Alumni Death Notices Archive

David C. Frost of Northford, Conn., died peacefully at home on November 30, surrounded by his loving family, after a valiant three-year battle with cancer. He was 66. He is survived by his wife Leslie Gruneis Frost, his daughter, Jenilee Mullin, four grandchildren, three siblings, and extended family and countless friends.

Robert Livingston Hyde, of Newport, RI, died on November 21, at the age of 95.

Linda A. Caruso, of Hamden, died peacefully at home on Nov. 10, at the age of 72. Linda is survived by her husband Valentino Caruso, 2 children, 2 grandchildren, and her sister. Her son, Dr. Valentino II is a 1999 graduate of Hamden Hall.

Wendell L. Goldsmith Jr., Hamden Hall Class of 1960, died on November 10, in Florida, following complications from a fall.  Wendell is survived by his wife, Nancy, his son and daughter, and 2 grandchildren.

Geoff Fox, Hamden Hall past parent and former WTNH News 8 meteorologist, died on Nov. 11 at home in his sleep after fighting pancreatic cancer since 2016.

Maryanne Lincoln Hall died peacefully on September 25, in a nursing facility in Hamden, at the age of 89. Maryanne was a 1954 graduate of Hamden Hall.

Jeffrey "Jeff" Clark died peacefully in his sleep on September 24, in his home in Branford. He was 78.  Jeff is survived by his wife of 57 years, Martha, his sons, Hamden Hall alumni Ben Clark, Class of 1987, and Daniel Clark, Class of 1990, a sister and brother, grandchildren, and extended family.

Deborah Hoffman, of Hamden, died on October 5 at the age of 89. She was predeceased by her husband, Lawrence "Larry" Hoffman.

Past Parent and past grandparent, Dr. Lois Spivack, of Hamden, died on October 4.  She was predeceased by her husband, Paul Spivack.

Arlene Kahn Cohen, of Hamden, died at home on October 1, surrounded by her loving family. She was 90. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Marvin Cohen, her Hamden Hall alumni daughters, Joanne Cohen, Class of 1980, and Sharon Cohen Webb, Class of 1981. and two grandchildren.

Teresa "Terry" Toto, of Port Chester, New York, died on September 18. She was 101 years young. Teresa is the mother of Hamden Hall Trustee, Barbara De Natale.

Howard Tuttle Jr., of Essex, alumnus of the Class of 1957, died on September 20. He was 86 years old.

John W. Connelly Jr., of New Haven, died on September 20, at the age of 78.

Phyllis Murray McDowell died at her home in Chester, Conn., on September 12. She was 99. Phyllis was married to former Headmaster the late Edward "Ted" McDowell Jr. Two of her four daughters, Meg Smith and Kathryn Magown, attended Hamden Hall.

Arthur "Art" F. Sereque, Jr., of Downers Grove, IL, died peacefully on August 18, at the age of 89. He was a proud Hamden Hall alumnus, Class of 1953.

Guy Stedman Bradley, of Storrs, CT, died peaceful at home on September 1 from Acute Leukemia. He was 78. He graduated from Hamden Hall in 1966.

Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., of Hawthorne, Calif., died at home on August 18 from a recent debilitating illness.

Charles "Chuck" Harvey, Class of 1978, died from injuries sustained in a biking accident near his home in Florida on August 28. He was 66. 

Virginia "Ginny" Hamilton Engelhard, Hamden Hall Class of 1961, died on May 6, 2022, in Brattleboro, Vermont. She was 80.  

Mary Louise Thetford, of Florida, died peacefully on August 20 at an assisted living facility in Venice, Florida, at the age of 80.

Curtis D. Andrews Sr., of North Haven, died peacefully on July 21, surrounded by his family, at the Veterans Health Administration in West Haven. He was 91.

Past parent, Dr. Nathan G. Kase of New York City, died on July 12, following an illness. He was 95.

Marie O. Neclerio, of Hamden, died on April 24 at the age of 89. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Dr. Ralph Neclerio, who attended Hamden Hall, five children including her alumnus son Anthony "Tony" Neclerio, Hamden Hall Class of 1982, and four grandchildren.

Randal Simon, former Assistant Headmaster at Hamden Hall, died on July 6 in Kennebunkport, Maine. He was 77.

Robert "Bob" Chace, of Wallingford, Conn., died on July 5, 2025 after a long illness.

Joyce Georgette Calarco, of North Haven, died at her home. She was 73. She is survived by her beloved daughter Cali Calarco, Hamden Hall alumna, Class of 2007, and her former husband, David Calarco. 

Joseph Szászfai, of Branford, Conn., died on November 24, 2024, at the age of 85. He is survived by his three children and five grandchildren.

William "Bill" Ostrander of Clinton, Conn., died peacefully on May 24 at the age of 83.

Kathryn "Kathy" Griffin Coppola, of North Haven, died on May 22. She was 72. Kathy is survived by her husband of 40 years, Jeffrey Coppola.

Kathy was a longtime administrative staff person, having started at Hamden Hall in 1978. She began as a medical secretary and assistant during the 1978-1979 school year and eventually served as the administrative assistant to the Director of Lower School. Kathy became the assistant to the headmaster in 1993 under Jim Maggart and continued in that position for more than two decades. She completed her service to Hamden Hall during the 2016-2017 school year. Kathy established friendships with myriad alumni after they graduated from our halls, and remained connected up until the time of her passing. 

Kathy loved to spend time with family and friends. Besides her husband, she is survived by three of her eight siblings, including her brother, Peter Griffin, a former Hamden Hall staff member, sister-in-law, Beth Paradis Griffin, Class of 1972, also a former Hamden Hall staff member; her nephew, Varsity lacrosse and Wrestling Coach Kiernan Griffin, Class of 2000, and her niece, Cameron Griffin Porter, Class of 2011. She was also a great aunt to former student Nelly Griffin. 

Hamden Hall extends deep condolences to Jeff and family during this difficult time.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, May 29, from 4 - 7 p.m., at Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden. A Service celebrating her life will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the funeral home. 

To read full obituary, please click here. 

Kathy's niece, Cammie Griffin Porter, Class of 2011, eulogized Kathy. Click here to read.

Rolf C. Margenau of Bethlehem, Penn., died peacefully at his home on February 13 at the age of 90. Rolf was a non-graduating student in the Class of 1952. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Hamden Hall alumna Nancy McKinster Margenau, Class of 1952, three daughters, four grandsons, and three great-grandsons.

Jeryl "Jeri" Vets Gagliardi-Levy, Hamden Hall Class of 1952, died peacefully, in New Haven, on April 23, at the age of 90.

Martha "Molly" Palmer Mithoefer, Class of 1968, of Trescott Township, Maine, died on April 22, after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. 

It was recently brought to our attention that Hamden Hall alumna, Karly Elizabeth Mossberg, Class of 2005, unexpectedly passed away on September 10, 2023 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Cooper Woolston, son of Hamden Hall Alumna, Robyn Ramsey, Class of 1973, died on April 6, at the age of 31. He was a former lacrosse star, coach, and inspirational figure in the Seattle community.

Former faculty member, Robert Wallace McClenahan Jr., died on March 22, in Barnstable, Mass., at the age of 90.

Gregory "Greg" Sawyer, Class of 1989, of Hamden, Conn., died of sudden heart failure at home on January 21. He was 53.

Robert "Bob" Louis Garofalo of Woodbridge died peacefully at his home on March 18, surrounded by his loving family.

Alumnus David Bender, Class of 1970, of Westbrook, Conn. died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on March 1.

Matthew Kennedy, of New Haven, alum from the Class of 1997, died over this past weekend.

Joan Rice Douglas Gordon, Hamden Hall alumna from the Class of 1945, died on July 1, 2024,  in Jacksonville, Fla. She was 95.

George H. Romania, 65, of Cheshire, died peacefully on December 25, with his family by his side, ending his long battle with MSA. 

Carol M. Merrill, Class of 1955, died peacefully with her family beside her on December 19, 2024, after a brief hospitalization. She was 87.

Thomas "TG" Sullivan III, Class of 1987, passed away on December 14, 2024. 

Former faculty member Thomas Butler, 77, passed away on January 2 in Ithaca, N.Y. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Joyce Ryan, and his son, Nick, who is a Hamden Hall alumnus of the Class of 2000.