Dean W. Egly, 88, a retired financial executive, died Mar. 26, 2017. He was a member of Delta Upsilon and received an MBA from New York University. During the Korean War he served in the U.S. Navy, after which he joined Morgan Guaranty Trust Company. He retired from J.P. Morgan, its successor company, as an executive vice president. Survivors include his life partner, Charles Hailey.
Bill Mitchell is very much the traveling man. Early in the year he took a trip to his oldest granddaughter’s graduation. A month later he drove from his home in North Carolina to Texas to see family and friends. Last fall he got back to see his first Homecoming game in well over 50 years and was rewarded with a Wesleyan victory. Bill wrote he might even try again this fall. He and I will keep rooting for the Red and Black.
Bob Hammett and his wife celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past summer with a family clambake, attended by two sons and their spouses, and seven grandchildren. Bob spent a month last winter with flu and pneumonia, but reported he was feeling better. He said his hearing was very weak, but he had a couple of great hearing aids “and a wonderful specialist who keeps me tuned in.” He’s also been getting shots in his left eye every six weeks to keep it going. Here again, Bob was helped by another special specialist.
Dave Morey wrote from Ithaca, N.Y., that he was serving on a few committees and a trip for him means going to the supermarket. “The old body is wearing out and I can’t get new parts for it, but at least it’s still going. It’s just not as far or as fast,” he wrote. That’s my situation, too, and I’ll bet all those still with us will say the same.
Chuck Exley wrote from Grosse Pointe, Mich., that he had lost his wife, Sara, 10 years ago and has since remarried a woman, who along with her late husband, were good friends of his and Sara’s. Chuck said it was remarkable that three members of our small class—he, George DeGenaro, and Richard De Gennaro—live within a mile of each other in Sarasota.
Bill Churchill wrote in September that he and wife Maggie were winding up another summer at their cottage at Mattapoisett, on Buzzards Bay, Mass. By late fall they planned to be back at their duplex in a retirement community in Burlington, N.C. “We really have the best of both worlds,” Bill wrote, “with lots of activities and interesting residents. Having Elon University is another source of stimulation. We will keep on trucking as long as the body allows and I’m sure all of us who are left will say amen to that.”
Ken Kenigsberg had replied affirmatively to my requests for news several times over the course of years, and I was sorry to get news of his death. His obituary gave a very full account of his impressive achievements during his 40 years of practicing medicine. He served as chief of pediatric surgery and researched the causes of sudden infant death syndrome. He devoted his life to saving children. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He was fiercely proud of his Jewish ancestry and the state of Israel, and provided volunteer service to the Israeli Medical Corps during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Ken loved nature and participated in scuba diving, sailing, and fly fishing. He left his wife Abby, to whom he was married for 54 years, three sons, and seven grandchildren.
I had one other communication from Sandy Malcomson, who indicated he was doing fine.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
Biff Shaw wrote that he and Jean continue to be very busy, and have been back to the college for retirement parties and celebrations, but otherwise spend less time there. “Fewer and fewer familiar faces,” he wrote. The only familiar face was Barney Kathan. “He seems hale and hearty,” Biff wrote, “and continues to write and publish.” A more loyal alumnus is not to be found.
Biff noted the passing of Bob Gardner, a regular contributor to these pages. He had continued his writing of science texts right to the end.
Howard Goodrich wrote that the Goodrich clan had moved to the Indianapolis area. Howard and his wife, Darlene, had moved there from St. Louis. Howard wrote that they’re still involved in the ministry, as is their youngest daughter, and he continued to do some writing.
Les Aroh, who was at our 65th Reunion, is another hearty survivor.
When Don Sharp’s daughter, Dianne, wrote, Don was in an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s, but continued to live at his home in Fayetteville, Ga, across the street from Dianne. Sadly, Don passed away in December.
I’m hoping to dig up more news as the year rolls along.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
Howard Goodrich and his wife, Darlene, are living a very active life in Indianapolis. They both serve on various organizations connected to the internal aspects of church life. Howard has been doing some writing, recently publishing an article on the social factors affecting the decline of churches. He met a retired history professor from Butler University in Indiana who mentioned having met E. E. Schattschneider, who taught political science to so many of us. He earned considerable renown for his book, Party Government. Howard said Donald Trump is creating the necessity for a whole new approach to that subject.
Keith Whiting’s wife, Marjori, wrote of his passing in North East, Md. She also enclosed a copy of the very eloquent funeral service at his church. Obviously he had a great effect on those he served during his years as a physician.
I also heard from Bill Churchill, who came to our 65th Reunion last spring. He reminded me that he served as a member of the administration from 1964-74.
David Jones and his wife, Ann, have donated a wonderful collection of prints by American Master artist Winslow Homer to the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Conn., which will be on display from July 30 to Sept. 3. There will be an opening reception on July 30 from 1-3 p.m. and David hopes many classmates and friends can attend the reception or get to the show on another date.
Walter Cook, who was at our Reunion last May, wrote that he and his wife, Marie, were enjoying sunny warm Florida and he was passing the time reading some really excellent books. He was not driving any more and was relying on Marie to get them around. Her reflexes, Walt wrote, are excellent.
The return address on King Berlew’s letter was a facility in Topsham, Maine, which he described as “having most everything in an assisted living facility. But King also planned to spend four or five months in Vero Beach to get away from snow. King lost his wife of 64 years, Jeanne, last spring, beginning what he described as “the most difficult period of my life.” Fortunately, his daughter, Sarah, lives in nearby Brunswick, and his son, Derek, lives not far away in Kennebunkport.
I received Roger Tracy’s note just as he was setting out from Suffield, Conn., to root for the UConn women’s basketball team in its bid for a fifth consecutive NCAA championship in Dallas. The Tracys had been on hand for the four previous ones. Unfortunately, the Huskies came up just short this time. Roger said he had maintained contact since graduation with fraternity brother Phil Alden, living in Naples, Fla. They had both entered the USAF Aviation Cadet Program after graduation.
I’ve also heard from George Young, who is doing fine in Bronxville, N.Y.
Lastly, Ken Kenigsberg died on Sept. 27 of complications from a subdural hematoma. Word of his passing came from Austin, Texas, to which he and Abby, his wife of 54 years, had recently moved. In 40 years of practicing medicine, Ken performed one of the first successful separations of conjoined infants. He also researched the causes of sudden infant death syndrome. Fiercely proud of his Jewish ancestry and the State of Israel, he served as a volunteer in the Israeli Medical Corps during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He also served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He enjoyed nature, scuba diving, sailing, fly fishing, and skiing. Besides his wife, he leaves three sons, Matthew, Ezra, and Amos, and seven grandchildren.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
Ken Barratt wrote from an assisted living facility in Green Valley, Ariz., some 25 miles south of Tucson, to which he and his wife, Sabina, moved two years ago. Ken reports he stays quite busy with a number of musical activities, including playing the piano in a 17-piece group. He also works with a trumpeter entertaining other residents in their assisted-living residence. Ken reports that he keeps in touch with friends through the Internet. Ken said he and his wife are in “reasonably good health.”
I also heard from Bob Willett, who is doing well in an assisted-living facility in Palm City, Fla. I also heard from Bob Hammett in Oak Bluffs, Mass., and from Jack Whiteman in Pittsboro, N.C.
I hope all you living outside of New England escaped the severe drought we’ve been having.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
Bill Mitchell wrote from Henderson, N.C., that he continues to be quite active. Bill said he’d do his darnesdest to make the 65th Reunion and he was hoping a lot of classmates would, too.At any rate, he’d try to get to a Wes football game.
Bob Willet’s wife, Martha, wrote from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to report that Bob is living in a residential care facility.
I’d also heard from Jack Pfeiffer in Jonesboro, Ga.; Jack White in Wayzata, Minn.; and Bob Mack in Mexico, N.Y. Jack Pfeiffer lost his wife, Nancy, early in the year and he has moved to a senior citizen’s homestead. He would not be able to make it to our 65th but said, “Tell my classmates I wish them good health and a good turnout,” Bob said.
Our grand old row of college halls never looked more beautiful and the campus truly was fair and green the Saturday morning of our 65th Reunion. The first to show was Barney Kathan in his cardinal-red coat. He would lead us in the parade. Then came Bob Switzgable and his son, and Chris DeGraff and his wife, Sandra. Chris has made every Reunion I’ve made and then some. Bill Churchill was on time for the parade, as were Biff Shaw and his wife, Jean. Les Aroh had come from Kentucky with his wife, Janet, and Barney Kathan was there with his daughter.
I sat with Walter Cook at the WESeniors luncheon and he told of walking across campus early in our freshman year and coming face-to-face with President Victor Butterfield, whom he hadn’t met. The president astonished him by calling him by his first name and asking him how he was doing.
President Michael Roth ’78 gave us an upbeat report on where Wesleyan stands in the educational firmament—very high—and the Wesleyan Spirits sang the Alma Mater and the Fight Song, which ended with some vigorous clapping and the shout: “Go, Wes!”
The fitting climax to the day’s activities was an excellent roast beef dinner at the Usdan Campus Center. Chuck Exley served as host and spoke briefly, noting that the most welcome words in any speech were “and in conclusion.” Bill Churchill’s wife, Maggie, made us laugh by giving us a young person’s idea of what old people are like. Classmates not there were spoken of, and we understood it would be the last time we would get together as a class group.
“We wish the turnout could have been bigger,” said Biff, “but time is catching up.”
Our special thanks to Jenna Starr ’15 for the help she gave us before and during the event. We all loved the dear old college scenes. I’m sorry I had to leave early. It was a wonderful time to be at Wesleyan.
Others of our class who couldn’t join us were thinking of us. Dick Cashman sends his best wishes from Neenah, Wisc. He and his wife migrated there from Florida to be nearer to their family, which Dick said includes 22 great-grandchildren.
Bob Hammett had already committed to attending graduation ceremonies for two grandchildren.
Sandy Malcomson wrote that his appointment book is so filled with doctor’s appointments that there is little room or time for other activities. He sends his best wishes.
Charlie Selig wrote that he would be returning from Florida on May 17 and would have too much to do to get away soon after that. Charlie lost his wife in 2010 but found a “wonderful lady” to join in his very active life. “Say hello for me to everyone here,” he wrote.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
100 Elena St., Apt. 618, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
It was hard to know in mid-winter how many ’51 classmates would attend our 65th Reunion, but Barney Kathan will be there for sure. He doesn’t miss many Reunions. Last year he sat at the seniors table with Dave Mize, who also plans on coming.
Barney continues to research and his article on “Horace Bushnell and the Religious Education Movement” appeared in the Journal of Religious Education in 2013. His article on the National Council on Religious and Public Education will be published this year.
Bob Gardner wrote that he stays in touch with Biff Shaw and Neil Keller. All three hope to attend Reunion. Bob is still writing science books for kids, more than 200 so far.
Bill Churchill and his wife, Maggie, also plan to attend Reunion. Bill wrote that he twisted Bob Switzgable’s arm and he’d be coming as well. Bill is still enjoying Tarheel Country, but has been escaping the summer heat by retreating to a cottage on the shore of Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts.
Biff Shaw and his wife, Jean, will be attending too. The Shaws have been enjoying a busy life at a retirement community in Essex, 20 miles downriver from Middletown.
Dave Mize will be coming from Vermont and Les Aroh from Kentucky. Ted Bartolotta was thinking about coming but he has had health issues and wasn’t sure he could make it. Art DeGraff said he’ll definitely be coming. His wife, Sandy, has a reunion of her own to attend, but plans to join us for dinner Saturday. The DeGraffs have spent winter weekends in Vermont and Art says he still skis.
At the time I was compiling this report, Dave Jones was hoping health issues wouldn’t keep him from coming. The Reunion wouldn’t be the same without him.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
100 Elena St., Apt. 618, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
In every letter I write to classmates, I ask who they’ve seen or heard from. Bob Switzgable responded that he has been seeing Bill Churchill every summer on Cape Cod, where Bob lives himself. Bill now lives in Burlington, N.C.
I’ve been telling people about the 65th Reunion next spring and Bob said he plans to come along with King Berlew, who said that if all goes well in the meantime, he and his wife, Jeanne, would also be attending,
Bill Mitchell wrote from Hendersonville, N.C., that his health continued to be good and he continued to be quite active. Bill said he’d do his darnedest to make our 65th Reunion and he was hoping a lot of classmates make it. In the meantime, he’d try to get to a Wesleyan football game.
Bob Willet’s wife, Martha, wrote from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to report that Bob is living in a residential care facility, appropriately named “A Helping Hand.”
I’ve also heard from Jack Pfeiffer, in Jonesboro., Ga.; Jack White, in Wayzata, Minn.; and Bob Mack, in Mexico, N.Y. Jack Pfeiffer lost his wife, Nancy, early in the year and he has moved to a senior citizen’s homestead. He would not be able to make our 65th but hoped we could get enough for a good turnout. “Tell my classmates I wish them good health and a good turnout,” Bob said.
Chuck Exley, writing from Florida, said he saw Matt Clark, Richard De Gennaro and his brother George DeGenaro fairly recently.
Jim McKeon’s wife, Betty, wrote from Danbury, Conn. where Jim was about to move to a residential facility, Maplewood of Danbury.
Bill Steele has also reached the handicapped stage but he still plays a mean game of ping pong and hikes with his wife. Temperamentally, she says, he remains gentle, kind, and funny.
I hope to hear from more of you.
DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
100 Elena St., Apt. 618, Cranston, RI 02920-7620
John White wrote from Minnesota that the times had been flying by so fast, he couldn’t believe he had truly graduated from the old alma mater 64 years ago. John said he’d been married twice, had four children, who in turn had seven kids, who are turning into being gray-headed themselves, who in turn have three kids, two of whom came into this world in Australia. “All this means I’m a great-grandfather to those three,” John wrote. John was unhappy that the Minnesota driver’s liscence bureau had revoked his driver’s license. He was trying to get it back, so far without success. “I am qualified as a senior citizen,” he wrote, “and am now at the mercy of my dear wife Mary and a couple of friends to chauffer if I want or need to go someplace.” I know the feeling, John.
Bob Mack’s wife, Mary, wrote that Bob has become seriously handicapped by his Parkinson’s Syndrome and can do very little for himself. The family has a wheelchair-accessible van, and they can take him out occasionally. They also have excellent home health and Mary wrote that the family has been of great help also.
Jack Pfeiffer reported sad news from Jonesboro, Ga., in the death of his wife, Nancy, earlier this year. Consequently, Jack wrote, he has moved to a senior citizen’s homestead, where he has a two-bedroom apartment. “My health is fair,” Jack wrote, “and I try to exercise fairly often.” Jack said he wouldn’t be able to make our 65th Reunion but wanted to wish his classmates good health and a great time.
I don’t know if I included a very newsworthy letter from a fraternity brother Roger Stimson in Okemos, Mich. At the time he wrote, Roger was recovering from total knee replacement on both knees and hoped to be ready for the sailing season. Other than the knees, Roger said his health was good and he was working out regularly with a group of ex-Michigan State professors. He was still a ham radio operator. For anybody who has the appropriate equipment, you can see some of his handiwork on QRZ.com. Enter his call letters (K8RS) in the little box on the upper left and you’ll see his web page.
Dave Welsh wrote from Fort Myers, Fla., where he and his wife, Kathy, retired to in 2002. “We still travel to see our family by driving or flying to see sons, daughters, grandchildren and, in just the last few years, great-grandchildren,” he wrote. “Our lives are centered on our country club, playing many rounds of golf, going to the fitness center, reading and spending time with our friends for dinner a few times a week.” Dave said that he and Kathy were enjoying amazingly good health for their “young” age.
In my letters to classmates, I’m asking everyone to indicate whether they would be able to make our 65th Reunion next year. I think we’d need at least 10 to make it worthwhile for the university to do anything for us.
ROBERT E. NAGLE, an attorney who specialized in labor law, died Aug. 16, 2014. He was 84. A member of Sigma Nu, he received his degree with high distinction in history. After receiving his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and his LL.M. from Georgetown University, he served as a legal officer in the U.S. Navy. After leaving the Navy, he began a career in government service that spanned more than two decades. Most of his work targeted the protection of the rights, health, and safety of American workers. This included more than a decade at the U.S. Department of Labor. During the Kennedy administration he served as a special counsel to the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. He later was associate counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, where he was involved in developing and drafting the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and the Coal Mine Safety Act of 1969. From 1971 to 1974 he was general counsel to the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, where he helped develop and draft the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). He was in private practice from 1974 to 1979. From 1979 to 1982 he was executive director of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. From 1982 until his death, he served as an arbitrator and mediator in employee benefits and labor disputes, and from 1985 until his death he served as neutral trustee and chairman of two multi-employer pension and health benefit funds. His wife, Ronna Paolicchi Nagle, predeceased him. Survivors include three children, including Robert E. Nagle III ’81; three grandchildren; and two brothers.
