CLASS OF 1956 | 2022 | FALL ISSUE
It’s been slim pickings this time around for our class notes.
But first, I’m sad to report that Al Grosman died on May 22 in Hingham, Massachusetts, where he and his wife of 55 years, Bette, had retired. He spent most of his life in New Jersey, where he practiced law with his family law firm and dabbled in local politics. He wrote a much-used textbook, New Jersey Family Law, and was involved in the Baby M surrogacy case. Baby M, incidentally, attended and graduated from—mercifully with little fanfare—the school district in which my Ann was a school nurse, but they were never in the same building together. Al, a self-described “world traveler and scholar of world history,” spoke Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and studied German, Romanian, Catalan, and Ladino. He loved folk music of all kinds and enjoyed playing the piano for family sing-alongs. He is survived by Bette, two daughters, Carol and Ellen, their spouses, and two granddaughters. Al was a loyal Wes grad (Phi Beta Kappa!) and a regular attender of our ’56 reunions. He will be missed.
Art von Au writes: “I recently read Vinod Busjeet’s (’73) novel Silent Winds, Dry Seas, which was featured in the Wesleyan Alumni Magazine (Winter 2021–2022). What an extraordinary gift! Set in Mauritius in the 1960s and 70s, it is a coming-of-age story. Wesleyan readers will recognize clues as his years at ‘Yale’ are a stand-in for Wesleyan. His novel has won widespread praise from some foremost American writers, and I recommend this remarkable novel to all Wesleyan readers. Perhaps the reading/discussion group that I have led for almost 50 years (now meeting on Zoom) will read it in the future.
“In family news, we have welcomed two great-grandsons this past year. Our three oldest grandchildren are all launched into jobs and family life, while the three youngest will all be in college this coming year. One granddaughter will be a junior at the University of Vermont and [another] a senior at Connecticut College. Our youngest grandson will be a freshman at Endicott College.
“We have enjoyed reading your family news and travels and hope that all is well with you.”
From Jim Gramentine: “Back in early June, I attended my 70th high school reunion at Western Reserve Academy. Regrettably, only one other ’52er was there, he a fine fellow, though an Amherst Mammoth. (Lord Jeff was done in by political correctness.) Depression born, only 38 graduated with us, but three others matriculated with me at Wesleyan: Bob Loos, Pete Schellenbach ’59, and Bill Mathews.”
And Bob Bretscher: “Thanks for keeping the Class of ’56 in touch. Unfortunately, I’m not communicating with anyone in our class at the moment. I’ll try to improve on this unintended situation soon. I’m still healthy, and happy to have just finished my self-published autobiography. My next task is to look into moving into a nearby retirement facility called ‘Presbyterian Village Athens’ sometime in the next 12 months. My best to you and other Wesmen.”
Last, but not least, Dick Bauer: “A celebration of life for Alan Grosman was held here at Linden Ponds on June 8th. Al not only distinguished himself in the field of family law, but in family life as well.
“No really great newsworthy stories from us. Ginny and I are faring pretty well. One of my quirky projects has been playing monthly piano concerts exploring various corners of the American Songbook. Keeps me distracted from the world’s misery for a while.
“Good to learn about your family travels . . . even more to sense the warmth and strength of your family ties, and your stamina to relish them.
“Warm regards to my fellow Wes ’56ers.”
I have some space, so here’s what Art and Dick referenced.
Our whole family—one daughter, two sons, one daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, and a girlfriend—took us on a whirlwind tour of New York State: Cobleskill (my hometown); Cooperstown; Letchworth State Park (“The Grand Canyon of the East”), where we rented a house near Inspiration Point; Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House in Buffalo; and Niagara Falls (U.S. and Canadian sides). Along the way we visited with cousins, went to the Baseball Hall of Fame, rode the Maid of the Mist, and drove over the Peace Bridge from Buffalo to Fort Erie, Canada—my father’s major project between graduating from RPI and going back to China. In Cooperstown’s Doubleday Café, son David got down on one knee to reprise his 1999 proposal there to Cheryl, which she again accepted—to a hearty round of applause from one and all. All of this was to compensate us for our COVID-canceled Ireland tour of 2020. The younger set subsequently used our once frozen fares to tour Scandinavia. They just came home—all but one with COVID. We love them still.