Pinkerton ALUMNUS Spring/Summer 2021 Graduation Returns to Campus BOARD SPOTLIGHT BRENDA KEITH Miss Brenda Keith is proud of the opportunities the program provides for has been on the Board young women. of Trustees for 20 years. “I love the mentorship opportunity with the Having graduated from young woman, and I love the fact that we’re making a law school in 1997, she difference with the scholarship program,” she said. “We was building her practice granted $100,000 in scholarships this year at Miss New when in 2001 former Hampshire. We (NH) are routinely in the top 5 or 10 trustee Bob Gorham states for the amount of scholarships we grant.” asked her to join. A 1974 Empowering young people is a passion that transcends graduate and lifelong Keith’s involvement in both Miss America and the Derry resident, she was Pinkerton Academy Board of Trustees. honored to represent “What keeps me coming back is the mentorships. To Derry on the Board. see the young women grow and become leaders. I have Brenda Keith Keith’s ties to her alma faith in the next generation, serving on the Pinkerton mater run deep as her Board, I see what the kids can do and then the natural mother, Marjorie (Piper) Keith graduated from Pinkerton extension of that is watching the young women grow in in 1948, and her 5 siblings all attended as well. Her love the Miss America program.” for Pinkerton has always been strong. What might surprise many is that Keith was a racecar “I had a great experience at Pinkerton and very much driver intermittently for ten years. A trip to Star Speedway enjoyed my time there,” she said. “I would always look in Epping with her dad led her to join the spectator race, forward to the Alumnus magazine every time we got it.” and she immediately discovered a new passion. Throughout her years as a student at Pinkerton, Keith “I took my American Motors Javelin and told my also worked for her family business, and says her business dad I was going to enter the spectator race. He said, ‘Go teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Helm, would often help her with for it.’ He was always supportive of me, but I didn’t tell the work she was doing. This authentic connection anyone else in my family in case I chickened out. You between academic classes and real life applications is at had to go to the grandstand to sign up, and I was more the heart of what is now Pinkerton’s CTE program, of nervous about that and asking a driver to borrow his which Keith is particularly proud. helmet than I was about getting in the car. Once I got out “The trades are extraordinarily important. That’s there, I had a blast. I loved it.” what I’m most proud of at Pinkerton, the CTE program. Keith says she did “pretty well” over the years, The fact that you can graduate from Pinkerton with an winning a race and coming in second place a few times. LNA, you can graduate from Pinkerton and go to work She says while she was never great, she held her own. as a welder or an electrician with more experience, is Keith is currently a partner at Boutin Law in remarkable.” Londonderry, NH. She loves traveling and has visited all After her graduation, Keith says she continued to 50 states, a goal she set for herself as a sophomore. She watch Pinkerton as she was very involved in the Derry credits her parents for giving her the confidence to pursue community. Keith volunteered with the Jaycees, an any path she chose which led to her success across many organization in the Derry area at the time. Through the disciplines. years she has been a member of the Derry Town Council “Because my parents told me I could do anything I and has also served as a NH State Representative. She was wanted to and anything I set my mind to, at a very young a co-founder of Derryfest and helped establish the Miss age they convinced me that I could,” she said. Derry Scholarship competition. Keith has served in various roles at the state and national level of the Miss America organization, including as Vice-Chair. A long time fan of the pageant, she remembers watching with her dad. She Pinkerton Alumnus Spring/Summer 2021 Board of Trustees Dr. William A. Nevious, President Mr. Mark A. Wright, Esq., 1st Vice President Dr. Thomas Hong, 2nd Vice President Mrs. Kimberly M. Smith, Secretary Mr. Adam J. Mead ’04, Treasurer Dr. Sandra Truebe, Assistant Treasurer Mr. E. Wayne Bolen Members of the Derry Fire Department helped distribute shots for a closed COVID-19 Mr. Harry E. Burnham, Jr. vaccination POD in the Hackler Gymnasium. Proud Pinkerton alumni posing here are Dr. Timothy J. Butterfield ’65 (left to right) Pattie MacIsaac ’13, Gregory Putnam ’01, Jacob Pelletier ’08, and James Dr. Scott Copeland Hoffman ’02. Dr. Bonnie Eckerman ’93 Mr. Edwin R. Karjala ’86 Features Miss Brenda E. Keith, Esq. ’74 2 Chaucerfest: Mr. Mark Laliberte 35 years of fun with British Literature Mrs. Joanne M. McHugh Mr. William G. Newcomb ’65 3 Unified Field Day: Focusing on positivity and encouragement Director of Communications & Alumnus Editor: Julia Mitchell ’98 4 A Letter from the Headmaster by Dr. Timothy J. Powers Alumni Relations Coordinator: Meagan Sojka ’03 5 Heartfelt Condolences Alumni Association Officers 6 Pirates of Penzance: John Breda ’96, President Collaborative artistic efforts bring spring musical back to Stockbridge Theatre Patty Millsaps Blair ’79, Vice-President by Aleksandra Carney, ’21 Lorrie Burdick Belinsky ’75, Secretary/Treasurer 8 Good Shepherds Foundation encourages young Directors people to volunteer Nancy Gilbert Ek ’57 by Julianna Manrique, ’21 James Sullivan ’60 9 Alumni Spotlights Dennis Burdick ’65 Meet Bert Deivert, Christina Mailloux, Hannah Terry, Kevin Davies, and Marissa William Newcomb ’65 Tremblay Gayle Emerson Gagnon ’65 Jo- Ann DelMastro ’78 15 Senior Reflections Pam Martin ’78 by Macy Graves and Nicholas Barbuto, Class of 2021 Mark Mastromarino ’79 16 A Future Built on the Past: History, Preservation, Lynne Lonergan ’80 and Adaptive Reuse at Pinkerton Academy Michael Holm ’82 by Mark A. Mastromarino, Class of 1979 Michelle Lafond Stock ’91 Steve Pearson ’94 20 Mental Health Matters Jennifer Brown ’97 Organizations work to spread mental health awareness. Lani Buskey ’98 24 Class News Adam Mead ’04 Alumni Updates Andy Stock ’14 Ariana LoFaro ’18 29 Giving List Thank you to all of our generous donors. Past Presidents George Tsetsilas ’57 32 Graduation Festivities Richard West ’59 47 In Memoriam Ronald Gagnon ’64 Barbara Stevens Ellingwood ’66 48 Florida Reunions and Senior Parade Michael Pelletier ’72 49 Save the Dates Send all class news to: Meagan Sojka, 5 Pinketon St., Derry, NH 03038 Front Cover Call 603-437-5200 x1101 or Samantha Franks responds to the cheers as she celebrates at the Senior Parade. email [email protected]. Photography: Unless otherwise noted, all photographs are taken by Julia Send requests for address changes to: Mitchell. Older photographs are courtesy of the Pinkerton Academy Alumni Judy Spigarelli, 5 Pinkerton St., Derry, NH 03038. Association archives. Call 603-437-5200 x5140 or email Design: Joyce Design Solutions, Exeter, NH [email protected]. The ALUMNUS is published twice a year. Printing: Cummings Printing, Hooksett, NH #TogetherWeArePinkerton ~ 1 Chaucerfest 35 years of fun with British Literature For 35 years seniors in Mrs. Therese Kerman’s has been something students English classes have participated in “Chaucerfest” after have remembered, and reading Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. they’ve always been willing to Students would dress like characters from the stories, sign participate. into the Tabard Inn guestbook, mingle like they’re at a “I remember one time I party, and then introduce each other to the class. was seated at a restaurant and “It almost always came in the middle of second our waitress walked up to me semester,” said Kerman, “And the idea was, let’s be like and she said, ‘Chaucerfest!’ Chaucer’s pilgrims who were entertaining each other And I looked at her and said, along the way and telling stories and let’s have a day to ‘You were the nun!’ I think for just entertain each other and have some fun.” a lot of them it’s the thing they Kerman admits the academic tie-in might not always remember doing. I haven’t ever have been particularly evident, but over the years it had anyone refuse to do it,” she said. The entertainment over the years has varied and provided memorable moments for the classes. In the end, Kerman hopes the lesson goes beyond the fun break from traditional learning. “I’ve had weddings here, and I’ve had people write stories. I had three young men who did their own original rap,” she recalled. “I don’t expect any of them to be English majors but to just understand that people are all alike. We may not all be dressing like they were back then, but we really aren’t all that different.” Mrs. Kerman retires this year after 35 years in the Pinkerton English Department. 2 ~ PINKERTON ALUMNUS Spring/Summer 2021 UNIFIED FIELD DAY Focusing on positivity and encouragement In 1993 Physical Education teacher Miss Betty Shepard The Field Day traditionally has events like partner relays, coordinated the first ever Unified Field Day. Having taught the basketball, volleyball, and foul shooting. The focus is on Unified Physical Education classes which paired Regular and positivity and encouragement. Special Education students together, she expanded the idea “The students know who’s winning; they keep track,” to a day of competitions with other schools.