CLASS OF 1970 | 2026 | SPRING ISSUE
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Aloha, everyone.
Sadly, the Fall ’25 Issue of the magazine reported the deaths of five classmates. I had previously reported on the deaths of Bob Segal and Calvin deGrasse. Here are links to obituaries for Brian Dawe, Michael Mastergeorge, and Randy Miller.
https://www.bragdonkelley.com/obituaries/Brian-Dawe?obId=45896347
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/middletownpress/name/michael-mastergeorge-obituary?id=59270288
Additionally, we lost Peter Miceli on October 31, 2024.
Russ Bradshaw wrote in memory of crewmate Brian Dawe, sending a team photo (at right). Also, Russ had an interview published in Wesleyan’s fall edition. He says, “It describes my experiences in a New Age group that worked for ‘inner and outer peace,’ based in Queens, meetings in NYC at United Nations. Unfortunately, the leader had a well-hidden ‘shadow side,’ of MeToo sort. . .” The experience resulted in a traumatic experience for Russ’s family, so he “decided to devote my efforts to exposing how cultic groups recruit and try to retain members.” I concur with Russ’s suggestion to read the piece (on p. 36) if you missed it.
Our very own Brooklyn cowboy, Jeremy Serwer, wrote: “Still living the country life here in northeast Connecticut—close enough to enjoy civilization when needed, yet far enough away to mostly be away from it. Working very part-time with one client; on three nonprofit boards; doing lots of volunteer work focusing on veterans, antisemitism, and equine pursuits. Mostly, working or riding horses three to five days a week. Had a decent 2025 Cowboy Mounted Shooting season. Wife, Nancy, is still flying for American Airlines as a first class purser out of Boston; finally starting to talk about retirement, maybe two years away. Works well, as I managed to rob the cradle anyway—43 years ago.
“We’re a chip shot off any highway Wes mates might travel between NY and Boston. It’s beautiful on our property. There’s a guaranteed lunch for anyone wishing to take a driving break (jeremy@theserwercompany.com). Last visit we enjoyed was from Chase Van Gorder ’71, Wes Beta bro. Great fun.”
By the time you read this, Jamie Kirkpatrick’s new novel, The People Game (Koehler Books), should be published. More information appeared in the Fall ’25 Issue.
(Dr.) John Yurechko caught us up on his news: “I have published two volumes of poetry, my first, titled Head Lines, way back in 2014; followed in 2025 with Second Thoughts.
“I retired from a 30-year government career in 2011. I have given lectures to various audiences on the Ukraine war, NATO, and other national security topics. I have written articles and contributed to books on Russian/Soviet military issues.
“I met my wife, Jane, a Wellesley graduate, when we were both in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. (I completed my PhD in history in 1980.) We settled in northern Virginia, then moved to a lakeside home in central Virginia in 2016.
“Alas, my rickety body demanded that I cease active participation in Revolutionary War (with the 1st Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line) and Civil War (28th Massachusetts Regiment) reenactments, although I continue to do living history talks for local school classes.
“Three daughters and a grandson named Wesley (pure coincidence!).
“I noticed in your most recent notes an update from Steve Talbot, remarking that he was just in Vietnam. Jane and I just finished a trip there and to Cambodia in October 2025. Vietnam was still decorated with flags and slogans celebrating the 50th anniversary. It was quite an experience.
“I get together with Chuck Caramello (who lives in Maryland) on almost a weekly basis to eat sushi and ‘chew the rice.’ Chuck, a professor emeritus of English, retired as a dean at the University of Maryland. He is working on his second book on equine and equestrian history. Jeff Nye (who lives in northern Virginia) joins us at times as well.”
Frank Waters is the equivalent of folks who call in to a radio show and introduce themselves by saying, “Longtime listener, first-time caller.” He sent a summary of his life since graduation: “My wife, Janet, and I have been married for 50 years and have two adult children and three grandchildren.
“I never left Connecticut after Wesleyan. I went to work for a Hartford insurance company after graduation and a few years later, bought a West Hartford property and casualty insurance agency (from Page Harman ’42, another Wesleyan alumnus), which I owned for 35 years. I sold it 12 years ago but remained active on a part-time basis in the insurance industry until last year. Now I just play a lot of golf, run a fantasy football league, which I have been commissioner of for 39 years, and babysit for our two younger grandchildren. Oh, I was also the varsity girls basketball coach at Avon, Connecticut, high school for 19 years (1997–2016), where I had a career record of 378–95, with 13 league championships and one state title.
“Wesleyan alums that I see most regularly include Brendan Lynch ’68, Jim Akin ’72, John Papa ’79, and occasionally Gary Walford ’71 and Brian Silvestro. I do get back to campus a couple of times a year for athletic contests and golf outings. And I promise to make our 60th Reunion if I am still sound of mind and body.”
Frank promised his father to write a book about his family’s experiences in WWII, and A Drumstick for Thanksgiving Please is now published. Frank’s description: “It is a true story of the Waters family journey, basically through the World War II years. The principal figures are my father, Frank Waters Jr. ’42, and my uncle, William Waters ’42, who were both Army Air Corps pilots and [Wes grads].”
Frank wanted his email shared: fwaters2525@gmail.com.
From the book blurb:
“Frank’s debut literary work fulfills a 30-year-old promise he made to his father, a World War II fighter pilot. A Drumstick for Thanksgiving Please chronicles realities of life in the 1940s, not only for the faithful U.S. Air Force pilots, but also of their families during their absences.
“With multiple family members away in Europe, the Waters family corresponded, even when one of them ended up as a POW in a German camp. Their close relationships carried them all through the war and beyond, proving that family ties make a difference when faced with adversity.
“Follow the decades-long saga of one family who thrived despite the difficulties of a world at war.”
Edward Hazen Walker, aka “Sachin Hazen,” wrote (I believe for the first time) and shared a lot of news and a fascinating story:
“After graduation, cum laude Phi Beta Kappa, I traveled across the country in a VW Bug. Came out as bi/gay in Berkeley, mingled backstage with Joan Baez and Mimi Farina, had my mind exploded in Monterrey, stayed up all night writing/channeling ‘the wisdom of the universe.’
“Returned to the culturally OCD East Coast to share New Age consciousness, failed miserably. Had a breakdown, found the will to live again by following my intuition to my ancestral homeland, the then Soviet Union. Had a successful career in IT, made a lot of money in real estate in Boston. Spent five years in an ashram in western Massachusetts, became a psychotherapist, manifested a beautiful home surrounded by forest in Connecticut.
“Contemplating the end of life, I moved to Mexico to the decadent Oaxacan Coast to relax and chill until death. Instead, my body got stronger and healthier and I had to recalibrate. As a spiritual teacher, I was invited to stay in beautiful homes in fascinating places, San Miguel de Allende, the Ansonia Hotel in Upper West Side Manhattan, and now the Mojave Desert.
“Along the way I had the freedom and encouragement to begin writing again. Short stories, often highly erotic, poured forth from me. After the death of my mother, I started to spend more and more time in the next dimension communing with her. This coincided with developing abilities as a shaman, and ultimately as a psychic and channel.”
Jerry Cerasale sent good advice (for me, at least): “At our age it’s time to retire.” He says, “I’m still enjoying my time on the Eastham Select Board. However, I’m continually amazed at the ‘pressing’ issues that citizens raise. Eastham is in the midst of facing a state mandate to put in sewers and a wastewater treatment plant, covering new bonds for installing a new water system (before 2020 there were no fire hydrants in town), and paying its part of a $170 million high school. The pressing issues from many citizens are pickleball courts and usage and dog walking. I’ve learned that many times it’s the little things that count.”
Tim Greaney’s new novel, Taking Up Life in Both Hands, is available on Amazon. It’s a satire about a large Catholic hospital system that has lost its way and fallen prey to profit-hungry executives. Information about his first novel, St. Sebastian School of Law, a satirical take on law teaching during the first years of Trump, can be found at www.timgreaney.net.
Peter Ratner wrote, “In my case, I would say no news is good news. We are back in Seatoun and hopefully finishing our house renovation by the end of the year. Did a trip to Scotland, London (where our daughter married her partner after 20 years and two children), and NYC in October. We look after our youngest granddaughter every Thursday. Other than that, we just keep on keeping on.”
From David Jones: “I’m now in my 38th year as president and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York, a nonprofit, and a member of the Board of the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Agency of New York). Still not quite ready to retire but maybe in two or three years. Enjoying my three grandchildren: my 13-year-old Sophia in Boston and my five-year-old Acher and three-year-old Ren in Brooklyn.” He says that he had “a recent advocacy victory, after 10 years of effort, led a successful campaign called Fair Fares for half-priced fares on subways and buses for low-income New Yorkers. To date, more than 300,000 people have signed up. It’s this kind of work which keeps me going well after my expiration date. Best, David”
Bruce Williams sent an update: “I got a tick-borne bacteria, anaplasmosis, which upset my equilibrium —listing to port—which sent me falling down [the] stairs one hot midnight in July 2024, the eve of getting treatment, during which I broke my neck, hence my lengthy rehabilitation. I was working on a film at the time and was unable to bring it to something like a finished form until last spring, eight months, and I’m not completely happy with what I’ve done since my fall. Gives me something to aim for in between poems.”
For those of you who are a bit poetry-challenged like me, Bruce included this note: “Lots of pentameter / except the first line / iambs not so much).”
CLASS NOTES
Aloha, Oy Vey, Aye Bobo, and Howdy!
Last time I wrote to the class as a whole
was for our 50th Reunion book,
but I never got a copy. Maybe
there was some right-wing sabotage. Maybe
the post office was being set up to fail.
Maybe it was just your standard SNAFU.
Now our class moves ever closer to the
back page of the alumni magazine,
ever more onto obituaries.
I almost made it. Anaplasmosis,
fractured cervical vertebrae, rock star
neurosurgeon, a book load of nurses,
stuff of legends. My rehab goes well, but
I still list a bit to port. My left foot
still tends to drag. Common names escape me,
but I delight still in what I read, like
after lights out in the women’s lock-up
in Greenwich Village when a sister calls,
“Hey, Angela! What’s imperialism?”
Since my fall, A.I. has metastasized.
Still quite fallible, it says a friend died
two years ago. Wrong. It rightly says I
misremember what professor Davis
actually wrote. The correct copy is,
“Angela, what does ‘imperialism’
mean?” “Lock-up” in the House of Detention,
not “Lights out.” Same thing. Approximately.
Angela answers, teacher that she is.
What I remembered was more dramatic,
more cinematic, and where but in books
can one be a political prisoner
with Toni Morrison as editor?
How great is that? A happy Hollywood
ending too. She goes free as a spirit.
Stuart Frank sent an update on his book publishing: “Delighted to report that my book Biographical Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists, the product of 35-plus years of research, has now been published in two volumes by Scrimshaw Forensics® and is available online at Amazon.com. This clears the path for me to look for a publisher for my next grand opus, The Herman Melville Song Book, a scholarly anthology and analysis of the authentic songs, ballads, tunes, and chanteys referred to in Redburn, White-Jacket, and Moby-Dick. In a way, it’s a follow-up to (or a follow-through) to my first book, Herman Melville’s Picture Gallery: Sources and types of the “pictorial chapters” of Moby-Dick (1986). Hints and contacts from classmates shall be greatly appreciated! (stuart.m.frank@verizon.net) Meanwhile my wife, Mary Malloy, has been lecturing occasionally at Wes and is busily engaged in writing articles and chapters on maritime history, Indigenous Northwest Coast art, a book about Americans in the Pacific in the 19th century, and her fifth novel (something about a female pirate in the post-Napoleonic era), while I continue as editor of the triannual journal Scrimshaw Observer and as founding director of the Scrimshaw Forensics® Laboratory. So, we’re both busy in retirement. And I expect you are, too.”
I heard again from Andy Edlen. In case you missed his saga online awhile back, here it is again: “On the heels of graduation back in the Pleistocene, Jeff Wanshel ’69 told me of a call he got from a high school friend of his, John Emulin, leader of a band called Lothar and the Hand People, about a job opening at Jimi Hendrix’ Electric Lady Studios on 8th street in Greenwich Village. I went to work there a bare week before Jimi’s sad passing. Over the next couple of years, I went from gopher (go fer this . . . ) to night manager to staff engineer. Lots of brushes with fame, amazing audio adventures and a ringside seat viewing the greed and venality of the record biz. The ensuing decades were filled with a blur of bands, work at West Coast studios and some time on the road backing up Bobby Freeman (Do you Wanna Dance and The Swim in a kind of white-boy soul revue. Then, a couple of decades making music and sound fx for computer game companies in the Bay Area, where I’ve resided since 19(gulp)73. And over the last decade, I’ve been doing IT at UC Berkeley.
“My brother Steve and I have a number of songs up on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-568633504 that you and your readers might enjoy. And I escaped the cutting room floor (and was given some generous screen time) in a movie about the studio’s early days, findable on Amazon as Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision. The editors kindly included my sentient moments from the interviews, and it’s a pretty fair time capsule of that window in the studio’s history.
“I’m in touch with precious few friends from the era, and I hope this Class Notes appearance may help remedy that.”
And an update: “At Wesleyan, I translated Neruda and a number of Spanish Golden Age, 16th-century writers like Cervantes and Lope de Vega, and my Spanish is still in decent shape. . . .”
I continue teaching middle school, but plan on retiring next year. Vera, my wife of 38 years, and I live in our little dodecagon house with a two-year-old mini-Aussie dog in a quiet valley on Kauai. We deal with downed trees and rocks rolling into the “road” to pavement, along with flood watches. We plan to sell this house and get a place that’s paid-for elsewhere on the island. I want to finish writing some books, including one on sex education for middle schoolers, based on the questions my students have asked and my answers to them. (Would love suggestions for finding publishers.)
We recently traveled to Nevada and Utah where we visited Bryce and Zion National Parks and hiked around some other gorgeous places. Highly recommended, especially Bryce.
A happy and healthy new year to all.
RUSS JOSEPHSON | russ_josephson@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 1151, Kilauea, HI 96754