In Memoriam
Carolyn Brown, 97, dean of the Conservatory of Dance from 1980 to 1982, died on January 7, 2025 at her home in Millbrook, NY. Brown was a founding and foundational member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
Keara Jean Carr ’02 (Liberal Studies), 47 of Briarcliff Manor, NY, passed away on September 10, 2025. She had been a producer for NBC in New York City. Keara loved being a mother and cherished time with her daughter, Quinn.
Joel Forbes ’80 (Visual Arts), 68, died on December 28, 2024, from complications related to multiple sclerosis. A professional jazz bassist, master craftsman/furniture designer, and artist, Joel’s love of the acoustic bass began at Purchase and continued for more than 30 years as a highly respected musician on the global jazz scene.
Noah Kucij ’01 (Literature), 43, died unexpectedly of natural causes on April 5, 2023, at his home in Albany. Noah had been a full-time member of the Hudson Valley Community College English faculty. He is survived by his wife, Corey Cramer, and daughter, Matilda June.
Amelia R. Whitehurst ’22 (Biology), 38, passed away in October 2024. A brilliant researcher, lover of the outdoors, and a uniquely colorful soul, she will be remembered for her wit, insight, and deep passion for biology.
Paul Santo D’Agostino, 72, of Bedford, NY, passed away on June 27, 2025. Paul worked in the School of Art+Design for more than 44 years as a member of the Instructional Staff for the Photography program. He was deeply invested in supporting his students’ talents and emerging careers, helping generations of young photographers. Though modest about his abilities, Paul was a gifted photographer whose work garnered much admiration.
He was remembered fondly by his colleagues, who wrote, “Paul was the thread that connected generations of students to Purchase—the keeper of the torch, the holder of stories, the king of the basement.
“Paul was devoted to this place—even if, like many of us, he showed that devotion in his own scrappy, no-nonsense way. In so many ways, Paul embodied the spirit of Purchase: sharp-edged but full of heart, unflashy but essential. He held so much of the department’s infrastructure, history, and culture in his hands.
“His loss leaves a hole not only in the department but in the daily rhythm of this place. He carried so much of what made the program run—quietly, expertly, and without fuss—and it’s hard to imagine things without him.”
Jed Devine, 80, of Martha’s Vineyard, passed away on October 29, 2024. He was Professor Emeritus, School of Art+Design, having retired in 2012. An accomplished photographer, Jed was known for his black-and-white palladium prints and later for his color digital prints.
He began teaching at Purchase in 1977, and many of his students went on to become recognized photographers themselves, including Gregory Crewdson ’85, Regina DeLuise ’81, Andrea Modica ’82, and Deborah Mesa-Pely ’91.
In 1987, Jed was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for his photographs of Central Park’s Bethesda Terrace. His work is found in the permanent collections of many museums.
His son Jesse described him as “a man with fierce but evolving opinions, and an irascible and profane antagonist to authority figures including school administrators, cops, and umpires,” but adds, “he was a loyal and devoted friend, patient and encouraging to generations of students at SUNY Purchase and elsewhere.”
The Purchase community remembers him as a guiding, sometimes fiery voice of reason and a master technician. Equally a friend and professor, he gave his students the confidence to brave a new world.