Ethelbert “Bert” J.L. Cooper, passed away on May 22, 2026, following a prolonged illness.

Ethelbert Julius Llewellyn Cooper, Jr. was born unto the union of E.J. Llewellyn Cooper, Sr. and Isabel Eugenia Simpson Cooper on February 27th, 1954, at the Maternity Center Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia.

Bert was raised in the knowledge and nurture of the Lord by his parents, and he was confirmed at the Trinity Pro-Cathedral Church in Monrovia. For his elementary education, he attended the Monrovia Demonstration School, and the Methodist Elementary School, in Sinkor, Monrovia. Bert enrolled at the College of West Africa (CWA) in Monrovia in 1965 as a 7th grader. He remained at CWA up until the 9th grade, when in 1967 he matriculated for studies abroad at the Williston Academy in Easthampton, Massachusetts, USA.

Bert graduated high school from Williston in 1970 and was accepted into Yale University at New Haven, Connecticut for his college education. At Yale, he was a member of Silliman Residential College, and he also was a member of the Society of Book and Snake.

Bert completed his coursework for a BA in Economics and graduated from Yale in 1974. It is noteworthy to state that Bert completed his degree in 3 and half years and immediately returned home to Liberia in December 1973 to commence his professional career. He was so committed to his career, that he saw the formality of the graduation exercises in May 1974 as something he could skip and remained at work in Liberia.

Bert was recruited by the Liberian government out of college to help establish a new public corporation, The Liberia Development Corporation (LDC). He was appointed to the role of Assistant Managing Director, a position in which he served from 1974-1975. In 1975, he was hired to be the Special Assistant to the Minister of Labor, Youth and Sports. He was later promoted to become the Assistant Minister for Administration, the principal operating official of the Ministry.

Bert married Caroline Bendu Smythe on December 1st, 1977, and from this union they had three daughters Michele Bendu, Tanya Diane and Natasha Elena.

Bert decided to leave government and to go into the private sector in 1977, whereupon he embarked on a very successful career as a businessman. He either founded, was instrumental in establishing, or was the principal Liberian shareholder at Uiterwyk Shipping Lines, West African Shipping Lines, West Africa Timber Lines, Xerox Liberia, and Africa Investment Company (“AFINCO”).

Bert became a leading expert straddling the intersection of government and the international private sector in Liberia’s iron ore industry. This had its roots when he was appointed as adviser to the Liberian Minister of Finance, in the Minister’s role as a Chairman of the LAMCO Joint Venture (“LJV”), the country’s largest iron ore project. The LJV was created in the 1960s under a partnership between prominent Swedish interests, America’s second-ranking steel producer, Bethlehem Steel and the host government. When established in the 1960s, the LJV was Africa’s largest foreign investment project (equivalent value in today’s terms, in excess of US$4 billion). Bert’s activities as the Chairman’s adviser put him into regular contact with the LJV’s Swedish and American owners and nurtured on his part an in-depth knowledge of the global seaborne iron ore sector, and its impact on, and future growth potential for Liberia.

After the violent military coup that destabilized the nation of Liberia in 1980, Bert moved his family to Reston, Virginia in the USA, and after arriving as political refugees, proceeded to start his business activities from scratch. Harking back to his unique expertise in the Liberian iron ore sector, Bert formed a US company, ICB (America) Inc. in McLean, VA which worked closely with senior management of the then Bethlehem Steel Corporation of Bethlehem, PA and in 1984 organized the friendly transfer of Bethlehem’s interest in the LAMCO JV iron ore mining project to a new vehicle company owned by the Government of Liberia (named “Liminco”), and in overseeing the subsequent management of this LJV component company.

In 1986, Bert moved his primary personal residence to London, UK, since the business facilities in Europe were more conducive to Bert’s career-long focus on African natural resources projects. However, throughout most of the intervening period, he maintained part-time residences in the US, either in Northern Virginia or in New York City.

In 1988-89, Bert proceeded to organize the transfer of the last remaining foreign interest in the LJV (Granges Mining/Electrolux AB of Sweden) to Liminco, putting the full management and ownership of the project under local Liberian control. In the era of Liminco ownership, Bert oversaw the arrangement of the company’s financial and ore-marketing activities. Post transfer, he was responsible for full management of the entire LJV asset (8mtpa), and its work force of 3,000 people (ore mining, processing, transportation, marketing, and overall project administration and relationships with suppliers).

Bert was a veteran entrepreneur in the international natural resources sector, but he was also an important sponsor of academic, artistic and social endeavors relating to the African continent.

His skills in project development and his equally broad capital markets experience provided a unique combination of expertise for his preferred African focus. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Bert played the central role in the reorganization of the iron ore sector of his country of birth, Liberia. More recently, he has planned and implemented large-scale iron ore initiatives in Liberia, Cameroon, and Guinea.

In the oil & gas sector, during the early 2000s, Bert founded a London Stock Exchange (LSE) listed petroleum company that attained a market value of nearly US$3 billion and was active in twelve countries. He also led and brought to fruition Europe’s pioneering LNG (gas)-to electric power project.
His strong engagement, reputation and accomplishments in the oil and gas and iron ore sectors of West and Central Africa will be longstanding.

With over 35 years of experience in the African natural resources sector, Bert was involved in a wide range of other highly successful ventures, including present innovative new African international bond-placement and oil and LNG projects. During the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, he devised initiatives that proactively sought to counter the relevant economic and social dislocations.

Bert was a generous supporter of several institutions both within Liberia and internationally. In Liberia he has supported the Episcopal Church of Liberia, specifically the Trinity Cathedral Church in Monrovia (his home church in Liberia), where he donated a church organ in memory of his family. In 2013, Bert fully paid for the purchase and installation of a new main organ at the Trinity Cathedral in Monrovia, Liberia. He also supported the Episcopal Church’ Bromley School for Girls in Virginia, Liberia, by establishing a Computer Science Laboratory and providing other financial assistance in the memory of his mother – who both attended and taught at the school.

As a graduate and distinguished alumnus of Yale University, Bert was the founding donor of Yale’s first scholarship program for African students, and he was a member of the Yale President’s Council on International Activities.

At Harvard University, Bert was the founding sponsor of a Gallery of African & African American Art on the university’s campus, an advisory board member of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, and a recipient of Harvard’s prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois medal for outstanding work in the field of African and African American Studies.

Bert was also a Patron of the Awareness Foundation, an international peace-building charity in the United Kingdom, alongside its Chief Patron, HRH, the Duchess of Wessex.

Bert was a family treasure, a precious son, devoted husband, loving father, amazing brother, supportive uncle, faithful family man, and generous friend. We are grateful for the time we had with this incredible man, our family champion!

Bert’s memory will always be a blessing. He was an outstanding leader, visionary, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who touched many lives with his compassion and generosity. He was preceded in death by his parents, E.J. Llewellyn Cooper Sr. and Isabel Simpson Cooper Norris, his Aunt Eupheme Weeks (Rocheforte), Aunt Cynthia Kamara (Samba), and his sister Emma Gloria Cooper Holder. He is survived by his wife, Caroline Bendu, daughters, Michele Cooper Elisio (Nico), Tanya Cooper Mathieu, Natasha Cooper Rio D’Oria (Luca), grandchildren Caricie Mathieu, Lemuel Mathieu, and Roman Rio D’Oria; his siblings, Patience Cooper Saines (Terry), Joy Cooper Burnette (Emmette), Juliet Cooper Allen (Hank), Daubeny B. Cooper III (Anita), Angelique Cooper McGlotten (Kyle), Isabel Cooper Mendy (Pierre), Aunt Trypetus Padmore, Uncle Gerald Cooper (Roberta), Uncle Randolph Cooper (Eudeen), Uncle Seward Cooper (Anne), and a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and many, many cousins.

In London, Bert and his family worship at Holy Trinity Church in Sloane Square.

We will surely miss Bert, but we take heart because we believe the scripture that says, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” ( 2 Corinthians 5:8). He can now rejoice in the presence of our heavenly Father with the family who has gone before.

“Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same; but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again!”
(Ron Tranmer)

David T. Hunn, age 82, passed away peacefully on June 3rd, 2026, at his home in Brunswick, NY. David was born January 20th, 1944, to Dr. David Edward and Janet Lohnes Walker Hunn. He was the 4th generation on his mother’s side to live in Brunswick.

He was raised in Troy, attended Troy Schools, Trinity Pawling School, and Williston Academy, and graduated from Hamilton College in 1967. He served in the Navy as a photojournalist, producing photo stories used worldwide. David also used his photo skills as an official sports car photographer for Lime Rock Race Track, the 12 Hours of Sebring (FL), and many other sports car tracks. His scenic photographs of Nantucket appeared in national calendars, including Cape Cod Life.

Following military service, he joined General Electric’s Power Systems as a marketing communications project manager, writing and producing for print, video, speech support, and trade shows. He particularly enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. for location photos and trade shows. In 1999, he moved to the NYS Department of Corrections, Corcraft, to produce marketing materials, visiting most maximum security correctional facilities. In 2005, he worked directly for the Commissioner and the Executive Deputy Commissioner as project manager for the Department’s first exhibit building at the NYS Fair.

He was active in Troy community affairs, having served on the Boards of Oakwood Cemetery (serving as President for several years), Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway, and Country Club of Troy. He was a long-time parishioner of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he served on the Vestry and was Junior and Senior Warden. He led the church property committee for over twenty years, overseeing capital and historical restoration projects as well as repairs and maintenance.

He was known for his sharp sense of humor, which helped him in difficult times, including cancer surgery, which left him with a laryngectomy in 2005. His pride, joy, and love were for his family. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Florence (Sonie) Urban Hunn, and sons David (Lauren), Henry (Shannon), and his four grandchildren, Sadie, Violet, Emersen, and Henry, two siblings, Martha Hunn Wilmot (Don) of Granby, CT, and Robert Hunn (Ginny) of South Portland, ME.

A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 146 First Street, Troy, at a time to be announced. Donations may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church Properties Fund, 146 First Street, Troy, NY 12180, or Vanderheyden Hall Memorial Fund, PO Box 219, Wynantskill, NY 12198, or Oakwood Cemetery, Head of 101st Street, Troy, NY 12180.

Donald J. Rosensweig, 92, of Lititz, PA formerly of Cromwell and Newington, CT, died peacefully with his family by his side on May 20, 2026. Don was born in New Britain, CT and graduated from Williston Academy Preparatory School in 1951. After graduation, he went on to further his education at Fordham University, graduating in 1955. Don then served in the US Navy for two years and soon after found employment at the New Britain Machine Company and married, Anne D. (Donnelly) Rosensweig, the love of his life in 1961. After working at New Britain Machine Company, Don launched out into the industrial supply business for ten years. Desiring a change of field, Don entered the real estate business, and became an appraiser for a large appraisal company. Subsequently, he joined the trust real estate department at the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company, now known as Bank of America. Donald became a vice president of this department. Don was a member of St. James Church in Lititz, PA and was also member of St. John’s Church in Cromwell, CT. He and his wife Anne often prepared meals and served them to the homeless.

Don also loved to travel and made several trips to Europe with his wife Anne. Cape Cod was also a favorite vacation spot. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather and will be missed dearly. He was also a big fan of the UConn Huskies Women’s basketball team and the Boston Red Sox. Don was known for his generosity, quick wit and dry sense of humor. He brought laughter to many.

Don is survived by his daughters, Linda Musarra of Miami, Florida, Ellen Harpel and her husband Todd Harpel of Lititz, PA, his son, Kurt Rosensweig and his wife Carolyn Rosensweig of Newington, CT, his grandchildren Christopher and Matthew Musarra, and Ian and Reid Harpel. He was predeceased by his wife Anne Rosensweig, father Clarence Rosensweig, mother Helen Rosensweig, brother Robert Rosensweig, and his identical twin brother Clarence Rosensweig, Jr ’51.

Funeral services for Donald will be held on Friday, (May 29th), with a visitation from 9:00-10:00am at the Farrell Funeral Home, 110 Franklin Sq. New Britain, a Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30am at Annunciation Parish (St. Mary Church) 626 Willard Ave, Newington. Entombment will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, 1141 Stanley St. New Britain. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association PO Box 840692 Dallas, TX 75284.

Clement Laurence Salvadori, of Atascadero, California, passed away on May 1, 2026, at the age of 86. He was predeceased by his wife Susan in January.

To read more about Clem, who was a prolific motorcycle journalist, visit Adventure Rider and his website.

Samuel Prentiss Hull, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, died on June 12, 2025 after a brief illness, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, at the age of ninety and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Sam was born in Rocky Hill, CT on September 14th,1934 to Samuel Prentiss Hull and Hazel Woodman Hull. He was a graduate of Grafton (MA) High School, Williston Academy, Dartmouth College, and University of Connecticut (MBA).

Sam married Nancy Fryer Williams in 1956 and moved to Liberal, Kansas where he worked for the Panhandle Eastern Oil Company as a petroleum field geologist. Together they had three wonderful sons. Sam spent the 1960s working for the Mobil Oil Corporation in New York, St. Louis, and Casper, WY. In 1969, he moved with his family to Hong Kong, then a British Crown colony, where he worked for Burns and Roe. In Hong Kong, he joined both the American Club and the Foreign Correspondents Club, where he remained a member for 30 years.

Sam continued with power project development at Chas T Main, Dravo and Gibbs and Hill, travelling widely throughout Asia and the Pacific rim, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa, and eventually developing his own company, PowerTec.

In the early 1990s, seeking work closer to friends and family, Sam left behind international travel and began a new career as a Certified Financial Planner and founded Northstar Financial Planning where he helped many navigate the complexities of life and finance. At 76 years old Sam, ever learning, exploring, and growing, became a Life Coach

In 1986, Sam married Joan Rosalie Stygles on the Schooner Adventure in Camden ME, a partnership that would inspire many adventures. Together, they made their home in New York City before moving to Bedford, NH, where they began wonderful traditions of Magical family Christmas Eve celebrations and annual Cousin Camp adventures for their grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. They moved to Arundel in 2007, and Sam soon became deeply involved in his new adopted home where he made many new friends of all ages. Sam’s marriage to Joan also brought him into the Stygles family, where he was welcomed by her parents and five sisters and their husbands.

Sam was a lifelong lover of sailing, skiing, running (member of the Boston Barley Hoppers), cycling (served as president of the Charles River Wheelmen), and outdoor adventure. At 79 years-old, he discovered another passion-long-distance walking. He and Joan completed walks of hundreds of miles in England and Italy; in Spain, they walked the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrim trail. To commemorate that achievement, Sam got his first tattoo, the traditional scallop shell that is a symbol of the pilgrimage. He served on the American Pilgrims on the Camino Board of Directors and inspired many to set out on their own Camino journey. At the time of his death, he and Joan were planning another trek in England.

Sam believed in giving back and was an active member of the community. He served on the Kennebunk Free Library Board of Directors, Arundel Economic Development Committee, and Sam was one of the founders and Directors of the Arundel Conservation Trust, building community through conservation.

Sam continued to live life to the fullest, mentoring, and inspiring others, celebrating his 90th birthday surrounded by family and friends, where he shared his poem “Don’t Let the Old Man In” and the wise words:

“… And dear friends, both old and new, remind me that saying “Yes!” to life, Usually yields to fresh viewpoints and new adventures ahead.”

In addition to his loving wife Joan, Sam is survived by a sister, Elizabeth Hume of Walnut Creek, CA; by his three sons and their spouses, Stephen Prentiss Hull (Ania Prawdzik) of Albuquerque, NM, John Andrew Hull (Susan Braden) of Branford, CT, and Matthew Williams Hull (Tanya Fagaly) of St Louis, MO; by his four grandchildren, Justin Hull (Jess Nadel) and Charles Hull of New York City, and Daphne and Colin Hull of St. Louis; and by his three great-grandchildren, Rowan, Shoshana, and Julia Hull of New York City and his many loving nieces and nephews. Besides his family and extended family, he will be dearly missed by his many friends of all ages near and far, and by Clancy, his six-year-old Golden Retriever.

There will be a celebration of Sam’s life held on Sunday, August 17, 2025 from 2:00PM – 4:30PM at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, 57 Gravelly Brook Road, Kennebunkport, ME.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be sent to the Arundel Conservation Trust at arundeltrust.org or the American Friends on the Camino at americanpilgrims.org

Jarlath William Crowe, 78, of Berlin, MA passed peacefully in his sleep, April 12, 2026, at St. Mary Health Care Center, in Worcester, MA.

Born February 23, 1948 in Rochester, NY, to Dr. Thomas Crowe and Frances Crowe (nee Hyde), where his father was in residency in radiology at Strong Memorial Hospital. His father had previously served as a doctor in the US Army during WWII.

The family moved to Hartford, CT where it was discovered that Jarlath was deaf. His parents decided that Jarlath would be trained in the oral method with the residual hearing that he had. His mother, Frances, took a course at the John Tracy Clinic in California to train Jarlath, having taken his sister and grandmother along for the ride in a Douglas DC-4 propeller plane.

To continue the oral method, his parents selected Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA where he met Rebecca, who would later become his wife.

Jarlath continued at Clarke School until he was 12, and later graduated from Williston Academy in Easthampton MA. He attended RIT in Rochester, NY, where they had a new program: NTID (National Technical Institute for the Deaf). He earned an associate degree in Biology and a degree in social sciences.

He was an avid fisherman and liked to tie fishing flies. He loved to fish off the Cape Cod canal with friends. His other great love was skiing, having been a proud member of the Deaf Olympic team and skied for USA in college.

He worked for the US Fish & Wildlife Service for 30 years, at fish hatcheries in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. His son Patrick was born in 1981 and Jarlath raised Patrick as a single father until 1993.

In 1993 he married Rebecca Wathen-Dunn and they lived in Sheffield, MA, briefly before moving to Foxboro, MA. He loved hiking with Rebecca and their dog Nina at the nearby F. Gilbert Mills State Forest. After 28 years in Foxboro, they moved to Berlin, MA in 2022.

Jarlath is survived by his wife of 32 years, Rebecca Wathen-Dunn; his son Patrick and two grandchildren in California; step-son Ian Baker in Virginia; his sister Caltha of Colorado; brother Tom in Oregon; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service and celebration of life are being planned, details will be announced.

Clifford L. Selbert, a pioneering force in environmental graphic design and placemaking who co-founded Selbert Perkins Design, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026, at the age of 72, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Born October 9, 1953, in Amsterdam, New York, Cliff studied landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. He began developing the multidisciplinary approach that would define his life’s work, with his early interests expanding beyond landscape architecture into graphic design, product design, and environmental communications—fields he would ultimately bring together into a new and influential design discipline.

More than 40 years ago, Cliff founded a small studio driven by a belief in the power of design to shape human experience. That studio evolved into Selbert Perkins Design, an internationally recognized firm with studios in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Shanghai. Alongside his wife and creative partner, Robin Perkins, he helped grow the practice into a global leader in branding, signage and wayfinding, placemaking, and experiential design.

Central to Cliff’s work was a guiding philosophy he and his firm championed: “Every place has a story. Every story has a place.” This belief reflected a deep commitment to the public realm and to the communities it serves. Cliff was passionate about creating meaningful, inclusive environments—places where people could connect not only with space, but with each other. His work consistently reflected a respect for context, culture, and human experience, transforming everyday environments into places of identity and belonging.

Cliff was widely regarded as one of the defining voices in environmental graphic design. He bridged disciplines—uniting graphic design, architecture, landscape, branding, and storytelling to create memorable and impactful places. His projects spanned civic, transit, healthcare, education, and commercial environments across the world, always guided by the belief that design should do more than inform—it should inspire, orient, and make people smile. Cliff‘s vision and influence can be seen in the work of Selbert Perkins Design around the world, including the LAX Gateway, Universal Studios, the World of Coca-Cola, and Canal City in Hakata, Japan.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Cliff received numerous design awards and professional honors recognizing both his creative vision and his lasting impact on the field. A Fellow of the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), he was among the most respected leaders in his discipline. His work and leadership were celebrated by industry organizations, academic institutions, and peers alike, including recognition from his alma mater with the Business of Design Award. Cliff consistently emphasized a collaborative team approach, placing the highest value on mentorship, partnership, and the shared success of those around him.

Beyond his professional achievements, Cliff built something even more enduring: a culture and a community. He believed deeply in empowering others—encouraging freedom of expression, bold thinking, collaboration, and integrity in design. Under his leadership, generations of designers were given the space to experiment, grow, and contribute meaningfully. His influence lives on not only in the built environment, but in the people he mentored and inspired.

To those closest to him, Cliff was more than a visionary—he was a devoted husband, father, partner, and friend. He shared a life and creative partnership with his wife, Robin Perkins, and was a proud father to their daughter, Galen Selbert-Perkins.

He also leaves behind a large and loving extended family, along with an extraordinary network of friends, colleagues, and collaborators across the globe. Cliff had a rare ability to connect with people—forming lasting relationships that often extended far beyond the workplace. His warmth, generosity, curiosity, and sense of humor created deep and enduring bonds with all who knew him.

Clifford Selbert’s legacy is both tangible and deeply human—seen in the landmarks he helped shape, the discipline he helped define, and the community he built. His work changed how people experience the world—and his spirit will continue to guide those who carry that work forward.

He is survived by his wife, Robin Perkins; his daughter, Galen Selbert-Perkins; his extended family; and a global community of friends, colleagues, and collaborators whose lives he profoundly touched.

Dr. Albert Frederick (Fred) Wood passed away at his home in Larkspur at the age of 87, surrounded by his loving family.

Fred was born on June 7, 1938, in Amherst, Massachusetts. He attended Williston Academy, Amherst College, and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he met and married the love of his life, Carolyn, an operating room nurse.

After graduating from medical school in 1963, Fred completed his internship in the U.S. Air Force at Travis Air Force Base. His service then took him to San Antonio and Abilene, Texas, for flight surgeon training. During the Vietnam War, Fred was stationed at Takhli Air Force Base in Thailand, where he cared for fellow service members as well as members of the local community through a clinic established by base physicians. His time in the Air Force–and especially in Thailand–sparked a lifelong love of adventure and travel.

Following his military service, Fred completed a residency in urology at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. While at UCSF, he fell in love with Marin County, particularly Larkspur. In 1971, after completing his residency, Fred joined a private urology practice in San Francisco. Alongside a busy general practice, he helped establish the Davies Rehabilitation Center, specializing in urologic care for patients with spinal cord injuries. Fred served on the medical staff of several Bay Area hospitals, including Davies and St. Mary’s, and retired in 1998 after 27 years of dedicated practice.

In retirement, Fred embraced life with curiosity and enthusiasm. He enjoyed tennis, golf, and taking countless classes at the local community college. He and Carolyn spent much time at their home in Maui and delighted in “grandparent trips” with their grandchildren. An avid traveler married to a birdwatcher, Fred explored Europe, Africa, Central and South America, New Zealand, and Alaska. Among his most cherished adventures were trips to Kenya and Tanzania with his brother Roger, a turtle paleontologist, including a memorable stay at Richard Leakey’s research camp. Fred and Carolyn also participated in numerous surgical missions to Antigua, Guatemala, where they formed a lasting connection with a local orphanage they generously supported alongside many others in the Marin community.

A lifelong learner, Fred approached everything he did with energy and curiosity. He found joy in camping, backpacking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, and coaching his children’s soccer teams. Known for his warmth, humor, and zest for life, Fred will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Carolyn; his daughter Jennifer Synold and son-in-law Tim, and their daughters Taylor, Kelly, and Jessica; his daughter Angela and grandson Spencer; his son Tim and daughter-in-law Mindy, and their sons Cameron, Lucas, and Tyler; his brother Roger ’58 and his wife Gary; and his brother Dan ’65 and his wife Toni.

A celebration of life will be held at Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley on April 11th at 1:00 pm. RSVP tfw@gsienv.com.

Memorial contributions can be made to Case de Angeles Orphanage: https://casaangeles.org

With heavy hearts, we announce that David Henry Thorne, 83, of Easton, CT, passed away on March 16, 2026.

A man nearly impossible to categorize, David was a “master of fun.” A rare blend of romance, comedy, physical agility, and strength, he possessed a room engulfing energy that persisted until his final hours. He was steadfast in shunning negativity and encouraging happiness, a “lost art” that defined his character. To know David was to share laughter, nature, Looney Tunes cartoons, mischievous behavior, and a genuine love for life.

As a resident of Easton CT, a graduate of Williston Academy, and Rutgers University, he excelled as a standout athlete and a proud member of Phi Gamma Delta. His athletic talent led him to be drafted to the Atlanta Braves organization. Following his time on the diamond, David transitioned into a successful career in sales, ultimately spending decades as a dedicated mortgage broker with Independent Mortgage in Fairfield, CT.

David was a proud family man who deeply cherished his parents, Fredrick Thorne and Martha Helen Stull, and his sister Connie Whitbeck ’56, who predeceased him. He is survived by his brother, Fred Thorne ’55 of West Hartford.

David’s legacy lives on through his children, Duke, Greg, and Brian, born of his 17-year marriage to Nancy Wall Thorne. “Papa T” will be forever missed by his grandchildren, Jeremy, Morgan, and Keira.

In the second half of his life, David found love again with Patricia Orr of Westport, CT. For nearly 40 years, he enjoyed life with Pat and her children Alicia, Adriane, Caroline, and David, and their eight granddaughters who knew him affectionately as “Big Dave.”

David passed away following complications of Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s. Even as his health declined, he remained aware of and grateful for the people around him. The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Johnson Assante, who provided exceptional care and companionship to his “King” during his final years.

To honor David’s love of nature, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the Connecticut Audubon Society: ctaudubon.org/donate.

As predetermined, David will be laid to rest alongside his parents at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, CT. Funeral and burial services will be private. The Thorne and Orr families will organize a Celebration of Life as a final send off. For information regarding the date and time of the memorial gathering, please email daddix@gmail.com

When Bill Childs stood to leave a restaurant after a laughter-filled meal with his family or friends, he would turn to the nearest table and say, “I’m leaving you in charge now.” William Prescott Childs, 90, of Dorset, Vermont left the rest of us in charge on March 10, 2026.

Bill was born in Berlin, Germany in 1935 to Roberta Lewis Childs and Prescott Childs while Prescott was stationed at the U.S. Consulate there. Bill’s early years, side-by-side with his older brother David, included posts in Barbados, Rio de Janeiro, Wellington, Havana, and Washington, D.C., which provided Bill with a great collection of stories to share with his children and grandchildren. In school and during summers, he was introduced to a variety of sports, including football, field hockey, cricket, tennis, skiing, swimming, and diving. Sports and games would factor prominently in Bill’s life, as would a taste for interesting excursions and global cuisine. Following his high school years at The Westminster School and Williston Academy, Bill attended Washington and Lee University for a year, which included R.O.T.C, then signed on for a four-year stint in the Navy. He joined Aerography training, where he learned “everything about the weather except how to control it.” Following his enlistment as an Aerographer’s Mate, he attended and graduated from Yale in 1963.

In that same year, Bill married Sheila Hoyt Scranton, and they embarked on 63 years of adventures together. Some included working at the Eaglebrook School, owning and operating the 1811 House inn in Manchester, Vermont, and refurbishing a mid-conversion carriage house when they settled outside Baltimore in 1980. They eagerly supported the cultural offerings wherever they lived, and they traveled extensively with family and friends. Their most significant collaborative project was raising three daughters, Tina, Elizabeth, and Jennifer, cheering them on at their various artistic, sporting, and life events, then doing the same for their seven grandchildren.

Bill had many hobbies, but number one was racquet sports, with an eventual focus on platform (paddle) tennis. He and his brother David, in their 50s and 60s, won the National Championships in their age group eleven times in fourteen years. In 2005, they were both inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, where they were celebrated for being “gentlemen,” who possessed “competitiveness…combined with unquestionable sportsmanship, and unwavering friendliness, both on and off the court.” Having lived and traveled all over the world, it was small town life that might have suited Bill most.

When he retired from his job as an executive recruiter in 2000, he and Sheila returned to Dorset, Vermont, where he lived out the rest of his 26 years in their ideal spot overlooking the village green. Friends and neighbors have referred to him as “a wonderful, kind man,” “a true gentleman,” and “a great friend for many, many years.” We will miss Bill every day and always remember his wit, kindness, humility, and appreciation of life’s small pleasures.

Bill was preceded in death by his brother David Childs and great-granddaughter Charlotte Gunning, and is survived by his wife Sheila, daughters Christina Cutler (Greg), Elizabeth Childs, and Jennifer Pelletier (Steve), his grandchildren Paige (Kaitlyn Litten) and Alexander Gunning (Katie), Carson Cutler, Mollie and Eli Caguin, and Madeleine and Henry Pelletier, and his great-grandchildren Erin and Hazel Gunning. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in Dorset, Vermont in late spring.