CLASS OF 1973 | 2014 | ISSUE 2
Phil Levien writes that “It was quite a year for my wife, Darlene, and me! Both of our children got married. Our daughter, Katie, married her longtime beau, Jason Babineau. They are settled in San Diego, where she works in social media for SONY, and where she and Jason met seven years ago. Our son, Josh, married his sweetheart, Simone Wyrick, and they are in New York, where he is working in digital marketing for Universal Music.” Phil says he also performed a 10-minute monologue written by his wife for a local charity event. It was a site-specific show based on a local historical figure. “It was the fourth time I’ve played a role she created and the first time I have acted for anyone but my students in almost 20 years,” he says. “I had a great time! Perhaps, I’ll do some more acting when I retire from my wonderful day job: teaching.”
Dana Barrows tells me “all is well” and he is still living in West Springfield, Mass., where he has been since starting law school in 1974. He has been with Northwestern Mutual more than 38 years as estate and business planning specialist. He says he is focusing on working with “high net worth entrepreneurs on all aspects of their personal business and estate planning.” He had navigated rotator surgery on both shoulders the past year-and-a-half and is pleased to say he is playing “quality golf again and will ski all winter.” Dana says his four daughters are “thriving, as are my two granddaughters living in West Hartford. I see them often. They are a joy and most precious gift.” Dana says he was “present for the thrilling victory over Williams for the Little Three championship, an elegant day on our beautiful campus.”
Rich Jasper enjoyed seeing folks at the 40th Reunion. “As the years pass,” he writes, “I am ever more thankful to have attended Wesleyan. I am particularly proud of the Wesleyan commitment to minorities during the turbulent 1960s. It was fascinating to view segments of the Grateful Dead in concert May, 1970. What a freshman year.” Rich says he was a panelist at Harvard Law School, Oct. 9th, 2013. The topic was capital punishment in America. Rich has been involved in federal capital defense for the last 20 years. He called it a “productive discussion of the issues.” He represented the defense perspective. He said a former federal prosecutor who tried Oklahoma City bombers represented the government perspective.
David Feldman has been doing a lot of work helping Mike Robinson, who is coping with Parkinson’s Disease. He writes, “From bringing him to our 40th class Reunion (and getting my car towed from in front of Granny Hale and Rich Jasper’s hotel in Hartford, and having to spend the night with Mike on Granny’s couch (Note to Self: Bring earplugs next time you sleep on Granny’s couch; he snores) to Mike’s surprise birthday party on July 22 in New Haven (with a lot of WesU brothers in attendance, along with Mike’s extended family), he’s the one I stay in most touch with.” David has seen Mike at least four times since our Reunion. “Since I was able to help get him physical therapy, his speech, eating, and ability to move have improved markedly—I’m very happy about that,” David says.
He also says his newest program, which he is teaching at the New York Open Center, is called Harmonica-Based Mindfulness. Its central thesis: “Breathing focus is the core practice of mindfulness, since it is the most reliable way to short-circuit unuseful fight or flight responses which cause anger and fear. When one cannot control anger or fear, mindfulness is impossible. The harmonica is the easiest way to teach groups or individuals breathing focus. Once breathing focus skills are achieved (called pranayama in yoga or Buddhist teaching), and anger and fear controlled, the more advanced steps of mindfulness become relatively easy. To find out more, go to: harmonicabasedmindfulness.com.” David is also doing a lot of work with thanatology (death and grieving issues), attending many funerals. His final deep thoughts: “Let old arguments and distancing go by, contact your friends and loved ones, apologize or explain as need be, and stay current with those you care about.”
Tom Pfeiffer also enjoyed seeing many of you at the 40th Reunion, adding “I’m alive and kickin’ up here in Wisconsin after an unusually long winter that is loath to give way to spring.”
David Swanson is a grandfather: “Our first grandchild came into the light at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan July 2013. How wonderful!”
On that note, my oldest daughter, Jennifer, is expecting a second child named Zoey at this writing in April, so Connie and I will soon be grandparents for a second time. Our first granddaughter, Taylor, is 14.
John Bocachica tells me he is in “semi-retirement” and notes he is “only working a few days per month by choice and looking forward to my 40th anniversary with my dear bride.”
pETER D’OENCH | Pgdo10@aol.com