Boss, Hillard (Hill, Hilly) P. died peacefully while listening to classical music at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, on May 12, 2020. He was laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Ronya (Ronnie) Berlinger Boss on his 91st birthday, May 15, 2020 at the Jewish Community of Amherst Cemetery in Shutesbury, MA.
Hill was predeceased by Ronya and his sister, Ruth Handelman Boss, and is survived by his son, Michael Boss, daughter, Julie Boss and her partner Seven Klein, and grandchildren Cooper Klein, J. Aviv Boss and Isaac Boss, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Born on May 15, 1929 in Danbury, Connecticut, Hill was the son of Mendell and Bertha (Kurtz) Boss. He graduated from Poughkeepsie High School in 1947 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at New York University and a master’s degree in education from Syracuse University. He married Ronya in 1953 and they spent 51 wonderful years together until her death in 2004.
Hill taught high school social studies in New York State for 32 years, with most of those years on Long Island, until his retirement in 1984. He is fondly remembered by many of his students, including several with whom he remained in touch throughout his life. Hill and Ronnie moved to Amherst, MA in 1984, where they operated the Grist Mill Antiques from 1984-2002. While in Amherst, Hill was active in the community, was a participating member of the Jewish Community of Amherst, and made many dear friends.
Hill was a proud, lifelong Democrat. He ran two promising but unsuccessful campaigns for the New York State Senate in 1974 and 1976, and remained active with the Suffolk County Democratic Committee throughout his years in New York. While living in Amherst, Hill was elected to the Amherst Select Board in 1994 and 1997.
In 2007, Hill moved to Northampton, where he remained until 2019. While there, he returned to his love of teaching and taught at Smith Vocational High School. He also led classes in popular culture.
Hill will be remembered by friends and family for his generosity, volunteer activities, unconventional humor, and passion for life. He had a deep love of music, particularly classical music. He was an avid reader, keeping up with news, politics, and sports, and was a dedicated student of history, with a particular interest in the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. He was also a loyal, lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team, and the New York Giants.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Hill’s memory can be made to The Cooley Dickinson Fund, Cooley Dickinson Hospital Development Office, P.O. Box 329 Northampton, MA 01061-0329

Regina Elizabeth Hart Gulliver, 79, of Amherst, died peacefully on May 3, 2020, as a result of complications from Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. She is survived by her devoted daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Abigail, who take great comfort in knowing that her passing was swift and painless. Regina is also survived by her sister, Geraldine Smyth of South Hadley, and her sister in law, Joan Doyle (Edward) Hart of Amherst, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who were as close as family. To many, she was a genuine favorite and as her closest friend suggested, knowing her and having her in your life made you feel lucky and that a relationship with her meant more than just about any other.
Regina is predeceased by her mother Margaret Kelley Hart and father Francis E. Hart of Amherst; sister Mary Murphy of Monson; brother Edward Hart of Amherst; twin brother Robert Hart, who died in infancy; and her son Peter Hart Gulliver of Amherst.
Raised in Amherst, Regina relished spending her childhood on the family dairy farm on Strong St. As a wonderful storyteller, she often shared memories of the exploits, adventures, and calamities that helped shape the woman she became, due in no small measure to the women who loved and helped prepare her for life. She also dearly held the spice, humor, sense of independence, integrity, and breadth of knowledge that her father imbued in her character. It was that sense of independence that later in life led her to travel cross country and into Canada to the Calgary Stampede, where she met her future husband, Joseph Gulliver. Still, that’s jumping ahead. She had lots of adventures before reaching that point in her life.

Following graduation from Elms College, she and a number of her friends moved to New York and then to the heart of Boston for several years to begin their teaching careers. However, while honing their teaching craft, the ladies from the Elms also learned how to throw legendary parties that are still reminisced about. Those years together bonded that group of women and their offspring for life. Similarly, the bonds of the Fort River family developed and continue to endure.
After her years in Boston, Regina returned to Amherst to start a family. She developed equally enjoyable, but more subdued pastimes than those of her younger years, like deciphering the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles, playing softball with fellow teachers, rooting for Boston sports teams, painting furniture and parenting four growing children. As a mother, Regina ensured that her children were exposed to a wide range of experiences, places, the arts, professional sports, and day trips to just about anywhere. On one occasion, at the spur of the moment, we went on a three day trip to Maine in search of the best lobster rolls and then returned back through Hamilton, MA to watch polo at the Myopia Hunt Club. This is just one example of a lifetime of cherished memories for her children.
In the midst of all this, Regina also found time to earn a Master’s Degree from Lesley College. It was during these years that she also nurtured her creative gifts. Nowhere was her humor and artistry more evident than in the beautifully rendered bulletin boards that she would design and paint in her classrooms and hallways. The brightness, lightness, and warmth of her artwork encapsulated her personality so well. It endeared fellow teachers, parents, and students alike, making her a popular and beloved figure. She painted furniture for nurseries and children’s bedrooms, a beautiful piano bench with the Emily Dickinson Homestead painted on it, and exquisitely painted floor cloths in her spare time.
Alongside her creativity, Regina’s greatest gifts were a tremendous wit, a keen intellect, and an abiding sense of justice. Her wit was unparalleled and her laughter resonated deeply. She made life more fun and the fact that she laughed often and infectiously didn’t hurt either. A few well chosen jokes, frequently at her own expense, turned new acquaintances into friends in short order. While some measure love and affection in words, she was much more likely to demonstrate her feelings through deeds. Actions do matter more than words and she lived faithfully to that principle, as well as to the principles of her religion She could also see people for who they were and conducted herself accordingly. For these reasons and innumerable others, she was a favorite friend, teacher, and family member of many that came into her orbit.. Furthermore, in many circles of her life, Regina was the axis around which others congregated. Our anchor is gone, but her spirit continues to enlighten our lives, even as we know that not one person could never fill her shoes.
A tribute to Regina could not be written without discussing her incredible teaching abilities. She truly loved her students and creatively challenged each individual student, long before that method was advocated for and recognized as a successful model. She made each student feel like she was their biggest supporter and defender. She made them laugh, and therefore relax in her learning environment, as demonstrated by the reliably tremendous growth in their knowledge from the beginning of the school year to the end. Her students knew how much they mattered to her and gained confidence with her at the helm of their class. Yet, she did not just champion her students. Her integrity and strength of character and purpose in pursuing the best for her students also meant she voiced her encouragement and support for other teachers and their concerns.

Because of the current pandemic, a funeral Mass is not possible. The family will schedule a memorial service at a later date, but for now will hold a private graveside interment. Sarah, Elizabeth, and Abigail wish to thank Fr. John Smegal of St. Brigid’s parish and Ron Lashway at Douglass Funeral Home for their guidance during this surprising and difficult time.
Regina would have wanted any donations in her honor to be made to the Francis E. Hart Scholarship fund. The scholarship is awarded each year to one female and one male graduate of Amherst Regional High School. What our mother loved most about how her own father devised this scholarship is that it’s not about who has the best grades or who starred in the school play or on a sports field. It’s mostly about industriousness and how students have made the most of their given circumstances. Donations to the scholarship may be mailed to 300 Amherst St., Granby Ma 01033 ℅ Gulliver.

Adele M. Tanner of Amherst MA died of cardio-pulmonary failure on May 5 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital with family and friends at her side. She was born April 30, 1956 to William Gordon Tanner Sr. and Rita (Gallant) Tanner in Everett MA. She grew up loving her family and friends, her neighborhood, summers in Salem NH and bicycling all over Everett and Boston. After graduating from Everett High School she attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated in 1978 with a B.S. in Exercise Science.
In 1979 she sustained a spinal cord injury that left her quadriplegic. Never looking back, she created a new life of independence and achievement that was always grounded in love. She was a staunch advocate of research into cures for spinal cord injuries, speaking on behalf of the Spinal Cord Society throughout Massachusetts.
Searching for a career that would balance her skills and intelligence with her passion for dignity and justice, she graduated from the Elms College Paralegal Institute Program in 1984. She first worked as a paralegal for the Center for Public Representation in Northampton. Seeking a more direct way of helping persons change their lives, she became an advocate at Stavros Center for Independent Living in Amherst; she later became Director of Independent Living Services. Meeting every problem head-on and never taking no for an answer, she was a role model for her staff and for the dozens and dozens of individuals who came to lead lives of dignity and freedom with her assistance.
After retiring from Stavros, she devoted much of her energy to improving animal welfare, placing cats and kittens in area homes, managing a dizzying menagerie of cats and dogs at home, and spending hours at her computer and on the phone reuniting refugees from Hurricane Katrina with their lost pets.
Adele would have wanted to thank the many caregivers who assisted her each day and night for the last 35 plus years. Never just employees, most became dear friends who were part of her life long after they stopped working for her.
Adele faced each day with an incredible zest for life, a sense of compassion, and a beautiful smile. She loved her family, her friends, cats, the ocean, travel, music, and adventure, and honesty, loyalty, and kindness. She was predeceased by her father. She is survived by her mother Rita (Homosassa, FL), her brother Gordon (Queens, NY), quite a few cousins, more friends than you can shake a stick at, her beloved tabby Kenyon and her three-legged dog Bonnie, and her adoring best friend Jim Kruidenier (Amherst).
A memorial service will be held when people can hug one another. Memorial donations may be made to the Amherst Survival Center or Animal Rescue of New Orleans. Peace.

Regina Elizabeth Hart Gulliver, 79, of Amherst, died peacefully on May 3, 2020, as a result of complications from Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. She is survived by her devoted daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Abigail, who take great comfort in knowing that her passing was swift and painless. Regina is also survived by her sister, Geraldine Smyth of South Hadley, and her sister in law, Joan Doyle (Edward) Hart of Amherst, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who were as close as family. To many, she was a genuine favorite and as her closest friend suggested, knowing her and having her in your life made you feel lucky and that a relationship with her meant more than just about any other.
Regina is predeceased by her mother Margaret Kelley Hart and father Francis E. Hart of Amherst; sister Mary Murphy of Monson; brother Edward Hart of Amherst; twin brother Robert Hart, who died in infancy; and her son Peter Hart Gulliver of Amherst.
Raised in Amherst, Regina relished spending her childhood on the family dairy farm on Strong St. As a wonderful storyteller, she often shared memories of the exploits, adventures, and calamities that helped shape the woman she became, due in no small measure to the women who loved and helped prepare her for life. She also dearly held the spice, humor, sense of independence, integrity, and breadth of knowledge that her father imbued in her character. It was that sense of independence that later in life led her to travel cross country and into Canada to the Calgary Stampede, where she met her future husband, Joseph Gulliver. Still, that’s jumping ahead. She had lots of adventures before reaching that point in her life.

Following graduation from Elms College, she and a number of her friends moved to New York and then to the heart of Boston for several years to begin their teaching careers. However, while honing their teaching craft, the ladies from the Elms also learned how to throw legendary parties that are still reminisced about. Those years together bonded that group of women and their offspring for life. Similarly, the bonds of the Fort River family developed and continue to endure.
After her years in Boston, Regina returned to Amherst to start a family. She developed equally enjoyable, but more subdued pastimes than those of her younger years, like deciphering the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles, playing softball with fellow teachers, rooting for Boston sports teams, painting furniture and parenting four growing children. As a mother, Regina ensured that her children were exposed to a wide range of experiences, places, the arts, professional sports, and day trips to just about anywhere. On one occasion, at the spur of the moment, we went on a three day trip to Maine in search of the best lobster rolls and then returned back through Hamilton, MA to watch polo at the Myopia Hunt Club. This is just one example of a lifetime of cherished memories for her children.
In the midst of all this, Regina also found time to earn a Master’s Degree from Lesley College. It was during these years that she also nurtured her creative gifts. Nowhere was her humor and artistry more evident than in the beautifully rendered bulletin boards that she would design and paint in her classrooms and hallways. The brightness, lightness, and warmth of her artwork encapsulated her personality so well. It endeared fellow teachers, parents, and students alike, making her a popular and beloved figure. She painted furniture for nurseries and children’s bedrooms, a beautiful piano bench with the Emily Dickinson Homestead painted on it, and exquisitely painted floor cloths in her spare time.
Alongside her creativity, Regina’s greatest gifts were a tremendous wit, a keen intellect, and an abiding sense of justice. Her wit was unparalleled and her laughter resonated deeply. She made life more fun and the fact that she laughed often and infectiously didn’t hurt either. A few well chosen jokes, frequently at her own expense, turned new acquaintances into friends in short order. While some measure love and affection in words, she was much more likely to demonstrate her feelings through deeds. Actions do matter more than words and she lived faithfully to that principle, as well as to the principles of her religion She could also see people for who they were and conducted herself accordingly. For these reasons and innumerable others, she was a favorite friend, teacher, and family member of many that came into her orbit.. Furthermore, in many circles of her life, Regina was the axis around which others congregated. Our anchor is gone, but her spirit continues to enlighten our lives, even as we know that not one person could never fill her shoes.
A tribute to Regina could not be written without discussing her incredible teaching abilities. She truly loved her students and creatively challenged each individual student, long before that method was advocated for and recognized as a successful model. She made each student feel like she was their biggest supporter and defender. She made them laugh, and therefore relax in her learning environment, as demonstrated by the reliably tremendous growth in their knowledge from the beginning of the school year to the end. Her students knew how much they mattered to her and gained confidence with her at the helm of their class. Yet, she did not just champion her students. Her integrity and strength of character and purpose in pursuing the best for her students also meant she voiced her encouragement and support for other teachers and their concerns.

Because of the current pandemic, a funeral Mass is not possible. The family will schedule a memorial service at a later date, but for now will hold a private graveside interment. Sarah, Elizabeth, and Abigail wish to thank Fr. John Smegal of St. Brigid’s parish and Ron Lashway at Douglass Funeral Home for their guidance during this surprising and difficult time.
Regina would have wanted any donations in her honor to be made to the Francis E. Hart Scholarship fund. The scholarship is awarded each year to one female and one male graduate of Amherst Regional High School. What our mother loved most about how her own father devised this scholarship is that it’s not about who has the best grades or who starred in the school play or on a sports field. It’s mostly about industriousness and how students have made the most of their given circumstances. Donations to the scholarship may be mailed to 300 Amherst St., Granby Ma 01033 ℅ Gulliver.

Dr. Frederick Charles Tillis, musician, composer, performer, poet, arts advocate and administrator, director emeritus of the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center (FAC) and co-founder and director emeritus of its Jazz in July program – died at age 90 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 from hip replacement surgery complications after a fall. Dr. Tillis served as music department faculty, associate provost, associate chancellor for equal opportunity and diversity and the Fine Arts Center director for nearly 20 years but even in retirement remained connected to the music department and the Fine Arts Center, their staffs, and community. His passion and commitment for the arts and arts education extended well beyond each university community where he taught, touching and enriching lives throughout the world.
A performer and composer of unusual breadth, Dr. Tillis’ work profoundly shaped the cultural and musical life of UMass Amherst, the Pioneer Valley, and far beyond. His work spans the jazz, European, and African-American spiritual traditions, and encompasses an expansive range of diverse references with dynamic melodic and harmonic textures. His more than 100 compositions include works for piano and voice, orchestra and chorus, solo and chamber music. He authored the textbook entitled Jazz Theory and Improvisation and authored 15 books of poetry.
Dr. Tillis was born on January 5, 1930 in Galveston, Texas. His mother was Zelma Bernice Gardner and his stepfather was General Gardner. His musical talents were recognized at a very early age. At 12, he began to play jazz trumpet and saxophone professionally in local Galveston clubs, known as Baby Tillis because many adult musicians served in World War II. He was a graduate of the public Galveston schools including Central High School, the first Texas high school created for African Americans during segregation. Dr. Tillis enrolled at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas when he was only 16, beginning his teaching career while earning his bachelor’s degree. He was an honored member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity organization. Immediately upon graduating from Wiley at the age of 19, he returned there to teach, embarking upon a long career in music education. Dr. Tillis received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa under Dr. Philip Bezanson in 1952. After a four-year stint in the United States Air Force, where he conducted the Air Force band, he then resumed teaching at Wiley and North Texas State before returning to earn his Ph.D at the University of Iowa. From 1964 to 1970, Dr. Tillis taught at Grambling University and Kentucky State University respectively. As a young professor, he played the clarinet, the viola, and the piano in addition to the trumpet and saxophone. He also continued directing marching bands and orchestras. He was recruited by Dr. Bezanson to teach full time at UMass Amherst in 1970.
While at UMass, Dr. Tillis founded numerous programs and courses of study that greatly enriched campus life. In 1978, he was appointed the director of the Fine Arts Center and helped start some of the university’s most successful arts initiatives, including the Jazz and Afro-American Music Studies programs, Jazz in July Summer Music program, New World Theater, Black Musicians Conference, Bright Moments Festival, Augusta Savage Gallery and the Asian Arts and Culture Program. He represented the UMass Music Department and the university as a cultural ambassador, performing locally, nationally and internationally with students, alumni and faculty such as Salvatore Macchia, Jeffrey Holmes, Nadine Shank, Richard du Bois, Estella Olevsky, David Sporny, and Horace Clarence Boyer. He traveled with the University of Massachusetts Music Department, the Tillis-Holmes Jazz Duo and the Tradewinds Jazz Ensemble to several countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the former Soviet Union, Switzerland, and Turkey. During his career, he also taught music courses at Amherst College.
Among his commissioned compositions are “Ring Shout Concerto” for percussion, written for Max Roach and premiered by Max Roach and symphony orchestra (1974); “Concerto for Trio Pro Viva” commissioned by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and D. Antoinette Handy (1980); “Concerto for Piano” (Jazz Trio) and symphony orchestra written for Billy Taylor and performed with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (1983); “A Festival Journey” written for Max Roach and commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Shaw (1992); and “A Symphony of Songs,” a choral/orchestral work based on poems by Wallace Stevens and commissioned by The Hartford Chorale, Inc. (1999). His recordings include The Tillis-Holmes Jazz Duo, Contrasts and Diversions (1987); Paintings in Sound for Solo Saxophone (1989); Among Friends with the Billy Taylor Trio (1992); Freedom (1996); Festival Journey Concerto with Max Roach and the New Orchestra of Boston (1998); and Frederick Tillis – Music for Peace and Goodwill (2005).
Dr. Tillis has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the UMass Distinguished Faculty Lecturer’s Award, the 1997 Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, outstanding service award from the International Association of Jazz Educators, commendations from UMass Jazz and African-American Studies Program, UMass Afro-American Studies Department, WFCR, Wiley College, Old Central Cultural Center and Reedy Chapel Church in Galveston, Texas. Dr. Tillis received a Rockefeller Foundation grant, a National Endowment for the Arts grant in composition, two United Negro College Fund fellowships, and was a Danforth Associate. Dr. Tillis was an influential educator, helping to establish the jazz studies programs at both the University of Fort Hare, South Africa and the Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and served on several cultural boards including the International Association of Jazz Educators and the Massachusetts Council on the Arts, and review committees at the National Endowment for the Arts. Upon his retirement from UMass in 1997, Dr. Tillis was awarded the honorific title emeritus director of the Fine Arts Center. He continued performing, composing, lecturing, and writing until recent years. The W.E.B. Du Bois Library maintains the Frederick Tillis papers, which document his extraordinary career.
Dr. and Mrs. Tillis were active and committed members of the Amherst community for decades. They participated in many local initiatives and were longtime philanthropists for numerous cultural and educational organizations locally and nationally including the University of Massachusetts, the ABC House, Jones Library, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Northampton Community Music Center, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, University of Iowa, Wiley College, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the United Negro College Fund, the NAACP, the American Composers Alliance, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.
Dr. Tillis is pre-deceased by his parents, Zelma Bernice Gardner and General Gardner; his wife and partner of 66 years, Edna Louise; and is survived by his daughters Patricia and Pamela; nieces Edna Louise Richards, Janet Levingston-Williams Lawrence, and Glendra Gunishaw-Johnson; nephew Marshall Gunishaw III; son-in-law Paul Hammacott; longtime family friends Helen and James Smith, and several great nieces and nephews. Dr. Tillis was laid to rest at Wildwood Cemetery on Friday, May 8, 2020. A public celebration is planned for a future date. A memorial page has been established online at www.fineartscenter.com/Tillis where people can visit to leave remembrances. The Tillis Family so warmly thanks all of Dr. Tillis’ legions of friends, colleagues, students, and admirers. We feel your outpouring of love and thank you so dearly for your kindnesses. A special thank you to Ester Bedford, Rosangela Marquez, Kay Montgomery, and Marie Hess for their loving care of Dr. Tillis.

On Saturday May 2, Patricia L. Jenks passed away after a lengthy illness. She graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 1972. She had a ten year career with Shawmut Bank and went on to provide accounting services to a local auto repair business. She retired in 2009 to care for her ailing mother. She is survived by a sister, Nancy Hankinson of Rhode Island, two brothers, Alan Jenks (Nancy) of Wisconsin, Philip Jenks (Kellie) of S. Deerfield, Ma, along with several nieces and nephews. There will be a private graveside service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer’s’ Association or any charity of your choosing.
Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Gerald (Gerry) Peterson, 89, died peacefully Tuesday, April 21, 2020, with his wife Doris at his side.
Born into the great depression in Chesterton, Indiana on April 12, 1931, Gerry was the youngest son of Albert and Esther Peterson’s five children. He came from humble beginnings, living next to some train tracks in a small house with no running water. He and his friends would pick up coal along the tracks to help heat their homes. Gerry had a life-long love for steam locomotives. Hobos (men who rode the rails looking for work) had an encampment under a nearby trestle. They would often come to his yard asking for some food. Gerry’s mother would fix them a sandwich and give them some water from the well pump. This was considered a big deal because food was in short supply.
Growing up next to the Indiana Dunes State Park gave him a love and appreciation of the natural world. He kept bees, both when he was in high school and in later years in Leverett. The Boy Scouts were a very important part of his life growing up, and he attained the rank of eagle scout. He made time for music throughout his life, playing the violin as a young boy, and the E flat clarinet in high school. He later shared cello lessons with his daughter. The arrival of spring brought him the joy of spring birds, making maple syrup, working in his vegetable garden, and planting bulbs. Gerry took care of many family dogs through the years, and they always brought a smile to his face. He was a kind, compassionate, and principled man. He shared his thirst for learning with both his family and his students.
In 1949 while in high school, Gerry was the co-winner of the Science Talent Search for the State of Indiana. He graduated from Chesterton High School in 1949. Not having funds to attend college, he was lucky enough to be the recipient of the Exceptional Achievement Scholarship (All Expense) for his four undergraduate years. This scholarship was only given to one boy and one girl in the state of Indiana. He attended Purdue University, where he received his BS degree in physics in 1953. He received his MS degree in physics from Purdue in 1955 and his PhD degree in physics from Stanford University in 1962.
Gerry enlisted in the Army in 1955 and served from 1955 – 1957 as a Physicist at the Army Chemical Center, Edgewood, Maryland. He was part of a special scientific team with top secret clearance. President Eisenhower and Secretary of Defense Charlie Wilson, were directing a new defense concept which included greater reliance on nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. Gerry’s team was deployed to the Pacific Nuclear Proving Grounds, Eniwetok, Bikini Atoll for testing the hydrogen bomb (Operation Redwing). Gerry also participated in experiments at the Nevada Nuclear Test Site, Mercury, Nevada. Many of Gerry’s life-long friendships began during his Army days.
Gerry joined the Department of Physics at Yale University as a Research Associate and Lecturer in 1962 and became an Assistant Professor in 1964. In 1968 he was a Visiting Scientist at the Instituut voor Kemphysisch Onderzoek in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Gerry then accepted a position of Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and moved to Amherst with his young family. He spent the remainder of his academic career at UMass. Gerry directed an experimental research team that conducted the majority of their nuclear experiments at the Bates Linear Accelerator Center (MIT), and at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) at Stanford University. He was the principal investigator for grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Energy Research and Development Administration, and the Department of Energy from 1970-2000. He received fellowships from NATO Senior Science, U.K. Science Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Max Planck Institute, University of Mainz, West Germany, Israel-U.S. Binational Science Foundation, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He was a Visiting Professor at the Kelvin Laboratory, Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland in 1969, 1970; at the Laboratory of Nuclear Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, 1972; at the University of Mainz, West Germany, 1975; at Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, 1983; and at Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan, 1989. His research collaborations included visiting scholars and students from around the world and he was an author on over 200 research publications in his field of electron scattering and nuclear structure. Gerry was a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In addition, he taught many graduate and undergraduate physics courses. On retirement in 2000, he continued to actively participate in university and physics department activities as Emeritus Professor of Physics, and was the editor for the yearly physics departmental newsletter until 2017.
Gerry was a member of First Congregational Church in Amherst. Because of his deep concern for the environment, he helped introduce energy efficiencies into the church building.
His memory will continue to be dearly held by Doris, his beloved wife of 67 years; his two sons and one daughter, Curt and wife Ruth of Bellevue, Washington, Thomas of Leverett, Massachusetts, and Anna Beth Peterson of Glacier, Washington; five grandchildren, KT Peterson and Blair Peterson (Curt), Kyler Lee, Michael Stoothoff, and Jamie Stoothoff (Anna Beth); and niece, Jacqueline Nelson of Porter, Indiana.
A memorial service will be planned for a future date.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Amherst mailed to UMass Amherst Records & Gift Processing, 134 Hicks Way, Memorial Hall, UMass, Amherst, MA 01003 or to a charity of your choosing.

Laurence Philip “Phil” Kinder, Jr., WWII Veteran, passed away Saturday, April 11, 2020 after a short illness.
Phil was born November 27, 1924 in Putnam, CT to Laurence and Ruth (Farrar) Kinder. A proud WWII Veteran, Phil served as a US Navy medic during the allied invasion of Omaha Beach into France, and participated in the Rhine Crossing into Germany. He was Honorably Discharged from the Navy on March 10th, 1946, as a Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class. While Serving, he was awarded the American Theater Medal, Victory Medal, European Theater Medal 6 Stars And a Unit Citation.
Following his discharge from the Navy, Phil spent his career in the building industry, gaining considerable knowledge about construction. He served as Clerk of the Works on many large projects. He supervised the building of many of the municipal structures and schools in the greater Amherst and Northampton area. He spent most of his adult life
residing in Hampshire and Franklin Counties.
He was predeceased by his wife Sophie Kolasinski Petrizzo, his father Laurence & mother
Ruth Farrar Kinder of Shutesbury, MA, his brothers Robert F. Kinder of Springfield,
MA, & Walter H. Kinder of Westfield, MA, and his daughter Roxanne Kinder
of Amherst, MA.
He is survived by his daughter & her husband Suzanne and Robert Adair
of Amherst, MA, his grandsons Thomas & Nicolas Adair of Amherst, MA,
his daughter Dorritt Turner Kinder, & son Jeffery Kinder of Jamaica VT.,
his brother Howard L. Kinder & wife Jaqueline Konecy Kinder,
his nephew John R. Kinder & wife Barbara Kinder of Shutesbury MA.,
his niece Patti-Jean Lynch & husband Edward Lynch of Eastham MA, his nephew
Paul R. Kimball of Boston, MA, & several other nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, cousins and friends.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Rachel Ringler Hexter passed away on April 9th at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst, MA. She was 90. Rachel is survived by her three children: son Jim and daughter-in-law Eileen, daughter Karen, all in the Boston area, and daughter Marla and son-in-law Larry of Schwenksville, PA. Rachel was the loving grandmother of Abigail, David, Lillian, and Nora. She is also survived by her three sisters, Jeanette, Ruth, and Beverly, and many nieces and nephews.
Rachel was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1929 to the late Louis Ringler and Lillian Kanner Ringler. The family moved to Los Angeles, CA in the late 1930s. After completing high school in Los Angeles, Rachel attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated in 1951 with a B.A. in Education. There she met her future husband, a PhD student named William Hexter who pre-deceased her in 2018. They married in 1950 and moved to Amherst in 1953.
Rachel started teaching at Cold Springs Elementary School in Belchertown in 1968. A dedicated educator, Rachel touched many young people over her more than 25 years teaching second grade. She retired in 1994.
In her free time Rachel enjoyed gardening, antiquing and reading. She and Bill split their time between Amherst and a second home in Seminole, Florida. They treasured their time with their grandchildren and family and traveled extensively.
Memorial gifts in her name may be made to the American Heart Association.

Davis, 26, died on April 7, 2020 in Amherst, MA. He was born on May 27, 1993 in Colorado Springs, CO to Marcia Smith, adopted by Alice and Jon Abbott. Davis was a talented poet, free spirit, old soul, and an inextinguishable light. He was gentle, loving, kind, generous, and incredibly hard working. He was well known and a great friend. Davis had a deep connection to the earth, he could wander in nature for days. He had a green thumb. He was also a fantastic chef. To know Davis was to love him.
He was a proud and loving father. The day his son was born, Davis cut his umbilical cord and cried. He said that his “heart exploded” with love. Davis’s mission in life was to help people with his words and to teach people to be kind. His life was cut short, yet he still made a difference in the world. We will carry on his legacy of compassion and generosity. We will honor his memory forever.
Davis is survived by his wife, Milena R. Somerville; child, Ambrose Amaris Somerville; parents, Marcia Smith, Alice and Jon Abbott; sisters, Esperanza Mott and Reagan Baughman; brother, Westly Baughman.