CLASS OF 1974 | 2026 | SPRING ISSUE

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Monique Witt reports: “We are all still involved in music. Bill and Jane Pearson have joined Steven and me for a number of concerts, two stops with Rickie Lee Jones, while Ben tours with her and assorted jazz. Mike Minard ’75 shared a wonderful composition (he’s so talented), and I talk to Linda Bierer all the time, trying to start up our walks in the north woods again. Unfortunately, bitter cold in January, but spring always brings Central Park walks with friends. Ben is home between multiple tours, having circumnavigated the globe again. He toured Spain with Catherine Russell and the Midwest with his trio and Laura Anglade, and his third Nebula album is slated for release in February. Dev finished the last production details on new product lines for NAM and patent filings. Steven is going ‘of counsel,’ and I’m still doing board work when not at the sound labs. Looking forward.”

Howard Curzer writes: “After 45 years of teaching (mostly) in the Texas Tech University Philosophy Department, I retired in July of 2025. My wife (Anne Epstein) also retired from her solo practice as an internist and sleep medicine specialist. We left our home of 40 years and moved into a townhouse in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NYC, seven doors away from our daughter (Mirah), son-in-law (Josh), and granddaughter (Clara). I’m still doing research—writing papers and a book. Although I miss teaching a bit and might go back if I could find the right part-time position in NYC, I’m savoring the experience of not grading papers.”

Bill Bass shares: “In the first year of my retirement, I did little more than lay on a Florida beach. In the past 12 months, I’ve been a bit more active, traveling to Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Albuquerque, New Mexico, [and] Tulsa, Oklahoma, to deliver an address for the Cum Laude Society at my old high school; and then to Middletown for the alumni reunion where I stayed with Kathy Scholle Hale ’75 and her husband, John. Then on to Martha’s Vineyard where I visited with Rick Gilberg and his wife, Lisa, and followed that with a trip to London and more beach time in Florida.” Bill wrote this update from Toronto, and he flew back to Tulsa in January for his first solo art exhibition. 

In our last class notes, Fred Kessler shared that on January 7, 2025, they evacuated from their home in Pacific Palisades ahead of the fire that swept through their wonderful community and changed it forever. Their house survived but is currently uninhabitable. They hope to move back in sometime next fall. 

What else in 2025? On October 30 Fred had successful brain surgery to remove a benign tumor between the eyebrows that was causing increasing inflammation in “the Wesleyan-best-part of my brain.” The surgery was long and the recovery somewhat difficult, but they got it all.  

Also in 2025, his daughter embarked on her new goal of becoming an interior designer by taking on that role for their home remodeling and rebuild of the garage/studio and by sojourning to London for a three-month course.

Fred sends greetings to our 1974 classmates and many thanks to those who reached out to them after the fire to check on how they are holding up.

Karla Bell and Mark Wallach ’71 had a wonderful vacation at Chautauqua Institution. The lectures were insightful, educational, and, at times, funny. They heard Doris Kearns Goodwin speak about presidents, including the qualities she believes are necessary for a great president, and a paleoanthropologist on the cause for the dominance of humans over other competing species, etc. Midweek they were joined by Mark’s son, Philip ’05, his wife, Vera ’05 (both Wes CSS), and their three daughters. It was a thought-provoking week and a great visit. 

James Kempf writes: “My wife, Renate, and I moved into a continuing care retirement community called Enso Village in March last year, located in Sonoma County, California. Enso Village features ‘Zen inspired senior living,’ which means that unlike most CCRCs, the emphasis at Enso Village is not about turning away from the approaching end but rather turning toward it. There are many older monks from San Francisco Zen Center who have retired here, and there are many active Zen, Tibetian, and Vipassana meditation practitioners, as well as people who practice in the traditional Western religions of Judaism and Christianity. Moving here has been kind of like coming to Wesleyan as a freshman, there are so many interesting people to meet and such a broad variety of different activities to participate in.”

Charisse Lillie reports: “In December of 2025, I was honored by the Philadelphia Bar Association with its Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award, which recognizes individuals in the Philadelphia legal community who have made significant contributions to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the legal profession. In 2025, our two youngest grandsons, Kane and Cashel turned six and three respectively. My husband, Tom McGill, and I also have two sets of twin great-grandsons—Levi and Logan, who are three, and Nakoa and Jonas, who are one. Lots of joy and happiness during Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the New Year with the little ones!”

Harold Sogard notes that the increase in the number of our classmates giving to Wes during our 50th Reunion seems to be holding fairly steady, which is a wonderful thing. Especially in these tough times!

Larry Green has completed his first full year of retirement following 47 years of legal practice. He is devoting his time to nonprofit board service, consulting, writing, family, fitness, and travel. He wrote a short book under his Hebrew name, Lev, that was published by Page Publishing in late 2025 and entitled What If the Mystery of Dark Matter Has a Spiritual Solution?  Larry and his wife, Denise, live in Ogunquit, Maine, and are now blessed with seven grandchildren.

Howard Shalwitz returned to direct his first play at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in D.C. since stepping down as artistic director in 2018. It ran from February 3 to March 1, 2026.  The World to Come by Ali Viterbi focuses on the lively residents of a Hebrew home for the aging in California as the world around them is crumbling. Howard hosted a special performance and reception for Wesleyan alums on February 8.

SHARON PURDIE | spurdie@wesleyan.edu