Category Archives: 1950s

Nicholas Veeder ’52

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VeederNicholas Schermerhorn Veeder went to live with his Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday January 18, 2015 as he exited his home for the last time.

Nick was born in Schenectady NY on August 2, 1932 to Raymond Bradt Veeder and Emilie Battin Randall Veeder. He was educated in the Schenectady public schools and at Williston Academy, East Hampton, MA. His Associate Degree in Agriculture was earned at Long Island AG. and Tech, Farmingdale, NY. Further years of study were pursued at the University of Georgia, Athens where he met his wife to be Donna Clark Veeder. They were married in Nashville, TN on August 24 1957. Nick received his Bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry and Economics in 1957 and his Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics in 1958 at UGA. Further post graduate work in Special Education was earned at College of St. Rose, Albany, NY.

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Stephen Cook ’50

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Stephen Cook '50Stephen B. Cook, 80, of New Bedford died June 27, 2013 at St. Luke’s Hospital after a brief illness.
He was the husband of Gertrude S. (Shea) Cook.

Born in Springfield, MA, the son of the late Lauren W. and Marion M. (Moran) Cook, he was raised in New York City, attended Williston Academy, and lived in Provincetown, MA before moving to New Bedford 35 years ago.

Steve was a commercial artist, commercial fisherman, and realtor who enjoyed painting boats and seascapes. He displayed his art in many local galleries and at the Maritime Museum in Mystic, CT. He was a member of Gallery X, the Bierstadt Society, and the Beachcombers Club in Provincetown.

Steve had a good sense of humor and enjoyed the company of his family, friends, cats and dogs.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Lauren Cook and his companion Pam Zimmerman of Philadelphia, PA; a daughter, Stephanie Barrett and her husband Michael of Dartmouth; 3 grandchildren, Patrick Barrett, Timothy Barrett and Samuel Cook; and 2 great-grandchildren, Gage and Andreia.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950, Uncategorized

Raymond Montgomery ’54

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RA MontgomeryAuthor R.A. Montgomery, co-founder of the company that first published the popular Choose Your Own Adventure interactive book series in the 1970s, died at his home in Warren, Vt., on November 9 following a brief illness. He was 78.

Montgomery was born in Connecticut in 1936. Growing up in New England, he attended Williston Academy before matriculating at Williams College, from which he graduated in 1958. Throughout his early life and education he developed a passion for finding and developing innovative teaching methods that inspired children to learn. Among his achievements in this area were his role as assistant dean of faculty at Columbia University from 1963–65 and the 1966 founding of the Waitsfield Summer School in Vermont, which featured an experiential curriculum and used gaming to teach math. Montgomery went on to develop role-playing games for the Edison Electric Institute and for training programs used in the Peace Corps.

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William Yahn ’54

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Will YahnWilliam “Bill” Yahn passed away on December 14, 2014.

Bill was the son of Earl Edwin and Martha Blodgett Yahn of Fairfield, CT and Santa Barbara, CA. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Nancy; sister Meredith Grenier of Palos Verdes, CA; devoted daughter and son-in-law Betsy and Chris Gillon; and 4 adoring grandchildren.

Bill was born in Detroit, MI on March 20, 1937. After graduating Trinity College (CT) in 1959, he served in the U.S. Navy as Lieutenant (J.G.), then earning an M.B.A. at the Wharton School of Business. His early life was spent in Fairfield, CT, but he and his family moved to Maryland, Mississippi and then Austin in 1981. He was a partner at Harrison-Pearson and Associates from 1991 until his retirement in January 2014.

Bill was a member of the Austin Rotary Club throughout his professional life, and a member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, singing in its choir for many years. He was a passionate fisherman and enjoyed training his two dogs, Bart (deceased) and Sam.

Posted in: 1950s

Peter Clapp ’56

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ClappPeter Dudley Clapp died at his home on Monday, November 10, 2014, at the age of 78.

Peter was born in Framingham, MA. He graduated from Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA, attended Dennison University in Ohio, Clark University in Worcester, MA and served in the United States Army.

He was President and CEO of Stafford Iron Works in Worcester, MA.

After retiring in 1996, he and his wife, Brenda moved to Marco Island. Peter loved music and had been involved with many choral groups, both in New England and the Marco Island area. He was a former vice-president of the Marco’s Men’s Club, a member of the Marco Island Historical Society, and past member and instructor of the Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron. He was an active member of the Wesley United Methodist Church where he served as a choir member, soloist, and hymn leader.

Peter is survived by his wife, Brenda ( Booth) Clapp; their daughter, Hilary (Derek) Kreitenstein; three grandchildren, Jonathan, Alexandra, and Samantha, as well as his brother Gerald; and sister, Janet (Clapp) Mortenson.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jonathan Welles Clapp.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1956

Frank Lemanski ’52

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Frank S. Lemanski, 82, formerly of Paradise Drive, Easthampton, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2104, at Genesis Health Care Center in Westfield.

Frank was born Dec. 2, 1931, in Northampton, son of the late Walter E. and Stella (Boltz) Lemanski. He was educated at the former Sacred Heart of Jesus School, a graduate of Williston Academy both in Easthampton, and had attended Springfield Technical College.

Frank was a U.S. veteran of the Korean War.

He was employed for many years at the Douglas Galleries in Deerfield. Frank was a communicant of the former Sacred Heart of Jesus Church for most of his life, and now a communicant of Our lady of the Valley Parish in Easthampton. He was a member of the American Legion Dalton LaVallee Post 224 and had been a Little League coach in Easthampton for several years.

Frank leaves his caring brother Chester Lemanski of Colorado Springs, Colorado; his loving four nieces and nephew, Stella McVicker, Vera Broyles, Carol Breen, Kathleen Bachand and Walter Lemanski; his adored grandniece and nephew Catherine Breen and her friend Matt Thomas and Donald Breen, his wife Christina and their daughter Ella. Frank was predeceased by his beloved siblings Celia Torrey, Stanley Lemanski and Walter E. Lemanski.

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Winslow Spofford ’52

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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

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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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Donald Cutting ’53

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CuttingDonald W. Cutting, 79, of Honolulu, an architect and a Connecticut National Guard veteran, died in Honolulu.   The family had known for months because he had a terminal illness. He was active up to two days before he died, though certainly progressively less active.

He was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Williston Academy in 1953.  Don loved his Williston experience and the friendships he made. Over the years, he “dragged” his wife to several reunions and some of his Williston friends became her’s as well.

He is survived by wife Merrill W., daughters Sarah Cutting Mills and Colby E. Van Alen, and five grandchildren.

Posted in: 1950s