63
he was a rower and also played football
and hockey. Mr. Whitman was a member
of the Athletic Association, the Library
Association, and Le Cercle Fran
ç
ais. He
served as a supervisor in Simpson. As a
Sixth Former, he was described by his
college adviser as “a strong, able boy with
high principles.”
Mr. Whitman left St. Paul’s bound for
Yale, where he graduated with the Class
of 1966. From 1966 to 1969, Mr. Whitman
served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S.
Army, completing a tour of duty in Viet-
nam. He was awarded two Bronze Stars,
including one with a V to recognize his
valor. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from
Harvard in 1971. He also studied at London
Business School as a Knox Fellow. Mr.
Whitman began his career as a consult-
ant with First National City Bank in New
York City. He then worked for Citicorp,
holding the title of vice president, and
served as chairman and chief executive
of Prudential-Bache Interfunding Inc.
from 1987 to 1990.
On April 20, 1974, Mr. Whitman mar-
ried Christine “Christie” Todd. The two
had bonded over sports and politics after
meeting first in 1968 and again at Presi-
dent Richard Nixon’s 1973 inaugural ball.
The couple resided in London briefly
before settling in Oldwick, N.J., where
together they raised two children, Kate
(born in 1977) and Taylor (born in 1979).
In 1995, Mr. Whitman founded
Sycamore Ventures, a venture capital
firm based in Lawrenceville, N.J. One of
the partners in the firm was Peter Gerry
’64. During that time, Mr. Whitman also
became New Jersey’s “first husband” as
his wife, Christie Todd Whitman, served
as governor of New Jersey from 1994 to
2001, when she was appointed adminis-
trator of the Environmental Protection
Agency by President George W. Bush.
Always active, Mr. Whitman enjoyed
good wine, fishing, sailing, golf, tennis,
mountain biking, hockey, and dancing.
He was a lifelong devotee of St. Paul’s,
giving generously to the School, among
many other organizations. In 2012, Mr.
Whitman became a member of the John
Hargate Society at SPS, after recognizing
the School in his estate plans.
Mr. Whitman is survived by his wife of
41 years, Christie Todd Whitman; his
daughter, Kate Whitman Annis; his son,
Taylor Whitman; six grandsons; his brother,
Charles “Sandy” Whitman III ’60; his sister,
Jan Whitman Ogden; and many relatives
and friends.
1966
Thomas McTyeire Sparre
Raysor Jr.
a kind, caring,
deeply spiritual
man, who will be
dearly missed by
his family and
friends, died
suddenly on July
28, 2015. He was
68 and a resident
of Columbia, Md.
Born on April 4, 1947, in Washington,
D.C., Thom Raysor was the son of Einar
H. Raysor and the late Thomas M. Raysor
Sr. As a boy, Mr. Raysor grew up in
Bethesda, Md., and entered St. Paul’s
School as a Third Former in the fall of
1962 out of Western Junior High School
in Montgomery County, Md. He competed
for Delphian and was a member of the
Halcyon Boat Club. Mr. Raysor was also
a member of the Chess Club, the Rifle
Club, the Dramatic Club, and Maroon Key
and he was a writer for
The Pelican
. He
was known as a polite and well-mannered
boy with maturity beyond his years.
In his 1961 application for admission
to St. Paul’s, Mr. Raysor listed among his
interests the collecting of antique firearms
from the Civil War and also a general
interest in Civil War history. He expressed
pride in an assignment he had completed
in junior high that allowed him to share
his passion for history with the students
in his class. Mr. Raysor also enjoyed sail-
ing as a child at his family’s summer home
in Lewes, Delaware.
Mr. Raysor remained an avid collector
of Civil War memorabilia throughout his
life, with an emphasis on uniforms, flags,
and material. He broadened his collect-
ing interests to include 16th- and 17th-
century English oak furniture. He also
maintained an interest in Model T Fords.
In the summer of 1963, Mr. Raysor
traveled to Europe, where he worked
for five weeks at a cigarette factory in
Brussels, Belgium.
From St. Paul’s, Mr. Raysor enrolled at
the University of Virginia, where he earned
his B.A., and continued on to the Univer-
sity of Maryland, where he received his
master’s in history in 1975. From 1970 to
1972, Mr. Raysor served in the District of
Columbia Air National Guard.
His career included a period at the
Smithsonian Institution, the Department
of Labor, and, most recently, at the Depart-
ment of Energy.
According to his obituary in the
Wash-
ington Post
, Mr. Raysor was a spiritual
man with a peaceful and gentle soul.
“He lived life with great respect for God
within, and saw God within all. He was an
initiate of Kriya Yoga and Paramahamsa
Hariharananda.”
“Thom was a good and loyal friend,
with a wonderful sense of humor, who
made it a priority to stay in touch with
me for the 53 years I knew him,” said his
friend, Richard Woodville ’66. “When he
talked about his interests and passions,
he communicated joy and enthusiasm,
which was fun for me to experience.”
Mr. Raysor is survived by his life part-
ner of 43 years, Alan J. Schneider; his
mother, Einar H. Raysor; and his sister,
Ingrid Raysor.
1970
John Taylor Halsey II
a world traveler
and fun-loving
family man, died
on September 4,
2014, at the age
of 62, following a
battle with cancer.
Born in New
Orleans to the
late Donald and
Virginia Logan Halsey, he arrived at
St. Paul’s from New Orleans and attended
the School between 1965 and 1969. While
at the School, he played basketball and
baseball and was described as a strong
competitor. In 1969, he received a letter
of commendation for outstanding perform-
ance on the National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test.
