Category Archives: 1950s

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.

Posted in: 1950s

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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Posted in: 1950s

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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Posted in: 1950s

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

Honorable (Ret.) Joseph R. Welch ’53

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joseph welchThe Honorable (Ret.) Joseph R. Welch of Plymouth, MA, a former Massachusetts Trial Court Judge known for his fairness and optimism, died on October 11, 2014. He was 79. Gov. Michael Dukakis appointed Judge Welch to the bench in 1990. He retired from the bench in 2004. Born in Randolph, MA, he was a graduate of Williston Academy in 1953 and Bates College in 1957. He served as a gunnery officer on the USS Hawkins DDR-873 of the 6th Fleet, U.S. Navy for 3 years. He earned his law degree at Boston College Law School in 1963.

He joined the law firm Welch & Welch in Randolph and began many years of public service from 1964-1990, including Town Moderator of Randolph. He served as an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County from 1968-1975 trying many felony and murder cases. Judge Welch was a past president of the Norfolk County Bar Association. In 1980, he was the founder of the Norfolk Bar Advocates program representing indigent defendants in all the courts of Norfolk County serving as president Pro Bono until 1990. He was the first jury judge at the Quincy District Court. He was the founder, executive director and general counsel for the Randolph Housing Authority for many years. As past President of the Mass. Heart Association and Vice President of the N.E. Chapter of the American Heart Association, he received the Paul Dudley White award in 1993. Judge Welch was a longtime member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and a retired Commander in the US Navy Reserve.

He is survived by his wife Barbara (West), two sons, George N. Welch, MD of NY City, Joseph R. Welch Jr, Esq. of Hong Kong, a daughter Breena W. Holmes, MD of Middlebury, VT. His legacy is left in Sam, Nick and Jane Holmes and Claire, Cate and Jack Welch, his six grandchildren. His wise voice will be missed.

Posted in: 1950s

Elizabeth “Betsy” Baxter King ’52

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Baxter KingELIZABETH “BETSY” KING, 78, a former teacher, devoted wife, and loving parent and grand-parent, died Thursday, July 18, 2013, surrounded by her loving daughters, Katharine Ann King, Leslie Bryant King and Sandra Dickson King and her grand-daughter, Jennifer King Marks.

Born in Springfield MA, on Aug. 2, 1934, she attended Northampton School for Girls, graduating in 1952 and then went to Wheelock College earning a degree in Early Childhood Education.

She married her hometown sweet-heart, Bill King on Aug. 18, 1956.

Following Bill’s retirement from IBM, Betsy and Bill became part owners of Five Star Travel in Hopewell Junction NY, taking full advantage of all the perks.

In 1989, they moved to Colorado Springs CO, to enjoy the Western life style. Bill and Betsy returned East to Morris CT in 1994, where they enjoyed horseback riding, hiking in the Litchfield Hills, and canoeing. In 1999, they moved to Heritage Village and continued to enjoy travels to exotic lands and wintering in warm places. Following Bill’s death in 2011, Betsy moved to The Quadrangle in Haverford PA to be closer to family. Despite missing Bill greatly, Betsy continued to expand her horizons, traveling solo, organizing bridge games, exploring Phila., joining the iG, getting her ears pierced and even becoming a model. She loved going to Jennifer’s concerts, visiting family and friends and walking her little dog, Tia.

Betsy touched the lives of everyone she knew and will be missed.

Posted in: 1950s

H. James Wallace Jr. ’50

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H. James Wallace Jr. M.D, of Rutland died on August 8 at the Meadows at East Mountain following a long illness.

Jim was born on August 15, 1930 in South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts, the son of H. James Wallace and Evelyn Mason Wallace. He graduated from Bellows Free Academy in Saint Albans, Vt. in 1949 and Williston Academy in 1950. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont in 1954 and graduated cum laude from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1958. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington and subsequently did a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950

Douglas Wylde ’54

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WyldeDouglas K. Wylde, 79, of 1135 Main Road, Stamford, Vt., died Monday Aug. 18, 2014 at the BMC Satellite Emergency Facility in North Adams.

He was born on Feb. 17, 1935 in North Adams, a son of the late Edward and Grace (Kay) Wylde.

He graduated from Williamstown High School and Williston Academy and attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

He was a veteran of the United States Air Force. In his younger years he was employed at Continental Air Lines in Colorado. Doug was part-owner in the family business BerkMatics until his retirement in June of 2014.

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Andrew W. Korts III ’55

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Korts '55Andrew W. Korts III, 76, died on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at Albany Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.

Born in Rochester, he was the son of the late Andrew W. Korts Jr. and Helen Louise (Paterson) Korts Sauer. He was a graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass. and he earned a master’s degree in education from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was a U.S. Army veteran. Mr. Korts was an Irish Christian Brother and devoted his entire career to education. He was an accomplished organist and worked with Father Peter Young at Blessed Sacrament Church in Bolton Landing and at Mother Teresa Catholic Community in Albany, handling all of the liturgical music needs at both churches. He also was a secretary for the Peter Young Housing Industries and Treatment Foundation. Mr. Korts was a world traveler.

Survivors include his nephew, Michael Butler of Rensselaer; his “adopted niece” Dawn Dayter of Rensselaer; his cousins from England, Julia and Katie Henderson and his dear friend and colleague, Fr. Peter Young and everyone involved with the PYHIT Foundation.

Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1955

William Wenk ’50

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Williams WenkWilliam Bible Wenk, 83, passed away on Tuesday, April 29, in Springfield.

Born in Springfield, MA, loving son of the late William J. and Helen (Bible) Wenk, he was a lifetime resident of the Springfield area. William graduated from Springfield Technical High School 1948, Williston Academy 1950, University of Connecticut 1952.

Upon graduation he joined his father William Joseph Wenk, at Wenks Florist in Springfield, MA. He attended the Naval School of Mine Warfare in York Town, Virginia, where he studied underwater mine ordinances, served aboard the aircraft carrier Essex during the Korean Campaign and returned home to manage and later own Wenks Florist.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950