OBITUARY

Karl William Borgwardt left this world on January 7, 2011, finally losing a long and courageous battle with type 1 diabetes. Born on July 22, 1958, he is survived by son, Matthew Borgwardt; daughter, Andrea Borgwardt; parents, John and Joyce Borgwardt; sister, Kim Borgwardt Monke; brother-in-law, Joe Chitwood; brother, Kurt Borgwardt (his kidney donor), and sister-in-law, Liz Koppelman. He lived in a wide circle of devoted friends, including most especially Marla Vera and John Duncan.

Karl graduated from the University of Arizona, trained as a mechanical engineer with a solar specialty. Karl showed an amazing talent at an early age, as he routinely fixed home appliances. He leaves a to-do list filled with building projects still underway at the homes and businesses of his family and friends. Most of us have benefited from his expertise, for which he rarely expected payment. We consider is talent for woodworking a legacy he leaves behind in all of his creations.

Karl became a skillful and innovative cook and could improvise with very little equipment. Karl had a unique gift of cultivating diverse relationships and giving those the benefit of his generosity and humor. Karl will be remembered for his selfless acts of kindness and constant pursuit of aiding others in need. He made each day meaningful in some way and was both a good listener and a lively story teller.

He worked tirelessly for the Donor Network of Arizona to alert us to the power we hold: the lifesaving gift of organ donation. We regret he didn’t live to accomplish his dream which he strived so hard to make happen. We knew Karl lived on borrowed time which made his circle grow closer in recent years. For that we are enormously grateful. He spent his happiest moments in the mountains with family and friends and his dog, Winston. Karl, we have set a place at the table for you at Sunday dinner. We will miss your wit and laughter more than words can describe, yet we know you are finally free from pain and running in the open air. Karl leaves this us his enduring philosophy “no worries.”

KEVIN G. BROWN, age 54 of Gatlinburg, formerly of Miami, FL, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at LeConte Medical Center. He was of the Catholic Faith. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Thomas and Mary Lenore Brown. Kevin is survived by his wife of 5 years, Tabitha Jackson Brown; son, John Brown; brothers, Mark Brown and wife Marjorie and Gregory Brown; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Missy and David Jackson; sister-in-law, Nicky Jackson; grandmother-in-law (Special Friend) Hazel Kanipe; several nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

Brian was born in Salem, MA on February 9th, 1957. He was the third of six children of Dr. Frederick and Marye Buckley. He grew up in Marblehead and became one of the preeminent athletes in Marblehead High School history. Featured in Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” as a 9th grader, he was most known as a southpaw quarterback “Broadway Brian”. Brian was also an MVP, All American and captain in both baseball and football. His thrilling 20-12 victory over Swampscott in the 1973 Thanksgiving game is still one of the most memorable games of that rivalry. Missing his senior year at Marblehead High from a left shoulder injury, he went on to have a great post-graduate year at Exeter Academy and continued his football career at Harvard. He was the offensive MVP of the Blue-Gray Classic Bowl game in 1980 and holds the record for the longest touchdown pass. He was drafted by the NE Patriots in 1981. He was a member of the Marblehead Gridiron Club’s Hall of Fame. While at Harvard, Brian majored in history and was a member of the Spee Club. After his football career ended, he embarked upon a career in sports promotion and marketing. Brian was a longtime member of the Tedesco Country Club.

Thomas Drew Cassel, 67 of Camden, New Jersey passed away on December 25, 2025. Loving father of Mitchell Cassel, dear brother of James Cassel.

William Blake Clark, Jr. April 12, 1958 – May 10, 2017 Standish- William (Bill) Clark, beloved father of Zakaiah Helen and Osheana Ruth and husband of Genevieve Hinkley Clark, died of a sudden heart attack on May 10, 2017. His life was centered around his girls, enjoying time with them at the New Hampshire family camp, the Hinkley farm, skiing at Wildcat and Black Mountain, and summer vacations at Small Point on the Maine coast. He had a reverent love of nature and loved being in the outdoors. Bill was a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1976, where his father was a faculty member and coach, and the University of Maine, Orono, in 1981 with a major in Forest Management. Although Bill became a lifelong registered Professional Forester, his desire for a career in forest management was not possible in a time of state and forest industry cutbacks. His background in surveying, engineering, and architecture led Bill to pursue a career in surveying and he was an active member of the Maine Society of Land Surveyors (MSLS). He began working for the City of Portland as a surveyor, working his way up to Senior Project Engineer during his 23-year tenure with the city. He was particularly proud of his part in the design, construction, and opening of Hadlock Field. Bill loved the beauty of wood and wood grain and spent many hours building a wooden kayak as well as designing and building the family home. He was a gentle and unpretentious man, with a drive for perfection and commitment which served him well in his career path. He was loved by children for his “Donald Duck” impression, known as “Beav” by family and friends, and had a special sense of humor that made you wonder how his mind worked. He had a strong interest in staying current with local and world events and his family knew not to interrupt “Dad” during the evening news.

Frank W. Daykin III died on June 22, 2023, at home in Sunnyside, Queens, with his husband Greg Lane at his side. He suffered from pancreatic cancer.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Frank was a pianist, teacher, musicologist, and writer. While his interests were broad and diverse, he was devoted to French music, particularly that of Maurice Ravel.

He performed and recorded the solo piano repertoire and collaborated in art song and chamber music performance, including with The Ambrosia Trio, the Gotham Trio, and many others. He coached and accompanied art song singers in the United States and internationally.

With Millette Alexander, he formed The Alexander & Daykin Piano Duo. They met at The Julliard School in 1979, and were coached there and privately by Eva Kovalik. Their partnership, which lasted until 2016, included performances in venues intimate and grand. A favorite series was presented by Friends of Music of Stamford, NY, of which Eva Kovalik was a founder. Frank performed there many times, as soloist, with Millette, and as accompanist to many singers.

Alexander & Daykin recorded two well received CDs for the Connoisseur Society: Paris Originals, for piano four-hands, and Bach’s The Art of the Fugue, at two pianos. They performed The Art of the Fugue at Salle Gaveau in Paris, and the complete four-hand and two-piano music of Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, and Milhaud in St. Germain-en-Laye, France, Debussy’s birthplace. The duo made their Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1994.

As a soloist, Frank made his debut in New York at Weill Recital Hall in 1988. He performed the complete piano works of Ravel, on his piano, at Le Belv?dere, Ravel’s house in Montfort l’Amaury, France.

Frank participated in the Festival Ravel in Saint-Jean de Luz for several years, where he studied with Jacques Rouvier. He served as music director of the Apollo Muses in Gladstone, NJ, and was on the faculty of The Chamber Music Conference and Composers’ Forum of the East for 20 years, ending with his death. He was deeply involved with Les Amis de Maurice Ravel, serving as the authorized translator into English of Ravel’s writings. Frank was a member of the advisory board of The Art Song Preservation Society of New York, and he regularly reviewed musical events for New York Concert Review.

In testimony to Frank’s pedagogy, a tribute from the Art Song Preservation Society states: “As an assistant to the esteemed French song expert Thomas Grubb at the Manhattan School of Music, Frank worked tirelessly with more than 60 singers each week, imparting his wisdom and expertise. His dedication to vocal coaching and the art of French song was unparalleled.”

Tapping his unique combination of performance, musical, and linguistic knowledge, Frank wrote The Encyclopedia of French Art Song: Ravel, Poulenc, Faur?, and Debussy. It was published by Pendragon Press in 2013 and is in hundreds of library and conservatory collections worldwide. He also wrote and published several volumes of poetry: What Cannot Be Erased; I Have My Doubts; questions remain; finding keeping losing weeping; bloodwork; Words Without Songs; and Islands.

Frank was born July 22, 1958, in Perry, Ohio, to Julie Daykin and Frank W. Daykin. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Frank attended Westminster Choir College before going on to The Manhattan School of Music. Frank lived and maintained a teaching and performance practice near Lincoln Center for decades before moving to Queens.

Frank ran the New York City Marathon twice, along with several Turkey Trots, Gay Pride Fun Runs, and New Year’s Eve 5Ks in Central Park. He was a member of Front Runners NY.

Frank and Greg were married for 12 years and lived happily in Sunnyside. Frank proposed the instant same-sex marriage became legal in New York State in 2011. In addition to Greg, Frank is survived by brothers Philip Daykin and Tyler Daykin. He leaves behind many beloved neighborhood friends and musical colleagues.

Nick was in my ninth grade of 15 students in Istanbul. He was debonaire (at least compared to the other seven boys), adventuresome (going on a spring break trip through southern Turkey and some Greek islands with a friend unchaperoned, who each had $200), risk-taking (climbing Mt. Ararat in the 6th grade) and intellectual (seriously delving into eastern religions in middle school.)
– Desiree Winkler Meyer

Nick’s father, Exeter Class of 43, did my Exeter interview over dinner with a delicious dinner and wine, that I would no longer be allowed to consume if I did get into Exeter.
– Desiree Winkler Meyer

ECKER—David Rice, 19, son of Elizabeth Rice Ecker and Allan B. Ecker, brother of Sarah Rice Ecker, on February 26, in Boston, Mass, while attending Harvard College.

University Holds Memorial Services For David Ecker
March 11, 1978

The University held a memorial service yesterday for David R. Ecker ’81, who died of leukemia on February 26. Over 100 of Ecker’s friends and classmates attended the afternoon service.

Reverend Peter J. Gomes, minister in the Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, conducted the service. Several of Ecker’s friends, David Feinberg ’81, Joanne Burger ’81, Susanne Coates ’81, and his proctor, Jeff Sonnenfeld ’76, spoke of their memories of Ecker.

Ecker’s friends who spoke at the service stressed that Ecker taught them all a new way to experience and live life. “His philosophy wasn’t an intellectually contrived, pretentious philosophy,” but one that made each moment of life special in some way, Burger said.

Despite his illness, Ecker was a person who tried to fill every moment of his own life and the lives of others with a sense of uniqueness, his friends said. “I have learned to savor little things,” Sonnenfeld quoted Ecker as saying just before his death.

The University has established a short story prize contest in Ecker’s name for freshmen. Ecker enjoyed writing fiction and helped his friend Alfred E. Lewis ’78 with a story which appeared in 1975 in Harper’s magazine.

Rogers Jason Johnson, 62, passed away on November 12, 2020. He was born August 27, 1958 in New York. Rogers came from humble beginnings. He started life as the baby of the family, with five brothers and two sisters. He was the only child born north of the Mason Dixon line – a true Northerner and a true New Englander.

His family settled in Rye, New York but not in a big, million dollar home. He settled on the other side of town near a park where the boys could play sports 24/7 along with his Johnson relatives, the Kennedy cousins, the Nixon cousins and other family members. The boys were strong, respectful and fun-loving. They were called “The Presidential Backfield” whenever they played ball or sports in the area. Let’s just say, whatever sport they were playing, they stuck together and they never lost. Rogers was a natural athlete at every sport – football, baseball, hockey, rugby, tennis, swimming and golf.

He was also a natural born negotiator, and that is where his real story begins. To list his life accomplishments would take more time than anyone reasonably has, so an executive summary follows. He was an Aide on the Ohio State Senate from 1980-1982. He was the Senior Account Executive/Sales for Travelers Insurance Co from 1982-1987. Rogers worked from 1987-1997 at Alexander and Alexander Benefit Services in Greenwich, Connecticut as the Vice President selling large and small group insurance. From there he came to New Hampshire, where he had attended Phillips Exeter Academy as a youth. He managed the Alexander Consulting Group in Newburyport, Massachusetts until 1996. He then worked in an executive capacity at Aon Consulting from 1997-2000, followed by Acordia/Wells Fargo until 2003. From 2003-2006, Rogers was self-employed. In 1999 he achieved a Masters of Health Administration from UNH in Durham, New Hampshire.

In 2001 Rogers experienced a feeling of dissatisfaction with his local and state government, so he ran for the office of state representative in the New Hampshire General Court, won, and served his district in Stratham from 2001 to 2006. During that time, he was selected as the House Majority Whip, the first African American to hold this position in the state’s history. He also served on the House Finance Committee, Health and Human Services Committee and the Rules Committee. He was awarded the Black America’s Political Action Committee (BAMPAC) Leaders of Tomorrow Award in 2004, the New Hampshire Healthcare Association recognition award for Long Term Care Services in 2003, and the New Hampshire Business Council recognition for support of small business in 2003. Rogers also participated in Leadership New Hampshire in 2002 and was an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. After serving as a New Hampshire state representative, as in baseball, Rogers was just getting warmed up.

He was asked by then President George W. Bush to go to Washington, D.C. to serve in the U.S. Department of Education as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs under then Secretary Margaret Spellings. He held this position for three years until 2009. After that, Rogers came back to New Hampshire to spend time with his family and to work on various political campaigns as everything from general organizer to policy advisor to speech ghostwriter. He also continued to sell insurance as an independent sales agent. He still felt he had more to do in the great state of New Hampshire, and routinely volunteers his time on various boards as director, leader or advisor in public and private sector industries.

You may know Rogers best as the elected Treasurer of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP, representing seventeen NAACP branches in five New England states, as the President of the Portsmouth Branch NAACP and an all-around “good guy,” but he is much more. Johnson was awarded the Seacoast NAACP’s Freedom Fighter Award in 2014.

“Rogers was a great friend,” said Gov. Chris Sununu in a statement Friday. “He was always laser-focused on making New Hampshire a more diverse and equitable state, and thanks to his tireless leadership and advocacy over these last few years, New Hampshire has made tremendous strides. We will carry on this work in his legacy and honor, and all of New Hampshire mourns his passing.”

Johnson also served as chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion, as a member of the governor’s COVID-19 Equity Response Team and the Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community and Transparency.

Rogers has worked tirelessly to help others. He has helped to pass necessary legislation in New Hampshire to keep vulnerable populations in the state in a position of power to resolve their own issues. He has worked with state and local law enforcement authorities to right the wrongs done to minority-based populations in New Hampshire and nationwide by unjust educational and government-based administrations. He has boldly stood up and fought on issues from domestic violence to zoning for men, women, students and children of all ethnicities who did not have a voice of their own. He has never backed down on an issue when it was right to push for a real result.

When asked previously by a prominent New Hampshire business community member if he would consider running for governor, Rogers’ response was simply, “Who me?”

But whenever he is asked by anyone to take on a leadership position where he is sure to make a difference, either as an advocate for change or in the lives of others, Rogers’ response is always “I’ll do it.”

Rogers Johnson has tried his best to succeed at everything he has ever been asked to do – by anyone at any time. He has learned life lessons the hard way, and the “my way,” and played and coached at sports the way he lives life – to never, ever, ever, give up.

Rogers enjoys the unending support of his wife Poppy, sons Jay and Jeremy, extended family, Rye, New York childhood friends, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity brothers, political friends and adversaries alike, committee members, neighbors, colleagues and all of us in this branch.

Recently, Rogers was very involved with his son Jeremy’s being in the US Navy. Rogers was also interested in helping bring to NH a diverse environment for professional opportunities.

He is survived by his loving wife, Poppy Johnson, 2 sons, Jay Johnson and Jeremy Johnson, his mother Mary who turned 100 years old last August, siblings, Ronnie, Jerry, James, and Marie, and many other extended family members.

Rogers was predeceased by his sister, Emma and brothers Willie and Calvin.

Andrew Louis Kirby, 61, of Greenwich, CT passed away on July 14, 2020 from a heart attack while vacationing with his family. He spent his last days in a place he loved, the Kirby family camp in the Adirondacks.

Andrew was born in New York City on August 6, 1958, son of William and Ann (Pfohl) Kirby. He grew up with his large, loving family in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, commuting with his siblings to Saint David’s School in Manhattan.

Andrew attended Phillips Exeter Academy and the Lawrenceville School, Duke University (BSE 1980), and Harvard Law School (JD 1983). He was a proud Duke alumnus, cheering on the Blue Devils every season, and was a recipient of the 2020 Forever Duke Award for his decades of active involvement in the Duke Alumni Association. Professionally, Andrew wore many hats. Over the course of his career, he was a corporate lawyer at Shearman & Sterling, in-house counsel and Director of Acquisitions for Cadbury Schweppes, founder and President of SodaMate, and President of Plaxall, the family real estate and plastics manufacturing business in Long Island City, NY. He served on multiple nonprofit boards including the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, the Queens Museum, and the Long Island City Partnership. While he wasn’t a practicing engineer in his career, he was a member of Tau Beta Pi honor society, and his passion for innovating, creative problem solving, and understanding how things work was apparent in all he did.

Andrew’s interests were also varied. He was a superb athlete who loved skiing, tennis, paddle tennis, and golf with friends and family. He loved to swim, and was famous for his trademark variation on the cannonball that would leave any bystanders drenched and laughing.

Andrew was the spark that enlivened any gathering. Thanks to him, get-togethers often included music and dancing, a competitive game of cornhole, or even a little late-night bowling. Andrew’s greatest pleasure was spending quality time with his wife Nancy, son Duncan, and daughter Johanna. He and Nancy often enjoyed kayaking and long walks at Tod’s Point on Long Island Sound. During his childhood, Andrew’s family vacationed at Rockywold Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake, NH, a tradition Andrew continued with his own family. His daughter Johanna was married there in June of last year, a celebration that brought Andrew immense joy.

Andrew was a devoted husband and father who made his love for his family known with his constant encouragement and support. He was always there for his family at a moment’s notice—providing invaluable life and career advice to Duncan, offering moral and technical support for Nancy with her teaching career, or even (memorably) moving Johanna into a fifth floor walk-up apartment in the middle of a hot NYC summer. He was generous with his time and energy: always available, always helping, and never expecting anything in return.

Russell Charles Lindgren, 54, of Heath, Mass., died unexpectedly on September 3rd at home. He is survived by his partner of 21 years Laura O’Connor, his son Jens Lindgren, Jens’ mother Susan McDormand and siblings Allison Hickey and Ian Kiehle, and his brothers Erik Lindgren and Robert Lindgren. He was predeceased by his parents Robert M. and Jane C. Lindgren, and has many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Born in Harrisburg Pa., “Rusty” attended high school in Camp Hill, Pa., and graduated from Northfield Mt Hermon in 1976. He graduated from Tufts University in 1980 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Russ was employed by Wang Industries before relocating to Brattleboro, Vt., where he started Lindgren Associates. He also ran BioTags, which developed and produced digital and analog wildlife electronic tags for tracking and population studies. Other places of employment include Omega Optical, Chroma Technologies, PC Connection, Vermont Photonics, and MicroCal. He was also the editor and a writer for the trade magazine Personal Engineering & Instrumentation News.

Russ was a technical designer and inventor who thought outside the box. He was passionate about music, a proficient guitarist, and a fan of the music of Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno. Russ played in a New Wave band with his brother Erik called Family Fun, which released “Record” on Eat Records in 1981. He had an innate talent for building electronic instruments and synthesizers. One of his last projects was modifying an SK-5 synthesizer, which was sampled and will be marketed through PureMagnetik.

Russ was a gentle person who felt at home in nature. He was an avid fly fisherman and spent many hours fishing with his close friend Peter Maynard. He loved cats, skiing, swimming, and walking. Russ enjoyed reading Science Fiction and metaphysics. He was a seeker at an early age and carried his questioning with him.

BRENTWOOD – Priscilla “Polly” Nye MacMullen, of Brentwood, New Hampshire, passed away on Thursday, March 21, 2019 after a long, brave battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 60 years old, a woman of extraordinary toughness, courage and kindness.

Polly was born in Eugene, Oregon and for most of her childhood grew up in Clinton, Connecticut. The daughter of two Yale professors and sibling to two brothers and a sister, it was here where her life-long love of horses began.

Polly graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1976, a brilliant student and competitive athlete. A National Merit Scholarship recipient and winner of the Cox Medal, she won varsity letters in three sports. With her junior year spent in France through School Year Abroad, a passion for French was born.

Polly attended Yale University, where she worked with her typical fierce drive and discipline. She majored in French-and she would go on later to receive her masters at Middlebury College-and was a varsity swimmer for one year and a varsity lacrosse player for four years.

After graduation from Yale, and for over three decades, Polly was an extraordinarily committed French teacher. She taught for four years at Westminster School (Simsbury, Conn.) and then returned to her alma mater, where she would devote her life to teaching, advising and mentoring students. In the classroom, she was well known for being incredibly tough and demanding, with high of standards of performance and conduct. But she also had fun, and she did not give up on students, pushing them continually to new levels. She was just as hard on herself, preparing classes late into the night, correcting quizzes all Sunday, her break from work perhaps a walk in the woods with her dog or a few hours watching the New England Patriots. While she taught at the highest level, in her later years it was introductory classes that brought her the most joy. She loved the “light bulb” moments when a young student spoke a full sentence in French for the first time.

Polly cared deeply for her school. She held strong opinions, and in many ways she was the embodiment of Exeter’s past and traditions. Colleagues had deep respect for her powerful work ethic, her passion for what was right, and for her stubborn principles-and also for her kindness, generosity and humor. She found enormous pleasure in her friendships on campus. Like all great boarding school teachers, she was involved in countless ways outside the classroom: she was as a dorm head; she coached varsity, j.v. and ninth-grade girls’ lacrosse, finding particular pleasure in working with girls new to the sport; she was a part-time college counselor; and she served on both the Admissions and Discipline committees. In 1999, she was awarded with the Rupert Radford ’55 Faculty Fellowship award.

Colleague and former head of school Tom Hassan shared: “In her own life and as a teacher, Polly held herself and her students to the highest standards. She faced life with sheer grit, tempered with great kindness. In doing so, she engendered the same level of hard work and integrity in all of us who knew and respected her. Maggie and I, as well as her many friends, colleagues and beloved pets, will miss her greatly.”

And Polly had great passions and hobbies, and to all of them, she brought singular focus and energy. She was a terrific baker, bringing bread, muffins and cookies as house presents to friends and family. She was an avid gardener at her beloved farm in Brentwood, over the years steadily transforming the property with beds of perennials, drifts of daffodils and daylilies, and native trees. She loved dogs-and always Chesapeake Bay retrievers. But nowhere did her discipline, energy and love show more than with horses. Starting as a little girl and through her life, she bred, trained, showed, and rode. She took great pride-and found it amusing-that she was able to compete against the “big barns” with their professional staffs while she was mucking out her own stalls. She showed at the highest levels, in equitation and over fences. After she and her sister bought a home in Vass, North Carolina, she spent parts of winters there, trailering her horses down I-95 to ride wooded trails and train for shows from Florida to Massachusetts.

Polly was incredibly resilient, strong and brave. Her siblings often remarked that she was by far the toughest of all of them, and she fought setbacks-athletic injuries, knee surgeries, broken bones and concussions from falls from horses, and most of all cancer– with a courage and determination that beggared description. Even as she suffered, she continued to live with energy and passion, with caring for others, and rare humor as well. No one who knew her was not inspired. And even as she suffered, she was always thinking of others, arriving at a house visit with fresh baked muffins, inviting families over so the children could pat her newborn foal, inquiring of her nieces and nephews and following visits with letters.

The MacMullen family is indebted to many for the love and kindness Polly experienced in her illness, especially from her retired colleagues Kathy and Roger Nekton and her loving neighbor Bill Whitehouse. Polly leaves her mother, Edith MacMullen; father, Ramsay MacMullen, and stepmother, Peggy MacMullen; Sandy MacMullen, brother; Willy MacMullen, brother; Lukey Nuthman, sister; Carla Jantos MacMullen, sister –in-law; Pam MacMullen, sister-in-law; six nieces and nephews; countless dear friends from Brentwood, Phillips Exeter, and Vass, North Carolina; and her two horses, Abby and Matt, and dog Monty.

OBITUARY

I meet Michael at the Clements’ apartment his first evening at Exeter.  He was very kind and calming. There wasn’t a hint that he would become one of the popular players on the basketball team.  He walked me back to my dorm, Bancroft, on the other side of campus. I had made a good friend, with whom I stayed on touch.  He escorted my family the Hearst Estate, when we were visiting in 2011. He adored his wife, and his two daughters.

– Desiree Meyer

Charles Frederick Pohl, a global investment leader, husband, father and friend passed away peacefully on June 2, 2025, in San Francisco, California, after living with ALS.

Born on January 7, 1958, in Philadelphia to Harold F. Pohl and Jean Zimmerman Pohl, Charles grew up with an early love of learning. He enjoyed hearing his mom read him the nonfiction book The Sinking of the Bismark and playing with his dog Osprey, affectionately nicknamed Helen.

He and his family later moved to Cherry Hill, NJ, where he lived until his parents moved to Fairport, NY in his senior year of high school. He then attended Phillips Exeter Academy for one year, where he thrived as part of the school’s intellectually rigorous community.

He earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Chicago, an institution that not only shaped his intellect but remained a lifelong source of inspiration and community.

Charles began his investing career at Wells Fargo Investment Advisors, before joining Dodge & Cox, where he worked for the remainder of his career. He served as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer at Dodge & Cox, where he helped shape the firm’s long-term, value-driven investment philosophy over more than three decades. Among his many contributions toward deepening the firm’s equity and fixed income investment research capabilities, he was integral to starting the Dodge & Cox International and Emerging Market funds and initiated the firm’s quantitative portfolio strategy group. Charles was a fiercely competitive and successful investor, but his true legacy at Dodge & Cox is the large group of people whom he trained and mentored. A proud “quant” at heart, despite leading a firm renowned for its fundamental analysis, Charles deeply valued both creativity and rigor, and he brought a rare mix of intellectual honesty and quiet humility to his work.

He is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Eve Niquette, and their three daughters Geneva, Charlotte, and Sophira, who were the center of his world. He also leaves behind the family’s loyal dog, Jet.

He seamlessly transitioned from being an only child to embracing a large extended family, whom he cherished and always included in his travels.

Charles led with quiet strength. He was a kind man who chose his words carefully and always led by example. He met Eve skiing in Lake Tahoe, and adventure remained a theme of their life together. He traveled to more than 90 countries, and continued to explore the furthest corners of the globe even after his diagnosis-always returning with a gift in hand. He dreamt up grand adventures, from heli-skiing in Alaska for his 50th birthday to riding yaks in Tibet, and even traveling solo in India after he lost his ability to speak.

Among his favorite places in the world were the mountains of Big Sky, Montana, the vast wildlife reserves of Botswana and South Africa, and the medieval cities of Malta – but perhaps none more sacred than his reading chair in San Francisco, where he could quietly soak in the world, with Jet curled up beside him.

He was an early riser, often starting his day with a Coke and the Wall Street Journal. He loved seafood, apple pie, red wine, and port. He was a life-long tennis player, and always aspired to improve his game, spending endless hours hitting groundstrokes and even seeking out a Florida-based coach to tune his serve.

He also enjoyed reading gripping crime novels and listening to The Eagles.

He was very proud to finish writing his book, The Professional’s Guide to Long-Term Investing, which was published earlier this year, and he cherished the opportunity to share it with many friends through a series of book events.

Though ALS gradually took his ability to communicate and his mobility, it never touched his mind or spirit. He met the disease with dignity, courage, and humor, always staying grounded in love and the values that defined his life.

Charles will be remembered for his sharp intellect, lifelong curiosity, calm leadership, and unwavering love for his family. He was a mentor, a listener, and a thinker.

Excerpt

Mark graduated from the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire at the top of his class, and at age 18 was accepted directly into the Northwestern University Medical School honors program. After medical school, Mark completed an Ophthalmology residency at Northwestern, and a fellowship in cataract surgery at the University of Kentucky. While there, he became an associate professor. Mark returned to private practice as a premier ophthalmic surgeon in Chicago and in Florida.

RUANE, William J. “Godfather of the Cambridge Music Scene” of Cambridge, October 26. Beloved son of the late William and Libba Ruane. Loving brother of Lili Ruane, Paige Ruane and Tom Ruane. Devoted uncle of Julie, Lucy, Kelsey and Sophie Barrett. Relatives and friends are invited to visit at the Donovan-Aufiero Funeral Home, 140 Otis St. (at 6th St.) EAST CAMBRIDGE Saturday, October 30 from 4-8 PM. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to Mark Sandman Education Fund.

Billy helped make Cambridge/Boston a great and happening place to live, during the late 80’s/early 90’s. He brought a great deal of entertainment and fun to this town. And memories of good times and friends, that will not be forgotten.

In 1976, in his senior year of high school, Erik was stricken with a debilitating form of schizophrenia. He was treated with great kindness by Exeter, which enabled him to graduate despite the challenges of his affliction.

Nicholas Harvey Vanderbilt was an American adventurer, sportsman, and aspiring writer. He was born in Oyster Bay, New York, on September 21, 1958, the son of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II and Jean Harvey, and a member of one of America’s most historic families.

He was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, graduating in the Class of 1976, and at Harvard University, Class of 1980. At Harvard, he contributed to student life through the arts, writing the lyrics for the 1979 Hasty Pudding Theatricals musical comedy. After college he devoted himself to writing, spending long hours each day at the typewriter in hopes of establishing himself in the competitive world of freelance work. His efforts began to bear fruit shortly before his death: he published his first article in Vogue, secured an advance from Sports Illustrated, and had half completed a mountaineering screenplay titled Above the Dawn, which explored themes of friendship, rivalry, and the dangers of climbing. His writing revealed his deep appreciation for the romance and beauty of the mountains, tempered by an awareness of the risks inherent in technical climbing.

Nick Vanderbilt was also an accomplished mountaineer. With his close friend and climbing partner Francis Gledhill, whom he had met through the Harvard Mountaineering Club in the 1970s, he developed his skills on the rock and ice routes of New England before making successful climbs in the Sierra Nevada, Canadian Rockies, and French Alps. The two were experienced and cautious climbers, noted for their judgment as well as their skill.

In August 1984, Nicholas and Francis attempted the Wishbone Arête route on Mount Robson, the 12,972-foot peak that is the highest in the Canadian Rockies. They were last seen on August 22 below the junction of the Wishbone, delayed by heavy snowfall. Searchers later determined that they likely never reached the upper ridge and may have been caught in an avalanche or fallen from the mountain. Extensive searches by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and teams of climbers, aided by helicopters, were unable to locate either man. The official search was abandoned on September 3, 1984, and no trace of the climbers has ever been found.

Nicholas Harvey Vanderbilt died on Mount Robson in British Columbia, Canada, on August 21, 1984, at the age of 25. His body was never recovered, but he is memorialized with his name inscribed on a vault in the Vanderbilt Mausoleum at the Vanderbilt Family Cemetery in New Dorp, Staten Island, New York.

OBITUARY

In 1980 he wrote an autobiographical essay for Outlook that told of “the anxiety of a 15-year-old black from Anacostia heading for the elite white prep school world of the Phillips Exeter Academy.”