RE Log - Fall 2023

FALL 2023 Ransom Everglades LOG 77 Sara McDanald Cassel ’62 , of Raber, Mich., and Mount Dora, Fla., died May 22, 2023, at the age of 79. Her final resting place is at North Raber Cemetery in Goetzville, Mich. Sara was born Dec. 17, 1943, in Miami. She grew up in the Grove, not far from the famous Parrot Jungle, where birds from the sanctuary often visited the trees around her house. She graduated from Everglades School for Girls and attended the University of Miami, then moved to Durham, N.C. with her husband, Tom Cassel. The couple’s two children were born there. The Cassels lived in Boston, and then moved to Michigan, ultimately settling in Huntington Woods to raise their family. At the age of 16, Sara attended a dance camp in Connecticut, which was for many years her passion, along with teaching preschool when arriving in Michigan. She became director of that summer camp for more than 10 years, introducing hundreds of children to the Noyes School of Rhythm technique. Her property in Raber was purchased in 1984, and in 1987 after she moved to Raber full time, where she lived out her retirement, and from 2010, she spent her time between Michigan and Mount Dora. Sara was a free spirit, who loved dancing, painting, front-porch and kitch- en-table visiting, and driving her tractor, brush-hogging trails for all the animals passing through her property. She spent her life close to nature and helped keep the Pickford Feed Service in business for more than 30 years, feeding all wildlife in all seasons in a 100-mile radius! Sara supported the Jewish National Fund, Planned Parenthood and the League of Women Voters. She was preceded in death by her hus- band of 15 years, Tom; her son, Adam Cassel; and her parents, Robert Morton and Allie Mae Kitchens McDanald. She is survived by her daughter, Liana Cassel of New York City, and a heart-sister, Roberta Montgomery of DeLand. Susan Litowitz Hill ’71 , of Sudbury, Mass., died June 19, 2023, in her be- loved home following a three-year battle with cancer. She was 69. Susan was born in Miami Beach on April 29, 1954, the daughter of the late Robert and Donna (Balkan) Litowitz. She was the valedictorian of the Everglades School for Girls Class of 1971 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. During her career, she owned and operated graphics arts businesses in Chicago, Ill, and Lowell, Mass., with the most recent being SusanADesigns. Throughout her life Susan participated in and supported many causes with her primary focus on education, music and arts for children, animal rescue and preservation of natu- ral land and its unique flora. In addition to her beloved husband, James Hill, she leaves her step-children and their spouses, Stephanie and Charles Hill-Manuel and James Jr. and Felicia Hill; her grandchildren, Sophia Manuel, Faith and James Hill, III; her brothers and their spouses, Arthur and June Litowitz, Budd and Deana Litowitz; her in-laws, Elizabeth Cowen Litowitz ’67 and Charles Lefebvre; her nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, grandnieces and nephew and many friends. From Liz, “Susan Litowitz Hill, Beloved sister-in- law, always in our hearts.” Steffen Cox ’78 passed away March 19, 2023. He was born in Miami and attended West Lab Elementary School. During his years at RE, Steffen was active with the football and wrestling programs where fellow classmate Geoff Marks ’78 remembered him as “a fierce competitor on the football field and the wrestling mat but a gentle soul.” Upon graduation from Ransom Everglades, he went on to attend Syracuse University and received his BA in 1982. Steffen returned to Miami where he remained until the passing of both of his parents. He then relocated to Hemingway, S.C., reconnecting with family on his mother’s side. In his spare time, Steffen served as office manager at President Barack Obama re-election headquarters. Steffen is lovingly remembered by all his friends and former classmates. From Vivian Blount Schile ’78 , “Here’s looking at you, kid…” Jim Higgins , former Ransom teacher and soccer/baseball coach in the 1970s, passed away in Cape Cod after a short battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. According to Jim Beverley ’62 , Jim was one of his oldest and best friends and godfather to Jim’s son, Eric. He was a mentor to many young men and women including Chris Moore ’76 .