Philip Bergson Jr., age 76, of East Orleans, Massachusetts passed away peacefully at his home after a short illness on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

He was born in Washington D.C. He was the son of the late Philip and Marjorie (Copelof) Bergson.

Philip was passionate about sunrises, gardening, pets, wildlife, woodworking and fine art plein air oil painting. His days were filled with expressing his love and caring nature for his family, friends and loving dog Brioche. He had a “quiet, gentle soul” with a “witty” sense of humor that was loved by all who knew him. Philip pursued his passion as an artist after retiring as a custom homebuilder. He found great joy traveling and visiting galleries for small art works that he referred to as “gems” (a large landscape captured in a small frame).

A graduate of Williston Academy, Easthampton, Massachusetts class of 1966 and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, class of 1970.

Philip leaves behind his wife Catherine Bergson, stepdaughter Cheryl Keefe, son-in-law Darren Keefe and step-grandchildren Cole Keefe and Cody Keefe. Brother Peter Bergson, Sister Patricia (husband Kenmore) Commoss, nieces, and nephews. He was the husband of the late Joanna Cook Chess Bergson.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to Beacon Hospice Care, Hyannis, Massachusetts or Santos Complete Home Care, Orleans, Massachusetts for their loving compassion with helping Philip on his journey and loving support for his family who will deeply miss him.

David Stevens of Bocabec, New Brunswick and Easthampton, Massachusetts, passed away after a brief illness on April 28, 2023, in the Saint John Regional Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dave was born in Salem Massachusetts on May 14, 1948; he was the son of the late David Stevens and Virginia (Van Den Noort) Stevens and later his stepmother Ruth Berry Stevens. He leaves a brother, Daniel Stevens and wife JuJu Stevens of Gulfport, Florida, a step brother, Thomas Cross ’68 and wife Frances Cross ’70 of Dunnellon, Florida and numerous cousins.

As a young boy he had a passion for minerals which carried through into his later years when he turned to prospecting to make his living. He attended Williston Academy in Easthampton and later the University of Massachusetts where he edited the Yahoo Magazine. He did light shows for major rock and roll bands including J.Giles Band, Jethro Tull, and the Allman Brothers. During this time he was also an outspoken political cartoonist. His involvement in his local Bocabec area community included talks at local schools regarding minerals to be found locally and their history, working with a local hockey team and as a representative for the province at national mining symposiums and finally as a cartoonist for local papers with hard line opinions on various political stances. He was the New Brunswick prosecutor of the year multiple times. Dave was an opinionated man with simple needs and he felt at home in his community.

By David’s request there will be no visitations and a celebration of his life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations to Ella Richardson Fund c/o Pastor Dunfield or a charity of the donor’s choice would be appreciated by the family.

Clifford Loucks Sterrett, 76, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 2, 2023, with his loving family by his side after a long illness. He was the devoted husband of Barbara (Blaisdell) Sterrett for 51 years this August. Born January 28,1947 in New Haven; the son of the late Harold Reid Sterrett, Jr., and Elizabeth “Betty” (Loucks) Sterrett.

Cliff attended Williston Academy, Class of 1966, in Easthampton, MA and graduated from Drew University, Class of 1970, in Madison, New Jersey. At Williston, Cliff was an outstanding varsity athlete who was twice elected to the school’s athletic Hall of Fame for football and lacrosse.

He then worked from 1971 – 1975, being an instrumental part of the Thomas J. Meskill gubernatorial campaign both as Assistant Campaign Manager and then, once elected, one of several Administrative Assistants to the Governor.

In 1975, Cliff served as an Insurance Agent for Northwestern Mutual, then founder and Managing Director of the Northwestern Mutual Office in Canton from 1978 – 2015. He had much success in this office, mentored many individuals, helped countless clients and enjoyed working with fellow agents for many years especially his brother and business colleague, Rollie Sterrett.

Cliff had a passion for politics and once again served as Campaign Manager in the 1986 Republican nominated Julie Belaga gubernatorial campaign. She was the first woman ever nominated and won the Republican primary by a landslide with Cliff’s guidance.

He enjoyed snow skiing, water skiing and boating. He always dreamed of doing these things with his grandsons. While that dream changed, he still treasured spending time with them and hearing of them carrying on these interests, along with football and lacrosse. He was an avid golfer and loved socializing with friends. Cliff was also a loyal Green Bay Packers fan along with UCONN Men’s and Women’s Basketball and football. He had season tickets for many years. Cliff would often be found relishing a sunny day, with the top down, driving his red TR6 British sports car.

Cliff was very civic minded and was actively involved in his communities of both New Hartford and Sunapee, NH. In New Hartford he served as Chair of the Republican Town Committee. He treasured this role because he loved leading his community and he represented the Republican party with great enthusiasm. While he believed deeply in the party’s agenda, he welcomed educated debate with those who disagreed with him and always did so in a positive manner. Friendship and values always came first during his leadership. He also served as a two term President of the Granliden Community Association in Sunapee, NH where he had a second home. He treasured the Annual Memorial Day Golf Tournament and befriended the General Manager and treasured his fellow community members. He and his wife loved spending time with family and friends in New Hampshire whether winter or summer.

Despite Cliff’s illness, he worked hard to continue a life full of vibrancy and activity. His loving and devoted wife, Barbara, helped him to follow through on these wishes. Even before Cliff’s illness, they were always together and loyally committed to each other’s hopes and dreams.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his beloved daughter, Melissa Massett and admired son-in-law Kevin of Newtown; two cherished grandsons, Charles Massett and William “Billy” Massett, both of Newtown; loving brother Rollie Sterrett ’61 and wife Karen of Simsbury; sister-in-law, Carol Slauenwhite of Southington; several dear nieces and nephews; Kimberly (Sterrett) Ragnow of Guilford, Reid Sterrett ’91 of Farmington, Andy Yorkin of Salt Lake City, UT, and Tim Yorkin of Belmont, MA. He was predeceased by niece Korey Yorkin of Simsbury. Lastly, he is survived by his long-time best friend, Starr Barnum IV, his wife Deborah, and many other close knit friends.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff at Valerie Manor as well as his special aides at home over the last few years, for their care and kindness during his illness, especially Michelle Schmitt and Jaimie (Bennett) Sulek.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, July 8. 2023 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 51 Church Street N, New Hartford at 11 AM. Montano-Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele Road, New Hartford has care of arrangements.

Memorial donations may be made to: Office of Advancement, The Williston Northampton School, 19 Payson Avenue, Easthampton, MA 01027 or to: Valerie Manor Resident Council Fund, Attn: Tracy Hoskins, 136 Torringford Street, Torrington, CT 06790.

Schuyler Wallace Sweet, age 74, passed away unexpectedly on June 14, 2022 at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. Schuyler was born in Utica, N.Y. on Sept. 25, 1947 to the late Wallace Schuyler Sweet and Janis Jones Sweet. He graduated from the Williston Academy in 1966 and attended Syracuse University and Utica College. Sky was Vice President and President of Central NY Coach Lines, Inc. and President of BEQ, Inc. in Yorkville, N.Y. He also served on many boards including Union Bank and the Indium Corporation. Schuyler was honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Indium Corporation for over 50 years, and most recently as the Chairman of the Board. He was very active in his community and served on what seemed like every non-profit or advisory board that he could help with. Sky served as director of the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce, President of the Littleton Rotary Club Charitable Fund, Member of the Littleton Industrial Development Corp, Chair of the Northern Region Advisory Board for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, President of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services and Trustee for The Mayhew Program which helps at-risk boys. As a lifelong duck hunter and fly fisherman, Sky was very involved with Ducks Unlimited and with Trout Unlimited; he served on local and national boards for both organizations. In 2015, Sky was appointed to the Littleton Select Board to fill a vacancy and was then elected to a three-year term as Selectman. He also served a three-year term as Littleton Water and Light commissioner from 2018 to 2021. Sky was returning from a fly fishing trip, having caught the biggest trout in 10 years of fly fishing trips in Maine when he suddenly fell ill. His family is comforted knowing that he was doing what he loved to do with his long-time friend, Ron Thomson shortly before he passed. Schuyler enjoyed maple sugaring in New Hampshire first with his late wife Deborah Sweet and in later years with his good friends, especially Chris Knapp the last few seasons. Schuyler is survived by his two children, Jolyn (Jeff DeStefanis) Sweet of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Wallace (Emily) Sweet of San Diego, California, and five grandchildren, Avery DeStefanis, Clara Sweet, Alexa DeStefanis, Annelise DeStefanis and Harrison Schuyler Sweet. He is also survived by his sister Sandy Partlow and brothers Brent Sweet and Stephen Sweet, nieces Janis Randolph and Heather Sweet and his nephews Colton Partlow, Harrison Sweet, Jarrett Sweet and Bryant Sweet. Upon Sky’s direction, his ashes will be scattered in his maple grove in Littleton, N.H. and in the St. Lawrence River at a later date. There will not be any funeral services. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Ducks Unlimited or buying a bottle of pure New Hampshire maple syrup to support the locals.

Emmett Richard Harmon was born on March 27, 1944, in Monrovia, Liberia, the first child of Ambassador Emmett Lafayette Harmon and Irene Malvina Wiles. As a boy, Emmett was bright and athletic and excelled in most all endeavors he engaged in. When Emmett was 8 years old, he was enrolled at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St. Gallen, Switzerland. When Emmett arrived in St. Gallen, he did not speak German. That soon changed and ultimately, Emmett became a polyglot speaking French, English, and German fluently, while also being conversant in Italian and Romansh. While in boarding school Emmett would split his summers with his friends from boarding school in Germany and with his family at home in Monrovia. Emmett maintained his relationships with his boarding school friends for over 65 years as they held bi-annual reunions throughout Europe that Emmett still regularly attended; he had recently traveled with his son Michael to France for a reunion. As a child, when Emmett would return to Liberia, he would spend time with his cousins, who were like his brothers and sisters. There was a large group of cousins from the Wiles family that stayed at the house of Richard and Mae Wiles at 99 Broad Street in Monrovia, Liberia. Emmett would spend his time at home from boarding school with his cousins, Maakai, Neshee, and Myrna, who were like sisters to Emmett. Emmett also grew up with the children of his uncle and aunt, Ambassador George Padmore and the Ambassador’s wife Mai Padmore, Arthur, Edward, Gerald, Ronnie and James. Emmett was very close to the Padmore boys and they grew up as brothers. Although a few years younger, Emmett was fond of his cousins Mimah and Bill and their dear father Uncle Pipi, who served as Liberian Ambassador to the Court of St. James (UK) where Emmett would spend holidays as a boy. Emmett and his cousins founded their social group, The Literary Club, in Monrovia and lived a jet-setting life style between the U.S., Europe, Liberia and Africa’s west coast during the 1950s and 1960s. Upon graduating from boarding school, Emmett followed his cousins Arthur and Gerald Padmore and moved to the United States and enrolled as a post graduate student at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where he played soccer and prepared to take American college entry exams. Emmett was an active member of the Williston Northampton alumni community and regularly donated and kept up with developments at the school. Upon completion of his post graduate year at Williston Northampton, Emmett enrolled at Columbia University in New York, New York where he received his bachelor’s degree. Emmett’s children fondly remember their father singing the Columbia University Fight Song, “We Are the Stuff (AKA “Who Owns New York”)” in his baritone. Coincidentally, “Stuff” is a nickname that Emmett’s cousins Arthur and Gerald lovingly used to refer to him. In May 1967, Emmett was introduced to Cecily Judith Sawyer at the wedding reception of his cousin Pitman Harmon to Cecily’s college mate and dear friend Jackie Hardaway. Emmett and Cecily married in 1970 in New York before returning to Monrovia to raise a family. Emmett and Cecily ultimately had three sons, Michael Emmett, Kiadii Hale, and Lami Matthew. Michael was born in Liberia while Kiadii and Lami were born in the United States. Upon moving back to the United States in 1973, Emmett began working at Simplicity Patterns as a sales representative covering the Mid-Atlantic states. Emmett and Cecily always planned to return home to Liberia and during Christmas of 1979 they returned to Liberia with their sons Michael and Kiadii. In April of 1980 there was a coup in Liberia. Emmett and Cecily returned to the United States and their home in Delaware became a haven to many Liberian family members. Several years later, Emmett was offered a position in Financial Services with Wilmington Trust in their Corporate Client Services division as an assistant vice-president. He was the first person of color hired as an assistant vice-president at Wilmington Trust. Twenty-five years later, Emmett was named the Managing Director of Wilmington Trust Europe and expanded Wilmington Trust’s business to the Channel Islands, the Cayman Islands, and throughout Europe while also establishing and forming Wilmington Trust’s office in London, United Kingdom. Emmett was regarded by his professional colleagues as a gentleman who did not need the spotlight to shine on him and as someone who was dedicated to helping younger professionals advance their careers. Outside of work, Emmett was an avid athlete well into his 70s, until his sight began to fail him. He was a regular at the Rodney Street Tennis Courts in Wilmington, Delaware and at the Brandywine Racquet Club in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was also a youth coach for all of his sons in soccer and was a ski instructor at a local ski mountain in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Ever the devoted father, Emmett also instilled his athleticism in his children. He could regularly be found with his sons at the park, playing soccer, tennis, lacrosse and basketball, often all of those sports in the same day. Emmett was also a known and regular entity on the sidelines of The Tatnall School in Greenville, Delaware, from the 1990s through the aughts watching his sons compete and succeed in sport for the Tatnall Hornets. Emmett also took great pride in being on the sidelines of the University of Denver Pioneers soccer team, watching his son Lami excel at the sport that was also Emmett’s first athletic passion. Emmett was also a gourmand and his life experiences and travel afforded him the opportunity to sample some of the finest foods and wines the world has to offer. Emmett translated this experience into the kitchen himself as an excellent cook and he taught each of his sons their culinary skills. Additionally, Emmett was an avid skier ever since his days in boarding school in Switzerland. Emmett taught all of his sons to ski from a young age and it was an activity Emmett engaged in for over 70 years. He took his family all over the world to ski, whether Kitzbuhel in the Austrian Tyrol, Aspen Mountain in the Colorado Rockies or Val D’Isere in the French Alps, Emmett was at his happiest on the piste with his family. In addition to being a role model for his sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins, Emmett was the senior statesman for the Harmon family and had served as the Chairman of the Harmon Family Reunion Committee. Along with his talented cousins, Emmett was instrumental in planning and organizing the Harmon family reunions. He was a primary source for understanding and explaining the Liberian socio-political environment and the Harmon family’s historical and significant role in Liberian society and history. Emmett’s father was an Ambassador for the nation of Liberia, his maternal grandfather Richard Wiles was Speaker of the Liberian House, his paternal grandfather Hale Lafayette Harmon was a Liberian Senator from Grand Bassa County and a senior Liberian diplomat who had an audience with Queen Victoria, his paternal great grandfather Samuel George Harmon was the Vice-President of Liberia, and Emmett’s uncle Louis Arthur Grimes was the Chief Justice of the Liberian Supreme Court. Emmett spent his formative years listening to and learning from his family who held a number of prominent positions in Liberian government and society. It was primarily via Emmett’s oration that many of us learned the stories of our relatives or the intricacies of the Liberian Constitution of 1986, or the impact of the 1765 Stamp Act on the formation of the United States, or the myriad topics which Emmett had an expert level of knowledge of. He was a stalwart example of intellectualism, self-reliance and positivism. Emmett was a voracious reader and had a quiet countenance that belied the vastness and depth of his knowledge which was complemented by his ability to teach and share that knowledge. Emmett was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by a host of loving family including his ex-wife: Cecily Sawyer Harmon. His sons and daughters-in-law: Michael Emmett Sawyer Harmon (Annie Elizabeth Hellerstein Harmon), Kiadii Hale Sawyer Harmon (Mary Kathryn (Kate) Hodges Harmon), and Lami Matthew Sawyer Harmon. His grandchildren: Edina Rose Harmon, Emm Charlie Harmon, Eliana Mae Harmon, and Lafayette Kateswill Harmon. His sisters: Jewel Harmon, Esquire, Mariet Harmon, and Dr. Ruby Harmon. And a multitude of cousins, nieces and nephews that formed the core of Emmett’s life. Dad, Grandad, Grandaddy, Cousin Emmett, Uncle Emmett, Mr. Harmon or just Emmett he was loved, respected and he lived a full life that has inspired his family members to love one another, be kind, and live our best lives. He will be missed and remembered. A celebration of Emmett’s life will be held on Saturday, July 10th 2021 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church Newark, DE 19711. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Discretionary Fund which can be located at the following website. www.stthomasnewarkde.church

Rolf Hedin Bortner, 72, died Sunday evening, June 14, 2020, at his son’s home in Waymart, Pennsylvania. He was the husband of the late Catherine Ward Bortner who passed away January 25, 2012.

Born in Huntington, Long Island, he was the son of the late Robert and Siv Hedin Bortner. He was a graduate of Williston Academy where he excelled in sports, especially soccer and lacrosse. He also attended Wesleyan University. He was a proud Navy Veteran who served in the Vietnam Conflict. He was employed as a grip for the labor union Local #52 IATSE for over forty years.

Rolf enjoyed riding motorcycles and was an avid target shooter and gun collector.

Surviving are a son, Robert Bortner and his partner Brianna McAllister, and her daughter Hazel Blocker, of Waymart; a grandson, Rolf Bortner, of Waymart; a niece, Brook Bortner, of Ca.; and several other nieces and nephews on his wife’s side.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Bret Bortner ’64.

A private funeral service will be held at the convenience of the family.