A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E - Colby-Sawyer College

IN MEMORIAM
Friend and Legend Curtis L. Ivey
Curtis L. Ivey, the Legends
Society member for whom the
college’s science center was
named in 2004, died on Friday,
Jan. 28, 2011, in Naples, Fla.
He was 89. Ivey was a successful
businessman whose interests
included real estate development
throughout the Northeast.
Formerly of Greenwich, Conn.,
and Naples, Fla., Ivey relocated to
New London, N.H., with his wife,
Doris, to be closer to their family
and beloved “log cabin” on Lake Sunapee, where they had
spent more than 50 summers.
Before the late 1990s, Curtis and Doris Ivey had little
connection to Colby-Sawyer, but they were friends with many
area residents who were involved with the college, including
the late Joan H. and Charles J. “Chuck” Lawson, a former
chairman of the Board of Trustees. Ivey was considering a way
to honor the memory of his son, Curtis Ivey Jr.¸ and while
touring the campus with the Lawsons, Ivey, a graduate of
Bucknell University who had studied biology and chemistry,
recognized the need for a new science center. He and Doris
made a significant investment in the college and agreed to
allow the college to name the new science center in honor of
the family.
On Sept. 17, 2004, Curtis and Doris Ivey, their children
and grandchildren, and hundreds of college community
members and friends attended the dedication ceremony
for the Curtis L. Ivey Science Center. The two-story,
33,000-square-foot science center was dedicated in memory
of their son, Curtis Ivey Jr., and a daughter, Elizabeth
Ivey Jurgenson, who had recently died. At the dedication
ceremony, then-President Anne Ponder said the Iveys’ initial
gift had inspired many others who helped to make possible
the building she described as “one of the seven wonders”
of Colby-Sawyer’s history. “You have turned a personal
and family anguish into something that will benefit future
generations,” President Ponder told the Ivey family.
78 COLBY-SAWYER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Volunteer Extraordinaire
Ethelyn “Jackie” Dorr Symons ’35
Ethelyn “Jackie” Dorr
Symons, who graduated
from Colby Junior College
in 1935, died peacefully in
her sleep on Dec. 22, 2010,
at age 95. She was a volunteer
extraordinaire for a
number of organizations,
including her beloved alma
mater, which she served as
the longest-running class correspondent
in school history.
Symons took on the volunteer position
after her graduation in 1935, writing bi-annual
class news reports for the Alumni Magazine; she loved
keeping in touch with her classmates. In recognition of
her service and devotion, she was honored with the college’s
Alumni Service Award in 2008, and she continued
to represent the Class of 1935 until her death. “Jackie’s
dedication and service to Colby-Sawyer is second to
none,” said Director of Alumni Relations Tracey Austin,
“and she will forever be remembered as among our
most compassionate and loyal alumni.”
Friend Anne McLaren Ray
New London, N.H., and Naples, Fl., resident Anne
Ray died in Naples on December 15, 2010, after a brief
illness.
Anne, who is survived by her husband of 60 years,
Frederick G. Ray, served on the college’s President’s
Advisory Council from 2001 until her death.
Anne, together with Fred, was a loyal and supportive
friend to the college. In 2002 the Rays made a gift to
provide for the construction of a climbing wall in Mercer
Hall. The Ray Climbing Wall continues to be a popular
recreation spot for Colby-Sawyer students, faculty, staff
and community members.
President Tom Galligan remembers Anne fondly.
“Anne was a true life-long learner. She was active in her
communities, and thrived on expanding her knowledge,”
he says. “She was a wonderful person and a most
gracious hostess. She loved talking about her family, and
her devotion was always clear.”
Anne and Fred are the parents of Karen Ray Johnson
’92 of Wilmot, N.H., and Peter Ray of Vashon, Wash.,
and grandparents of eight grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.