Category Archives: Class Decades

Frances Rousmaniere Storrs ’31

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Frances R StorrsFrances Rousmaniere Storrs of Oyster Bay, New York died April 22, 2013 peacefully at home at the remarkable age of 100.

Her charitable life began in 1929 at the age of 16, when she worked for the summer in Hyden, Kentucky, where her mother’s family had funded the Frontier Nursing Service three-room hospital, and rode horses through the back hills to help provide medical care. For the rest of her life, she devoted much of her energy to helping others through a multitude of charities, including Planned Parenthood, Visiting Nurse Services, the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Boys and Girls Club, the Oyster Bay Waterfront Center, Friends of the Bay and many others.

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Posted in: 1930s

Conrad Philipson ’33

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PhilipsonConrad 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.

Posted in: 1930s

George James Anthony McKitis ’44

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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.

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Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1944

Robert Wallace Riedel ’39

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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.

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Posted in: 1930s, Class of 1939

Carol Somerville Cory ’42

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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.

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Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1942

John Keough ’47

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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.

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Posted in: 1940s

Waldo Nathan Sweet ’50

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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.

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Posted in: 1950s, Class of 1950

Bethia Smith Currie ’39

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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.

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Posted in: 1930s, Class of 1939