CLASS OF 1966 | 2014 | ISSUE 3
Aloha, all classmates. Well, by now summer is a distant memory and we’re headed for our first snow, if it hasn’t already occurred—at least where many of you live!!! In the course of months I am glad to report that I have heard from a number of you.
It was great to get a note from Clark Byam, of Pasadena, Calif., who celebrated 42 years with the same law firm in September. Still, as a partner, remarkable achievement. He reported that he fulfilled at least one of his bucket list items with a family Amazon rain forest trip to Peru. He notes: “It fulfilled all my expectations and the guides on board were very knowledgeable… Saw all sorts of birds, monkeys, fish, plus some exotic and rather dangerous creatures, including anaconda, boas, poisonous dart frogs, piranha (even fished for them), and a bird-eating spider the size of my fist (only half grown).” After this, he and his wife retreated for 10 days in British Columbia—a great place to recover! Clark also committed to attending our 50th. I believe he is our first commitment in print!!!
In August, we got a great call on a lazy afternoon from Bruce Cost, who lives in New York City. He and his wife (also a Wesleyan grad) were here in Hawai`i for a brief time, and we had a chance to partake in a meal together. Bruce is an accomplished cook and author of numerous articles and books on ginger. His latest adventure is “Bruce Cost Ginger Ale” which you can procure on the East and West coasts—google the product and you can find out where to get the best ginger ale you’ve ever tasted. Bruce’s home in New York sounds like a bit of a hub for Wesleyan activity, with such folks as fraternity brother Kit Laybourne and his wife Geraldine, and it was great to catch up on the whereabouts of Bruce’s family members who really span the world.
Pete Spiller from St. Augustine, Fla., e-mailed me with a great photo and footnote about Wesleyan. Did you know that there is a Wesleyan Lake in Ontario? It’s at latitude 51.20 degrees and longitude 91.66 degrees. Pete is a great canoe paddler and paddled through it this summer on a 22-day canoe expedition to the north. Other news from Pete was that he retired as president of the Board of the Florida Shipowners Group, Inc. on April Fools Day last year (appropriate for a Wes grad) but continues as vice chair of the board for the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. He notes, “Classmates are encouraged to visit our ancient city,” so right about now if there is any snow on the ground, it would be a good time to call him. He wanted me to pass along his e-mail: PedroSpiller@aol.com. He ended with a great quote from Mark Twain, which is applicable to us all now that most of us have reached seven decades on this earth: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” A personal note: There are very few Spoehrs in the United States and very few from my father’s side of the family. Pete is a paddling buddy with my second cousin, Pete Spoehr, who as the “Monarch” of our family still paddles his own canoe. I only hope that my body (and mind) allows me the same.
Also, we had a great note from Rick Crootof and wife Linda, who are now in New Hampshire. Rick is president of the tennis club and takes his tennis very seriously. He reported on some health issues facing our classmate Robin Burns. Robin, all our thoughts and prayers are with you. He also noted that another classmate, Jack Knapp, and his wife, Carla, who live in Chicago still make the trip back east to the wilderness of New Hampshire every year to escape Chicago’s urbanization. Rick’s son, Matt, has just started physician’s assistant studies at Idaho State and we wish him all the best in this. Having just retired from the health care field, it will be the PAs and nurse practitioners who will be the “work horses” of our future health care.
Let me end this with just a few comments about a wonderful trip my wife Joyce and I took in August on the ship Crown Princess down the inland passage from Whittier, Ala., to Vancouver. If any of you are looking for a wonderful experience which isn’t too touristy and offers a wonderful perspective on nature, wilderness, and life in general; take this voyage—it’s not paddling on Lake Wesleyan but for those who cannot paddle but want to see wilderness, it’s a good second place!
And finally, let me put a plug in for using Wesleyan’s webcasts. The technology is great and you will see the campus and, best of all, the young men and women of old Wes. Simply go to the Wesleyan website; choose “athletics” and look for the webcast schedule and button for connection. The football games and other athletic contests are great to watch. Wesleyan this year is defending its Little 3 Championship—Go, Coach Mike Whalen ’83 and staff; Go, Wes!
A big thank you to all of you who have shared bits of your lives with us. And as we move towards the holiday season…a very Mele Kalikimaka and Hau`oli Makahiki Hou to all of you and your `Ohana (families).
Hardy Spoehr | hspoehr7@gmail.com
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