CLASS OF 1969 | 2015 | ISSUE 1

Find Darius Brubeck’s latest CD, Cathy’s Summer, on Viperrecords or CDBaby. “Am attending the South African Jazz Educators’ Conference. Following are gigs in UK and Europe for my London-based quartet. Granddaughter Lydia Elmer ’17 is a junior at Wesleyan.”

Mike Fink wrote, “Youngest daughter is doing well at U. of South Carolina, heading toward an athletic training major. She is passionate about training and sports injury research.”

Peter Pfeiffer said, “After 40-plus years of logging Maine’s woods, I’ve found a way to make money at it: write about it. Hard Chance, Tree Farming in Troubled Times. mainauthorspublishing.com. Five-star review from Nick Browning. Haven’t quit my day job, though this waist-deep snow is slowing me down.”

John Bach paints houses, is the Quaker chaplain at Harvard, and is proud of Wes’s lead in providing scholarships for vets. “I bang the drum of not confusing learning with education; it’s more important to be a good person than just a good student.” Eric Michaels retired from 37 years as a lawyer and baby-sits full-time for two toddler grandkids. Al Cover officially retired from teaching at Stony Brook U. “The dean made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I didn’t.”

Ron Reisner wrote, “Saw old Dekes at the Herb Kenny Tourney in November—Dick Emerson ’68, Steve Knox, Pat Kelly, and Dave Revenaugh ’72. Want a bigger group at the basketball/golf outing in June. We mourn Dave Crockett’s death, who, along with roommate Rick Peace, always found humor in whatever temporary trouble confronted the Deke House. Some minor surgery corrected a vision problem—I learned about real friends when the wheels started to come off.”

Russ Helgren “had a great weekend in Harbour Town, N.C., with six buddies from Fairfield, including George Amarant. Ostensibly a golf weekend, George, a non-golfer, was designated cart driver. I split time between Virginia Beach and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Life is good.”

Cilla, Isak, and Rick Pedolsky sent “Health, Happiness, and Peace.”

The East Hampton (N.Y.) Star reviewed Rameshwar Das’s new book, Polishing the Mirror, a collaboration with Ram Dass, which recounts experiences with Maharaj-ji. The book’s simple statements offer an alternate way of looking at life and its purpose. Ramesh wrote, “Quiet the mind and open the heart. Create a daily spiritual practice—polish the mirror. Meditation, recitation of a mantra, reflection, chanting, and silence are recommended. Embrace aging and dying. Open your heart to unconditional love, serve selflessly, accept fear and suffering.”

Steve Pfeiffer checked in from Johannesburg.

Visit Tom Goodman at tomgoodman.com.

Eric Greene wrote, “I’m at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show to buy inventory. Eighty degrees while shop in the Berkshires is buried in snow.”

Doug Bell wrote, “Grasslands continues to grow. Three new partners with years of agriculture, forestry, and financial experience. The global appetite for farmland and forests is accelerating. We have solutions in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil. I failed retirement. Life is an exciting ride right now. Carolyn and I are in our 20th year and still love the dance, passionately. Lucky guy I am. Blessings to all.”

Harry Nothacker “finished 12/40 (third American) in the 65-69 age group at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. It was hot and windy. I started training when I retired and the rest, they say, is history. Many folks helped, including roommate Dave Farrar, who was my support person when I swam across the Chesapeake this past summer.”

Mike Fairchild “traveled with son Scott ’00. Wild rickshaw rides, tigers in the Ranthambore National Park, cremation ceremonies along the Ganges. Wife Susie continues dancing at libraries, hospitals, country fairs, nursing homes. I photograph public ceremonies and recently produced videos on Christ’s life for St. John’s Church in Cold Spring Harbor. Daughter Marnie works for Amnesty International. She observed in Ferguson, and we worked together at an Amnesty event in NYC that featured women speaking on behalf of human rights and freedom of speech.”

Steve Broker wrote, “George Creeger taught us how to read critically. His analysis of Billy Budd was an eye-opener for a young boy from Ohio and Virginia. After MLK’s death, George walked into class and read ‘When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.’ No introduction or conclusion, one of the most powerful moments I experienced as an undergrad. I took his ‘Early Connecticut House’ when working for the GLSP. His knowledge of architecture was extraordinary. Few teachers had as much lasting impact as did George Creeger.”

Jim Adkins had a “great Christmas. So much family at son’s house in New Hampshire—eight people, five dogs, and everyone got sick. Still work three half-days—trying to find the right balance.”

Alex Knopp “chairs Connecticut’s US Civil Rights Commission, is involved with Sheff vs. O’Neill, and lectures at Yale Law School. Wife Bette retired after many years as a language arts teacher in Norwalk.”

Gordy Crawford wrote, “I lost a great long-term friend when Davy Crockett passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Till the end, he traveled, was with family and friends, golfed, maintained a good spirit, was a fighter, and we all miss him. After a long time at Capital Research and Management, I do some board work, golf, fly fish, and travel with Dona.”

Mid-February. Intersections obscured by snow piles. Shovel. Eat. Sleep. Packing for SC and Abby and Benton’s birthdays. “Papa Charlie” loves it.

CHArLIE FARROW | charlesfarrow@comcast.net
1 Cold Spring Rd., East Haddam, CT 06423