Category Archives: Class Decades

Thomas J. Garstka ’69

Thomas J. Garstka , 69, of Southampton, MA, died on January 16, 2021 after a short illness. He was born July 3, 1951 in Northampton to Max and Dorothy Garstka. He attended Williston Academy graduating in 1969. Tom was a home builder with his father and brother Dave as Max T. Garstka & Sons for many years. He was a Deputy Tree Warden for the Town of Southampton for 40 years and in his younger years Tom was a member of the Southampton Volunteer Fire Department. He married Donna Syriac on September 7,1975 in the Williston Academy Chapel. In 2003 Tom and Donna started raising pastured poultry and sold their eggs to local stores under the name Cold Spring Chicken Ranch. He also sold firewood for a time as AX Man Firewood.

Tom loved gardening, country music and wearing western hats and boots. He will be remembered for his laughter, many stories about his dad in WWII, and love of the outdoors. He was a member of the Philadelphia Church of God. He served by giving opening and closing prayers. Tom is survived by his loving wife Donna, sons Randy and Paul, brother David and his wife Mary Ann and niece Jillian and sister Susan in Denver, CO. Donations may be made in Tom’s name to Philadelphia Church of God, P.O.Box 3700, Edmond,OK 73083.

Ronald S. Duncan ’49

Ronald “Ron” Stuart Duncan, 91, a lifelong resident of Granby and Simsbury, CT, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2021. Son of the late Stuart and Jessica (Weiant) Duncan, he is survived by his beloved wife of 20 years Janet S. Duncan; two sons, Mark (Diane) and John Duncan; his grandchildren, Jacob, Michael, Matthew and Kyle Duncan; daughters by marriage, Pamela and Joanne; granddaughters, Heather and Marcy; and great grandchildren, Maddie, Blake Jr., and Anna. Having graduated from Williston Academy, he served in the United States Air Force for 4 years. He then attended the University of Vermont and Central Connecticut State University to earn his Master’s Degree in Education. Ron retired after teaching Industrial Arts for 31 years at King Philip Middle School in West Hartford. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Placeda Hall and her three girls, Susan, Kelly, and Kerry, brother-in-law Britt Hall (Daisy), and nephew Shawn. He was predeceased by his sister Charlotte, wife Nancy (Hall) Duncan, brother-in-law Dr. Francis Hall, and niece Traci. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations in Ron’s memory may be made to Farmington Canal Heritage Trail or Granby Ambulance Association, 1 Pegville Rd., Granby, CT 06035. Hayes-Huling & Carmon Funeral Home of Granby has care of the arrangements.

Allen P. Doe ’49

Allen Peirce Doe, of Holden, MA, passed away unexpectedly at home on Friday, January 29, 2021. He was born in Springfield, the oldest son of Chester and Lillian (Peirce) Doe and was raised in West Boylston.

He attended West Boylston schools through the 9th grade then transferred to Williston Academy in Easthampton, graduating in 1949. He attended Clark University for two years before he transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating in 1954. After college, Allen proudly served his country with the US Army Combat Engineers in Germany for three years. After being honorably discharged from the service, he worked briefly for Riley Stoker Corp in Worcester and then the New England Forestry Foundation in Vermont. In 1961, he joined the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company as a sales representative retiring in 1990 after twenty-nine years of service. He was a former trustee of High Plains Cemetery in Oakdale for many years. Allen also spent many summers with his family at his camp on Queen Lake in Phillipston where he enjoyed boating, swimming and water skiing. He also enjoyed gardening and working in his yard and was a regular at Donut Kitchen in Holden for many years.

He is survived by his three sons, Paul C. Doe and his wife, Susan of Derry, NH, Robert A. Doe of Boulder, CO and Steven W. Doe of Macedon, NY; his daughter, Adrienne L. Lawrence and her husband, Garrett of Mill Valley, CA; his brother, Kingsley W. Doe and his wife, Janet of South Dartmouth; his sister, Meredith A. Smith of Spencer; his five grandchildren, Garret, Eric and Scott Doe and Devon and Ethan Lawrence; his niece, Deborah Milliard of Charlton; his nephews, James, Andrew, Bryan, Curtis, Jeffrey and Kenneth Doe and Earle Smith. He was predeceased by his first wife, Nancy A. Clark of Worcester and is survived by his second wife, Nancy P. Skillin of Holden and Portland, ME. He was predeceased by his brothers, Ralph ’53 and Gordon Doe.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 13th in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, appropriate social distancing and wearing of a mask will be required. Burial will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608, or the White Oak Land Conservation Society, P.O. Box 346, Holden, MA 01520.

Charles C. Savage, Jr. ’61

Charles (Cam) Campbell Savage, Jr. died of heart failure at home in Burlington, VT, January 11, 2021. He was born January 28, 1942 in Schenectady, NY. He moved with his family to Stowe in the early 1940s and remained there for the better part of his life. Cam graduated summa cum laude from Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and from Dartmouth College and Pratt Institute with a degree in architecture. He took time off before graduating from Dartmouth and headed to Hollywood to try his luck at stardom. After a few bit parts in “Gunsmoke” and “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and a brief stint modeling, he decided a college degree was the better choice. Cam designed, built and renovated commercial buildings and private homes throughout his career. He was a creative soul and expressed himself through a variety of mediums. Cam was a lone wolf and took great pleasure in cruising the back roads of Vermont on his various motorcycles. In his youth he played football, hockey and was a wild and crazy skier. The companionship of his dogs and cats over the years gave him solace. In spite of his physical discomfort and challenges, he maintained his sense of humor, avid curiosity and sobriety until the end. He leaves his son, Noah Greer, his sisters Janet and Paige Savage, and his nieces, their husbands and children. Thank you to Cam’s kind neighbors for their help thoughout the last year. In lieu of flowers and cards we ask that you double up on treats for your pets today.

Albert C. Bosworth ’44

Albert (Bud) Calvin Bosworth, 91, of Dartmouth, MA passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on Friday morning, September 21, 2018.
Mr. Bosworth was the owner of Bosworth Insurance Agency, Inc. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Hazel, and their children, James Bosworth and his wife Donna of Dartmouth, Martha (Bosworth) Thomas and her husband Keith of Newfane, VT, and Thomas Bosworth and his wife Julie of Dartmouth; his son-in-law, Ed Giardina of Hingham; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was the father of the late Claudia Giardina.
At his request, there will be no funeral services. However if you wish to remember Bud there will be a memorial fund at the Southworth Library, 732 Dartmouth St., Dartmouth, MA 02748.

Robert L. Byers ’57

Robert Louis Byers, 82, of Chalfont, PA died peacefully at home with his family at his side on December 21, 2020. The cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Bob graduated from Drexel University in 1965, where he met his beloved wife and lifelong partner in business and philanthropy, Joyce Fritz Byers. An active alumnus throughout his life, Bob later served as a trustee of the university.
Bob was thankful for the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and fascinating life. In 1978, he and Joyce founded Byers’ Choice Ltd., which still makes the famous Caroler Christmas figurines in Chalfont, PA.
Bob worked tirelessly to make the world a better place and served on myriad charitable boards and foundations during his life. In Doylestown, PA, he was a co-founder of Bucks Beautiful, the James A. Michener Art Museum, and the Bucks-Mont Katrina Relief Project. On the national level, Bob was a member of the board of the Salvation Army for 18 years. In his final years, he was active in the leadership of Care In Action, a Fort Lauderdale-based homeless charity.
In 2000, Bob and Joyce received the Caring Institute’s National Caring Award in recognition of their commitment to being “values driven entrepreneurs”, their support for countless philanthropic organizations, and their habit of practicing random acts of kindness in their community. Previously, they were chosen by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, as Philanthropists of the Year for 1993.
Known to his friends and family for his playful sense of humor, relentless pursuit of adventure, and zest for life, Bob enjoyed extensive world travel, fine wines, antique cars, hunting, and target shooting.
A man of deep faith and member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bob appreciated at the end of his life that God had played the defining role in all of his accomplishments. He read the essay “How to Know God” that positively changed his life. He hopes you will to. https://howtoknowgod.us
Bob is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joyce; their two sons, Robert Leslie Byers and Jeffery David Byers; their daughters-in-law, Pamela and Dawn; and four grandchildren: Samuel, George, Ashlyn, and Jacob.
A private service is planned.
In memory of Bob’s charitable spirit and penchant for improving the lives of others, the family asks that those who wish to honor Bob make a donation to the Salvation Army or another helping organization of their choice.

William P. Dunk ’56

William Paul Dunk was born in Mount Kisco, NY on March 3, 1938, the youngest child of Leonard and Marie Kennedy Dunk. He died in Chapel Hill, NC on January 2, 2021. The youngest of four siblings, Bill had an upbringing that was anything but ordinary. His father was an agricultural advisor who developed prize dairy cattle herds for notable East Coast families. As a small boy he traveled with his father to visit clients — Doris Duke taught him to use a soup spoon — and a memorable part of his childhood was spent on a Maryland farm where he herded geese in a cart hitched up to his dog. After his parents divorced, his mother became a chief dietician at Harlem Hospital where, he proudly related, she ran the kitchen that produced hundreds of meals daily for doctors and patients. After attending Williston Academy and Edgemont High School, he graduated from The Hill School in 1956. He received a BA in English Literature from Yale University in 1960 and an MA in History from San Francisco State University in 1967. During the Vietnam War he served in the 6th US Army at Fort Ord. His early jobs included elevator operator on Wall Street and barista at Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Berkeley, California. The latter led to a lifelong love of espresso; he was known to drink as many as five in a row during an entertaining conversation. In the 1970’s Bill went to work for and eventually headed Corporate Annual Reports, a New York firm that produced financial publications for Fortune 500 companies. In 1982 he founded William Dunk Partners, through which he advised CEOs in the high tech and health care industries on strategy. For 20 years he also wrote and published The Global Province, a biweekly online newsletter for investors, business executives, journalists and “elitists everywhere.” Although the newsletter focused on business and the economy, it also allowed him to “wrestle,” as he once wrote, “with more things we think about from olive oil to Johnny Mercer to losing weight.” In 1983 he married Courtenay Beinhorn, a food and business writer. They had two children whom he adored: Courtenay Alexandra and Angus William. In a poem he compared them to “birds on the wing:” she “a red-tailed hawk ready to pounce” and he “an eagle who wants to see what’s behind the sky.” For many years the family happily spent part of each summer on Nantucket at Chez Noir, a home belonging to his sister and brother-in-law. Bill was a vibrant, gregarious man who engaged with everyone he met. He was as at ease chatting with a local postal employee as discussing environmental policy with the Prime Minister of Bhutan. His prodigious appetite for food and drink ranged high and low, from foie gras and rare malt whiskeys to BLTs and Mexican Coke. He and Courtenay traveled extensively during their marriage; their trips usually began with lists of restaurants to investigate. He befriended the general managers of his favorite four star hotels , often providing them with “helpful” advice on improving their service. In his later years, Bill took up yoga and qi gong and went for companionable walks with Domino and Nick Charles, his cherished springer spaniels. He wrote poetry, often early in the morning just after waking, scribbling words on whatever paper was at hand. He left behind sheaves of poems in various stages of completion, many dealing with life’s big topics. His passion for old growth forests led to planting offspring of the Maryland Wye Oak around his home in Chapel Hill. Shortly before his death, he gave a grove of trees to the Hill School in honor of Edward Tuck Hall, headmaster at the time he matriculated there. In every way Bill was larger than life. His booming voice, easy laughter and unique humor created an unforgettable persona. Viewing the world from 30,000 feet, his singular talent was for synthesizing ideas from many sources, creating incisive, original, often contrarian insights into the topic at hand, whether in daily conversation, in his poetry and essays, or in the advice he gave to clients. He often put his life well-lived down to “luck;” in truth, it had everything to do with the person he was. Bill was preceded in death by his brothers Leonard and Peter and his sister Deborah. He leaves behind his wife of 37 years, Courtenay Beinhorn Dunk; his son, Angus William Dunk; daughter, Alexandra Dunk and son-in-law Brian Keith; and many nephews and nieces. The family asks that any contributions be given to The Hill School, in honor of William P. Dunk, Class of 1956.

Mary T. Hilliard ’72

Mary Temperance Hilliard died peacefully at home on Friday the 22nd of January 2021, in Galveston Texas surrounded by family and friends.

She was born Monday, June 14, 1954 in Houston, Texas. She was the daughter of Henry Townsend (“Bill”) and Lydia Caffery Hilliard. She attended Vanderbilt and Stephen F. Austin Universities and graduated in 1978. Following graduation, Mary moved to the “Wilds” of New Mexico to become a Wild Horse Wrangler. She lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico until 1995 when she became Manager of Southwest Shipyard and moved to the family home on the West end of Galveston Island.

Mary was a lover of animals, and owned many dogs over the years including Blue, Sandy, Dune, Frank Lee, Annie, and Abby as well as a few cats. She was a strong patron and benefactor of the Houston SPCA and the Veterinarian Medical Center. She also supported pet rescue and adoption.

She loved to spend time with friends and entertain at her home. She will be remembered for her kindness, her humor and her loving heart.

She is predeceased by her parents, Bill and Lydia. She is survived by brothers Hank and John ’72, sister Susan, and nephews, Hank, Townsend, and Scott Hilliard and several great nieces and nephews.

An intimate graveside burial service for family and close friends is to be conducted on Saturday, January 30th 2021 at Forest Park Lawndale in Houston, Texas. A memorial service for Mary will be held at a future date to be determined in the summer of 2021 at Galveston Country Club pending developments with the Covid pandemic.

The family is extremely grateful of the help of many of Mary’s close friends including Dianna Kinsey, Brenda Larkins, Hope Williams, Barbara Fenner, Nurse from the Hospice Team, and the caregivers from Right at Home including Betty, Haley, Jarnae, Jennifer and Tennille.

June Savage Barratt ’42

June Savage Barratt, 97, formerly of Riverside and Danville died on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at Nottingham Village in Northumberland, PA. She lived in the retirement center since 2009 and most recently in the nursing center. She was born April 10, 1923 at the Maus House in Mausdale to the late Katharine and J. Albert Savage. They later resided on Ninth Street in Riverside. On January 30, 1949 she married Alfred W. Barratt Jr. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Danville. They resided on Frosty Hills Drive in Danville. June graduated from Danville High School in 1941. She attended Northampton School for Girls in Massachusetts in 1942 and graduated from Wellesley College in 1946 with a degree in Botany. She graduated in 1948 with a master’s degree in Biology from Bucknell University, which is where she met her future husband, Al. Early in her career she was employed by Merck & Co. as a microbiologist. She was a very competitive golfer, playing at Frosty Valley Country Club regularly. She also loved to play Bridge. June spent lots of time at the family lake home on Ganoga Lake where she loved to swim, hike and just be in nature. June enjoyed traveling, visiting many states and countries, and documenting her travels with photography. Her greatest joys were her two grandsons. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Al in 2010 and her son David in 1982. June is survived by her daughter Wendy Weader and her husband Larry of Lewisburg, and her grandsons: Andrew Weader of Wilkes-Barre and Tyler Weader of Silver Spring, MD. Burial will take place at Odd Fellows Cemetery, at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are entrusted to Brady Funeral Home in Danville.

G. Arthur Padmore, Jr. ’58

George Arthur Padmore, Jr. was born in Monrovia, Liberia on January 12, 1940. He was the oldest of five sons born to Edith Mai Wiles Padmore and George Arthur Padmore, Sr.: Arthur, Ed, Gerald, Ronnie, and James “Wiki”.
When Arthur was still a young boy, his parents left him in Monrovia in the care of “Gran and Grampa” Euphemia and Edwin Barclay, while they went to Harbel to plant a newly acquired farm for Grampa Edwin Barclay. It was likely the influence of Grampa, an accomplished composer and musician, who was then serving as the 18th President of Liberia, that Arthur first developed his musical ear and lifelong love of music. It was also through the influence of Grampa Edwin Barclay, who introduced Arthur to the encyclopedia, that Arthur developed a lifelong love of learning.
Arthur grew up in the Barclay household with cousins Mary, Siata, and Earnest, and later also with Gran and Grampa Wiles at 99 Broad Street with cousins, Maakai (Sirleaf), Nehsee (Tubman), Myrna (Tolbert), Emmett Harmon, James (Wiles) and other relatives, as well as brothers Ed and Gerald. He attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Monrovia and then later attended high school at the College of West Africa (CWA). He left CWA in 1956 when his father was appointed Liberian Ambassador to the United States, and the entire family moved to Washington, D.C.
He graduated from The Williston Academy (now Williston Northampton School) in Easthampton, Massachusetts and matriculated to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and lived at Harkness House, where he made lifelong friends like John “Hoss” Frank and Carl Wattenberg. He was accepted into Boston University School of Law but later returned to Liberia where he received his law degree from the University of Liberia.
In 1965, he married Pairlene Eleanor Thomas and they had three daughters: Dawn Mai, Shirley (Mensah), and Soenda (Norman). A true disciple of cool jazz and pretty much everything else that went along with that genre of music, Arthur enjoyed his young adult years as a member of Monrovia’s Crowd 18 and as co-founder of “The WAVE.” A popular nightclub in Monrovia at the time, “The WAVE” was an acronym for co-founders “Winston (Richards), Arthur (Padmore), Varsay (Sirleaf) and Estrada (Bernard),” a name coined by Pairlene. Arthur also hosted the popular jazz radio show, “Music for Moderns,” which introduced many Liberians to jazz. Arthur and Pairlene’s home in Monrovia was often filled with friends, family, and music.
As a young father and husband, Arthur worked as hard as he played. He was General Manager of Liberia Amusements Limited which owned and operated popular
Monrovia movie theaters like the Relda among others. He also ran a law practice and branched out into various enterprises including a video rental business and gift shop.
Like so many Liberians, Arthur’s life as he knew it was upended by the military coup in April 1980. The friendships Arthur developed and maintained during his years in America paid off. For example, his longtime friend from Brown, John Frank, took in his two eldest girls to give Arthur and Pairlene time to settle. The family eventually settled in Wilmington, Delaware, where Arthur’s first cousin, Emmett Harmon, lived with his family.
Although things were not always easy, Arthur decided to make the best of his new life. He took a job selling insurance and he and Pairlene became dedicated members of the Cathedral Church of St. John, where he was eventually named senior warden. He also worked closely with the Liberian Association of Delaware, aiding those in need in Liberia.
Arthur also served as an administrative law judge for the Delaware Public Utilities Commission for fifteen years. In 2001, he was appointed by the Governor of Delaware to serve as the Public Advocate for the State of Delaware. In that role, he advocated on behalf of all consumers of regulated utility services such as gas, electric, water, and cable.
In the thirty-plus years he lived in Wilmington, Arthur took on the role of family elder. He spent countless hours curating and documenting the histories of the Barclay, Grimes, Padmore and Wiles families, using a computer program on Ancestry.com which at that time was in its infancy. He took great pleasure sharing the family history with all his extended family at family reunions and other gatherings.
In 2010, Arthur retired as Public Advocate and later moved with Pairlene to Cary, North Carolina to be closer to youngest daughter, Soenda, son-in-law, Carnley Norman, and grandchildren, Laura and Eleanor. They left countless friends and cherished memories in Wilmington.
After years of working hard and raising their family, Arthur and Pairlene were lucky to enjoy their respective retirements. They often traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to spend time with middle daughter, Shirley, her husband Paul, and granddaughters Olivia and Ava. Arthur was especially proud of the fact that he was present for Ava’s birth and often noted hers was the first birth he ever witnessed.
They visited daughter number one, Dawn (“Maisie”), in New York and never missed her performances as a classically trained Soprano. Arthur and Pairlene also traveled elsewhere within the United States to visit family and friends and often, together with friends and family, traveled to Europe, the Caribbean, China, and other far flung
places. They even invested in a small condominium in the Dominican Republic where they learned Spanish and how to dance Salsa. They continued to make friends along the way.
Their many travels were interrupted when Arthur developed a medical condition that led to episodic, but severe, illness. He eventually underwent surgery to address the condition. Unfortunately, complications from the surgery led to even greater health challenges. Over the past two years, Arthur valiantly faced every medical challenge that came his way (and there were many including total loss of vision). Throughout all of those challenges, his “Bride” of 55 years remained steadfastly by his side, caring for him with support from his daughters, his brother, Gerald, aunties, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
He died peacefully in the early morning hours of January 7, 2021, surrounded by his wife and his three daughters. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, his three daughters and sons-in-law, his four granddaughters, siblings, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews and scores of other family and friends. He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.