Please enjoy this rendition of "Shout!" by The Harley School Vocal Chords.
They performed at Grandparents and Special Friends Day on November 9.
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In Memoriam
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John Hewey, History teacher and college counselor, who taught at Harley from 1964 to 1994, passed away on November 11. Below are some memories from those who worked with him.
Dexter Lewis, Head of School, 1977-1982, writes: We were in close touch with the Heweys for many years after Harley and had wonderful times together. Barbara was so irreverent and upfront and John was one of my closest confidantes and friends on the faculty. It was not easy following a legend and John helped so much in telling me to be myself and not try to be Steve (Hinrichs). John was such a special person. Quiet, solid, honest and very able. I thought he was one of the finest teachers at Harley and the kids loved and respected him.
Dave McDowell, History teacher, 1968-1973 and Dean of Upper School, 1973-1978 writes:
John was such a unique fellow, and he, Bobbie, Melissa and Bo formed a wonderful and, again, unique family.
Mike Lasser, English teacher, 1963-1998 and Arts Center Director, 1975-1989, writes: John and I got to Harley within a few years of one another-at the end of one generation of great teachers and the beginning of another. So we had a chance to know people like Olivia Edey, Melanie Bullard, and Mim Cooper, all of them long dead now. And now our generation begins to pass--Maggie Schneider and Edna Deutsch and now John. We were an extraordinary group, even if it's self-serving for me to say so. John's death brings back wonderful days at Harley when Steve Hinrichs and then Dexter Lewis were building an extraordinary school and we were all part of it.
Scott Reisinger, History teacher, 1980-1987 and Director of Admissions, 1983-1987 writes: John was a truly gifted teacher and a great mentor to me in my early years of teaching.
I remember so fondly my years at Harley, our frequent dinners with the Lassers, Heweys, and Reisingers, and all the good times we had. After all these years, I still miss our time together
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More stories and memories from John's students, are on The Harley School Alumni
Facebook page. Thank you to everyone for sharing your memories of this great man.
Our condolences to John Hewey's family, especially Melissa '76 and Bo '77.
Christopher May '47 passed away on October 17 at the age of 85. Following his schooling at Harley, he went on to Harvard College where he graduated magna cum laude in 1951. He then joined the Central Intelligence Agency as an operations officer, where he retired in 1977. In 1978 he received his law degree from Georgetown University and worked as an attorney representing abused and neglected children until 2005. He lived in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife Carolyn. Chris leaves behind six children and 13 grandchildren.
I spoke with Chris' brother, Stephen May '49, and he wanted to pass along that, "Chris had a great affection for Harley, which he attended from the second grade on. He felt it had provided him with invaluable insights and standards that lasted a lifetime. We enjoyed reminiscing about Harley classmates and faculty and were impressed with the new and projected buildings on the school property. Chris certainly hoped that the Harley spirit--concern for our fellow man, protecting the environment, and equal rights for all--would continue to guide students at the school. They were among his passions in supporting various groups working in those fields."
Read more about Chris' life.
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Alumni in Action
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Roger Pierson '73 was recently awarded a distinguished professorship from the University of Saskatchewan for his research in contraception and fertility treatments. Pierson is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and an adjunct professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. This
article was featured in the University of Saskatchewan news and highlights Roger's award-winning work.
I recently went to the movies to see
The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and I was delighted to see
John Morse '81's name pop-up in the credits as Assistant Director! John has had quite a career in film, working in a director role for well known films including
The Matrix Reloaded,
Twilight, and the Oscar-winning
Blue Jasmine.
Class of 2015 Thanksgiving Gathering
The families from the Class of 2015 gathered in the Beckerman Center over Thanksgiving weekend. Former classmates and parents enjoyed catching up!
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Featured Alumni Writers
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Jerry Hamza '81
Jerry stopped by Harley to donate his new book,
Outdoor Chronicles: True Tales of a Lifetime of Hunting and Fishing to the Harley library. Jerry has led an interesting life. Here is an excerpt from the book jacket: "For thirty years he was part of the management of and good friend to legendary comedian George Carlin. During this time he traveled to every state in North America, hunting and fishing the whole way. Jerry was elected president of the Cat Fanciers' Association and traveled the world on their behalf, fly fishing and hunting on every continent except Antarctica." You may also recall from last November's newsletter, that Jerry was
awarded the Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Writing Award.
His book is now available on
Amazon.
Did you know you can give a gift to Harley through your Amazon purchases? Just shop at
Amazon Smile.
Rosie Vacanti Gilroy '13
This past spring, Rosie was hired as a contributing writer for
Rochester Woman Magazine. The article, "Designing With Purpose: The Next Generation" is about the work of the
Abigail Riggs Collection and the company's impact on local area not-for profits.
The Abigail Riggs Collection was founded by Harley parent, Gail Riggs P'20, in 2001. It is
headquartered in Rochester, and "creates exclusive handbags that honor iconic women in our history. The company has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities including the Susan B. Anthony House Museum. Retailers now carry Abigail Riggs Collection handbags nationally."
Rosie, a former intern at the Abigail Riggs Collection, is a junior at New York University,
concentrating on Long-form Journalism and Women's Studies, and a minor in French. While at Harley she was the Editor-in-Chief of The Acorn magazine.
Click to download Rosie's article.
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Last month I asked,
"What is the
one book you have read that created a lasting impression, changed your life, or that you enjoyed above all others?" Below are some of the responses I received.
Peter Flinders,
French teacher, 1974-1994
Le Petit Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Timely question! I'm actually writing a book about my favorite book. It's entitled Poèmes, Paras et Petits Princes, a collection of poems, short paragraphs, a maxim here and there, reflecting the themes from the work by St. Ex, as he was nicknamed by his pilot colleagues, and how those themes apply to present time. It remains still, as far as I know, the most widely translated book in the French language. It may well be also, I hope, the favorite book of some of those little princes and little princesses I taught it to during my time as a teacher at Harley.
Paul Kingsley P'19
Ecclesiastes by
King Solomon
A short philosophy book discussing the importance of humility, the waste of vanity, and the reward of determining and focusing on what is truly important in life. Containing about 6000 words, it is less than 10% the length of an average novel. I have read this book and various commentaries many times, it cheers me when I am sad, and brings me back to reality when I am tied up in matters that are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
Joseph Maurici '04
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Dante's Divine Comedy in many ways opened my eyes. Among other things, the book describes Dante's faith journey in a time that was rife with civil and ecclesial corruption. The really eye opening part, for me, is the fact that the book was written between 1307 and 1320, Dante was very much a medieval man. He was also highly intelligent and well versed in the sciences of his day, proving beyond doubt that the Middle Ages were anything but the commonly perceived time of backwardness and superstition. Dante's eloquence about faith and society where instrumental in my eventual reception of full communion with the Roman Catholic Church and my current discernment of a vocation to Holy Priesthood.
Tammela Platt '06
A Tale of Two Cities by
Charles Dickens
In 10th grade at Harley, my class was the the first to study English with a new teacher, Mr. Kane. One book we read early on was Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. I remember being fascinated by the intricacies of plot and richness of character in Dickens' historical novel. I fell in love and this experience was one of the major events that made me decide to become an English major in college and pursue literary studies through an MA degree. Dickens opened up an entire world of 19th century British literature and history that still fascinate me today.
Brad Prozeller '71
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas S. Kuhn
It completely re-defined my understanding of how we, as fallible humans, try to develop and refine our knowledge about the world and live with the uncertainty of human
knowledge. It has the advantage of being a very readable book on a topic that might seem esoteric.
Alan Staehle '59
Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz
Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon who observed how powerful the "self-image" of people was and how he sometimes affected it. He felt that concept could be used to help individuals envision successes and steer their lives in that direction. It struck a chord with me and I have almost without much direct thought about the concept used it ever since with good results. The one program we had the most success with in trying to change post-release behavior of prisoners when I was Undersheriff in Boulder was our G.E.D. Program. People who had failed to get a high school degree were often involved in things that ended them in our jail. If they were there long enough that we could get them "graduated" from high school, that really changed their self-image, and did, in my opinion, have considerable influence on whether we would see them again or not.
Thank you to the alumni, former parents, and former faculty for sharing. If you wish to share your favorite book with us, please send me an email.
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Karen Saludo, Associate Director of Development | (585) 277-1117 |
[email protected] |
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Please join us for Candlelight on Friday, December 18 in the Elaine Percy Wilson Theater. The ceremony will be followed by an Alumni reception.
Alumni wishing to participate in the procession, please arrive by 5:15 and gather in the 3rd and 4th grade hallway.
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