In Memoriam
Remembering members of the Williston Northampton community

Nancy Mason Barnes ’43

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Nancy MasonNancy (Mason) Barnes, age 88, of Westport, died May 30, 2014.

She was the wife of the late Frederick R. Barnes. Born in Fall River, a daughter of the late Dr. William and Nancy (Campbell) Mason, she spent her youth in Fall River, lived in New York City for several years and Darien, Connecticut for 30 years. She summered in Westport all her life until moving there permanently in 1984.

Mrs. Barnes was an Administrator for Darien High School for 13 years, retiring in 1984. Prior to that she taught pre-school children at several area schools including St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Nursing School.

She was a graduate of Northampton School for Girls and the former Miss Elliotts in Boston.

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Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1943

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

Margaret Munsell Palmer ’37

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Munsell palmerMargaret Munsell Palmer, 94, of Randolph, died Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, VT.

She was born on March 5, 1919 in Springfield, MA; the daughter of Samuel and Florence (McKenna) Munsell. She graduated from Springfield Classical High School and Connecticut College for Women.

She was married to Donald F. Palmer in Springfield, MA on July 25, 1941. He passed away in 2003.

She lived in Trenton, NJ, Moorestown, NJ, and Wellesley, MA, until moving to Randolph in 1991. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown, Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, and Bethany Church of Randolph. She was an avid Boston Red Sox fan, and enjoyed church activities, P.T.A., Junior League, reading and travel. She is best remembered as a woman of faith, and as a loving mother who enjoyed family gatherings.

Survivors include her daughters, Margaret P. Stiles of Plymouth, IN and Anne P. Strother of Old Greenwich, CT; sons, Donald F. Palmer of Drexel Hill, PA, David M. Palmer of Randolph and Richard L. Palmer of Ventura, CA; 8 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and a nephew. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her sister, Ruth Downs.

Posted in: 1930s

Elizabeth Roberts Shaw ’38

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Roberts ShawElizabeth (Roberts) Shaw, 82. Of Wareham, MA, formerly of Millbrook, NY and New York City, died on Tuesday, February 4, 2003 in Wareham on congestive heart failure.

She was the wife of Samuel P. Shaw. Born January 16, 1921 in NY, NY, the daughter of Lawrence L. and Margaret (McLean) Roberts. Mother of Chris Ann Affleck of Cambridge, MA and Linda Boldt of NY, NY. Grandmother of Benjamin Affleck, Casey Affleck and Jason Fleetwood Boldt.

Elizabeth was a freelance writer and former director of public relations for New York City’s Museum of Modern Art who later handled public relations at Christie’s Auction House. Retiring after more than 30 years at the museum, Mrs. Shaw worked for Christie’s Auction House in New York, handling public relations and helping to keep the organization afloat in the recession of the early 1980s.

Posted in: 1930s

Margaret Mohler Sheehan ’38

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Mohler SheehanMargaret Alice Sheehan, 96, died peacefully, Oct. 1, 2014, at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport.

Born in Kowloon, China, on May 1, 1918, she was the daughter of Frank and Ethel Yaksol Mohler. Margaret attended Springfield College and studied teaching.

On December 18, 1942, she married Burt Charles Sheehan in Springfield, Mass. Together they had three children, Gary, Candy and Shari. Margaret was known by many names, Migs, Moppy, Mop-Mop and Mopster, and had many roles: wife, mother, friend, teacher, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Burt, in 1981; as well as her brother, John.

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Posted in: 1930s

Elizabeth Hartwell Wallace ’47

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Hartwell WallaceElizabeth Ayer Hartwell Wallace died Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, at Masonic Healthcare Center, in her 84th year of life.

Born in Muskegon, Mich., she grew up in the Great Lakes region with her parents, Dr. Shattuck Wellman Hartwell and Kathleen Gemmell Hartwell, her brother, Shattuck, and sister, Kathleen. Elizabeth’s family moved and lived in Northampton, Mass. during World War II, while her father served as a surgeon in New Guinea. Elizabeth attended Northampton School for Girls and graduated from Smith College in 1951 with a degree in music and English.

After graduating from Smith, Ms. Hartwell taught school in Greenfield, Mass., where she met her future husband, Dr. Edward Paez Wallace. Dr. Wallace and Miss Hartwell were married in 1953 and began their married life living in Virginia, where Dr. Wallace was a physician with the U.S. Navy. In 1954, Elizabeth and her husband moved to Meriden, where they have lived ever since.

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Posted in: 1940s

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

Jean Bowlen Bloombergh ’41

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Jean (Bowlen) Bloombergh, passed away at the age of 90, peacefully in her room at the Kaplan Family Hospice House on Friday, September 26, 2014, after an 11-year stay at the Emeritus of Cherry Hill in Danvers following a long battle with Alzheimers.

She was born on December 8, 1923 in Holyoke, Mass., She was the youngest child of William Caldwell Bowlen, a founder of Lunt Sterling and noted silversmith and artist, and Hazel Clark.

She attended Williston Northampton School for Girls and studied at the Art Center School in Los Angeles, CA and locally with Emile Gruppe. In 1946, she married Dr. John Hollis Bloombergh, Md. of Chestnut Hill, Mass. After both spent summers in Annisquam, they chose Rockport as their home due to Jack’s love of sailing and Jean’s love of art.

She had three children, John, Jr. (Doc), William and Jill. She loved art, reading and gardening. She was noted for her beauty, her entertaining personality and sailing in the Turnabout Frostbite Series skills. She was an avid skier as well. Jean was a life member of the Rockport Art Association.

Jean was predeceased by her first born child, John Hollis Bloombergh, Jr. and her husband, Dr. John Hollis Bloombergh, Md. as well as five siblings.

She is survived by her son, William Nord Bloombergh of Rockport; and her daughter, Jill B. Chipperini, wife of Michael G. Chipperini of Gloucester; and her grandchildren, John William Chipperini and Alexis Jean Chipperini.

Posted in: 1940s

Remembering members of the Williston Northampton community