Anastasia L. Tessa Lekka Martin ’47

Anastasia L. “Tessa” Martin passed away peacefully on Monday, May 21, 2012. Survived by her children, Lisa and John Fields in Rochester, NY, Andrew and Kristin Martin in Ontario, NY and William Martin and Cathy Corison in St. Helena, CA; grandchildren, Noah Fields, Ian Fields, Hanna Fields, Nicholas Alkire & Crystal Bennett, Irini Martin, Rose Martin & Grace Martin; great-granddaughter, Layla Alkire.

Tessa Martin grew up near Athens, Greece and came to the United States at the age of sixteen with a scholarship to attend college. She married John H. Martin and raised her three children Lisa, Andrew and William. She was very active in the Rochester community taking a special interest in the Eastman School of Music and the Memorial Art Gallery. Her love of opera and an early opportunity to hear William Warfield sing led her to found The William Warfield Scholarship Fund at the Eastman School of Music.

Memorials may be directed to The William Warfield Scholarship Fund

Babette “Betty” Stone Parker ’37

Parker, Babette “Betty” (Stone), 93, of Westwood a longtime former resident of Wellesley Hills and Osterville passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at home.

Born in Attleboro, MA on July  25, 1919, the daughter of the late Samuel Stone and Tilda (Baer); she was the devoted wife of Dr. Jack Parker of Westwood for 68 years; the loving mother of Jack Parker Jr. of San Diego, CA and Diane and her husband Gregory Peters of Shelburne, VT; cherished grandmother of Tracey Grady and her husband Vaughn Collins of Seattle, WA, Raine and her husband Tony Pushckor of Maui, HI, Faith and her husband John James of Shelburne, VT and Andrew Peters of NY, NY; great-grandmother of Christopher, Justin, Dillon, Sky, Addison and Hadleigh; the dear sister of the late Samuel Stone Jr., Stephanie Baker and Harriet O’Keeffe and aunt to 6 nieces and nephews. Continue reading

John Reed ’33, Former Trustee

John Reed enjoyed a successful career that has spanned 75 years, many of these years as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Mestek, Inc. in Westfield, Mass., which consists of more than 30 operating companies involved in the HVAC, Metal Forming & Fabricating and Coiled Metal Processing Industries.

John began his career with the H. B. Smith Company after graduating from Williston Academy in 1933 and Yale University in 1937. At Williston, John was a member of the Cum Laude Society and was involved with The Willistonian and glee club. He played basketball, squash, and tennis.

While working for H.B Smith Co., John earned his law degree in 1942 from the School of Law at Northeastern University, attending class at night. By 1946, he had advanced to the position of national sales manager for Smith, at which time his entrepreneurial spirit was manifested when he started the Sterling Radiator Company. Sterling Radiator continued to grow during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, both internally and through the careful acquisition of other companies, such as those dealing with climate control, the Peterson Roll Feed Co., and the Cooper-Weymouth press feed company.

Continue reading

Mary Mulford Roberts ’42

Mary Mulford Roberts, 88 (Mrs. Richard H.) of Toms River, formerly of Short Hills, N.J. (50 years) passed away on Mothers Day, March 13, 2012 at Community Medical Center in Toms River.

Mary was the only child of Dr. Albert and Mary Mulford on March 17, 1924 in Philadelphia, Pa. As a young child she grew up around horses often riding her favorite, “Marie”. She also enjoyed her summers in Island Heights, N.J. racing her locally crafted Snipe Sail Boat up and down Toms River often bringing home a trophy. Continue reading

Monell Treleaven Beurmann ’46

Monell T. Beurmann, 85, died on March 1, 2013. She was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. She worked for Siemer and Hand Travel for 40 years, and also at DeRose Travel. Monell was preceded in death by her father Peter C. Treleaven, mother Helen Monell J. Treleaven and her brother Peter J. Treleaven. She is survived by her sister-in-law Beatrice, nephew Peter L. (Terri) Treleaven, nieces Monell Grondine and Judith Treleaven, as well as many cousins. A private memorial is to be held in Harbor Springs, Michigan. Published in San Francisco Chronicle on March 19, 2013

Robert O. Branch ’39

Robert O. Branch Jr., 92, formerly of Pepperbox Road and currently of Beechwood Drive, died Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at his residence.

Mr. Branch was born on Sept. 28, 1920, in Willimantic, the son of Robert O. Branch Sr. and Ruth (Talcott) Branch. Some of his favorite stories were of his boyhood memories sailing his canoe on Hall’s pond, sledding down Lewiston Avenue, spending summers at the church camp his family helped build, and playing the saxophone in clubs beginning at age 14.

Bob attended Williston Academy and Union College, and served in the U.S. Air Force in Paris during World War II. After the war, he worked at the Howard Johnson’s restaurant on Bank Street in New London, which he managed until retirement 36 years later. Continue reading