In Memoriam
Here we honor and remember those members of the Commonwealth community we have lost. To share an obituary, please email Alisha Elliott.
2024
Polly Bitzer Labrie (1943–2024)
Polly Labrie, with her energy, creativity and warmth, helped transform the Commonwealth development team in the early 1990s, under the guidance of head of school Judith Keenan. She helped Commonwealth grow into the challenges of professional fundraising and the school has benefitted from this ever since. Polly was tenacious, but she always took time for a daily walk. Whether it was Commonwealth School or On The Rise, a Cambridge-based day shelter, Polly took her commitments seriously. She enjoyed more than 40 years in Cambridge, where she raised her children and had an impactful career in education and non-profit organizations.
Annette J. Procter P’86, ’88 (1935–2024)
A Commonwealth trustee from 1985–1992, Annette J. Procter spent her long career in public relations working primarily for Harvard University and Williams College. Those who knew her will remember her warmth, her sometimes outrageous sense of humor, her love of art, music, and literature, and her passion for democracy. Reflecting on her time as a trustee, her son Jon Lorsch ’86 said, "She thought the teachers at Commonwealth were brilliant—people like Mary Kate Bluestein, Richard Robinson, Rusty Crump, Jean Segaloff, Leland Giovanelli, etc. One of the main things she was involved in when she was on the Board was helping set up an actual fundraising program at the school. This was in the transition period between the school running on Mr. Merrill’s largesse and having to become independent and they knew essentially nothing about development. Our mother was a big fan of Commonwealth."
Corinna Skema Snyder '82 (1964–2024)
Corinna Skema Snyder died on April 8, at her home in Brooklyn, more than three years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. Corinna’s skills and interests were myriad, and she approached them with the curiosity, creativity, boldness, humor, and joy—in learning and life—that were her hallmarks. She earned a B.A. in anthropology from Barnard and a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Columbia. Her dissertation on space and national identity in post-USSR Lithuania united her deep interest in cultural studies and her love for Lithuania, her mother’s homeland, where her grandfather, Antanas Skema, is a revered novelist and playwright. She applied her expertise in design thinking to her corporate career, mostly notably at Razorfish and PwC, where she held leadership positions in project and client management, knowledge management, learning and development, and user experience. But Corinna’s great passion and purpose in life was music. When she was 12 years old, she joined the Cambridge Slavic Chorus, the first step in what became decades of immersive learning, performing, and eventually teaching Balkan and Macedonian music. She was a founding member of Black Sea Hotel and went on to join several other bands. She played her final show six days before she died. Corinna is survived by her beloved children, Antanas and Clayton McMullen; husband, Michael Graham; and many cherished family members and friends.
Anthony "Tony" Hill ’70 (1951–2024)
Trustee emeritus Tony Hill ’70 died suddenly in his home on January 24. He grew up in Watertown and Cambridge before graduating from Harvard University in 1973, where he received a B.A. in American History and Literature. Writing for The Harvard Crimson launched a journalism career that included the Boston Phoenix, The Real Paper, Newsweek, and eventually, his reporting for and producing segments for The Ten O'Clock News on WGBH. He subsequently produced pieces for WCVB-TV's (Channel 5) evening magazine show, Chronicle. A master of the bon mot, with a comprehensive knowledge of music and a winning way with words, he possessed an uncanny sensitivity that led him to discern the hidden essence of a person within minutes of saying "hello." This innate talent helped him produce scores of documentary interviews with dignitaries and celebrities that included Henry Kissinger, Elie Wiesel, Leonard Nimoy, and Angela Lansbury. A voice for ensuring Commonwealth continued to embrace and practice its founding values of diversity, inclusion, and excellence, Tony served on the school’s Board of Trustees from 1985–1993. In 1982, he helped establish The Middle Passage, a program to attract more disadvantaged students to apply to Commonwealth, which ran for more than a decade and was a precursor to our current Dive In Commonwealth program. He was also instrumental in establishing the school’s City of Boston course, core to our ninth-grade curriculum to this day. Tony leaves behind his long-time companion, Vita Paladino; her son, Erik; his godchild, Zoe Rose Guastella; and many dear family, friends, and classmates.
Charles Fried P'79 '81 GP'19 '23 (1935–2024)
Commonwealth parent, grandparent, and long-serving trustee Charles Fried passed away on Tuesday, January 23. Solicitor General for President Reagan 1985–1989, Associate Justice for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts 1995–1999, and acclaimed Harvard Law School Professor for more than sixty years: Charles’s accomplishments were many. Colleagues and friends recall his deep moral conviction and commitment to the law. Ever a learner, Charles’s views and writings evolved with the changing world. To legal scholars and ethicists, he was a legend. To us, he was even more. Charles joined the Board of Trustees in 1979 and served until his death. The only trustee to serve all six of Commonwealth’s Heads of School, Charles helped to shepherd Commonwealth through significant periods of growth and change. At each juncture, his sharp judgment and commitment to the school’s mission helped move the needle thoughtfully and decisively. We will deeply miss his kindness and wisdom, and our thoughts are with his wife, Anne, and his family, including children Greg ’79 and Antonia ’81, and grandchildren Jonah ’19 and Eliza ’23. We invite our community to share tributes and memories of Charles here and to learn more about Charles’s extraordinary life and contributions to his field in Harvard Law Today.
Elizabeth W. Thomson P’95 (1937–2024)
Elizabeth W. Thomson P’95, Trustee Emeritus, died on January 11 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Elizabeth “Didi” Whitson attended Oberlin College, where she studied English and the organ, and was active in campus productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a passion which she continued, building sets and designing posters for the College Light Opera Company. After leaving Oberlin, she moved to New York to take a job with Cambridge University Press. She and Peter married in May of 1969, and she moved into his home on Beacon Hill in Boston, where she lived for the next fifty years. Elizabeth continued her work in publishing field, first as an editor for Prindle, Weber & Schmidt, and later as a freelance editor. Elizabeth was a staunch believer in education and supporter of educational institutions. She was actively involved at the schools her son, James ’95, attended and served on Commonwealth's Board of Trustees from 2005–2017; she also served on the North Bennet Street School board. Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Peter; son, James; step-children Peter and Sandy; granddaughter, Eleanor; sister, Jean; and brother, Jim.
2023
Susan Klaw P’94, ’96 (1949–2023)
Susan Klaw P’94, ’96, Trustee Emeritus, died peacefully at home at age 74 from ALS on December 23, 2023. Throughout her life she was outspoken in voicing her ideals—and steadfast in living them. Susan grew up in Greenwich Village in New York City and attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge. While at Radcliffe, Susan took a semester off to work for the San Francisco Chronicle and live in Berkeley, where she met her husband, Peter Del Tredici. Family meant everything to Susan, but her friends were never far behind. She enjoyed meeting people and was exceptionally good at making new friends because she genuinely cared about them. After her ALS diagnosis, her lifetime of nurturing relationships and helping others paid dividends as she and Peter were supported by friends and family from around the globe. She started her career as a teacher and counselor at The Group School in Cambridge in 1971. Later on she did domestic violence education and outreach, was a desegregation specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Education, and worked as the Title IX coordinator for the Watertown Public Schools. Among her many roles, as Director and Coordinator of the SEE Program in Watertown, she helped design an alternative high school for high-risk teenagers. At the Otis School in East Boston, she started the Family School where she taught ESL, implemented interactive literacy activities for families, and led parent support groups. She also served on Commonwealth’s Board of Trustees from 1994–1997. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Peter Del Tredici, her children Sonya ’94 and Luke ’96, and her grandchildren.
Sean Lawrence O'Sullivan ’83 (1965–2023)
Sean Lawrence O'Sullivan died on October 17, after surviving sixteen months with brain cancer. Born in Bari, Italy, he spent his early childhood in Rome. At 10, he and his mother moved to Cambridge. Sean graduated from Commonwealth in 1983, where his classmates included his future wife, Hannah Eigerman ’83, and lifelong friends Doug Hsiao ’83 and Myra Paci ’83. Sean held degrees from Princeton, the University of Bristol with a Marshall Scholarship, and a Ph.D. from Yale. He went on to teach at Clemson University and then at The Ohio State University, where he earned tenure as an associate professor and served his academic community for seventeen years. His scholarship connected the fields of film, television, narrative theory, nineteenth-century British literature, and serial storytelling. He wrote a book on British filmmaker Mike Leigh, who became a friend, and academic articles on television series such as The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Deadwood. He bubbled over with ideas and wrote about the work of Charles Dickens and director Ingmar Bergman. Sean's proudest lifework was helping to raise his two children, Rory, born 2003, and Eve, born 2006. In addition to his wife, children, and mother, all of Columbus, Ohio, Sean leaves behind scores of devoted friends, colleagues, and relatives.
Nate Gardiner '19 (2001–2023)
Nathaniel (Nate) J. Gardiner of Stoneham, passed away on Monday, September 25, 2023, at age 22 after a two-year fight with cancer. Nate is the beloved son of Dr. Matthew Gardiner and Dr. Mary Beth Cunnane and the devoted brother of Sophia Gardiner ’21 and Luke Gardiner ’23. Nate attended Odyssey Day School and then Commonwealth, where his intellectual curiosity blossomed. He played the cello but also immersed himself in math and physics. He went on to New York University where he majored in music technology and audio engineering. Nate grew to love the city and made deep friendships there while developing his music career. He began writing ambient music and grew to have a large following under the producer name Iokera. Nate collaborated with countless others to create visionary albums that have influenced many. Though music was his passion, he also loved video games and had great respect for nature, especially butterflies and the insect world. His kindness, generosity, and dedication to egalitarianism will be missed by all.
Jonathan Chosiad '66 (1948–2023)
Jonathan Chosiad of Watertown, formerly of Stoughton and Newton, passed away on August 3, 2023, at 74 years of age. He was born in Boston, the son of the late Albert and Miriam (Abrams) Chosiad. Jonathan was the beloved husband of Barbara (Rose) Chosiad and the loving father of Dr. Lynn Chosiad and her husband Christopher Stawarz of Watertown, and Craig Chosiad and his wife Aliza Pressman of Seattle, WA. He was the cherished grandfather of Joshua Stawarz and Batsheva and Avital Chosiad. Jonathan was the brother of David Chosiad and his wife Paula Thompson of Brookline, Jane Carver and her husband Steven of Pittsfield, and William Chosiad and his wife, Rena Baskin of Watertown, and the beloved uncle of their son Alec Baskin.
Robert Eugene Alexander '66 (1949–2023)
Robert Eugene Alexander of Madison, WI, died on June 24, 2023, at Oakwood hospice center. He underwent numerous health challenges throughout his life, which he faced with grace, fortitude, and humility. Robert grew up in Brookline, MA. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and for several years taught in the Madison public schools. After receiving his Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he worked for many years as a freelance editor. From 1993-1998, he was a contributing editor at New Rivers Press, and from 1999-2001 served as New Rivers’ creative director. He was the founding editor of the Marie Alexander Poetry Series at White Pine Press and editor/co-editor of six literary anthologies. He had a keen mind, a lively sense of humor, and a deep love of literature, history, nature, animals, canoeing, and guitars.
2022
Eleanor Rogers Johnson '62 (1944–2022)
Eleanor “Ellie” Rogers Johnson of Brewster died on November 6, 2022. Ellie was a proud member of the founding class of Boston’s Commonwealth School (1962) and graduate of Mount Holyoke College (1966). Ellie met her husband Peter on Cape Cod in 1962, when she was working at the Casserole Kitchen and he at Mayo’s Farm Kitchen. They married in Orleans in 1967 and settled in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where Ellie worked for a time in the Admissions office at Mount Holyoke. They raised two children, and Ellie spent the majority of her career as the WGBY-TV Auction Manager—a job which both fulfilled her and allowed her to spend her summers on the Cape. Some of her favorite moments were spent on Cape beaches searching for the perfect stone.
Paul Jefferson (1944–2022)
Paul Jefferson, a man with a classroom presence as legendary as his libraries of literature and jazz, taught at Commonwealth until 1981, when he joined the history department at Haverford College, where he stayed for nearly thirty years, until his retirement in 2010. Specializing in 19th- and 20th-century intellectual history, Mr. Jefferson began his career as a teaching fellow at Harvard (where he earned both his B.A. and Ph.D. and won the Graduate Prize Fellowship) before being awarded a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Paris in 1967, which he decided to turn down in favor of becoming an associate director of the Yale Summer High School. He was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship award from the National Research Council for his research on the history of Black sociology in 1983. In 1988, he won the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Teaching Fellowship. Mr. Jefferson also studied at the University of Ghana, researching W.E.B. DuBois, and served as a lecturer at Babson College before coming to Commonwealth. More information about Mr. Jefferson’s life and legacy can be found on the Haverford College website.
Eric Davis (1939–2022)
Our community mourns the loss of long-serving and beloved former English teacher Eric Davis. Please visit his memorial page to learn more about Eric's life and opportunities to celebrate it, as well as share your reflections.
2021
Jennifer Formichelli (1974–2021)
English teacher, mentor, animal lover, and champion of social justice, Jennifer Formichelli was born on August 5, 1974, in Boston. She passed after a tragic accident on October 26, 2021. She taught English at Commonwealth School from 2011 to 2014. An accomplished scholar, Jennifer earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Cambridge (U.K.) after graduating summa cum laude from Boston University with a B.A. in Literary History. Her literary interests were extensive and diverse, including works by T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare, and James Baldwin. Her passion for social justice included strong interests in criminal justice investigation, law, and analysis. In the spring of 2021, she earned an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Boston University. She was in the midst of writing a true-crime story focusing on a 2010 quadruple murder in Mattapan, having conducted extensive research on the subject. Jennifer lived life thoughtfully and truly enjoyed teaching literature and inspiring her students at Boston University Academy, where she was a beloved member of the English Department since 2016. An avid animal lover, her dogs and other pets were a huge part of her life. Jennifer was also an avid gardener; she transformed the landscape of her Mattapan condo. She loved to cook and always had time for a good cup of coffee. She gave generously of herself to others, both in her role as a teacher and advisor and to her friends. Her positive impact will continue to be felt by those who knew her.
Frances Cohen '67 (1949–2021)
Frances Cohen MD, died October 1, 2021, of a heart attack. Dr. Cohen was a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and couples therapist, with over forty years' experience. She was a prominent member of the New York Psychoanalytic Society. Dr. Cohen was the wife of Stephen Koch, a writer and the director of the Peter Hujar Archive; the mother of Angelica Madeline Koch, 27; and the grandmother of Stephen Koch-Edwards, who is 7. The funeral of Frances Cohen was held on Friday, October 8, at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Fifth Avenue and 90th Street, and her ashes were interred at Woodlawn Cemetery that afternoon. Professionally, Dr. Cohen was honored and beloved for her exceptionally empathetic insight and highly intelligent medical competence. Personally, she was a warm, loving, and unfailingly loyal friend. She was a supportive and wise mother, always in love with her child. Her husband of 34 years adored her with a passion more profound than anything words can say.
Helen Jencks Featherstone (1944–2021)
Commonwealth School mourns the loss of Helen Jencks Featherstone, a writer and educator, and the wife of the school’s second Headmaster, Jay Featherstone, and mother to alumna Liza Featherstone '87. Her 1980 book, A Difference in the Family: Living with a Disabled Child, inspired by her son Jody, provided a rarely seen and deeply compassionate perspective on the experience of raising a child with severe disabilities. "I am more aware of the ways Jody has reshaped our understanding than of the ways we have reshaped his,'' she wrote. Born almost completely blind and with cerebral palsy, Jody passed away in 1981, not long before Helen and Jay joined the Commonwealth community.
Born on July 29, 1944, in Baltimore, Helen was known for her warmth, humor, and love of ideas. A graduate of both Radcliffe College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she went on to teach generations of future educators at Michigan State, Brandeis, and Harvard universities. Helen passed away at home on June 16, 2021, at the age of 76, following a second bout with cancer. You can learn about Helen’s extraordinary life at Boston Globe.com.
Tom Brudney '75 (1957–2021)
From David Hass '75: "Tom was my best friend in high school. He passed away on March 23, 2021, after a 10 year struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Tom leaves a wife, Sharon Samek, and two children, Risa and Jake. Tom lived in downtown Washington, DC, where he worked as a labor attorney for the NLRB. For many years, Tom and his family lived in Tampa, Florida, where he and his wife raised their family. He had a passion for social justice, with a focus on protecting the rights of union workers.
Tom's years at Commonwealth were very important to him. Years later, he would quote from Eric Davis, or bring up a controversial topic that had been discussed with Mr. Merrill at Bible class. The one thing that Tom liked most about Commonwealth was that it was a school where ideas and debates about the issues of the day were taken seriously. He always had a strong opinion about controversial subjects, but, at the same time, was always interested in what other people had to say."
2020
Elaine Gibson '72 (1954–2020)
Raised in Dorchester, Elaine was the youngest of four siblings. A revolutionary, a go-getter, and graduate of Commonwealth School, Emmanuel College and Suffolk University. A dedicated educator, Elaine retired after 30 years of service to Boston Public Schools as a Teacher, Administrator, and finally Principal of Lucy Stone Elementary School. Beloved mother of Robyn and Reann Gibson, dear daughter of Mary E. Gibson, loving sister of Stanley and Carolyn Gibson. She is survived by a loving network of extended family and friends and hundreds of students whose lives she touched. Please see our tribute to Elaine in the Winter 2021 issue of CM.
Benjamin Sapers '85 (1967–2020)
Ben Sapers, Class of 1985, was a beloved doctor and teacher. His career in internal medicine took him across New England, as he held leadership and professorial positions at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut; Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Brown University; and the Boston University–affiliated Roger Williams Medical Center. Dr. Sapers, who earned his B.A. and M.D. from Harvard, was also a musician and avid reader. His scholarship ranged from topics in the history of medicine and procedure to deeper questions of medical practice, as evidenced by his presentation, “Form, Meaning and the Empathic Imagination in Poetry and Medicine.” He is survived by his former wife, Dr. Sufala Patil Sapers, and their two children, Lekha and Nayan; his mother Judith; his sister Rachel ‘84; his brother Jonathan ‘79; and his sister-in-law, Cristine.
Archie Nelson Lowe, Jr. '70 (1951–2020)
A member of the Class of 1970, Archie Nelson Lowe, Jr., went on to work as a technician at the MIT Research Facility Lincoln Laboratories before joining the Boston Pre-Release Center, Department of Corrections, from which he retired following his 65th birthday.
Gabriella "Gay" Burrage Haroutunian '63 (1946–2020)
A love of words and a love of children made Gay an exemplary speech pathologist; she worked with the Washington County Children's Program and in private practice until her retirement in September 2019. She shared her expertise with the Maine Association for Infant Mental Health and the Community Caring Collaborative. And she supported her two beloved daughters as a Girl Scout troop leader, costume designer, makeup artist, and avid cheerleader in all their endeavors, along with her husband of fifty-one years, Joe. As her family described her: Gay was a sprightly paragon of bravery, fortitude, generosity, passion, and cheer. She believed in snail mail, saving things, being active, and staying informed. And she used her voice to champion causes she believed in and people who needed support.