CLASS OF 1979 | 2014 | ISSUE 2

The winter only reluctantly released its grip here in the Northeast. The temperature hit 60 today so there is hope that spring will indeed arrive and that Wesleyan will be thawed out by our 35th.

Just enjoyed another dinner with the Dunn Gaherin crew. Acclaimed author Pete Pezzelli ’81, whose latest novel, The Glassblower’s Apprentice, was just released, attended all the way from the great state of Rhode Island. Jeff Burns ’80, chief of critical care at Children’s Hospital Boston, and Mike Rosenblatt ’80, chief medical officer of Lahey Clinic in Burlington Mass., ensured that the usual cast of miscreants—Gary Breitbord, Tim Fitzgerald, Jeff Gray ’77, Tim O’Brien ’81, and Billy Stack ’81—survived the evening. That festive gathering was closely followed by Opening Day at Fenway Park in celebration of their 2013 World Championship attended by Messrs. O’Brien, Gray, and Breitbord as well as George DuPaul all the way from Macungie, Pa. Dave Thomas ’77 and his son, Spencer, joined for some post-game merriment.

The following is from a recent article in the New York Times: “As president and chief executive of New York Public Radio, Laura R. Walker, 56, oversees metropolitan area stations including WNYC, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio. She lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, Bert Wells, 56, a lawyer, their 14-year-old daughter, Claire, and their cockapoo, Aki. Their son, Evan, 22, is a senior at Yale and often comes home for the weekend because he is writing his senior thesis on the 9/11 Museum.”

Joseph S. Britton, a highly respected family law attorney with Begley, Carlin, and Mandio, LLP, has written the recently published Library of Pennsylvania Family Law Forms, 2nd Edition.

Congratulations to Jack Buckley, making a difference in kids lives and being recognized for it. “Carsten Haber, a board member of Center for Student Coastal Research (CSCR), points out that whereas many people have helped in ensuring the success of CSCR as an educational and environmentally active facility, Jack is the one that started it all with his vision, foresight, and determination. For those reasons, Buckley has been selected as the Cohasset Mariner Citizen of the Year.”

Sarah Maynard writes “Well, I’m not sure I want to lead with this, coming up on our Reunion, but I am a grandmother. Daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Jerome Chiu, welcomed Eleanor Appleton Chiu and Hudson Maynard Chiu on February 8!” OK, the ice has been broken. Sarah has courageously come forth admitting she’s a grandparent. Fess up. Who else?

Bill Levinson writes “I am still living happily in the bubble of New Hope, Penna., with my wife, Julie. I regularly play and record music at our studio and performance space called For the Music Only. We have produced some notable shows here, including Garland Jeffreys, Chuck Prophet, Alejandro Escovedo, and Bernard Purdie. I am writing from Key West, our winter bubble, where I have been playing piano and accordion with friends at the local gin mills, piers, beaches, and bars. Julie and I are celebrating 20 years of lucky love and marriage. “

W. Lee (Willie) Jones writes from Charlotte, N.C., “I serve as the director of the Capital Planning and Alliance Development Services Division of the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department. We recently completed the award winning Romare Bearden Park.”

Theodor Feibel recently had a viewing of his Chromogenic Image “Young Woman Sitting at Table” at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts in New York City.

Heard from Jane Marcellus, Ph.D., who writes, “I have been promoted to full professor at Middle Tennessee State University, where I teach media history and cultural studies in the School of Journalism. I also have a forthcoming book, Mad Men and Working Women: Feminist Perspectives on Historical Power, Resistance, and Otherness.

Kim Carrell-Smith has a little to tell: “I’m now officially an empty-nester and proud mother of two daughters—one a Professor of English Language at a Chilean university (Tufts ’11) and the other a public librarian in Baltimore (Goucher College, ’13). My husband and I both teach at Lehigh University and I also direct/teach for an interdisciplinary master’s program in which students work in local nonprofit agencies for a full year as part of their MA curriculum.”

Craig McLaughlin is hanging out in Santa Cruz writing and performing regularly as a personal storyteller. A second edition of his textbook, Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach, will be out in July. His coauthor is his father, Curtis McLaughlin ’54. A collection of stories from his performances, which together compose a memoir, came out this September. It is called Lions and Tigers and AIDS! Oh, My! and, yes, some of the stories are set at Wesleyan.

Kathy Herron writes: “My career has taken an exciting new path. After 28 years of being in full-scope midwifery, I have stopped the obstetrics portion of my practice. I have taken a full-time faculty position with the Midwifery Institute of Philadelphia University. I am still doing gynecology at the independent midwifery practice I started in 2000, Full Circle Women’s Health. It’s great not being on call anymore, but I miss the births and the wonderful people I have been working with at our local community hospital, including fellow alum and Chief of OB, Dr. Larry Mendelowitz ’72. I still live in Pleasantville, N.Y., where my husband, Peter Scherer, is mayor and owns a graphic design firm. Caroline (Skidmore ’10) is the stage manager for a local theater company; Ben (University of New Haven ’13) plays guitar for the band Palehound and is currently on tour at SXSW in Austin.

The Emmy award-winning Barbara Grunbaum has produced, written, and directed a new DVD released in March titled Community Cornerstones: Historic African American Communities from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. More information can be found at HeritageMontgomery.org.

Howard University announced that one of the nation’s leading pediatricians, Joseph L. Wright, M.D., M.P.H., will chair its Department of Pediatrics June 2014. “We are thrilled to welcome a leader with the experience, expertise, and passion that Dr. Wright brings,” said Mark S. Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the College of Medicine. “Dr. Wright is nationally renowned for his advocacy, public policy and research endeavors. His commitment to outstanding patient care and service to the community are consistent with our core values here at Howard.”

And lastly, John Papa writes, “I had another Sky View Concert series fundraiser at my house in Avon, Conn., to the tunes of The English Beat. Dancing to the Ska music from Wes was co-sponsor John Majewski, Neil Fitzgerald, Bob Burnett, Billy Schmitt, John Gaebe ’77, Paul Malnati ’77, Sean Mckeown ’77, and Jim Carey ’77. People came from all over the country for this great outdoor event. Figuring out now who the next band will be but the clue is ‘I don’t want to go home’. Also just got back from a get-together in Key Largo with 16 Chi Psi’s and one DKE, hosted by John Gaebe and Neil Fitzgerald. After a breakfast at Riviera CC in Miami with Coach Mike Whalen ’83, we were off to the Keys for golfing, boating, and fishing amongst a few other adventures. The Chi Psi’s made an effort to convert the one DKE, Jim LaLiberty ’77, but even with a potential trade, a signing bonus, and a pillow case walk, he stayed true to the boys on High St. The other Lodge men at the event were Bob Latessa, Bill Schmitt, Bob Burnett, Tom Dwyer, John Majewski, Don Dandelske ’78, Buddy Taft ’77, Sean McKeown ’77, Willy Sillin ’77, Paul Malnati ’77, and Dennis Harrington ’76. Best few days of our lives!”

And may that be the same sentiment after our 35th Reunion in May.

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com

Ann Biester Deane | Abdeane@gmail.com