CLASS OF 1963 | 2017 | ISSUE 3
Russ Richey and Merle are back in Durham, N.C., after 12 years in Atlanta. Their son lives in Durham within walking distance and their daughter lives out in Denver. Merle’s father held numerous public offices in North Carolina, including governor. On a regular basis, they go to a house in Sunshine, N.C., that Merle’s family owns. “It’s a tree farming area and that’s our business there.,” says Russ. When not tree farming, Russ is still researching and writing about American Methodism. Being involved in religion is practically an automatic occupation for Russ’ family.
Laman Gray works in an administrative capacity at the Louisville Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, overseeing financial matters and advising on ongoing research in stem cells aimed at improving heart functioning. He and wife Julie have three daughters and four grandchildren. Laman and Julie like to take one major trip each year and have been to the Arctic, the Antarctic, China, and Cambodia to name some of their trips. Laman has a rather unique and very time-consuming hobby. Working only from plans, not kits, he builds very large Royal Navy 17th- and 18th-century ship models.
George Kozlowski recalls his years at WesU as a “great experience, the second most important experience in my life (the first being my marriage!).” He was a math major, loved the College of Quantitative Studies, and worshipped Professor Bob Rosenbaum, then the head of the math department. George, a professor of math at Auburn, retired in 2007. He is helping two colleagues who are developing a computer program for mathematicians and still writes articles for math journals. George’s wife Yvonne, whom he met at Auburn where she worked as a librarian, retired in 2003. They married in 1962. The aforementioned number-one event in George’s life was life was his marriage. They have two daughters, one living in the suburbs of New Orleans and the other in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Living in Berkeley, Calif., Tom Hoeber spent most of his career publishing the California Journal. He retired in 2005, but still works for the alumni association of Cal State, East Bay, doing administrative work. He and his wife of 52 years, Maru, take at least one big trip each year, frequently with the Sierra Club. A recent trip was to the Czech Republic, hiking from Vienna to Prague, 200 miles in 10 days, “with lots of bus rides and nice hotels each night.” They have three children and two grandchildren, and another on the way. They have a cabin up in the Sierra Mountains near the Donner Pass. Up there, Tom is president of the homeowners’ association. Tom and his former roommate, Bob Gelbach of Connecticut, see each other when either one visits to the other’s coast.
Sad news and memories: Robert Sloat passed away. After WesU, Robert got an M.Ed. from UConn, eventually becoming a teacher, administrator and chair of the arts faculty of Pomfret School in Connecticut. He’d been sick for two years, but when the doctors said there was nothing further they could do, Robert decided it was time to enter hospice. He died August 17.
Caroline, his wife, offered lots of recollections of her husband. Robert’s father, Frederick T. Sloat, class of 1927, had been very interested in theater, and their family had gone to the opera when Robert was young. As Robert showed such an interest himself in theater, Jerry Newton, class of 1927 (later to be Robert’s father-in-law), noticing that interest suggested he seek work at Camp Pinnacle in New Hampshire which had a very strong summer theater program. There Robert was put in charge of creating a new production every week. He did a lot of directing and got very involved creating and conducting electronic music.
Upon his retirement from Pomfret in 1976, he continued to be very active in community theater, generously sharing his knowledge of technical matters with other groups in Northeast Connecticut. He directed and conducted productions at the Bradley Playhouse and served as a board member and technical director for P/Arts. After graduating from WesU, he returned a few times to work with Dick Winslow ’40, whom he admired. They worked together to create electronic music for productions at the ’92 Theater. Caroline recalls going to WesU to see the performance of one of their collaborative works.
Our 55th Reunion is coming up on May 24-27, 2018. It’s not at all too early to mark it on your calendar and consider attending, or perhaps even make your attendance plans now! I plan to attend “God willing and the creeks don’t rise” (an expression I learned years ago from the above-mentioned Russ Richey, when we were roommates).
Byron S. Miller | tigr10@optonline.net
5 Clapboard Hill Rd., Westport, CT 06880