CLASS OF 1954 | 2017 | ISSUE 1
Gentlemen, thanks for your response, and here’s what you sent me:
John Binswanger and bride are busy traveling and tracking their grands. John reports that travels to Aspen, Greece, Italy, and South America have “kept us very busy this year.” Their last granddaughter is off to U. of Maryland. Four others have migrated to San Francisco and LA; others are close by, but one received a Fulbright and is now in Germany.
Ben Cope writes that he and his bride are enjoying an active, eventful life in retirement. 2016 saw their 60th anniversary. Prior to retiring, Ben had spent 41 years in banking. They have seven children and 15 grandchildren. Ben claims to be physically and mentally sound—at 85!
Mary Ann and Chuck Davis celebrated their 60th anniversary with a family gathering at Seven Springs Resort in Seven Springs, Pa. Bill Drury remains happy, healthy, and enjoying the easy life in Nashua, N.H.
Terry Hatter writes that “we lost a wonderful classmate with Bill Christopher’s passing. He was one of Wesleyan’s finest.” The Hatter’s youngest son, Scott ’92, is spending a year in Spain and Italy with his girlfriend before returning to law. Their older granddaughter, Lauren, is working toward a master’s from Queen’s University in Ireland, and she’ll be going to law school at Penn in the fall. Her brother, Eric, is in his second year at Georgetown Law. The Hatters’ two younger grands, Leah and Wilson, are 12 and in middle school in Santa Monica and Sacramento, respectively.
Bud Johnson notes two more grands are in college app mode, with one set for Colgate, the other, okay for Notre Dame, but wants Princeton. Three others are now in college, and another just graduated from UChicago. Bud and Lynn remain happy and healthy.
Jeff Lockhart reports attending a charity reception at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Club in Palm Beach. Quite an estate, Jeff notes, originally built by Marjorie Post in the 1920s.
Barbara and Curt McLaughlin went on a tour of Spain in November, returning to Chapel Hill just in time for Thanksgiving. They’re doing well in their apartment in a retirement community.
Rod O’Connor’s big news is that his granddaughter, Cameron Arkin ’17, will be graduating from Wesleyan with two majors completed: neuroscience and art. Rod believes he is now clear of melanoma stage IV after two years of immunotherapy. Rod still goes to his office often, and golf is now a drink at lunch followed by nine holes at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.
Norm Stuessy tells of his daughter, Helen, happily married to a middle school teacher in Cinnaminson, N.J., and of his four sons: Ted, chief of police, Haddonfield, N.J.; Kevin, living in Chery Hill, N.J.; Bill, who teaches and lives in Westminister, Mass.; and Bob, living and teaching in a community college in Columbia, S.C. Norm reports that he’s been diagnosed with dementia. Ruth is helping him manage the situation.
Bob Muir reports that he has seven grandchildren, with one on the way. “I had the joy of holding our youngest granddaughter on my lap. As she slept there I felt the warmth of holding one of my progeny who is four decades removed—thanking God for that opportunity.”
Sadly, Doris Swain reports that Jim Swain died on Nov. 28 of pancreatic cancer. We also got word that R.J. Dunham passed away on Jan. 18, and Dick Bertini passed away on Jan. 27 from complications of vascular disease.
In our last class notes, I asked for any remembrances of Marshall (Mike) Umpleby, who passed away last October. I am very appreciative that two of you responded as follows:
George Ray wrote that Marshall was a modern renaissance man in his remarkable life as an aviator, author, educator, and family man, in addition to being a nice guy and loyal classmate. Graduating from Englewood School for Boys, where his father, a Wesleyan graduate himself, was the headmaster, Marshall was an English major at Wesleyan, and played on the squash and baseball teams. After flight school and a stint in the Navy as a pilot, Mike lived the rest of his life on the West Coast, first as a beloved English teacher at Burlingame High School in California, then as principal, and finally living in retirement sometimes as a teacher at the local Oregon State College in Ashland. He also wrote a novel and short stories about two of his abiding passions—flying and baseball. One of his former Burlingame students regards Mike as “one of the finest teachers and individuals associated with the long and illustrious history of Burlingame H.S.”
Marshall’s father would be proud of him, and those of us who knew him at Wesleyan are, as well. We mourn his passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his widow, Mimi, and his daughters, Amy and Sarah.
George Klein tells of Marshall’s novel, On Falcon’s Wings, one of the best George has ever read. George had done a review, writing that “this compelling and gripping novel about five teenagers’ lives during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia is hard to put down…”
One final word about our dear friend Bill Christopher; we all will miss you! That’s it for now, guys. Stay healthy and be happy!
BOB CAREY | bobcarey@optonline.net
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