CLASS OF 1956 | 2025 | SPRING ISSUE

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Jim Jekel writes, “I am doing OK, but very much missing my wife, Jan, of 64 years. I live with my daughter, one block from number 1 son, three miles from number 3 son, but about two hours’ drive from number 2 son. I saw them all for the Christmas feast and games. One of our grandchildren, a U.S. fighter pilot in Texas, recently married another fighter pilot there (she’s one year behind him in seniority), and we got to meet her. She’s very nice, a good addition to the family.

            “I have trouble remembering the names of all of my 13 great-grandchildren, whom I don’t see so frequently. (With another in the pipeline, we are approaching 16 great-grandchildren, putting us in line for some sort of mathematical sequence: two [my wife and me], four children, eight grandchildren, and ….  Since I did not major in math, this has nothing to do with that!)  

            “Best wishes for 2025 to all our surviving classmates.”

            Art von Au’s wife, Rosalind, writes: “After 50 years, Art has relinquished his leadership of a contemporary literature reading group. Participants now rotate leadership of the group discussions. Art would like to recommend two books: James by Percival Everett, a retelling of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and The Road to Wisdom: Truth, Science, Faith and Trust by the former director of NIH, Dr. Francis S. Collins.”

            Writes Don Gerardi: “Since COVID, my regular yearly travels have stopped. I had spent a good deal of time in Berlin as a kind of home base but did not neglect other European countries, as well as trips to Egypt, Turkey, and several New Year’s Eves in St. Petersburg, until Putin came on the scene. I saw him introduced on New Year’s Eve on TV. As I remember, he looked rather . . . uncomfortable.

            “Since grad school at Columbia, I’ve lived in the West Village and spent satisfying decades teaching at Brooklyn College, where I am now emeritus professor of history, religious studies. After retiring, to keep focused, I began a research project in the Trinity Church archives. The result is a book manuscript in search of a publisher: The Rector of Trinity Church: Morgan Dix and the Challenge of Urban Ministry in 19th Century New York.  

             “Warm good wishes for the new year to our classmates still with us.”

            Mort Paterson reports: “I recently worked up, with the help of my sons and dear wife, Sue, a video that I have put on YouTube, accessible there as Mort Paterson Speaks Shakespeare’s Verse. I’m still on stage from time to time with the neighborhood Olde Academy Theatre, a fun group.

            “I now have a grandson! Granddaughters Emma and Grace are already over 20. 

            “We celebrated New Year’s Eve with Sue’s sister in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Did I bring my statins?)”

            Al Haas contributes: “We are in good health, productively engaged.” In his yearly newsletter he reports that his grands, Jan and Kelly, and Ned and Kristina, celebrated their silver anniversaries as happily married couples. And also from the next generation:Ryangraduated from the University of Miami with a cum laude degree in atmospheric sciences andcontinues in a graduate programatSUNY Albany; Jack graduated from Dartmouth College with honors in computer science and is currently employed as a data analyst in a start-up beverage company; Alex (film production) and Maja (environmental studies with focus on markets and economics) will follow next year to earn their diplomas from the same schools as their brothers; Cooper has begun his sophomore year at Skidmore College as a double major in business and computer science and enjoys success on the LAX field; and Tyler will be finishing his successful career at Wellesley High School and heading off to Bucknell, where he was accepted early decision on New Year’s Eve day!” 

            Al, of course, retired last year from Educational Futures.

            Finally, John Foster harrumphs “to [your] perseverance to live and provoke your classmates to pen some inanities to the class notes. Last time around I said, ‘Nah, I think I’ll pass,’ only to say, ‘I’ll toss in something to help George out only to carrying it too far.’ So, I write now to let people know that I’m still aboveground, living with my wife at home, despite the begging of a new and attractive retirement facility here.  

            “On New Year’s Eve day, Lila and I gave thanks for our so long-departed daughter and our two sons living here in Marblehead. For me, I find myself so grateful for all of it, yet I wonder how it could have been, given all of the sorrows of the world.”

            Thumbs up!

GEORGE CHIEN | george.d.chien@gmail.com