CLASS OF 1973 | 2025 | SPRING ISSUE
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Stephen Sullivan has made a huge decision saying, “After nearly 50 years of practicing architecture—40 in my own firm—I am retiring. I am handing the reins to my longtime associate, and I will continue to consult in the immediate future with my former firm. Meanwhile, I am building my ‘final-stage home’ on our farm on Lopez Island, in the San Juan Archipelago off the northwest coast of Washington State. My daughter and 6-year-old granddaughter live on the farm, tending a nursery, a flock of Soay sheep, and engaging in restorative agricultural practices.”
Stephen says he has been particularly interested in restoring wetlands on his land, and also says he has a “pottery studio where I will finally become the old potter I have always imagined that I would be. You may recall that I received a Watson Fellowship upon graduation from Wesleyan, and I had the privilege of studying with a generation of older potters in Japan from 1973 to 1974.” Stephen has been a runner for most of his life and still manages a daily five- miler in Seattle’s arboretum. “I feel lucky that I can still do that and have engaged a trainer at the gym to help stave off decrepitude a bit longer,” he says. Stephen, incidentally, wrote a book (published in 2021)—a career retrospective about how he understands the process of design.
There is indeed life after your productive career. Just heard from Robert Savage, a retired surgeon who had been an assistant clinical professor at the Harvard Medical School and past president of the New England Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Robert was named artist of the month by the Wellesley School of Artists. Congrats! Robert noted that he started “painting for fun during COVID” and has a love of art history thanks in part to the legendary Wesleyan professor Sam Green. And Robert, my mother, Ellen D’Oench, would be proud of your work in your “second career.”
Dana Barrows sent me a note filled with news saying, “2024 [was] a wonderful, action-packed, meaningful year for us.” He says he continues his work as an estate and business planning specialist with Northwestern Mutual, “year 49, on my terms. Keeps my mind sharp and my professional relationships thriving.” He says that Holly retired from her 40-year career with IBM and Central Insurance in 2020.
Dana says they are very involved in their new community. He mentions On the South Coast of Mass, the Garden Club of Buzzards Bay, the Community Foundation of the South Coast, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, UMass Dartmouth, and their HOA at Westview Estates.
They went from her Connecticut College 50th Reunion on a Friday to his 55th Northfield Mount Hermon Reunion the next day. Her 55th NMH Reunion is in 2025.
Congratulations to Dr. David Weber who tells me that on January 1 he became president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. In a news release that went nationwide, the society noted that David is a “distinguished leader in infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology” and commended his depth of knowledge.
Brenda Kabel writes that she is practicing for both the Open and Women’s Connecticut State Pinball finals (for top-16 ranked players in each). She says she won the 2022 Women’s, but due to COVID, they had no North American championship that year. She adds, “Hoping to make it to that one this year and move my world ranking into the top 10 for 60 and older players. I do remember playing a machine or two in the Downey House back in the day.”
Steve Young tells me “I am actively retired in New Hampshire. I write a column in a prominent Taiwan newspaper. As a child and later a diplomat, I lived on the island five times and visited it often. I was in Taipei a couple of months ago, delivering a keynote address to a sizable crowd of officials, businesspeople, and others.” He also says, “Enjoying life with my beautiful and talented spouse, Barbara Finamore, a published expert on Chinese environmental issues. We live in a 220-year-old home in Londonderry, New Hampshire, just an hour north of Boston. Built by my triple great-grandfather, who, as a young man, grabbed his musket and went down to Bunker Hill in 1776 to show those British we weren’t going to passively endure oppression. Two wonderful grandchildren and hoping for more.”
Bill Corvo writes that he has been busy with a number of projects. He says he recently produced a docu-film with an Italian film company on the work performed by his father, Max Corvo, during World War II with the OSS in Italy, and there is some fascinating material that could be featured on the History Channel. Bill says, “The key personnel he recruited to lead the Secret Intelligence Section of OSS in Italy were from Middletown and included Emilio Q. (Mim) Daddario ’39, attorney Vincent J. Scamporino, Sebastian Passanisi, Samuel Fraulino, Louis Fiorella ’41, and Frank Tarallo. Daddario and Fiorilla were both graduates of Wesleyan University.”
The film is named Max Corvo for Freedom. He says they had a showing of the film in Middletown at Middletown High School film auditorium earlier this year. The film premiered in Italy in July 2023, at the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily, and held at the World War II Museum in Catania, Sicily. “It has been well received,” says Bill. “We have received best documentary film awards, including [from] the Rome International Film Festival as well as two major film festivals in New York City, and also the Dumbo Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York. The list also includes the Austrian International Film Festival as well as the Argentine International Festival and several Italian film festivals. We are working to bring the film to the internet.”
Bill has also been busy working with Professor Ellen Nerenberg, who is teaching courses in Italian language at Wesleyan and has been working with students to prepare a historical review of the Italian American history in Middletown. He provided them with a private showing of the movie as well. He also noted that Mim Daddario’s grandson, Matt Daddario, who is a professional actor, provided the English narration for the documentary.
Bill, who missed our 50th as he was in Italy, says that in 2024 he traveled to Copenhagen and Sweden, “both stunning. With six daughters, seven granddaughters, and two grandsons spread across the country, we stay very connected with family.”
Paul Van Stavern writes that starting in 1974 he was living either in Brazil or California for almost three decades and moved back to Brazil permanently in 2002. He says, “Last year I received the gigantic 50th Reunion ‘booklet’ by snail mail. It was fun to peruse. However, my entry was completely blank. I won’t coin the phrase ‘the right hand doesn’t know. . .’ but if they had my address, why didn’t they have my address? Never mind.” He now lives in Salvador, Bahia, on the Atlantic Coast at about 13 degrees south of the equator and very far east. And he notes, “Having grown up in Wisconsin and then lived in Connecticut, it is wonderful for me to live in a place where 70 degrees Fahrenheit is a record low.” He says if you are in the area, he would be happy to show you around. He said David Feldman visited him in 1976.
John Huttlinger says he is on a “slow path” to retirement from his CPA practice, while offering clients to other practitioners and continuing to work with selective clients. He is also active with several local nonprofit organizations including a home construction company. He says, “I helped form a nonprofit home construction company. We build homes for the local workforce community, which includes teachers, nurses, municipal workers, and other middle-income families. These families cannot afford to purchase homes in Lake Placid due to inflated prices caused by the second-home and short-term rental market. Our homes are priced at cost and there is great demand for them.” He is also active with the Lake Placid Film Festival, now in its 24th year. “Our programming includes a classic film series each summer, hosted by Wes alum Jeremy Arnold ’91,” he says. He has also had the opportunity to attend the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival each summer, where he caught up with organizer Lloyd Komesar ’74 and Mike McKenna who is on their board. John also made the decision to sign up for one more year of masters ski racing. “Given my age (I am the senior member of the group) and in deference to my new knee (May 6, 2024), I am approaching the season carefully,” he says.
Back here at home as another example of a “small world.” Charles Cocores tells me that he and Kie Westby are members of the same golf club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and live near each other and often play golf together.
And speaking of 50-year events, my wife, Connie, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Gloucester, Virginia, in early November, near Williamsburg where my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and oldest granddaughter, Taylor, are teachers at the same elementary school that our youngest granddaughter, Zoey, attends. Our youngster daughter, Holly (who is developing a nationwide reputation as an artistic book binder in Denver), her husband, and my middle daughter, Dana (who owns a hair salon in Fort Lauderdale) were all there. The moments were unforgettable. Connie and I met the night before graduation from Wesleyan and have been together ever since.
Have a great 2025!
PETER D’OENCH | pgdo10@aol.com