CLASS OF 1959 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE
Greetings from your Class of ’59 scribes. With John Spurdle’s passing, Skip has asked Dick Cadigan and Al Brooks to join the Class Notes and Class Agent team. John and Skip combined those two offices upon the retirement of Ed Murphy and Bert Edwards.
We have heard from Walt Burnett that he has sold his mountain home in North Carolina and has settled in a lovely independent living facility in Maryland. Walt maintains the travel schedule of a “much younger man,” having logged over 7,000 miles this past year through the north central states, and this summer will do New England and Maine for a family gathering on Monhegan Island, followed by a visit with Alan Brooks in Boothbay Harbour, Maine. Sounds great!
Jerry and Martha Doolittle write of moving from their home of 47 years to a residential community in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Their new home is only 10 miles from their former home, so the change may not be so difficult.
Speaking of Al Brooks, he is competing in the shot put at various senior events, winning three gold medals this summer. He says there are very few competitors older than 80, so he is aiming at the “younger guys” but admits to beating fewer of them as time goes by.
A freshman roommate of Skip Silloway reports in, perhaps for the first time, on our more famous mate, Marty Weil, who is the longest tenured employee at The Washington Post. Does he have any influence on Jeff Bezos?
Herb and Ellen Steiner recently spent a few days with Tim and Sybil Martin in Scotland, Connecticut. Herb is also in touch with Joe Vander Veer and Bob Ogren. Herb and Ellen are major FaceTime users, in an effort to keep track of 11 grandchildren. Well done with that.
Received a long note from George Holzwarth who is still working! He is an emeritus professor at Wake Forest in the physics department because “that’s what I like to do.” George’s wife, Natalie, is also a faculty member but she works full time! George requests classmates write to him at gholz@wfu.edu about our experiences in our freshman year with our world-class professors. He endured Professors Rosenbaum, Brown, Green, Cody, and Schorske.
Tim and Sandy Day continue their various involvements and travels. They recently returned from Israel where they walked the path of Christ with their pastor—”a very moving experience.” They continue to actively support the marine corps by providing education for members of the officer corps; they support animal rescue; and provide service dogs for the compromised marines. They also support Tim’s alma maters, among them Wesleyan, with support for the fitness departments, where the strength and fitness part of the athletics department are beneficiaries.
Owen Tabor wrote in response to our last Class Notes issue, suggesting a comment on the recent legacy decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. He feels that “legacy” should not qualify an unacceptable applicant but legacy and loyalty are tied together. To refuse to consider what a legacy family contributes, denies the University the history, community, character, and flavor that it wants to trade on when alumni support is sought. (NB: Individuals from legacy families are still most welcome to apply to Wesleyan—they are not being denied the opportunity to be a future member of the Wes community.)
And, finally, breaking news from Al, who reports that “on September 14, just in advance of Hurricane Lee, the seventh annual MidCoast Maine reunion took place. Sadly, the original band of brothers has dwindled down to six of us which includes Dick and Linda Cadigan, myself and my wife, Marie-Pier Brooks, and Joe and Wendy Mallory, at whose lovely home we gathered on Pemaquid Point. However, the group received a surprise phone call from another member, Anne McHugh, wishing she could be with us.
‘The evening included dinner of swordfish, prepared by Linda, and much eclectic conversation ranging from AI to affirmative and legacy action, to the evolution of the Earth, to how best to pick a president, to sports, of course, and even to astrophysics! (Mallory showing off his smarts.) We also talked, of course, of our 65th Reunion coming up and the momentum building for it—’59ers are starting to line up.”
One more reminder: Our 65th is next year, May 24 and 25. Put it on your calendar!