CLASS OF 1959 | 2016 | ISSUE 2
The Great Class of ’59 are inveterate travelers, as the following will attest. Linda and Dick Cadigan write about their trip to Tanzania and seeing all the game animals that could be seen. A side excursion to a Masai village was equally interesting. Their guide talked about his father and his eight wives. Early Anglican missionaries came to accept this habit “as done,” but tried to discourage it for new marriages. Later in South Africa, compromise was reached, permitting polygamy only if the husband proved he could support the additional wives.
Bob Czepiel may get the award the for most travel. After a Wharton MBA and 30 years on Wall Street and retiring at 58, he began serious travel. He and Anne have circumnavigated the world twice! They have visited more than 70 countries. Can anyone top that? In his spare time Bob went back to Wes and took a couple of film courses to support that interest. Oldest granddaughter is starting at Wellesley in the fall.
Herb Steiner also travels: Winter in Delray Beach–tennis and biking; Croatia in October; Japan in the planning stage for next October; and Copenhagen in July. Herb will be visiting with Anne and Joe Vander Veer this month and Sybil and Tim Martin this summer.
This issue of Class Notes is a one-secretary effort, as co-scribe John Spurdle and Cyndy are in London officiating at the 175th anniversary of the London Library, ably assisted by support from Queen Elizabeth. John became involved with the library when living in London and took advantage of their presence there to celebrate Cyndy’s 80th birthday. Congratulations, Cyndy. From Eclectic to the London Library. Wow!
Jim Brands writes of the “usual” activities, trips to the Bahamas and Mexico. Perhaps a “trip too far,” as in Death Valley in November. Gail fell and broke both arms, requiring an extended stay in Las Vegas for repairs. Hardly “usual.” Happily, recovery is progressing nicely!
Walter Burnett reports good health, much traveling and nearing an 80th birthday. Aren’t we all! Travels include a month in Alaska this summer.
Ray Simone, while not traveling, encourages us all to travel to Rhode Island. As an enticement, he offers a new restaurant he and his sons opened in September of 2014 in Warren. Their focus is on locally grown food and locally caught seafood—simonesri.com.
Dave Eklund, now president of the Sanitary District of Tiburon, Calif., is coping with the inevitable conflict between demands for more service at less cost. Good luck! In between district meetings Dave will be involved in a nice tradition involving the defunct Delta Sigma fraternity. The ’59 members are holding a two-day “retreat” near Providence. Tony Allen, Dave Darling, Nancy DiMauro, Bill Minor, John Dennis, Larry Kedes and Dave will be there. Following the event, a mandatory report must be filed. Dave will also be in attendance for Tom Young’s admittance to the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Tom.
Paul Stevens is in Portland, Maine, where he is still practicing his architecture skills after 50 years. The firm was started by his great-grandfather in 1884. Paul also still runs competitively and tells us that his 4-year-old grandson has run a mile in 10 minutes. Architecture or running in the future?
We heard from Stan Bowers, a colleague from Deke who laments the situation there. Stan has been in the wine distribution business for over 40 years and is joined by his son, Stan IV. Married 50 years, with a new responsibility, Carl, a rescue Rottie. Any idea who is in charge here?
Ed Murphy and Dick Cadigan review Bob Gillette’s new book very favorably. This book is a full re-write of his earlier book, The Virginia Plan: Wm. B Thalheimer and a Rescue from Germany. The new book is Escape from Germany: From Nazi Germany to Thalheimer Farm. This version is aimed at early teen readers who, Bob feels, should know about these events. This is also a fictional account of true events. Amazon has both books.
Wolfram Thiemann, a foreign scholar during our era, wrote: “Happy after my retirement some years ago from University of Bremen (2003); still active in doing research in astrochemistry, such as exploration of comet Chury by ESA-sponsored project ROSETTA/PHILAE, searching for life’s origin in universe. Teaching in Indian and Chinese universities promoting more environmental awareness. Doing some historic research into 20th century German past, with all its dark remnants. Helping out in reviewing PhD theses and manuscripts submitted to international journals is my personal ‘prevention against age-related dementia.’”
Lastly, we hear of “Shive” Shively from Dave Eklund, who visited Shive in the San Diego area. Shive’s sense of humor is sharp, as are recollections of Wesleyan hockey and baseball.
Skip Silloway | ssillow@gmail.com; 801-532-4311
John Spurdle | jspurdle@aol.com; 212-644-4858