BrewsterConnections - Brewster Academy

Class Notes
1944
Lucille (Jutras) Macolino writes: “We have a new
great-grandson and that makes four and one on
its way. We also celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary
on November 26, 2009. Hello to all my
classmates!”
1945
Muriel Beach writes: “I’ve worked on political campaigns,
and I’m active in a number of organizations.
In today’s world, with so many issues, it’s all too
easy to give up and throw the covers over your head.
We are of a generation that fought in the sixties;
we’re out there doing it again.” At 81 years of life experience,
Muriel is no longer concerned about what
to do during her retirement, maybe because she is
no longer retired. Since graduating from the Institute
for Senior Action in 2003, Muriel is a member of
the Joint Public Affairs Committee, the Institute
for Senior Action, the Gray Panthers, the Chelsea
Reform Democratic Club, the N.Y. State Chapter of
N.Y. Statewide Senior Action Council, and a founding
member of the Senior Outrage Coalition.
1957
Margery (Ter Weele) Gagne writes: “Had two weeks
of celebration for my 70th birthday. First my three
children, their spouses, and my seven grandchildren
gathered here in Lexington, Virginia. Next my three
siblings and I and our spouses celebrated at my
brother’s house in Castleton, Virginia. Great fun,
especially as everyone was in good health.”
1959
Jane (Clow) Smalley writes: “Along with my family
and friends I completed my quest of 11 years on
November 20, 2009, hiking the Applachian Trail
(AT) – finishing 2,178 miles on Springer Mountain,
Georgia! Margaret Freifeld, a steady hiking partner
Muriel Beach ’45 was honored on December 8 for her
outstanding community leadership and service by the
Hudson Guild in New York City.
for more than three-quarters of the trail, and I
hiked the last eight miles to Springer, the southern
terminus of the AT. Three other friends from our local
Adirondack Mountain Club joined us along with my
brother, Fred, who hiked the last mile from the parking
lot. The weather was warm and sunny with views
at the top of the north Georgia mountains. I started
the AT hikes as a club activity on May 2, 1998, near
the Bear Mountain Bridge in New York. It’s hard to
believe that we have hiked through 14 states; north
to Maine and south to Georgia, section by section,
year by year. All have been day hikes (5 - 25 miles
a day) except for four nights backpacking in the
Great Smoky Mountains. It has been an unforgettable
experience; a journey on foot trails with spring
flowers, woods, roads, autumn colors, grassy balds
at high elevation, rocky trails with summit views for
miles, trails with more roots than you can imagine,
through small towns, around ponds and lakes, across
highways and large dams, over rivers, some with
bridges built just for the AT, and one via a canoe. We
have hiked in all seasons and weather conditions;
sun, snow, sleet, rain, fog, early morning light, the
setting sun, and sometimes darkness. It has been a
wonderful walk and a journey that I will always cherish.
Thanks to all of you who have hiked with me on
the trail and supported me through the years.” Jane
added, “Much of my athletic skills and leadership
skills developed and grew during my two years at
Brewster.”
1965
Frank Jaarsma writes: “I have retired after 32 years
with Celanese-Ticona Corp. as a staff engineer and
team leader working with high-performance polymers.
I live in Rochester Hills, Michigan, with my wife
of 40 years, Shirley. We have two children and three
wonderful grandchildren with whom we expect to
be spending much more time.”
1972
In November 2009 the San Francisco Business Times
named Peter Sortwell one of the San Francisco
Bay area’s Most Admired CEOs in a small business.
Whether it’s a job change, a promotion,
a marriage, a new baby, a book you
wrote, or any other news (and/or a
photo) you’d like to share with your
classmates, let us know, and we’ll
do our best to include it in the next
BrewsterConnections, and online.
Send your news to:
Office of Alumni
Brewster Academy
80 Academy Drive
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
or e-mail us at:
alumninews@brewsteracademy.org
Jane Smalley ’59 (second from right) completed her 11-year quest to hike the Appalachian
Trail. Shown with her at the southern terminus of the 2,178-mile-trail are hiking club friends
and on her left, brother Fred who provided shuttle service between trailheads.
Peter is CEO of Arborwell Professional Tree Management.
According to the Business Times he brought
Arborwell from six employees and $500,000 in
annual sales in 2001 to 85 employees and more than
$12 million in sales, and two new branches in 2009.
Arborwell’s team of ISA-certified arborists studies a
tree’s overall system to ensure longevity and vitality
from the ground up. It serves the San Francisco Bay
area, Sacramento, Orange County, Inland Empire, and
San Diego communities.
1976
Tom Trieschmann has a new job with Fabbri North
America, as an area manager responsible for the
central United States. Fabbri, based in Bologna, Italy,
is the manufacturer of gelato and pastry ingredients.
Tom and wife Susan share their Illinois home with
their dog Taz. Their son Trevor is at Indiana University,
and daughter Anna is a freshman at Boston
College.
1977
Charlie Dearborn writes: “I have spent the past
19 years working as a referee for the Connecticut
Department of Labor Employment Security Appeals
Division. I live 600 yards from a small lake and enjoy
kayaking and tennis. My beautiful daughters are now
20, 19, and 14! The 20-year-old already has a B.A.
and is now getting her M.B.A. Time flies.”
Lauren (Richardson) Hammond writes: “Happy
to say that both of my children (Sean ’09, Kelsey
’10) will be Brewster alumni this May! Living in
Wolfeboro and working at the Libby Museum in the
summer. If you are in town, stop by the museum.”
1978
Bill Clarke writes that son Brian is a freshman at
Shippensburg College in Pennsylvania, and son
Kevin is in the 10th grade at Downingtown High
School. Bill has been working as a salesman for Alan
McIlvain Lumber Co. for the past 20 years. He races
sailboats in the summer.
Jon Samuelson writes: “I married in 1987 and my
wife Joanie and I have three girls. My oldest daughter
Emily is at the University of Michigan where she
trains in figure skating ice dance. She and her skating
partner competed in the Olympics in February.
I retired from the rat race in February 2007. My last
position was CFO of one of Textron’s businesses. In
May 2008 we moved from Michigan back to New
Hampshire to the house my father built and where
I lived when I went to Brewster. Katie, my middle
daughter, is now a senior at Brewster. She’s on the
cross-country running team and plays tennis in the
winter and spring and has been the number one
singles player for the past two years. She is pushing
to be valedictorian since I was for my senior year.
Recollections
Experienced Alumni Recall
Their Brewster Days
By Matt Hoopes, Alumni Correspondent
During last June’s Reunion Weekend, alumni from
the 1940s and 1950s commented on a previous
Hoopla column in which I had interviewed winners
of the prestigious Hurlin Award. It was the
first time I’d written about students who I had not
taught, since I didn’t arrive at Brewster until 1975.
Those who spoke with me asked if I would continue
to share news and memories of their classes. I
explained that I seldom heard from those I didn’t
know, yet if I received letters or e-mails from their
classmates, I’d be more than happy to share their
thoughts. In this new Recollections column, I will
share memories collected from alumni who attended
Brewster before my time. I hope these Recollections
will inspire others to share memories from their
earlier days at Brewster.
Ann (Merrow) Burghardt ‘49
Center Sandwich, New Hampshire
“When I was a student, a walk downtown for
girl boarding students necessitated a woman
chaperone, usually a teacher who also lived
in the Estabrook, which was the girls’ dorm.
Favorite downtown haunts were the two drugstores
on Main Street, which had marble soda
fountains plus booths where we – always hungry
students – savored mounds of ice cream.”
Beatrice (Jutras) Lavery-Corf ‘54
Winchester, Massachusetts
“Whoever heard of playing basketball without
a gym? Well, we did! Our basketball team
traveled away for every game, practicing on
an outdoor court, even in the snow. Brewster’s
gym was completed in 1954. That year there
were six boys’ sports teams and two girls’
sports teams. I played on both, field hockey
and softball.”
See Hoopla (page 29) for Matt Hoopes’ contact
information.
34 BrewsterConnections – Spring 2010 www.brewsteracademy.org 35