In Memoriam
Remembering members of the Williston Northampton community

Douglas Mason Wallace ’49

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Douglas Mason Wallace, 84, a resident of Westbrook since 1954 died peacefully July 20, 2013, at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. He was a kind and gentle person who will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Mr. Wallace was born April 8, 1929, in Kew Gardens, Queens, NY, the son of H. James and Evelyn Mason Wallace. In his early years he lived in Utica, NY, and St. Albans, VT, graduating from Bellows Free Academy of St. Albans in 1947 and Williston Academy of Easthampton, MA, in 1949. He graduated from the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse in 1954 and that year joined S.D. Warren Company in Westbrook as a chemical engineer. He retired from S.D. Warren in 1992.
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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

Jennifer Kemper ’90

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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.

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Posted in: Class Decades

Antonia Deane-Jones Cleton ’43

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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.

Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1943

Joni A. Jurkowski ’76

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Joni A. Jurkowski passed away on July 4, 2013, at Baystate Medical Center after a brief illness. She was born in Northampton on June 15, 1958.

Joni is survived by her uncle, Robert M. Laprade of Easthampton, with whom she lived. She is also survived by her cousin, Kitty Maxey, and husband, Dee of Dallas, Texas. In addition, she is survived by her feline companions, Mittens and Midnight. Joni was predeceased by her mother, Pauline, in 2013; her aunt, Georgette L. O’Connor, in 2000; her uncle, Jerry O’Connor, in 2001; and her cousin, Maggi O’Connor, in 2007.

Joni was a graduate of Williston Northampton School and Roger Williams University. She was employed for many years by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue in Springfield.

The family would like to thank Kimberly Soutra and Dr. Andrew Hall for their continued kindness and support. In addition, the family extends special thanks to Dr. Bogdan Tiru and the ICU staff at Baystate Medical Center for their professionalism and compassion in their treatment of Joni.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to the Easthampton Ambulance Fund, Attn.: Fire Chief, 32 Payson Ave., Easthampton, MA 01027 or a charity of one’s choice .

Posted in: 1970s

Michael P. Farmer ’74

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Michael Patrick Farmer, 58, longtime resident of Amesbury, died Sunday afternoon June 23, 2013 at home with his loving family at his side after a courageous battle with cancer.

He was an amazing husband to his wife of 32 years, Gail Slosar-Farmer, and a devoted father to his children, Sean and Sheena. Born in Albany, N.Y., on March 12, 1955, he was one of seven children of Dorothea J. (Peterson) Farmer of Newburyport and the late Raymond B. Farmer. He was a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Troy, N.Y., Williston Academy of Easthampton, Mass., and attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

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Posted in: 1970s

Joseph P. Petruzelo ’46

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Joseph Peter Petruzelo of Meriden, much beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother-in law, and uncle, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at home surrounded by family.

He was born in Meriden on April 29, 1928, and attended local primary schools, graduating from Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA, in 1946. He was predeceased by his parents, Rose and Peter Petruzelo; and his two sisters, Anne Mesite and Lucille Lewis.

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Posted in: 1940s, Class of 1946

Robert C. Moores ’36

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Robert “Bob” Moores was born January 29, 1917 in Stanford, Connecticut. He graduated in 1936 from Williston Academy in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

On June 10, 1939 he married Kathryn Mantel. They moved to Rochester in 1946. He was owner of Moores Color Center at Miracle Mile in Rochester. He retired to Birchwood, Wisconsin in 1972 and relocated to Hendersonville, North Carolina in 1999. He returned to Rochester in 2007 and resided at the Homestead of Rochester until his death.

Survivors include his 3 daughters, Susan Johnson, Cindy (Larry) McHale, Debbie (Joel) Ostrum; 4 grandchildren, Sarah Ostrum, Ruth Ostrum, Connie (Ray) Sheets and Kelly (John) Longstreth; 2 great grandchildren, Megan and Cody Longstreth; and a sister Nancy (Stanley) Poltrack. He was preceded in death by his wife Kathryn.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Remembering members of the Williston Northampton community