Our Wildwood, Summer 2021, Volume 46

IN MEMORIAM A Special Tribute

(L to R): Chay Thaopaset, Colleen Pundyk, and Jeanne Fauci

Mary Lloyd Estrin

Leaving behind a remarkable legacy that touches generations of

Wildwood families, former trustee and Board Chair Mary Lloyd Estrin passed away peacefully on April 26, 2020, after a long battle with cancer and COPD. As a Wildwood alumni parent of three and a former Wildwood grandparent of two, her support spanned decades and enabled many of the milestones that make Wildwood what it is today. During her Board tenure from 1987- 1992, Mary was instrumental in initiating the move from Wildwood’s previous elementary campus on Olympic to its current location, setting the stage for our growth to a K-12 school. Her children Zoë, Eliot, and Jesse—all three Wildwood elementary graduates— recall their mother as a “tireless activist and advocate for human rights, economic equality, social justice, nuclear disarmament, and national peace and security issues.” Among the Wildwood community, Mary was also known for her kindness, approachability, wit, and capability. Outside of Wildwood School, Mary was an incredibly talented photographer. Her photographs of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Pat Boone, Joan Didion, and others were published in Rolling Stone, MS, and The New York Times. Her work can still be seen today at the Art Institute of Chicago, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Vassar College, her alma mater. Mary dedicated her life to serving others and will be sorely missed.

It’s true that Wildwood students embody the ethos of the school and the principles it was founded on, I see it constantly when our alumni come back to visit. Hearing about the amazing things they’re doing and seeing firsthand how they make the world better makes me so proud. Chay Thaopaset, director of digital communications and media

Wildwood was a welcoming community from the start. I always appreciated that I had the autonomy to teach children in the way that I believe they learn best. The children, families, and colleagues are forever in my heart.

Sherry Varon, former elementary faculty

It has been a heartwarming gift and gives me great happiness to watch so many of my students learn, blossom, and be successful in life. There are so many, that I have lost track!

Shahrzad Khonsari, elementary resource specialist

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS! | OWW SUMMER 2021