Conrad A. (“Connie”) Philipson passed away on Oct. 8, 2011. Husband of Elizabeth (Johnson) Philipson. Son of the late Ida and Sven Philipson. Brother of the late Ethel Miller of Troy, New York. Also survived by many nephews, and nieces and dear friends. Conrad grew up in Pittsfield, Mass. He was a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, and Boston University. Conrad served with the Twelfth Air Force in Africa and Italy during World War II, and served in the Air Force Reserve for over 30 years.
Category Archives: Class Decades
Jonathan W. Osborn ’55
Jonathan W. Osborn, 77, died peacefully after a long illness on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in the company of his loving family. He is survived by his wife, Sue; son, Ron Osborn and spouse, Diana of Johnson; daughter, the Rev. Sherry Osborn and spouse, Maggie King of Charlotte; beloved grandchildren, Sam and Ben; and brother, Jim of Northampton, Mass.
George James Anthony McKitis ’44
George McKitis passed away on September 4, 2013 at his home in Tucson Arizona.
George was born on the 17th of April, 1927 in Auburn, New York. George’s family (including his parents George & Martha and sister Lucille) subsequently moved to Torrington where both of George’s parents had family. In his youth, he often spent time with his cousin in Cornwall whose family owned a gas station that was located opposite their home at the intersection of routes 4, 43, & 128 which was known as McKitis Corners; providing the basis for his life-long capacity for tinkering with cars.
Robert Wallace Riedel ’39
Robert Wallace Riedel, 92, passed away on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, at Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer following a short illness. Born on June 2, 1921, he was the son of the late Wallace Edwin and Marjorie Smith (King) Riedel of Easthampton.
After graduating from Williston Academy, he earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from Yale University in 1943.
Carol Somerville Cory ’42
Carol Somerville Cory ’42 passed away peacefully on July 1, 2013. She was 89 years old. Carol was born on December 25, 1923, in Evanston, Illinois, to John and Corinne Patton Somerville. The day she was born, the nurses at the hospital went to her mother’s room with lit candles. Seeing the candles, her mother thought, “I must be in Heaven.” The nurses were there to sing Christmas carols. Carol was named because of that special event.
John Keough ’47
John (Jack) Joseph Keough passed away peacefully on July 28th, 2013. He will be lovingly remembered by his three children, John (Deborah), Joy (& Jon Griep), and James. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Jessica (& Pierre Kwan), Michael, Maire, and Elisabeth Keough, Eileen and Robert Evan Griep, and one great-grandchild, Nicholas Kwan.
Jack was born June 12, 1928 in San Antonio, Texas, the only child of Col. John Joseph and Stella Francois Keough. Because of his father’s Air Force assignments, Jack was well travelled by the time he reached Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA. Jack went on to Colby College in Maine where he met our mother, Joy Delong. They were married September 15, 1950. They then moved to New York City where Jack attended Columbia Law School.
Waldo Nathan Sweet ’50
Waldo Nathan Sweet, Jr., age 81 a long time resident of Fairfield, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2013.
Prior to his retirement in 1982, Wally was President of Wood’s Lightning Protection, Shelton. Born in New Haven, he was the son of the late Waldo Nathan Sweet and Margaret Tierney Sweet Bilgren. In his youth Wally was very active with the Middle Street Boys Club. He prepared for college at Warren Harding High School, Bridgeport, and graduated from Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA.
Bethia Smith Currie ’39
Dr. Bethia S. Currie died peacefully at the Sharon Health Care Center on July 3, 2013, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in Meriden, Conn., in 1922, but had lived in Cornwall since 1955.
She attended Northampton School for Girls and Vassar College, graduating cum laude in 1943 with a degree in English literature. She taught briefly at Pratt Institute in New York City before marrying and starting a family. In the 1960s she attended the New School for Social Research, studying philosophy and political science. She obtained a masters in philosophy in 1970 and her doctorate in 1971 and served as a graduate assistant teacher. She went on to teach philosophy and comparative religion at the University of Connecticut in Torrington as an assistant professor until her retirement in the mid 1980s.
Jennifer Kemper ’90
Jennifer Kathleen Kemper, 41, of Moultonborough, NH passed away July 13, 2013.
Jennifer was born in Dusseldorf, Germany on June 19, 1972. She lived in Germany, Holland and Kuwait before moving to Manhasset, NY at the age of seven. She attended Shelter Rock Elementary School and Manhasset Junior and Senior High Schools through 9th grade. She graduated from Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA in 1990. Jennifer went on to earn a B.A. in Sociology and Religion from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1994 and a M.A. in Elementary Education from Long Island University in 1997.
Antonia Deane-Jones Cleton ’43
Antonia “Toni” Deane-Jones Cleton, Northampton School for Girls Class of 1943 died on June 7, 2013 after a long illness and had been cared for at home in Leiden, The Netherlands.
She and her younger sister, Diana,came over from Oxford England during World War II at the age of 14 to live with the family of Barbara Moog Finlay ’45 in Northampton and some of the time with the Wilcox family of New Canaan, CT. She loved Northampton School for Girls with a passion and was asked to be a boarder there after a few months. She was a good leader, a wonderful athlete and excellent student. After graduating from Northampton School, she attended Connecticut College for Women. The girls both returned to England before Toni’s 4 years at Connecticut College were completed. She went to occupational therapy school there and had a good career, which she pursued in Holland. While in Holland, she met and married Frans Cleton, MD in Leiden. They have 4 children, most of whom have settled in the area.