Tag: 1953

Walt Cutler wrote in November: “My wife, Didi, and I enjoyed two good trips this summer: one on a French barge in Burgundy with friends, and the other to Leipzig and Dresden for classical music. I am still involved with several Washington think tanks promoting international exchanges, and serving as an adviser to a California-based investment bank doing business in the Middle East. I haven’t been back to Wesleyan since I chaired a panel on the Iran-Saudi Cold War several years ago. Unfortunately, that part of the world continues to go from bad to worse.” Our wishes are to see Walt again on the campus.

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Jan B. van den Berg, 87, on Dec. 26, 2017. He and I roomed together for three years in Harriman, spent summer 1951 at a Michigan resort, and toured five European countries in 1952. Jan, born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, fled ahead of the Nazi invasion and lived in New Rochelle. He was a math major and Alpha Chi Rho. Jan was known for his swimming ability, having set frosh records in two distance events, being New England champ in the 440, and captain our senior year. In Paris we met the 1952 Olympic champ in the 440, whose time today would not make the high school team. (Progress!)

With an MBA from Stanford, he joined McKinsey & Company as a management consultant and later became a managing principal. He lived in Amsterdam, London, and Greenwich. I recall his attendance our 40th Reunion in 1993. Upon retirement he moved to Bend, Ore., from where he traveled around the world until being stricken with Alzheimer’s. He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Patricia, a son, and two daughters, to whom our condolences are extended.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

Our thoughts and hope for recoverable survival go to more than a dozen classmates who live in hurricane-wracked Florida, Texas, and surrounding areas, and to those who spend a portion of the winter months there.

Planning began the first week of October for our 65th Reunion, on Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26, 2018—mark your calendars! Text me in the coming months as to your plans or of eventful happenings.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

With condolences to the families, the deaths of John R. Parsons, 85, Jan. 27, 2017, and John P. Gorsuch, 85, Feb. 15, 2017, are reported. John Parsons, of Worcester, psychology major and president of Sigma Nu, served in the Army, and was employed by Connecticut General Life and as a consultant before founding Parsons, McKee & Co. in 1976. John was northeast Ohio’s go-to expert for pension plans. He was active in the school system and the library as a resident of Avon Lake. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, four children, 12 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

John “Jack” Gorsuch, of Denver, Beta Theta Pi and history major, went on to Yale Divinity School and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1956. He served churches in Washington, D.C., Great Bend, Kan., and Yakima, Wash. In 1985, he founded the Center for Spiritual Development in Seattle. Retiring in 1992 as executive director, he continued practicing in the Northwest. He moved to Milwaukee in 2014 to be closer to family. Jack passed away shortly after learning that his nephew, Neil Gorsuch, was a Supreme Court nominee. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and three grandchildren,

As for me, before driving to our New York farm for the summer, I will attend the installation on June 9 of my daughter-in-law, Mother Tracy, as priest of the Episcopal Church of St. John, Aptos, Calif. My son assists with the driving from Oklahoma to New York.

In less than a year, our 65th Reunion will offer an opportunity to return to campus and renew friendships. During the winter send me a note of your thoughts about Reunion.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

As many struggle to survive winter’s blast, others bask in Florida and our southern border states, but none go as far south as Phil Olsen, who will enjoy Antarctica’s summer. No longer flying, he did pilot in a command for three years after his 80th, thereby joining the Union of Flying Octogenarians (UFO). Phil reports the passing of his wife, Gail, in May. We remember Gail as faithfully accompanying him to Reunions. Our condolences are extended to Phil.

In anticipation of our 65th next year, send me your latest. At our age, even the mundane can be interesting to our classmates.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

In a sympathy letter to me, The Rev. Frederick S. Wandall wrote that his wife of 53 years, Virginia H. “Ginger,” passed away on Apr. 7, and that her 82nd birthday on Aug. 11 was kept in memory of her. Since 2011 they have lived in Greenspring Village, a retirement community in Springfield, Va. They have a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren. At age 86, Fred still assists in weekly chapel services. He served parishes in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, taught at St. Stephen’s School in Alexandria, Va., for 20 years, followed by 20 years at the Truro Church in Fairfax, Va. Our condolences and sympathy are extended to Fred and his family.

Jim Griffis keeps me posted, with an occasional e-mail, of his status as a displaced “Buckeye” in Texas. As a memento of track and field days, he keeps a 16-pound shot on his balcony, which he claims nearly exceeds his lifting capacity.

After attending my granddaughter’s May wedding in Michigan, I spent three-and-a-half months at the New York farm with my two ladies, a pit bull and long-haired Chihuahua, and enjoyed a week-long July visit from my son, who assisted with minor maintenance. Although much of New York State experienced drought conditions, our area was an exception, with ceiling-high corn and green lawns.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

A note from Jerry Patrick indicates, “Life goes quite well.” Indeed, it does! After sailing bareboat in the Virgin Islands in January, he expected to meet up with Cope Murray during a June trip east, followed by a September visit to France and Spain. He recently formed a writers group and has received good feedback on his short story collection Voices: and Other Stories, available from Amazon.

Belatedly, we received a report of the death of Philip T. Church on July 17, 2015. Phil was a math major, Phi Beta Kappa, a member of Sigma Chi and a four-year Argus staffer. He grew up on several Connecticut chicken farms and met his wife, Patricia, who survives, at Middletown High School. After an MA from Harvard and Ph.D. in mathematics from Michigan, he began a 43-year career on the Syracuse faculty. He lived in Fayetteville, N.Y.

Class Vice President Stephen May passed away March 31, 2016, at Georgetown University Hospital. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Steve was an American Culture major, a member of Alpha Chi Rho, captain of the basketball team, a three-year letterman in soccer and baseball, and active in other campus groups. He received an LLB from Georgetown University in 1961. He served as Rochester councilman and as mayor 1970–1973. After being active in New York state politics, he served as assistant secretary for Congressional Relations, HUD, until 1988. He pursued his long-life interest in American culture through writing and lecturing. His first marriage, at age 75, was to Kathryn, who survives.

Condolences of the class are extended to the wives and families of these classmates. For further details see obituaries at magazine.wesleyan.edu.

Finally, sadly I report the passing of my wife of 43 years, Mary Ruth, April 8, 2016, after a week in a nursing home. She leaves behind a large family, including 19 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 918/335-0081

Some of us happily live day-to-day, whereas others plan ahead. Among the latter is Jerry Zackin and his wife. Sandy. In addition to spending winters (seven months) in Sarasota and summers on Cape Cod, they travel quite a bit: “Caribbean in March, Mediterranean in July, and Elbe River from Berlin to Prague in October. Next year we are planning on the Far East (Bangkok to Hong Kong), Rhine River, and Romania, Bulgaria, etc. It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it.” Then our 65th Reunion in 2018. During Homecoming last fall his granddaughter (Wesleyan class of ’10) discovered in the bowels of the gym a photo of the 1953 swimming team that includes Jerry and yours truly. Not sure whether it was ever seen by us, since it is the 1952 team that appears in our ’53 Olla Pod.

Many of us maintain mobility by carrying around pieces of metal, i.e., a knee or a stent or a new hip, as does Bob Lavin since last fall. He is reported doing well.

I will be in St. Joseph, Mich., over Memorial Day for my second and last granddaughter’s wedding before traveling to our N.Y. farm for the summer.

Those of you who occasionally see classmates are the envy of us in the hinterland. Drop me a note to share your good fortune.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 918/335-0081

Jonathan H. Lovejoy passed away on April 5, 2015, at his home in Essex, Conn. Jon, a member of Sigma Nu and a history major, graduated from Yale Law School in 1956. In addition to the law practice, Jon served as judge of probate in the Town of Westbrook and was on the New Canaan zoning board. His outside interests revolved around water, boating, and music. A member of the Coast Guard Reserve, he was chairman of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and active in the Norwalk Seaport Association. His music interests included singing in the church choir with his wife and with the Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords. He is survived by his three daughters and two granddaughters.

Over the years reports of the activities or the passing of many of the 53 (estimated) men who left campus during our four years have appeared in our Class Notes. Fortunately, some have maintained contact with the college. One of these was M. Harrison Clark Jr., who died on June 4, 2015. He was residing in Brooksville, Maine. Harrison left Wesleyan after his freshman year, and in 1953 earned a BS from Babson College. Early in his career he worked for Combustion Engineering. He spent the last 20-plus years of his career working for National Blank Book Company in Holyoke, Mass., which later became Dennison National and then Dennison. Harrison retired from Dennison National in 1988 and had 27 wonderful years of retirement. He is survived by his wife, Sallie, and their five children and spouses, M. Harrison Clark, III (Pamela) of Brewer; Dr. D. Christopher Clark (Linda) of New Hartford, N.Y.; D. Brooks Clark (Deborah) of Cheshire, Conn.; Margaret Clark of Marblehead, Mass.; and Sarah C. Baskin (William) of Glastonbury, Conn. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren, as well as, by his sister, Jean C. Eysenbach (John), of Brooksville, Maine.

In Seattle, Basil Anex reports that daily one-hour walks with his wife, Gretchen, maintain their healthy condition. Three of his five granddaughters are currently in college. His son is with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, involved with nondisclosable activity that does include some analytical chemistry, my field of practice.

In six days, the wedding of the eldest of my two granddaughters will allow me a firsthand view of effects of the recent storms in Charleston, S.C.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 918/335-0081