Tag Archives: Northampton School for Girls

Martha Peck Burgess ’48

Martha (Mardy) Burgess, age 86, of Annapolis, MD, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, May 10, 2018, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Mardy was born May 24,1931 to George Francis Peck and Edith Gertrude Peck in Scranton, PA. She married Newton A. Burgess in 1952, and from that union she was blessed with her beloved children Cynthia and Kenneth.

Dr. Burgess received her PhD and Masters degrees in Education from the Union Institute in 1993 and BA from Middlebury College in 1952.

In 1976 she met Albert Brown, the love of her life. Initially, they resided in Bethesda, MD, and then moved to Baywoods of Annapolis. They shared many interests and traveled extensively throughout their lives together.

She used her interests in the environment, conflict resolution, science, and spirituality to make the world a better place. She was a dynamic member of Annapolis Friends Meeting and an active member of her Baywoods community.

Mardy is survived by her devoted life partner Albert Brown, her daughter Cynthia Cosbey (Steve); son Kenneth Burgess, stepsons Geoffrey Brown (Patria) and Michael Brown, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Sarah Sessions Chapin ’49

Sarah Sessions Chapin, born in Massachusetts in 1931, who lived most of her life in Concord, died peacefully on December 6th, 2017. She was raised on the family farm in Hadley, Mass. and earned a B.A. from Smith College and later in life an M.Ed. from Harvard. Sarah was a music teacher, educator and the author of several books, which include a history of Concord. Sarah had many pursuits and interests including art, botany, social work, support and work at the Concord Library. She leaves a son, grandson, sister, niece, many cousins, and dear friends. Her wit, humor and fierce spirit will be greatly missed.

Lynn Harrison Cheney ’71

Lynn was born on February 5, 1954 in St. James, New York. It was there she spent her childhood, excelling at school and athletics. She was a member of the first graduating class of Harbor Country Day School in St. James where she was the top scholar and athlete, earning the Trustees Prize at her graduation. From there she attended the Northampton School for Girls, achieving the highest academic rank in the school and recognized as a National Merit Scholar. She attended Colorado College, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Lynn was never one to bring any attention to her remarkable accomplishments. She was reserved, genuine and without guile. She had a radiant smile that powered a quick and infectious sense of humor that she instinctually used to spark laughter or to diffuse difficult situations.

Lynn was unabashed about expressing her point of view with disarming frankness and insight. Her sense of values and integrity were unassailable. She was well respected for her leadership as Chairman of the Cornwall Consolidated School Board in northwest Connecticut, and on the Boards of the Cornwall Conservation Trust and the Cornwall Library Association. Her membership in two local book groups and weekly Scrabble games were evidence of her love of words, reading, and the expression of her thoughts that were out of the ordinary and well-stated. It was a common day for Lynn to play tennis with friends, work hard in her beautiful gardens, and purge the day with a long swim across Cream Hill Lake. Evenings were spent either immersed in a book, working a crossword puzzle, or pestering her husband.

Of all aspects of this life that brought her joy, Lynn’s greatest pleasure was her family. Lynn met Hugh at Colorado College and they married in 1976. Their children Hope, Rusty, Ted, and Tyler soon followed. Lynn’s children and her husband received the benefit of being raised by a mother and a spouse who combined her humor and strong sense of values to develop individuals who are kind, honest, and loving as she was. Her love of her husband, children, and grandchildren had no bounds, a love she expressed by a loyal and active interest in their lives. While Lynn made them work and study, she tempered her discipline by playing board games, pitching baseballs, and rolling about on the ground with her children or several of her eight grandchildren. Lynn intuitively knew when to intervene or stand aside to let mistakes educate. She was fiercely competitive, even with her children, and they loved her for it. It was a wonder to see Lynn together with her three sisters Gay, Sandy, and Marian and the love they held for each other. They easily fell into childhood rank and mannerisms, yet Lynn would scatter them in terror when her competitive nature surfaced over some slight she felt in a game of cards or Scrabble.

It is difficult to convey the core of this extraordinary woman who endured two of life’s most daunting challenges. With unfailing grace and remarkable courage, Lynn shouldered the death of her son Rusty in 2015 and the glioblastoma that took her life on May 7, 2018. Lynn was not in a battle with her brain cancer. Rather, she treated it as an inconvenient intrusion in her life, and she simply adapted to it with resilience and without complaint. While these two events cast a shroud over the last three years of her life, there is so much more about her that defined how she lived.

Lynn’s death has unraveled some of the fabric that held her close-knit family together, and we feel diminished by her absence. Her deep love of family and our love for her have made this a hard grief. In time, however, we trust that our memories of her remarkable life will eclipse grief. At times, we will miss her more than we can bear, yet we are thankful for this life she shared so generously with us all. Now may she be at peace, with no more hard challenges to conquer.

Our family would like to thank a large community of friends and neighbors for their consistent kindness, care and support of us over the past three years. We are convinced that, as a result of all the love that embraced us, Lynn far outlived her prognosis. We felt secured by all of you and lifted above the worries. We have experienced the best of humanity.

 

Miriam Goldstein Sommer ’46

Miriam Hilda (Goldstein) Sommer, age 89, of New Haven, Conn., died peacefully on May 9, 2018, at The Connecticut Hospice. She was born on May 2, 1929, in Springfield, Mass., to Nathan and Annie (Ginsberg) Goldstein. Mimi, as she was known to many, attended Northampton School for Girls and Wells College and later earned a master’s degree in art history at Southern Connecticut State College. For many years, she worked in the Department of Music at Yale University. She was proud of her second career as a freelance journalist; her interviews and stories were published in The New York Times and in various travel magazines. She was a champion of the arts and a devoted cinephile. For many years she held a weekly “story hour” for her neighbors’ children. She leaves behind many loving and devoted friends and relatives, including her “French family.” She was predeceased by her three older brothers and is survived by her daughters, Babette, of Forest Hills, N.Y., and Annie (David Rabinowitz) of Hamden, Conn. She was previously married to Leonard Samuel Sommer of Key Biscayne, Fla.

Dorothy Alexander Gaylord Phillips ’45

Dorothy “Dodo” Gaylord Phillips passed away on December 30, 2016.  She was born May 5, 1926 in Binghamton, NY.
She married Frank Gaylord July 12, 1945 and they raised four children in Spokane, WA. Dorothy was involved in antiques most of her life and was well known in the community. In 1976 she married Bob Phillips and they opened Dodie’s Collectibles. She loved her large garden and fed the squirrels and birds for years. She was a member of the Mayflower Society and an active member of the Manito Presbyterian Church for most of her life. Church members cheered her up with visits and cards the past couple of years. Dorothy had a great sense of humor and loved people for who they were. She is survived by her children, Sue Patneaude of Seattle, Chuck (Deloris) Gaylord of Spokane, Sally (Scott) Brand of Woodinville, WA and Linc (Della) Gaylord of Spokane; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Margaret Hill Greenberg ’51

Margaret “Maggie” Greenberg, 83, died on April 10, 2018 at her home. She was the daughter of Smith College English professor Charles Hill and his wife, Ruth, of Northampton, MA.
Mrs. Greenberg graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College, where she also won the history prize, and later received an M.A. degree in history from the University of Maryland. Subsequently, she was awarded the Diplome de Langue Francaise with highest honors from the Alliance Francaise in Paris, France.
Mrs. Greenberg traveled extensively in Europe, spending two years in Greece and two years in France. As a result, she became fluent in French and was able to converse in German, Italian, and Greek.
An accomplished classical pianist, Mrs. Greenberg studied under professor Sklarevsky, a Russian pianist at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MD. After moving to Mount Gilead, OH in 2005, she enjoyed giving piano lessons to her younger grandson.
Following 18 years of teaching history and French at college preparatory schools in the Washington, D.C. area, Mrs. Greenberg moved to Sanibel Island, FL. During her 20 years on Sanibel, she played team tennis in Florida’s “A” league, was Tennis Director at Sanibel’s largest resort, became very involved in local civic affairs, and began a new career as a freelance writer. The publication of over 200 articles and six books earned her a listing in “Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors & Poets.”
Mrs. Greenberg endowed two academic scholarships for students at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA and at the American College in Athens, Greece. She was also a generous contributor to the Mt. Gilead Public Library, the Morrow County Hospital Foundation, and United Way of Morrow County.
Mrs. Greenberg was predeceased by her husband, Louis M. Greenberg, a history professor at the University of Maryland. She is survived by her daughter, Alison Hirt of Mount Gilead, and grandsons Jaccob Hirt and Stefan Showalter, also of Mount Gilead.

 

Charlotte Drea Adams Rising ’39

Charlotte Adams Rising, 95, passed away March 21, 2018 in Medford, Oregon. The only child of Dr. William Francis Drea and Rhoda Smith Drea, Charlotte was born July 25, 1922, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She graduated from the Northampton School for Girls in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1939 and then spent three years at Stanford University before her marriage to 2nd Lt. Waldemar H. (Bud) Adams in 1942. After World War II, they made their home in the Detroit area, where they raised their four children.
After Bud’s death in 1964, Charlotte became the Registrar for the Merrill Palmer Institute in Detroit, completed her undergraduate degree at Wayne State University, and graduated from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Library Science. She married the Rev. Richard L. Rising in 1969, moved with him to Rochester, New York, and pursued her career as librarian until their move to Dolores, Colorado. They both retired while in Colorado and subsequently moved to Sonoma, California. But Oregon beckoned, and in 1991 they moved to Ashland, where Richard died in 1998. Beginning in the spring of 2000, Charlotte shared her life with Theodore F. Carter and moved with him to Rogue Valley Manor in 2005.
During her years in Oregon, Charlotte was a reader, Lay Eucharistic Minister, and vestry member at Ashland’s Trinity Episcopal Church, a board member of the Tudor Guild and Ashland’s AAUW, a member of Chapter FO, P.E.O., and a respite volunteer for the Providence Hospital Hospice.
She is survived by her children, Natalie Riley, William Adams, Charles Adams, and Michael Adams; her step children, John Rising, Cynthia Rising, Caroline Maxey, Stephen Rising, Catherine Rising, and William Rising; eight grandchildren; eight step grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Patricia Newton Dupre ’50

Patricia “Pat” Newton Dupre, 86, passed away January 30, 2018 in Ocala, FL. Born April 14, 1931, in Northampton, MA, to Russell and Mary Margaret Bush Newton. She graduated from Northampton School for Girls in 1950, then later graduated from Cooley Dickinson School of Nursing. Pat was affiliated with the Massachusetts General  Hospital  and  received  the Florence Nightingale award for outstanding nursing. Pat was also a member of the DAR (Daughter’s of American Revolution), the Q.O.P for many years, choir, CCA, and making sacrifices beads. She so loved sailing and for many years. She is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Lawrence A. Dupre; son, Joseph Lawrence Dupre, of Murphy, TX; daughters, Deborah J. Norris, of Bristol, CT, Loreen Ann Dupre, of Ocala, FL, son-in-law Ed Norris, daughter-in-law Diane Dupre and; three grandchildren, Brandon, Kaitlin and Anthony.

Marie Kragt Harvey ’42

Marie Kragt Harvey took her last breath surrounded by her devoted family on January 2, 2017 at Wood Ranch, Simi Valley, CA.

Marie was born to Herman and Jantje Kragt in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on August 11, 1923. Her family immigrated to the United States and she spent her early years in in Northampton, Massachusetts. She followed her parents to Beverly Hills, CA in the early 1950s and her love affair with Southern California began.

Marie’s long and varied career as an Early Childhood Educator culminated when she retired from her position as Administrative Director of the Anna Bing Arnold Children’s Center. In the late 1960s and early 1970s she oversaw the conversion of 3 homes in the neighborhood surrounding the growing campus of California State University at Los Angeles. The center served the preschoolers of university students, while their parents were in class. Utilizing Child Development majors as the teachers, the innovative programming applied Marie’s unique approach to training that became the model for the Cal State University system’s Children’s Centers.

Marie moved from Los Angeles to Wood Ranch, Simi Valley, CA to be close to her daughter in the mid 1980s. Her volunteerism is an inspiration. A lifelong learner, Marie involved herself with many classes at the Simi Valley Senior Center. From ceramics to Tai Chi, Marie kept fit and her mind active. As a member of the VIPs (Visually Impaired Person) support group, Marie kept up her affiliation with the Braille Institute, Santa Barbara that supported her through her challenges with macular degeneration.

As a docent at Strathern Historical Park, Marie loved sharing her growing knowledge of the Chumash Indians and the pioneer history of Simi Valley.

Marie sat on the boards of local organizations Simi Valley Council on Aging, the Neighborhood Council, and the Christian Science Church of Simi Valley. She was an active member of the AAUW, participating in several events throughout the years.

At the age of 80, Marie attended 2002 Simi Valley Leadership, where she learned the inner workings of her community and reveled in the new contacts.

Up until 2015, Marie used the Dial-a-Ride to get to meetings, canasta card games and lunches with friends.

An avid traveler, Marie loved cruises and tours and always came home with lovely stories of her adventures.

Preceded in death by beloved husband, Jesse Marsh Harvey, Marie Kragt Harvey is survived by her children: Laura Burgess Olsen (John) Simi Valley, CA; Jeffrey Earl Burgess (Sandy) Vancouver, WA; Robert Whitney Jennison (Maryann) Coventry, CT; Richard Stanley Jennison, Nantucket, MA; and Pamela Jessica Wilkinson (nee Harvey) (Randy) Flagstaff AZ, 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth Brumback Beebe ’43

Elizabeth “Betsy” (Brumback) Beebe, 92, formerly of Ashfield and Shelburne Falls, MA, died Saturday, Dec. 16th, 2017, at The Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. Although in relatively good physical health, she struggled with the challenges of dementia over the last few years.

She was born October 28, 1925, in Van Wert, Ohio, the daughter of Willson P. and Rowena (Conn) Brumback. She attended grade school in Van Wert, and high school at the Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, Ohio, and the Northampton School for Girls where she graduated in 1943. After high school, she attended Smith College for a short time before moving to Boston, where she ultimately graduated from the Eliot Pearson School of Tufts University. It was during her time in Boston that she developed a love of teaching, which lead to a life-long career in education.

She taught all manner and ages of children at more than half a dozen public and private schools in both Massachusetts (The Bement School in Deerfield; Sanderson Academy in Ashfield; Rowe Elementary School in Rowe; Buckland-Shelburne Elementary in Shelburne Falls; and the Academy at Charlemont in Charlemont) and New York (she taught 3rd grade at what is now the Gardner-Dickinson School in the Wynantskill Union Free School District). She was most proud of the pinnacle of her own education – obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York, at the age of 43, while she was a dorm parent at The Emma Willard School in Troy.

After retiring from teaching at age 65 she continued to work for many years, including at the Smith College Alumni Association, Singley Real Estate, and the Mohawk Trail Concert Association. She also volunteered her time at the Senior Center in Shelburne Falls, the Mary Lyon Foundation, and several other organizations in Western Massachusetts.

One of her life-long passions was the Brumback Library in Van Wert, which was built by her great-grandfather in 1899, and bears the distinction of being the first public county library in the United States. She was an avid traveler, both nationally and internationally, having visited England, France, and Italy, as well as Mexico and China. She spent her spare time knitting, weaving, and quilting, and continued to improve her command of the French language well into her 80’s. She thoroughly enjoyed reading; her bedside table and bookcases were always stacked high with books, and her coffee table littered with magazines and newspapers. She would often cut articles out of the newspapers and magazines and mail them to unsuspecting relatives and friends.

She is survived by two daughters, Sarah and husband John Peck of La Selva Beach, California, and Susan of Tucson, Arizona; three sons: Dwight of Northampton, Willson and wife Vickie of Midland, Texas, and Tyler and wife Brooke of Briar Cliff Manor, New York. She is also survived by several nieces, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her brother, Willson P. Brumback, Jr., predeceased her earlier this year. Her husband, William H. Beebe, predeceased her January 15, 1975.

Those who knew Betsy would not be surprised to learn that several years ago she crafted her own obituary: “Elizabeth (Brumback) Beebe, 101, died yesterday at home.” And in her instructions left with the funeral home, she also insisted, “No funeral, but the kids may decide to have a party or what-have-you”. Although she did not quite make it to 101, Betsy lived a rich and wonderful life, and always enjoyed sharing her life stories (and opinions) with students, friends, and family. She “never met a stranger”, and will be remembered fondly by all whose lives she touched. She will be deeply missed.