In Memoriam
ROCHESTER FAMILY: Ruth Greene Linfoot ’27 (left) celebrates her 100th birthday in 2006 with her sisters, Alice Greene Reed ’38 (center), and Margaret Greene Kindig ’47. The trio’s two sisters, Mary Greene Matthew ’35 and Helen Greene Clark ’31, died earlier. (Photo: Courtesy of the family of Ruth Greene Linfoot ’27)Noting the death of Ruth Greene Linfoot ’27 (In Memoriam, March-April 2009) introduced melancholy to the remainder of my day. In the span of a few months she changed my life’s course.
Mrs. Linfoot was not young when, on short notice, she took over as Latin teacher at Geneseo, N.Y., Central High School in the autumn of 1961. The class had four students: Charley Carney ’66; his future wife, Nancy; the principal’s son, Bill; and me. As the wife of a prominent and successful businessman, Mrs. Linfoot was known in the social circles of Geneseo. She had no reason to be teaching high school Latin other than her own generosity.
Class met in the library and was run more as a seminar than the traditional lecture-translate method. While I learned some Latin, the more important life lesson was in her demonstration of concerned adult rule (in the protective-precepting sense) and guidance. The lesson mattered then and now.
Mrs. Linfoot had asked each of us our college plans. I told her that I had none; my plan was a job. Shortly afterward, she captured me alone. She made it clear that I would be applying to colleges and that Rochester would be one of them.
She followed up. The guidance counselor, who had had naught to do with me, suddenly took an interest in my progress. I went on several college field trips. Meanwhile, Mrs. Linfoot demanded progress reports on my applications. Money for applications was found. She insisted on writing a letter on my behalf. To my great surprise and joy, I was accepted to Rochester with enough scholarship and loan money to make my attendance possible.
Her 101 years of adventures in giving cannot be relayed in a mere obituary. Mrs. Linfoot set a high standard for her fellow alumni.
—James King ’66
King graduated with two degrees—a bachelor of arts in linguistics and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering—and pursued an engineering career at IBM and Lockheed Martin.
