The following was sent to Middlebury College employees in an email from Cheryl Mullins, director of human resources on December 13, 2018.

Dear Colleagues, 

It is with sadness that I report that retiree and 25 Year Club Member James “Jimmy” Greene passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 3, 2018.  Jimmy started his career at the College in May of 1966 and continued working in Dining Services as a Pot Washer until his retirement in December of 2005. 

Dawn Boise, Proctor Hall Dining Room Manager, remembered that Jimmy “always had a smile on his face” and was unfailingly pleasant to work with.   Peter Halpin, the Baker at Proctor Hall, shared that Jimmy was great to work with for many reasons. Peter remembers Jimmy as an excellent communicator and a very hard worker, as Jimmy handled the morning pot-sink procedures single-handedly. Peter also shared that Jimmy remembered all of his colleagues’ birthdays and anniversaries, which Peter learned when Jimmy congratulated him on his own wedding anniversary, leaving Peter pleasantly surprised. 

Jimmy was born in Bristol on Nov. 23, 1943, and was the eldest of four sons born to James H. Greene and Arlene (Newton) Greene. He attended the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro Vt., and graduated in 1961. Jimmy loved spending time with his family and friends. He was a kind man who held a quiet dignity and was always showing his love through his actions. He moved people to be better, teaching us to listen with our hearts and show kindness and understanding. He will be remembered as a loving brother, sweet uncle and wonderful cousin. His humble and genuine nature will be missed dearly by his family and friends.  Jimmy is survived by his brother, Ronald Greene of Homosassa, Fla., and by several nieces and nephews. Jimmy was predeceased by his parents and by his brothers Roger and Gerald “Tinker” Greene.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Helen Porter for their support and compassion.  Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society, 55 Day Lane, Williston, VT 05495.

Sincerely,
Cheryl

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Teacher, historian, and author William B. Catton, the Charles A. Dana professor emeritus of history at Middlebury College, died at his home in Lancaster, Pa., on December 22, 2018, with his wife, Lynn, by his side. He was 92 years of age.

Catton had nine years of teaching experience at Maryland and Princeton when, in 1964, the 12th president of the College, James I. Armstrong, invited him to join the faculty at Middlebury. Catton was one of five Princeton professors that Armstrong, a Princeton graduate and former Classics professor at Princeton, attracted to Middlebury in the mid-1960s.

College Professor and Trustee Emeritus Nicholas Clifford, who also came from Princeton at that time, said Catton’s career at Middlebury “was inextricably bound up with the College’s progression from a good, but still fairly regional, New England college to its eminence today as one of the top undergraduate liberal-arts colleges in the country.”

On the occasion of his retirement in 1984, Catton was saluted in a Faculty Minute with these words: “He brought to the classroom an intellectual integrity, curiosity, and a ‘frolic welcome’ that quickly made him one of the most respected and popular teachers for a generation of Middlebury students… He somehow stimulated in students a desire to learn about their nation’s past… After one year of teaching the American history survey course, the enrollment [in that class has] more than tripled.”

Catton is well remembered for the impassioned speech he gave at Mead Chapel in the wake of the invasion of Cambodia and the Kent State massacre of May 1970. A wood-frame building on the Middlebury campus had been burned to the ground, and yet Catton’s faith in the youth of America was evident when he said: “What began to emerge here, over the past few days, was visible, palpable, compelling, and in its small way magnificent… If what we saw happening [on this campus] has the meaning and the potential – I am tempted to say the beauty – that so many of us glimpsed, it will not dissipate or disappear because of a blackened building.”

Because of his gift for oratory, his strong convictions, and the respect he was accorded on campus, Catton was asked to deliver the Commencement Address in 1971 while the nation was still deeply embroiled in the Vietnam War. And in 1975, on the 175th anniversary of the founding of the College, Catton was selected to open the celebration with an address he titled, “America: Land of Change, Land of Hope.”

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William B. Catton in 1972. Photo by Erik Borg, courtesy of Special Collections.

President Emeritus John M. McCardell Jr., who joined the Department of History about a decade after Catton’s arrival, said, “Bill Catton was not only a highly effective teacher at all levels in the department, he was a wonderful mentor. In making history come alive, he attracted large enrollments and also majors, and he left large shoes to fill when he retired.” Close friends and colleagues, led by Clifford, McCardell, and Travis Jacobs, the Proctor professor emeritus of history, established the William B. Catton Prize in 1984. The prize goes to a graduating senior for excellence in writing a thesis on American history.

In many ways, William Catton was destined to be an historian. He was the only child of Bruce and Cherry Catton, and his father won both the Pulitzer Prize in history and the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1954 for A Stillness at Appomattox (Doubleday). Father and son went on to coauthor two books together: Two Roads to Sumter (McGraw Hill, 1963) and The Bold and Magnificent Dream: America’s Founding Years 1492–1815 (Doubleday, 1978).

In an interview in 1979, shortly after his father passed away, William Catton said he enjoyed a close relationship with his acclaimed father. “We both liked martinis, trains, baseball, history. We would talk endlessly whenever we were together,” and they finished the manuscript for The Bold and Magnificent Dream weeks before Bruce Catton died. “We sought not to break new ground in the book,” the younger Catton explained, “but to impose our own thoughts and order upon conventional historical material.”

William Bruce Catton was born on March 21, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio. His family moved to Washington, D.C., when his father accepted an editorial position with the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Bill joined the U.S. Army out of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest D.C. in 1945, and was training for the invasion of Japan when the war ended. Upon completing his military service, he enrolled at the University of Maryland where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1951 and a master’s degree one year later. Then it was off to Northwestern University to pursue a PhD in history, which he completed in 1959.

Princeton hired him in 1958 as a history instructor and promoted him to the rank of assistant professor in 1961. In 1964, he accepted President Armstrong’s offer of an associate professorship at Middlebury and moved his young family to Vermont. The College elevated him to the rank of full professor in 1968, and one year later he became Middlebury’s first Charles A. Dana Professor of History. Catton held that endowed chair until 1979 when he opted to step down from fulltime teaching and accept the title of Historian in Residence, which allowed more time for writing and research.

While at Middlebury he served as chair of the Education Policy Committee, which proposed the 4-1-4 curriculum that is still in practice; chair of the Division of Social Sciences; member of the Teaching Resources Committee; and member of the three-person Senior Faculty Council, which determined the reappointment of faculty. As such, Catton was “central in determining the shape of the faculty and its role in the development of the College,” said his former colleague Clifford. 

In addition to numerous articles, forewords, and book reviews, Catton also coauthored a popular history textbook titled American Epoch, A History of the U.S. since 1900 (Knopf), Volumes 1-3, with the Princeton historian Arthur S. Link.  

In remembering Bill Catton, President Emeritus McCardell said the words of Henry Adams are most appropriate: “A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops.” McCardell added, “A long line of Middlebury students is part of the eternity touched by Bill Catton. Their gratitude matches that of his colleagues for the many ways in which his generous friendship made a difference in all our lives.”

Catton is survived by his wife, Lynn; son, David; daughter-in-law, Agnes; and grandchildren, Owen and Diane. Funeral arrangements were private.

Professor Emeritus Travis Jacobs, who wrote the Faculty Minute for William B. Catton in 1984, shared this Remembrance of his friend and colleague. 

Middlebury mourns the loss of student Thibault Lannoy, a member of the Class of 2020. President Laurie Patton sent the following message to the campus community on Friday, February 1, 2019.

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Thibault Lannoy, a member of the Middlebury College Class of 2020, worked as an intern at The Knoll in the summer of 2018.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I write with great sadness to report that Thibault Lannoy, a member of the Middlebury College Class of 2020, died yesterday at his parents’ home in Hong Kong.

He was 21 years old.

Thibault participated as a delegate at the Model United Nations in Singapore in 2014 and was a 2015 graduate of the French International School of Hong Kong. He spent the following year at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., before coming to Middlebury in the fall of 2016. He was a member of the varsity soccer teams at both his previous schools.

At Middlebury, Thibault was a member of Atwater Commons. He was majoring in physics and served as an event coordinator at the Mittelman Observatory in McCardell Bicentennial Hall. He also studied Chinese and, in the fall of 2018, became a member of Tavern Social House.

Thibault is survived by his father and mother, Stephane and Martine, and his older sister, Marion. His family plans to hold a funeral in France once arrangements can be made. We will hold a memorial service at Middlebury on or about that same day. We will provide information about that service as soon as it is available.

I know you join me in extending our deepest sympathies to Thibault’s family and friends. As we all are, they are struggling to absorb this news.

Our residential life team, counseling staff, and chaplains at the Scott Center stand by ready to help any community member who would like support at this difficult time. I strongly encourage students who would like additional assistance to contact your Commons dean, or the Scott Center at 802-443-5626, or the counseling staff in the Parton Center at 802-443-5141.

Please do take care and stay connected with each other. Feel free to reach out to any of us.

In sorrow,
Laurie Patton

The following message was emailed by Jeff Dayton Johnson, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the Institute, on March 12, 2019.

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Crister Garrett MAIPS ’87

I am writing to share the sad news that Institute alumnus, faculty member, and friend Dr. Crister Garrett MAIPS ’87 died of cancer last week at the age of 56, in Leipzig, Germany, where he has lived and worked for a number of years. He is survived by his wife Claudia and daughters Kajsa and Sanna, as well as his brother Eric, sister Katja, and mother Marta.

Some of you knew Crister personally, others have known his family for many years, and to still others his name may not be familiar at all. That is one of the reasons why it is worth taking a moment to commemorate the life of a man who almost literally grew up as part of this campus community, first as the son of a professor, then as a student, an alumnus, a faculty member and, on his periodic visits to give back to his alma mater, a favorite son of sorts.

Crister was introduced to the then-Monterey Institute community by his father Stephen Garrett, who was a professor in the International Policy Studies program for 39 years, from 1972 through 2011. After attending many campus events over the years, and completing his BA at University of California, Santa Barbara, Crister enrolled as a student at the Institute, graduating in 1987 with a master’s degree in International Policy Studies. He later earned his PhD at the University of California, Los Angeles and subsequently joined the Institute staff for several years, ultimately serving as an adjunct professor in 1998-99.

After teaching at the Institute, Crister went on to teach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then, beginning in 2005, at the University of Leipzig in Germany. There, Crister taught American history as well as contemporary politics and society, and his research interests focused on the transatlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe, as well as American foreign policy. Due to his expertise, he was regularly interviewed by the German media regarding American policy and politics.

An announcement from the University of Leipzig said of Crister: "His optimism, his energy and his friendly and cheerful nature made him a well-respected and popular colleague throughout the faculty." Crister was also the “driving force” behind American Space Leipzig, a University-affiliated organization dedicated to promoting and supporting German-American relations.

In addition, after his father’s death in 2011, Crister served as his family’s point of contact for the Institute’s Stephen A. Garrett Scholarship Fund for Ethics and International Affairs. Continuing his decades-long connection to the Institute, he served as recently as fall 2016 as a guest lecturer in the Institute’s Graduate Initiative for Russian Studies, offering his analysis of contemporary relations between Germany and Russia.

“Crister represented the true spirit of a MIIS alumnus,” wrote Leah Gowron MPA ’97, former director of alumni relations, after hearing the news. “His commitment to international education and engagement, his personal achievements—Bosch and Fulbright awards, among others—living and working in a number of countries and acquiring languages along the way all demonstrated that. The fact that Crister shared and hopefully instilled that same spirit and desire for adventure and learning in generations of students will be his legacy in academia. For those of us blessed to have known him, his legacy will be his charming smile, his boisterous laugh, and the dubious fashion preference for sweater vests that he shared with his father, longtime MIIS Professor Steve Garrett. Those are the memories that will live on and continue to make us smile."

From his childhood through his student years to his career as a distinguished academic, Crister Garrett was a vital part of the Institute’s global campus community. He will be missed, and warmly remembered, by his Institute family.

Best regards,

Jeff Dayton-Johnson
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – David B. Van Vleck, a biologist and science educator who taught at Middlebury College as an associate professor from 1968 through 1972, died on April 22, 2019, in Cornwall, Vt. He was 89 years of age.

He was perhaps best known in Addison County for his work as a science teacher (1974-1992) and department head at Middlebury Union High School, where he developed a course in Advanced Placement biology and also served as coordinator of health programs for grades seven through 12.

Van Vleck and his wife, Eunice (“Eunie”), whom he married in 1951, moved to Middlebury in 1968 to accept the faculty position at the College, and they remained in the area for the rest of their lives to work and raise their three children: Carolyn, David, and Sarah. Eunice, who also worked in teacher education at Middlebury College, predeceased her husband in December 2018.

David Burton Van Vleck was born in Montclair, N.J., in 1929, and he showed an aptitude for academics from an early age. His parents sent him to the Loomis School in Connecticut, from which he matriculated at Princeton University and majored in economics and sociology. He earned his first of two master’s degrees in 1952 from the School of Forestry at the University of Michigan; his second MS would come eight years later in mammalogy from Cornell University.

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David Van Vleck in his lab at the old Science Center, circa 1970. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Between his two master’s degrees he served as a meteorologist in the U.S. Navy (1952-1954) before returning to Loomis to teach mathematics and science (1954-1958). He continued teaching in the early 1960s as a graduate assistant at Cornell while pursuing his PhD in population ecology, anatomy, and physiology. After earning his doctorate, the Van Vleck family moved to Florida where he taught comparative anatomy, comparative physiology, and human biology at the University of Miami from 1963 through 1968.

While at Middlebury, he wrote a 32-page booklet “How and Why Not To Have That Baby,” which sold nearly a quarter of a million copies. Written for a lay audience, the book describes methods of birth control and traces the growth and implications of the burgeoning world population. He also published articles in scholarly periodicals like the Journal of Mammalogy and was a frequent speaker on the subject of reproduction and population growth.

When Van Vleck retired in his early 60s, he and Eunice pursued their interests in agriculture on the 140-acre farm the family acquired in Cornwall. In the 1990s they planted about 35,000 dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees, which were known to yield in the vicinity of 140,000 bushels of apples every fall. They also raised black angus beef cattle, and their herd numbered well over 300 head in 2010.

The biologist was also civic-minded. He started a Planned Parenthood chapter in Middlebury in 1969 and was the Cornwall town moderator for seven years. A member of the Lions Club for two decades, he also served eight years on the Addison County Regional Planning Commission and five years on the board of the Addison County Audubon Society.

In addition to his interests in science, farming, population growth, civics, and ecology, Van Vleck was an intrepid world traveler who set foot on all seven continents. His travels took him to Europe, China, Russia, Tanzania, Chile, Antarctica, and India. Ever the inquisitive scientist, he also sailed the Bering Sea to explore and experience the Arctic region.

“My father was a huge environmentalist who was always ready to discuss overpopulation or the future shortage of the world’s supply of oil,” said his younger daughter, Sarah Van Vleck. “Dad was energetic and vital, he loved camping and the outdoors, and he was well loved in the Middlebury community.”

Van Vleck was in good health through his 80s, continuing to play tennis weekly and taking a major trip almost every year. “He also was an awesome father and grandfather, as well as the ‘acting grandpa’ to several of his nephews’ children,” his daughter added.

The Van Vleck family is planning a memorial service for both David and Eunice in the summer of 2019. Donations in his memory to Planned Parenthood or the Vermont Land Trust are welcome.

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Nicholas Clifford, 1990

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury today mourns the loss of Nicholas R. Clifford, who, as a scholar, professor, administrator, trustee, and driving force behind the study of Chinese language and East Asian studies at the College, has left a lasting impact on the institution he so dearly loved and served for more than half a century.

“He was, quite simply, one of the most admirable and beloved members of the widespread College community,” said John D. Berninghausen, the Truscott Professor Emeritus of Chinese Studies. “A real junzi [Chinese for ‘gentleman’ or ‘cultivated person’], Nick was a man of honor and integrity, personal as well as professional. He was one of the wisest, fairest, most judicious, and intelligent people I have ever met.”

Known to friends and family as “Nick,” Clifford held the rank of College professor emeritus until his death on May 25, 2019, at his home in Middlebury with his children by his side. He was 88 years of age.

A 1952 graduate of Princeton who earned his MA and PhD in 19th- and 20th-century British foreign policy history at Harvard, Clifford joined the Middlebury faculty in 1966 at the behest of then-President James I. Armstrong. Thirty years later, after he left his imprint on the College community, Clifford was elected to the Board of Trustees and served six years as a term trustee.

Revered by students, colleagues, and community members alike for his humility, generosity, and integrity, his selection to the Board of Trustees  “speaks volumes,” said Berninghausen. “The trustees of the College clearly placed considerable value in having the benefit of his wisdom and experience.”

Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton, who arrived in 2015, came to view Clifford’s legacy as nothing less than extraordinary. Upon learning of his death, she said, “He was a person who could fulfill so many different roles for the institution—beloved teacher and mentor, intellectual leader, institutional thinker. He leaves us with a profound example of Middlebury’s best values of integrity, rigor, connectedness, compassion, and openness.”

Born on October 12, 1930, in Radnor, Pa., Clifford attended Episcopal Academy in nearby Newtown Square and later enrolled at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. After completing his BA at Princeton, he served four years in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer, including deployments in the Taiwan Strait. Said Berninghausen, “Nick occasionally credited those experiences in Taiwan and aboard ship off the eastern coast of mainland China as having piqued what turned out to be his abiding interest in Chinese history and culture.”

In 1957 Clifford married Deborah Pickman, a historian of New England women’s history, whom he had met at Harvard while she was attending Radcliffe College. (Married for more than 50 years, she predeceased him in 2008.) After earning his doctorate in 1961, Clifford was an instructor in humanities at MIT and an instructor in history at Princeton before Middlebury came calling in 1966.

The Cliffords had four small children when Nicholas joined the Department of History as an assistant professor at the age of 35. Demonstrating a deep commitment to his scholarship, Clifford took the Language Pledge in the summer of 1969 and studied Chinese (at the third-year level) at the Middlebury Chinese School to gain greater proficiency in the language. He also studied Chinese at the Taipei Language Institute in 1970 and 1971 to further enhance his skills.

His Middlebury résumé includes the following: 1969, appointment to associate professor; 1971–1976, chair of the History Department; 1973–1981, dean of the summer Chinese and Japanese Schools; 1975, promoted to full professor; 1976–1981, holder of the William R. Kenan Professorship in History; 1978–1979, chair of the Division of Social Sciences; 1979–1985, provost and vice president for academic affairs; 1981, acting president (spring semester) of Middlebury College; 1986, named College professor; and in 1989 and again in 1991, named acting provost.

Clifford stepped down from active teaching in 1993. After retirement he served a term on the Connecticut College Board of Trustees, and he continued to write and stay active both in his community and in his field of scholarship. In 2013 Middlebury College established the Clifford Symposium in his honor. The annual event invites students, faculty, and scholars to explore a different topic at the beginning of each academic year.

His books include Retreat from China: British Policy in the Far East, 1937–1941 (published in 1967); Shanghai, 1925: Urban Nationalism and the Defense of Foreign Privilege (1979); Spoilt Children of Empire: Westerners in Shanghai and the Chinese Revolution of the 1920s (1991); The House of Memory (1994); and A Truthful Impression of the Country: British and American Travel Writing in China, 1880–1949 (2001). He also published numerous articles and book reviews in Commonweal, the Journal of British Studies, Pacific Affairs, the Journal of Asian Studies, and other scholarly journals.

In addition, Deborah and Nicholas Clifford coauthored Vermont in Flood and Recovery, 1927–1931 (2007), which won the 2008 Richard Hathaway Award from the Vermont Historical Society.

And yet all of his stellar accomplishments say little about the direct impact that Clifford had on generations of Middlebury students. To thaty point, Professor Emeritus Berninghausen said: “Nick Clifford was revered by many, many students who had the good fortune to study Chinese history under his tutelage. With his remarkable attention to detail and his capacity for sustained effort, virtually all of Nick’s lectures were extremely clear, well-organized, erudite, and very much to the point.

“Whenever [he was] invited to give a guest lecture in another course, his lecture would be both fascinating and beautifully structured. No one could read a lecture as well as Nick; it sounded as spontaneous and lively as if he were not reading it at all, when in fact he probably had typed out every word. I seriously doubt that any Middlebury history majors writing a senior thesis ever had more individual attention lavished upon their drafts than those who had him as their senior thesis advisor.”

Nicholas Clifford was predeceased by his beloved wife, Deborah, and his brother Pier. He is survived by his four daughters and their husbands: Mary and John Tittmann of Cambridge, Mass.; Sarah and Ledlie Laughlin of Washington, D.C.; Susannah and Tom Blachly of Adamant, Vt.; and Rebecca Clifford and Alessandro Panzani of Carmignano, Italy. He is also survived by six grandchildren: India Cooley, Nicholas Laughlin, Hester Tittmann, Henry Tittmann, Adam Blachly, and Alex Panzani.

A funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary/Church of the Assumption, 326 College Street in Middlebury, with a reception at the Kirk Center to follow.

The following was sent to Middlebury College employees in an email from Cheryl Mullins, director of human resources on April 19, 2019.

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I report that retiree Janet Leggett passed away, surrounded by family, on April 5, 2019 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. 

Janet started her career at the College in November of 1965, when she was hired as Secretary to the Financial Aid Officer. For most of her 32 year College career, Janet worked as Office Manager in the Dean of Students Office. This role became a very important part of her life. While working in the dean’s office, she was a welcome and calming presence for students, and many of these students stayed in touch with her for years after; on the day she died, the family had a phone call from a former student wondering how Janet was doing. Janet was inducted into the 25 Year Club in 1990. Long after she and her colleagues retired, they got together weekly for their “coffee clatches” at Steve’s Diner.  She cherished the continuity of these relationships.  

Janet was born to Roch and Simone (Bolduc) Malzac in 1933, here in Middlebury. Janet married Robert Leggett in 1950 and raised five children, Carolyn, Robbie, Jane, Judy, and David (“Crocky”). Janet is survived by her brother Roch Malzac and his wife, Liz, Janet’s five children Carolyn, Perine (Ken), Robbie (Joanne), Jane Roy (Eugene), David “Crocky” (Susie) all of Middlebury and Judy Whitney (Tim) of Chinook, Montana.  She is also survived by 12 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, close friends Joyce Sargent, Bill and Tiffany Sargent and children, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. 

She was well-known for her friendliness and kind heart, and loved people and loved to stay in touch. Bob and Janet's home was a regular gathering place for friends and family.  It evolved to the point where Thursday afternoons at their home in Middlebury will forever be called Thirsty Thursday. Janet enjoyed traveling with the family to the Caribbean and enjoyed her many trips to Montana to visit with her daughter, Judy, and her family. She was affectionately known as “Net” to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  She was active in the American Legion Auxiliary, and a woman of great faith. She belonged to the congregation of St. Mary’s Parish in Middlebury where she also was a Lector. She was a long time worker for town voting, distributing ballots to town residents. 

Janet is the first in a very long line of Middlebury College employees over time who were family members:  Carolyn Leggett Perine, Jane Leggett Roy, Joanne Leggett, Heath Leggett, Eugene Roy, Henry and Nina Stowe, Bobby Stowe, Thad Stowe, Bill and Tiffany Sargent, Marc McDonough, Garry Sprigg, Traci Payne, Terri Bushey, Kate Livesay, and Shirley Lamothe. 

“Janet was one of the most caring, thoughtful, genuine colleagues I have ever worked with”, shared President Emeritus John McCardell. “Her presence set a tone that put one always at ease. She fought her last battle valiantly and with her typical grace. She will be missed.” 

“Janet Leggett was already working in Old Chapel when I was a student in the 1960s. She greeted me warmly when I came back nine years after I graduated to work with her in the Dean of Students Office. We worked closely there for nearly 20 years and remained friends when I moved to other parts of campus” recalled Karl Lindholm, Emeritus Dean of Advising and Assistant Professor of American Studies. “We worked closely there for nearly 20 years and remained friends when I moved to other parts of campus. Until its renovation in the mid-1990s, the Dean’s Office was contained in a large open area on the second floor of Old Chapel with a suite of offices surrounding a warm waiting area for students and a working space for administrative support. As Office Manager, Janet was the maître d’ of that busy space. With humor, warmth, candor, practicality, and efficiency, she made that operation work, and the various Deans of Students, from Erica Wonnacott to Ann Hanson, were indebted to her. She was indeed beloved by her colleagues. I loved working with Janet and am grateful to have been her friend.” 

“Janet was a key member of the Dean’s Office in the ‘70s. I worked with her in that office one summer when I was a student, and then enjoyed sharing Old Chapel stories with her for the next 40 years”, shared Betsy Etchells, Secretary of the Corporation Emerita. “For me, Janet represented the best of both the College and the Town: she worked hard, loved people, adored her family, enjoyed a good laugh, and was full of kindness for all.” 

“As a colleague, Janet was always quick to offer a smile and she was an easy laugh, but she also knew how to get things done”, remembered Dave Donahue ‘91, former Chief of Staff. “She had a rare blend of warmth, common sense, and honesty.  I think that combination allowed her to connect with students in a unique way and as a result students loved her.  She will be missed dearly by all who had the privilege to spend time with her.” 

“Jan was a fun, loving, caring and kind soul. I treasure memories from the many years that we worked together at Middlebury”, remembered Debbie Cousino, Atwater Commons Coordinator.

“In the years prior to the commons system, Jan Leggett was the heart and soul of the dean of students office at the college. She welcomed students, kept the dean’s schedules on track, and managed many other important aspects of the College’s affairs, such as tracking overall enrollment numbers”, shared Matt Longman, Dean of Wonnacott Commons. “Janet had an innate ability to sense when a student needed the support of a dean right away, and she forged genuine connections with many students. She is fondly remembered and celebrated by many alums.” 

“I had the very great joy of working with Janet Leggett during the 10 years prior to her retirement from Middlebury College.  In her role as the Dean of Student’s office manager, she led all of us with love, talent and a terrific sense of humor.  She was never too busy to listen to a student’s concern, comfort someone experiencing pain or disappointment, or talk calmly and rationally with someone who was in distress” remembered Ann Craig Hanson, Dean of Students Emerita. “Janet did her job with excellence.  She handled a huge variety of things, and she was always accurate.  She was not afraid to speak up if she did not like a decision that was made, but she had undying loyalty and love for Middlebury College.  She was a great source of history for the College. I learned so much from her.  She taught me about responsibility, about balance in life, about parenting, listening and supporting.  As many students would attest, she was a guardian angel to generations of Middlebury College students.  How lucky we all were to be able to have her in our lives. She found joy in every day and she helped her co-workers manage very stressful days with a smile, a laugh and a focus on the gifts we had.  In thinking about someone who truly lived her life well, it was Janet.  Rest in peace and love.” 

Some alumni of the College also shared memories of Janet: 

“As a young professional at my first ‘real’ job, Jan helped me think about the importance of first-impressions, but also to not take myself too seriously” recalled Hieu Nguyen ’92. “I have carried this lesson with me wherever I’ve gone and have helped others to realize the same.” 

“There is always an Angel on your path to be your company on scary days. To laugh with you on good ones, hug you on sad ones. At Middlebury, I had an angel. Mrs. Jan Leggett. She was more to me than there are words to describe” shared Rachel Allen ’93. “She was...my Jamaica in Vermont. Walking into the Dean of Students office I was always guaranteed a warm smile-- especially on cold winter days when I was homesick. Thank you Mrs. Leggett...for everything. RIP.” 

“Jan hired me to work as a receptionist in the Dean's Office in 1985. I lived in Germany prior to coming to Middlebury, so my leather pants and blonde-streaked hair were a bit unfamiliar to her. It didn't matter. We became good friends, and I would always pop in for a visit when I returned to campus” remembered Paige Pierson ’89. “I was delighted to reconnect with Jan when my family moved here in 2006 and sometimes meet with the ‘old crew’ for breakfast. Over the last months, I shared cookies with her and rubbed her feet with lavender oil. I will cherish all my memories of her - she was a gem in every sense of the word. So glad she was part of my life.” 

“I loved Jan Leggett.  She'd laugh with you (really really hard), cry with you, tell you when you needed to shape up, offer her wisdom and warm thoughts, acknowledge a job well done, roll up her sleeves and work, remind you of the big picture, and always keep your confidences” recalled Rita Glavin ’93. “What a friend, colleague, and mentor.”

“Jan Leggett was one of the most kind, decent and genuine people I have ever known. I was lucky enough to come to know Jan during my years at Middlebury, and we developed a friendship that extended well beyond my years in Vermont.  Jan was always ready with a warm welcome, a good laugh, and her signature smile. She loved a good practical joke — regardless of whether she was on the giving or receiving end — and I always looked forward to sharing stories of some of the best practical jokes we had been in on over the years” shared Trystan Phifer O’Leary ’95. “Jan was a person of unwavering grace and strength. There was a steadiness about her nature that was calming and reassuring. She offered guidance and support in often clear, unvarnished terms, but always free of judgment and with gentle understanding. Without pretense or condition, Jan offered acceptance and support for those who crossed her path. She did not view it as her job or her role to change the people around her, but rather to enjoy them and to love them exactly as they were. The great irony of that, of course, is that knowing her and receiving her friendship, warmth and joy was transformative. I am so grateful to have known her, to share some adventures with her, and I will miss her greatly.”

The wake is on Thursday, April 11, 5p – 7p, Sanderson Funeral Home. Services will be held Friday, April 12 at 11:00 at St. Mary's Catholic Parish in Middlebury with a reception to follow at the VFW in Middlebury.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, Porter Medical Center Arch Rooms, St. Mary’s Church in Middlebury or a charity of your own choosing.

Sincerely,
Cheryl 

The following message was sent to the campus community on June 20, 2019, from Cheryl Mullins, director of human resources.

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I report that retiree and 25 Year Club Member Steve Weber passed away Tuesday, May 28, 2019, surrounded by his family.

Steve started his career with the College when he was hired as the College Forester in January of 1978. In this role, Steve researched and managed the College property taxes and land inventory, working with the Business Office. During his 31 years at the college, Steve oversaw leases of farmland, ran logging jobs, helped open up new slopes at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl and build bridges for Rikert Nordic Center trails, was involved with the College’s sustainable energy initiatives and advised students on ecology and land use issues. Steve was an advocate of multi-use forest stewardship: managed responsibly, forests are resilient and able to provide resources and recreational opportunities, as well as animal habitat. Steve continued in this capacity until his retirement in June of 2009. He was inducted into the 25 Year Club in 2003.

“Steve was serious, kind, funny, hardworking and very much a family man. He knew his trees, harvesting practices and enjoyed his time in the woods especially trying to find metes and bounds as described in old deeds. He kept meticulous records about his work and, once retired, would drop in to see what was going on with various parcels of land,” shared Pam Norton, BSG Operations Manager. “He dropped in to see me a week or two ago to give me a family update. He was thrilled that his daughter Lucy was moving to the city, but would be just a block or so away from her big sister, and he was looking forward to visiting them. I’ll truly miss his dropping in, his life updates and his sense of humor.”

Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1940, the first of three siblings, his father was an obstetrician and his mother was a ballroom dance instructor. Steve graduated from Dartmouth College in 1962 with a B.S. in botany and went on to earn a master’s degree from Yale’s School of Forestry in 1964. In 1966, Steve landed a career forestry job with International Paper Company moving with his first wife, Margot, and their young family deep into the Maine woods, 75 miles from the nearest town. In 1969 they relocated to East Middlebury.

From an early age, Steve was drawn to the woods, mountains and hard work. He honed his backcountry skills as a camper and counselor at Camp Pinnacle in Lyme, NH, and in woodsmen’s competitions and backcountry activities at Dartmouth. During summers, he earned money to pay his college tuition logging in New Hampshire, Alaska and Vermont. As a forester, he preferred to be in the trenches – not managing loggers, but working side by side, chainsaw in hand. For years, Steve sold firewood on the side, cutting and splitting two or three cords by hand in a day. He was animated by a rugged, pioneer spirit. Steve loved to pole upstream against a swift current, standing strong in the stern of his 20’ Maine guide canoe. He would ski up Camel’s Hump and Mt. Abraham. He took his family on numerous back country canoe and backpacking adventures, teaching his children to bushwhack and make a fire in the rain.

Steve was an accomplished classical and ragtime pianist, dazzling everyone who heard him play. He served as his church pianist for 50 years, accompanied numerous stage productions and solo performances, performed in local restaurants, and delighted family and friends with singalongs at home. He had a dry sense of humor and loved playing pranks on unsuspecting family members. He was a skilled mimic, conversing at length with crows and loons, and once talking briefly to a tiger. Steve was deeply moved by the songs of Canadian folksinger, Stan Rogers. He loved to read aloud to his children and was an imaginative storyteller. He enjoyed meeting people and taking in the beauty of the earth, whether on family bike rides, visiting national parks, or traveling in France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore and Bali.

Steve was a dedicated community member, serving as a volunteer fireman in East Middlebury and Weybridge for 47 years, and helping to organize their events, along with his second wife, Grace. He served as town lister and helped with community suppers and at Teen Center events. Steve was an active longtime member of Middlebury’s Christian Science Society, serving variously as Reader, pianist, and treasurer.

His family and friends will always remember Steve, out in the woods until dusk, at the piano, cracking a joke, hiking up mountains, dancing happily with Grace or accompanying her on the piano as she sang, and being a generous and hardworking man.

Steve is survived by his children, Joan Weber (Bridport), Tom Weber (Gloucester, MA) and Nancy Weber (Bridport) from his first marriage, and Lucy Weber (Somerville, MA) from his second marriage. He is also survived by his step-children, Gianandrea Borriello (Missoula, MT) and Iris Oxford (Somerville, MA), his grandchildren, Casey Vanacore (Burlington), Joseph Vanacore (Burlington), Rosie Vanacore (Bridport), and Jackson Weber (Gloucester, MA), and his sister, Ann Benson (Tucson, AZ), and many other extended family members. He is pre-deceased by his second wife, Grace, and his brother, Andy.

There will be a service celebrating Steve on July 27th at 11 am in Mead Chapel, at Middlebury College, to be followed by a reception. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in his name to the Weybridge or East Middlebury Fire Department.

Sincerely,

Cheryl

The following message was sent to the campus community by Cheryl Mullins, director of human resources, on June 13, 2019.

Dear Colleagues,

I am saddened to report that retiree and 25 Year Club member Francis H. Cram, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing in Middlebury.

Francis started his career with the College in 1948 as an employee of the Snow Bowl and he continued to work there and at the Bread Loaf campus until his retirement in 1989. His father, Harley, worked at the College when Francis was hired, and the two worked together for many years. After high school and prior to working for the College, Francis was in the Navy for two years. He loved playing music with his friends and was a member of the Champlain Valley Fiddlers Club.

Francis was born in Ripton to Harley and his wife Mildred on Dec. 25, 1927. He was predeceased by his parents as well as Florence, his wife of 55 years and two brothers, Carl and Bill. He is survived by his very special lady friend Phyllis Allen; by his five children and their spouses, Carol (Pete) Williams, Patty (Gordy) Hendry, Gary (Debbie) Cram, Bruce (Sharon) Cram, and Amy (Kevin) Cousino; 13 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and his sister Wilma (Tom) Munson.

Sincerely,

Cheryl

The following message was sent to the campus community by Cheryl Mullins, director of human resources, on June 12, 2019.

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I report that retiree Kathleen Ellen Fiske, 90, died Wednesday afternoon, May 22, 2019 at her residence in Weybridge after a brief illness. Kathleen started her career with the College in November of 1979, when she was hired as a Custodian and she continued in that role until her retirement in May of 1994.

Kathleen was born July 13, 1928 in Middlebury, the daughter of Alfred and Mabel (Masterson) Narabone; she was a graduate of Middlebury High School. Kathleen was a member of the Weybridge Congregational Church and enjoyed spending time with her family. Survivors are her children, Gail Fiske, of Huntington, John Fiske, of Weybridge and Ronald Fiske, of Leicester. She is also survived by her sisters, Phyllis Foshea of Salisbury and Shirley Douglas of Leicester, by her two grandchildren and her two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Thursday May 30, 2019 at 1 P.M. at the Weybridge Congregational Church with the reverend Daniel Cooperrider officiating. A burial ceremony followed in Weybridge Cemetery.

Sincerely,

Cheryl

The following was sent to Middlebury College students and employees in an email from President Laurie Patton on July 26, 2019.

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Russ Reilly, 1997

To the Middlebury Community:

I write with sadness to report that Russell L. Reilly, longtime men’s basketball coach and administrator, died Wednesday, July 24, 2019, at his home. Russ worked full time for the Middlebury College Department of Athletics for 29 years. In the year before his retirement, he returned to coaching men’s basketball—as a volunteer assistant—and continued in this role for the last 13 seasons. 

“Russ was a pillar of the College and local communities because of his huge heart, and equally big smile and laugh,” said Director of Athletics Erin Quinn. “He set the standard for our department with his integrity and ethics as a coach and administrator, and always led with a sense of humor. It has been a blessing that after his retirement he was still actively engaged with us in many roles, including assistant men’s basketball coach, golf course employee, member of the Hall of Fame selection committee, and, of course, as the PA announcer with the iconic voice of Middlebury football. Russ was beloved and will be missed.”    

Russ arrived at Middlebury in 1977 as an assistant men’s basketball coach. He began his longtime role as head coach the following year, serving in that position from 1978 to 1997. Russ then took over as the athletic department’s director in 1997, after the retirement of G. Thomas Lawson. During Russ’s tenure, Middlebury expanded its athletics facilities significantly by adding Kenyon Arena, Kohn Field, and a softball diamond. The College also renovated the fitness center, Pepin Gymnasium, Duke Nelson Recreational Center, and the Bubble (later replaced by Virtue Field House).

When Russ retired in 2006, then president Ronald D. Liebowitz said, “Russ Reilly has been the understated, but essential, force in our program, responsible for setting the tone that defines the values we try to impart to our student-athletes: discipline, dedication, determination, teamwork, personal growth, and having fun along the way. In addition, he is, simply put, a terrific guy.”

The College enjoyed tremendous success under Russ’s leadership as director of athletics, capturing 22 National Championships and 35 NESCAC Championships. He also served on numerous NESCAC and NCAA committees.

“Russ’s insistence that Middlebury’s women student-athletes be allowed the same opportunities as their male counterparts connects directly to the success of our women’s teams today,” said longtime former Middlebury coach and administrator Missy Foote. “He was a fair, kind, and fun athletic director and colleague, and we will miss his guidance and leadership.”

In 1988, Russ’s peers selected him as the NABC Northeast District and UPI New England Division III Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year after the Panthers received the Most Improved Team Award. He was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He also served as the women’s soccer and men’s golf coach.

Russ was also a committed member of the Middlebury community, coordinating the United Way golf tournament from 1986 to 1996 and serving on the organization’s board of directors for several years. His longtime relationship with Butch Varno, a local citizen with cerebral palsy, was highlighted in an Emmy Award–winning feature on ESPN in 2003.

Russ was a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where he played four years of basketball. Upon graduation in the spring of 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, he attended Boston University to work on his master’s degree in physical education. While at BU, Russ served as an assistant men’s basketball and baseball coach. He obtained his master’s degree in the spring of 1968 and then taught junior high school science for one year in Natick, Massachusetts. He returned to his alma mater in the fall of 1969 to serve as an assistant men’s basketball coach for eight years. He also served as the head athletics trainer and the director of the Bates intramural program.

“Russ had a tremendous impact on the Middlebury College community and was the kindest person I’ve ever known,” said current head men’s basketball coach Jeff Brown. “His love of his family and all things Middlebury serves as an example for all the colleagues and students that he impacted during his 40-plus years on campus.”

Russ is survived by his wife, Jane Reilly of New Haven; his three daughters and their husbands, Jennifer and Michael Lukela of Ann Arbor, Mich., Jody and Kevin Soja of Lakeville, Conn., and Lindsay and Eamonn Bradley of Haverhill, Mass.; and his grandchildren, Henry and Nicholas Lukela, Russell and William Soja, and Connor, Padraig, Ashlinn, and Kaetlyn Bradley.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Russell L. Reilly Scholarship Fund at Middlebury College or the MPN Research Network (c/o Director of Development, MPN Research Foundation, 180 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1870, Chicago, IL 60601). The family is planning a celebration of his life that will take place in Middlebury in the fall. More information about the celebration will be provided when it is available. 

Laurie L. Patton
President

Middlebury mourns the loss of student Eric Masinter. President Laurie Patton sent the following message to the campus community on July 11, 2019.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am writing to share the very sad news that Eric Masinter, a member of our Class of 2021 from Arvada, Colo., died by suicide last week while on a cross-country road trip returning to his home from Middlebury. He was 20 years old.

I have been in contact with Eric’s family, who, as you can imagine, are devastated by this loss but wanted you to be aware of it. I ask that you keep them in your thoughts.

Eric graduated from Colorado Academy in Denver, where a teacher once described him as “a deep thinker who thrives on big ideas.” In high school, Eric was a distinguished scholar as well as an athlete, musician, artist, and an accomplished rock climber.

At Middlebury, Eric was a member of Brainerd Commons. During his time at the College, he contributed articles to the Campus and presented his artwork as part of the Spring Student Symposium. He enjoyed rock climbing in the area and frequented the rock gym. Eric also expanded his musical passions by studying music theory and by playing his piano, melodica, and guitar. He had not yet declared a major.

Eric is survived by his parents, Rob ’86 and Kathy, and siblings Jesse ’19 and Sarah, U.S. Air Force Academy ’21.

Although most of you are away for the summer, I want you to know that our residential life team, counseling staff, and chaplains at the Scott Center are ready to help any community member who would like support at this difficult time. I encourage students who would like additional assistance to contact the Scott Center at 802-443-5626, or the counseling staff in the Parton Center at 802-443-5141.

We will be in touch after the start of the academic year with information about an on-campus event celebrating Eric’s life.

Laurie Patton
President

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Betty Ashbury Jones, MA French ’86

Betty Ashbury Jones, MA French ’86, a trustee emerita of Middlebury (1994–2009), alumna of the Language School that now bears her name, and champion of language education, died peacefully surrounded by family in her native Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, August 16, 2019. She was 86 years old.

“Betty Jones was an invaluable advocate for the power of education and its ability to transform lives,” said Middlebury President Laurie Patton. “She stressed that we all should become more engaged with the world, both near and far. Her influence was especially profound in her native Kentucky—and here at Middlebury.”

A philanthropist and teacher, Jones possessed what one colleague referred to as a “quiet wisdom” and an outsize presence when advancing the cause of education. The daughter of a teacher, Jones was instructed at an early age to not take an education for granted, a notion reinforced when she was a graduate student at Middlebury.

“When I first met Betty and her husband, David, we had a long conversation about the role of education in American cities and about her experience of graduate study at Middlebury in the 1980s,” Patton said. “She emphasized that her focus on the power of learning later in life—a focus that was fierce—was a result of her understanding that for women in the mid-20th century, access to intensive learning environments such as Middlebury was limited, and she wanted to create opportunities for all people to have what she was able to have at Middlebury: the opportunity to explore new worlds and cultures, regardless of one’s circumstances.”

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 1, 1933, Jones was a member of the last all-girls class of the J. M. Atherton School for Girls and attended the University of Louisville, where she graduated with honors. She married David Jones, a fellow graduate of the University of Louisville, and the couple lived in Connecticut and southeastern Virginia before eventually returning to their hometown, where they would settle and raise five children.

Jones was the daughter of Prosser Lee Ashbury, a pharmacist and proprietor of Ashbury Berman Drugs, and Lillias Hutchins Ashbury, a teacher, who taught at Louisville’s Masonic Home School and Eastern High School.

Like her mother, Jones gravitated toward the field of education, teaching middle school in Norfolk, Virginia, and preschool in New Haven, Connecticut, while her husband served in the Navy and then attended law school at Yale.

The couple resettled in Louisville, where David Jones would cofound and serve as chief executive officer and chairman of Humana, a publicly traded health insurance company. While raising a family, the Joneses became active philanthropists in their community, supporting education and healthcare initiatives, and public-private partnerships in their hometown. Upon Betty’s passing, the governor of Kentucky, Matt Bevin, stated, “[We] grieve with the Jones family today as they mourn the loss of a truly extraordinary wife, mother, and grandmother. She blessed the lives of many.”

A fervent believer in lifelong learning, Jones returned to school once her children were grown, earning a master’s degree from Middlebury’s French School in 1986. She then returned to the classroom, teaching French for more than a decade at the University of Louisville and Jefferson Community College. Jones subsequently received honorary degrees from Middlebury College in 2009 and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in 2014.

“Betty has said that her experience studying French at the Language Schools was an intellectual challenge, the likes of which she had never experienced before,” read a Board of Trustees statement presented upon the completion of Jones’s 15 years as a Middlebury trustee in 2009. “It was during this time, Betty explained, that she learned what really good teaching was. Upon earning her degree, she not only put into practice the Language Schools pedagogy as an instructor of French in her home state of Kentucky, but she became a committed supporter of the institution that informed her view on language education.”

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Betty Ashbury Jones, MA French ’86 received honorary degrees from Middlebury College in 2009 (above) and from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in 2014. Photo: Brett Simison

As a trustee, Jones chaired the ad hoc graduate and special programs committee and the nominating committee, was a member of the educational affairs committee, and served as vice chair of the conference committee and as a member of the prudential committee.

“Betty’s quiet wisdom and abundant generosity defined her, and these characteristics endeared her to us all,” said Patricia Judah Palmer ’57, a trustee emerita, who served alongside Jones on Middlebury’s board. “We knew her as a contributor of good ideas, meaningful advice, and commonsense solutions across the Middlebury spectrum. Her inspirational initial gift to the Bicentennial Capital Campaign established her as a philanthropic role model for Middlebury alumnae in particular. Our Middlebury world without Betty Jones is much diminished.”

“As a trustee, Betty was instrumental in helping support and advance Middlebury’s mission as a global liberal arts college,” said Al Dragone ’78, a Middlebury trustee. “As a charter member and then trustee emerita, Betty’s influence spanned decades and impacted generations of trustees and senior leaders at Middlebury. Her wisdom, counsel, and holistic view of the institution helped guide our deliberations, and she could always be counted on to offer sage advice at just the right moment. She was a dear friend and colleague, and she will be greatly missed.”

Jones and her husband, David, have been among Middlebury’s most generous supporters, focusing their philanthropy on teaching, language acquisition, and cultural fluency. Their reach has been broad at Middlebury, with no segment of the institution untouched by their generosity. During the past three decades, the Jones family has supported the Middlebury Language Schools, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, the Bread Loaf School of English, and the College, embracing initiatives that promote and advance multilingual and cross-cultural understanding, with an emphasis on teaching.

In 2015, Middlebury named the Betty Ashbury Jones MA ’86 School of French in her honor.

Jones is survived by her husband of 65 years, David, who is a former member of the Middlebury Institute’s Board of Governors; five children, Susan T. Jones; David A. Jones Jr.; Matthew L. Jones; Daniel H. Jones, an attendee of the Chinese School; and Carol Jones, herself a former Middlebury trustee and an attendee of the German School and class auditor of the School of Hebrew; and 11 grandchildren.

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President Ron Liebowitz presented David A. Jones and Betty Ashbury Jones, MA French ’86 with honorary degrees at the 2009 Commencement.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – David A. Jones Sr., a Middlebury honorary degree recipient and friend of the College, died on Wednesday, September 18, in Louisville, Kentucky, at age 88. During his many years affiliated with Middlebury, Jones served the Middlebury Institute of International Studies from 2006–2017, first as a trustee, then on the Board of Governors, and eventually on the Board of Overseers.

“There are very few examples of leaders who love their own cities and love the larger world at the same time; who simultaneously embody a quiet strength, a steely determination, and a deep generosity of spirit,” said Laurie Patton in a note to the Middlebury community. “David was one of those leaders. Middlebury became a better place through his example.”

Born in Louisville on August 7, 1931, Jones was the son of a contractor and a schoolteacher. He attended the University of Louisville on a Navy ROTC scholarship, studying accounting. After his graduation in 1954, he served in the Navy and then taught economics at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Connecticut. Jones received his law degree from Yale University in 1960 and returned to Louisville.

In 1961, he was one of six people to invest $1,000 in a company that would eventually become the healthcare giant Humana, Inc., which currently employs 40,000 people in the U.S. In his hometown, Jones grew to be a larger-than-life character, known both for his business acumen and as a passionate supporter of his community.

Jones served as Humana’s chief executive for 37 years and its board chairman for 44 years. He oversaw the company’s transformation from a nursing home company to a hospital company and then into one of the nation’s leading health insurance corporations.

In retirement, Jones and his wife, Betty Ashbury Jones, MA French ’86, were generous philanthropists through their CE & S Foundation, supporting an array of nonprofits in their hometown and around the world.

 “David was soft-spoken but immensely powerful,” said Churchill Franklin ’71, former chair of the Middlebury College Board of Trustees. “He didn’t need to say much to get his point across. He and Betty were powerful influencers of the decisions we have made over the past 20 years. Some of the most prominent and positive Middlebury decisions have their fingerprints all over them. Whenever a controversial decision came up in the board room when I was chair, I would always seek and get David and Betty’s perspective and guidance.” 

The announcement of Jones’s death comes a month after Patton shared the news that Betty Ashbury Jones, for whom Middlebury’s School of French is named, had died.

“As I said in my note to you then, Betty and David have impacted countless lives being among Middlebury’s most generous supporters, focusing their philanthropy on teaching, language acquisition, and cultural fluency,” said Patton in her message to the community. “They, and their legacy, will live on at Middlebury for years to come.”

Jones is survived by five children: Susan T. Jones; David A. Jones Jr.; Matthew L. Jones; Daniel H. Jones, an attendee of the Chinese School; and Carol Jones, herself a former Middlebury trustee and an attendee of the German School and class auditor of the School of Hebrew; and 11 grandchildren.

The following was sent to Middlebury College employees in an email from AVP and Chief Information Officer Vijay Menta on February 18, 2020. 

Dear Staff and Faculty,
 
It is with deep sorrow that I write to tell you that our colleague Robert (Rob) Pekor passed away unexpectedly last Saturday, February 15.
 
Rob was a beloved and revered staff member in our division of Information Technology Services. A full-stack developer, Rob was the one we turned to when facing the most complex systems challenges, the one who posed the questions that made us think in more imaginative ways.
 
Beginning his Middlebury career as a senior programmer and analyst in 2005, Rob supported numerous departments and projects over the years with the highest level of professionalism, skill, and dedication.
 
Rob was born February 1, 1960, in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a son of the late Stanley A. and Pauline Sabol Pekor. He is

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Rob Pekor and his dog Sadie

survived by the love of his life, his wife, Joanne Andrejco Pekor; two sons, Zachary W. and Adam A. Pekor; a sister, Marianne (Sam) Arbutina; six brothers, James S. (Susan), Edward J., Martin P. (Renee), Bernard A. (Kris), Leonard M. (Mary), and David F. (Jennifer) Pekor; numerous nieces and nephews; and best friends David and Mary Morrone. He was the best “Pet Dad” to his faithful companions, Sadie and Moosey.
 
Rob’s former manager, Chris Norris, recalls the “steady head and hand” that guided his colleagues through the thorniest projects. “Whatever the work, he consistently kept his cool,” Chris said, “in a roomful of people who each wanted him to work on their issue next!” Rob was “quick with a smile, had a great reputation with customers and peers, and was unfailingly patient.” He was a teammate and helped his ITS colleagues realize their personal abilities and deepen their own understanding.
 
Rob’s career accomplishments at Middlebury were many, though these initiatives stand out: his partnering with the Office of Advancement on the Volunteer Module and Gift History, the Banner/ListManager integration project, enhancements to the Agents in Action module, and work on online services for our alumni. Rob’s influence extended beyond Middlebury’s boundaries over the last 18 months with Middlebury’s partners in the Green Mountain Consortium staff, who relied on Rob’s expertise to stabilize the Oracle implementation.
 
“We all looked to Rob to walk through a problem, brainstorm solutions, help us test those solutions, and get it done,” said Corinna Noelke, the Consortium’s executive director. “Without fail, Rob would answer our calls and, with the help of his dry humor, keep calm in the center of a storm.”
 
Jami Black, associate vice president for Advancement operations, said, “Rob was the person who asked the question no one else thought of and helped us come to a successful resolution. He was incredibly thoughtful and talented, the ultimate team player, always willing to go a step beyond what was needed—and did so with humor and kindness.”
 
We are so grateful that Rob has been part of our Middlebury community.
 
Vijay Menta
AVP and Chief Information Officer
 
-------------

Campus Memorial Service and Donations

The Middlebury community is invited to honor Rob’s life and memory on Friday, February 28, at 3:00 
p.m. at Kirk Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grey2K USA Worldwide, P.O. Box F, Arlington, MA 02476, a greyhound protection organization.
 
Resources for the Community

During difficult times of stress and grief, we encourage any employee who would like additional assistance to contact the Employee and Family Assistance Program at 800-828-6025 or the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life at 802-443-5626.
 

The following message was sent to the Middlebury campus community on Saturday, March 7, by President Laurie L. Patton.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I write to you this morning in profound sadness to report the accidental death of a student in the Middlebury College community. William Nash ’20 died unexpectedly due to a reaction related to drug use in the early hours this morning. Will was 21 years old.

We have been in touch with Will’s family. Please keep them in your thoughts.

Will was from San Anselmo, California, where he attended Sir Francis Drake High School. An economics major and a member of Cook Commons, Will was also a pole vaulter on the track team through his sophomore year here. He was a Spanish minor and attended the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain, during his junior year.

Will was a passionate entrepreneur. In summer 2018, he interned at ResellerRatings, a ratings and reviews platform, in the company’s San Francisco office. The following summer, he worked at Protiviti, a Bay Area management consulting firm. Will took MiddCORE as his 2018 winter-term course. With his friend Ayman Quadir ’20, he started his own business, Semiaquatics, last November. Together they sold sustainably sourced luxury streetwear, including t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, and skateboards.

Will is survived by his parents, Kristin Nash and Lenny Nash; his twin brother, Drew, also 21, a senior at Wake Forest University; and a younger sister, Cate, 19, a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley.

This is tragic news, and we understand how deeply upsetting this is for the Nash family and our entire Middlebury community. Our residential life team, counseling staff, and chaplains at the Scott Center are ready to provide support for any community member at this most difficult time.

I encourage students who would like additional assistance to contact the Scott Center at 802-443-5626, or the counseling staff in the Parton Center at 802-443-5141.

We will send you details about plans to honor and celebrate Will’s life at an on-campus memorial soon.

Sincerely,

Laurie Patton
President

The following was sent in an email to Middlebury College employees by Executive Director of Food Service Operations Dan Detora on June 12, 2020.

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Claudette Latreille loved gardening and had a good sense of humor.

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I write with the sad news that Claudette Latreille died on Sunday, June 7. Claudette had worked in Dining Services since joining the College’s staff in 1998. 

Since 2018, Claudette had been a checker in Proctor Dining Hall, where she interacted with many students as well as staff. She was generous, caring, and friendly, and her coworkers knew she would do anything she was asked to do to the best of her ability. Her coworker and longtime friend Donna Jewel said she had a good sense of humor and always had stories to tell.

 “The students really liked her,” said Dawn Boise, Claudette’s supervisor. “She was very creative and loved to decorate the dining hall for Mardi Gras, the holidays, and other occasions, and then to watch the students’ reactions as they came in. Sometimes she brought in candy and they loved that too.”

“Claudette would take the high school students working in the dining hall under her wing,” said Tammy Iffland, one of Claudette’s coworkers. “She’d help them and show them what to do.”

Claudette was born November 30, 1958, and grew up as one of nine children on her family’s dairy farm in Monkton. She graduated from Mount Abe High School in Bristol in 1977. 

During her time in Dining Services, Claudette’s roles also included servery supervisor and cook. Before coming to Middlebury, she worked at the Basin Harbor Club, the Hillsboro Club in Hillsboro Beach, Florida, and on her family’s farm.

Claudette loved gardening and growing flowers and vegetables of all kinds. She also loved animals and willingly took some in when others would not.

Claudette is survived by her husband, Charles Foote, and their daughter, Jessica Riney.

Due to COVID-19, formal services are not planned. 

Donations may be made to Winnie’s Legacy Canine Rescue through PayPal at WinniesLegacy@gmavt.net (donate as a friend, not a service). Checks may also be sent to 91 Dart Hill Road, North Ferrisburg, VT 05473 (make checks out to Valerie Mullin and in the memo write Winnies Legacy).

We will miss Claudette and feel very fortunate to have known and worked with her.

Dan Detora
Executive Director of Food Service Operations