CLASS OF 1956 | 2018 | ISSUE 2

Jay Kaplan’s new book, Secrets and Suspense (International Law Stories), has been published by Academica Press. You can read about Jay and the book on Amazon’s website. I’ve had the privilege of reading a sample chapter, which was fascinating.

Bill Bixby writes: “In May I was inducted into the Wes Baseball Wall of Fame with other new members from 1963, 1977, 1988, 1991, and 2003.

“Unfortunately, none of my family could attend, but some friends did. The alumni baseball game was mostly fun but looked a lot more like batting practice.

“I lost my wife, Fran, who passed away in September. But my family is very busy, and all are doing well. My son, Mark, and his wife, Jen, went to Germany to visit their son, Evan, a senior at Hobart William Smith, studying there. His older brother Tucker graduated last year from Trinity College and is in the U.S. Marine reserves. My middle grandson, Reed, graduated last year from Union College and works at an insurance company in Charleston, S.C. My granddaughter, Kira, a junior, is doing well in high school.

“I’m on a waiting list to move into Applewood, an assisted independent living facility only 10 minutes from my home in Amherst as well as from my son’s home.”

From Dave Thompson: “I’m writing from our winter roost in Vero Beach, Fla., but going north soon to Weston, Conn., and our house of 45 years. Two of our three children live in Connecticut and their young-adult kids still call it home. We have one daughter and a granddaughter in California. Joyce and I will celebrate our 60th anniversary with a family bash in Montana. My only serious complaint is that days are getting briefer—they go by too quickly. This sounds like a ’56er contented with life; a fair interpretation! Looking forward to our next Reunion.”

John Foster greets spring: “Renewal, yet the old body resists. We are blessed by having both our boys—one a WesTech grad—with grandkids here with us in Marblehead. Several of the latter are in college, though—Vassar and Brown—and two are youngsters. Thus—bypassing the med issues—life is good.”

Jim Wagner adds: “During the March 2 nor’easter, a tree fell on our house. Fortunately, insurance will pay all but the $500 deductible, and we were able to live in the house while awaiting repairs. It was a crazy late winter and spring: two 80-plus degree days in February, March colder than February, and four nor’easters. For the winter as a whole, we seemed to be in a donut hole as far as snow was concerned. Even my brother-in-law in Charleston, S.C., had more snow than I did in northern Virginia, and good old Connecticut, where I grew up, got clobbered at least once.

“In April Betty and I had a great time attending her 50th class reunion at James Madison University here in Virginia. We talked with JMU’s president, and I shared with him that my liberal arts education at Wesleyan was valuable to me as a science major. He was familiar with Wesleyan’s high reputation and said that JMU had a similar requirement for students majoring in the sciences—that they take at least a minimum number of liberal arts type classes for a well-rounded education.

“In June we plan to return to Harrisonburg for a week-long classical music festival featuring the music of Bach. It is sponsored by the music department of another school located there, Eastern Mennonite University. Hope y’all have a great summer!”

[In case you’ve forgotten, we were all required to take at least two courses in each of three disciplines: humanities, social science, and hard science—and to swim four lengths of the pool!]

Finally, “Sheila and Bob Runyon are suitably installed in their new apartment above the pond. We have downsized (kinda). Sheila more than Bob (a borderline hoarder). Selling the old homestead (36 years) was a necessity, but still a traumatic transition in memory. We have some great neighbors who have organized a Friday evening floor party: 5 p.m. wine, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation in a public space. An offshoot for guys is a Wednesday evening junket to The Casual Pint, a new craft beer franchise a few blocks away. Last week’s nature drama was the birth of five Canada geese underneath the first-floor balcony of a near neighbor. These new animal friends provide Bob with a treasured connection with the natural landscape. My daughter-in-law completes her first college year at the University of Nebraska Omaha in May, and my grandson will be off to Northwest Missouri State University for his freshman year in the fall. This struggling writer was immensely impressed with George’s superb memoir, Shards, which was independently published.” Thanks, Bob.

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net