All posts by hstauder

Kevin Garrity, Faculty


Livestream of Kevin Garrity’s Memorial Service (1:00 pm on Sunday, November 13)

A livestream of the service is available on Williston’s YouTube Channel at the link below — you will see the service at the top left of the page, with “Live” in red. The stream will begin at 12:50pm – ten minutes before the start of the service.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRB61SOX0pm4veg4PGu-kfw

Kevin Garrity, of Watertown, Connecticut, passed away suddenly on November 3, 2022 at the age of 41. Kevin attended The Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut, where he was a Prefect, honor roll student, and recipient of the Gunnery Cup upon graduation. An avid athlete, Kevin was a member of the Varsity rowing, soccer, and basketball teams in high school. In 1998, Kevin was selected for the U.S. Development rowing team and earned a spot on the national team in 1999, which led to training and international competition in Canada and Bulgaria.

Kevin attended Brown University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Modern American History. He was a four-year student-athlete on the Brown crew team.

After graduating in 2003, Kevin returned to The Frederick Gunn School as a faculty member, teaching science, coaching basketball and rowing, and advising students. Deeply involved in student life, he served as a Dorm Parent, Prefect Advisor, and Head of the Crew Program. He was the recipient of the Class of 1955 Distinguished Teaching Award. It was at The Frederick Gunn School where Kevin met his wife, Kate, and they were married in 2013.

In 2014, Kevin and Kate accepted Faculty roles at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts and moved onto the school’s campus. Kevin taught Physics and Chemistry at Williston; served as an Advisor and Dorm Parent; and coached rowing, basketball, soccer, and golf.

A devoted husband, father, son, and brother, Kevin is survived by his wife, Kate, and two children, Cameron (8) and Maggie (2); by his parents, Thomas and Georgia Garrity; and by his siblings, Ryan Garrity, Meghan Garrity, Caitlin Dixon, and Erin Garrity. Relatives and friends are invited to a service to be held at 1 pm on November 13 at Easthampton Congregational Church, 112 Main Street, Easthampton, Massachusetts 01027, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp at https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/

Philip W. Wilkinson ’55

Philip Wardner Wilkinson
January 6, 1936 – October 13, 2022

Phil graduated from Williston Academy, a preparatory school in Easthampton, MA., and then attended Colgate University to earn his undergraduate degree. During his college years, Phil was a successful athlete earning his Varsity Letter for Soccer and Track & Field. He graduated from Colgate in 1959 with a degree in Economics; afterward, he continued his education and attended graduate school at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL earning a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Immediately after graduating from Northwestern, Phil moved to New York City, taking a job in Product Development with the American Mustard company French’s. He lived in a fantastic apartment on the Upper Westside of Central Park!

Shortly after moving to New York City, Phil met and married the love of his life, Mary Rothmann. Phil and Mary were married on May 9th, 1970, and soon began to plan their epic off-shore sailing trip aboard “Vibrant.” Phil & Mary spent nine months sailing from Long Island Sound to the Bahamas.

Once back on land, Phil moved with Mary to Fairport, NY, to start a family. Phil worked for several companies in marketing, consulting, and product distribution in the Rochester area. On days off, Phil & Mary enjoyed sailing “Vibrant” at Sodus Bay with sons Eric and Philip, enjoying many summer vacations across Lake Ontario. A loving and supportive father, Phil could always be found at the sidelines of his son’s soccer games and in the front row of their concerts, line judging at their ski races, or heading up Boy Scout meetings or trips.

In retirement, Phil enjoyed skiing, sailing, and traveling with Mary. Together they visited Italy, Sweden, Russia, South America, the Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Montana, California, and Canada, and even made time for a Semester at Sea enrichment voyage. In addition, he created many intricate sculptures and did so for many years side by side with Mary at several local art galleries.

He is survived by his children, Philip Wilkinson Jr. and his wife Theresa of Pittsburgh, PA, and Eric Wilkinson and his wife Emily of Charleston, SC. His four grandchildren, Kiera, Theo, Mary Catherine, and Julia Wilkinson loved him dearly. He is also survived by his sister Suzanne Meldrum of Pawling, NY, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held on Friday, October 14th, at 1:00 p.m. at Simons Funeral Home in Pittsburgh, PA.

A second memorial service will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fairport, NY conducted by Rev. Ken Peppin on October 29th at 4:00 p.m. The family would like to invite guests to attend a reception before the service at 2:00 pm also at St. Luke’s Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bridges Hospice, 4130 Monroeville Blvd. Monroeville, PA 15146 or online at www.bridgeshospice.org

The family would like to thank the many doctors, nurses, caregivers, and Bridges Hospice staff who provided such excellent care and the thoughtfulness and prayers of devoted friends.

Duncan S. Cook ’50

Duncan passed away October 4, 2022 at the Weatherly Inn in Tacoma. After attending Williston Academy in Massachusetts, he graduated from Lehigh University and received a Master’s degree from USC. He entered the Army and served 28 years as a senior aviator and advisor. He was a loving husband to Joan for 66 years and father to Elizabeth (Betsy) Yohai, (Steve), Meredith Blackwell (Lyndon), and Peter Duncan Cook. He cherished his grandchildren, Rachael Yohai and Ryan Blackwell. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to LCOP or the charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held at Little Church on the Prairie on Oct. 21 at 2pm.

Charles E. Stoneham ’49

Charles Ernest Stoneham, of Paxton, MA, was born in 1930 in Salem, MA, and died on October 1, 2022 at age 92.
After attending Williston Northampton School, Charles went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Williams College and furthered his career with advanced courses in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Charles had a long career as an Engineer at Sprague Electric Company at the plant that has now become MassMOCA in North Adams, MA, as well as at Concord, NH and Worcester, MA facilities. He was involved in semiconductor research that led to advancements helping to further space travel and electronics.
Charles met the love of his life, Inge Kolterer, at their workplace in North Adams where she was a lab technician. He married Inge in 1958, and recently referred to their 64 years together as the best thing that happened to him in his life. He was close to his family and had regular long conversations with each of his children, including the night before he passed.
Charles leaves his wife Inge, three children, Charles, Susan and Christa, and their spouses, Cathy, Eduardo, and Jerry, as well as four grandchildren, Jessica, Gregory, Carlos, and Malcolm, and Jessica’s husband Steve. Charles was predeceased by his parents, sister, two nieces, as well as many colleagues and friends.
A memorial service honoring his life will take place at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 22, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. Burial will follow at Mooreland Cemetery in Paxton.

John J. Swierzewski ’92

John Joseph Swierzewski, D.P.M., died suddenly at the age of 49 in Beaufort, South Carolina. Born at Providence Hospital in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to Maureen and Stanley Swierzewski, M.D., John graduated from the Williston Northampton School, in Easthampton, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, in Philadelphia. John specialized in podiatry and podiatric surgery in Holyoke, Massachusetts, at Comprehensive Foot Care Inc. and was affiliated with Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Noble Hospital, and Holyoke Medical Center. John invented an alkaloid-based foot- and skin-care treatment called All Natural pHeet Wipes to treat his life-long eczema condition, and was the founder and chief executive of pHeet Wipes seller PH Select. He was an avid golfer. John is predeceased by his mother, Maureen, and is survived by his four sons, Cian, Davin, Tagh, and Luke, his father, Stanley, his brothers Stanley ’76, Mark ’78, Paul, James and David, his sister Ann Corcoran, and numerous nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00am on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1945 Northampton Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts, with a private service to follow.

Christopher S. Maller Jr. ’04


Christopher S. Maller Jr. (“Chris”) passed away unexpectedly while traveling, September 1, 2022, at the age of 37. Chris was born on Mount Desert Island, at MDI Hospital.
Chris graduated from schools that could not satisfy his restless curiosity and wanderlust, and worked 9-to-5s that suited him even less. What his resume lacked in gravitas, his passport made up for. It was an unapologetic testament to a life lived well and fully, without fear or hesitation.
While most of us say “someday” when it comes to traveling to an exotic location or ticking an item off our bucket list, Chris never let a day pass unfulfilled. He ran with the bulls in Pamplona. He drove ATVs in the desert in Morocco. He danced in the streets of Mexico City in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. He biked Mount Hood. He free-climbed the Flatiron in Boulder. He paraglided over the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Chris’ favorite pose in travel photos was facing the camera, big grin on his face, his arms thrown wide open. Reveling in the chaos. And inviting everyone to join him.
That is Chris’ legacy: buy the ticket. take the ride. embrace the chaos. In that spirit, please submit your own photos posed like Chris to chrispics207@gmail.com, which will be compiled and shared at a later date.
Chris is survived by his beloved bull terrier Nova (a/k/a Super Nova); father Dr. Christopher S. Maller, Sr. and his partner, Sandra S. Henderson; his mother, Isabelle Birdsall Schweitzer and her husband Dr. Peter Schweitzer; his big sister Meredith M. Maller, her husband Sam Cocks, and their son–Chris’ nephew–Charlie Curran Cocks; Chris’ little sister Emily Schweitzer and her partner Blake Hagberg; his aunt Marie Birdsall Chaffee and husband Tom Chaffee; his uncle Paul Gorky and aunt Donna Gorky; and cousins Tyler Gorky and Kendyl Gorky. Chris was predeceased by his cousin Brett Gorky and grandparents Natalie and Gregg Birdsall.
Chris was the consummate wanderer, but his true north was Mount Desert Island, where his ashes will be scattered in the waters so dear to him:
“We all end in the ocean
We all start in the streams
We’re all carried along
By the river of dreams.”
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Mile High Bull Terrier Club or Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

Richard J. Harris Jr. ’83

Richard John Harris Jr., 57, of Medway, Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, August 25, 2022. Born in Vernon, Connecticut, he was the son of Joanne (Kells) and Richard Harris Sr. He was the loving husband of 29 years to Jane (Urlage) Harris and the devoted and proud father to his four children, Taylor, Emily, Meghan, and Alyssa of Medway.
Rich was a graduate of Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. He spent his earlier years at Eaglebrook Boarding School and Williston Northampton School. He enjoyed working as an IT system administrator for several technology companies for over 30 years, including Digital, Thompson Financial, Intel, Raytheon, Draper, and most recently, Stevenson Technology Corporation.
Rich was an avid spectator of New England sports and loved watching NASCAR and going to races with his father and son. Most importantly, he spent hours watching his children play at all competitive levels. Rich even volunteered as President of the Girls Hockey Board. Rich enjoyed working as a ski ranger at Wachusett Mountain, playing lacrosse, and playing hockey well into adulthood, including several International hockey tournaments. He always looked forward to kayaking with his family down to Secret Beach in Mashpee. He loved barbecuing, grilling and smoking meats for friends and family.
Everyone who knew him saw him as a genuine, caring friend and loved his sense of humor. Rich was your go-to-guy who put everyone ahead of himself and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Most importantly, he loved his family and his time spent with them.
Rich is survived by his sister, Debbie Dalkas; his nieces and nephews, Courtney, Amanda, Sarah, Nicholas, Jessica, Reagan and Ryland and his beloved dog, Colby.
Rich will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and will never be forgotten.
Visitation will be held on Monday, August 29th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 30th at 12:00 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s Parish in Medway. Burial will follow in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery on Oakland St.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Harris Children education trust. In care of Middlesex Savings Bank 81 Main Street Medway, MA. 02053

C. Scott Bevins ’72

After more than a 10-year battle with Early-Onset Alzheimers, we lost our beloved Christopher “Scott” Bevins on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022 at the age of 69. His humor, love of family, of music, of sports, of friends, and of life were with him to the end. His wife Sarah Hoit and his devoted children, Wesley (21) and Samantha (19), visited faithfully, bringing out a putting mat for golf, throwing around a ball, cuddling together with his little dog, looking through beloved family photo albums, and singing the words together to his favorite songs. He laughed and sang, and until a month ago he would even “dance” with Sarah when she came to visit his memory care community that he entered almost two years ago.
Scott was born on June 10th, 1953, and he grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Early on Scott graced the world with his joy and many talents: earning 15 varsity letters from Marblehead High School (1967-69) and Williston Academy (1969-1972), making the second team All-America as a football player in high school, breaking Williston Academy’s record for most hockey points in a season with 65 points, leading his tennis and hockey teams as captain, sailing in the summers, sculpting for fun (including ice sculptures), writing poetry, and most importantly telling stories in his Scotty way.
Scott graduated from Lake Forest College in 1976 with a degree in psychology. At Lake Forest, Scott played hockey, football, and tennis, and he was also the President of his fraternity. His career was focused first in the hospitality business, helping manage both hotels and restaurants. Scott spent the majority of his career in Executive Search, helping people find their dream careers, which he continued to do as he transitioned into happily being a full-time dad and working from home once Wesley and Samantha were born.
The job he loved the most was coaching, he created and led the Northeastern men’s tennis team. He also coached hockey his whole life beginning in college, and he especially loved coaching the hockey teams his two kids played on, where he made every practice, shot pucks with the kids in the driveway, and even built a homemade rink in the backyard each year to skate on with Wesley and Samantha. Scott also taught Sarah, Wesley, and Samantha to ski and golf, which the family did together. Skiing at Stowe and playing golf at our beloved Eastward Ho! Country Club.
His love for his children and his enormous pride in their accomplishments was the center of his life. He always wore the St. Lawrence and Dartmouth hats and shirts they brought him, followed their triumphs, cherished each moment with them, and broke out into joyful noises every time Sarah and the kids arrived to visit him in his memory care community, never forgetting who they were. His illness has inspired the family to hold several very successful fundraisers for Alzheimer’s causes, and has inspired Sarah’s career both in founding Connected Living, a senior communications technology company, and now her work in biotechnology focused on finding solutions to Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases.
Scott was a great father, husband, and friend who knew the meaning of time and cherished being with his family. As a family, we are dedicated to being a part of the solution for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Scott also lost his father Wesley Bevins Jr. at 71 to Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. Sarah, Scott, and the kids have worked with and supported CaringKind and UsAgainstAlzheimers for years, which are organizations working to find a cure, and Sarah and the kids are part of starting a global non-profit together “Social Impact Partners” with other leaders that will bring together the global players to bring more awareness, resources, and collaboration to solving the disease.
Please join us in being part of the solution!

Elizabeth J. Snow ’60

Elizabeth Jean Snow was the daughter of the late Jean and Clary Snow. Elizabeth was born in Williamsburg, MA on March 1, 1943; proud of her family, Snow Farm, and English teacher mother, joined her ancestors in Heaven, on August 4, 2022, of pancreatic cancer at age 79.

“Betsy” has been a good sister to Judy Denison (Colorado) and Stephen Snow (Williamsburg). Her nieces and nephews loved her much.

She attended Northampton School for Girls and graduated from ‘Burgy High in 1960. She later attended Colorado State University, studied English composition, and enjoyed all Colorado had to offer. She had a tough car accident in 1963, out west, caused by a drunk and uninsured driver in another car.

She lived in Northampton, then later moved to Boston doing secretarial jobs and writing some poetry. Around 1990 Betsy moved back to Williamsburg, then South Hadley.

She always loved her friends from way- back- when… A unique and caring soul, who will be missed by all who knew her.

There will be a celebration of her life Saturday, September 17th at 2:00, at the First Congregational Church, 4 North Main St. Williamsburg.

Richard I. Wrubel ’53

Richard Isaac Wrubel, 85, of Middletown, CT, passed away on December 23, 2020. Born on March 30, 1935, to Arthur M. and Mildred S. Wrubel, he lived in Middletown for 85 years. He graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 1957 and was a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. A talented clarinet player, Richard led a top traveling Dixieland college band, The Quaker City Six. He then went into the US Army, finishing as a staff Sergeant. Richard joined Wrubel’s department stores-a business started by his grandfather Isaac Wrubel in 1899, and ultimately opened his own retail store in 1976, called Richard Wrubel. He retired from retail in 1992, going into the residential real estate business where he acquired a portfolio of condominiums throughout Middlesex County. Being civic-minded, he remained an active participant in the Downtown Improvement Committee for Middletown Chamber of Commerce. He was also Vice President of the Middletown Concert Association. Throughout his life Richard was an exceptional and avid musician. He generously donated his time playing for local audiences around the area. In his later years, his daily piano playing brought him and his listeners much joy. He was a true champion of Middletown, CT. Richard loved his family more than anything and was truly the family historian, recounting tales from the time his grandfather arrived here in 1898, perpetuating the Wrubel legacy. He was a die-hard Red Sox fan throughout his life and was fortunate enough to attend the 2004 World Series to see them break their nearly 100-year curse. In later years, Richard organized a bi-weekly Friday lunch gathering with his best pals, called the ROMEOs – Retired Old Men Eating Out. Richard will be remembered for his optimism and generous spirit, his infectious laugh and wonderful sense of humor. In the words of his favorite composer George Gershwin, “The fundamental things apply, as time goes by…” Richard will sadly missed and always in the hearts of his loving wife of 56 years, Marcia, his daughter Susan, his son Arthur and daughter-in-law Melanie and their children Wesley and Ava, and his older sister Constance Carrigan of New Jersey. Due to current health concerns, the family held a private graveside service at the Indian Hill Cemetery in Middletown on Sunday, December 27, 2020. The family will organize a memorial service in Richard’s honor at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s name: Amazing Grace Food Pantry, SVD Middletown, Attn: Peter, PO Box 398, Middletown, CT 06457, The Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at Congregation Adath Israel, PO Box 337, Middletown, CT 06457, or Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the Mayo Clinic.