Chloë Constance Kriebel Metcalf died in her home in Kawasaki, Japan, on February 29, 2024, from a suddenly acute illness. She was thirty-six years old. It is fitting that she died on a rare date, as she was an extraordinary person.

Chloë was born in Seattle, Washington, but grew up in Northampton, where she attended the Smith College Campus School through grade six, the Williston Northampton School through grade eight, and then Northampton High School, from which she graduated as co-valedictorian in 2006. While she was in high school, she received special permission to take courses at Smith College, including four years of intensive Japanese, and most school days commuted up and down Elm Street on a kick scooter. After high school she moved to Montreal to study at McGill University, where she majored in biology and linguistics with a minor in Japanese. A junior year abroad at Sofia University in Tokyo was funded in part by a Japanese government grant awarded for her exceptional fluency. She returned to McGill for her senior year, which was to be her last in the western hemisphere. After graduating in 2010, she moved to Yokohama to work as a translator by day and pursue her musical ambitions as a rock songwriter and performer by night.

She was at work on the 43rd floor of her office building in Yokohama when the Tohoku earthquake hit in 2011. The building swayed and furniture rolled across floors. It was days before employees could safely be allowed to leave. They slept on the floor and ate from vending machines. Later she evacuated for a time to Osaka to avoid radiation from the nuclear plant meltdown in Fukushima. None of this undermined her resolve to make a life in Japan.

Throughout her life Chloë was driven by intense enthusiasms, creativity, and determination. Her passions included singing, acting, writing, playing the piano, drawing, costume design and sewing, botany, photography, coin collecting, art-rock music, science fiction, travel, and esoteric mysticism. She maintained a website of translations of her favorite Japanese band’s song lyrics, which acquired an international following and led to her creating a side business helping non-Japanese fans acquire concert tickets and CDs, and acting as a tour guide for their visits to Japan. These friends hosted her in turn, notably for a tour of Russia in which she performed with dancer Amy Gray in a number of cities including St. Petersburg.

The first band she fronted in Japan was called The The Kuro, but she hadn’t yet found the musicians who could help her fully realize her complex compositions. That changed after she met Kazunari Ishizaka, who approached her after one of her performances to say, “I am the guitarist you need.” She agreed, and their musical and personal collaboration, and the group Alien Idol which they founded together, was the great satisfaction of her creative life.

Chafing at the strictures of corporate employment, she came to work for years as a freelance translator, on projects as diverse as manga and scientific textbooks. At the time of her death she held what she described as her dream job with the company Abracadabra, translating Japanese pop culture materials for international fans.

Chloë’s parents, George Kriebel and Sarah Metcalf, and her brother Simon Metcalf ’09, traveled to Japan after learning of Chloë’s death to meet with her friends and deal with her affairs. A traditional Japanese cremation was performed there, along with a memorial service, which was gratifyingly well-attended. Her many mourners spoke of her talents, intellect, dramatic flair, beauty, charisma and kindness.

In addition to her immediate family, Chloë is survived by aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

A local memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 11, at 1:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, which Chloë attended throughout her childhood and youth. All are welcome.

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of Varick M. Warren of Warwick, NY on February 1, 2024.
Varick was born September 15, 1960, in Douglaston, NY to Marjory Ann (nee Thomas) Warren and the late Douglas James Warren of Warwick, NY. He lived in Douglas Manor, NY until age 12 when his family moved to Manhattan. He attended Waldorf School in Garden City, NY and New Lincoln school in Manhattan, NY and graduated from Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA where he played on the ice hockey team. He was a great player and still played multiple times a week in Newburgh, NY, until his passing, and of course was a huge Rangers fan. Varick was an active member of the Ultimate Advantage weightlifting community, spending multiple days per week supporting and mentoring others. Varick loved Fire Island where he spent most of his childhood summers and continued to vacation there every summer. There he flourished, going fishing, body surfing, and sailing, among a few hobbies while developing lifelong friendships which he cherished dearly.
Varick had an accomplished career beginning on Wall Street back in the 1980’s. Eventually he transitioned into the produce industry where he excelled for over 30 years. Most recently he was Chief Operating Officer at Solata Foods, Newburgh, NY. He was an innovator and an esteemed fixture in the industry, always thinking ahead and developing new products. He was highly respected by his colleagues and co-workers. He had a huge heart and was known for offering opportunities to so many.
Varick was charismatic, generous, and knew how to make others laugh. He was a kind, big hearted man, who was always there to help those in need. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Varick was a very loved husband, son, father, brother, uncle, and friend, of which he had many. Varick is survived by his two children, Mckenzie and Molly Warren; his loving wife, Neide Vera; her four children: Amanda, Kimberly, Maria, and Anna Vera and their children: Alan Vera, Sophia Rajos, and Penelope Reales; his mother, Marjory Warren; two sisters, Shaun Bangert and Andrea (Oney) Huffman; and his cat, Kitty.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. with a funeral service at 6:00 p.m. at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please reach out to Mckenzie Warren (mckenzie.j.warren@gmail.com) to support the creation of a scholarship fund in his name.

James “Jim” Arthur Hardy passed away at home surrounded by family in the early morning hours of January 31, 2024. Jim is survived by his wife of 40 years June (Egan) Hardy, his mother Joan (Zielny) Hardy, his son Wesley Hardy ’04 and daughter-in-law Shelly, his brother John “Jack” Hardy ’71 and sister-in-law Kathy, and many nieces and nephews. An Easthampton native born July 10, 1956, James was known for his wit, and dry sense of humor. He graduated Cum Laude from The Williston Northampton School earning a medal in wrestling and went on to study art at UMASS under John Grillo. A lifelong recreational fisherman introduced to the sport by his grandfather Alexander Zielny, James maintained maps of the “best spots” both new and old. A job as a bank teller in his youth expanded into a thirty-year career in the securities industry, affording him the ability to create an at-home art studio later in life. His works have been on display in multiple local exhibitions; and fill his family’s homes. Donations can be made to The Hospice Foundation of America.

Calling hours will be Monday, February 5, 2024 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm at the Czelusniak Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held Tuesday at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Annunciation Chapel, Beacon St. in Florence, MA at 10 am.

Morgan J. Hoye, 47, of Pawtucket, RI, passed away on January 12, 2024 following a long struggle with a chronic illness.

Born on April 23, 1976, in Wellesley, MA, Morgan graduated from the Fessenden School in 1992 where he captained the varsity football and basketball teams and received the Keppleman Cup for outstanding leadership. Morgan later attended the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA where he played varsity football. After graduating from Newton North High School in 1996, Morgan worked in the hospitality industry in Cambridge and Boston for fifteen years. Music, however, was always Morgan’s passion. He loved singing, writing song lyrics and performing as a karaoke DJ in Boston and Providence for over two decades.

Growing up in Massachusetts, Morgan loved candlepin bowling, the Bruins, the Patriots, collecting baseball cards, going to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire on the weekends with his Nana, Priscilla Barnard, and riding his BMX bike all over town and having epic snowball fights with his brother Alex. Morgan shared a love of animals and pets with his mother, Jackie, enjoyed fishing with his father, Bob, in Maine and New Hampshire, and traveling in love and joy with his former wife Carlotta.

Morgan is survived by his former wife, Carlotta Carzaniga of Boston; his father, Robert Hoye (Michele) of Dover MA; his mother, Jacqueline Jacquiot of Boston; his brother, Alex Hoye (Helen) of Oakland CA, and a niece, Eva Hoye, and nephew, Julian Hoye.

The family will have a private burial.

Donations may be made in memory of Morgan J. Hoye, to the Fessenden School, 250 Waltham Street, West Newton MA 02465.

It is with overwhelming sorrow that we announce the passing of Meg (Ciak) Papalegis, who died suddenly and unexpectedly while touring British Columbia, Canada on October 15th, 2023. Born March 1st, 1963 in Springfield, Mass., the daughter of Frank and Elaine Ciak of Easthampton, Mass. Meg was a graduate of the Williston Northampton School, class of 1980. After losing her beloved mom Elaine in 2001, and with the grit and determination she was well known for, Meg re-entered school and earned her degree in Nursing at Southern Maine Community College, South Portland Maine at age 42. As a registered nurse, she worked tirelessly in the substance-abuse treatment field, providing care for thousands of patients in the NH Seacoast area. She was a beacon of light that shined brightly in so many lives. Meg loved and enjoyed the tranquility of nature, so much so the she and her husband retired to their cabin in the woods of northwestern Maine. Meg loved walks in the woods or the beach, rides in the country, travelling to Nova Scotia, searching for heart-shaped stones, music and her local library. She was an expert cribbage player, and a fiercely loyal fan of the Boston Bruins. Meg is survived by her loving husband, Todd Papalegis of Weld, her brother, David Ciak ’79 of Boston, Mass., her aunt Marilyn Gorski of Chicopee, Mass., and countless cousins, extended family, and friends including a very special group of friends from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. A celebration of life is being planned, the date TBD.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Meg’s name can be made to the Weld Public Library, P.O. Box 120, Weld, Maine 04285.

“There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path”.

Raymond O. Bernard, 65, entered Eternal Life on October 5, 2023, with his family at his side after a brief illness. He was born April 19, 1958, in Holyoke to the late Raymond O. and Rita (Guertin) Bernard. Ray (known as Rusty in his younger years due to his red hair) grew up in Chicopee and attended Williston Academy. He then earned a Bachelor of Science Business Administration Degree in Finance from Northeastern University in 1982. Ray worked for Bank of Boston, Ann & Hope and the Toyota Corporation. Always having an interest in health care, he became a registered nurse with an Associate Degree in Nursing from Springfield Technical Community College in 1993. Ray worked briefly at Baystate Medical Center before his 20-year career working as a correctional head nurse for the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections where he retired in 2013. He was awarded several Gubernatorial Citations for Preservation of Life in 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and Circle of Merit in 2004 and 2005.
He was predeceased by his infant daughter Elizabeth M. Bernard in 1994 and his sister Michele R. (Bernard) Asselin in 2021. He is survived by his devoted wife of 31 years Margaret E. (Kelleher) Bernard and his loving son Nicholas R. Bernard. Also saddened by his loss are his sister’s children Mathieu R. Asselin of Somers, CT and Margaux R. Lamirande of South Hadley and his brothers-in-law Richard W. Asselin and Timothy J. Kelleher of South Hadley and Patrick J. Kelleher of Marshfield MA and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Ray was immensely proud of his family and their achievements. He was very sociable with a generous heart and had a way of making others feel special. He had wonderful memories and experiences with sports and scouting and passed on his enthusiasm and knowledge to many by his involvement with coaching youth sports and scout leadership. In his retirement Ray enjoyed travel and cruises with his family and a treasured trip to Ireland where he had hoped to return.
An uncle introduced “Rusty” to fishing as a young boy, and this developed into a passion that only grew through the years. He became an avid fisherman and enjoyed many vacations in Maine where fishing rarely disappointed. Locally he treasured Quabbin Reservoir in his retirement. Great Pond in Maine was truly his happy place and he had returned from a month at Bear Spring Camps just two weeks prior to his illness. He was proud to recently have a trophy fish (with a story to match) mounted and displayed there securing his legacy.
Calling hours will be Wednesday October 11th from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the O’Brien Family Funeral Home, 33 Lamb St., South Hadley. Funeral Mass will be Thursday October 12th at 11:00 am in St. Patrick’s Church. For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com. In lieu of flowers Ray would be happy to have any contributions go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.