John Wald, KSG Editor, Dies in Skiing Accident

John Gregory Wald, an editor, feature writer, and photographer for many publications at the Kennedy School of Government, was killed in an avalanche while backcountry skiing on Mt. Washington, N.H., on Sunday, March 24.

Born in Boston, Wald attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, and graduated with a B.A. from Wesleyan University ('82) and an M.A. in comparative literature from the University of Michigan. He spoke French, Italian, and Greek, and had a love of classical literature.

From the time Wald could walk, he was an avid skier, and developed a great love of the mountains and outdoor activities. He became a technical rock climber and skilled mountaineer, climbing throughout New England, the Cascades, British Columbia, and the Alps. He helped establish several new rock climbing routes in the Adirondack Mountains which are published in Climbing in the Adirondacks. He was a member of the Sierra Club, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Nature Conservancy.

Wald had a strong commitment to public transportation and was very active in the Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts, working to make Boston a more "bicycle-friendly" city. He chose not to own a car.

He is survived by his father, Stephen L. Wald of Telluride, Colo.; his mother, Gail Calder of Spencertown, N.Y.; a sister, Alison B. Wald of Providence, R.I.; his grandmother, Helen Finkel of Lenox, Mass.; his stepfather, Frederick C. Calder of Lake Placid, N.Y.; and stepbrothers Grant and Peter Calder of Philadelphia, Pa., and Wynn Calder of Cambridge.

Services will be held at the Class of 1959 Chapel on the campus of the Harvard Business School, Soldier's Field Road, Boston, on Thursday, March 28, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon. The family will receive visitors from 2:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday and again on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m., at the home of Morton and Sylvia Grossman, 77 Yarmouth Rd., Chestnut Hill. On Friday the family will receive visitors from 1 to 8 p.m. at the home of Gail Calder, 78 Beale Rd., Spencertown, N.Y.

Donations in his memory may be made to the John Wald Fund, care of the Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts, 214A Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, or the Appalachian Mountain Club, 5 Joy St., Boston, MA 02108.