BrewsterConnections(PDF) - Brewster Academy

Trey Whitfield ’89 Memorial Celebration
The Year’s “Best All School”
By Beth Hayes ‘81
Head of School Mike Cooper opened the annual Trey Whitfield
Memorial Celebration with a warm welcome to Brewster’s
“extended family” from the Trey Whitfield School in Brooklyn,
New York. Trey’s parent’s, AB Whitfield and Janie Whitney, brought
friends, faculty members, and the Trey Whitfield School Choir to this
celebration of Trey’s life. Cooper described today as the year’s “best All
School.”
together on and off the basketball court. He talked of his “dynamic,
charismatic, and charming” friend who had an amazing ability to relate to
everyone on Brewster’s campus. “I loved Trey, and I miss him, but I’m so
glad the world is a better place because he was here.”
True to form, the choir gave a heartwarming and energizing performance,
bringing our students to their feet and in some cases, up onto the stage.
Cooper remarked, “Every year I walk away from this event with a
renewed sense of purpose and direction.” With a nod to Brewster’s
inclusion of emotional intelligence, Cooper noted that he was in a pretty
good place on the mood meter when he reflects upon this event.
Guest speaker Steve Promislo ’88 brought tears to more than a few eyes
when he recalled memories of his friendship with Trey and their time
Whitney spoke at the conclusion of the event and left our captivated
students with this thought, “At Brewster nothing is more important than
the relationships you form; take those with you in life.”
Following the All School, former Brewster Dean Joyce Ferris thoughtfully
commented, “We know when our moments in life are good ones. We need
to remember, however, to look back and cherish those moments.”
22 BrewsterConnections – Spring 2012