Donald Wesley Cook died on September 22, 2025, in Madrid, Iowa. Don was born in Hartford, CT and raised by an aunt and uncle in rural western Massachusetts. He attended Williston Academy and Springfield College before being drafted into the U.S. Army where he spent 18 months in North Africa as a topographic surveyor with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Following his stint in the Army he managed a 4,000-car fleet of long-term lease vehicles and developed a system for selling the off-lease cars. Here he began to realize that his true calling was sales. His experience as a surveyor and ability to sell a life jacket to a fish led him to several years of million-dollar sales with ADS Drainage Tile Systems. He was an ardent John Deere enthusiast, owning a John Deere dealership in upstate New York and most recently representing John Deere through Van Wall Equipment to federal entities in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. In retirement Don had a second very successful career as a real estate agent in Minnesota and Florida.
Looking to avoid a date with a young woman commonly regarded as a disaster, Don called Linda, the daughter of his mother’s longtime friend, whom he knew to be home from college. It turns out she wasn’t a disaster, and they celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary last summer. Their two daughters, Carrie and Heidi, were born in upstate New York and have been a delight to him.
Don had farming in his blood and he, along with his wife Linda, began raising registered Polled Herefords in the 1960’s, taking several championships at county and state fairs. Following that farming gene he and his family moved to northeast Iowa in 1973 where he managed a 500-head cow-calf cattle ranch. He was welcomed to Iowa with that year’s April blizzard. He later moved to Shell Rock, Iowa where, with help from his family, he raised hogs, farrow to finish. On that farm he retrofitted a used dairy milking parlor for his daughters’ goat herd. Here he experienced another of Iowa’s famous weather features, a tornado. In addition to farming, he had fishing in his blood. From a young age, Don was an enthusiastic fisherman, catching trout and other fish in the brooks and streams of western Massachusetts. Discovering Leech Lake in Minnesota revived that love and he spent many hours keeping the local gas vendors happy as he tooled around the lake in his 18′ Lund boat. He loved taking his children, grandchildren, and his father-in-law, who was superb at catching walleyes, out to the far reaches of the lake.
A member of the Jaycees as a young man, Don learned the importance of employing Robert’s Rules of Order in any meeting and has always been emphatic about sticking to those rules. Just ask anyone who has tried to call for discussion before there was a motion and a second! His leadership skills allowed him to rise to the office of Jaycees State Vice-President. Don is also a long-time member of the Lions Club and has held church leadership positions as Deacon and moderator. He is currently a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Madrid, Iowa.
Don was a survivor of the tragic July 6, 1944, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Baily circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut also known as “The Day the Clowns Cried.” Don’s younger brother, Edward, was one of the 169 people who perished in that blaze. His mother was so severely burned that she spent six months in the hospital. His younger sister, Eleanor, not identified at the time, was remembered for many years as “Little Miss 1565” which was the number on her toe tag. In 1991 an arson investigator reexamined the evidence and determined her identity. Her body was then moved from Hartford to the cemetery in Southampton, Massachusetts where she was buried next to her brother.
Don was predeceased by his sister, Eleanor and his brother, Edward. He leaves his wife, Linda, two daughters, Carrie Cook and Heidi Loomis (Ben), grandsons Wesley Loomis (Jayme) and Adam Loomis, five great grandchildren, Robbie, Owen, Makaila, Nevaeh, and Abel, a niece, Pamela Bohl in South Carolina and nephew, Mark O’Dell in Florida. The family wishes to thank St. Croix Hospice for their compassionate support at the end of Don’s life.
A celebration of life will be held at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 115 South Cedar St., Madrid, Iowa, on September 27th at 11 AM, with a luncheon to follow in the fellowship hall. A graveside service will be held in Southampton, MA at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be directed to The Madrid Lions Club, Box 15, Madrid, IA, 50156 or St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 115 South Cedar St. Madrid, IA 50156.
Tag Archives: Class of 1954
William J. Judge Jr. ’54
William James Judge Jr., was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, on July 24, 1935 to Fredrica Maino Judge and William James Judge Sr. Although Bill was a proud New York City native, he was born in the Berkshires because his mother was in Williamstown at her father’s farm on Henderson Road for the summer. Bill’s father was an athletic trainer for Columbia University, which sparked his lifelong love for all sports. After his father died in 1949, his family moved to Williamstown to be closer to his mother’s parents and siblings. Bill was raised surrounded by family-he, his two sisters, and cousins were in and out of each other’s houses. He graduated from Williamstown High School at age 16 in 1952, and he spent two fulfilling postgraduate years at Williston Academy.
After graduating from Williston, Bill returned home and worked a number of jobs including grounds crew at his beloved Taconic Golf Club. On October 9, 1956, the day after New York Yankee Don Larsen threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Assigned to the 6989th Radio Squadron Mobile stationed in Misawa, Japan, Bill was also a pitcher for the station’s baseball team, which allowed him to travel around the country. He wrapped up his service at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts, serving in the Directorate of Intelligence Office. He was discharged from Active Duty on October 7, 1960.
Bill was proud of his service and grateful for his time in Japan where he was stationed with Doc Duffy of North Adams, Massachusetts, who would become his future brother-in-law. Back in the Berkshires, where Bill moved in with his mother, Doc introduced him to his younger sister, Marianne, who became the love of his life and his wife of 60 years. Bill and Marianne were married on July 24, 1965, Bill’s 30th birthday.
In 1963, Bill started as a bank teller at First Agricultural Bank in North Adams. He was promoted to Trust Officer and relocated to Pittsfield in 1972. Known for his integrity, compassion, and dedication to his clients, Bill was named Vice President for Trust Administration. These characteristics were also reflected in his commitment to his Williamstown community, where Bill and Marianne raised their family. As a Williamstown Little League coach for 12 years, a longtime board member of the Williamstown Recreation Committee and the Williamstown Community Chest, and a devoted member of St. Patrick’s Parish, Bill spent countless hours volunteering for his town. After 38 years with the bank, Bill retired on August 1, 2000. He was grateful for the additional time he had to spend with family, friends, and local sports teams. He cherished his days playing golf and his Monday through Friday 11 am meetings at Tunnel City, where Bill and his friends solved the world’s problems.
Family was everything to Bill, and he and Marianne felt their greatest gift was that their three children chose to raise their families in Williamstown. He was the most committed father and grandfather whose joy came from spending time with and cheering on his children, grandchildren, and their friends in their sports, performances, academics, and passions. This past summer, his family and close friends gathered at Taconic Golf Club to celebrate his 90th birthday and Bill and Marianne’s 60th anniversary.
Bill died at the age of 90 in North Adams, Massachusetts, on September 17th, surrounded by his family. He leaves behind his wife Marianne; his children: Colleen Martin (Tee), Kathleen Igoe (Jonathan), and Duffy Judge (Brooke); his grandchildren: M. Duffy, Thomas, Alex, Lucy, Judge, Will, Bridget, and Eve; his sister, Terry Taft; and two step-granddaughters, Ali and Kaity Martin. He loved us, and we loved him. His love, integrity, service, and values influenced and inspired so many. We are grateful that he lives on in each of us.
A Liturgy of Christian Burial to celebrate the life of Bill Judge on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick’s Parish in Williamstown. Calling hours will be on Monday, September 22, 2025, from 4:00-7:00 PM at the Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home -WEST Chapel 521 West Main St. North Adams, MA 01247. Donations may be made to The Williamstown Food Pantry or PopCares Inc.
Joel D. Katz ’54
Joel D. Katz, of Chestnut Hill, MA, passed away on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at the age of 88.
Born in Springfield, MA, and grew up in in Brookline, MA, he attended Brookline High School and graduated from Williston Academy. He went on to attend and graduate from Brown University. Joel, along with his brother-in-law, ran the Sidney Goldstein Corporation, a plumbing and heating manufacturers’ representative firm, which later became J-L Sales Company.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Miriam and Herman Katz; his brother, Myron (Mike) Katz; his sister, Elizabeth (Betsy) Daly; and his beloved wife of 43 years, Joanne Goldstein Katz. He is survived by his children: son Howard Katz (Cynthia), daughters Sarah Katz Rose and Emily Katz, daughter Susan Katz Adler (Scott), and sons Jeremy and David. He also leaves behind his longtime companion, Joyce Shufro, and many cherished family members and friends.
A graveside service will be held at Temple Ohabei Shalom Cemetery, 147 Wordsworth Street, East Boston, on Monday, August 18, at 11:00 a.m. Shiva will follow at 2:00 p.m. Levine Chapels, Brookline.
Andrew D. McKee ’54
Dr. Andrew Dixon McKee, 89, of New Gloucester, Maine, passed away peacefully at home on June 15, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Cortland, N.Y. on July 8, 1935, Andrew moved with his family to Amherst, Mass. as a child. He attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass. (1951-1954), and went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. in 1958. He received his medical degree at the University of Brussels in Belgium, graduating in 1965.
Andrew began his medical career with a rotating internship at the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Hospital in Brighton, Mass. where he met Joanne, who was also serving with the USPHS. From 1966 to 1968, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the USPHS, working aboard the USC&GSS Discoverer, the country’s first ocean survey ship, and at the USPHS clinic in San Pedro, Calif. While in San Pedro, he was once lowered by helicopter onto a ship’s deck to render emergency aid to an injured officer.
He completed his residency at the U.S. Veterans Administration Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Mass. and a fellowship in Hematology at Tufts Medical School’s Carney Hospital in Boston, Mass. Andrew served as a Clinical Instructor in Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (1969-1971) and Tufts University School of Medicine (1971-1973).
In 1973, the McKee family moved to New Gloucester. Four years later, they relocated their house to an 80-acre property nearby, where they started a small sheep farm. Andrew practiced Internal Medicine and Hematology at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston until 1980, when he joined the Department of Veterans Affairs at Togus, Maine. There, he served as Assistant Chief of Medicine and Chief of Hematology until his retirement in 1995.
Retirement did not mark the end of Andrew’s service. In 1996, he earned a graduate degree in Tropical Medicine from Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. He then volunteered with Catholic Charities in Honduras (1996-2000), providing vital care to underserved communities.
From 2002 to 2006, Andrew worked with the Indian Health Service, staffing outpatient clinics on reservations in South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. He served at the Eagle Butte Indian Clinic (South Dakota), Fort Belknap Indian Clinic (Montana), the Mescalero Indian Hospital (New Mexico), and the Havasupai Clinic at the bottom of the Grand Canyon (Arizona), among others.
From 2007 until his final retirement in 2015, he continued to care for patients as a locum tenens physician with Mature Care at New England University Health Service.
Beyond medicine, Andrew was an avid woodworker who crafted many beautiful pieces that are now treasured family heirlooms. He and Joanne shared a love for travel, journeying together to Italy, France, China, Greece, Ireland, and across the United States in their RV. Andrew was also deeply proud of his daughters and the lives they built.
His patients valued his attentiveness and warmth, and his family will forever cherish his generous, gentle and sensitive spirit, his wry sense of humor, and his intense love of all animals, -especially the many dogs he and Joanne lovingly cared for over the years.
He is survived by his devoted wife of over 58 years, Joanne Lea McKee; his three daughters, Emily McKee (John Kosiorek), Alison McKee (Gabriel Alexander), and Linda McKee; three grandchildren, Aidra Kosiorek (Austin Rodriguez), Eden Kosiorek, and Zavier Kosiorek; one great-granddaughter, Rylee; his sister, Harriet Voss; nephews Stephan Voss, Peter Voss, and Ward McKee; and his best friend, Stephen Sokol.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to your local animal shelter.
Hope (Nichols) Butterworth ’54
Born August 17, 1936 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Hope spent her childhood years in Litchfield, Connecticut, the second oldest of four children born to Henry Baldwin Nichols and Esther Shears Nichols. Her father was a West Point graduate with a lifelong military connection and demanding career, her mother an affectionate presence anchoring the children’s everyday lives. Her maternal grandparents gave Hope and her siblings lasting memories of Hyde Park, New York, where her grandfather, Herbert Shears, was superintendent of Frederick Vanderbilt’s Hudson River estate. Hope would later donate several Vanderbilt-related items gifted her as a young woman to the Vanderbilt Mansion, a place she loved to visit with her own children, siblings, and grandchildren.
In her late teens, Hope attended Mills College in California for one year, finishing her studies at the University of New Hampshire after the sudden passing of her mother, a loss that impacted her greatly. Marrying New Hampshire resident John Zanes, Hope would have three children, Daniel, Julia, and Warren. While the family was living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, she discovered fine art photography, which would become a lifelong passion and practice.
After divorcing, Hope moved with her children to Concord, New Hampshire, where her younger brother, Henry Baldwin Nichols, Jr. was then living.
Concord was Hope’s home for the next fifty-five years. There, when her children were still young, Hope worked at Barbara Antonson’s Spruce Tree Nursery School, forging friendships that would last for many years. Her children attended Concord schools for most of their school-age lives, all finishing secondary school at esteemed out-of-state private institutions, done with their mother’s active encouragement. Concord would, however, remain a home to all.
Later, over a period of thirty years, Hope, alongside husband Harrison Butterworth of Hopkinton, worked to make Concord’s Friendly Kitchen a place that could regularly provide hot meals to an ever-greater number of those in need. Introduced to the organization through their church, St. John’s in Dunbarton, the Butterworths helped build The Friendly Kitchen into the community presence it is today.
As a photographer, Hope leaves behind an influential body of work and students who regularly cite her generous teaching style as crucial to their own artistic development. Mentored by friend and renowned photographer Lotte Jacobi, Hope showed her gum prints at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, among other places. A Boston Globe review of that Currier exhibition described Hope as “an extraordinary artist.”
A gardener, a great lover of animals, a devoted swimmer, a regular at area thrift shops, an artist and a beloved fixture on Stickney Hill Road, where she could often be seen walking her dogs, Hope was a friend to many. Doing things her own way, she kept bees, practiced photographic techniques from the late 19th century, raised quails, and stored up fireworks for her grandchildren’s visits. She leaves behind her three children, all of whom work in the arts, her two sisters, Julia Cook ’51 and Leslie Kremer ’55, Harrison Butterworth’s four children, Carol Burnham, Stephen Butterworth, Molly Elmali, and Corwin Butterworth, her grandchildren, Anna Zanes, Isak Saaf, Olaf Saaf, Lucian Zanes, Piero Zanes, Samantha Burnham, Amanda Burnham, Sadie Butterworth, Sam Butterworth, Mirabelle Butterworth, Abra Brown, Deniz Elmali, Dilara Elmali, Derya Elmali, and many more friends and family who will miss her ready humor, her keen eye, her singular style, and her infectious spirit.
Hope passed on Mother’s Day, May 12th, 2024, with her children close to her as she succumbed to the effects of pneumonia. A memorial event is planned for July 13th, 2pm, to be held at St. Paul’s Church, 21 Centre St., Concord NH 03301. It will be open to any and all who want to celebrate a great daughter, sibling, mother, grandmother, artist and friend who will be remembered as a unique, shining presence in the community.
Edward M. Peters Jr. ’54
On Nov. 6, 2024, Dr. Edward M. Peters Jr., 88, a longtime resident of Guilford, Connecticut, passed away at his home.
Husband of the late Patricia (Knapp) Peters, Dr. Peters was born in New Haven in May, 1936, son of Mr. Edward M. Peters, Sr. and Mrs. Marjorie (Corcoran) Peters. Loving father and father-in-law to Greg and Nicole Kane of Fairfield, Moira and Dave Pakulniewicz of Berlin, Maryland, and Clare and Edward M. Peters, III of Austin, Texas. He is survived by his five grandchildren, Caroline, Charles, Timothy, Mary Elizabeth, and Peter; his beloved sisters, Teri Ciaburro of East Haven and MaryEllen DelVecchio of Woodbridge; and his sister-in-law, Ann Peters of Guilford, widow of his younger brother, John.
Dr. Peters was a graduate of Hill House High School, New Haven, The Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and of Yale University, from which he held a B.A., an M.A., and was the first Ph.D awarded in medieval studies. After a brief stint teaching at the University of California at San Diego, Peters settled in at the University of Pennsylvania as the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History and the curator of the Henry Charles Lea Library, where he remained for 41 years. His studies spanned many wide-ranging topics, including the Crusades, the Inquisition, witchcraft in Europe, and niche topics such as curiosity and torture. Peters has been called “One of the greatest medievalists of his generation.”
Even after retirement from teaching, Dr. Peters continued to research, write, and edit scholarly work. He was an avid reader of thrillers and loved nothing more than having a cocktail on the deck overlooking the beautiful salt marsh in Guilford, followed by a well-cooked meal.
Friends are invited to attend a 2:30 p.m. burial on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at West Side Cemetery, 55 Three Mile Course, Guilford, and to share a memory with the family from 4 to 6 p.m. at Café Allegre, 725 Post Road, Madison, following the burial.
Joel Schiavone ‘54
Joel Schiavone, of New Haven, CT, died in hospice Monday, April 22, 2024, at the age of 87, after a period of declining health.
He is survived by his partner Emily McDiarmid; his children Allyx ‘88, Josie, Bryan, and Maxim Schiavone; and grandchildren Penn ‘20, Josie and Ripley.
Michael R. Polczwartek ’54
Michael R. Polczwartek, 87 of Williamsburg, Massachusetts, passed away at home on March 6, 2023. Mr. Polczwartek was the son of Michael and Elizabeth (Kulessa) Polczwartek of Northampton.
He served our country in the army for four years during the Korean War. He began his working career as a barber in his fathers’ barber shop in Northampton, then went on to nursing school where he received a Masters Degree in Psychiatric Nursing. He was the first male nurse to graduate from UMASS Amherst in 1971.
Mr. Polczwartek became Director of the Sloan Clinic at Baystate Medical Hospital in Springfield, Ma. and worked for many years before his retirement. He and his wife were very active in their church, Holy Name of Jesus in South Deerfield, Ma.
He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Pauline, in June of 2022. He leaves his younger brother Stephen Polczwartek and his wife Marie in Whittingham, Vt. along with his 2 daughters Lynn O’Connell and her husband Donald and Lori Polczwartek Cahillane, two grandsons Sean and Martin Cahillane and 2 great grandsons Orion and Wyatt Cahillane as well as many nieces and nephews.
Michael was a lifelong New York Yankees and Giants fan along with enjoying NASCAR racing.
Czelusniak funeral home is handling arrangements and a private service will take place in the future.
Jun Uramatsu Smith ’54
Jun Smith, 88, a resident of Concord, Massachusetts since 1968, died at her son’s home, Timothy Smith, of Southborough, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, following an extended illness and recently sustained injuries as a passenger in an auto accident.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, on January 29, 1935, she was the daughter of the late Samitaro and Fuki (Wooyenaka) Uramatsu. Mrs. Smith received her primary education from The International School of The Sacred Heart in Tokyo, whose mission is to provide an education for women that prepares them for success in an ever-changing world. At seventeen, she came to the U.S. to attend The Williston Northampton School, graduating in 1954. Mrs. Smith received her bachelor of arts from Wellesley College in 1958. Professionally, she was an accredited Japanese-English translator. She worked at Wang Labs as a technical editor for 12 years and was an editor at Dun & Bradstreet Software.
Jun was a lifelong lover of music. She played the piano, guitar, soprano, treble, tenor, and bass recorders and was active in many choirs in Concord. Growing up, she was involved in sports and enjoyed figure skating, cycling, hiking, camping, and gardening.
She enjoyed a more than 40-year marriage with her late husband, Henry Clement Smith II, who passed away in 2002. She leaves her sons Jeffrey U. Smith of Block Island, R.I., and Timothy W. Smith of Southborough, MA.; two of three sisters, Kiyoko Uramatsu of Northwood, NH. and Kei Zehr ’61 of Tiburon, CA.; her three grandchildren, Scarlett Hovenstot, Gavin J. Smith and Jayden U. Smith, as well as many nieces, a nephew, and seven grandnieces.
A memorial service announcement will be made at a later date. If you want to be notified, please get in touch with: Tim Smith 6 Winter Street, Southborough, MA. 01772 Tsmithtennis@mac.com
Roderick Stuart Thomson Jr. ’54
Roderick “Stu” Thomson Jr., of Sarasota, Florida, passed away July 13, 2023. You can read more about Stu’s life at A Champion for Williston.