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Saturday, April 2, 2005

Donald Lafferty, principal of Oyster River High School

 SOMERSWORTH — Donald T. Lafferty, 55, of Sherwood Glen, a dedicated educator and principal of Oyster River High School, died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, following a one-year illness.

Born Dec. 15, 1949, in Berlin, he was the son of James E. and Madeleine M. (Lavoie) Lafferty. 

He was a graduate of Berlin High School, Class of 1967, and received his bachelor of science degree from Plymouth State College, Class of 1971, and received his masters of education from Antioch College in 1993.

He began his distinguished teaching career at Berlin Middle School in 1971, where he taught seventh- and eighth-grade math. He had served his constituency in many capacities over the past 34-year period. He was a math teacher in Berlin school system for 21 years, principal of Berlin Junior High School for two years, athletic director at Berlin High School for nine years, assistant principal at Berlin High School for two years, principal of Berlin High School for five years, softball and girl’s basketball coach at Berlin High School for several years and for the past 3½ years, principal at Oyster River High School. During his three years at Oyster River, as well as in Berlin, he was highly respected and maintained an open-door policy and remained highly committed to his students and staff.

He participated in many sports during his high school and college days. He served the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association in many capacities including on the Finance Committee, Coaches Education Committee, Representative Council, Appeals Board, Sportsmanship Committee, Ice Hockey Committee and recently as president of NHIAA. He had always been available and willing to serve in any capacity for the betterment of education and interscholastic athletics. His friendship, expertise and involvement have been greatly appreciated. For several years he was also involved with Special Olympics.

He was a member of N.H. Association of School Principals and served on the committee to evaluate teachers’ education at New Hampshire colleges. While in Berlin, he was involved with the court diversion task force, positively supporting troubled youth. 

Family members include his wife of nearly 35 years, M. Kathleen (Ronan) Lafferty of Somersworth; one son, Shawn T. Lafferty of Rollinsford; one daughter Melissa J. Mitchell and her husband, Casey, of Rollinsford; his twin brother, Ronald L. Lafferty and his wife, Cheryl, of Wrentham, Mass.; two sisters, Gail Yorkell and her husband, William, of Nashua and Ann M. MacDonald of Pensacola, Fla.; two grandchildren, Samuel D. and Sophie K. Mitchell of Rollinsford; nieces and nephews.

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The family will receive friends from 12 noon until 2 p.m. Sunday at Tasker Funeral Home, 621 Central Ave., Dover. The funeral will be conducted in Tasker Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Sunday with Sister Monique Therriault, chaplain at Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Berlin, officiating. Cremation will follow. A time of fellowship will continue following the funeral service at Oyster River High School Cafeteria, Coe Drive, Durham. 

The family requests family flowers only. It is suggested that those who desire, make memorial donations to the Donald T. Lafferty Educational Scholarship Fund, c/o Gary Bisson and Timothy Forestall, Berlin High School, 550 Willard St., Berlin, NH 03570. 

Please go to www.taskerfh.com for more information or to sign the online guestbook.

From www.fosters.com-

Friday, April 1, 2005
Oyster River High principal dies after long illness
 By HIROKO SATO
Democrat Staff Writer
[email protected]

DURHAM — Oyster River High School is mourning the death of Principal Donald T. Lafferty, 55, who died Thursday evening after battling cancer.

“I can feel a tremendous amount of sadness from students,” said School Board Chair JoAnn Portalupi, who spent time this morning at the school. “He was well liked by the faculty and students.” 

Lafferty’s death came less than two weeks after Superintendent Thomas Carroll had a heart attack and died. Lafferty had been on medical leave since mid-December when his illness progressed, and he was expected to resign from his position at the end of June.

Lafferty took the helm at the high school in July 2001 after spending three decades as a teacher and administrator in Berlin, including five years as the Berlin High School principal. Impressed with his experience and leadership skills, the Oyster River School District officials chose Lafferty, who was 51 at that time, out of 20 candidates for the job.

In an interview with Foster’s Daily Democrat in June 2001, Lafferty said he immediately felt comfortable with faculty, staff and students. “Whenever you go looking for a job, you want to look for a fit and it seemed that Mr. Carroll and I both have similar ideas on education,” he told Foster’s.

Portalupi said this morning Lafferty’s legacy includes his leadership role over the high school construction project.

“He was really instrumental helping to see the high school construction project move along,” Portalupi said. 

Lafferty also fostered a sense of community among the faculty and students, she added. “He had a wonderful sense of humor.”

Portalupi said Lafferty’s death has saddened students because he has been involved in their lives through athletic activities and in many other ways. 

“For many students, this is a personal loss,” Portalupi said.

The faculty met this morning before school started and shared the news with students in the first period, according to Portalupi. A poster board has been put up at the school where students can write condolences and express their feelings, she said.

The school has also set aside a space in the building for students and faculty who might need a quiet place to sort out their emotions. 

Portalupi said the school district has a strong support network and that she feels confident everyone will get through the tough time.

Lafferty lived in Somersworth with his wife, Kathleen. The couple has two grown children, Melissa and Shawn, who live nearby.

Funeral arrangements for Lafferty are incomplete. 

Richard Gremlitz, of Durham, was chosen last month to serve as interim principal at Oyster River High School. 

Gremlitz began his career in education in 1968 as a teacher at Portsmouth High School and served as principal from 1997 through his retirement in 2003. 

The High School Principal Search Committee is conducting interviews with candidates. The School Board hopes to name a new principal by July 1.

Interim Superintendent Thomas Zarnowski was not available for comment this morning.

From www.fosters.com-

Friday, March 25, 2005

Superintendent Carroll laid to rest
 By MARCUS WEISGERBER
Democrat Staff Writer
[email protected]
 Kacey Carroll and her mother, Kathleen, follow the casket of Thomas Carroll, as pallbearers carry it down the steps of St. Thomas More Church in Durham on Thursday. (Aaron Rohde/Staff photographer)DURHAM — Hundreds gathered on a wet, snowy spring morning Thursday to pay final respects to Thomas Carroll Jr., superintendent of the Oyster River Cooperative School District.

Educators, friends, family, local officials and students filled every pew and lined the aisles of St. Thomas More Church. There were tears on many of the faces of those at the service.

The school district halted classes Thursday so teachers and students could participate in the funeral service for Carroll, who died of a heart attack at his Newmarket home on Sunday. After the funeral, Carroll was laid to rest at a Bedford cemetery. The school community and family and friends were then invited back to Oyster River High School in Durham for a reception in honor of Carroll’s life.

“(Carroll) was proud of his staff, his school community and most of all, his students,” Interim Superintendent Thomas Zarnowski said in a letter read during the funeral service.

The Rev. Daniel St. Laurent, pastor at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, praised Carroll’s “life committed to serving the community,” during his homily. Carroll led with honor, dignity, humor and respect for all, St. Laurent said.

Carroll’s life did have a dark side that St. Laurent touched on.

“He was a Yankees fan,” St. Laurent said prompting an outbreak of laughter in the church. “But there is a bright side. In the brightness of the kingdom, even that can be transformed.”

Carroll’s daughter, Kacey, painted mourners a picture of the devoted family man her father was by telling stories about all he did for his family.

“He was taken from us much too early and will truly be missed,” Kacey Carroll said.

Word of Carroll’s death sent a dark cloud over the school district this week, according to students and teachers. 

“People are pretty subdued,” said Christina Stark, 17, a student at Oyster River High School, who stood in the back at Carroll’s service. “There is no sense of who’s in charge right now.”

Carroll has served as the unofficial interim principal of the high school since December when Principal Don Lafferty went on a medical leave. Lafferty is expected to leave the district at the end of June. The School Board appointed Zarnowski as the interim superintendent on Monday night.

Melinda Salazar, a social studies teacher at Oyster River High School, recalled Carroll’s first speech to teachers during a September meeting nine years ago when he introduced himself as a “person you will come to know.”

“(Carroll’s) presence (was) comforting to all,” she said.

In lieu of flowers, the school administration office is accepting donations to establish a scholarship fund in the memory of Carroll. Contributions may be sent to: Dr. Thomas Carroll Scholarship Fund, c/o Blaine Cox, Business Administrator, Oyster River School District, 36 Coe Drive, Durham, NH 03824.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

 NEWMARKET — Dr. Thomas J. Carroll Jr., superintendent of the Oyster River Cooperative School District, 58, of Wade Farm, died suddenly March 20, 2005, at his home in Newmarket.

Born June 14, 1946, in Canaan, Conn., he was the son of Thomas J. and Cecelia (Pozzetta) Carroll. Raised in Canaan, he had lived in Litchfield for 18 years before moving to Newmarket nine years ago.

He received his BA from Merrimack College, his MMT from the University of Lowell and his PhD. from the University of New Hampshire in 1996.

Dr. Carroll has been the superintendent of the Oyster River Cooperative School District for the past nine years. He deservedly earned the respect and admiration of students, faculty, community, School Board members and colleagues.

In the local community he served on the following boards: the Oyster River Community for Healthy Youth, the Southern Strafford Community Health Coalition, and Seacoast Educational Services. He was a member of the University of N.H. Center for Mathematics, Science and Engineering.

He provided state leadership with the Department of Education via the AYP Advisory Committee, the School Improvement Advisory Committee and the ESEA Task Force. He was also a member of the following regional and national groups: N.H. School Administrators Association Board of Directors, was one of two N.H. School Administrator representatives to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Governing Board, AASA Membership and Service Advisory Committee, Education Law Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

He was an avid N.Y. Yankees Fan!!!

He was predeceased by his parents and his son, Michael W. Carroll, who died Aug. 15, 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Sweeney) Carroll, of Newmarket; three children, Thomas J. Carroll III of Newmarket, Kacey Carroll of Boston and Tina Carroll of Boston; a sister, Linda Walsh of Lexington, Mass.; two nephews; one niece, and many cousins, colleagues and friends.

———--

Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home, 77 Exeter St., Newmarket.

A Liturgy of The Word will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. from the Church of St. Thomas More, Madbury Road, Durham, with the Rev. Dan St. Laurent, pastor, officiating. 

Graveside services will follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Bedford, N.H.

Rather than flowers, should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Dr. Thomas J. Carroll Memorial Scholarship, c/o Blaine Cox, 36 Coe Drive, Durham, NH 03824.

To sign the guestbook or for more information please visit www.kentandpelczarfh.com.

By EMILY ZIMMERMAN

Democrat Staff Writer

DURHAM — Members of the Oyster River High School Class of 2004 stepped out of their "boxes" Friday night when they received their diplomas.

Class President Elizabeth Santos said graduation day marks a time to leave the "box" — and the comforts of the last 12 years.

"The box is a priceless metaphor. A symbol of our life," Santos said, referring to the securities offered by the school, family and friends.

"Now that we are seniors, we are tired of these boxes. It’s time to get rid of it and throw it away."

Oyster River graduated 172 seniors, their teachers hopefully having prepared them for the challenges and successes of their adult lives.

The seniors marched from the high school building dressed in royal blue caps and gowns to a tented ceremony site on the soccer field. More than 300 family and friends attended the ceremony to pay tribute to the graduates.

Santos encouraged her classmates to leave behind the securities they have known and explore the world.

"Today is graduation day. Today is when this box — closed for so long — flies open and we dive into the chaos and confusion of life. This is the day we finally discover what we are made of," she said.

Oyster River High School Principal Don Lafferty said he is extremely proud to the students —"his family" — for supporting him over the years.

"You go and chase your dreams; you find your fortune and be happy," Lafferty said. "When it comes to the world, just know your family will stand behind you."

In her graduation speech, valedictorian Emily Belanger gave her class three goals: to take care of their bodies and be healthy, avoid harmful substances and, most importantly, be honest. Belanger said, "We must love and serve each other. We need not be a society that is divided by politics, race or religion. We are about to enter a scary world but we will remember all we’ve learned at Oyster River High School."

During her address, Salutatorian Graham Dodd left the Class of 2004 with three goals: take care of your bodies and be healthy, avoid harmful substances and, most importantly, be honest.

"We must love and serve each other," Dodd said. "We need not be a society that is divided by politics, race or religion. We are about to enter a scary world but we will remember all we’ve learned at Oyster River High School."

With all the speeches done and with diplomas in hand, members of the Class of 2004 moved their tassels from left to right, then replaced their mortarboards with yellow hard hats.

The hats, provided by school officials, were in thanks for the years of construction this class had endured throughout their high school careers.

"This class has been through so much construction, and don’t get to see the final product," said Oyster River Athletic Director Carol Gephart.

Class of 2004

Benjamin Allen, Adem Althor, Elizabeth Anderson, Emma Armstrong, Danesh Azarkadeh, Emily Belanger, Mathew Belanger, Jarret Bencks, Andrea Berlin, Shawn Borchers, Brynn Bowes, Daniel Brady, Noami Brautigam, Adriane Bredenberg, Jeffrey Bridges, Daniel Brothwell, Alexandra Brown, Jacob Burbank, Laura Burnett-Kurie, Amanda Burtt, Shane Casimiro, Avila Chase, Colby Chauvette, Omar Chavez, McKenna Clark, Derek Clay, Stephanie Cofrin, Brian Collopy, Laura Comeau, D. Adam Comtois, Cameron Cota, Cassandra Cox, Richard Crotty, Elizabeth Daly, Michael Damast, Natan Daskal, Rebecca Davis, Max DeAngelis, Graeham Dodd, Christian Doherty, Kimberly Doller, Shannon Dolliver, Tirzah Drake, Benjamin Durant, Nathaniel Eaton, Ryan Fleming, Matthew Ford, Sabrina Ford, Robert Fortier, Alex Foster, Lauren Foxall, Christian Frentzen, Tyler Fulton, Dana Gardner, Megan Gearheart, Christopher Gibb, Emily Goodnow, Andrew Gregoire, Jack Guillemette, Leon Hadley, Shaun Hanson, Elizabeth Harvey, Warren Hatch, Fiona He, Maura Hentz, Daniel Hoy, Christopher Jones, Emily Kelley, Emma Kelly, Julia Kincade, Seija Koski, Matthew LaBarbera, Jenna LaBranche, Marissa LaCoursiere, Joshua LaPierre, Abigail Larson, Benjamin Larson, Erica Laue, Lindsay Leighton, Brandon Lonstein, Raphael Low-Weiner, Amberle Lustgraaf-Fant, Daniel Lynch, Lynne Macdonald, Tracy Macdonald, Jette Mandl-Abramson, Amy Maurer, Patrick McCafferty, John McCosker, Conor McCullough, Duncan McInnes, Michael McRae, Patrick Melvin, Nicholas Miale, Daniel Michaud, Preston Miller, Zachary Moss, Brandon Munroe, Lindsey Murphy, Emily Nelson, Katherine Nulk, Patrick Nye-Power, Alexander Oien, Michael Okoth, William Olmstead, Jill Olson, Michaela Olson, Israel Olvera, Marianne Owens, Liza Pappas, Sadie Pappas, Neha Patkar, Jessica Paul, Daniel Perry, Alia Pietlicki, Sarah Pilar, Lindsey Pollard, Martha Poole, Richard Powell, Brianna Powers, Caitlyn Quinn, Emma Quinn, John Reilly-Mallon, Nicole Reola, Christa Ricker, Jennifer Rigterink, Jillian Rosenacker, Jennifer Ross, Ethan Roy-Webb, Tara Ruccolo, Kyle Russell, Oliver Salmon, Elizabeth Santos, Richard Schanda, Matthew Schuster, Molly Shaheen, Eric Shaker, Zachary Simmons, Joshua Small, Joshua Smerdon, Matthew Smith, David Sobel, Benjamin Sohl, Matthew Spielman, Kittisak Srisoonthornthai, John Stevens, Kimberly Stevens, Matthew Stevens, Lucas Sillwagon, Casey Streelman, April Summers, Chloe Surpless, Nicholas Tarvainen, Erica Taylor, Alicia Tebbetts, Dina Tsukrov, Danielle Tuttle, Mark van Hoorn, John Ventresco, Heidi Vetterling, Sally Warren, Daniel Watson, Janis Watson, Bryce White, Haley Wicklein, Christopher Williams, Sarah Wills, Amanda Wolfe, Elizabeth Wood, Daniel Woychowski, Evelyn Yip, Daniel Zocchi.

By HARRISON THORP

Sports Editor

Laura Comeau, Oyster River

DURHAM — Laura Comeau has always had a thirst for competition, so maybe it’s only fitting she was named the New Hampshire High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year by Gatorade Thirst Quencher this week.

The Oyster River girls soccer goalie extraordinaire adds this most recent honor to many others she has accumulated in the culmination of an illustrious four-year career on the Bobcats varsity.

In addition to winning first team all-state and all New England recognition this year, Comeau was named to the Lion’s Cup squad as well as Player of the Year by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

On Thursday, upon learning of her selection, Comeau deferred a lot of the credit for the award to her teammates and parents, but added her competitive nature runs deep.

"I work hard at everything I do, and I’m a perfectionist," she said. "I owe a lot to my family, too. They’ve given me a lot of support."That affinity for perfection helped Comeau play near flawless goal much of last season, during which she had 10 shutouts and allowed just five goals, leading the Bobcats to an 18-1 mark before losing in the Class I state finals to St. Thomas, 1-0.

Oyster River soccer coach Lynda Nelson had nothing but high praise for her star goalie.

"It’s been a great experience for our team to see her type of effort and commitment," said Nelson in a statement released by Gatorade. "Over the past four years, she’s continued to develop and improve, consistently bringing her game to the next level. Her determination and work effort are incomparable."

Comeau, who maintains a 3.1 GPA at Oyster River, will attend the University of Virginia next year on a soccer scholarship and major in sports medicine, she said.