Tag Archives: Williston Academy

James A. Openshaw, Jr. ’51

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James Arnold Openshaw, Jr., 84, of Edinburgh, IN, formerly of Ellicott City, MD, died on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at his home after a long illness.

Born November 14, 1933 in Newport, RI, he was the son of Dorothy Harvest and James Arnold Openshaw. The family moved to Southampton, MA, where he spent his boyhood years. Jim attended the Williston Northampton School, Class of 1951 and was captain of the ski team. He matriculated with the Class of 1955 at Virginia Military Institute and graduated with distinction in civil engineering.

He received a commission in the US Army and was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion (Combat), with duty at Ft. Belvoir, Ft. Benning, Ft. Riley and Verdun, France. He was honorably discharged in 1959 and returned to the DC area with his young family to begin a civilian career in the construction industry.

After several years managing federal building construction projects for the Arthur Venneri Construction Co., he joined Cherry Hill Sand & Gravel Co., Inc. as General Manager and later as President, establishing it as a civil construction business with headquarters in Jessup, MD. He purchased the company in 1978 and changed its name to Cherry Hill Construction, Inc. Under his ownership and leadership, the company flourished and grew to become a major highway and heavy construction contractor in the mid-Atlantic region.

Jim is survived by his wife, Pamela Openshaw, his first wife Barbara Falge Openshaw, his two sisters, Mrs. Walter Findeisen (NSFG ’50) of Killington, VT and Mrs. Benjamin Naylor (NSFG ’56) of Calais, VT, his three sons, James A. Openshaw, III of Norfolk, VA, David B. Openshaw of Annapolis, MD and Mark F. Openshaw of Jacksonville, FL, and his daughter, Ann O. DeLawder of Bel Air, MD. He had 14 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1951

Hubert H. Cadle ’43

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Hubert Haskell Cadle, 93, passed away on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at the SECU Jim & Betsy Bryan Hospice Home of UNC Health Care in Pittsboro, NC. He was born on April 8, 1925 in Westfield, MA to Hubert Attwater Cadle And Hazel Rust Cadle. He was a U.S. Army veteran and retired as a mechanical engineer from the Naval Training Device Center in Orlando, FL. Hubert was a previous member of Heidelberg United Church of Christ in Thomasville and a present member of United Church of Chapel Hill. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Virginia Trott Royce Cadle on February 13, 2017. Surviving is his son, Robert and his daughters, Barbara and Patricia, two grandsons, and four great-grandchildren.

Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1943

William L. Olds, Jr. ’59

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William Lee Olds Jr., a fourth generation San Franciscan who was a long-time resident of San Francisco died peacefully, July 25, 2018 at the age of 77. William attended Williston Academy before graduating from University of San Francisco.
He is survived by his three children, William Lee Olds III, Helene Hanneken, and Michelle Sauger as well as his son in-law James Sauger, eight grandchildren and his sister Jane Olds Bogart.
He was the President of the William G. Irwin Charity Foundation, a founding Board member of University High School, long time Board member of the San Francisco Humane Society and sat on numerous other non-profit boards. William was also a member of The Olympic Club for 58 years and The Bohemian Club for 48 years, where he was very active in their productions.
He was old school, regal, and selfless in his generosity; never expecting anything in return. William literally lived by the phrase “belt and suspenders,” which is commonly used in finance to describe cautious bankers, or for having redundant safety procedures in place to eliminate risk.
He was prepared, systematic and preserving of the resources he was a steward of, while also known to sport a belt and suspenders in his day to day. He was a voracious reader and a world traveler. He loved to travel on boats and had a passion for the Antarctic after his visit there. He was a true gentleman and will be sorely missed.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1959

Joseph Wayland-Smith ’57

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Joseph Wayland-Smith passed away peacefully on July 25, 2018 after a long fought battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in Seattle, Washington and lived in Oneida, New York for many years and later retired to Bonita Springs, Florida. Joe was predeceased by his parents, Betty and Jerry Wayland-Smith; sister, Nini Hatcher, brother and sister-in-law, Janny and Bill Rosenberger and brother-in-law, Robert Kopp.

Joe is survived by his loving wife, Ellen, of 53 years, his adoring children, Anne Salerno (Allen Salerno) and Douglas Wayland-Smith (Amy Wayland-Smith), and his cherished grandchildren, Ian Salerno, and Abby and Natalie Wayland-Smith. Joe is also survived by his sister-in-law, Carol Kopp and brother-in-law, Lang Hatcher. In addition, he leaves behind many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Joe graduated from Williston Academy, Syracuse University and Albany Medical School Physicians’ Assistant Program. Joe proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1960. He worked for Oneida Limited for many years but his true love was working as a PA in the Emergency Room. Joe had many interests in life. He was a football referee, soccer coach, EMT and a woodworker. He served on the board of the area arts council for many years and various other volunteer organizations.

Joe and Ellen enjoyed their vacations on Nantucket for 25 years surfcasting for blue fish. They also made wonderful memories at their daughter’s cabin in the Adirondacks. Pontoon boat rides and hearing the loons were particularly special to him. Joe and Ellen spent 17 wonderful years in retirement at Worthington Country Club in Florida where they made lasting friendships with folks from various parts of the U.S. and abroad. Joe was interested in the stock market, reading, golf, duplicate bridge and loved being surrounded by his family and friends engaged in conversation and laughter. He will be remembered for his kindness, courage, patience and dedication to helping others.

Posted in: 1950s

Reginald L. Sylvester ’48

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Reginald (Reg) Latimer Sylvester of Auckland, New Zealand, formerly of St. George’s, Bermuda passed away on July 7, 2017 at 87 years of age in Auckland, New Zealand.

Born in Bermuda in 1930, Reg lived and was educated in Bermuda before his family sent him overseas to the US to attend Williston Northampton School to finish the last few years of his school education. He was on the soccer, swimming and tennis teams, an active member of the Radio Club and graduated as a member of the Cum Laude Society in 1948. Reg’s time at Williston was a very special time in his life, he always talked frequently of it and he made a number of lifelong friendships and even attended a few reunions, flying in from New Zealand.

Reg was interested in pursuing a future as an aeronautical engineer and it was perhaps his greatest regret following his success at Williston that he was not able to attend university to pursue this future however, the economic situation of post war Bermuda put a serious damper on his aspirations. He returned to Bermuda to pursue a future in accounting with Esso Standard Oil in Bermuda.

In the mid 1950s Reg met his Irish wife Nancy, a nurse, recently moved to Bermuda with a number of her friends. They married and had two daughters in the 1960s. During this time he had a posting to the Caribbean area but later left ESSO because he did not enjoy the significant travel required with a young family. He then worked for the British Overseas Airways Corporation in Bermuda, which later became British Airways.

In 1970, at a time when Bermuda was undergoing significant political upheaval Reg moved his young family to New Zealand. For a Bermuda island boy this was a huge decision taking him far from his friends and family.

Reg had an interest in amateur (HAM) radio and the family recalls many nights hearing the dots and dashes as he developed his Morse Code skills and the crackle of the radio as he communicated with people all over the world. He had a room full of HAM radio equipment and it was only in the last 5 years that he took down the huge aerial in the backyard and packed away his radio equipment.

He was a very keen gardener and spent his spare time if not on the HAM radio, then in the garden. His family had an endless supply of beautiful roses, homegrown vegetables, citrus fruit, apples, plums and fejoas which he grew so much of that he bagged and delivered a great amount of his produce to the neighbors.

Regardless of the 47 years that he spent in New Zealand, Bermuda was always in his heart, and his true home. Following a service in New Zealand, his ashes were brought back to Bermuda. As he requested, a memorial service and interment of his ashes was (recently) held at the St Peter’s Church Cemetery followed by a Masonic tribute. A bagpiper played Scottish music on the hill above the grave.

Reg is survived by his wife Nancy in New Zealand and his two daughters Lee and Shauna and grandchildren Keagan and Fallon Woolley in Bermuda.

 

Posted in: 1940s

Edward J. Craig II ’39

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Edward J. Craig II, died on July 18, 2018 in his 98th year in Newport, RI. Edward was born in New York City on August 18, 1920 and moved to Santiago, Chile as a young boy where he spent 6 years.
After he attended the Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and the Scarborough School-on Hudson, NY, Edward attended the Musical institute of Art and then matriculated at Columbia University in 1939 and also acted in at least one Broadway production. His studies were interrupted by the start of WW2 and he joined the US Marines in 1941 as 1st Lieutenant Marine Infantry (1st Battalion) and lead one of the first platoons to land on the beaches of Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942 where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. Edward was later promoted to Captain and became aide-de-camp for the Commanding General of the USMC in the Pacific in Melbourne, Australia until 1945 when he was decommissioned.
Edward then started working in a antiquated book and manuscript business in NYC and graduated from Columbia University in 1948. He completed graduate courses at Brown University and earned an MA degree in English and Spanish literature from URI.
He then embarked on a teaching career at the Portsmouth Priory, Brown University, the Newport Naval College in Newport, as well as a number of public schools including Thompson Junior High School in Newport. Edward taught Spanish, French, Latin and English Literature over the years in different capacities.
Edward created an antiquities business from home from 1969 – 2003 and was an avid amateur artist of painting and music.
Edward is survived by his wife, Valentine Vernon Craig and nine of his ten children Grenville, Vernon, Valentine, Guy, Diana, Gloria, Franklin, Francesca and Marion. His second son Edward J Craig III died in 1976.

Posted in: 1930s

Peter P. Gerquest ’51

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Peter Prior Gerquest, of South Freeport, ME,  passed away June 1, 2018. Peter was an impassioned sailor, hobby lobsterman, and a career shipbroker; the sea was his garden. For the last 20 years of his life, Peter watched the sea every day from his home in South Freeport, overlooking Casco Bay. Peter was brought into the world by poet, family friend, and physician William Carlos Williams, in Passaic, N.J., on March 3, 1932. He was the son of Llewellyn Prior Gerquest, a painter and sculptor, and Arthur Stevens Gerquest, an engineer and potter. Peter and his sister, Sonja, grew up among a community of creatives who influenced his lifelong appreciation for art and music. Peter attended Williston Academy, Hamilton College, and graduated from Columbia University, with an interim stretch serving in the Korean War. As an avid sailor, Peter raced on such famous yachts as The Weatherly and The Ticonderoga. He lived with his wife Mabel in Riverside, CT for 35 years. There, they raised their children, Heidi and Chris, while Peter ran his own shipping company Sea Quest, later renamed Sea Reef Chartering and Beaufort Navigation. Peter traveled the world in both personal and professional capacities throughout his life. In 1995, Peter and Mabel moved to Freeport, where they lived down the street from their daughter, Heidi and granddaughter, Fiona. He was deeply involved in his community both by land and sea. Peter devoted his time to the Harraseeket Yacht Club, the Freeport Historical Society, served as the president of the South Freeport Congregational Church, and as a board member of the Maine Maritime Museum. For those lucky enough to have received a knowing smile from Peter, his charm and wit were an understated but ever-present way of connecting with friends, family, and strangers alike. He will be greatly missed by many. Peter was predeceased by his sister, Sonja, and his much-beloved dog, Phoebe. Surviving members of the family include his wife, Mabel Gerquest; his daughter, Heidi Gerquest and her partner, Johnny Walker; his son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Heather Gerquest, and his adored grandchild, Fiona Prior Harbert.

“But the sea, which no one tends, is also a garden” -William Carlos Williams.

Posted in: 1950s

William L. Wright ’59

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William L. Wright, age 76, of Ogdensburg, NY, passed away with complications from lung cancer on Saturday, May 5, 2018 at Claxton Hepburn Medical Center with his wife by his side.

Bill was born on March 15, 1942 in Ogdensburg, NY, a son of the late Archie & Leona (Prosser) Wright. He graduated from Heuvelton Central School in 1960, and later enlisted in the US Army from 1964 – 1966 as a paratrooper medic, serving with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. After receiving his honorable discharge, Bill earned his RN at Canton College and worked in geriatrics at veterans’ hospitals. He also worked at United Helpers Nursing Home as a nurse for a few years. In 1973 he attended the NYS Ranger School in Wanakena NY, graduating in the Class of 1974. After working for Finch Pruyn Paper Company as a logging supervisor, he returned to Ogdensburg. He found his life’s work at Mater Dei College in Ogdensburg, where he earned a degree in alcohol treatment. In 1986 he began his career at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center Alcohol Treatment Center where he worked until his retirement in 1997.

Bill was a member of Friends of The Ogdensburg Public Library, the Society of American Foresters, the National Rifle Association, the American Chestnut Foundation and the Planetary Society. He enjoyed being in the woods, hunting, reading, gardening and being with friends & family.

Surviving is his wife Karen; two sons Noah Wright of Lake Hill, N.Y. and Thomas Wright of Boulder, CO; daughter Ellen Wright & her fiancée Joshua Baublitz of Henrietta, N.Y.; brother Timothy Wright of Ogdensburg; mother-in-law Dorothy Lauber of Heuvelton and brother-in-law Brian Lauber & his wife Cheryl of Virginia, along with many cousins.

A sister Dr. Nanette Gordon, sister-in-law Bonnie Wright, and brother-in-law Robert Lauber predeceased him.

 

Posted in: 1950s

Thornton M. Henry ’62

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Thornton Montagu Henry, 75, of West Palm Beach, Florida went to be with his Loving Father, on Saturday, July 7, 2018. He was surrounded by his family and supported by the prayers of his community. “Tim” was born in Bermuda to Otis and Barbara Henry. He attended Washington and Lee University for his A.B and J.D. as well as Georgetown University for his LL.M. He worked at Jones, Foster, Johnston and Stubbs as a trust and estate attorney. He also was a published author and participated in over 30 mission trips. He was actively involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors, The Order of St. John, A Place of Hope and Urban Youth Impact were just some of the ones that he held dear. He adored travel, gardening and most of all spending time with family. He is survived by his wife of 46, Ann, his daughter Ruth Keyes, his sons, Brad and John Henry as well as their spouses, Chris, Ashley and Monica, 12 grandchildren and his brother Gordon Henry ’66.

Posted in: 1960s

Noel J. Belcourt, Jr. ’53

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Noel John Belcourt, Jr., 83, of Sarasota, Florida passed away Wednesday morning June 28, 2018.
Born in Hartford, Ct., he was a son of the late Noel J. Belcourt and the late Frances Llewellyn Belcourt. In addition to his parents Noel was preceded in death by his son, David Belcourt.
Noel attended schools in Wethersfield, Ct. and graduated from Williston Academy in 1953. He then attended Boston University and graduated in 1957 and was a graduate of Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University. Noel served his country in The United States Air Force from 1958 to 1961. He was a past President of the Manchester, Ct. Rotary Club. Noel retired after 32 years in banking with Connecticut Bank and Trust Company. He was a property a manager for several home owners associations. He also served on the board at Bent Tree and served as treasurer at Laurel Lakes. Noel volunteered at Habitat for Humanity for a number of years.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Lee Gowdy Belcourt; three sons, Kenneth Belcourt and his wife, Stephanie, Richard Belcourt and his wife, Joanne and Douglas Belcourt; his brother, Llewellyn N. Belcourt; granddaughter, Angelica Mack and daughter in law, Leibia Willis.

Posted in: 1950s