All posts by jpilgrim

John Paul Rutherford Falconer ’43

John FaulconerJohn Paul Rutherford (Rudd) Falconer died peacefully at his Big Rock Road oasis on July 21, 2014, in his 89th year.

Rudd was born in Seneca Falls, New York on Aug. 24, 1925. He was the eldest child of Navy Captain Jonathan Paul and Eloise (Brown) Falconer and the grandson of one of the first woman doctors in New York State, Dr. C. Anna Brown. He grew up in the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York. Cayuga Lake was his stomping grounds and perhaps the reason he was most happy living by large bodies of water. Fresh or salty, it didn’t matter, as long as he could sail on it or catch fish from it.

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Jacqueline Bemis Burns ’61

Jacqueline BemisJacqueline Bemis Burns of Falls Church, Virginia died on Monday, September 29, 2014.

“Jackie” was born on August 23, 1943 and grew up in Manhasset, New York before settling in the Washington, DC area in the 1960’s.

She was passionate about natural health and her work with essential oils. A lifelong animal lover, she was devoted to her pets, and showed her Basenji dogs to championships. Music, dancing, laughter and sharing great meals filled her joyful spirit.

She is the loving mother of Laura Wilson Burns Macone (husband Gian) and James Andrew Bemis Burns; sister of Harold Nyall Bemis; and grandmother of David Tanner Burns and Audrey Mary Wilson Macone.

Winslow Spofford ’52

Winslow SpoffordWinslow M. Spofford, 80, passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester.

He was born May 26, 1934 in Holden and was a life-long resident. He attended Holden High School and graduated from Williston Academy in Easthampton. He earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. While at WPI, he was an enthusiastic member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He regularly attended high school and college reunions and greatly enjoyed reconnecting with his friends during these times.

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David Ming-Li Lowe ’54

David LoweDavid Ming-Li Lowe ’54, passed away on September 24, 2013, in Los Angeles, California.

Born in Shanghai to a father who was a foreign-service officer for the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomingtang, and a graduate of the University of Chicago, David was educated in Calcutta, India, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the U.S., and was, in his early years, “a mirror of the political, social, and economic make-up of my diplomat parents.”

At the encouragement of his older brother, David enrolled at Reed. “My two years at Reed were years of change and discovery. For someone as naive as I, secluded from society by gated prep schools, the freedom of action, the newly made acquaintance of the other sex, and the involvement of weightier issues all helped to form the person I am today.”

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John Loeb ’37

John LoebJohn Eric Loeb, 95, of Branford, passed away on October 28, 2014.

He was born August 11, 1919 in New Haven, son of Adeline Klein Loeb and Morton Loeb.

He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Rhoda Leshine Loeb and his son Michael (Riva) of Toronto and sister Prudence of Walpole, MA.

John attended Hopkins and Williston Academy. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College.

He was a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during WWII, stationed in Guam. John was an Editor of the Branford Review and President of The Branford Printing Company. He was a member of the Branford Rotary Club and the New Haven and Branford Historical Societies. He was one of the foremost collectors of antique candle snuffers. In his retirement years his primary focus was the development and administration of the Annual Blackstone Library Book Drive. John lived a long, healthy life and shared his intelligence, wit, charm, and good humor with family and friends.

He will be missed.

Kendall Lewis ’39

Kendall LewisKendall Lewis died peacefully, after a brief illness, on Thursday, October 30, at Piper Shores in Scarborough, ME.

Mr. Lewis was born in Abington, PA, the son of James McKeen Lewis and Alice Kendall Lewis. He first met his wife of nearly 66 years, Betsey Converse Lewis, when they were both teenagers living in Stony Creek, CT.

Mr. Lewis graduated from Williston Academy in 1939, and went on to Yale College, but left to serve in the Navy during World War II. His service was mostly in the Pacific aboard the light cruiser, the USS Denver. After the war he returned to Yale and completed his degree in Industrial Engineering, graduating as a member of the class of 1943. During the war Mr. Lewis re-encountered Betsey Converse and asked for her hand. They were married on December 4, 1948 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New Haven, CT.

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Sylvia Canfield Winn ’49

Sylvia WinnSylvia Canfield Winn, 83, of Concord, MA passed away in her sleep on November 3, 2014

Active, vibrant, and expressing everyday appreciations to her family even on her last evening, Sylvia was full of life. People remember her as beautiful, self-deprecating, entertaining, a wonderful listener, graceful, and always elegantly dressed in clothes she made for herself. She was a source of positive energy that drew people to her.

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John F. Murphy, Jr. ’47

MurphyJohn F. Murphy, Jr., 87, of Milton, formerly of Northampton, died Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at the Colonial Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Weymouth.

Born March 16, 1927, in Northampton, he was the son of the late John Francis Murphy and Margaret Mary (Hayes) Murphy. He graduated from Northampton High School in 1945 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy the same year. He was honorably discharged as a Seaman First Class and received the World War II Victory, American Area and Asiatic Pacific Area medals. He attended Williston Academy and St. Michael’s College from 1947 to 1949. He graduated from Boston College Law School in 1952.

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Susan Glesmann ’62

GlesmanSusan Jane Glesmann, 69, of Conifer lost her hard-fought battle with brain cancer on Oct. 11, 2014.

Susan was born and raised in Holyoke, Mass. After graduating from Northampton School for Girls in 1962 and receiving a bachelor of science degree in nursing from the University of Massachusetts, she moved to Denver to work in the crisis unit at Fort Logan Mental Health Center and in the emergency room at Denver General Hospital as a psychiatric nurse.

Her strongest lifelong passion was the care, protection and support of animals both domestic and wild – the abandoned, starving, mistreated and voiceless among us.

She not only adopted 25 animals but also supported many animal causes, volunteered her time at local shelters such as the Intermountain Humane Society and the Evergreen Animal Protective League, and spent many vacations volunteering at national shelters such as Best Friends and Kindness Ranch. She was an unsung angel to the animal community.

Susan’s survivors include her sister, Carol Baker, and her husband, Peter; her brother, Ted Glesmann, and his wife, Jeanette; and her maternal uncle, Arthur Robertson. She also leaves a very large number of “the best friends ever,” who cared for her tirelessly for the six months during which she suffered.

Susan brought joy to so many and will be remembered for her caring, compassion, thoughtfulness and laughter.

John Costello ’41

Picture1John Joseph Costello, Jr., 93, formerly of Northford, beloved husband of the late Nancy Gere Costello, loving father, grandfather, great grandfather, and dear friend, died peacefully, Sunday, October 19, 2014 at Talmadge Park in East Haven.

John was born October 5, 1921 in Springfield, Mass, a son of the late John J. and Loretta Bradley Costello. He was a graduate of Williston Academy, Easthampton, MA and Syracuse University.

John was a Manufacturer’s Representative working most of his life with scopes, tools, and gun manufacturers.

A life-long member of the NRA, he was an avid sportsman and gun enthusiast. He was an active North Branford Rotarian and for many years an usher at St. Monica Church.

He is survived by a son, John J. Costello, III and his wife Patricia, of Garland, ME; a daughter, Elizabeth C. Buonocore and her husband Gary, of Guilford; five grandchildren, Janette (Todd) Schiavi, Sarah Buonocore, Jason (Dominica) Costello, Sean LeTarte, and Thea (Alan) Douglass, and ten cherished great grandchildren. He also leaves his very special friend and long-time companion, Amellia Zaehringer, of Northford; a brother-in-law, George LeRoy, of Cape Cod, and several nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by a brother, Robert Costello, and a sister, Barbara LeRoy.