CLASS OF 1979 | 2022 | FALL ISSUE
Hello everyone. I hope all of you are well and thanks to all who sent news for me to share here. As I write this in August of 2022, it is a beautiful sunny and warm day here in San Diego. My husband and I just had a wonderful visit from our adult children—our son joined us from San Francisco and our daughter flew in from Philadelphia to spend a couple of weeks. I’m sure we all agree that it is great to be able to share time with loved ones again!
Amy Radin sent this lovely note: “Writing to share that we joyfully celebrated the wedding of our son Jared Radin ’12 and Annika Butler-Wall ’12 on July 3rd in San Francisco. It was a beautiful day full of sunshine and love at the General’s House at Fort Mason overlooking the Bay. Enjoyed being with the many other Wesleyan ’12 graduates in attendance and fellow alumna and Annika’s sister, Karisa Butler-Wall ’05.”
Heidi Mastrogiovanni writes: “I’m having way too much fun writing The Classics Slacker Reads book series with series creator Cristina Negrón (who is married to celebrated marathoner Amby Burfoot ’68) and Deb Martin. So far, we have paid irreverent homage to Moby Dick, Madame Bovary, The Scarlet Letter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, with Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby next on our horizon.”
Michelle Morancie shares the following: “I ventured into politics for the first time this past spring and was elected to the school board in Fulton County, Georgia, in May. My opponent is contesting the outcome. He claims that there were ‘inconsistencies’ in the tabulation of votes but didn’t provide any evidence. I’m hoping that the case will be dismissed by the fall. In the meantime, I am moving forward with training and will begin my four-year term in January 2023.” Congrats, Michelle, on this new chapter of your life!
Jim Flynn is still raising money for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and having a great time. He writes, “The science is amazing, and I’m happy to offer tours to classmates. Claudia Mosher ’78 and I are living nearby in Bourne, Massachusetts.”
Denise Giacomozzi shares: “My husband and I just returned from the Denver area after joyfully babysitting our granddaughter, 8-month-old Willow, daughter of our daughter Kristen May ’10. While there, we got together with Bruce Doenecke and his husband Tom. Bruce still sings (and is president of the board) of the choral group, Ars Nova, which has quite a reputation in the Boulder area. Check out their online concerts (Bruce did not tell me to say that but they are fabulous). Next week I am looking forward to seeing Elaine Winic who will meet up with me at Chautauqua. My July 2020 plans to go there, of course, were canceled. Last night I concluded two years of volunteering for the COVID Grief Network as that organization is being subsumed into another that has paid staff. Please everyone take care of yourselves. My focus will return to writing letters for Vote Forward urging democrats to vote. As the Rev. William Sloan Coffin was reported to have said, ‘If you want to have hope, do hopeful things.’”
Matt Okun sent the following news: “It has been a busy year for me and my wife, Annie Wong. We moved from Seattle to Aspen Hill, Maryland, to be closer to our grandchildren. We now have six between us! Two live in Alexandria, Virginia, two in Philadelphia, and the newest addition, Kian, in Brooklyn. I am very happy with my job as a staff developer at a middle school in Kensington, Maryland, and we have spent a lot of time working on our house and its gardens. So far no COVID for us, even though my school has had many cases. Blessings to all and cherish your health!”
Roelof Prins updates us: “I’m a long-lost class member of ’79. Transferred in from Leiden University in January 1977 as a junior and only spent two years at Wesleyan, which was a great time and a lifetime experience. I loved Richard Adelstein’s class at CSS! I am now (already many years) back in the Netherlands, where I run a philanthropic foundation called De Verre Bergen (for those who want to try their hand at Dutch: www.sdvb.com). I miss all my good friends from WesU and would love to catch up with them!”
That’s it for this issue. Be safe and happy. And, as Denise said, please everyone take care of yourselves.