Parade of Classes
Editor’s Note: These notes reflect submissions received between September 2020 and March 2021.
1940s
William Paterson University professor emeritus Gabriel Vitalone ’48, PhD, sang the national anthem at the start of the New York Yankees Sept. 13, 2020, baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles. The performance was virtual and replaced the originally scheduled April 19 date, which was postponed due to COVID-19. Vitalone’s daughter, Nancy ’80, and granddaughter Emma, Class of 2024, help carry on the family’s Springfield College tradition. Learn more about his dream to sing at Yankee Stadium and his performance here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3ha2dulZ6s and here https://vimeo.com/368179740.
1950s
To celebrate the 95th birthday of Coach Doug Parker ’51, the Alumni Relations staff set out to gather 95 birthday greetings from members of his Springfield College family. Wrestling alumnus Tom Lachiusa ’77 picked up the “Coach Doug Parker 95th Birthday Book” from the Office of Alumni Relations team, which contained more than 125 submissions, and hand delivered it to Coach Parker. As we were preparing Triangle for publication, we sadly learned that Coach Parker passed away on April 24. See In Memoriam.
On April 18, Walt Price ’54 celebrated his 90th birthday. He and his wife, Margaret “Peggy” Pinder Price ’56, also recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. They began a Springfield College legacy, with their children Ellen Price Reidy ’88, G’89, and Peter Price ’86, as well as their grandson, Jonathan Reidy ’16 attending.
1960s
In recognition of his 45-year career as chief of police for Fishkill, N.Y., the town’s police headquarters has been dedicated in the name of Donald F. Williams ’60.
Dr. William “Bill” Bosworth ’61 wrote to say that he is the chairman emeritus and a current director on the board of National Men’s Masters Basketball U.S.A. Masters Basketball U.S.A. national tournaments are held annually and are open to men 40 years and older.
Margaret A. Campbell, G’64, has been named to the board of directors of Bethany Birches Camp located in Plymouth, Vt. She also is a volunteer leader for Save the Children Action Network, the political advocacy arm of Save the Children.
Captain Thomas Lindstedt ’66 has retired from Buxton (Maine) Fire and Rescue after more than 40 years of combined service in the fire service profession. Lindstedt, captain of the fire police unit, was instrumental in leading training, collaboration with mutual aid fire police units, fundraising, and operational efforts.
Donald Brown ’69, EdD, is honored annually with the presentation of the Dr. Donald Brown award at Boston College. The award is named for Brown, the former director of the Office of AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American) Student Programs, now the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center. The award honors a senior who, throughout their undergraduate career, has made extraordinary contributions to the greater Boston College campus community, particularly within the AHANA community, in the areas of leadership, service, and academic excellence. Says Brown, “It was a pleasure serving students at Boston College, sometimes getting into ’good trouble,’ but it was all worthwhile. My formation, indeed my life’s work, started at Springfield College when I arrived in the fall of 1965.”
1970s
Raymond Gallant ’76 received the 2020 Henry F. Barry Jr. Memorial Pacesetter of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents. Gallant served on the association board of directors from 1990-2002 and 2005-2020, including as chair in 2012. He was a national director from 2013-2020, and is recognized for his continued commitment to the association and its mission. He is the owner of Gallant Insurance Agency, Inc., in Acton, Mass., and the L.F. Robbins Insurance Agency, Inc., in Pepperell and Townsend, Mass.
Clinton Jennifer, G’76, was named to the 2021 Bowie State University Sports Hall of Fame class by the Bowie State University (BSU) National Alumni Association, Inc., and the BSU Sports Hall of Fame Alumni Chapter Selection Committee. Jennifer is recognized as a swimmer for the first swimming team at the university during the 1973-75 seasons. He is the son of Harold Jennifer ’43, and is the father of Joy A. Jennifer McCorkell ’11.
Stephen Regan ’76, after a long career in human resource management, has retired from his position as assistant dean for human resources for the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina. Regan and his wife, Jerrine, live in South Carolina and are looking forward to many visits to the Carolina beaches during their free time.
1980s
As the most recent recipient of the Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Achievement Award, Mary Jane De Souza ’80, PhD, FACSM, professor of kinesiology and physiology in the Penn State University College of Health and Human Development and director of the Women’s Health and Exercise Laboratory, virtually delivered the 2021 Pauline Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, “Her Life Depends on It: Lessons Learned about Keeping Exercising Women Healthy,” in March. In the presentation, De Souza focused on the increased performance standards on many female athletes, which have pushed limits that sometimes challenge their health.
The Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Achievement Award recognizes contributions of a distinguished faculty member whose career-long research has had a profound impact on a specific field of study.
Anne Marie Angelico Rowse ’81, Kathy Pinkham ’81, Patti Knaus ’81, and Janet Miller Vollkommer ’81, reunited in October at the Carlson’s Orchard Cider Barn in Harvard, Mass., to celebrate Oktoberfest 40 years after their study abroad with AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study) in Germany and Austria. “We reminisced and thoroughly enjoyed our time together!!” said Rowse.
Following a national search, David Fraboni II ’84, has joined Trine University in Indiana as vice president for university advancement. He has more than 35 years of experience in academic fundraising, having served at public and private universities of all sizes in positions ranging from annual fund to senior leadership.
Peter Wildeboer ’84, G’85, retired in 2019 from a “wonderful 11+ year principalship at North Topsail Elementary School” in Hampstead, N.C. He was named Pender County Principal of the Year in 2013-14. In 2020, he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the New Hanover County Board of Education.
Bob Young ’85 recently was re-elected as vice president of the Massachusetts Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse. Young was a member of Coach Keith Bugbee’s first team.
Monroe Abram ’88, ATC, certified athletic trainer outreach at Vanderbilt Sports Medicine, was influential in establishing a graduate student scholarship in memory of his mentor, Arnold T. Bell ’73, PhD, MS, PT, BSPT, ATC, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 62. The Arnold T. Bell Memorial Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC) Graduate Scholarship recently was announced and, in March, presented to the first recipient by EDAC of the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association (SEATA). The scholarship is designed to support an ethnic minority member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) who is enrolled as a full-time graduate student in SEATA. Bell was a longtime member of SEATA and an advocate for higher education. In 1991, Bell made history as the first Black board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy. He received a Master of Science in exercise science from Columbia University, physical therapy certification from New York University, a PhD in higher education from Florida State University, and numerous other certifications and honors. He served as a professor of physical therapy and athletic training at both Florida A&M University and Florida State University. He also was a published author and speaker making a significant mark in the industries of sports medicine, athletic training, and physical therapy. This scholarship is dedicated to memorializing and honoring his numerous contributions to the profession of athletic training and his advocacy for ethnic diversity.
Malcolm Lester ’89, of Washington, D.C., has been elected president of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington Board of Trustees.
1990s
Ted Baumhauer, G’91, EdD, and his “Comedy Acts of Derring Do!” performed at the Tucson Fringe 9.5 Virtual Festival, an on-demand performance, in February. Baumhauer performed for donations for the YMCA of Southern Arizona. Baumhauer has been performing his unique mixture of juggling and comedy for 25 years, and is the winner of the Five-Ball Endurance and Best Trick Awards at the Cornell University Big Red Juggling Festival. He also was the recipient of the Andrew D. Dixon Award at Ithaca Fringe. A favorite at the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival since it debuted in 2012, Baumhauer performed in the virtual 2020 Rochester (N.Y.) Fringe as well as the 2020 virtual Pittsburgh Fringe.
Stacey L. Hall ’91, PhD, received the 2021 National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Honor Award. This prestigious honor celebrates a NIRSA member for their service and achievement in the field of collegiate recreation. Recently promoted to the assistant vice provost for student life at the University of New Hampshire, Hall serves on the Springfield College Alumni Council and Class of ’91 Reunion Committee. “As I think back to my days at SC, that is where I recognized how much learning takes place outside of the classroom,” said Hall, a former Student Government Association president and sports management major. “Helping students learn is such a rewarding experience. That is the foundation of my work. Also, I think about the influence of Dr. Mimi Murray ’61, G’67, and her roles in AAPHERD. She modeled involvement in a professional association, which benefits the entire field.”
Ron Stepanek, G’92, is enjoying a career in the golf industry, including 22 years with the PGA of America. He is an executive for BrightView Golf Maintenance.
Robert Gialloreto, G’93, was recognized by Inspiring Workplaces as a 2020 Inspiring Leader. Gialloreto is resident & CEO of Consumer Protection BC, a nonprofit, cost-recovery regulator that administers British Columbia’s consumer protection laws and promotes a fair marketplace for British Columbia consumers and businesses, as delegated through an administrative agreement with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Said Gialloreto, “Springfield College was a vital factor in any success I have had in my career … Betty Mann (G’74, DPE’84) and others were instrumental in allowing me to see the strengths and talents in myself that I never knew were there.”
Kacy Mackreth ’94, senior lecturer in sport marketing at Leeds Beckett University in England, was the subject of a Yorkshire Post article titled, “From American sport fandom to being a director of rugby league side Hunslet, via Leeds Beckett University.” Mackreth is sharing her expertise and insight from her PhD studies on the marketing of rugby league in her non-executive director role at Hunslet Rugby League Football Club. She is the daughter of Douglass Coupe ’66 and Gail Taylor ’66. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/kacy-mackreth-american-sport-fandom-being-director-rugby-league-side-hunslet-leeds-beckett-university-3063165
John LeFalce ’96 married Jessica Sauers on Oct. 27, 2019.
2000s
Kristen Sasonoff Aguiar ’04 married Michael Aguiar on July 25, 2020. Their wedding party included Danielle McDonnell Zamorski ’04 and Ori Rochbert ’05. Kristen wrote recently to say, “It was a fabulous outdoor pandemic wedding that concluded with fire pits and cornhole.”
2010s
Cayce Marks ’10 has a new job with the patient marketing team at Boston Scientific in Marlborough, Mass. In her first year, Marks received an award for marketing excellence in her division. Prior to this position, she worked for another medical device company based in Massachusetts where she also was in patient marketing.
Kelsey Vander Werff Singh ’10, G’14, and her husband, Paul, welcomed twins, Parker Jai and Kira Amelia, on June 12, 2020. She wrote recently to say, “We are over the moon and in love with our new family!”
Christopher Quetant ’11 and Aboshioma “Sho” Obemeata, MS, CSCS, G’18, are working together at the USA Track & Field (USATF) offices in Indianapolis. Quetant is the manager of anti-doping and Obemeata is the international teams coordinator. Obemeata currently serves on the graduate alumni subcommittee of the Springfield College Alumni Council.
Ifeyinwa “Ify” Achebe, G’12, a graduate of the athletic counseling master’s program, recently was featured in USA Hockey magazine. She currently serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Little Caps hockey organization. usahockeymagazine.com
Bethany Boyle ’12 wrote that she married Ashlee McNamee Boyle “in a cozy backyard, socially distant wedding ceremony… or a ’micro-wedding’ as they call it,” on May 3, 2020. Their original wedding date was Oct. 10, 2020, but Ashlee’s father’s battle with cancer took a turn for the worse. They planned the wedding in six days so he would be able to walk her down the aisle and dance with her. On Oct. 10, their original date, they moved into a new home. “It was great to be able to still celebrate a new beginning on that date!” Bethany said. In November, Bethany began a new job as the customer success manager at Talkable, Inc.
Laurie Jevons ’13, in September 2020, was one of the primary authors of the Maine Marijuana Education Prevention Toolkit (Preventing Underage and High-risk Use). The toolkit was commissioned by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention following Maine’s legalization of retail marijuana with retail stores opening in October 2020. The toolkit contains research and best practices, as well as downloadable resources for communities, parents, teachers, and partners, and has been disseminated across the state. https://goodtoknowmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MaineCDC_Marijuana_Toolkit_Final.pdf
Cassandra Grenier ’15 wrote recently to say that she is a 2022 alpine skiing Paralympic hopeful. She says she fell in love with the mountains during her time at Springfield College while studying therapeutic recreation. She was an active member of the outing club and studied abroad in Patagonia, Chile, with the National Outdoor Leadership School. Grenier aspired to help people with disabilities access the healing nature of the outdoors.
In August 2017, Grenier was attempting to ascend the Middle Teton in Grand Teton National Park when she was caught in rockfall. She has long-lasting injuries, including impaired vision. As a recreation therapist, she knew she needed to find ways to be active again to help heal her spirit, mind, and body within her new limitations. As her role reversed from service provider to client, skiing became extremely important. It allowed her to once again feel freedom.
Grenier began to fuel her competitive spirit with ski racing. Her initial goal was to improve her physical abilities, find balance and community through ski racing, as well as improve her quality of life. However, after she won her first competition in 2019, her goals changed. She now has the 2022 Paralympics in her sights.
Current Springfield College sport and exercise psychology graduate student Darby Hartmann, Graduate Class of 2022, is Grenier’s guide. Hartmann skis in front of Grenier and uses a microphone helmet system to communicate and direct her as they ski.
During 2021, Grenier and Hartmann have found great success on the race hill. In January, the team competed in the Winter Park (Colo.) Open, hosted by the National Sports Center for the Disabled. They placed first in the slalom and giant slalom events. They then competed in the Huntsman Cup hosted by the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah, again placing first in the slalom and giant slalom events. They went on to compete in Aspen, Colo., in the Sean Ramsden Memorial. There, they earned three first place medals in the super-G events and two first place medals in the slalom events.
William Grayson ’14, G’16, therapist, life coach, and master’s level certified addiction professional (MCAP), wrote recently to say that he owes his success to Springfield College. He is the CEO of Positive Input and Change, Inc., and Angels Side by Side, Inc., Consulting.
Melissa Blissett, G’15, has been named vice president of family support services at Square One, Springfield, Mass., a provider of early learning and family support services. Blissett joined Square One in 2014 as a Springfield College School of Social Work intern. Upon graduation, she joined in the agency’s healthy families and supervised visitation programs. In 2017, she went to work as a child and family law division social worker for the Committee for Public Council Services in Springfield. In 2018, she returned to Square One as the assistant vice president of family services. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at Springfield College, is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and actively volunteers for the Reading Success by 4th Grade initiative.
After graduation, child life specialist Hanako Kitano, G’15, returned to Japan and launched Being ALIVE Japan, a nonprofit organization that, through sport, supports children with chronic illnesses. She also contacted Team IMPACT in the USA about hosting that program in Japan and, since 2017, 13 children have been matched with college athletics teams and professional sports teams. She has been recognized with the HEROs AWARD, given by the Nippon Foundation to athletes, sport teams, and nonprofit organizations for promoting social innovations and sportsmanship throughout sport. In 2019, she received WIRED Audi Innovation Award given to innovators who are changing the world. https://wired.jp/wired-audi-innovation-award/
Opening Day at the Boston Red Sox is always an exciting one, but this year was special for Shamar Martin ’20, who was asked by members of the Red Sox organization to be among those to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day. Martin, who enlisted in the National Guard in 2016 during his first-year at Springfield College, was called up as a special police officer during the insurrection at the U.S. Capital on January 6 where he served for two weeks. He has worked with the Red Sox since 2018, and currently works in sales for the organization. Watch the video. https://springfield.edu/news/shamar-martin-20-part-red-sox-opening-day-ceremony
Shape America Affirms Springfield College as a Leader in Health Education and Physical Education
Students and alumni from the Springfield College Department of Physical Education and Health Education were celebrated for outstanding achievement at the annual SHAPE America Convention, at which faculty, alumni, and students presented their work to an international audience. The conference was held virtually in April.
Jeff Bartlett ’08 was named the SHAPE America National Health Teacher of the Year. Bartlett also was named SHAPE Eastern District Health Educator of the Year. He currently teaches at Holten Richmond Middle School in Danvers, Mass. As a Springfield College student, Bartlett was a member of the men’s track and field and cross country teams, served as a resident assistant, and was involved in student government. He is married to Megan Cole Bartlett ’09, DPT’11. His father-in-law is Mark Cole ’81, mother-in-law is Amy Greer Cole ’83, and sister-in-law is Caitlin Cole Robinson ’12, G’15.
Natasha Jordan, Class of 2021, was named a SHAPE America Eastern District Outstanding Future Professional. Jordan is one of only two future professionals in Massachusetts to receive this recognition.
Dereck Webb, Class of 2021, was named the local SHAPE America Physical Education Major of the Year.
Katelee McCormic, Class of 2022, was named the local SHAPE America Health Education Major of the Year. McCormic also presented “How to Make Your Class a Real Catch” and “If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose” at the convention.
