Tag Archives: Class of 1964

Brian C. Clarke ’64

Brian Cole Clarke passed away on January 5, 2024. Brian was born in Yonkers, NY on December 13, 1946, and spent his childhood in Dalton, Massachusetts with his parents and two brothers. He was a graduate of Williston Academy and earned a BS in engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1969. He joined the United States Army ROTC program during his time at UMASS and subsequently served as a 2nd Lieutenant from 1969 to 1971 where he was deployed to Korea during the Vietnam War.

Brian had a successful engineering and business career, landing as the President of Sensor Engineering in Hamden, Connecticut. He obtained his MBA from the University of New Haven in 1985. Early on, his engineering career followed his automotive interests where he assisted in developing after-market automotive performance parts. His business career led him to many opportunities through several states and industries from Connecticut, Virginia, and Michigan before he ultimately retired and eventually moved to Johnson City, TN.

Brian married Judith Bowe in 1974 and raised their only child in East Haddam, CT enjoying the outdoor space, woodworking shop, and family time the property offered. Brian had many passions in his life and was not afraid of hard work and challenges. Early in life, he raced cars and revisited that passion when Raybestos needed a test driver through his work at Sensor Engineering. He won the SCCA World Challenge – T1 Rookie of the Year in 1996 and raced on numerous cup circuit tracks across the US – often taking his daughter with him to be part of the pit crew. He took ski trips with his friends, brothers, and daughter all across the United States. He enjoyed felling trees, woodworking, and the game of golf his entire life. In retirement, he continued his hobbies of woodworking and golfing and learned guitar. As a dog lover, he enjoyed the company of a good, faithful dog. Ultimately he was known as a very intelligent, kind, and generous man who often asked, “what can I do for you.”

Brian is preceded in death by his parents, Stephen ’40 and Lillian Winifred Clarke. He is survived by his wife Judith and daughter Nicole Henderson (husband Stephen), granddaughter Kelsey, and two brothers James ’68 (wife Annette) and David (wife Joan), as well as two nieces and two nephews. He leaves behind friends in many states and will be greatly missed. There will be a family celebration of life later in 2024.

Gregory W. DiMartino ’64

Gregory DiMartino passed away on November 27, 2023 in Providence, Rhode Island. Born on April 23, 1945, he was the son of Mary Dulleba DiMartino and Alexander DiMartino. He is survived by a sister Mia McKee of Naples, Florida and sons Brian DiMartino of Erving, Massachusetts and Jay DiMartino of Greenville, South Carolina. Also surviving are grandchildren Annabella DiMartino, Cecelia DiMartino and Brendan DiMartino.
Visiting hours are Saturday, December 9th 1-3 pm at Avery-Storti, Columbia Street, Wakefield, RI.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity in Greg’s name.

Christopher S. Diamond ’64

Christopher S. Diamond, 76, of Steamboat Springs, CO, died peacefully in his home on January 12, 2023, a perfect bluebird day and fittingly, the 60th anniversary of Steamboat Ski Resort. Chris was born in Danbury, CT, but spent his childhood in Easthampton, MA. Chris graduated from Williston Academy in Easthampton, where he proudly warmed the bench for Williston’s undefeated 1964 football team. After Williston, Chris attended Middlebury College on scholarship. He served as the social chair and cook for his beloved fraternity, Alpha Sigma Psi, also remembered fondly as “the slughouse.” Chris graduated from Middlebury with a commission from ROTC and he received his notice to report for active duty in January of 1970, interrupting his masters from UMass Amherst. He served in Vietnam with the US Army as a first lieutenant and became platoon leader in a joint unit formed between the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and the 510th Signal Company. As a result of his service in Vietnam, he was awarded the bronze star and commendations. Upon returning from active duty in 1972, Chris completed his master’s at UMass. His interest in academics waning, Chris took a role as the assistant to Killington Mountain Resort founder Preston Smith. In 1977, he became the general manager of Mount Snow in West Dover, VT. Chris would go on to hold multiple leadership positions for S-K-I Ltd. and American Skiing Company before assuming the role of managing director at Steamboat Ski Resort in 1999. He continued his career as president and chief operating officer of Steamboat Ski Corporation until his retirement in 2015. During his career, Diamond also served as chairman of the National Ski Areas Association and of Colorado Ski Country USA. In 2013, he was recognized with an NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame in 2017. After retiring, he consulted with resorts ranging from the Sun Valley Company to Schweitzer. He also became an award-winning author, writing two books (Ski Inc. and Ski Inc. 2020) chronicling the resort business and his career in it. Chris served on numerous boards in the Yampa Valley including the Routt County Airport Advisory Commission, the Steamboat Chamber (past president), the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, and Strings Music Festival. In addition to Chris’ passion for skiing and the ski industry, he was an avid cyclist and sailor. He took up sailing in his 20s and went on to compete successfully nationally and internationally. Chris is survived by his wife of 44 years Eileen Diamond; his sister Barbara Diamond; his two children Keenen Diamond and wife Mandy, and Elizabeth Diamond and husband Peter; and his two grandchildren, Kaden and Makayla. Chris was preceded in death by his father James Diamond, a World War II veteran who landed on Omaha Beach; and by his mother Mary Diamond, a social worker who played a lead role at Children’s Aid and Family Services in Northampton, MA. Chris was a beloved father and husband, a faithful friend, a thoughtful leader, and a true visionary in the ski industry. The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Strings Music Festival or to the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Colorado.

John K. Koerner ’64

We lost a kind, sensitive, wonderful friend when John K. Koerner passed away on August 20, 2021. He was born in Flint, Michigan, on April 24, 1945, into an incredibly loving family. His father, Carl, worked for General Motor, and climbed the executive ladder in the foundry division. The family was moved throughout the Midwest, ultimately landing in the corporate headquarters in Saginaw, Michigan. John also had an incredible mother, Madelon, and leaves behind brother Jim and sister Martha. Oldest son John grew up mostly in Saginaw and attended Arthur Hill High School where he swam competitively and had a wonderful group of friends. He played the guitar, had a wonderful voice, and sang with a bunch of his buddies. And they had fun.

John was aspiring to attend medical school, and thinking prep school might improve his options, he spent his last two years of high school at Williston. He attended Colgate University where he majored in English and then entered the VISTA program. They had him providing counselling for the underserved in Portland, Oregon. He explored being an electrician and then achieved a degree in programming; but, along the way, he was developing a deepening attraction to serving people, especially in a spiritual way.

John moved to Los Angeles and took a job at the University of Southern California as a Benefits Manager, assisting employees. While in Los Angeles John became increasingly more involved in spirituality and multiple religions; he traveled and spent time in the Middle East and Egypt.

When he returned home, he moved into an apartment in Marina Del Rey, retiring and focusing on spirituality. He made a life of going to the beach, visiting the Whole Earth café, being with friends and meditating. We miss his incredible smile and how easy it was to “catch up” with John and laugh all the way through it. John revered his family and friends, and let it be known that he loved us all and hoped that we would always know that. We do.

Alan R. Epstein ’64

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Alan R. Epstein, who passed away in his sleep on the afternoon of December 15, 2021. He was born to Ethel Baume Epstein and Sidney Epstein. He graduated from Williston Academy and attended Columbia University.

At the age of 13, Alan decided he wanted to become a photographer. And, as he would say, he lived photography every day for decades. He opened his first studio, called The Studio, in 1970 on Maple Street in Holyoke. He operated there for ten years. He then opened Epstein Photography with his wife Laura (Angie) Roy-Epstein. It was a gathering place for artists and creatives, who still speak of him fondly.

Alan was an award-winning visual collaborator and photographic artist who created powerful images. In his studio, Alan recreated the morning light and made cut flowers look like they were dancing in the wind.

Alan will be deeply missed for his inappropriate sense of humor, his cooking, his wild intelligence, and his capacity for long and inspiring conversation. And he will continue to be loved for all these things and so many more.

There is simply no one else like him.

He is survived by his partner Carole Guthrie; his four children, David Epstein, Audra Epstein, Mischa Epstein, and Max Epstein; and grandchildren Isabella Epstein, Gabriel Epstein, and Alexa Wilson.

John J. Lyons ’64

John Joseph Lyons of Hyannisport, Massachusetts and Naples, Florida passed away peacefully on December 9, 2020 at age 75.

John was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to John and Yvette Lyons in 1945 and attended Cathedral High School and Williston Academy. An outstanding athlete at Cathedral, he was voted All City in football and All Western Mass in Baseball. At Williston he was All New England and inducted into the Williston Hall of Fame in 2007.

John graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he also played football and baseball starting on the varsity of both from his freshman year. At Bates he met his bride of 51 years, Carol Barry from Dedham, Massachusetts.

John was a dedicated father and grandfather first and foremost. He and Carol treasured their children. He especially enjoyed time spent with his five grandchildren. John was often present at many sports activities, musical performances, and school functions with them.

John began his real estate career in the early 1970’s and co-founded his own company, Landry and Lyons in 1975. With the acquisition of Whyte company the firm became the largest residential real estate company in Western Massachusetts with over 200 realtors. John and his partner sold the company in 1987 and he continued to run the company for 2 additional years.

John retired in 1989 at the age of 44 and continued to be somewhat active in business. He guided select New England companies to grow, become more profitable and ultimately be sold. He also played a lot of golf at both Wyndemere Country Club and the Hyannisport Club.

John’s early retirement allowed him to spend more time with his wife Carol. John and Carol enjoyed travelling the world and visited every continent except Antarctica on their many adventures. John and Carol especially enjoyed their recent two-week trip to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They brought their whole family to Europe on a trip down the Rhine River.

Most of all John loved his family and instilled in his children strong values including hard work, generosity and doing the right thing. John will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. John leaves behind his son, John Lyons Jr., Dina Lyons and grandchildren Jack and Nik of Centerville, Massachusetts, his daughter Beth Strachan, son-in-law Richard Strachan and grandchildren Gus, Charlotte and Brook of Hingham, Massachusetts. He also leaves his sisters Mary Leary (James), Kathleen Lucas (Marc), Laura Mirandi (Thomas), and his brother Thomas Lyons (Suzy). His faithful furry companions Charlie and Brady will miss him dearly.

A celebration of John’s life will be held at a later date in Massachusetts. Donations can be made to the Jimmy Fund at danafarber.jimmyfund.org

Gerald P. Ryan ’64

Gerald “Jerry” Paul Ryan, of Branford, CT, died peacefully at his home on March 31, 2019 after a courageous battle with ALS. He was 72. Jerry was born on September 27, 1946 in Bristol, CT to his parents, Philip and Helen (Papa) Ryan. Jerry was the loving husband of Janet (Suhre) Ryan for over 42 years. He is survived by his son, Michael Ryan (Brianna) of Austin, TX, and daughter, Paige Shank (Jonathan) of Hingham, MA. He is also survived by his brothers, Philip William Ryan (Jill) of Branford, CT and John Ryan (Karen) of Philadelphia, PA. Jerry is also survived by grandsons Dylan and Benjamin Shank and Luke and Crosby Ryan as well as many nieces and nephews.

Jerry graduated from Tufts College and Suffolk Law School. Prior to his retirement, Jerry was an attorney in New Haven and most recently Branford practicing real estate law for over 40 years. Jerry was a fanatic sports fan rooting the Yankees, Giants, Celtics, Bruins, UConn Huskies and Yale Bulldogs traveling the country to cheer on his teams and having attended over 30 Super Bowls throughout his life. But his greatest love was his wife, children and grandchildren whom he adored. Jerry will also be missed immensely by the large number of friends he collected throughout his life.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday evening, April 4, 2019 from 4-7 p.m. at the Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home (Clancy Funeral Home), 43 Kirkham Ave., East Haven. Family and friends are invited to meet and attend a Celebration of Life on Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. in the Branford Congregational Church on the green at 1009 Main Street, Branford. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALS Therapy Development Institute (300 Technology Sq., Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02139) or the Guilford VNA Community Healthcare and Hospice (753 Boston Post Rd., Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437).

Lawrence E. Bachman ’64

Lawrence “Larry” Bachman, 74, of Farmington, CT, passed away unexpectedly Monday, December 2, 2019, at his home. Born in New Britain, son of the late Clarence and Ruth (Peck) Bachman, he was a former Newington resident, moving to Farmington in 2006. A graduate of Williston Academy, he attended Rutgers University and later received his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Hartford. Larry owned and operated Advanced Electronic Development in Old Saybrook and later worked for H&R Block for over 20 years. He was a former member of Shuttle Meadow Country Club. Surviving is his son, David Bachman and his wife Lisa of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Funeral services are Monday 10 AM at Carlson Funeral Home, 45 Franklin Square, New Britain. Burial will follow in West Meadow Cemetery, Newington. Calling hours are Monday morning from 9:15 AM until the time of the service. Memorial donations may be made to Masonicare Charity Foundation, 22 Masonic Avenue, Wallingford, CT 06492.

Carolyn Clarke Brown ’64

Carolyn Clarke Brown, 73, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on March 15 (the “Ides of March”), 1946 and died in Rockport, Maine on Oct. 26, 2019. Her parents were Bertram W. Clarke and Katherine Knight Clarke.

At age 16, Carolyn was thrown from a horse and sustained a severe concussion. For two weeks, she hovered on the threshold of death and was not expected to survive. However, she recovered and came to regard all the subsequent years of her life as “extra years.” Those who knew and loved her would argue that there were not enough “extra years.”

Carolyn attended high school initially in the public school system in Williamsburg, Mass. before enrolling in the Northampton School for Girls (now the Williston Northampton School), from which she graduated in 1964. She attended the University of Maine at Orono, earning a B.A. in 1968 and an MLS in 1974. One unique feature of Carolyn’s life is that she had a single job interview in 1968, which launched a 46-year career as an academic librarian at the University of Southern Maine (USM) in Portland. She left the University in 2014 as head of acquisitions and serials services in the library.

She married William B. Hughes in 1982; he died in 1992. She began a long-term relationship with Scott W. Brown in the mid-1990s; they married in 2014. Their wedding has the distinction of (probably) being the only one to have ever taken place at the USM library. Carolyn and Scott did everything together, ranging from activities that were mundane (going to the store or post office) to strenuous (hiking, building walking trails, renovating a barn) to just plain fun (cooking, road trips in their red antique Corvette convertible).

Carolyn was an exceptionally warm, kind, friendly, and generous person who was always willing to pitch in and help. Many describe her as one of the nicest people they had ever met. She loved cooking, as evidenced by her 500-plus cookbook collection. She especially loved cats, and owned many over the years. She loved them all, but her favorite was a one-eyed stray female from a shelter that Scott named MQ (for Monocular Quadruped). MQ was smart, loving, and feisty, just like her owner.

Carolyn’s maternal ancestors were centered in New York and New Jersey, and tended to be educated professionals. In contrast, her paternal ancestors were DownEasters from Machiasport, Maine and they went to sea. Her forebears include numerous sea captains, mariners, and sailors of ships both large and small. Her father and an uncle were crew members on Howard Hughes’ yacht “The Southern Cross” in the 1930s. Another uncle served on Atlantic convoy ships in World War II. Carolyn and Scott have spent many enjoyable times at the family salt water farm in Machiasport, built by a sea captain ancestor in 1841. One particularly interesting marine artifact at the farm is the log book of a great-grandfather who operated the schooner “Saarbruck” in the 1870s. The “Saarbruck” shipped cargo between Machiasport, New York, and Rio de Janeiro.

Carolyn is survived by her husband, Scott of Union and Machiasport; adopted stepchildren, Donna L. Boyle of South Portland and William D. Hughes of Westbrook along with their families; and a cousin, Dawn Woodbrey of Orono and her family. A life-long friend was Judy Carloni of Shapleigh and Englewood, Fla., who Carolyn met when they were both age 3; they remained friends for the next 70 years.

According to her wishes, Carolyn will be buried in the East Union, Maine cemetery alongside Scott’s relatives. A gathering of friends and family to celebrate her life will be held in both Union and Machiasport in the spring.

Carolyn would wish that any donations made should be directed to a local animal shelter, especially to provide support for stray cats.