Tag Archives: Class of 1954

Edward A. Lonergan ’54

Edward (Ed) Augustine Lonergan, of Old Saybrook, CT, passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023, after a short hospital stay and a long battle with Parkinsons, which, like most things, he was too stubborn to allow to disrupt his life unduly. He is predeceased by his sister, Marilyn Fowler.

He was born on St Patrick’s Day in 1935 to Edward J and Lillian Lonergan of Hartford, CT. He was a survivor of the Great Hartford Circus Fire of 1944. God clearly had plans for young Edward. The Lonergan’s spent summers at the beach in Knollwood, Old Saybrook, CT, where he met his future wife, the former Nancy Dunn, and married in 1958.

Ed graduated from Williston Academy and pursued an engineering degree at Union College in Schenectady NY. He would tell you with a chuckle he had “struggled to live up to his potential” in his younger years and was forever grateful for the education he received at Union College. He remained a generous supporter of Union his entire lifetime, culminating with the “Edward A Lonergan scholarship for students of promise,” but not necessarily the best incoming GPA score.

He was recruited to the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division upon graduation and served nearly 50 years across a long and successful career there. He loved submarines and EB. He was extremely proud of his work and thankful for the friendships he built over those years.

He and Nancy settled in Old Saybrook where they raised their two children, Edward F (Laura) and Tammy Lonergan and embedded in the community. Ed was a long time Cub Scout Master and Parks & Recs T-Ball coach. He was particularly fond of crafting speedy Pinewood Derby cars in his home workshop. In his later years, he devoted his attention to St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Essex, CT, where he volunteered for many years.

Ed and Nancy were avid boaters and enjoyed the communities they came to know at Terra Mar and Ferry Point Marinas in Old Saybrook and Townsend Manor in Greenport NY. When not found there, they could be seen cruising to Dairy Queen in one of a series of Corvette’s owned over the last 40+ years, all of which bore the name “Creampuff.” He purchased his last new Corvette in 2023, likely cementing his fame as “the oldest man to ever purchase one of these things.”

They loved their Fenwood neighborhood, moving multiple times within a few blocks over the years, primarily to provide Ed with more projects to do around the house and yard. Sitting, even in his later years, was simply not a part of his DNA. His workshop, various cars and boats, home projects and especially his rose and vegetable gardens absorbed his free time. He much enjoyed sitting on the front porch with the view across Long Island Sound and chatting with various friends who stopped by – it was his sole pause in activity most days, except for UConn Basketball, the Red Sox, music at the Kate or a good Western movie. He was most grateful for the many wonderful people he came to know in Old Saybrook, and the friendships he and Nancy built there over 70+ years.

Ed found the silver lining in most things in life, including the total loss of his home in the “Great Old Saybrook Explosion & Fire of 2023.” He and his aptly named cat Lucky survived and recovered thanks to the luck of the Irish, the help of first responders, friends, and community. Clearly, God was still not done with him, as we were given the gift of 6 more months of wry wit and poignant moments with his wife Nancy, extended family and friends. He was also quite sure Haagen Dazs appreciated the 6-month reprieve on the loss of their best customer. Ed ascribed his long life to the love of family and friends, hard work, and to ice cream, jellybeans and wint-o-green Lifesavers.

In addition to his wife of 65 years and his children, he is survived by his granddaughters Taryn, Cara, Viktorija and Taylor as well as his great grandsons, Maxwell, Theodore and Bennett.

Calling hours will be held on Friday January 5, 2024 from 4:00 to 6:30 PM at the Swan Funeral Home, 1224 Boston Post Rd, Old Saybrook, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday January 6th at 11am at St. Teresa of Calcutta, 14 Prospect St, Essex CT followed by a burial at Cyprus Cemetery, College St, Old Saybrook, CT.

In lieu of flowers, Ed would appreciate donations be made to St Teresa of Calcutta Church in Essex, CT.

Sarah Sloan Evans ’54

Sarah Sloan Evans of Duxbury, MA, passed away on February 8, 2026 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 89.

Sarah was born December 14, 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Nora (Bossert) and Ambrose V. Sloan, a family physician. She spent her youth in Wilkes-Barre and Glen Summit, PA, and, after a brief stint in parochial school, became a day student at Wyoming Seminary in nearby Kingston, PA. A friend convinced her to transfer to the Northampton School for Girls following the untimely death of her father, whom she adored, when she was 15. After graduating in 1954, Sarah earned a B.A. from Wells College in 1959 spending her junior year abroad at the University of Edinburgh. Following a brief stint working in New York City, she joined her mother in Norfolk, VA where she became a social worker. It was there that she met her husband of 65 years, Arthur B. Evans, then serving in the U.S. Navy. After moving to Duxbury in 1967, Sarah pursued a M.S.W. degree from Simmons College and worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Mayflower Mental Health Center in Plymouth. With an eye for detail and an insistence on precision, she transitioned into book publishing and did freelance writing, copy-editing, and production work for various firms. She later brought these skills to bear on her passion for historic homes, evident in the careful preservation of her 1850s house in Duxbury. While living with Arthur in Detroit in the 1990’s, Sarah was the principal author of the nomination for Lafayette Park, a mixed-use urban development project designed by Meis van der Rohe, to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When she and Arthur returned to Duxbury in 2002, she researched, wrote, and published a local history book titled Ashdod: The Other Side of Duxbury in 2016.

Sarah had a passion for travel, and she and Arthur visited many countries in Europe as well as Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. She also enjoyed swimming, gardening and especially doing the daily NYT crossword puzzle. She would complete the Sunday puzzle in ink and in record time, unmatched by any who dared to challenge her. Sarah and Arthur’s home in Ashdod has always been known fondly as “Sarah’s Folly,” the family’s favorite place for gatherings of all kinds: dinners large and small, political rallies, garden parties, graduations, and weddings to name a few. Sarah is remembered by all – her family, her friends and their children, and the many friends of her daughters and their children – for the generosity, gracefulness, and welcoming spirit she brought to these events.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Arthur, of Duxbury, her three daughters Catherine Evans (Lee Andrews) of Sydney, Australia, Gwen Evans-Sneeden (Ralph) of Exeter, NH, Deirdre Caldarone (Christopher) of Duxbury and New York City, a sister, Nancy Sarkesian of Auburn, CA, and eight adored grandchildren: Jacob Sneeden (Jenny), Madeleine Page (Tyler), Lindsay Caldarone (Jesse Evensky), Evan Andrews (Lauren Bauer), Sam Caldarone, Calan Andrews, Eliza Sneeden (Jamie Drayton), and Kate Caldarone, as well as four great grandchildren (Jackson and Arthur Sneeden, Owen Page, and Lionel Evensky), and nine nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her sister, Elaine Matter, her brother, James Sloan, and her cousin and fellow Duxburyite, Becky Tonrey.

The family wishes to extend its gratitude to the staff at South Shore Hospital and Pat Roche Hospice Home for their support and attentive care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either institution, or to Wyoming Seminary. A Celebration of Life in Sarah’s honor will be held this summer

Kamel R. Hassan ’54

Kamel Robert Hassan, 89, passed away on January 22, 2026, after a brief stay at the Hospice at the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA.

A lifelong resident of Amherst, Bob attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and was a proud 1958 graduate of The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, as evidenced by the vast amount of purple and white clothing he accumulated, wore, and gave as gifts for most of his life. After graduation, Bob spent a year on active duty in the United States Army Reserve.

Most of Bob’s working career, over 50 years, was spent as the owner-manager of Kamel Hassan’s Barn in Amherst. Bob gradually took the business over from his parents, Kamel and Margaret Hassan.

During his decades of running the store, Bob worked with Jamie Mullins of Amherst and had a close, nurturing relationship with Jamie and his sister, Amy. Bob planned for Jamie to take over the business when Bob retired. Jamie died unexpectedly in 2009 and the time after his passing was a difficult period in Bob’s life.

Bob enjoyed golf and was president of the Amherst Golf Club in 1975 and 1976. He enjoyed music, mostly the jazz of his youth. Among his favorite musicians were Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Eddie Condon. Bob liked to travel and favorite destinations were Cape Cod, Las Vegas, and Dataw, South Carolina. For the last ten years of his life, Bob spent most of his time in Newport, Vermont and enjoyed the natural beauty offered by the shores of Lake Memphremagog and the surrounding area.

Bob is survived by his sister Margaret of Richmond, VA and his brother Michael of Sarasota, FL. Bob also leaves behind many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews, and close friends, too many to list here. He will live on in their hearts as well as in those of all who knew him.

A “Celebration of Life” event will be held at the Amherst Golf Club at 2:00 pm on May 9, 2026.

Donald W. Cook ’54

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.

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.