Category Archives: 1960s

Pauline (Polly) Eskenasy McGilvra ’65

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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.

Posted in: 1960s

John K. Haines ’67

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John “Nick” Haines, 68, of Alexanders Lake, Dayville, CT, died peacefully Tuesday, April 10th, 2018. Nick was born in Niagara Falls, NY on May 15th, 1949. He was the son of the late Ellis K. Haines and Natalie (Nana) Dean Haines. He is survived by his wife Judy, daughter Tracy and her husband Vincent DiProspero, and son Rusty and his wife Jamie; grandchildren Meadow, Summer, and Logan, his sister Linda Beck, and several cousins, nephews, and extended family. Nick owned and operated Friendly Spirits in Danielson for 45 years. He greatly enjoyed interacting with customers and working with his son each day. He was a dedicated member of the community serving as past president of both the Killingly-Brooklyn Rotary and the Northeastern Chamber of Commerce, among a variety of other community organizations. He loved days on the lake with his family since he was boy and even more so with his grandchildren.

Posted in: 1960s

Brian F. Kernaghan ’63

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Brian Kernaghan, most recently of Clemson, SC, previously of Mt. Pleasant and Pawleys island, SC passed away suddenly at home on May 27, 2018. He was 73 years old. Brian was born in Bronxville, NY on September 17, 1944 to Mary and Charles Kernaghan. Brian grew up in Upstate, NY and Pittsburgh, PA enjoying summers on Lake George, NY with his friends and family. He attended both St. Edmonds Academy and Williston Northampton School, where he excelled in baseball and basketball but also told many stories of stealing grapes to ferment wine in his room. Brian finished his senior year of High School in Schenectady, NY (Linton High) where he was elbowed in the face blocking out Pat Riley for a loose basketball. He was always willing to show the scar on his eyebrow to prove his brush with greatness.
Brian moved on to Siena College in Loudonville, NY where he finished in 1968. As a graduation gift, Brian received a free trip to basic training from the US Navy. He spent 4 years in the Navy as a writer and photographer but his greatest moment was meeting his future bride and love of his life Jane Huey in Maryland while stationed there. They married in 1971 in Rock Hill, SC.
After finishing up his stint for Uncle Sam, Brian moved on to Law School at the University of South Carolina where he excelled in the classroom. After graduation and still having a year of free tuition left from his GI Bill, Brian was accepted to NYU Law School where he earned his LLM in Tax.
Brian enjoyed a distinguished career in law that lasted over 40 years and included an 8 year stint as president and general council of Wild Dunes and Dunes West. Brian worked the last 24 years as a partner for Nexsen Pruet representing clients all over the United States.
Brian wasn’t just a great lawyer, he also enjoyed photography and playing guitar at church. Brian was a very active member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant, Church of the Resurrection in Surfside, SC and most recently Christ The Redeemer in Pendleton, SC.
Brian is survived by his wife Jane of 46 years, his sister Sheila Germain of Williamsburg, VA and her three daughters, Elizabeth, Cindy and Katie and their families. His son and daughter in law Charlie and Stephanie Kernaghan of Clemson, and his two favorite grandchildren, Eli and Blair.

Posted in: 1960s

Paul R. Smith ’62

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Paul R. Smith of Lakeville, MN, (age 73), an avid runner for many years, jogged through heaven’s gates on April 3, 2018 to meet his beloved Jesus. His family, celebrating his wholeness after an 11 ½ year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, includes his loving wife of 50 years, Sally Kilander Smith, and their children Heather Dawson (Brian), Holly Speratos (Jason), Hilary Moorlach (Brian), and Luke Smith (Katy), and his thirteen grandchildren: Torrey, Jake, Leah, Zach, Anna, Max, Ben, Matt, Adam, Luke, Charlie, Nathan, and Isaac, and his sister, Emily Fitz Randolph. He is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Randolph Fitz Smith and Jeane LaGrone Smith, and his sister Kay Delle Koch.

Posted in: 1960s

Francis X. Balanda ’60

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Francis X. “Frank” Balanda, 75, of Southbury, CT died suddenly Friday, March 9, 2018 at home. He was the husband of Joyce (Johnson) Balanda.
Frank was born April 4, 1942 in Waterbury, the son of the late Clarence and Alvera (Zuraitis) Balanda. He was a graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran.
Frank worked as a juvenile probation officer for the State of Connecticut until he retired. He also worked many years as a dispatcher for Heritage Village.
Frank was an avid reader and loved tennis and spending his winters in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Besides his wife, he leaves his two children, Kate Balanda of Southbury and Kenneth Balanda of Naugatuck, and a special cousin, Joan (Shobrinsky) Rose of Waterbury.

Posted in: 1960s

Robert T. Onkey ’69

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Robert Theodore Onkey age 67, of Norwalk, CT, passed away on February 5, 2018 at his home. Robert was born in Bridgeport, CT on September 28, 1950. He was predeceased by his parents Robert Lee and Gladys Mary (Kost) Onkey as well as his brother, Peter Thomas Onkey.
Robert spent his earlier life on both sides of the U.S. / Canadian border. Robert attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and then completed his undergraduate studies at the University Of Western Ontario. He became a magazine journalist in Toronto, Canada and later went on to combining his passion for SCUBA diving with his career to form his own company offering Commercial Diving services. Bob, as he was known to most, loved the water and was happiest whether he was in it, on it or under it. Robert was a kind, loving, compassionate person who loved animals as much as he did people. His cat Sammy was his final companion. Despite life’s challenges, he never lost sight of the people that were most important in his life. Robert was as unique an individual as a person can be and he will be greatly missed by the many, many people whose lives crossed paths with his.
Survivors include his step-mother, Janet Onkey, and numerous cousins.

Posted in: 1960s

Charles M. Cohn ’61

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Charles M. Cohn, 75, a long-time resident of Shelburne, MA, died of lung cancer Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, in Northampton.

He was born in Allentown, Philadelphia, in 1943, to Beatrice Julian Cohn and Charles R. Cohn. He graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1965 where he made life-long friends. After graduation, he was a stockbroker in New York on Wall Street for about 10 years. In 1978 he moved to Shelburne.

For several years he worked for his uncle, Simon Cohn, as a realtor. In 1980 he opened his own business, Cohn Financial Services, to provide conservative and reliable advice for the specific investment needs of every client, no matter the amount of their financial resources. As a financial adviser, Charlie was committed to the welfare of every client. The business was more than a job to him. It was his passion. He said that he considered every client’s “nest egg” as valuable as his own. His clients appreciated his knowledge and honesty.

He was an avid fly fisherman and skier. He loved the beauty of Shelburne and the people of the community. He was a long time board member of the Franklin Land Trust, devoted to the goals of preserving the land. After becoming paralyzed 15 years ago, he demonstrated mental fortitude and physical endurance in the face of great challenges. Through it all he remained a devoted father and husband, a loyal friend and a productive member of the hill town community.

He is survived by his wife Catherine Smith, and his son Charles A. Cohn. Family came first to him, especially his cousins Robert Cohn of Greenfield, Susan Cohn Dorn of West Hartford, Connecticut, Marcus Cohn of Wayland, William Julian of Davis, California, Anne Julian Lennon of Indianapolis, Indiana, Jon Julian of Williamsville, Vermont, and William Rednor of Yardley, Pennsylvania, as well as their spouses and children.

Posted in: 1960s

Douglas E. Little ’67

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Douglas Edward Little, 68, of Southbury, CT, died on Sunday, November 19, 2017 in Middlebury. He was husband of the late Deborah Little. He was born on May 9th, 1949 in New Britain to Edward and Jennie Little. Douglas attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA. He graduated from Syracuse University and obtained his Master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University. While an undergraduate, he became a brother of the Lamda Chi fraternity and met his future wife Deborah White. After graduation, he worked dutifully for many years as an educator for the State Of Connecticut and Department Of Correction. Towards the end of his time there, he suffered a severe stroke that, by all medical accounts, should have killed him. Fearlessly refusing to let it quell his passion for life, he learned to walk again, and spent the rest of his life happily doing whatever he wanted despite his physical limitations. His days became rife with traveling, investing, screenwriting, filmmaking, entrepreneurship, art collecting, shooting, and even treasure hunting. Even as his health deteriorated more in his final years, he never stopped dreaming of what he could achieve in the future. While no one will ever forget Douglas as the eccentric, entertaining man who handed out glow sticks and payed for things with two dollar bills just to brighten a day for others, he’ll be forever remembered by those closest to him for his greatest achievements: his enduring resolve, and the endlessly selfless manner in which he conducted himself as a son, husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, educator, and American. He was a paragon of how to live with purpose for both yourself and others. Douglas is predeceased by his father Edward, mother Jennie, daughter Phoebe, and wife Deborah. He is survived by his sons Edward and Radley, as well as his brothers Alan and William.

Posted in: 1960s

Marshall R. Louis ’60

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Marshall Robert Louis, Jr., was born Jan. 26, 1943 and raised in Auburn, NY. He received his secondary education at Williston Academy, undergraduate at Yale, and graduate education at New York University.
Marshall served our nation in many roles, including at the US State Department as a Cultural Affairs Officer. After a distinguished career that included service in Zaire, Israel, Japan, Brazil, Colombia, and many other countries, he retired to central Maine.
He died after a brief battle with cancer on Nov. 11, 2017, in Bangor, Maine.
Marshall is survived by his three children, Rachel Barnett, Josh Louis, and Ana Gabriela Loius; and granddaughter, Olivia. He is also survived by his fiancée, Beth Zaccaro, and his much-loved dogs, Nor’easter, Klondike, Allegra, and Applejack. He is survived by three siblings, Tom (’62), Ken (’65), and Sue Louis. He had many friends in Milo and the Lake View Plantation area.
He was a man of many talents, a deep thinker, and had a positive impact on our nation’s international reputation. We love him, miss him, and will remember him.

Posted in: 1960s

James Bump ’64

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James Bump, of Putnam, CT, passed away in November 2017.

Jim was born in Springfield, MA, son of C. Kilbourne and Gertrude (Lapham) Bump.

He went to Williston Academy after attending Minnechaug High School. At Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, class of 1969, he majored in piano, after realizing that he could read music faster than text. There he began to build instruments, laying the foundation for several years of lute building and about 19 years at Old Sturbridge Village. At OSV, he demonstrated crafts and built replicas of furniture and tools, from plows to looms to a printing press, so that historical techniques could be shown without damaging the original antiques.

In the 1990’s, Jim worked as a church organist and accompanist to students, soloists and choruses. Trying a week of classes at Summer Keys, Lubec, ME, he was taken on as piano accompanist for adult amateur musicians. He fell in love with Lubec, and bought a 5 bedroom house, where he rented rooms to music students, making friends from around the world. After 10 years, he resigned from accompaniment and concentrated on hosting string quartets, in which he was always the viola.

In 2012, Jim helped to start the Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra, which continues to meet in Ashford, CT and perform in several nearby towns.

Jim is survived by his brother Ben and sister-in-law Ellen Bump, cousins, and longtime companion Rachel Lewis and her family.

Posted in: 1960s