CLASS OF 1955 | 2017 | ISSUE 1
While no details are available at this writing, I sadly inform classmates of the passing of Richard Burrage in March. Information should be included in the obituary section of the magazine.
Our candidate for the “Most Traveled” member of the Crucial Class, Jim Shepard, did not disappoint us as he wrote that this time around, he and Sally-Jean enjoyed themselves on an Alaskan trip in July. Flying first to Juneau, they then took a local cruise boat and spent a week with an excellent lecturer and great food!
Kip Snow responded to my “plea” for words with a welcome e-mail that began, “Long time, no write. Life is good. Still married to my Wesleyan sweetheart—happiness unbounded. (Oh, ok, some minor scuffles.) Two adult children happily married. Two adult grandchildren—grandson about to graduate from Fordham, and granddaughter a sophomore at WPI. Jean and I are aging nicely in spite of age, habits, and customary minor annoyances. We both retired from the life and health industry—she from selling, and me from claims. Both with very satisfying industry associations. Now in retirement on Cape Cod, we keep out of trouble with several local pursuits. Some to help others, some for plain old fun. My continuing thankfulness for my WesTech education endures. Although I have not contributed to your notes (shame on me!), I do read about ‘55ers, the folks before us and after us.”
A most pleasant surprise was receiving a note from Karl Heiser. Karl withdrew from Wesleyan after his sophomore year with all good intentions to return after serving a three-year Marine Corps enlistment. As he stated, the three years turned into 22, and a second career doing defense work in the D.C. metro area. He stated, “I remember Wesleyan as a lost opportunity and classmates with respect.”
An update from Hal Stuhl came via a phone call just a week ago. Hal, a fellow Floridian, resides on the west coast of the state, just north of Naples in Bonita Springs. We recalled our Sigma Chi days and the loss of a fellow fraternity brother, Bill Christopher ’54, with whom Hal roomed. Our tales of “downsizing” were, needless to say, amusing. Of course, we also discussed the adventures and successes of grandchildren and how, even though we are advancing in age, we are not ready to call ourselves “old.” Really, it was a treat for me to chat with Hal, and let me state I’d be more than glad to hear from you, by mail, e-mail or by phone!
I did manage to reach my annual 5,000-mile riding goal in 2016 and in spite of the excessive heat, rain and wind in the fall months, actually recorded 5,275. As of today (1/17/17), I’ve gotten a start towards the new year with 201 miles on the odometer. As you can imagine, I still look forward to being on the bike and socializing with so many great friends.
Know that my sincere best wishes for good health and happiness to you and your loved ones accompany these notes.
DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 102., Delray Beach, FL. 33446