52
Former and quickly took to the sciences,
earning two Dickey Prizes in physics dur-
ing his five years at SPS. He was a member
of the Scientific Association and the Cad-
mean Literary Society.
Mr. Fair attended Yale University before
beginning his multifaceted and expansive
career. In 1963, he was appointed a Guggen-
heim Fellow at the UCLA Brain Research
Institute. The following year, he became
a resident scientist at the MIT Neurosci-
ences Research Program. Mr. Fair was
one of the few to have held that position
without the appropriate academic degree.
In addition to publishing a number of
papers on brain function, Mr. Fair authored
three books on neuroscience:
The Physical
Foundations of the Psyche
(1963);
Memory
and the Central Nervous Organization
(1988); and
Cortical Memory Functions
(1992). His nontechnical books were more
popular and widely read, including
From
the Jaws of Victory
, a best seller in Italy
and a Literary Book Club selection in the
U.S., and
The Dying Self
, which was trans-
lated into German and Danish and sold
well as a paperback.
In addition to his keen scientific intellect,
Mr. Fair found satisfaction in his passion
for poetry and prose. He published light
verse in
Punch
and
The New Yorker
, book
reviews in
The Washington Post
and
The
Providence Journal
, and a regular column
in
American Poetry Review
. He also wrote
and narrated the soundtrack for the orig-
inal Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Mass.
Mr. Fair loved sailing, the Red Sox, good
conversation, and jazz. He enjoyed play-
ing the piano and the vibraphone.
He will be greatly missed by his wife of
34 years, Louise (Sadler) Kiessling; his
daughter, Ellen Bryan Fair; and his daughter
and son-in-law, Katherine Healy Fair and
Raphael Colb. He was predeceased by his
son, Charles M. (Chip) Fair, and his former
wife, Kay (Ruddy) Fair.
1939
William Gordon “Gordy”
Lyle Jr.
a resident of Bishop Gadsden Retirement
Community in Charleston, S.C., died on
May 11, 2014. He was 93.
The son of Dr. W.G. Lyle and Leontine
de Sabla Lyle, Mr. Lyle was born at home
on East 80th St. in New York City on
December 10, 1920.
He attended Allen-Stevenson School in
New York City before entering the Third
Form at St. Paul’s School in 1935. He com-
peted in baseball, and track for Delphian
and served as captain of the club’s foot-
ball and hockey teams. He also rowed for
Shattuck. He earned a First Dickey Prize
in Science in 1936, First Testimonials in
1937, and Second Testimonials twice. He
served as an acolyte, treasurer of the
Scientific Association, secretary of the
Library Association, vice president of the
Cadmean Literary Society, vice president
of the Athletic Association, and a dorm
supervisor.
Mr. Lyle went on to Harvard, where he
lettered three years in track and football
and was remembered for the touchdown
that won the 1942 Harvard-Princeton
game. He graduated in 1943, then entered
the U.S. Navy as a seaman, attending
midshipman school in Chicago. He spent
a year as an instructor and subsequently
served as a deck officer in charge of anti-
aircraft on the cruiser U.S.S.
Little Rock
.
Entering civilian life, he worked for 10
years as an investment counselor with
Clark Dodge Investment Company in
New York and then joined Wood Walker
Investments Inc. on Wall St. He also ran
his own investment advisory business.
Mr. Lyle’s first marriage, to Helen
Niblack in 1944, ended in divorce. In 1967,
he married Constance Brewer Kilgore. A
year later, the family moved to Westport,
Conn., where Mr. Lyle became a director
of Richardson-Vicks Corp. He also served
as an investment and pension fund man-
ager for various Richardson interests for
the next two decades. Mr. Lyle was an
active member of St. Paul’s Church.
To escape the ice and snow, the Lyles
moved to Chalmers St. in Charleston,
S.C., in 1987. Mr. Lyle continued his
religious dedication at St. Philip’s Church
in Charleston, just a block away from the
family’s new home.
Mr. Lyle was predeceased in 2010 by
his wife, Connie. He is survived by his
daughter, Lucy Lyle Tower; two grand-
children, Aurora and Alfred; his sister,
Leontine Lyle Harrower; and four step-
children, John Kilgore, Constance Kilgore
Utter, Ralph Kilgore, and Robert Kilgore.
1940
William Oliver Boswell Jr.
an Air Force vet-
eran and dedicated
community serv-
ant, of Rochester,
N.Y., died on Octo-
ber 23, 2013, at the
age of 92.
Born in Roches-
ter on July 8, 1921,
he was the son of
Alda and William Boswell (Form of 1892),
and the nephew of Charles O. Boswell
(Form of 1889). He prepared for SPS at
Allendale School in Rochester, entering
the School as a Third Former in the fall of
1936. At SPS, Mr. Boswell was a member
of the Acolyte Guild, Missionary Society,
Dramatics Club, and Outing Club and
served as treasurer of the Rifle Club. He
also enjoyed club sports, representing
Shattuck in crew and Isthmian in football,
ice hockey, and squash.
DECEASED
