Clifford L. Selbert, a pioneering force in environmental graphic design and placemaking who co-founded Selbert Perkins Design, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026, at the age of 72, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Born October 9, 1953, in Amsterdam, New York, Cliff studied landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He began developing the multidisciplinary approach that would define his life’s work, with his early interests expanding beyond landscape architecture into graphic design, product design, and environmental communications—fields he would ultimately bring together into a new and influential design discipline.

More than 40 years ago, Cliff founded a small studio driven by a belief in the power of design to shape human experience. That studio evolved into Selbert Perkins Design, an internationally recognized firm with studios in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Shanghai. Alongside his wife and creative partner, Robin Perkins, he helped grow the practice into a global leader in branding, signage and wayfinding, placemaking, and experiential design.

Central to Cliff’s work was a guiding philosophy he and his firm championed: “Every place has a story. Every story has a place.” This belief reflected a deep commitment to the public realm and to the communities it serves. Cliff was passionate about creating meaningful, inclusive environments—places where people could connect not only with space, but with each other. His work consistently reflected a respect for context, culture, and human experience, transforming everyday environments into places of identity and belonging.

Cliff was widely regarded as one of the defining voices in environmental graphic design. He bridged disciplines—uniting graphic design, architecture, landscape, branding, and storytelling to create memorable and impactful places. His projects spanned civic, transit, healthcare, education, and commercial environments across the world, always guided by the belief that design should do more than inform—it should inspire, orient, and make people smile. Cliff‘s vision and influence can be seen in the work of Selbert Perkins Design around the world, including the LAX Gateway, Universal Studios, the World of Coca-Cola, and Canal City in Hakata, Japan.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Cliff received numerous design awards and professional honors recognizing both his creative vision and his lasting impact on the field. A Fellow of the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), he was among the most respected leaders in his discipline. His work and leadership were celebrated by industry organizations, academic institutions, and peers alike, including recognition from his alma mater with the Business of Design Award. Cliff consistently emphasized a collaborative team approach, placing the highest value on mentorship, partnership, and the shared success of those around him.

Beyond his professional achievements, Cliff built something even more enduring: a culture and a community. He believed deeply in empowering others—encouraging freedom of expression, bold thinking, collaboration, and integrity in design. Under his leadership, generations of designers were given the space to experiment, grow, and contribute meaningfully. His influence lives on not only in the built environment, but in the people he mentored and inspired.

To those closest to him, Cliff was more than a visionary—he was a devoted husband, father, partner, and friend. He shared a life and creative partnership with his wife, Robin Perkins, and was a proud father to their daughter, Galen Selbert-Perkins.

He also leaves behind a large and loving extended family, along with an extraordinary network of friends, colleagues, and collaborators across the globe. Cliff had a rare ability to connect with people—forming lasting relationships that often extended far beyond the workplace. His warmth, generosity, curiosity, and sense of humor created deep and enduring bonds with all who knew him.

Clifford Selbert’s legacy is both tangible and deeply human—seen in the landmarks he helped shape, the discipline he helped define, and the community he built. His work changed how people experience the world—and his spirit will continue to guide those who carry that work forward.

He is survived by his wife, Robin Perkins; his daughter, Galen Selbert-Perkins; his extended family; and a global community of friends, colleagues, and collaborators whose lives he profoundly touched.

Dr. Albert Frederick (Fred) Wood passed away at his home in Larkspur at the age of 87, surrounded by his loving family.

Fred was born on June 7, 1938, in Amherst, Massachusetts. He attended Williston Academy, Amherst College, and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he met and married the love of his life, Carolyn, an operating room nurse.

After graduating from medical school in 1963, Fred completed his internship in the U.S. Air Force at Travis Air Force Base. His service then took him to San Antonio and Abilene, Texas, for flight surgeon training. During the Vietnam War, Fred was stationed at Takhli Air Force Base in Thailand, where he cared for fellow service members as well as members of the local community through a clinic established by base physicians. His time in the Air Force–and especially in Thailand–sparked a lifelong love of adventure and travel.

Following his military service, Fred completed a residency in urology at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. While at UCSF, he fell in love with Marin County, particularly Larkspur. In 1971, after completing his residency, Fred joined a private urology practice in San Francisco. Alongside a busy general practice, he helped establish the Davies Rehabilitation Center, specializing in urologic care for patients with spinal cord injuries. Fred served on the medical staff of several Bay Area hospitals, including Davies and St. Mary’s, and retired in 1998 after 27 years of dedicated practice.

In retirement, Fred embraced life with curiosity and enthusiasm. He enjoyed tennis, golf, and taking countless classes at the local community college. He and Carolyn spent much time at their home in Maui and delighted in “grandparent trips” with their grandchildren. An avid traveler married to a birdwatcher, Fred explored Europe, Africa, Central and South America, New Zealand, and Alaska. Among his most cherished adventures were trips to Kenya and Tanzania with his brother Roger, a turtle paleontologist, including a memorable stay at Richard Leakey’s research camp. Fred and Carolyn also participated in numerous surgical missions to Antigua, Guatemala, where they formed a lasting connection with a local orphanage they generously supported alongside many others in the Marin community.

A lifelong learner, Fred approached everything he did with energy and curiosity. He found joy in camping, backpacking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, and coaching his children’s soccer teams. Known for his warmth, humor, and zest for life, Fred will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Carolyn; his daughter Jennifer Synold and son-in-law Tim, and their daughters Taylor, Kelly, and Jessica; his daughter Angela and grandson Spencer; his son Tim and daughter-in-law Mindy, and their sons Cameron, Lucas, and Tyler; his brother Roger ’58 and his wife Gary; and his brother Dan ’65 and his wife Toni.

A celebration of life will be held at Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley on April 11th at 1:00 pm. RSVP tfw@gsienv.com.

Memorial contributions can be made to Case de Angeles Orphanage: https://casaangeles.org

With heavy hearts, we announce that David Henry Thorne, 83, of Easton, CT, passed away on March 16, 2026.

A man nearly impossible to categorize, David was a “master of fun.” A rare blend of romance, comedy, physical agility, and strength, he possessed a room engulfing energy that persisted until his final hours. He was steadfast in shunning negativity and encouraging happiness, a “lost art” that defined his character. To know David was to share laughter, nature, Looney Tunes cartoons, mischievous behavior, and a genuine love for life.

As a resident of Easton CT, a graduate of Williston Academy, and Rutgers University, he excelled as a standout athlete and a proud member of Phi Gamma Delta. His athletic talent led him to be drafted to the Atlanta Braves organization. Following his time on the diamond, David transitioned into a successful career in sales, ultimately spending decades as a dedicated mortgage broker with Independent Mortgage in Fairfield, CT.

David was a proud family man who deeply cherished his parents, Fredrick Thorne and Martha Helen Stull, and his sister Connie Whitbeck ’56, who predeceased him. He is survived by his brother, Fred Thorne ’55 of West Hartford.

David’s legacy lives on through his children, Duke, Greg, and Brian, born of his 17-year marriage to Nancy Wall Thorne. “Papa T” will be forever missed by his grandchildren, Jeremy, Morgan, and Keira.

In the second half of his life, David found love again with Patricia Orr of Westport, CT. For nearly 40 years, he enjoyed life with Pat and her children Alicia, Adriane, Caroline, and David, and their eight granddaughters who knew him affectionately as “Big Dave.”

David passed away following complications of Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s. Even as his health declined, he remained aware of and grateful for the people around him. The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Johnson Assante, who provided exceptional care and companionship to his “King” during his final years.

To honor David’s love of nature, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the Connecticut Audubon Society: ctaudubon.org/donate.

As predetermined, David will be laid to rest alongside his parents at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, CT. Funeral and burial services will be private. The Thorne and Orr families will organize a Celebration of Life as a final send off. For information regarding the date and time of the memorial gathering, please email daddix@gmail.com

When Bill Childs stood to leave a restaurant after a laughter-filled meal with his family or friends, he would turn to the nearest table and say, “I’m leaving you in charge now.” William Prescott Childs, 90, of Dorset, Vermont left the rest of us in charge on March 10, 2026.

Bill was born in Berlin, Germany in 1935 to Roberta Lewis Childs and Prescott Childs while Prescott was stationed at the U.S. Consulate there. Bill’s early years, side-by-side with his older brother David, included posts in Barbados, Rio de Janeiro, Wellington, Havana, and Washington, D.C., which provided Bill with a great collection of stories to share with his children and grandchildren. In school and during summers, he was introduced to a variety of sports, including football, field hockey, cricket, tennis, skiing, swimming, and diving. Sports and games would factor prominently in Bill’s life, as would a taste for interesting excursions and global cuisine. Following his high school years at The Westminster School and Williston Academy, Bill attended Washington and Lee University for a year, which included R.O.T.C, then signed on for a four-year stint in the Navy. He joined Aerography training, where he learned “everything about the weather except how to control it.” Following his enlistment as an Aerographer’s Mate, he attended and graduated from Yale in 1963.

In that same year, Bill married Sheila Hoyt Scranton, and they embarked on 63 years of adventures together. Some included working at the Eaglebrook School, owning and operating the 1811 House inn in Manchester, Vermont, and refurbishing a mid-conversion carriage house when they settled outside Baltimore in 1980. They eagerly supported the cultural offerings wherever they lived, and they traveled extensively with family and friends. Their most significant collaborative project was raising three daughters, Tina, Elizabeth, and Jennifer, cheering them on at their various artistic, sporting, and life events, then doing the same for their seven grandchildren.

Bill had many hobbies, but number one was racquet sports, with an eventual focus on platform (paddle) tennis. He and his brother David, in their 50s and 60s, won the National Championships in their age group eleven times in fourteen years. In 2005, they were both inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, where they were celebrated for being “gentlemen,” who possessed “competitiveness…combined with unquestionable sportsmanship, and unwavering friendliness, both on and off the court.” Having lived and traveled all over the world, it was small town life that might have suited Bill most.

When he retired from his job as an executive recruiter in 2000, he and Sheila returned to Dorset, Vermont, where he lived out the rest of his 26 years in their ideal spot overlooking the village green. Friends and neighbors have referred to him as “a wonderful, kind man,” “a true gentleman,” and “a great friend for many, many years.” We will miss Bill every day and always remember his wit, kindness, humility, and appreciation of life’s small pleasures.

Bill was preceded in death by his brother David Childs and great-granddaughter Charlotte Gunning, and is survived by his wife Sheila, daughters Christina Cutler (Greg), Elizabeth Childs, and Jennifer Pelletier (Steve), his grandchildren Paige (Kaitlyn Litten) and Alexander Gunning (Katie), Carson Cutler, Mollie and Eli Caguin, and Madeleine and Henry Pelletier, and his great-grandchildren Erin and Hazel Gunning. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in Dorset, Vermont in late spring.

Ray Jenness, 93, of Rockport, MA, died March 12, 2026 surrounded by his children. Ray taught English and theater at Brattleboro High School for many years. He founded the Vermont Theatre Company and acted and directed in productions all around Brattleboro for many years.

He grew up in Hatfield, MA. and graduated from Williston Academy, Brown University, and the University of Connecticut.