Category Archives: 1950s

Gilbert Knier ’59

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Knier, Gil '59Gil Knier, 75, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, died on Monday, May 2, 2016.

Gil was a member of First Presbyterian Church and was involved with many other churches and Ministries, especially the Men’s Ministry Network. He served his country in the United States Air Force from 1963-1984 including service in the Viet Nam War.

Gil was preceded in death by his wife, Norma Knier.

Gil is survived by his daughters, Stephanie (Earl, Jr.) Smith of Enid, Ok., Melanie Knier of Gatlinburg, and Katrina (Francis, Jr.) Maughan of Enid, Ok.; son, Steven (Kathryn) Johnson, of Lancaster, Pa.; two step-sons, Thad ( Janice) Narramore of Soddy Daisy, and Phillip (Christy) Narramore, of Signal Mountain; one sister, Melinda Wallis, of Kirkland, Wa., and one brother, Frederick (Paula) Knier, of Vero Beach, Fl.; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many Wallis cousins.

Interment will be at a later date in Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Posted in: 1950s

John Murray ’53

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John MurrayJohn Piper Murray, 81, of Fort Collins, Colorado died in hospice care on Friday, April 29, 2016. John was born in Sioux Lookout, Alberta, Canada to Alexander Keith and Mildred Isabella (Wilson) Murray. He moved to New York, then became a United States citizen at the age of 20. He is a graduate of Williston Academy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and The George Washington University.

He is survived by his wife, Dorcas (Morgan) Murray whom he married September 5, 1959 in Fort Collins, daughters, Laura Murray of Colorado Springs and Carol Cochran and her husband, Tim of Fort Collins; grandchildren, Tatum Cochran of Fort Collins, William Laycock of Colorado Springs, Catriona Cochran of Denver, and Shane Laycock of Colorado Springs. He is also survived by his sister, Suzanne Murray of Canmore, Alberta and brother, Peter Murray (Mary Swanson) of Emigrant, Montana as well as several nieces and nephews.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1953

Linda A. DeBarbieri ’59

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Linda A. DeBarbieriLinda A. DeBarbieri, 74, of Easthampton, passed away suddenly Monday, April 25, 2016, at her home in Easthampton.

She was born March 10, 1942, in Holyoke, daughter of the late Edward and Sophie (Ezyk) DeBarbieri. She was educated in Northampton schools and was a graduate of the Northampton School for Girls, and Baypath College in Springfield.

Linda was a lifelong communicant of the former Immaculate Conception Church now the Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Easthampton.

Linda leaves her beloved sister Mary Ellen Kozuch of Huntsville, Alabama; her nephew Joseph Kozuch and his wife Jennifer of Huntsville, Alabama; two grandnephews; and a grandniece.

Posted in: 1950s

Joan Oestreich Kend ’52

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Oestreich, JoanJoan Oestreich, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2016.

Joan grew up in Great Neck, New York, the daughter of Sophie and Charles Oestreich, sister of David Arthur Oestreich and the late Richard Oestreich.

A graduate of Northampton School for Girls, she attended Vassar College and graduated from Columbia University’s School of General Studies.

Joan worked for many years in finance. A resident of Manhattan, Joan also enjoyed her estate in Millbrook, New York.

A patron of the arts, Joan collected both antiques and early American art. Joan was a member of the Harmonie Club in New York City and the Mashomack Preserve Club in Pine Plains, New York.

She is survived by her devoted brother, David, his wife Brenda and their children and grandchildren. She was married to the late David Kend and is also survived by step-sons Peter Kend and Robert Kend and their families. She was a loyal friend to many.

Posted in: 1950s

Richard O’Brien ’56

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Richard O'brienRichard J. O’Brien, 77, of Northampton, devoted son and uncle, passed peacefully Thursday, April 7, 2016, at the Palmer House, Palmer, with his niece Tara (his god-daughter) and close family and friends by his side.

Son of the late Cornelius and Kathryn (Croke) O’Brien, Richard graduated from Chicopee High School in 1955, then attended Williston Academy for a postgraduate year. He was proudly a College of the Holy Cross Crusader, class of 1960.

A natural educator, he taught social studies in the Chicopee school system upon his graduation. Both his identical twin, William, and Richard were very gifted athletes, as highlighted recently with their induction into the Chicopee High School Hall of Fame. No small feat, Richard was also the starting quarterback as an underclassman for the heyday of College of the Holy Cross Football until a game injury left him permanently on the sidelines.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1956

August “Ted” Lindquist ’51

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LindquistA.T. “Ted” Lindquist, Jr., 84, of Farmington, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 24th, surrounded by his loving family at The Residence at Brookside in Avon, CT.

He was the widower of Audrey Arnold Lindquist. Born in New Britain, CT on October 5, 1931, Ted was the son of the late A.T. Lindquist, Sr., and Marion Viall Lindquist.

He graduated from New Britain High School in 1949 and attended Williston Academy of Easthampton, MA before entering Bates College in 1951.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1951

Robert Gardiner ’50

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GardinerRobert W. Gardiner, 83, of Centerville, passed away Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. Robert was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son and friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

Robert served as a minister for over 30 years in the United Church of Christ. He was an avid reader and poet. Robert had a love for classical music and also enjoyed long walks and talks with family, friends and members of his congregation.

He was raised and educated in the Boston area, attending Williston Academy, Amherst College, Tufts University and Andover Newton Theological School. Robert ministered in Wellesley, Pittsford, Vermont, and Southampton.

Robert is the beloved husband of Lorraine Gardiner. He is the devoted father of Dr. Matthew F. Gardiner ’88 and his wife Dr. Mary Beth Cunnane. Robert is the cherished grandfather of Nathaniel, Sophia and Luke. He is the loving son of the late Frederick and Gertrude (Worthington) Gardiner.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950

Jerry Finger ’50

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fingerJerry Elliott Finger passed away on the 3rd of February 2016, after a life well lived. He died surrounded by, and comforted by friends and family. His death was caused by complications from emphysema. Jerry lived a full life that included many achievements and experiences, but none were greater than the relationships he enjoyed with friends, family, associates and business partners, students and the many lives he touched and made better by his enthusiasm and generous heart.

He was born on the 11th of October 1932, in Houston, Texas to Hyman and Bessie Finger. He was later joined by his two brothers, Marvy and Ronny, to whom he was close to his entire life. Growing up, he attended Sutton Elementary School and later attended military school at Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas for part of his middle school years. He only ran away once from Allen Academy, and it was because he had the flu and came home to get proper care from his mother. He attended high school at San Jacinto High School and graduated in 1949. Only seventeen upon graduation from high school, he attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA in 1950 for an additional year of study, and during that time, spent a summer with his Uncle Tobias Gordon in Wharton, Texas, where he developed a life-long passion for reading.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950

Rebecca Sowers Peapples ’58

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sowersRebecca Dean Sowers Peapples, age 72, died Thursday, April 18, 2013 at Arbor Hospice from Pancreatic Cancer.

Becky was a wonderfully creative, gentle, and intellectual woman with many varied interests including a great love of literature which she inherited from her mother, and a passion for cooking instilled by her father.

Becky was born in Benton Harbor, a town on the southern shores of Lake Michigan, in 1940 to Lucinda Murray Clark and Bouton Franklin Sowers. She attended the Northampton School for Girls in Northampton, MA for high school. Her post-secondary education was at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages. She then earned a Master of Arts in Italian from the U of M.

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Posted in: 1950s

Bruce Brown ’52

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Bruce BrownIt is with acute sadness that I tell you my beloved husband Dr. Bruce Scott Brown (class of 1952) died in my arms on October 18, 2015.  He’d had a cancerous kidney removed exactly one year earlier, and I thought we were home free, though probably he knew otherwise.  That accursed disease lurks.  Four months later other smaller cancers showed up on X-ray, and Bruce began chemotherapy.  But in the end, it was pulmonary fibrosis that took his life.  To have the one person you love most in the world die in your arms in his hospital bed is sad beyond the telling.

Bruce and I were married when we were but twenty-one years old.  Our wedding pictures show two young people, madly in love, clutching each other’s hand as we, beaming, emerged from the Church.  We were eighteen when we met.  It was love at first sight.  We loved each other so much for so long.  Well, he was a wonderful guy.

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Posted in: 1950s