CLASS OF 1971 | 2015 | ISSUE 1
Aloha. Well, I did ask for news and all I can say is, “when it rains it pours,” or if in Boston, “when it snows it definitely snows!!!” I received so much news you are going to have to go to: classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu/class-of-1971. Please read the long version, I could not do justice to your informative e-mails.
Bob Baranoff retired in June and is expecting first grandchild and other things….
Brett S. Goldstein: “After having retired from the rabbinical pulpit in Hollywood Beach, Fla., I’ve officiated at my 1,000th wedding.”
Mark Wallach: “I have become a grandfather: My son, Philip Wallach ’05 and his wife, Vera Krimnus ’05 became the parents of Bina (Wes class of 2036?) in July of 2014.
John Cuddy is getting ready for a fourth year of Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Saw Norm Leong: Sadly his brother died, and happily his stepdaughter just had twins.
Dave Lindorff was in London trying to cadge an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. That and thiscantbehappening.net is “the only news organization in the US to be labeled a threat by the Department of Homeland Security.”
R. Anderson Sutton: “I’m dean of the School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa since Aug. 2013, after teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 31 years.”
John Schimmel: “I live in Los Angeles with my wife, Maureen Donley, and three children. After a long career as a bass player and a Hollywood studio executive, now I am a producer and head of linear content for Cloud Imperium Games (the largest crowd-funded project in history).”
Bob Yaro: “I retired as president of Regional Plan Association in December after 25 years with this Manhattan-based urban planning think tank. I’m also teaching at the UPenn School of Design. Expecting first grandchild from daughter Jennifer Yaro ’06.”
Jim Rizza: “Fourth granddaughter, Lilyana O’Connell, born to daughter Jess and son-in-law Aaron, Jan. 5th, healthy and happy. I’m still doing a little counseling, writing, guitar performance, flying airplanes, and semi-serious photography.”
Robin Gillam: “I’m now broken-hearted by the death of my wife, Judy, née Johnson, Oct. 20, 2014. This was the end of a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer that began in early 2011. I mostly have been occupying myself with hobbies—gym, motorcycle, choir and guitar playing, and now cooking and property maintenance.”
David Foster: “My career as a software geek is winding down after 20 years at Oracle Corp. Will retire next year. My volunteer work for the Alzheimer’s Association has me finishing my second year as chair of the board of directors of the Minnesota/North Dakota chapter.”
Bill Davis: “After 42 years with the New England School of Art & Design I have officially retired. My wife, Patty, and I (married in 1969), are still very much together. Our first grandchild, Nate, is now 18 months old. I have been very pleased to see Wesleyan president, Michael Roth ’78, actively promoting the value of a liberal arts education.”
Bob LeRoy is founder and coordinator of Plant-based Prevention Of Disease (p-pod.org).
Bert Whetstone (’71 and MA ’75): “I use my psychology training to do adventure-based team development and leadership training with young people. Please check out my site: drbertwhetstone.com.” After 30 years in New Hampshire, he lives on the Shenandoah River in Charles Town, W.Va.
Andy Glantz: “I still design and build custom, sculptural furniture. And I spend a lot of time renovating our home in Scottsdale, Ariz.”
Alan Epstein: “I have been very active in my research—immunotherapy. I am starting a new cancer biotech company. We now live in Pasadena one mile from the Rose Bowl.”
Warren White: “I am cooking and baking for the poor and homeless through the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, Room in the Inn, Safe Haven, and The Nashville Food Project.
Stewart Malloy: “Three children with lovely wife Claudia—two Brown graduates and one Yale. Three fantastic grandchildren (Stella, Elliot, and Clayton) under 3 have put a new spin on life!! Malloystewart@gmail.com.”
Demetrie Comnas: “Got together with John Billock at the occasion of the christening of his great nephew (his sister’s grandson) here in Pennsylvania. I spend a fair amount of time on our farm in Greece (highgroves.com) and believe that the EU has cut Greece a lousy financial deal.”
Bill Boulware: “I am now living in the D.C. area. My wife has a PR company that specializes in crisis management. If you’ve seen the show Scandal…she is the real Olivia Pope. The show was inspired by her and her work, and she serves as co-executive producer while still running her D.C. firm. My mother is alive and kicking at 91 and still lives in Harlem—-by herself. I co-wrote a book a couple of years ago, Long Shot, that was published by HarperCollins. I’m not involved much with television anymore but it amazes me how well Wesleyan is represented in that field.”
Mary O. McWilliams: “I just retired from full-time work and am enjoying a mixture of corporate and nonprofit board work, civic activities and travel. I’m active but don’t have to rush anymore! maryoliver.mcwilliams@gmail.com.”
Mark Merlis’s fourth novel, JD, will be published by the University of Wisconsin Press in March 2015. Mark was married in June 2013 to Bob Ashe, after a 31-year-engagement.
Vic Pfeiffer: “After retiring in 2008 from a career in healthcare/employee benefits/human resources strategy consulting with The Segal Company’s D.C. office, my wife and I moved to Maryland’s Eastern Shore to small historic Chestertown (1706). We renovated an old (1880s) house. Daughter Alex Pfeiffer ’06 gave birth to Riley Pfeiffer Reynolds in Aug. 2014, in San Diego. We had a great visit last June from Pat Callahan and wife Ann Goodwin ’79.”
Blake P. Allison: “I am still architecting away in Cambridge; latest project is a classroom building for a small special-needs school in Lexington. Martha’s Vineyard is quite a crossroad for Wesleyan alums: Bob Julier, Peter Woodin, John Abrams ’75, David White ’70, Morgan Muir ’73, Dusty Carter ’69, Tim Thompson ’73 (from Porter, Maine). Life is good!”
John Lippincott plans to retire in March as president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Last September, his daughter, Sarah Lippincott ’07, married Brendan O’Connell ’08. In retirement he expects to continue to use his expertise to advance educational institutions. lippincottj@verizon.net
Graeme Bush: “I am still the chair of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, coming up on my 15th year in that role. Kids are all great—Emmy is in real estate in NYC, Jenny is in Tel Aviv working with an incubator called Elevator, Sam is in Vietnam traveling before he finishes at Oregon and starts at Guggenheim Partners in June, youngest, Andie, is going to Lehigh in the fall, and Wendy and I will—finally—be empty nesters. Wendy is very involved in several organizations that foster Arab Israeli engagement. gbush@zuckerman.com.”
Fran Pawlowski (The Gallup Pole): “After more than 40 years, I retired from full-time teaching last May. My legal business, Gallup Process Service, has been an interesting sideline since 1978. My wife (Delphine) and I are the proud parents of seven children and 11 grandchildren. I look forward to our 45th Reunion with great anticipation and hope to see many, many classmates. If you’ve never attended a Reunion, or haven’t for a long time, I invite you to attend our 2016 event. Peace.” I think Fran said it the best: See you in 2016! Aloha.
NEIL J. CLENDENINN | Cybermad@msn.com
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