Randy Ridings March 16, 1951 - May 14, 2014

Randy entered Deerfield as a sophomore from Binghamton, NY and played varsity soccer as a Senior. 

Please see an obituary notice from the Yale website for the Class of '74 which his wife Mercedes posted:

I have attached my husband’s obituary; memorials should be made out to the Randolph Ridings Memorial Fund. He fought a long hard battle with colon cancer for over 5 years. After being married over 30+ years and two wonderful sons we are needless to say quite devastated. Thank you for your condolences!

To all my beloved friends and family it has been a great ride and I so appreciate all the love I’ve been given please know that it has been returned. Words cannot express how much your love has meant to me. To my beloved children, Spencer and Derek and my cherished wife, Mercy, who have meant so much to me. You are the light of my life! You will always be the heart of everything I am. I love you all so much!

Please join us on Saturday, May 31st 2014 for an 11:00 a.m. service followed by a gathering at St. Martin’s by-the Lake Episcopal Church, 2801 Westwood Road, Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota 55391.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Randolph Ridings Memorial Fund at US Bank, 3305 Plymouth Boulevard, Plymouth, MN 55447.

Lou Crow

Louis Walter Crow

Lou Crow was a four-year boy from Illinois who, like many of us, returned to his roots after graduating. He was an athlete, if not a scholar, and a popular classmate who you could not miss on campus, i.e. a "BMOC". To my regret, I lost track of one of the most colorful personalities in the Class when we dispersed in 1969. I've added a page in his honor at Albany Road Redux for anyone who would like to share recollections about "The Gawk". I found the obituary below after reading of his passing in the most recent issue of Deefield Magazine. The Alumni Office kindly supplied the photo from The Pocumtuck at my request.

Louis Crow, 61, of Northbrook, formerly Evanston, passed away June 22, 2012. Son of the late Rollin and Elizabeth Crow; brother of David (Marilyn) Crow; uncle of three nieces and six great-nieces and nephews. His kind nature and sense of humor will always be remembered. Memorial Service Thursday, June 28 at 1:30 p.m. at N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Rd. (just south of Lake Ave. on west side), Glenview. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Evanston Animal Shelter, 2310 Oakton St., Evanston, IL, 60202.

A Celebration of the Life of Robert L. Merriam

To the Great Class of 1969:

Defying a heat index of over 100 yesterday, family, friends, former colleagues and students congregated in The Brick Church to remember Mr. Merriam. I had planned to summarize the service until I discovered a video posted by Ed Flickinger '65 this morning. While the camera is a bit shaky at times, I think you will prefer hearing the recollections of Rev. Peter B. Ives '61, Headmaster Emeritus Eric Widmer '57 and his wife Meera and a poem written by Mr. Merriam which his eight grandchildren read. The video does not include the singing of The Deerfield Evensong at the conclusion of the service which, in my judgment, may well have been the most moving part of the ceremony judging by some of the faces I saw.

Following the service there was a reception in the Caswell Library (f/k/a the Browsing Library) in the Main School Building. Among those faculty members from our era in attendance were Mr. and Mrs. Morsman, Mr. Brush, Mr. Hammond, Mr. Young and Coach Smith. I was joined by Neil Jacobs, Steve Bisbee, Dave Suitor, Michael Buerger and, of course, Frank Henry. Before heading off in different directions, several of us drove past Eaglebrook to Laurel Hill Cemetery where Mr. Merriam had been laid to rest in July, not far from the Boyden family plot and many other masters from that period.

School is back in full swing as of last Friday when classes began.

Best wishes to all.

DWS