CLASS OF 1965 | 2019 | ISSUE 1
Class of 1965 35th Reunion Memorial Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship
Michael Ivy ’20, College of East Asian Studies, Government
Dear Classmates, we begin this issue with a message from our tireless class co-conveners, Hugh Wilson and Mark Edmiston: “A group of us met at Homecoming last fall to plan our 55th Reunion, which will occur May 22-24, 2020. Plans are to have a reception and remembrances of recently deceased classmates on Friday afternoon followed by dinner and then the Wombats (who are excited to be playing again!). Saturday will include Wes Shorts with classmates giving brief comments or reflections on issues important to them. At dinner that night we are inviting all faculty from our era living near Wes as our guests, along with Barbara-Jan Wilson, who has tentatively accepted the invitation. Sunday will include brunch and departure. Hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend. The record for 55th Reunion attendance (classmates plus guests) is 48. Let’s set a new record!”
The great response to my recent request for news necessitated using only a portion in the last magazine. Below is information not previously printed.
Brian Baxter: “The day after I retired from full-time work, my wife and I left for a month-long home exchange with a couple from Amsterdam, who lived in our home in Sarasota, Fla., for the month that we lived in their home in Amstelveen, a suburb of Amsterdam, with their four cats and several fish. We also ‘inherited’ several neighbors who welcomed us into their lives, while we enjoyed having the time for a leisurely exploration of the music, museums, and culture of Amsterdam and several nearby cities.
“During the past six years, we have developed lasting friendships through month-long home exchanges with three families in Paris, one in Vienna, one in Dresden, one in The Hague, one in eastern Maine, and one in the Upper East Side in NYC.
“We split our time between condo communities in center city Philadelphia and on Little Sarasota Bay on the west coast of Florida, when we are not enjoying home exchanges or other travel. We have become very involved with an amazing community of condos in Sarasota known as Pelican Cove, where I am serving as president of the board. My wife, Ilene, is the chair of the steering committee.”
Clyde Beers: “Donna and I now are delighted to have three children and their families, including eight grandchildren. The latter are stretched out from almost-in-college to a 3- and a 5-year old.”
Gar Hargens: “Win Chamberlin’s account of building for Habitat took Missy and me back a year ago to a similar adventure in Northern Cambodia. We didn’t have wheelbarrows, but instead carried bags of sand and cement to the middle of the dirt floor and mixed a concrete soup. Maybe it was the 90-degree heat and humidity, but by next morning the slabs had miraculously cured enough to stand on for the final ceremony. The Cambodian family were moving from a shack that was constantly flooded. With a toilet and cold-water tap, they were ecstatic with their simple space.
“Kirt Mead’s wife, Susan, and I spoke recently. She said the support of her daughters and the Meads’ great network of friends has helped deal with the shock and pain. She was about to head overseas and visit familiar places and friends. We agreed to meet up in Nice next April, one of her favorites.”
Great to hear from Bird Norton, one outstanding athlete and friend: “Things going well as we all hit 75! My so-called depression has not come back since that wonderful 50th Reunion.”
Unfortunately, must end this report on a sad note, as just received word of the passing of David Lott on June 19 at his home in Beaufort, S.C. Dave was born in Hartford in 1943 and grew up in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Shady Side Academy and after Wesleyan earned a master’s in history from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in the firm of Foley & Lardner and practiced law in Milwaukee and Chicago. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and his first wife, Margaret, and their children: John, Katherine, Sarah, and Edward. He was involved in a number of community organizations, and I remember reaching out to him for advice some years ago and he was kind and generous with his assistance. He will surely be missed by all who knew him.
Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu