul’s Achilles tendon, he can do these things pain-free. “Looking out my back door,” Doug

Curtis wrote, “I’m thinking of April and starting plants in my vegetable garden, wondering if it is finally time to become a snowbird. We are one horse away from having to winter up here. Looks like my business will not be sold anytime soon; the stable of buyers the broker represents are low-ballers, and I am under contract until May. Live and learn. My daughter Virginia works for me part-time, and Lindsay ’97 expects her husband to receive his green card any day now, so I can see my grandson in person again. They plan to live here on the North Shore.” Since 2022, Mike Rogers has been illustrating football cheers for the Harvard -Yale game, “and enjoying conducive conversations with rivaled fans Stanley Greenberg and Dan Morgan.” Last fall, Mike created previsualization art for a live-action film and then began working on a tome of illustrated poetry by his wife Deirdre, called St. Patrick’s Breastplate. In March, Mike produced a show called “Sidewinder,” featuring “crazy hot rods and animation art.”

’68

Ted Nahil tednahil@gmail.com Within days of my submitting our notes for the last issue of The Archon, we learned that mentor, coach, and honorary member of the Class of 1968, Dick Leavitt, had passed away. That was last June and Dick was remembered fondly by many of us. Dick started his career at The Academy the same year that we started, 1964. Art Veasey: “I never had him as a teacher or coach, but I got to know Dick through reunions and other GDA events in later years. A good man— may he rest in peace.” Charles Johnson: “He was a great guy, I really enjoyed the conversations we shared as student, mentor and adults.” Bubba: “I’m so very sorry to hear of Dick’s passing. I was particularly fond of him and always enjoyed meeting up at GA. He had a way, a smile, that made you feel he was a friend. When my children were at the school, I always felt he was watching over them for me.” And Jon Williams wrote: “He was my senior trigonometry teacher (my best subject) and was a calm

and persuasive influence after some tumultuous experiences in geometry and algebra! The fact that he stayed at GDA for a career, having weathered some personal disruptions, is a testament to his love of the Academy and of his students.” Marc Tucker and CF Spang graciously sent flowers on behalf of the class, and on its behalf, thank you for doing that. Chris Page, among others, made a donation to the Humane Society, one of Dick’s family’s requests. I, like Veas, never had him as a teacher or coach, but through the years got to know him through reunions and GDA events. I remember his bow ties especially. Truly a loss for us all. While we were remembering Dick, I inadvertently missed Ben Brewster’s birthday and asked if I was fired? Tuck set me straight and I thank him for that: “Fortunately, Ted, you’ve earned tons of good will. And, as a result, you are not only forgiven but you’ve earned the moniker of secretary for life.” Winsor White granted me special dispensation if I watched three White Sox games. Sorry, Winsor, but thanks for the offer! On Paul Gares’ birthday, Elliott O’Reilly, using a meme he got on the Internet Machine, commented: “Now that I’m older I realize Grumpy Old Men isn’t a movie, it’s a training video!” Veas wrote, “Happy birthday Pabs—I hope this anniversary finds you in good health, good spirits, and like a fine wine, aging with grace”—to which Paul replied, sort of saying the quiet part out loud for a lot of us, “Thanks for all the good wishes … to reply to Josh … yes good spirits and as for health not as spry as I was once, but all things considered 75 isn’t a bad age to be (better than the alternative) … and finally, nothing like a fine aged wine … I’ll break out a bottle with dinner tonight! Best to all my Gov buddies!” Elliott’s birthday brought multiple comments, but one from Rob Lord that pretty much sums up Elliott’s contribution to our email exchanges through the year: “A happy birthday from me too, Elliott. I’ve enjoyed your many comical B-day emails throughout the year!” Elliott didn’t let us down in his reply: “Thanks everyone! When I woke up this morning, I was reminded of a quote from the Spring 2026 49

CLASS NOTES

old Frankenstein movie: “HE’S ALIVE!” Last week I heard that the average life expectancy of a male in the US is 75.8 years. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to know that at 76, I have achieved above average results and exceeded expectations!” Dan Look’s birthday brought this from Mr. Veasey: “Kind of broad in the shoulders and narrow at the hip—everybody knew you didn’t give no lip to … oh wait, that was Big John. Anyway, happy birthday Big Bad Dan!” Harry Kangis added to that, “My father’s name was John, and my sister and I would sing that to him all the time. Happy B-Day big Dan.” Dan’s reply to it all: “Well, I am not quite as “narrow at the hip” as I used to be.” Then he added: “Thank you all for your thoughts and birthday wishes. I would like one of you to tell how I am supposed to feel at 76!! Still feeling pretty good. It must be the daily dish of green Jello.” And there you go! On the occasion of his birthday, Dave Mitchell wrote to us: “Many thanks for your generous good wishes for my birthday today! As I thought about this ripe old age,

I thought: well, I’ve hit the 3/4 mark, if I can go the distance. Then I thought that perhaps it’s more like the Kentucky Derby—I’ve just come around the fourth turn and am racing for the finish line (albeit hopefully at a long, leisurely pace)! Best to all and to all another great year for us all.” Hale Smith sent me this note after his birthday in September: “Thanks for remembering my birthday. The march of time is undeniable. I hope that you are well and enjoying our twilight years with family and friends.” Meanwhile, in August, Bubba and Jayne welcomed a new granddaughter, Alexander Rose, photos below. “Please see newest granddaughter, 8/24/25 Alexander Rose. Her older sister, Mackenzie, is not as impressed as was her mom, Bethany, and dad, my son Adam! Jayne and I are thrilled, as you could imagine! Be well!” In October, we learned that Bob Parsons’ firm, Parsons Capital Management, was rated CNBC’s #1 investment management firm out of over 40,500 registered investment advisor

firms! A great accomplishment! Josh Burns was among those sending kudos, along with Veas, Chris Page, Tuck, Jon Williams, Peter Barkin, Winsor, Grande, Don Hayes, Bubba, and Roger Smith. Also in October, Charles Johnson spent a week vacationing in Waynesville, NC. I chatted briefly with Harry and also with Elliott in October and all is well with both of them. Ted Brooks is well, as is Ned Bennett. And Jon Schaefer chimed in over the months too, also doing fine! Between the birthday emails and other updates, the regular group of participants never fails to disappoint. November brought CF, John Sowles, Veas, Tuck, and Rick Kaye-Schiess together for a belated birthday lunch for Chris Page at Burton’s in Lynnfield, where Chris was presented with a 1968 sweatshirt. Rick summed it up with, “Chris—It was splendid to spend time with you and remember many good trips up the river together. Ciao!” Photo is below—Chris looks great, refreshments were served, and a good time was had by all! Thanksgiving

brought us all together again via email, with Elliott telling it like it is! He wrote, “Ah, Thanksgiving. The day we are not offended by all the turkeys out there and we can get away with giving people the bird! I’m already drooling about the pumpkin and pecan pies, but my wife has given me the ‘I can look but not touch warning!’ I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!” Veas sent along a very apt quote from Erma Bombeck as follows: “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Halftimes take twelve minutes. This is not a coincidence.” And Grande, despite his NSFW turducken cartoon, summed up a lot of our feelings for each other: “However you ‘enjoy’ your bird, have a safe and restful Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you knuckleheads. The gift of lasting friendships and shared memories.” Amen, and thanks, Dan! Ross Raymond seconded Dan’s sentiments: “I still work about 55 hours a week and am not the most organized person in the world, so I am not very good

Clockwise from top left: Chris Page ’68 sporting his new birthday sweatshirt · Chuck Johnson ’68 at his “post” at Camp Cody · Chuck Johnson ’68 with his children · Dave Mitchell ’68 and Lin with grandchildren, Summer and Vince, and his almost finished chair · Class of 1968 holiday gathering at Davio’s

50 Governor’s

CLASS NOTES

at joining all the birthday wishes exchanged in our group. But I definitely want to echo the sentiment Dan expressed so well and say I think about and miss y’all more than you would guess from lack of birthday emails. Having Dan and Paul down here in the ‘Southern Part of Heaven’ is one thing I am truly grateful for!” Peter added, “I like Dan’s line so much I want to repeat, thanks for ‘the gift of lasting friendships and shared memories.’” We also got the Beer Drinker’s Prayer from Jay Worthen and a first Thanksgiving cartoon from Veas crediting Thomas Sullivan, a blacksmith who attended the first Thanksgiving Day dinner, with being the first person to stick olives on his fingers! Not sure where all this comes from, but you all have a knack for digging up some crazy stuff!! On his birthday, Boots Brown reported that his new home in Mexico was almost finished. He wrote, “Muchas Gracias Amigos. Vida en Mexico is muy bueno. I have been incredibly busy building a casa, getting close to terminado.” Also on December 8, the annual holiday dinner took place at Davio’s. See the photo, complete with a GDA banner! In the back row: John Wannop, Jim Rudolph, CF Spang, Peter Barkin, Marc Tucker. And in the front, kneeling: Jay Worthen, Wayne Barbaro, Art Veasey, and Rob Lord. Missing is Steve Robinson—there in spirit, but unfortunately not able to make it. The donation this year went to Our Neighbor’s Table in Amesbury. On his birthday, Kevin Huban wrote, “Thank you all for your kind wishes. My family and I are well at this time. Hope you all are healthy and peaceful.” We have a lot of December birthdays, and Paul Gares got them all at once! He wrote: “Hi all 68’ers … Wanted to wish belated birthday wishes to Kevin, Artie, Ned, and Harold … what a group of Mid-December birthdays … congratulations gentlemen for 75 years (based on my own birthday earlier this summer, I assume 75 is right). We have made it this far … let’s go for a few more years! Raising a toast to all my classmates as we approach the New Year … and of course Merry Christmas to all!” Holiday wishes—Christmas and Hanukkah—abounded. Don

Hayes: “Seasoned Greetings to All. Happy and Healthy 2026 as well!” And Mitch summed it all up with this: “Whatever you celebrate, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Paganism, Eid al-Fitr, Kwanzaa, or whatever, have a great season and as importantly, if not more so, a great 2026 (couldn’t get any weirder than ’25, could it?). Best to all, and to all a good night!” Chuck Johnson sent along his newsletter and a couple of pictures, included below. Here’s a summary: “2025 has been another good year for me, but I can’t quite get my head wrapped around the fact that I have been retired for 10years. The year also brought about a quiet life milestone when I turned 75 in February. Don’t feel that old mentally, but my body occasionally reminds me I’m not as spry as I used to be … 2025 also saw me passing the chairman’s gavel at Monitor Lodge. I continue to keep a lower profile with my other longtime activity, Odyssey of the Mind, now only volunteering as a judge at the annual Sacramento regional tournaments. I also continue to provide occasional administrative support for a couple of local community theater groups. On the Seattle front, the kids made a couple more college visits to Boston and southern California. Ben is in the middle of the college application process, and we are waiting to see where he will be headed in the fall. Mallory continues to serve as a youth baking camp counselor and …. Pam and Brian continue with their respective art appraisal and business banking careers.” He goes on to say that he continues to watch a lot of TV, but has increased his book reading time, too! Ross Raymond continues to work for Bavarian Nordic, based in Munich. He writes: “I’m the only team member of six people based in the US. We are primarily responsible for managing the document management system and electronic submission publishing technology utilized by the company. My supervisor is an excellent manager and leader. She has made it possible for me to visit Munich twice and the company supports the entire Regulatory Affairs team meeting once a year. In 2024, the location was Berne, Switzerland and this year we met in Copenhagen. At this

age and stage of life I am feeling incredibly grateful for what I’ve just described. Moreover, my two sons are 20 minutes away and healthy and happy (for the most part). I am staying physically fit and get to gather with Dan and Paul a few times each year for lunch to address the important problems of these insane times.” Harry and Julia are faring well after a couple of scares. Here’s his short novella: “Even if I put aside everything happening on the national stage, 2025 was a year with lots of surprises, some much better than others. On the positive side, my One Page Solutions strategic planning business continues to keep me as busy as I want to be, and with the added advantage of good brain exercise, which we all need at our age. On the positive side, the first of our five grandkids got married in Seattle last August, and the weather gods did not disappoint. Her brother got engaged last year, so we will be repeating the experience in late May. Our Cincinnati grandson graduated from Sewanee with highest honors in his double majors of math and French. It’s good being him, because he was awarded a generous fellowship to study in France this fall, and was accepted to Insead, France’s top MBA program. His twin sisters will graduate with honors from Davidson and Eckerd respectively in spring 2027, and the 529s we created when they were all born will have done their job.” He continued: “We did lose six important friends in 2025, and only the 97-year-old did not leave us way too soon, although we still miss her dearly. Life has also tried to come after Julia and me, so as I write this in January, we are currently a two-cancer household. Demographics suggest that I have company in the Class ’68 from others who join me on my prostate cancer journey—I have already compared notes with one of you and [am] happy to do so with others …. With virtually no warning, Julia was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma last October, but thanks to Cincinnati’s excellent medical facilities, we jumped right on it. After the first two chemo treatments, a PET scan showed that 90% of the cancer was gone, with minimal side effects, and the doctors are optimistic she will join

me in remission by the time her chemo is done in March.” Mitch sent along a couple of pictures (see below) and this update: “I kept the last issue of The Archon until now, and am glad I did—otherwise, how would I remember what I’d last written?! I also read the entire ’67 notes and found a few surprises like fellow woodworkers (Wayne Noel and Andy Creed) and one alum who’d recently moved to Mt. Dora, FL (Jeff Forte). I had thought that no one else knew about the town in which my mother was raised by her parents and grandparents (one of whom I was named after). Small world! Mt. Dora may, however, be best known for its role in a major motion picture. Since our last writing, my wife and I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving in Summerville, SC, where our eldest son lives, in great measure to finally meet our newest great grandchild, Summer Rose. She’s an absolute charmer, and we were immediately smitten! Unfortunately, Summer, her brother, Vince, and parents still live in Colorado, but we’ll gladly take what we can get. Hope to see them again this year. Our oldest, daughter Carrie, is still in D.C. with husband Paul and her two boys, who are gainfully employed. They were down for Christmas, which is always a great pleasure. Our youngest, Tom, and his wife Danielle are still in CT, but bought a condominium in Naples and are looking forward to retiring there in a few years. I am still finding retirement to be far preferable to working, but also find I have more projects, stuff I want to read, and general living than I seem to have time for. Lin and I are planning our 48th anniversary to again be in Destin, FL, where we were last year as well. We are working at staying in shape and eating right, but don’t always succeed. Still, apart from the aches and pains of poor genetics, jointwise, we are doing well. All the best to all!” Dan Look sent along this update: “‘Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.’ — Nathaniel Hawthorne. Here we are once again sending our notes and updates to Ted. First and foremost, my gratitude to Ted for all he continues to provide for our class cohesion. Anne and I are still in North Carolina, traveling frequently Spring 2026 51

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

In Pursuit of Truth For nearly 50 years, investigative journalist Dave Bohman ’75 has been in relentless pursuit of the truth. A six-time Emmy Award winner, he now reports for WPTV NewsChannel 5 in Palm Beach, Florida, where his investigations hold the powerful accountable and serve as a watchdog for his community. Last March, Bohman’s investigation into stolen land helped the rightful owner recover her property. “Those are the moments when I know I chose the right career path. I can be really proud of what I do and hope some good comes out of it.” Bohman has won over 100 awards for his reporting. As an investigative reporter for WNEP-TV in Scranton, PA, he broke major corruption stories and has covered the devastating toll of the opioid crisis. Despite the serious nature of his reporting, he remains an optimist at heart. “I believe in humanity... there are more good people than bad out there.” Before launching his career, Bohman imagined he’d become a sports broadcaster, but Govs history teacher Christopher Harlow sparked an interest in current events. “He was as good a teacher as I’ve ever had,” Bohman recalls. “He kept the entire class engaged in what’s going on in the world.” Is retirement on the horizon? Not a chance. In fact, he’s in hot pursuit of an investigation into price gouging at some Florida gas stations. “I’m going to have to be dragged away from journalism kicking and screaming,” he says.

52 Governor’s

to New England. Moving to Connecticut is on the stove, yet on a back burner. We have a lovely home here in North Carolina (come visit). So, the impetus for moving has lessened. My family is all doing well, the greatest blessing we can have now. The Windshadow Group program for veterans continues to gain traction and form. I have infrequent but delightful lunches with Ross Raymond and Pablo Gares. It is great to see them and to reconnect and strengthen the ties from the class of ’68. I am moving the boat to Newport for the coming season, so let me know if you would like to go for a sail! Hawthorne’s “shadow” of my classmates envelops me. You are all bricks in my foundation, for which I am eternally grateful and enriched. Godspeed to you all.” Finally, Terry and yours truly continue to enjoy south Florida for the weather and our daughter Kristen’s family, ten miles from us in Palm City. Son-in-law David continues as a commercial crabber—tough job, but he is really good at it! Kristen now works for the Martin County School District after years of teaching. Sons Jack and Josh continue to provide reality checks and keep us up to speed with all the younger generation lingo and such. Jack is a senior this year, Josh is in seventh grade. Our son Jonathan is in Castle Rock, CO, along, with granddaughters Kylie and Brooklyn. Kylie is a sophomore and an incredible slow-pitch softball player! Brooklyn is in eighth grade and is active in volleyball and cheer. Jonathan is a wonderful single father. All four of them are exceptional students to boot! We wish we all lived closer, but we manage to make a couple of trips a year to the Denver area. Terry goes more often than I, but I promise, Jon W., I will make an effort to get together with you one of these trips! Speaking of getting together, I am looking forward to joining Harold, Simon McColloch, and hopefully Bob Parsons as well, sometime after the Super Bowl for a lunch in the Boca/West Palm area. I continue to work because I still enjoy it, although the broadcast industry is in a bit of turmoil these days. Even so, we are fortunate to have family and good friends close by, even though some of them are Eagles fans! We are hoping to see the Pats make it all the way to the big game; time will tell. And I have

to say that one of the things that brings me joy is the relationships we have with each other after all these years. I truly enjoy hearing from you, so keep the updates, pictures, and news flashes coming! Take care and, amidst all the chaos and confusion out there, stay safe!

’69

Billy Clyde coachbclyde@gmail.com Brian Pfeiffer questions: “What is this retirement business?” Brian’s interest in architectural history shows no sign of waning. He is busier and more happily engaged than he has ever been. As he says: “I suppose that I am doomed to die with my boots on!” Brian has been involved with many significant historical projects. Thanks for that, and how nice to have that kind of passion. Ned Lattime shares a similar sentiment. He is officially retired, but continues to collaborate on clinical cancer research part time. This gives him more opportunity to visit Newburyport. Thanks, Ned, for the work you continue to do. Bill Strider checked in with an exciting life change. He sold his car and replaced it with a bicycle! Bill is hooked on the bike trails in his area to the point that he volunteers his time to maintain trails. As he says, “It gives me a chance to give back to the folks who helped build this beautiful trail network!” He adds one of his favorites: “May your hands always be busy. May your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift.” —Bob Dylan Jack Connelly writes from Madison, Wisconsin that a major highlight this year was the opportunity to have the entire immediate family together at the shore in Madison, Connecticut. Jack says: “The four granddaughters are loving the shore, and getting closer to their cousins the same way we all did those many seasons ago. Beds on the sleeping porch, climbing on the rocks, and wading out to the diving raft … what could be better?" Well said, Jack. Good memories of days gone by!

CLASS NOTES

I had a wonderful catch-up call with Steve Parker, from the class of ’68. He and I played soccer together at the College of Wooster back in the seventies. Steve lives in Florida now. Growing up north of Boston and spending time in the Midwest means we have a lot in common. Always good to make a connection from the past. Got a nice note from Rick French. He sends best wishes to all! My wife and I spent a week in Vermont, walking from inn to inn to complete a fifty-mile journey celebrating our fiftieth anniversary. We stopped in to visit our nephew Ian Clyde, class of ’97. He is a talented artist, a great guy, and had recently completed a special edition painting for us. Life is good. All the best to the class of 1969!

’70

Terry Nolan nolante@gmail.com Randy Whitney: Recently, Chris Wyle and his wife, Patty, attended a couple of weddings in the Northeast. With time to kill in between, they dropped in for a weekend in West Newbury, MA. with Randy Whitney and his wife, Sarah. An afternoon at their club pool, then dinner and a boat trip on the Merrimack River the next day did not stop conversation about the “Old Days.” Randy and Chris

even had stories from their brief time while employed at Champion International together in the early 80s. We all agreed to pick it back up again at the Wyles’ in Florida next winter. Chris and Randy send best wishes to all our classmates!

’71

REUNION

James Fleming jamesfleming817@gmail.com Ted Northrup sends in this report: “We all recently received the June 30, 2025 (year-end) report on our 50th Reunion gift from the Class of ’71—The Class of ’71 Peter Alfond Scholarship.” I propose a hearty congratulations to all of us in the Class of ’71. Our efforts raised enough funds to endow an entire scholarship for a worthy student. After utilizing a financial aid draw of $79,917, the balance of the fund stood at $2,327,236 as of last June 30. Wow! Let’s pat ourselves on the back for our support of the Academy and our honor to Peter. He would be very pleased with this. I know it—we all know it. Gentlemen, well done. All is well in the Northrup family. We spend the cooler months in North Palm Beach, FL and the Summer in Cazenovia, NY. Grandchildren are the focus of our lives. It is fun to watch them grow up and mature. They are all different, yet in many ways they are all the same. Being able to play golf and ski (water ski as well) with them

is a dream come true. I hope all is well with everyone from the Class of ’71. We are all saddened to see the passing of some of our classmates. Each time we read about a classmate, it brings back fond memories of our days at the Academy. Best to all of you and your families.

’72

George Freimarck gfreimarck@gmail.com In the immortal words of Tim Traver, “to the indomitable class of 1972,” here are your most recent notes, photos, and updates for the class. Kevin Kearney reports on the latest addition to the clan: “New member in the fold—grandson Callan. Born in July. Proud parents—my son Al and wife Jackie. SoCal bunch in Oceanside, CA. Gnarly, Dude!” Our class’s own poet laureate, Pete Follansbee, comments on his busy retirement, the familial, and his on-going literary output. Congrats, Pete! “Like many of us, and I think as I have already reported, I’m retired now (in my third year), still in Richmond, Virginia, and enjoying life with my wife, Marita, who is also retired, but like, perhaps, enough of us, taking care of, albeit over long distance, her elderly parents (in their 90s),

who reside in Michigan in assisted living. Both of us very much enjoy our two daughters, Adriaan and Emma, their husbands, and our total of four granddaughters (Lili, Sofi, Jane, and Madeleine). I’m also continuing to write poetry and have had recent success (this past summer and fall) in publishing five pieces, one each in The Rockvale Review, HumanaObscura, Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, and two in Burningword Literary Journal, one of which has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Like all of us, I’m trying to stay healthy and active in both body and mind.” Tom McDougall sent a photo of himself and his wife with the note: “Doogs and my wife Laurie—25 years of happiness.” Well done and congratulations to you both! Ben Pearson also has a new grandchild, and more colonial history to reveal: “Biggest news is there is a new Ben in town. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to be the 11th, as we skipped a generation and his last name is Vuono—but it’s about time someone named Ben branched out past England and Scotland. And he is as cute and smiley as hell. Other than staying quite busy as grandparents, we are also keeping with our motto “Do it while we still can!” and have a Nordic ski trip in Norway coming up, followed by biking in Albania in late April. (Thank you ibuprofen and cortisone). Your earlier request on ancient family history, followed by the Ken Burns special on the Revolutionary War got me digging a bit deeper. I was blown away to find that Benjamin Pearson the fourth, at age 22, was in the first company out of Newburyport marching towards Lexington to engage the British after getting word of the Battle of Lexington that took place earlier in the day. He was a drummer. I think it’s safe to say he survived :) I do have a musket of that era that was in the family house, which he likely lived in. I wonder if it was ever fired at the British? Hope all is well with my classmates. —Musky, aka Benjamin Pearson X” Sarah Smith finished her dream house, and plans on coming to the reunion! “I am finally in my

Left: Ian Clyde '97 and Billy Clyde '69 · Right: Chris Wyle ’70 and Randy Whitney ’70

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CLASS NOTES

new home—a year late. But it is wonderful! I had broken off 5 acres of our original 38-acre parcel in Kennebunkport (purchased in 1984) to build a retirement home on. I sold our old homestead to my daughter Margo in January of 2024. Our plan was for Margo to move into my new home in November of 2024 (original estimate of completion) as her remodel of the old home would begin in January of 2025. She didn’t want to lose her contractor, so we forged ahead. I would not recommend living through a remodel! Her remodel included gutting the kitchen, gutting all bathrooms, all new flooring on the first floor, and all new interior doors and trim. Our kitchen, living room, and dining

room was a 10’x10’ bedroom— without a door, little heat—and we used a laundry sink to wash dishes. Sheetrock was ripped out and we lived in Sheetrock dust for months. I cooked on a hotplate for seven months. Now Margo is my neighbor—her home is stunning! My new home is amazing. I am using 100% mini splits powered by my solar panels. I am so happy to STOP paying contractors!” Sarah says she is planning a couple of day trips to GDA over the reunion weekend, and looking forward to seeing everyone. David Rogers on his most recent trip to Japan and a near-death experience in the winter of ’72: “Gay and I had a great trip to Japan

in October of this year. It was such a transformative experience that we are already starting to plan our next adventure there. This picture was taken at the Itchiku Kubota Museum in Kawaguchiko. We were in the Boston area in December visiting family and friends, but spent Christmas in Montreal, as England closes down for a few days at that time of year. The last time I was there was in the winter of 1972. Scott Condon and I drove his Chevy Nova from GDA to visit a girlfriend of his there, probably on Presidents’ Day weekend. I was driving on the way back and hit an ice patch on I-89 or 91 in New Hampshire. It was my first neardeath experience. We did a 360 at about 70 mph. I remember looking

out the windshield, and seeing three cars behind us, when we turned around, they were in front! We coasted into a snow bank in the median and were fortunately towed out by a passing Samaritan. What fools were we!” Peter Conway reports his role in higher ed slightly diminished: “Not much new to report. I’m not a regular on the principal’s aide thing anymore. I’m a sub now and don’t get called all that much—once every two weeks or so. On the home front, we’re contemplating getting a rescue dog. Please, please someone talk me out of it.” Harrison “Oak” Smith sent a photo of his expansive family

Clockwise from top left: The class of 1971 fondly remembers their classmate, Gig Barton, who passed away last November · Harrison Smith ’72 and family · Richard Hackel ’72 and wife Jenny · David Rogers ’72 and his wife Gay in Kawaguchiko, Japan · Tom McDougall ’72 and his wife, Laurie · Ted Northrup ’71 and his family

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CLASS NOTES

(Oak is fourth from the right) and a note on life in Oklahoma: “Life is very full! My family has grown to 15. I guess you could say we are “working across the aisle” as a progressive pronatalist family! My dear friend Bill Struby and his wife, Nancy, have left Oklahoma for Colorado, ending our frequent get-togethers, during which our time at GDA sometimes came up. Often mentioned was how lucky we were to have had John Ogden as an English teacher (along with other ‘stories,’ as you might imagine).” As if on cue, shortly after Oak’s note came in, William “Bill” Struby’s email came in: “I can report that I retired in October of 2024. In July of 2025, my wife and I moved to Fort Collins, CO, primarily to live in a progressive state and city. As a notable bonus, we now enjoy generally cooler weather and a culture that promotes outdoor recreation. Sadly, we left some very good friends in Oklahoma (most of all Harrison Smith and his family). We are, however, only three minutes by bicycle away from my twin brother and his family.” And who knew Bill had a twin? Now, if memory serves, Harrison and Bill were roommates their first year as sophomores at the Academy. And if that ever-suspect memory still serves, senior year Oak and Tunk were roommates and dorm proctors (?), so it all comes full circle with this note from Cameron Hosmer: “Tunk Hosmer, big Cornell lacrosse fan. It’s right in my backyard. Come out to the Finger Lakes, New York and sample some of my wines. Love to see ya. —Tunk” BTW, Tunk was on that 1976 NCAA lax champ team for Big Red. Joining fellow classmate Peter Phippen among the ranks of town selectpersons, Richard Hackel plans on being at the reunion for happy hour, driving down after town meeting. Richard writes: “Jenny and I continue to live the life on Chebeague Island, Maine, as year-round residents. Last year I found myself elected to the selectboard for the town. Having worked in healthcare for 30 years, I see some parallels with trying to find solutions to town problems. I’ve enjoyed it so far, but I’m not planning to make a career of it!

Register for Reunion Today! Friday, June 5–­Sunday, June 7, 2026

Celebrating the Academy’s graduating classes ending in 1 and 6. Reunite with classmates, faculty, and friends during a weekend filled with activities for alumni and families of all ages. Highlights include the Alumni Art & Literary Show, Pie Race, croquet, music, and dancing!

Register now

Scan this QR code or visit: thegovernorsacademy.org/alumni/reunion

Spring 2026 55

CLASS NOTES

We’re staying pretty healthy these days, but being 72, I’m trying to get that number down. I get to enjoy being a grandpa with a stepdaughter having two boys, now 1 and 3. The only problem is they live in Denver, but we just had a great visit with them for the holidays. I’m still keeping up with my artwork in photography, and had a big show at the Cove Street Gallery in Portland in 2024. More recently, I’m fortunate to have found studio space on the island, so I moved my studio from Portland last fall (no easy task with barging and ferries). Looking back, I’ve had to move my studio six times over the past 30 years; way too often. This is the last move! After this, landfill.” Christian Swenson reports on life in the big Northwest: “Swede here, reporting in from soggy Seattle, where the majority of my time is spent caregiving for my wife, Abigail, who is declining with Alzheimer’s … We’ve got a good care team as well as helpful friends, so I can get away most afternoons. And if you cruise social media, you can see I like to go out into nearby nature and also rent some studio space for creative time.” Dr. Charles Bouchard is still in Chicago, but with a house in Michigan: “All is well in Chicago.

We welcomed our second grandson, Julian, who happened to enter the world on my daughter Olivia’s birthday. They shared a joyful serenade about all the future birthdays they will share together. We bought a place in Coloma, Michigan in 2022 after the birth of our first grandson, Henry, and I try to spend as much time as I can there. I am still enjoying my work as chair of the Eye Department at Loyola and am busy clinically [and] surgically, and continue to present our microbiome and ocular surface disease research at a wide range of venues. We created a “Chica-GO” program of global ophthalmology, working with faculty and residents from the six Chicago academic medical centers, providing needed cataract and other surgery at our partner Nasir Hospital in Guatemala. I am planning to attend our 50th college reunion at Bowdoin College in the spring with fellow dual-alum Jim Pierce. Should be a fun time! That’s all for now folks!” Here’s hoping Charlie can squeeze in a visit to Byfield in early June, too! Geoff Durham is indeed surviving retirement! He writes: “I’ll hit my 20-year retirement anniversary this May. Plus, 22 years volunteering in the ER this May, too. Enjoying both immensely. Volunteering in the ER and the other volunteer activities

certainly has made the 20 years go by too fast. Age is catching up to me. The years running cross country at GDA may have contributed to the full hip replacement this past fall. Plus, cataracts removed in each eye. You know you are old when you have an RMD! It is nice having the two grandkids nearby. The boys are now 4 and 2. We see them regularly. I plan to attend the reunion this June. I have enjoyed attending other reunions. It should be one of several road trips this summer. Hoping others can make the time to stop by and enjoy the weekend or some part of it. The Academy does a good job hosting.” Ah yes, the reunion. What better place to reconnect, as Jim Irving said, with “all my friends from a rich era in my life!” Your humble scrivener is looking forward to a shared 55th reunion this June with the class of 1971, so come on down, come on up, get yourselves to Byfield for a grand time!

’73

Glen Winkel drwink@me.com Greetings to the Class of 1973! I hope you enjoy reading about and sharing in both the joys and

setbacks of the lives of the members of our class! I am sure all of us are feeling our age, but some take aging more like a “game.” Take Larry Coles for instance: “Like many of you, l’m moving into the fourth quarter as I did on the basketball court back in the day: Full of energy, speed, and with high expectations. As of December 31, I retired from the U.S. Department of Education after an appointment during the Obama administration. I will continue to consult and sit on a couple of boards. In addition, my nephew and I founded a real estate investment company two years ago, so I will assume a greater management and marketing role. Although my hands are full, I will shoot my best shot, assist when and where I can, and move with all deliberate speed. Looking forward to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2026.” Apparently, this attitude is reflected in Phil Bouchard’s message as well: “Greetings GDA ’73. In my third year as inaugural director of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice at Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU in the Texas A&M system, teaching undergraduates in the College of Business and the College of Engineering and providing curricular and co-curricular programs

Left: A photo of the memorial to the 1979 Fastnet Race (Craig Dowley ’73) · Center, top: Glen Winkle ’73: It’s not the cover of Rolling Stone, but close! · Center, bottom: My Special Naturalization Certificate for South Korea; Right: Luncheon with President Lee Jay Myung and the First Lady

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CLASS NOTES

to students and faculty through the Center (a run-on sentence if ever I saw one). Still living in San Francisco (since 1991), although spending most of my time during the academic year in Texas. Trying to follow Clint Eastwood’s philosophy of staying active and fighting off the weariness of aging by simply not “letting the old man in.” Writing in from the Empire state, in the connectedness category, is our favorite judge, the honorable Walter Rivera! “Happy New Year to our classmates and families. I have a few updates. I have been chairing a committee that is organizing a judicial conference in Bermuda from May 3–7, 2026. Our mission is to have an exchange with judges and lawyers in Bermuda on the rule of law and related topics. In that regard, Don Ricardo "Rick" Wynn has been my point of contact in Bermuda and has put us in touch with the chief justice and local officials in Bermuda. He has also helped us secure a hotel, as well as air and ground transportation. I am still on the bench and serve on the NYS Supreme Court in Westchester County. I was approved for certification. This means that I was given a two-year extended term past the mandatory retirement age of 70. I attended an alumni event in NYC and had the pleasure of catching up with Bruce Sheldon. Wishing everyone a great year!” Likewise, Mark Hoffman writes in from his world travels and connecting with fellow classmates: “This past year has been a good one and I have had the chance to catch up with many of our classmates from ’73. Beginning last year, I got a visit from Tony Hall. He was doing well and we played music together and then attended a local reunion with our fellow classmates in memory of Chip Connelly. In April, Craig Dowley arrived from Ireland and stayed for a few days. We went out to hear some bands at a local farm/brewery. Awesome time! In the summer I ran into Gordy Thompson at an Aztec Two-Step concert in Portland at One Longfellow Square. He was working for the band and also selling merchandise for them. During the summer I again caught up with Craig Dowley and his wife Mary on Martha’s Vineyard and we went out

to the “Ritz” to hear an excellent blues band. I have recently retired from designing medical devices as a principal system engineer, and have been working for two nonprofit organizations in Maine. One is the Cobscook Bay Institute in Lubec, Maine, where I am finishing up a project to install solar power for the entire campus. My next project for them is to design and construct a boathouse on the campus (which is 5 miles from the Canadian border). I also volunteer working for the Nasson Foundation in Springvale, Maine. I help raise funding for the Nasson Community Center, which contains a gym with a basketball court, Little Theatre, and a daycare center. I serve on the board of directors for both organizations. So much for retirement!I hope everyone has a great 2026!”

“moog,” Buzz Goddard writes in with a musical score: “2025 was a great year personally (which is good as much else in the world seems not to be). All three kids healthy, happy, and my eldest had a son, Miles Samuel Goddard. At the end of the year, I released both an EP and a full album of weird music that I created in-house. It’s really intended for listening in surround sound (Dolby Atmos, and streams that way on Apple Music, Amazon, and Tidal), but is also available in lowly plebian stereo on sites like Spotify.

And our sea-faring classmate, Craig Dowley, writes in with a bit of history: “This New Year’s we spent in a small country hotel (not a boat!) on the southwest coast of Ireland visiting islands and walking. This is an area I have not been back to in 15 years, as other sailing adventures took me further afield. The remoteness, wildness, and the weather keep these islands a challenging cruising area. When the weather’s good, there is no finer place to sail or cruise. After a day’s walking, a fine pub awaits. All with artifacts from shipwrecks and sea-faring history. The Fastnet Rock is 8 miles off Cape Clear island. For years, the only monument to this 1979 race was on this remote island. Now a second monument is in a church in the South of England.” For those landlubbers who don’t know the story of the 1979 Fastnet Race, google it for historical interest. Craig sent in a picture of the memorial to those sailors who perished in that perfect storm.

Please be warned, this is all instrumental, somewhat experimental, not normal pop songs. Blame this all on the electronic music studio and Bubba Blair … that’s where it all started …. Stay tuned!” How many of our classmates experimented or remember the Moog synthesizer thanks to Mr. Blair?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Geoffrey White brings some news from Australia: “I am flat out teaching banjo here in Sydney. I have spent my 72nd year teaching banjo and doing my Scientology courses here in Sydney. Not a great deal to report other than my three daughters are doing well along with my three grandchildren. All the best to everyone as we age well! Hope to see you soon! Cheers!” And not to change the script or the

Masochists can acquire singles or albums from the best site out there, Bandcamp https://buzzgoddard.bandcamp.com/; links to music services: https://bronzesunsound.com/discography.

And finally, on a more somber note, Jay Martus greets us al: “Happy New Year all! It’s been a difficult road in the last few years. I was diagnosed with amyloidosis. I am getting good care at Dana Farber. I refuse to succumb to this disease. I am now living in Boca Raton. I bought a new boat last year and am on it almost every day. All of you are welcome to visit and enjoy. I have retired again (fourth time). But I am on the AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] President’s Council and work with Stand With Us, which educates K–12 students on Judaism, Zionism, and anti-Semitism. Extraordinary joy in helping. I hope each of you has a lot of love in your lives and enjoy peace, joy, and contentment. —Peace” Thank you, Jay, for sharing your medical challenges. I am sure you have many classmates who will be pulling for you! With that in mind, do you see a theme in these class notes? We are the fighters, the doers, the keep going attitude, never retire, etc. Let’s keep that fighting spirit alive as we finish out the fourth quarter. And finally, I have to add my own experience in

the “pinch me, I must be dreaming category …” 2025 has been the most amazing year of my life! It began on March 1, when I received the Korean National Foundation medal (Korean Medal of Honor) on behalf of my grandfather, Shin Eulno, for his contribution to Korean Independence from 1919–1945. Later that summer, I was invited to speak at the World Conference of Korean Scientists and Engineers. And then, due to my grandfather’s contribution, I was granted “special naturalization” and on August 12, became a meritorious citizen of South Korea! A couple of days later I had lunch at the Blue House with President Lee Jae Myung and the first lady and the following day, at the 80th Anniversary of Korean Independence, the governor of Gangwon Province, Kim Jin Tae, introduced me and told my unique story to all the assembled dignitaries and guests! I was overwhelmed by all the awards and attention! And then I received a call from KBS (Korean Broadcasting System), who wanted to do an episode of their popular TV show, “My Neighbor Charles,” as a special documentary to air concurrently with the 2026 March 1st Independence Day celebrations in South Korea. We just finished a week of filming in Hawaii, where they retraced my grandfather’s work for Korean Independence! It has been an incredible year and what makes it so remarkable is that all of this came as a complete surprise to me! My grandfather’s contribution to Korean independence was uncovered when I applied for my F4 (overseas Korean) visa. Who would have known that my family was a major part of Korean history! So, I close this episode of the class notes for our class with this message: “Keep pressing forward, no matter the cost, no matter the risk. Keep moving towards your goals, however lofty, ’cause you never know the value you will bring to others in your acts of kindness or words of encouragement.” 새해 복 많이 받으세요 May the New Year bring you many blessings! (Korean translation) —Glen Winkel ’73, Your humble Spring 2026 57

CLASS NOTES

class secretary and proud member of the GDA class of 1973! 719-685-9252

’74

Pam Toner ptoner@optonline.net Thank you for responding to my plea for notes. I am still happily working in real estate and enjoying the constant changes

in this industry. I went to Egypt with my mother in 2024 and my youngest daughter was married in 2024. My oldest daughter is living in Missoula, MT. GDA was well represented at the wedding, with Allison Quinttus ’77, Neal & Nina McElroy ’76, and Sarah Quinttus Higgins ’08. Bill Skaff writes: Have never responded to one of these notes, but here goes … Our son Jesse ’11

is getting married end of July in Sweden. Looking forward to the celebration and visiting a new destination. Retiring end of January, but likely only for a little while. Feel like I need to do something to bring in a few bucks. Currently in an updated edition of our band, now called “The Ocean Ponies.” Playing “country surf” tunes, which won’t pay very many bills. Have reconnected with Jim Shaw. Been seeing each other quite a bit. Also consider Deb Garand (Pope) and her husband David our close friends. Steve Winer updates us with some very sad news: I really thought I had it made. Until 2025 happened. My wife of 31 years, Mary Ellen, passed away after a five-month battle with cholangiocarcinoma, which is bile duct cancer. She went from running every day to a stage 4 cancer death sentence. Not really what I was expecting in my later years. And she was only 59, diagnosed on her birthday in March! Obviously, our travel plans have ended. Still working part time in the tennis business. I was planning on attending my first Old Guard Reunion in June, but couldn’t make it. Hope to see many of you back at GDA for the 52nd reunion! Colin Cross reports: All good for Teri and me in Winnetka, IL. Staying busy taking care of our two grandsons two days a week, traveling, and playing a lot of platform tennis. Visited with Courtney Wang in Dallas in December. Also, great to catch up with Rick Atwood, Jim Shaw, Courtney Wang, Steve Epstein, and Bill Rudow at our 51st reunion in June—the youngest members of the Old Guard. Checking in from South Carolina is Alec Andrews, who is happily retired in South Carolina: Now a grandpa. Spending my days playing golf and shooting trap, skeet, and sporting clays.

Top: Pam Toner's ’74 daughter's wedding; Middle, L to R: Colin Cross ’74 and Courtney Wang ’74 · Class of 1974 representing at Reunion 2025; Bottom, L to R: Bill Skaff ’74 playing with his band, Ocean Ponies · Pam Toner ’74 and her mother in Egypt

58 Governor’s

David Schumann reminds us that he is turning 70 this year and I am betting everyone on this list is too. :-) David writes: To celebrate, I am having a big disco party bash with a live disco band. My husband

Michael and I are going to Italy in June for an artist residency in Venice and up in the Italian alps. We return to Italy in September with our best friend Terry for a two-week tour of all of Italy. Looks like you are embracing your next decade. Who else is celebrating our next decade? Congratulations to Mark Hughes on his recent marriage as he shares: the only notable item in 2025 was Sarah (who came to 50th) and I got married in August. Bob Scribner shares: I’m still living the retirement dream in Kennebunkport, although I’ve branched out and spend a lot of time on the mid-coast of Maine in the warmer months. It’s my destination to meet all my boating needs (there are many!). I spend the cold months building small wooden boats in my basement and I’m just finishing up a very cool iceboat with a carbon fiber rotating wing mast for my son. It’s purported to clock 70 mph and he thinks I’m going to sail it— only a maybe on that one LOL. I’m sorry to say I missed last year’s reunion, but will make every effort to make at least some of 2026 Reunion Weekend. It sure would be nice to see some of the old crew that have thus far not shown their smiling faces at a reunion … Beach, Tourison, Appleyard, Mosely … I’m talking about you! I’m so damn disgusted with the direction our country is headed, it would be a most welcome relief to get a few laughs reminiscing of our Govie days!

’75

Pam Pandapas pamrobfine@msn.com Pam Pandapas: I wish I had something new to report, but my life remains a series of house projects and taking care of critters. I am so looking forward to getting out in the warmth for gardening and summer fun. Meanwhile, I endure the cold, harsh winter! Dave Bohman: Continuing to work in TV news in West Palm Beach and enjoying the challenge. Of note, I

CLASS NOTES

made a recent trip to New York City to watch my youngest daughter run the NYC Marathon. Coach Abusamra would be proud! Still enjoying Tuesday night trivia near my home in Jupiter, FL, and have played sports trivia with classmate Barry Miller. We will pick up on that soon and promise to be more competitive than the 1975 GDA baseball team. Would love to hear from anyone headed to South Florida during the winter months. The one note I must add is that I just signed a two-year contract extension with NBC West Palm Beach, which will push my crazylong television news career well into 2028. Michael Sapuppo: It was great seeing you and classmates at the reunion in June. It was a quiet summer travel season for me. I spent most of my time locally and on the Bay. I did manage to make a late October trip to Sicily. This is my third trip there. My first was in 1978 during spring break at the Trinity College Rome Campus. I have relatives in the area around Catania. Here are some pictures from the trip. Michael Ponce: Nothing new here! Bees are tucked away for the winter. Jen’s business is thriving. Annie is in Savannah. Lindsay lives in Philly and is making jewelry. The kids were home for Christmas. Craig McConnell: Not much to report from northeast Ohio. We are looking to purchase a piece of property in North Carolina about an hour from Asheville. Planning on building a house and moving there in a couple of years. The 100+ inches of snow we normally receive is starting to get old! Hope you are well and had a wonderful Christmas and a quiet entrance of the new year. Anne MacKay-Smith: My mystery novel, Death at Bitterwood Clearing, will be released March 3 (publishers Smith and Kraus out of Boston)—and it’s already on Amazon for anyone who wants to pre-order! It’s set during the Civil War in northern Virginia, which is home today to several family members, including my sister Mary Alexandra ’78. I’m hoping to do a reading/event in the Byfield/

Newburyport area this spring and would love to see some classmates’ friendly faces—I’ll be posting details on Facebook and Instagram. On the personal front: still enjoying living with my husband, Terry Vance, in rural Northwest Connecticut, which is close to my daughter Lisa in Westchester and son Mike in Great Barrington, MA. One of my greatest pleasures is playing with my two-year-old granddaughter, Ellie (Lisa’s daughter)! And still thinking about how much fun I had at our 50th—it was great to see you! Greg Pope: The Greg Pope household continues to grow; our youngest, Charlotte, is expecting her first baby, a girl! Our middle child, Liza, has this issue with having more babies on top of the four she already has, so she is taking on another baby for daycare to address this addiction! Our personal physician, Dr. Keais Pope, is still a hospice doctor making home visits and loves the work and has seen all sides of life in America. He is very grateful to have grown up in West Newbury, MA. My lovely wife of 42 years is traveling more than I, seeing all her grandbabies all the time, and is delighted to be in their lives. Life is full! At Reunion, I had to leave abruptly as my mother was dying, and the call came during the Alumni march. Sorry to have missed you all; I was looking forward to that weekend. Our Chalkless Project has really taken off, and Shark Tank partners helped us land Aaron Donald of the LA Rams (retired) as a member of ownership in Chalkless and a new face of our brand, so fun times ahead, along with broad use in all sports. Hope you all are well. Starr Gilmartin: I hesitate to share anything due to the death of my partner, husband, and best friend since my last year at Governors, 51 years. I was grateful, as was my family, for the unwavering support and help from Brit Babcock, who did everything possible to show her caring concern from cooking for us, going on errands, and being there at the hospital. Planning on visiting her in CA at the end of the month. As there are seasons with beginnings and endings, there are in life and as we grieved the loss of my husband, my family welcomed our

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first grandchild Thanksgiving Day. She has brought back joy to our family. Hoping all of you find joy in your lives. Rob Kaplan: All is well in Newburyport. I was skiing in UT for Christmas, and I’ll be skiing at MRG [Mad River Glen] the last week of January. Pickleball remains my favorite “jam” though. I had a great lunch last week with Michael Zografos. He showed me three large portfolios of photography, most of which Wheeler didn’t have room for in the yearbook, (so that’s why they published a supplement)! It was amazing to see all those great memories from 50+ years ago! I’ll post a few copies on the class

Facebook page, (facebook.com/ groups/214069231420/). If you missed it in June, our last reunion was fantastic. Thanks to all who made the trek to Byfield. I support the notion that we don’t wait five years for another “big one.” Everybody stay safe. These are dramatic times—don’t be silent. Dian Entekhabi: I thought I’ve had my share of revolutions in life, but find myself stuck in the middle of another one! Everybody’s safe though ... Rich O’Leary: ’26 is going to be a year of baby and wedding. Son Tim, newly appointed Rector of All Souls Episcopal Church in Spring 2026 59

CLASS NOTES

Miami Beach, and his wife Phoenix are expecting baby #2 any day; daughter Ruth, age 2, is excited to meet her baby brother. Meanwhile our daughter Sarah marries her fiancée, Tony Delcore, on the Cape in June. Sarah works for Oribe Hair Care in communications and Tony is an investment banker at UBS; they live in Brooklyn. Both Sarah and my wife Susie are heads down on wedding planning daily! What a process to behold! (Ask Sam Gilliland, he has three daughters to marry—one wedding down and one more in planning). Meanwhile, I’m still working on my second startup: same mission, to automate licensing process of copyright protected content—this time via AI. Startups are a hairy ride, but I’m trying to get this out of my system before whatever comes next. Let’s all get together at Reunion in ’27? Remember, now that we are “senior enough,” we can go for free! And the last one was a gas. Peter Richardson: My reluctance is that I don’t have much to say. But here goes nothing. Beth and I are busy being grandparents and pickleball players. The classics of retirement! On a very part-time basis, I am a mediator in Portland District Court for small claims and

eviction cases. It’s challenging, but rewarding when you can get adversaries to compromise and avoid a hearing in front of a judge. It also helps reduce congestion in the courts. We had a great trip to Portugal last fall. We began in Porto and drove south over ten days to Lisbon, with many stops in between. I highly recommend it. This winter we are beating the cold in Maine with trips to Key West and Martinique. They couldn’t come soon enough! Steve Dunfey: I am still doing the freelance writing gig. I am not interested in retirement. I would like to congratulate the Head of School Quimby and the Governor’s Academy Board of Trustees for making a great school even greater. I hope that sometime in the future I get a chance to write about the Academy. I have many fond memories of my time there. Right now, I am based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and life is good here. My email address is stevedunfey@ gmail.com and I look forward to hearing from fellow Governors. Lisa Stranberg: I was fortunate to have my first granddaughter born in July of 2025 to my daughter, and

my first grandson to my son on January 8, 2026. Four grandchildren are keeping me [busy] between NY and Raleigh. Jumping on a trampoline at 68 is far different than when I was much younger. I just laugh the entire time because I’m afraid I’m going to have a mid-air collision with my 7- or 9-year-old grandsons. They are much tougher than I am. I am still working as needed as a nurse. Hope everyone else is doing well. Dan Morris: To begin with, last August, on my 69th birthday, I retired from corporate America. Retirement is fun and thus far, monetarily stable. I still have my fledgling internet book business, am still the chairman of a small 501(c)(3), still the national newsletter editor of a Scottish organization, etc., etc. Katherine’s youngest son was married to a wonderful lady later during August, and they now live near enough to see them regularly. Katherine and I almost bought an incredible house in Sudbury, VT. Incredible at least until the home inspection report came back. UGH! The amount of high-dollar repairs needed and the lack of spendable money that the seller had led us to exit quickly from that potential money pit purchase. We plan to begin the search yet again in the spring. Then for Katherine’s 70th birthday in early December, we took a long road trip down to the Biltmore in NC via Richmond, VA, where one of her oldest friends lives and, on the way back, we stopped in to see my oldest brother and his wife in Chapel Hill. We remain at this point both healthy and look forward to a trip north to ski in February and one down to the Virgin Islands in April or May.

Top row: Michael Sapuppo ’75 on his recent visit to Sicily · Bottom row, L to R: Michael Ponce ’75 and family over Christmas · Peter Templeton ’75 shares a view of Taos, NM

60 Governor’s

Peter Templeton: Wishing all a happy new year’s blessings from Taos, NM. I am still keeping on with my company Tree of Life Woodworks LLC. Many good projects lined up going into 2026. My wife Linda is semi-retired and working as the assistant principal for the Taos Integrated School for the Arts (TISA) public charter school, which she founded over 12 years ago. We had a nice little vacation trip around New England this past summer. We

landed in Boston and went up through New Hampshire, Vermont, over to Maine, and back down to Massachusetts. One of the highlights as always was to spend a day at Singing Beach in Manchesterby-the -Sea. I have been going to that beach almost every year since I was about five years old! Our oldest daughter Anna and her husband Greg live and work in Durango, CO. Our youngest Rachel lives in Denver and works as a high school special education teacher. Our son James lives in Austin and was married to his wife Amanda at a nice family wedding in September. We are excited that our first grandchild is on the way. It was a very dry and unseasonably warm December. We finally received some good snow several days ago. I am feeling the importance of family and community as we continue to navigate these challenging times. You all take care. Brit Babcock: I'm hoping you guys are doing well, relatively speaking. I am in sunny San Diego amid high-rise building construction everywhere. The city is making this lovely seaside low-impact city into another Manhattan. Enjoying some downtime and will be back in Bar Harbor in early May. Hoping everyone is doing well considering the national invasion of our country, among many other hugely disturbing aggressions we are part of. Sam Gilliland: Sorry for being reticent. My only big news items of late include the great fun I had at our 50th, my 93-year-old mother having died in early July, Leigh’s engagement in early August, and of course Anne’s wedding over Labor Day last year! Although it’s too early to report publicly, I thought you’d enjoy knowing that Beth and the girls went ring shopping for Charlotte last Saturday—setting the stage for wedding number three in 2027! Leslie Has: Just sending a quick update. Times are hectic. I’m still working and keeping busy. My fourth grandchild arrived in August, and the fifth is expected in late March or early April. Judy and I are heading to SC in late March for a week to visit our sister, Liz, who lives in Camden, SC. We

CLASS NOTES

will be doing some antiquing and enjoying the Carolina Cup, an annual steeplechase race followed by a wonderful party at Springdale Hall. I will be enjoying a mini-break and taking advantage of the famous southern hospitality. Hello to all. Bud Rice: I am enjoying the retired life in the Seattle area. Spending lots of time with family and friends here. I am so happy to see the kids and grandkids doing well. Very encouraging to see them all so prosperous, more so than I was at that point in my life—I guess the American dream is still alive in some places. And I do spend more time than ever out on the water— lots of sailing and cruising. The Pacific Northwest is ideal for that, as you can pretty much sail all year round. Not that much on the skiing and hiking front, which up to fairly recently was a big part of my life. I hope to be getting a second hip replacement in the near future and get back to that. I also visit back east frequently, where much of my family still lives, and as I co-own a boat with my sister that we keep in Scituate Harbor. I hope to have a bucket list trip on that boat in a couple of years—to the Bahamas perhaps??? In fact, I was back east during the last reunion. I would have liked to attend, but I was working a tight schedule with long hours getting the boat out there ready for splash date. Maybe next time. Martha Riley Merrill: This might be my first update after 50 years! I don’t even know how many of you remember my only-senior-year shy self! I married young, had five wonderful children and helped my husband build a very successful business. Although our marriage didn’t survive, we have remained friends. My passion for traveling the world exploded once my youngest became an adult. So far, I have been to 64 countries and will be adding 7 more this year!! I’m still working part time for my eldest daughter, who is a very successful horse trainer. She’s very understanding about my traveling schedule, which I plan around horse shows!! Lisa Johnson: I find myself hopeful

for 2026. So many troubling things have happened in 2025 that it is time for light and goodness to guide us. Of course, our 50th was a bright spot in the year. Our family had a wonderful end to 2025 seeing friends and being together. I hope all of you are well—let’s all keep working towards that. Spencer Purinton: I have nothing anywhere that is as interesting or harrowing as Dian to report. Hopefully, something very positive will come about for all of Iran. I’m still enjoying my work and staying connected to Governor’s through my board service. Our middle daughter, Lucy ’14, is recently engaged, and we are thrilled with her partner. Our oldest daughter, Eliza ’13, has a sister-in-law, another Eliza, who is a Junior at Govs and just signed a contract with the U of Oregon to play lacrosse. We have been watching her play lacrosse and hockey at the Academy this season, which is a hoot. Women’s athletics has come a long way since our day, but I have no doubt that our female classmates would still be stars today. Finally, our youngest daughter, Louisa ’20, who shares our reunion cycle, just received her first corporate promotion at Dell Computer. Over the holidays, I met a childhood friend of Gretchen Huffsmith, and we shared fond remembrances of our classmate. No surprise, I learned that she was amazing even before she joined us. On a final note, I want to thank all of you who have supported GovsPlus since our reunion dinner. The program remains strong and impactful!!! Stay healthy in mind and body, and stay in touch. Warm Regards, Spencer

’76

REUNION

Carol Ann Goldberg-Aydin carolanngoldberg9@gmail.com Mary Weldon Karlin writes that she is having fun connecting with people for the 50th reunion planning and is looking forward to the big weekend at school in June! Nina Chiara McElroy writes: “I am still at Bank of America in the private bank. We live and work

Create a Lasting Legacy by Becoming a Member of the Schoolhouse Society The Governor’s Academy was founded through the extraordinary generosity of Lieutenant Governor William Dummer, whose bequest established a tradition of philanthropy that endures today. From the beginning, the Academy’s strength has relied on the foresight and generosity of its supporters. In that spirit, the Schoolhouse Society recognizes those who include the Academy in their estate plans. Through planned gifts, members help sustain the school’s mission for generations to come. Planned giving offers flexible options to align charitable goals with financial plans. To learn more, please contact Tom Trafton in the Office of Advancement at 978.499.3273 or ttrafton@govsacademy.org.

between NYC and Amagansett and rarely get up to our house in North Hampton, NH. Our daughter Kathryn is married to Harry Gelderman (both graduated from Colby) and they live in Brooklyn. Our son William just graduated from Columbia Business School and lives in Brooklyn. He recently became engaged. Nina’s hubby Neal McElroy is retired from Oppenheimer and has been working on a gut renovation project/ brownstone in Brooklyn. Tom Balf reports that his relatively recent pursuit of a golf game keeps

him connected to the Academy. He occasionally joins the “dream team” of Eric O'Brien, Steve French, David Higgins, Chip Caldwell, and David Phippen in their weekly game of golf. And he partners most Tuesdays and Fridays with former teacher and dorm master Tom Mechem in a game of golf, a beer (or two), a salty snack, and a rich discussion of literary, political, musical, or absurdist topics. Balfy notes that he patiently waits for fellow proctor Danny Auerbach to rejoin the band. From Perry Smith: We enjoyed Spring 2026 61

CLASS NOTES

Left: Keller Laros ’81 and William Dummer · Right: Class of 1982, back row, left to right: Alison Miller Montague, Sally Degan, Jane Boisvert Burns, Heather Vickers Ryan. Front row: Karen Matzner Ryan, Nancy Lord Wickwire, Michele Montrone Cogan and Martha Lawlor Krauch

a circumnavigation of Iceland last June with Lindblad/National Geographic. A fascinating island geologically, a true feast for the eyes! Almost all buildings are geothermal heated, given the voluminous volcanic activity. Still swimming about a mile a day on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire, when we are there in the summer months. From Chip Calcagi: Hello classmates. GDA was a post graduate year for me as I graduated from Exeter High School the year before in 1975. This year has been a real time of change and going back to my schools to visit has brought to light the arc of my life from when I launched from GDA, now Governor’s Academy, which was the 13th school I attended before college. I travelled from our little town of Exeter to war-torn Brooklyn, New York (grateful for all the training I received in track from Mr. Abusamra to avoid prospective muggers) and started studying architecture at Pratt Institute, where I somehow graduated with honors at the top of my class. I worked for some notable luminaries, but settled into medical design as it was recession-proof and bought a firm in 1993, which I operated and managed for 28 years and sold in 2017. After a false start with another lady I married my wife of 28 years in 1997 and had two girls, one of whom is a successful songwriter in Los Angeles and the other who is autistic who lives with us. Like many, we’ve had some health 62 Governor’s

issues lately and with two new hips, a cancer scare, and some surgeries, we’re equipped to pass the time together as my career winds down and we renovate our house for a third time. This is sounding like a game show introduction. I hope this is enough for now. I recall alumni weekends when previous graduates would arrive and codgers walked the paths of the school. Somehow, we have become them. I do so look forward to reconnecting with all of you, hearing of your lives and what you’ve been up to over the last 50 or so years. Cheers! Yours truly, Carol Ann GoldbergAydin: I moved to Massachusetts in August of 2020 after living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for 32 years! It’s quite the head trip to move into one’s childhood house, which I have done. My daughter Becky, a journalist, is in her first year of Columbia Business School, after working most recently for the digital news agency PUCK in NYC. I am retired ... or am I? I am on the board of the Haverhill Garden Club as their treasurer. We do quite a bunch of civic work for the city, which is fun. I am also on the capital campaign committee for the Haverhill Public Library. We received $14 million from a private donor and we are trying to raise another $3 million to begin renovations to the building. I have been working on the sad task of closing Temple Emanu-El of Haverhill, which closed in July 2025 after 88 years. I was an active member of the merger committee and chairperson of the artifacts

committee. You can only imagine what it was like to find homes for the artwork, silver, Torahs, prayer books, the 5,000-book library, furniture, education materials, and sacred artifacts that existed in our 50,000 sq. ft. building. We have items in Texas, DC, New York, Massachusetts, and Ireland. We used to be a community of 1,200 people. The remaining 90 of us have joined Temple Emanuel in Andover, a vibrant and active community. I’m also thrilled to have orchestrated the establishment of the Jewish Affinity Group for students at GDA. Can’t wait to see my classmates in June for our 50th reunion.

’77

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’78

M. Phil Graham graham175@comcast.net Peter Hey reports: I have submitted a letter to my Bishop and the Board of Ordained Ministry requesting retirement with the following paragraph: “It has been both a blessing and a privilege to have served these forty-three years in what became the New England Annual Conference [of the United Methodist Church]. My heart is filled to the brim with gratitude for the gracious nurturing and life-giving challenges this denomination, this annual conference, and the local churches have offered me. This [ministry] has been a gentle, well-fitting harness, but a harness nonetheless.” June 7th will be my last Sunday in the pulpit at Wilmington United Methodist Church, Wilmington, MA. Cathy and I will relocate to the Portland, ME area to be closer to our cottage. Grace and peace

’79

Troy Dagres troydagres@aol.com Class of ’79, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’80

Doug Leathem douglas.leathem@gmail.com Class of ’80, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’81

REUNION

Kathryn Shilale kathryn@shilale.net Hello Class of 1981! Plans are officially underway for our 45th Reunion—please save the date and begin planning your return to Byfield, June 5–7, 2026. Jenn Schaeffner, Abby Castle, and Lisa Louden have been working with the Academy to organize a memorable weekend, with a special Class Dinner planned for the evening of Saturday, June 6. We look forward to reconnecting with everyone in June 2026 back on campus!

’82

Nancy Wickwire anwick@comcast.net Nancy Wickwire: Here is my 2026 prompt for this year’s request for Archon notes: What are you up to this winter season? Are you in a snowy climate, getting some skiing in, or more likely just some shoveling? Traveling? Lucky enough to live in a warmer spot? Also, another prompt, which is a simple: “WTF??,” as our nation is experiencing some … stuff. Maybe that’s too much for an Archon submission. My response: It’s cold and dark here in NH and I don’t like January for that reason. I had a WONDERFUL day at Karen Chinca’s home in Brookline back in early November, when she hosted a gaggle of Govs for brunch. There was much hilarity and some hugs and just general merriment. A really fun gathering! I’m attaching a photo selfie. From this event I secured some previously undisclosed cellphone numbers, so now I can text mercilessly until they reply with Archon notes. Sally Degan reports: Having fun getting together with Alison Miller

CLASS NOTES

and Karen Fasciano ’83 for “Arts & Crafts Day” every few weeks. It’s more about the company than the art. Sally is in semi-retirement from architecting, I believe. Looks remarkably the same as when we graduated, but with a few grey strands. Ditto Jane (Boisvert) Burns who, like me, is now enjoying life with a retired husband. Look at that photo! It’s double for one from the 1982 yearbook. Alison Montague chimed in: Yes, and [Arts & Crafts Days with Sally and Karen are] also a welcome distraction from my half-hearted efforts to find a new job! But both Karen and Sally are super talented, so I do the talking while they craft … Meanwhile we (Al & husband Dave) are testing the retirement waters by spending a month each winter in Oahu snorkeling with the turtles! Hoping there will be a regime change while we are away! Martha Lawlor Krauch: Here goes: I am still loving teaching after over 25 years! Gary retired from the VA in June and now I am enjoying the fruits of his cleaning and grocery shopping, as he has taken those tasks on as his new job. Our oldest daughter, Emily, and her husband are expecting grandchild #1 at the end of March and we have another wedding to plan for 2027–28 for our daughter, Charlotte. All is good! Heather Vickers Ryan caught me up on the drive home from NYC this week (pretty sure husband Joe was driving … or hopefully she was using voice-to-text) with a short note: “Just say our family is really happy that our oldest daughter Ashley is engaged to be married in Maine!”

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

On Her Own Two Feet Over the last 29 years, Ilse Abusamra ’93 has completed an impressive 52 marathons, both domestically and internationally, her feet carrying her hundreds of miles. “The high that occurs when crossing the finish line makes marathons addictive to me,” she explains. Yet even with all of her experience, she says, “Marathons don’t get any easier. But I also know that no matter how tough it is—whether it’s a hilly course or a hot and humid day—I can and will get to the finish line eventually.” Abusamra has been running since she was 13 years old, having gotten her start at Govs under the tutelage of her father, beloved cross-country and outdoor track coach Faculty Emeritus David “Abu” Abusamra P’93. “I grew up cheering on my dad at his own road races and marathons alongside my mom (Faculty Emerita Laurel Abusamra P’93), as well as cheering on his GDA runners on the track across the street from Boynton House, where I grew up,” she says of her faculty family. “GDA will always be in my heart.” At Govs, Abusamra was a member of the Girls’ Varsity Cross-Country team during its powerhouse years, logging two undefeated seasons (1990–1993). “It was exhilarating to be part of such a strong and tightly knit program,” she says. After running cross-country and track at Bates, Abusamra and her best friend entered the Steamboat Springs Marathon—her first. “The air was thin, and the quads burned, but the finish line was invigorating,” she recalls. She was hooked. She went on to run the Detroit Marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon for the first of six times. “For any marathoner with the goal of having the privilege to run Boston, it’s an incredible feeling,” she says. Other fond marathon memories include running the California International, Paris, and Reykjavik marathons alongside friends and family. Now senior associate director of college counseling at Riverdale Country School in New York City, Abusamra trains primarily in Central Park with a close community of fellow runners. “It’s pure therapy at 5:45 a.m. for all of us,” she says. Next November, Abusamra will run her 17th New York City Marathon, an event that’s dear to her heart. “It’s hard to imagine not being part of the magic of NYC Marathon Sunday, as the city comes alive in all the best ways on that day each year,” she says. “Although cheering is a blast, there is nothing like traveling through all five boroughs on my own two feet.”

Bobby Low sends occasional Govsrelated texts, also. In August he sent some pictures of himself and son, Cooper, in front of Farmhouse and at a JV soccer game with Cooper taking a corner kick for Groton at a game at (and vs.) Govs. Will Friend: From his X-mas card, I know that his “summer abroad” living in Colorado was fun after they sold their home in Hamilton, and they are now back in the Gloucester Spring 2026 63

CLASS NOTES

area again. Notes sent in the old-fashioned way (i.e., via email, now the “snail mail” of the texting generation): Karen (Matzner) Chinca: It was so great reconnecting with some of the GDA gals in the fall. Everyone looks the same or better! My husband and I are spending a couple of weeks in Southern France right now, which has become my happy place. It’s where we first met, and we now spend about eight weeks here each year. Over time we’ve built a wonderful community, and it truly feels like a second home. Our boys are grown—30 and 28, which is still hard to believe—and both live and work nearby. And Nancy, agree—WTF is happening to our country! The rest of my family already holds French citizenship, but my path is a bit more complicated. I’m in the process of working with a lawyer to obtain Polish citizenship, which will ultimately give me the EU passport I’m aiming for. I wish I felt more optimistic about the next few years, but I’m holding onto hope where I can. Sending warm wishes to everyone and looking forward to more reunions ahead. John Nye: Greetings from NJ. With regards to travel, Kathy and I will spend the February long weekend in the only Blue county in Idaho, a very Red state. That’s as political as I care to be at the moment. Our daughter is a working actress and lives in the Hailey/ Ketchum area

of the south-central part of the state. We’re going out there to see her in “The Importance of Being Earnest”to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day— and maybe carve a few turns on the slopes, weather permitting. Our son, Tupper, lives in Clinton, New York and our youngest just took up residence in Brooklyn, commutes to Rockefeller Center and is experiencing “the agony and the ecstasy”" of her first “big girl job.” About a dozen of us share a crazy text thread from time to time .. .a total blast. Tim Stetson came out of nowhere last year to visit the galleries. March will make two years since we handed off the auction company to our successor, allowing Kathy and me to work three days a week. With some luck, we’ll get back to our big reunion when the time comes. Well, it’s 2026 and you know what that means … A year from now I’ll be hitting you all up again to register for our FORTY FIFTH (45th!!) REUNION in June of 2027! Nance

’83

Cat Eveleth catmando_ent@msn.com Danielle Jacobs dljacobs@aol.com Caroline Krause shared: Currently enrolled and finally finishing my long-interrupted undergraduate degree in social science and a minor in psychology at Portland

State University. Volunteering at Fort Vancouver NHS in Vancouver, WA and helped to co-create the Bark Ranger program there. Mom to four pampered rescue pets. 2 pups, Harley Quinn and Louis; and 2 cats, George and Charlotte. Hope to travel back across the USA after graduation in June 2027, in our truck and travel trailer, exploring the national parks and then relocate back to New England in a few years. Likely to the metro Portland, ME area. Managed to stay in touch happily over the decades with treasured lifelong friends like Karen Phelps, Sue Sanidas, Laurianne Murphy, Tricia McDonald, Heidi Ford, Hope Williams, Lori Whitney, and many more. Wishing everyone a great 2026 and beyond.

’84

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org. Hank Friedman: Greetings from northern New Mexico. In the fall of 2025, the Taos Community Foundation named me “Philanthropist of the Year.” A huge honor and even bigger surprise. As I have reflected back on this award, I realized that in my own way, I was continuing the motto that Headmaster Peter Bragdon had brought back into focus during his time at the Academy—the phrase “Non Sibi Sed Aliis” (Not for self but for others). Peter showed us

that being a good citizen is more than just about ourselves, but helping to make the place we live in a little better than how we found it. Wishing all my classmates a happy and healthy 2026! William Tempel: All is well here in the Algarve. Moved to Portugal a few years ago and am very happy just steps from the beach, which I visit daily. Photo is a view from my flat.

’85

Nathalie Ames names@nathalieames.com Class of ’85, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’86

REUNION

Paul Nardone paulbnardone@gmail.com The Class of 1986 is celebrating their 40th Reunion this June 5-7, 2026 and we hope you can come back to Byfield. So far, John Bailly, Kim Rochford, Mosa Kaleel, and Paul Nardone have helped get planning underway and are eager to welcome you back to campus! Please reach out to any of these classmates if you want to also volunteer to make it a memorable weekend.

’87

Anita Bartschat askanitab@gmail.com David Miller davidnowis@gmail.com

Left: Trae Bodge ’87 (center) and her co-founders on Threadneedle Alley in Newburyport · Right side photos: William Tempel ’84 sends love from Portugal

64 Governor’s

David Miller: How is it possible that my oldest is applying to college and forming many of the same core-type memories I share with the class of ’87? It’s an exciting time, with lots of optimism for future achievements. My vote is that she’ll stay relatively local at Emerson College in Boston, but we will see. Her younger sister will be moving into high school next year and plans on joining the marching band trumpet section. Talk about Big Wind! My wife and I are both running small businesses in Southern NH and massively failing to achieve the perfect work/life balance. She’s a lot closer than I am, but it’s the

CLASS NOTES

journey that makes it interesting, challenging, and fun! Shawn Reeves: As the parent of an 8th grader, I now understand my own parents in 1983 sending me to boarding school a mere 25 miles from home. Director of a high school physics photo contest for four years and president of an educational nonprofit these 21 years, I can lead physics teachers to the waters of educational reform, but I can’t make them drink. I recently toured the Alfond Center with Gift Officer Carly Churchill Elliott— physics and environmental science are two different things I keep in my professional life forever in cognitive dissonance. Travel to my native Southwest is my balm, and my Alison is my rock of 26 years. Trae Bodge, who has been seen across the nation and world, shares her debut update with The Archon: You may have seen Trae Bodge (formerly Tracy Bodge) on your TV screens over the years, sharing money-saving and shopping tips as the Smart Shopping Expert at truetrae.com/@truetrae

on Instagram. This past year, she and two family members launched Threadneedle Alley Foundation in honor of her Mom, Sarah Bodge, who some of you may remember as the advisor for the Black Student Union at Governor’s. Sarah was also an OG entrepreneur, most notably running Body Sense on Threadneedle Alley in Newburyport for over two decades. Threadneedle Alley Foundation offers three $5,000 grants annually and ongoing mentorship to midlife entrepreneurs facing financial challenges. In this, their first year of grant applications, they received over 450 grant proposals (they were aiming for 50!), which makes it clear that entrepreneurs ages 40 and up really need our help! Trae and her co-founders personally fund the three $5,000 grants each year, but they are actively fundraising to provide more grants and launch a podcast to offer mentorship to a broader audience beyond the annual winners. Learn more about Threadneedle Alley here: threadneedlealley.org In personal news, Trae, her husband Chris, a

mitigation expert, and their Rabbit, Willow, live in Montclair, NJ, just outside NYC. Their daughter, Sadie, is a student at Drexel University, studying fashion, art, and psychology. Their favorite family pastimes are enjoying art, music, and good food, and traveling together during Sad’s breaks, most recently to Mexico City, Croatia, Barcelona, the Lowcountry, and their annual summer week with friends in the Catskills. Personally, I (Anita Russo Bartschat) just started training for the 2026 Boston Marathon. Going for three in a row. I continue to get inspiration from Cris Dobrosielski ’87, who reminds us that it’s all about small change over time that leads to monumental results. I’m in Florida for the winter, so don’t have to worry about slipping on ice, and I’ll get out to Utah for some skiing and some good hill training too. Mike and I had a fun trip to Portugal in September and enjoy time with our four adult kids whenever we can get it. I look forward to hearing from more classmates! All news is welcome. We should also start putting together our wish list (and play list) for our 40th in 2027. The way time flies, it will be here in no time!

’88

Deana Boyages dboyages@msn.com Class of ’88, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’89

Kristin Brown kristinbrown29@yahoo.com Class of ’89, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’90 Top row, L to R: Jill (Packard) Plumer ’88, Jenny Reynolds ’88, Jodi (Packard) Spencer ’90, Jen (Cowles) Walsh ’89, David Abusamra, and Kristin Donahue after Jenny's show at The Music Hall in Portsmouth · The cover of Jonathan Lewis’ ’90 second book · Bottom row, L to R: Class of 1992 Danielle Dupre, Candice Denby, and Amy Daniels · Devin Sullivan ’92, Babe Ceglarski P’02,’04,’11, and Mike Karin P’08,’09,’12

If you have new to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org. Jonathan Lewis: My second book, Contemporary Science Fiction and

the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, was published by Bloomsbury Books in October 2025.

’91

REUNION

Nicole MacLaughlan latourdecor@verizon.net I’m back … well temporarily anyway. I hope that 2026 is off to a good start for everyone. I am back writing again to get the word out that this is a REUNION year for our class. Covid derailed our last one and what better way to make up for last time than to rally the troops and get everyone excited to return to Byfield for our 35th Reunion this June! We have assembled a great committee: Todd Bairstow, Catherine Batchelder, Cathy Burgess, Mike Burke, Meg Hight, Felix Motta, Stratton Newbert, Brian Novelline, and me. It has been fun having our own reunion of sorts over Zoom, discussing who we keep in touch with, reaching out and catching up with each other each time we meet. Our hope is to get as many ’91 classmates back to campus as we can—especially those of you who have not made it back in recent memory. Please circle June 5–7 on your calendar and be on the lookout for more information coming to you via social media and email soon! Please reach out to any of us with any questions and we really hope to see a lot of you in person soon!

’92

Jen Noon Hess jenhess1@gmail.com Happy 2026 to all! It’s always a pleasure to hear from classmates. (This is a hint to everyone who didn’t send an update—we want to hear from you too! And no need to wait for my email—you can send me news at any time.) Amy Daniels wins the prize for most detailed update. She writes, “Life is full and busy these days in Darien, CT, where I’m fortunate to serve as executive director of our town’s youth center. Our kids keep us on our toes and incredibly proud—my son is doing a post-graduate year at Taft, where he’s playing both football and Spring 2026 65

CLASS NOTES

baseball, and my daughter just began her freshman year and had the unforgettable experience of representing Team USA this fall as the goalie for the National U15 Lacrosse Team. I’m also grateful for friendships that have only grown stronger over time. Staying close with my GDA girls—Candice Denby, Tara Ryan, Saundra Watson, Meghan Manzella—and especially Danielle Dupre, who traded Austin, TX for CT and now lives just ten minutes away, has been one of life’s greatest gifts.” Josh Lappin is finishing his third year as a full-time entrepreneur after leaving teaching in the spring of 2023. He’s the founder and owner of SuperTutors.com, a Boston-area education company that connects families with experienced, classroom-trained teachers for one-on-one academic support. Josh manages every part of the business, including parent intake and consultation, tutor recruiting and vetting, matching, scheduling, contracts, billing, and compensation. SuperTutors spans K–12 academics, standardized test preparation, executive functioning coaching, secondary school placement coaching, and college application coaching, with a strong emphasis on relationship-driven, teacher-led instruction. In addition to day-to-day operations, he is building partnerships with independent schools and developing a new platform to automate and scale. Check out SuperTutors.com if you want to learn more! Devin Sullivan got to see some familiar faces recently at a GDA P’90s alumni event at Tree House Brewing Company. Here at Hess Haus, life is trucking along uneventfully, which is fine by me. One son is midway through his sophomore year at Champlain College, and one is about to start the college search process (wish us luck!). We enjoyed a fun Christmas Eve gathering with Michael Noon ’95 and most of my East Coast family, then traveled to California to see relatives out there. I promptly caught the flu (darn you, Disneyland) and am reminded how grateful I am for vaccines, because I can’t imagine how dreadful this would have been without some 66 Governor’s

protection on board already. I hope you all stay safe and healthy this year, and by the time we read this, it’ll be spring at last!

’93

Ingrid Cunney incunney@gmail.com Shawn Markey stmarkey58@yahoo.com Jim Morse shares that three generations of Govs alums work together and interact frequently at the Falmouth District Court: Susan Studley Sanidas ’83 is a victim-witness advocate for the Cape & Island District Attorney’s Office, Nick Commesso ’12 works for Trial Court Security, and I am a local attorney and retired police officer.

wants to step up and take a turn … I’m right here, baby. But the bellyaching and reunion-boosting effort also spurred a higher-than-average degree of notes responses. I’ll let those individuals speak for themselves below. For now, it was great to see all those who attended (though I didn’t get to talk to nearly as many of us as I’d’ve liked, and of course I lost my voice after a few hours, trying talk over the ambient noise [and the band, man, the band was so loud! and that’s how I know I’m officially old]), and maybe we’ll get something close to those numbers again for the 50th. (Because, well, let’s just be honest.)

worked out, schedule-wise. Too many conflicts this time of year. Have fun, Dave. Your dutiful correspondent then harangued his classmates, noting that Dave already has a higher rate of notes responses than easily half the class. And so, the second to reply was Mike Angelis: Although I’m teaching and have a studio in Westchester County these days, I’ll have eight landscape paintings in a show at Newburyport Art Association this summer, July 26—August 16th. Belle Struck ’94 is now the director at NAA. The work will be up starting Yankee Homecoming Weekend. Opening reception TBD. They also have a ton of great programming for those folks still in the area. Hope everyone is well! Mike

’95

First to reply was Dave Wilkens: My oldest is about to graduate high school and is headed off to college in Boston—crazy—but glad she will be close by. Thing tTwo has two more years at home and is about to get his driver’s license. I still live in Stowe, VT, with goats and my cheese-making wife. We celebrate 20 years of marriage next month. We are hosting a music festival in Stowe in August called Strawberry Jam. Check it out. Life’s good. Can't believe it’s been 30 years since we graduated. Sadly, I won't be able to make reunion again. It’s just never

The secretary neglected to submit his letter on time this past June, so the below is what he intended to present. Please accept it now along with his apologies: Congratulations to the esteemed Class of ’95 for showing up in the best numbers I’ve yet seen for our 30th reunion this past June. Yes, the five-year may have been better attended, but I missed that one, because I was too busy goofing off in New York to … goof off at the reunion. The advent of my term as class secretary may have had something to do with the precipitous decline of attendance— perhaps not causal, but certainly correlated. Perhaps that’s why so many at reunion felt the need to reassure me of their opinion of my performance in the role. Or perhaps it had something to do with all the bellyaching I performed in the attempt to cajole classmates to come to reunion. I’m not sure it matters. But, while the bellyaching was an attempt also at humor, the anguish was and is real. Anybody

Top, L to R: James Morse ’93, Susan Studley Sanidas ’83, and Nicholas Commesso ’12 · Bottom, L to R: Ambi Bowo ’95 and his family · Cobb Mixter ’95, Ambi Bowo ’95 and families · Todd Robbins ’95

’94

Kris Hughes krismarvinhughes@gmail.com Class of ’94, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

This correspondent thinks Mike may have a higher rate of response than most others as well, but by this point we were deep into bellyaching about the secretary’s role, and so I think I neglected to mention it. Still, the bellyaching did prompt Ambi Bowo to step up: Unfortunately, I won’t be able to

Mike Noon michaelcnoon@aol.com

CLASS NOTES

make it next weekend as my family and I will be on our way to Japan, hopefully to meet up with Katz and Aki. My wife, Thesia, and I met up with Cobb, Liz, and their girls in NY last January, and we managed to FaceTime Archie. On our end all is well in San Francisco. Our oldest daughter just graduated from Duke last May. We’re so proud of her. How’s that for us getting older!!!! Crazy! But we are so blessed and grateful. Our second daughter just finished her sophomore year at Occidental College, and our youngest is finishing her sophomore high school year this week at Cate School. I think you might be stuck for life with being our class secretary, my friend! Hope you and family are doing well. Big hugs to everyone who comes next week! Cheers, Ambi Ambi didn’t specify what he would offer to those who didn’t come, but one presumes he would also wish to give them big hugs. And while I didn’t want to mar his original language, the editor in your correspondent was dying to change those four exclamation marks into a double-bang interrobang. Next to chime in was Todd Robbins: I won’t be able to make it to reunion this year like usual due to my high school schedule where I teach here in northern Virginia. Bummer! In fact, this Saturday night, I will DJ a wedding here in Ashburn, Virginia. I’ve enjoyed being a DJ for weddings, night clubs, homecomings, and proms for the past 15 years. Hearing so many types of music while at Gov’s has really paid off! Also, I got back into running last year (after many, many years off!) and have been having success with all the local races here in the DC area. Will I recapture some of those cross-country times from 1994? Time will tell! I plan on meeting up with Coach David Abusamra later this month in Newburyport for dinner and some tips before running my first full marathon in October in D.C. Best wishes everyone! In a subsequent email, Todd elaborated further: Yes, I still play the guitar and have gotten into more acoustic and fingerpicking styles as of late. Good times!

Let me give you a recap of what I’ve been up to the past 25 years. (Does time really go by that fast? Whew!) So, after college at Bates in Maine, I went into the Peace Corps and served in Guatemala for two years and learned Spanish in the process of helping Mayan farmers. Then I came back and got my master’s in the language at UNH. Following that, I taught for two years at Concord High School in NH, and then followed a girlfriend at the time down to the DC region. I’ve been teaching Spanish now at a public high school here in Manassas, VA, for the past 19 years. I’m department chair and DJ the homecoming and prom dances, which is always a blast! So, it’s been good, and my commute is only about 10 minutes since my wife and child and I live close by. My wife and I met while salsa dancing, actually, another passion of mine! Our daughter is 10 years old and finishes 4th grade tomorrow.

is now running a business called North Shore Beefs, which brings the flavors of the North Shore and East Coast to Southern California. My family and I feasted on 3-Way Beefs and Cheesesteaks, and they were phenomenal. In the next 4 months I will be traveling to Tanzania to hike Kilimanjaro, and to France and Spain to walk the Camino Frances. That’s all for now. And I greatly echo Ray’s sentiment, I hope to see a bunch of you at our 30th in Byfield this June! Cheers, Scotty C

And so here we are, after 30 years, old, decrepit, surly, and yet remarkably youthful and well preserved, with an optimism that makes a pessimist such as I am shrivel! But the only way out is through. Be well, all! Mike

Class of ’98, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’96

REUNION

Scotty Coulon scottycoulon@gmail.com Janna De Risi jannaderisi@hotmail.com I guess the Class of ’96 is holding back on their correspondence because they’re going to share everything at our 30th Reunion this June. That’s my hope anyways. So, I guess we’ll leave it to the guy who lives in Byfield to share some news. Ray Long writes: This is my 21st year working at Govs! I’m enjoying being the dorm head of Cottage and coaching track in the spring. I’m working in Admissions and working hard to find the future of Govs. My wife, Rachel, does some part-time work in the Health Center as a nurse. My kids keep me busy as they are 11 and 7. Looking forward to seeing a lot of you in Byfield for our 30th! As for me, I just got to hang out with ’97 alum GM Van Cott. He

’97

If you have new to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’98

Elle Erickson erickson@amsllp.com

’99

Jessica Karlin jess.karlin@gmail.com Class of ’99, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’00

Catherine Correia Catherine.correia@gmail.com Zenovia Wright writes in: Greetings from DC! Still living in DC area, now with “new” husband, Eric Irving, Esq. We wed on 8/29/2025 in Clarksburg, MD. In attendance were Govs Alums Natalia Averett, Jason Charles ’99, Naomi Fink ’99, and Kristin (Seim) Zarkades ’99.

’01

REUNION

Caitlin Haire caitlin.haire@outlook.com Hi everyone! Hope you’ve all been doing well. I’m still here in Newburyport and trying my best to

embrace that chaos that two young sons bring to the mix … Honestly, I didn’t know that so many things— including a banana, a thermometer, and an entire tub of Oxiclean— could be flushed down the toilet with no real damage [thankfully, not all at once]. I’m definitely keeping the Govs spirit going strong though—I got to spend some time this summer with Larry Lyons and Chris DeLisle, enjoyed Cardinal and White Day this fall with Larry, Tiana (Grasso) Rick, Ashlee (Nantoski) Lazzari, and most recently had lunch on campus with Tiana, Ashlee, and Samantha (Boulais) Howson, which was totally a trip. Was really fun to hang in the dining hall and see how much has and really hasn’t changed. Twenty-five years since we graduated. Time really does fly and it seems like, based on all your updates, we’ve been making the most of it. Love to see it. Maria (Moore) Collins writes, “It’s been quite a wild year. We spent some time with family in Provence over the summer, lovely getaway! Noelle is in her senior year and decided to go Montana State in the fall, looking forward to our visits to Bozeman! Our little one, June is going to miss her big sis, but heading off to Kindergarten at the same time—big changes! Looking forward to catching up with everyone in June!” From Jordan Harband: “I’m doing great out here near San Francisco. My daughters are 6 and 8, doing swim, soccer, and dance; and my wife just reopened her therapy practice. I got to see Yu Nagakawa and Ted Chen in Tokyo last November on my annual work trip, and we had a blast.” Catherine (Whitney) Bing shared a picture from her family’s recent surprise trip to Universal Studios Hollywood and says, “My two boys, Alex (11) and Eric (9), are thriving in Winchester. Alex entered middle school this year and Eric is going strong in 3rd grade. Alex is passionate about track and Eric about soccer and both are loving ski and skate season. My husband, Ben, is continuing to shape young minds as a fourth-grade teacher and I am approaching my 20th year with EY Spring 2026 67

CLASS NOTES

directing our America’s Finance team. Hope everyone is doing well! If you are ever in Winchester, stop by Winter Pond, join us for a skate!” Adam Shelley has an incredible update from his side of the pond: “In 2025, I was part of an expedition through the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Jordan, retracing the steps of Lawrence of Arabia’s famous path to Aqaba during the First World War. Wild temperature swings, remote environments, and the odd scorpion made this a trip to remember. My family were very patient with me being away, but the silver lining was that the trek managed to raise $800,000 for injured veterans. In 2026, I’m coming back to the Boston area because I’m going to be studying some of the implications of technology at MIT, so it will be great to be back in Massachusetts and to see what has changed and what is still the same. Best wishes to all our classmates, I struggle to believe it has been 25 years since 2001!” Joe Shedosky writes, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in touch.

I still live in Morristown, New Jersey and have been working for Morristown Hospital for the past 7 years as a physical therapist. I recently joined the reunion committee for our class as a way to reconnect and I hope to see many of you in June.” Derek Falvey shares some recent pics where he’s had some great moments with a fellow classmate: “My family and I spent time in Hawaii over the holidays and caught up with Nate Tsao and his family. It was an incredibly fun time. Nate, as we all remember, loves fishing, and my oldest son, Jack, is equally obsessed. Nate took our family on New Year’s Eve to an awesome hidden beach on the Big Island (where he lives) where he helped my son catch two bone fish. We then visited his home two days later and he filleted them up on our departure day for an amazing fish dinner. He’s doing really well and while I hadn’t seen him in 20 years, it felt like no time had passed. I also had an awesome summer weekend out here in Minnesota with Joe Fannon, JJ Morrissey, Larry Lyons, Chris DeLisle, and John Shuster. We got some baseball, some lake time, and

a whole lot of laughs.” Ben Mitchell sent an update: “Not much to report on my end. Moved home successfully and spending time with friends and family for the holidays has been a blessing. I haven’t been able to do that for years so it felt great to be home. I will be grabbing breakfast with Peter Bragdon at the end of this month and I still keep in touch with Marcus Lathrop, who lives close by. I’m currently pivoting into the finance world after the luxury retail industry, so I am keeping busy getting licensed and studying for exams.” Until next time, Class of 2001… xoxo.

’02

Rachel Grossman rmanikian@gmail.com Hello Class! We are just about a year out from our 25th Reunion next June 2027 and I am looking forward to seeing many of you! In the meantime, I spent time with Lauren O’Brien in D.C. after I ran the Marine Corps Marathon

last October and also visited with Jyllian Schwarz and her family while in Boston for Christmas. David White wrote, “I actually went back to visit Boston this last fall and played golf with Mike Moonves at Essex County. I also passed by GDA and caught up with Perry Nelson and Mike Karin. No trip to Boston would be complete without meeting up with Mike Woods as well.” Alyson Gerber also had a run in with Mr. Moonves over Christmas in Palm Beach!

’03

Taso Kapernekas tkap07@gmail.com Eden Davies: It was an honor to race on American Eagle, a classic 12-meter sailing yacht, on the only all-women, all-amateur crew in the world. While we may not have won the Nantucket Regatta or the Opera House Cup (this year!), we continue to hone our skills and climb the ranks every year and finished solidly in the middle of the pack. (Keep in mind, we are racing [against] professional sailors who compete weekly, year-round, with the same crew and same boat consistently.) So pretty proud of that as well! REPRESENTATION MATTERS and we ladies of American Eagle are the belles of the ball who still bring the heat! (It’s pretty sweet to get cheers and cannon salutes from our male competitors!)

’04

Leslie Clunie lesley.clunie@gmail.com Class of ’04, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’05

Nicole Zografos nicolezografos@gmail.com

Top row, L to R: On a recent trip to Hawaii, Derek Falvey ’01 met up with Nate Tsao ’01 for some fishing and dinner with their families; Bottom row, L to R Catherine (Whitney) Bing ’01 and her family at Universal Studios · Eden Davies ’03 and the all-women crew of American Eagle sailing yacht

68 Governor’s

Andrew Guyton has been recognized as a President’s Council Club qualifier by Guardian Life Insurance Company of America— the company’s highest annual

CLASS NOTES

honor, awarded to financial professionals who exemplify exceptional service and commitment to their clients. Andrew was also named to the Forbes 2025 Best-in-State list of Top Financial Security Professionals in New Hampshire. Founder of Forge Financial (est. 2022), Guyton helps clients build financial confidence through comprehensive planning strategies that integrate protection, wealth accumulation, and overall financial coordination.

share, please send it to your class secretary.

’08

Abby Shaffo abigail.shaffo@gmail.com Perry Eaton perron.eaton@gmail.com

’07

Hi Govs community! I, Abby Shaffo, am writing from Oahu, where John and I are stationed with the Navy alongside our toddlers, George (4) and Gabriel (2), through at least summer 2027. John is currently in command of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, and I am juggling my Pilates business, Navy Reserve service at U.S. IndoPacific Command, and finishing grad school through the Naval War College. We spend lots of time with Charlotte DiMaggio, who moved to Hawaii in December 2024. She is my surfing buddy and the very best auntie to our boys.

Class of ’07, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to

Charlotte continues her work as a pediatric nurse and is always planning her next adventure. We also had the pleasure of hosting Anna Smith this year and loved showing her around the island.

’06

REUNION

Emme Hughes m.esther.hughes@gmail.com Class of ’06, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

Jack Lamson jalamson5368@gmail.com Rachel Stavis Rachel.stavis@gmail.com

Decia Splaine shares: “Chris and I are about to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary (1/18/25)! One year ago, we celebrated with fellow Govs Ruth (Splaine) Randlett ’05, Sarah Quinttus, Artie Veasey ’68, Bob Veasey ’71, and Steve & Julie Ogden (sorry no group pic to show!). Mr. Ogden even got a shout out in Ruth’s speech! I also ran into fellow class­ mate Liana Conway recently at Cedardale while watching her daughter and my niece play tennis together! It was so much fun catching up! Also, from Michael Shakespeare: “Couple quick updates from the Shakey clan. We moved to Hamilton in 2024 and enjoy bumping into a bunch of other Govs alum and their families in and around town—Dan and Hannah Hines ’09, Jay Allsopp, Tim Langmaid ’07, and Whitney Ocko, David and Emily Doggett, Annie (Clayman) Walsh, Brian ’09 and Meg Durkin ’12, etc. Our daughter, Grace, turns 4 in February. Crazy how fast the time goes! We are spending the month of January down in Florida to beat some of the cold weather and for work. I took a new job

as the chief marketing officer of a men’s clothing brand called REDVANLY, and it has been a ton of fun. I still keep in close touch with Will Bryson and got together with him and his family over the holidays. Grace and his two boys, Jack and Beau, are great friends even though they only see each other a couple times a year. Here is a pic from the get together!” It’s always great to hear from everyone and follow along on social media as well. Keep the updates and photos coming next Archon!

’09

Hannah Hines hannah.f.hines@gmail.com Amanda Correnti a.corrents@gmail.com Jimmy King jamesmking41@gmail.com Hello from the Class of 2009! Some fun reports to share. Dan and I had our third child this fall, a girl! Rosie Hines was born in September, joining her two brothers Ollie and Ryan. We are a happy family of five

Top row, L to R: Alyson Gerber ’02 ran into Mr. Moonves P’82 in Palm Beach, FL · David White ’02 with class favorite Mr. Nelson P’24,’25 · Lauren O’Brien ’02 and Rachel Grossman ’02 post marathon in D.C. · Andrew Guyton ’05 founder of Forge Financial; Bottom row, L to R: Decia Splaine ’08 and her husband Chris on their wedding night · Michael Shakespeare ’08 with his daughter Grace and sons of Will Bryon ’08 · Charlotte DiMaggio ’08, Abby Shaffo ’08 and Anna Smith ’08 atop Chinaman’s Hat on Oahu, HI

Spring 2026 69

CLASS NOTES

and are now living on the North Shore, in Wenham. We love seeing all the fellow Govs alumni around Hamilton Wenham—there are a lot of us!! Demi (Leone) Wittman shares that she is living in North Andover with her husband, Ryan, and keeping busy with their two children—Robert (1st grade) and Mackenzie (pre-K). Nils Bergman shared: “I bought a house in Haverhill back in 2017 or so, and have had my own IT/consulting company for the last five years. My girlfriend, Kayla, and I had a trip to Iceland this year. At home we have three rabbits, Banana, Raccoon, and Dorito.” He loves being an uncle and has a few nieces! Anna O’Neal shared that she is now living in Burlington, Vermont, with

two amazing dogs (one of them is training to be a service dog), and two cats. She got a third board certification, started a private medical practice blending physical and mental healthcare, and she spends her winters skiing! Eric Dunstan renovated a historic home in Ipswich, MA, which is where he now lives. He opened another gym, Reck Fitness in Danvers, in addition to the current location in Beverly. He still gets together regularly with Ariel and her husband, and occasionally Tim when he’s in town. Huge congrats to Erin Quinlan and her husband, Austin, who welcomed their baby boy, Oisín Rory Cashin, in August. They live in Newburyport. Linley Block got married in December 2024 and

is now living in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband, who coaches baseball at UVA. They are expecting a baby girl in May 2026. Jamie Hansen had a baby girl in October 2024, and she and her family are living in Portsmouth, NH. Colin Canty and his wife Bridget welcomed a baby girl in February of 2025. Her name is Isla and they live in Brooklyn. Petey Metcalf got married in October in New Jersey— congrats Petey!! And lastly, Trevor Hines lives in Newmarket, NH with his wife—they have a few dogs who they adore, and they spend a lot of time skiing! Laura Beohner and her partner Zach McInnis welcomed their third child, Hunter, joining sisters Brooke and Zoey. Their business, The Healing Rose, based in Newburyport, celebrated nine years in business last fall and is quickly growing. Look for Laura in the next series of CNN’s “Dr. Sanjay Gupta Investigates: Weed,” coming sometime in mid-2026! Hope everyone else is doing well! Always love to hear from you. Our 20th reunion will be here before we know it!! All the best, Hannah Hines

’10

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’11

REUNION

Nora Kline nora.k.kline52@gmail.com Katie Reilly katiemacreilly@gmail.com The Class of 2011 continues to navigate the joys of parenthood, work, and new home ownership! Michelle Gallipeau and Mike DiFrancesco ’10 recently moved into their new home in Ipswich, MA. Victoria Caruso is completing her gastroenterology fellowship at Baystate Medical Center. Alex Carpenter is set to play in her third Olympic Games with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team—Go Team USA! Top row, L to R: Hannah ’09 & Dan Hines ’09 with their 3 kids, Oliver, Ryan and Rosie · Erin Quinlan Cashin ’09 & her family; Middle row, L to R: Nils Bergman ’09 on vacation with his girlfriend, Kayla, in Iceland · Demi (Leone) Wittman ’09 and her family; Bottom row, L to R: Class of 2009’s Becca (Block) Stark, Jamie (Hansen) Armstrong, Hannah (Fitzpatrick) Hines, Linley (Block) Kirkpatrick, and Demi (Leone) Wittman at Linley’s wedding in December 2024 · Beautiful children of Laura Beohner ’09

70 Governor’s

As for us, Nora moved to the North Shore with her husband and daughter. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and is working in a group private practice.

Katie Reilly has continued to work in journalism as a reporter and an editor. She recently started a new job as an editing resident at The New York Times. We are looking forward to our 15-year reunion in June!

’12

Audrey Rey audreypcheney@gmail.com Kate Rudolph kate.rudolph@gmail.com Class of ’12, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’13

Corie DuCharme cgrewal24@gmail.com Jalina Suggs is a proud graduate of the YW Boston LeadBoston 2025 program and continues to grow her equity-centered strategic leadership as director of Boston with Union Capital. She wants to connect with other alums doing social impact work in Greater Boston, so get in touch with her at jalina. suggs@unioncapital.org. Ben Stafford and his wife, Anjali, (married in October 2023) are expecting their first baby in early February. They are living in Amesbury and loving it, and although they are keeping the baby’s sex a surprise before they’re here. They already have a Govs onesie ready to go! Chris Bennett got married in September of 2023 and had a baby boy, Elijah, in April of 2025 (see photos). He has been working for a company called Innovasea for the last three years, developing subsea cameras for the aquaculture market, and had a few photos displayed in a Newburyport art gallery in 2025 (see poster). Corie Grewal is the new class of 2013 secretary. She is excited to hear from her class for future magazines. If you didn’t get her email this winter and want to be on the Class of 2013 mailing list, please email her at cgrewal24@gmail.com.

CLASS NOTES

’14

Emilie MacDonald emiliemac95@gmail.com Lucy Purinton lcpurinton@gmail.com Class of ’14, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretaries.

’15

Racquel Nassor racquel.nassor@gmail.com Class of ’15, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’16

REUNION

Samara Gallagher samarajgallagher@gmail.com Mitzi Wiggin mitziesnow123@gmail.com

Looking forward to celebrating our 10-year reunion this June! See you then!

’17

Rachel Ross rachel.ross13235@gmail.com Class of ’17, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’18

Eni Owoeye waterstos@gmail.com Class of ’18, we’d love to hear from you! If you have news to share, please send it to your class secretary.

’19

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role

of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org. Alexander Tollman wrote in: Moved out to San Francisco to be an antenna engineer for satellites! In my free time I’ve been caving, freediving, and running. If anyone visits SF, feel free to reach out on Insta or email me! I visit Govs whenever I get a chance to because it’s got tons of good memories and is a beautiful place.

’20

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’21

REUNION

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’22

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org. Jacqui Furey: I’m honored to share that I have been selected as a dancer for THON 2026 at Penn State! For those who may not know, THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. In 2025, it raised $17.7M to fight childhood cancer. Each year, more than 16,500 Penn State students volunteer to raise money and awareness in support of children and families battling pediatric cancer. The year-long fundraising effort culminates in a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon, and all proceeds benefit Four Diamonds, which supports families and funds critical childhood cancer research. What makes this especially meaningful to me is that Governor’s played such a huge role in shaping who I am today, [including] the values of service, leadership, and community that I learned at Govs, along with the many hands-on experiences, from volunteering at Special Olympics to serving in local kitchens with Coach Stickney. If you’d like to support my efforts, you can donate or share this message to spread awareness!

’23

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’24

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org.

’25 Top row, L to R: Govs 2011 alumnae with our babies—future Govs Class of 2043? (L to R): Michelle Gallipeau, Nora Kline (with her daughter, Penelope), Hannah (Rochman) Cobb (with her son, Cooper), Skylar (Frisch) Kline (with her daughter, Colette), and Victoria Caruso (with her son, Landon) · Chris Bennett ’13 with his wife on their wedding day; Middle row, L to R: Chris Bennett ’13 with his baby boy, Elijah, and a poster of his photo show in Newburyport · Julia St. Laurent ’24, Erin O’Connell, and Fiona Neilon ’24; Bottom row, L to R: Alexander Tollman ’19 Sunrise hike up Mt Shasta, freediving in Monterey CA, and at sunset from a cave

If you have news to share or if you are interested in taking on the role of class secretary, please email classnotes@govsacademy.org

Spring 2026 71

In Memoriam

1951

1958

1964

1987

Fred “Ted” Barrows III

Joseph S. Montgomery

John O’Dea

Mark C. Romboletti

September 1, 2025

January 2, 2026

October 2025

September 17, 2025

1952

1960

1967

1989

Frederick P. Bowden III

Richard L. Henry

William “Ward” Westhafer

Victoria C. (Hill) Resnick

October 9, 2025

December 26, 2025

October 4, 2025

October 11, 2025

1969

2026

George Cowles

Frederick N. Lang

Ntifafa (Fafa) Dzokoto

August 12, 2025

July 1, 2025

February 4, 2026

1953 William F. Tuxbury, Jr. January 12, 2026

1963

1955

1971 Peter B. Coburn February 2025

Bowen H. Tucker

James “Gig” Barton

August 16, 2025

November 11, 2025

Jeffrey S. Eveleth, Sr.

1976

June 16, 2025

Charles J. Volpone August 28, 2025

Christopher A. Taylor April 3, 2025

72 Governor’s

Mysteries from the Archives! As the Govs archivist, one of my missions is to ignite curiosity about what came before us. Over the past 14 years, I have been emailing "History Mysteries" to all students and employees. While many people just send in their guesses, others research extensively. Here's your chance to test your skills by looking at one of the questions answered by many current students. See how well you know school history! —Sharon Slater P’16,’20,’24, Archivist and History Teacher

BUILDING B

BUILDING A

BUILDING C

Question: Our campus is constantly evolving, with many new buildings being created. Put the following construction sites in chronological order from oldest to newest and identify the buildings.

Answer: B: Ingham Dormitory (1946); C: Frost Building (1956); A: Peter Marshall French Student Center (1978).

THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY 1 ELM STREET BYFIELD, MA 01922

In this issue, a behind the curtain look into the making of the Academy’s Winter Musical, Mamma Mia! Pictured here: Willow Dixon ’26

1

Governor’s