With Gratitude: Honoring Our Retiring Faculty and Staff

Wisdom, Thoughtfulness, and Grace
Karoline Theobald P’09 ’14 arrived at Gunn in the fall of 1998, when she and her husband, Rod Theobald P’09 ’14, joined the English Department faculty together. Both brought extensive experience to their students, having previously taught and coached at schools in the U.S. and abroad. They also raised two daughters on campus, who became Gunn alumnae: Maisie Dokonal ’09 and Lindsay Theobald ’14.

At Gunn, Theobald taught English to first-year students, sophomores, and seniors, served as International Student Coordinator, and was Assistant Coach for the Model United Nations program. Beginning in 2022, Theobald led the faculty with wisdom, thoughtfulness, and grace as the Anne S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior Master. In this role, she delivered the invocations and benedictions for all-school events from Convocation to Commencement, choosing carefully from the work of poets and authors she admired, and weaving in new references to Abigail Gunn, our co-founder. 

Theobald was named the holder of the W. Hamilton Gibson Chair in the Humanities from 2021 to 2024, and delivered the Baccalaureate Address in May. Her appreciation for Frederick Gunn and this school’s mission to connect students to the outdoors was reflected in both the Nature Writers course she taught and her affection for the tradition of School Walk. 

“Mrs. Theobald is an amazing teacher,” wrote Marshall Millette ’14, who was among the alumni to contribute tributes. “I will always remember reading Macbeth, The Odyssey, and many other great novels in her class and being able to dive deep as a class to truly understand the stories within them. She made English class fun … and she always made sure to bring out the best in each and every one of her students, even when they didn’t think they had it in them themselves.”

“My experience as a student was shaped by teachers like you,” wrote former faculty member Liz Dayton ’08. “Your love for the school and its community has always been so evident. It is one of the reasons I returned to campus as a young faculty member just a few short years after graduating.”

“I could not have wished for a better advisor, or English teacher,” Anna Damosy ’24 wrote. “I think back fondly to my time in Connecticut and the U.S., and that is also thanks to you, your kindness, and the care you took in my well-being.”

“Congratulations and happy retirement Mrs. Theo!” wrote Eli Dorf ’19. “Thank you for all the memories, lessons learned, and laughs around campus. You’ve been a staple of the community and your legacy on campus will last for many years to come!”

Lessons Fueled by MIT and NASA
Long before he arrived at Gunn, Steve Bailey P’09 embodied the school motto as someone who was always learning. After graduating from SUNY Oneonta with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, he joined the U.S. Navy, earning advanced degrees in marine science and naval architecture and ocean engineering from MIT. He constructed and maintained nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarines, and worked as a repair officer aboard the USS Emory S. Land. He went on to earn a master’s in physics from the University of Virginia and taught for two years before taking a job as a safety engineering consultant at NASA Langley Research Center. Part of this work took him inside the wind tunnels depicted in the 2016 film Hidden Figures. 

Bailey arrived at Gunn in 2006 and served as Science Department Chair through 2018. He taught physics at all levels, and coached Girls JV Tennis, Boys JV Tennis and Basketball. He was the holder of the Anne and Henry Zarrow Chair for Math and Science from 2008 to 2011, and in 2019, delivered the Convocation Address as the recipient of The Class of ’55 Distinguished Teaching Award. Known for blending physics and fun (with his science-themed ties, pins, and puns), he invited students to view the moon and stars, meteor showers, and the International Space Station in the night sky. He especially enjoys keeping up with alumni who have gone on from his classes to scientific careers.

“I still think about your Winterim class, Scientific Thinking in the Real World, all the time,” wrote Aubrey Barnes ’22. “That class is what made everything click for me and helped me realize I wanted to go into pharmacy. I don’t think I would have figured that out without you.”

“I couldn’t recall a better memory than taking your physics classes for my entire high school life,” wrote Erica Zhang ’20. “Congrats on your retirement! I’ll never forget F=Ma.”

“I have always been amazed at the joy you brought to teaching physics — a joy that was easily assumed by your students,” recalled former faculty member Emily Fitzhugh. “One of my favorite memories is Brianna Goldstein ’13 bursting into my office to tell me, ‘This is the best day of the whole year.’ When I asked her why, she replied, ‘Because AP Physics B begins today.’ No wonder she went to Stanford.” 

“He has always gone above and beyond to help his students by offering extra help sessions. He made science come alive with his labs,” said fellow science teacher Betty Hagymasi P’28. “He is also always doing something with his students that helps them connect the work they are doing to their lives.”

Quietly Making a Difference
Glenn Hartz joined the Maintenance Department in 1985. As a member of the Building and Grounds crew, he was a steady and welcoming presence, whether he was mowing and pruning or clearing snow and ice from the paths. He always kept a watchful eye on the trees on campus, which are not only part of the school’s history, but the memory and experience of generations of Highlanders.

“For 41 years, Glenn has painstakingly taken care of this campus and those who live and work here,” Dr. Emily Raudenbush Gum, Bretter Family Head of School, said in a tribute delivered during the picnic in Glenn’s honor. “With our students, we talk about what it means to ‘know a place’ and to truly understand it as a living thing rather than a resource. It is true that there is no other person who knows this parcel of land as well as Glenn Hartz. He has nurtured the living things here for four decades. That is no small task, and Glenn has managed it with grace for so long. It takes a person who observes carefully, who listens attentively, and who appreciates both the forest and the trees — literally and figuratively. That is Glenn.”

“Glenn was always one of those familiar faces who simply made the place feel like home,” wrote Sarah Macary Brine ’07. “I can remember him always smiling, always around campus, and always taking care of the school in a way that quietly made a difference to everyone there.”

“His knowledge of the landscape and appreciation for the natural beauty of our grounds was deep and impressive,” wrote former Head of School Michael Eanes H’90 P’90, GP’20 ’23 ’25 and Susan Eanes H’90 P’90, GP’20 ’23 ’25. “Moreover, he enjoyed sharing this knowledge with the faculty and staff. He was exceptionally kind to everyone, and patient with faculty children and dogs. Our grandchildren convinced Glenn not to take out the bush in front of the Gibson faculty apartment so they could continue to use it as a hiding place.”

“Our dog, Chloe, used to travel around campus with Glenn and his crew, focused intently on digging or raking operations,” recalled Julia Alling ’81 P’19. “Glenn welcomed the partnership and seemingly enjoyed her oversight. At lunch time, he’d tell her to go home and reluctantly she loped off to Whittlesey. Glenn taught me how to take care of lilacs and we often spoke about plants and gardening. He cared deeply for the campus and the community. We are so fortunate that he chose to spend his career with us.”

Photos by Mark Liflander (above) and Phil Dutton '81 P'23 (below)