Greetings XCI #2 - Wayland Academy

newsandnotes
Throughout his life, William Ellis was
a dedicated and loving husband, father,
and son. He is survived by his wife,
Nancy Kempton Ellis, two sons,
William Grenville Ellis, Jr. and
Bradford Graham Ellis, two daughtersin-law,
Lola Belle Ellis and Diane
Mulroney, and two grandchildren,
Anna and Tucker Ellis.
Mr. Philip E. Buchanan `85 died
March 2, 2009. Philip was a 1990
graduate of The Colorado College in
Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he
met his life partner, Wendy Thomas.
Following college, he secured a single
engine commercial pilots license for
both land and sea at Hillsboro
Helicopters in Oregon. His passion was
float planes, and he spent many hours
flying around both the Columbia and
Willamette Rivers. After moving to
Wisconsin, he was employed by Fox
River Paper Company in Appleton in
the human resources department, and
he was transferred to Housatonic,
Massachusetts, where its Rising Paper
division was located. Once there, Phil
decided to pursue his dream of
building custom furniture, and he
apprenticed himself to Peter Thorne of
West Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Later, he set up his own shop in
Housatonic where he built beautiful
pieces of furniture. Phil also served on
the town library committee and was
instrumental in establishing a regional
guild for fellow furniture makers. Phil
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Philip E. Buchanan `85
wayland academy greetings
and Wendy were married in August
1993. When in Housatonic, they built
their dream home on a granite hillside.
Their daughter, Zoey, was born in
2003, and the family raised bees,
blueberries, Newfoundlands, and a cat.
In his senior year in high school
(1985), Phil was diagnosed with a
head tumor. For twenty-four years,
Phil met the challenges of managing
this cancer through surgeries, radiation
therapies, and medications. He and
Wendy traveled, skied, canoed, swam,
camped, drove Phil’s 1976 Landcruiser,
listened to music, and laughed
together.
In 2006, Phil became blind; he and
Wendy decided to sell their home and
his business and move to Portland,
Oregon. Phil enrolled at the
Commission for the Blind, where he
began to learn Braille, to acquire
mobility skills, and to establish a
workshop in his new home.
Unfortunately, in 2008, the pressures
of the tumor in his head took their toll,
and Phil’s health declined. In the last
two months, Phil was bedridden in his
home where he enjoyed the company
and appreciated the support of his
friends and family. Phil was a person of
simple values, of trust and hopefulness.
He worked hard and laughed a lot —
his sense of humor was wicked, wry,
and funny. He met people honestly; he
was faithful. Phil met the challenges in
his life with grace, and surmounted
them with honor.
Aimé J. Ellis `87 died May 26, 2009.
Aimé was an Associate Professor in the
Department of English, at Michigan State
University. To his colleagues, friends, and
students, Aimé was an ambitious,
intelligent, kindhearted, and creative
man, with a knack for engaging his
students and challenging their
preconceived notions of the world. His
book, If We Must Die: From Bigger
Thomas to Biggie Small, explores several
themes in 20th century African-
American literature and will be published
in the next year.
Michael L. Thieman `02 died May 17,
2009, as a result of complications of
Myasthenia Gravis and Graves’ Disease.
Michael graduated from Wayland
Academy in 2002 and received the James
P. Freeman President’s Award. This
award is presented annually by the
members of the senior class to one of
their own classmates. Michael was a
semester away from completing his
Bachelor of Art’s Degree in Business. He
was studying for his LSAT exam in
pursuit of his goal to obtain his law
degree in order to help others.
Mary Ellen (Molly) Rich Borges
(Former Faculty), of Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, died January 15, 2009.
She was the widow of Donald W. Rich,
Jr., her husband of 25 years; she is
survived by her husband of 23 years,
Dr. Wayne H. Borges.
Mary Ellen chose to teach, a gift she
continued to share throughout her life.
She first taught at Wayland Academy
from 1947-1950. She was introduced
to her first husband, Donald, by
Wayland president Weimer K. Hicks.
While living in Central Pennsylvania,
she became an English/Theatre teacher
at Cumberland Valley High School.
After receiving her master’s degree,
she became a guidance counselor and
started a peer counseling program.
While often in the news about her
teaching and counseling efforts, Mary
Ellen was characteristically creative in
promoting good health when she had
her “Be Well” license plate
prominently displayed in the Carlisle
Sentinel after her car unexpectedly
accelerated into the front window of a
local paint store.