All posts by Kate Snyder

Pauline (Polly) Eskenasy McGilvra ’65

Pauline (Polly) Eskenasy McGilvra, 70, died June 21, 2018.

Born in Holyoke, MA, Polly was a proud graduate of the Northampton School for Girls and Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Culture from Harvard and was a dedicated scholar, educator, and life coach. She taught at Blue Ridge Community College in Hendersonville, NC, for many years, and became a pastoral counselor in Hendersonville and in Atlanta.

Polly’s productive life was interrupted by early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She retained her sweet personality, good humor, and love of family and chocolate throughout her debilitating illness.

She leaves her son Jonathan McGilvra and his wife Heather, granddaughter Alaina of Apex, NC, her mother Edith Eskenasy, sister, Diane, and her husband, Tim Aldrich, all of Hendersonville, NC, and many loving cousins and friends.

She was predeceased by her father Isaac Eskenasy, maternal grandparents, Jacob and Adeline Barowsky, and paternal grandparents Max and Pauline Eskenasy.

A memorial service will be held at Agudas Israel Congregation in Hendersonville, NC at 2 p.m. on October 12, 2018.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 (splcenter.org), to MANNA FoodBank, 627 Swannanoa River Road, Asheville, NC 28805 (mannafoodbank.org) or to a charity of your choice.

A note from Polly’s sister, Diane Eskenasy Aldrich ’70

Polly loved NSFG and WNS and would have participated in every event and reunion had she been able. She loved her classmates and teachers, and spoke of them often throughout the years (especially Mrs. Cantarella). We cheerily sang the first part of the NSFG alma mater together many, many times as that was so important and deeply ingrained in her memory. Her obituary suggests memorial contributions to other organizations, but the family would,  of course, be thrilled and honored if anyone wished to make a donation to Williston Northampton School in her memory.

A Tribute to Members of the NSFG Class of 1952 Who have Passed

Eleanor Gamarsh ’52 sent a beautiful letter to the school, including some notes of appreciation and remembrance about the eight members of the Class of 1952 who have passed away. “Today I am writing to you for remembering our classmates who are gone from our family,” she wrote. “I have made a memorial list of the girls and included some of the notes about them from our yearbook. Maybe this will bring back a few of your memories long forgotten.” We are sharing this tribute here with her permission.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Baxter King, July 18, 2013
Green Team, Dance Pagent… “Pooh-isms” on Saturday mornings…half day-hop, half boarder…Gil Dodds of the soccer field… “and so forth and so on.”

Ingrid Solveig Hylbom Hetfield, October 20, 2001
White Team… Music Club… “H.M.S. Pinafore”…one finger typist…Cyrano in France “in Colorado Springs” … “Don’t painc!”

Ethel Valberg Johansen Owings, May 3, 2001
Green Team…Music Club…Knitting champ…never a dusty mailbox…Burl Ives of Hathaway… “Having trouble?”

Marilyn Ann Lyman Hendsey, July 14, 2004
White Team…Theater Chorus and Art…Always laughing…powerful soccer kick…the suit to dinner

Anne Keenan Mahoney Makin, November 4, 2010
White Team…Music Club and lots of Theater…Efficiency plus… N.S.F.G. cookbooks…food from home…watch out for the “Shrimp Boats”

Joan Ellen Oestreich Kend, April 11, 2016
Green Team…French Club… “Shubert Alley”…Lu-Lu…hilarious remarks… “and the eyes fell out”…singing in the bathroom…mad for Florida sun-Schine

Leila Phyllis Shapiro, May 27, 2015
Green Team…Art Club…Breezy, yet sincere…those theory classes…friendly laugh

Sally Ellen “Smitty” Smith LaPointe, May 7, 2007
Green Team…President of Athletic Association…Dance Pageant…Helps everyone with everything…third floor’s supervisor of ‘lights out’…practical jokes…”Thay now.”

Please see this post for more remembrances from Eleanor Gamarsh ’52 about life at the Northampton School for Girls.