Author: Anne Marcotty

My thanks to all of you who sent me recent updates. Inclusion here is based solely on order of receipt. If you don’t see your news here, you will in the next issue!

Starting with a personal encounter of an unusual kind, Rob Gelblum and I spoke together on a panel on brownfields development at a recent conference in Baltimore. We had them rolling in the aisles. Rob, after many years with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, is now in private practice in Raleigh.

Steve Goldschmidt went to San Francisco for the National Association of Realtors national conference, and had dinner with his old roommate, Steve Lewis. “After dinner,” writes Steve G., “he drove me back to the hotel in his shiny Maserati but he asked that I emphasize to you that he bought it used.” Duly noted. Steve L. also claims still to own the truck he drove at Wes.

Art Vanderbilt wrote to recommend Katy Butler ’71’s book Knocking on Heaven’s Door. Katy gives a moving account of the last years of her parents. Those who knew Jeff Butler of the CSS will not want to miss this.

Bob White sends the sad news that George Jett lost his wife, Lynn MacFarlane ’75. The two of them met at a Reunion in 2005.

After 12 years as pastor of churches in suburban New Jersey, Rev. Doug Stivison has accepted a call as minister of the Congregational Church of South Dartmouth, Mass. “It is a classic white clapboard New England Congregational church combining long history with a vibrant, outreach-focused congregation. Its 200-year-old spire is a navigational landmark to sailors on Buzzard’s Bay —with the church just three blocks from the harborfront of Padanaram.”

Bruce Throne sends us this report: “I’m still in Santa Fe practicing law, one child (Greg) in his last year studying engineering at Trinity U in San Antonio and my daughter now in Australia, 13 months into her solo travel around the world, intending to beat her dad’s record from the late ’70s. I’m spending a lot of time helping renewable energy providers in the state with the second greatest solar potential in the country (yes, it’s sunny here in New Mexico) trying to deal with state regulators who seem to think climate change is a ‘greenie’ hoax on the public. Bet Wes-Techers living on islands or the coasts are thinking otherwise (glug, glug). About five years ago, I actually ran for election as commissioner at our Public Regulation Commission (regulates electric utilities and more) and finished second out of six candidates in the Democratic primary to a young man without a college degree who subsequently got indicted for violating the state’s campaign laws, misappropriating public funds and other minor infractions of the law and had to resign. So much for a Wesleyan education. Where was that course in ‘local politics’ at Wes? Sorry to report that Bruce Hearey was one of the folks that squandered $100 for ‘seed money’ for my otherwise publicly-funded campaign, even though he’s still in Cleveland and, so far as I know, his only interest in New Mexico is attending local pagan ceremonies (I’ll let him describe that, if he can). Actually visited Bruce and his lovely wife, Steph, in Cleveland two summers ago where he graciously took me to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (his thousandth visit apparently, he told me yawning) and provided trivia (still yawning) about events in the ’60s and ’70s that even that museum didn’t seem to know about (thus confirming why he became a lawyer—trivia ad nauseum). Also ran into Larry Weinberg hiking on the Aspen Vista trail above Santa Fe a few years back; heard he’s retired and moved here but haven’t seen or heard from him his since. Perhaps because I lost that election to a convicted felon? The only way we recognized each other on the trail (with all that grey or receding hair) were the Wes t-shirts we both were wearing that day for some odd reason. Hard to believe those old t-shirts still fit, or even have survived this long. Hope everyone else in our class is surviving that well. Cheers.”

And, for his part, Bruce Hearey writes: “My Victorian Fiction class at John Carroll U. is going well despite its difficulty; anyone else ever read Daniel Deronda? (I am two-thirds of the way through a masters in humanities degree program.) I will be the president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association come June, 2014. Stephanie and I had a great get-together with Robbie Brewster in NYC in November. He looks great, is doing well, and we even managed to talk for a few minutes about something other than getting so damn old. Played golf with Brian Silvestro ’70, Jack Ingraham ’70, and Steve Ingraham ’70 in August in Rochester. Nothing but happy news from this correspondent on the North Coast.”

Just before fall semester began, Dave Gerard and his wife, Miho, returned to campus to meet Professor Phil Pomper, who had been Dave’s history tutor in CSS, and a key adviser for his senior honors thesis. Dave’s son, Pierre Gerard ’15, an Earth & Environmental Sciences major active in a variety of green causes, joined them for a meeting in Phil’s office where they had a vibrant discussion about the merits of moderate versus radical activism to effect social change. Afterwards, they headed down to Luce Restaurant for lunch, where the conversation turned to psychohistory as well as their shared passion for vigorous exercise, and in Phil’s case, long distance running into his 70s. Pierre later attended the dedication at Homecoming of the Philip Pomper Classroom on the fourth floor of PAC. Dave is an organizational psychologist and is a principal consultant with Korn Ferry in San Francisco. He is active in interviewing for Wesleyan in Silicon Valley, and attended a recent gathering of prospective students, parents and alumni with the new Assistant Dean of Admissions, Kora Shin, in Palo Alto.

Thank you all! Watch for the rest next time!

SETH A. DAVIS
17 Wolf Road, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 Sethdavis@post.harvard.edu

Interventional Cardiologist Dr. John Robb, who directs the Interventional Cardiology Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, is making national news. According to the D-H publication Skylight, John is heading up a clinical trial  that “will further test the safety and efficacy of a procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).” It’s part of “a national research effort to find more effective treatment options for people with aortic stenosis…a narrowing in the heart valve that occurs over time due to calcification and the process of aging.” John is shown with a huge smile on his face, flanked by a cardiothoracic surgeon and a 92-year-old patient. The caption notes, “The promising new minimally-invasive procedure gives hope to patients” like the man mentioned “who are too frail to undergo surgery to replace their valve.” John’s excellent work may one day benefit a number of us and other Wesleyan alumni.

The Virginia Gazette notes that John Spike, an expert on the artists Caravaggio and Mattia Preti and the chief coordinator at Muscarelle Museum of Art, has begun “to study the history of The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John and those who had been appointed to it.” The Order has its roots in the 11th century, and its members provide hospital and ambulance service in many countries. Sovereign leader or the order is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who founded and still maintains the Eye Hospital of St. John in Jerusalem, which cares for patients regardless of their ability to pay for treatment.”

Now as a result of his work, John has been appointed as a member. He calls this a “delightful surprise,” adding, “It is certainly encouraging that academic studies of history can be viewed as having broader social consequence and value.” John is also an honorary member of the City of Taverna, the birthplace of Preti.

Bruce Fergusson writes “I’m still pursuing the Muse—or is it the other way around? My latest novel, Pass on the Cup of Dreams, is now available as an e-book and in paper, for those who haven’t been Kindled yet. Last year, Morgan’s Mill—which weaves history of the Civil War and Underground Railroad into a contemporary narrative of suspense—was published.” He says “I’d be curious to get a grade on that one from Professor Emeritus Richard Slotkin, whose American Studies course I took junior year, to see if I got the history right. More at brucefergusson.com.” Bruce says he and his wife Angelica “have (mostly) filled our empty nest with a rescue dog who is as sweet as she is smart. Who rescued whom?, indeed.” He says his son, Jonathon, is working in Tokyo and his son, Patrick (who played rugby at Union), passed the New York bar and is now working in D.C. as an attorney and “good-guy lobbyist for a nonprofit.” Bruce says his son, Brian will be graduating from the University of Puget Sound next year, and wants to go into law enforcement.” He was glad that the 2013 football team won the Little Three Championship, calling it “an event that happens with less frequency than earthquakes in Seattle.”

Steve Young tells me that he retired last September from the Foreign Service after 33 years. He spent this past fall in the family home in New Hampshire and was planning to move with his wife to San Francisco in early 2014.” Steve says “I plan to look for something to do out there” as his wife will continue running NRDC’s Asia Program.” Steve was named a Distinguished Alumnus at our 40th Reunion in May.

And speaking of our 40th Reunion, I’m told that I did not mention everyone who made the journey to Middletown.

Dr. Wayne Barber travelled a long distance to join us. He flew in from Honolulu where he works in Otology at Queens Hospital. “Call me if you have an ear ache on your vacation,” he says, adding he recently hosted the Dean of Admissions “as she extolled the virtues of Wesleyan to a large group of Oahu high school counselors.” Wayne has been in touch with many of you and has a lot of news. He writes that “Larry Gaston, MD, practices dermatology in Baltimore, still looks young, fit, and trim. Dr. James Howard practices clinical psychology in Oakland, caring for deserving vets. Al Smith and his lovely wife drove up from Harlem where he is helping create a new renaissance in his community.” He says Al is “widely regarding as an influential architect in his community” and “praised the rigorous curriculum at Wes for his success at Columbia School of Architecture.” Wayne also says, “The richness of Harlem’s culture has no better champion than Peter Harper.” He says Peter is a writer formerly with the Wall Street Journal and is now in New York City and a “newly confirmed vegetarian.” He also said it was good to see Steve Sadowy ’74 at the Reunion dinner and reports that Lance Simmons is an attorney in Philadelphia.

Wayne also says Brad Wilkinson, MD, retired from his family practice in Durham, Conn. “I suppose he is sailing in Maine and visiting his grandchildren in Vietnam,” he writes. “He told me that Bill Gillespie, MD, is VP of a major health insurance company in Hartford. Out west, Ron Johnson, MD, retired from a busy retina practice, lives in Orinda, an avid golfer and traveler. Our great miler, Tim Warner, is a VP at Stanford University. He still runs passionately, looks great and very fit.” He also reports that Jeff Schneider is an MD in dermatology near San Francisco and Steve Lum, M.D., “is an endocrinologist in the beautiful pristine town of Kailua in Oahu…favorite vacation site for our President.”

My thanks to Wayne Barber and Wesleyan’s Cynthia Rockwell for reaching out to you.

PETER D’OENCH
Pgdo10@aol.com

Planning to attend Reunion? Go to our Wesconnect Reunion site to let us know that you’ll be joining us and see who else is planning to attend.

Also, to get into the spirit of our 40th, please send a “talk about yourself” update to Sharon Purdie. Write about your passions, family news, accomplishments, memories of Wesleyan, friends you hope to see, next careers, travel adventures, or whatever you’d like to share, and we will post them here. Check back often—and it’s okay to send more than one update.

Karla Bell writes: “This is a big year for the family. My son, Daniel graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School on May 22; he has been on law review and will spend his next two years clerking for federal judges around the country. He will marry Rachel Cohen, his classmate from Yale undergrad, this Labor Day weekend. Lots of happiness, success, glad tidings. Rachel C. (known in our house as Rachel 1.5) is warm, engaging, talented, intelligent and saucy–in short, perfect.

“My daughter graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., two years ago, Phi Beta Kappa. She had a passion for teaching children from underprivileged backgrounds, starting all the way in high school; she volunteered over 600 hours at Emory at a federally funded pre-school program. But, for the last two years she has been with Teach for America in an Atlanta charter school in a situation that can only be described as shocking. She is a first grade teacher who, on the first day of class, didn’t have a single book. She has put in 16 hour days and spent weekends going to her kids’ churches and baseball games, but has concluded no meaningful educational reform can occur until America addresses income disparity and segregation. And, she is burned out. She is not going to teach anymore, at least for a while. She is off to Boston as an executive recruiter.

“Adam graduated from Emory this Spring and is still looking for his first job. Mark and I have five kids between us and he is definitely the sweetest, and possibly one of the smartest, but still hasn’t found his place.

“I have had a very difficult year, with medical issues presented to me as dire and incurable. I have disproved the predictions regarding the life-threatening condition, but problems remain that are not insignificant. Not the cheeriest note…

“I am sorry to miss the Women’s Gathering this year. Enjoy it. Enjoy each other. I hope to be there for our next meeting.

“And, please, anyone who wants to open up a conversation, contact me. I have been rather isolated this year because of complicated immunological problems (trust me: when you are wearing a mask and gloves in the airports no one wants to sit next to you). I am not uncomfortable talking about my problems, but I am bored with them. What are you doing? What are you finding rewarding? What would you recommend I segue to as my next profession or identity?

“Again, I will miss you all.”

Chris Neagle writes: “Still living just in Cumberland just north of Portland, Maine.  I have been active on our Planning Board for the last 10 years.  No longer married as of 2007, but now sharing my life with the most excellent Kat.  Very proud of son Scott (Bennington ’05) who is a teacher/musician in Brooklyn, NY about to go to grad school in computer sciences, and getting hitched to a fellow Chewonki lifer next year.   Son Jeff (UVM ’09) is a passionate slopestyle skier who manages Skiershop in Stowe, VT who continues to impress his dad.

“My free time is spent on golf courses all over Maine and skiing at Sugaloaf most weekends the lifts are turning, all with a great group of friends.  I occasionally run into Rich Estabrook (’74) and his lovely wife Anne at the many concerts and shows in our area.   Have partial season tickets to the Boston Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs, and I still dance as often as I can, so my life is full.

“I am in my 37th year of private law practice in downtown Portland, a great city.   After 27 years at one of Maine’s megafirms, i have practiced with Troubh Heisler, PA since 2004, a great group of about a dozen attorneys.   Real estate and land use disputes, purchase, mortgage loan and lease transactions, condominium work and more recently mediation fill my days.

“See you next month.”

Jose Goico writes: “Hello everyone. I was a caught a bit by surprise when I read Harold Sogard’s email inviting me to our 40^th reunion, but it didn’t take much convincing to say yes. It just felt right, so I thought it would be good to share a bit in anticipation of our getting together in May. As I commented to Sharon Purdie, 40 years is a time-span of Biblical proportions. I want to assure you, however, that I have not been wandering in the desert all this time (at least not literally), but raising a family with Annie, my wife of 36 years. Our three children are all grown and on their own. Jeremy, the oldest, just turned 30 and owns a business, Black Tie Ski Rental Delivery Service, in Mammoth Lakes, CA, along with his soccer buddy and classmate from the University of Rochester. This is their fifth year in business and doing quite well, so if you plan to go skiing at Mammoth, feel free to check them out (mammothskis.com). Madeleine and Sara Alida are 26 and although they are fraternal twins, they look nothing alike. Madeleine (brunette and tall) lives in NYC. She is the administrator of the Hebrew and Judaic Studies Department at NYU, where she did her undergraduate studies, and is completing a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration at the Wagner School. Her sister, Sara, (blonde and short) went to UR like her brother. She is presently in Iquitos, Peru, (in the middle of the Amazon) completing two-years of fieldwork for her PhD in Linguistic and Cultural Anthropology at UC San Diego.

“I don’t think many of you would know my wife, Annie. We met at Wesleyan, but she hails from Lincoln, Nebraska. She was visiting a mutual friend on her way to study abroad in Vienna, Austria. Needless to say, that weekend in the early spring of 1972, proved to be the most auspicious of my life. Annie loves to travel, so shortly after our wedding in 1978, we took a six-month road trip, zigzagging across this immense and beautiful country—camping, backpacking, and snorkeling, while visiting family and friends. This is how we wound up in Santa Monica, California, where our children were born. We now fill our “empty nest” with two Australian Shepherds, and a kitten.   Annie loves gardening and has found her work as the CFO of the Connecticut Bar Foundation for the past 14 years truly rewarding because it is the major source of funding for Legal Aid in CT.

“As for me, I continue to work directly with children, adolescents and young adults, as I have for the past 34 years, the last 11 as an Educational Therapist, and 23 as a bilingual urban classroom teacher. Now, some of you would probably remember me through African Music, Jazz, or the Religion Department (soccer, maybe?). Well, all those continue to play significant roles in my life. Zen practice is the crucible where in I wrestle with my Mortality. Soccer and especially Music are my passions, but working with children in an educational setting is my calling. An urban, bilingual classroom is where I would still be, if not for my health, but that is a story for another day and another time. Suffice it to say that leaving the classroom was one of the hardest choices I have ever had to make, but enough of existential dilemmas because all in all, it has been a wonderful 40 years.  So let me end on a high note. I continue to play lots of music, mostly live with a great cover band, The Cartells (www.thecartells.com). We play mostly on the Connecticut shoreline. Last year, I also had the good fortune to achieve a life-long dream in music. I released a CD of original music three years in the making. Here’s the iTunes link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=862522205

“I had the privilege to co-write one composition (Snowbreak) and do the Latin arrangement of various others as well as play with some of the most talented Jazz musicians in Connecticut. It is modest by industry standards, but very listenable (according to Harold Sogard). Speaking of which, Harold has asked me to play at the reunion dinner with Wes Brown, Michael Minard, Lloyd Komesar, and Wayne Forrest. I am very much looking forward to it and hope to see some of you there.”

Chris Moeller writes: “Here are some news items from Minnesota:

– Last fall Lee Coplan had dinner with us when he came to town to attend an awards ceremony for the professor who was his Ph.D. advisor.

– Our daughter got married in March.

– In May our son will be graduated from Univ. of Minnesota with a degree in electrical engineering.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the class reunion this year.

Randy (“R.N.A.”) Smith‘s fifth golf book is out.  It’s a historical novel focused on enigmatic Willie Anderson, only man to win the U.S. Open three straight times, and his turbulent family.  Also note that Randy is the force behind a new website, golf-fiction.com.

Rob Ingraham (Northport, NY) writes: “In 1974 there’s no way I could’ve imagined that 40 years later I’d be motoring up to my Wes reunion to exchange lively banter with my classmates … and also attend the graduation of a daughter (Blair) while a son (Tucker) tells me, in the shortest sentences possible, how his freshman year wound up.  That’s quite a whirl in one place, no?  My two kids are both 5^th generation Wes students, and the old place has not disappointed.  Their happiness quotient has soared, and having them both there at the same time this year has enabled me to view Wes with a unique lens.  Blair has a nice job lined up in NYC after graduation … the icing on top, for which my bride (June) and I are most thankful.  Tucker is looking to spend a second summer working for his beloved Patriots under the watchful eye of Coach Belichick ’75, who knows a thing or two about imparting good work habits, starting every day in the darkness of early morning.

“I’m now 36 years in the sports marketing business, with retirement not an option as these Wes tuition bills can take your breath away. Stress reduction comes in the form of playing guitar in a 60’s/70’s R&R band, which I’ve been hacking away at for nearly 25 years.  Those great songs sound better than ever (even when we play them)! And while there are days when I can’t remember my middle name, those distinctive Beatles/Stones/Motown lyrics keep shining through, crystal clear.  I also keep busy with volunteer work focused on land preservation, as well as drug & alcohol programs aimed at students & parents in our community, where like many places, we’re fighting an epidemic of heroin overdoses.  And finally, winters are especially treasured here because that’s when our refrigerated backyard ice rink comes alive with the sound of young hockey players who are in 7^th heaven but don’t always know when it’s time to leave.

“Am looking forward to seeing everybody next month!”

Judy Jay writes: “After 27 years in [medical] partnership with my husband, Barry Shapiro, we closed our private Otolaryngology practice 2 years ago.  He joined a large multi specialty group and I work part-time as a medical consultant for a private company doing medical coding review.  I’ve enjoyed my free time, a novel experience after all those intense years, and have been able to spend more time doing what I enjoy:  skiing, scuba diving, biking and, simply, living without the anxiety of running a medical practice.   Our elder child, Rachel [Amherst ’09, Michigan Law ’14], will return to NY from Ann Arbor upon graduation in May with a job in a Manhattan firm and our younger child, Rob [Cornell ’12], loves working at Group M ESP doing sports media marketing.  Life is good.”

Ruthann Richter writes: “I recently returned from Uganda as a Global Justice Fellow with the American Jewish World Service. We met with 8 different human rights organizations, including groups advocating for women and girls and the LGBT community. It was an extraordinary time in the country’s history, as the Ugandan president signed the heinous antigay law while we were there. Activists told us stories of public assaults, rape, eviction from homes and offices, summary arrests and police brutality. I have since been writing and speaking about my experiences and will be doing some advocacy in Washington to support U.S. polices that may have an impact on the conditions there, which I found truly heartbreaking.

“Sadly, I cannot attend our reunion. My husband is celebrating a milestone birthday that weekend. It would have been nice to reconnect with people after all these years.”

Chuck Gregory writes: “Lorraine and I celebrated our 30th anniversary on March 9th. I continue to do web development, publishing, and co-host The New American Dream Radio Show, which moved this year to Revolution Radio at freedomslips.com in the 6 to 8 pm time slot on Thursdays. Look for us on the Studio B stream, or visit http://theshow.newamericandream.info.”

Patricia Mulcahy writes: “I hope to make it to the reunion but have to check in with a new client to see what’s up. With deadlines I sometimes wind up working even on holiday weekends – one of the downsides of being a freelancer. But there are plenty of upsides. I have to smile to myself when I read notes from my peers who are retiring and vacationing and so forth because I am working my butt off. But I really enjoy what I do, and can keep at it as long as people keep hiring me. I’m still an editorial consultant: see the website www.brooklynbooks.com for a look at projects. Early in 2014 I finished working with a client who went to Wesleyan, as did her agent – three generations of Wes grads on one project, all by coincidence as far as I can tell (don’t know the years for author Sasha Martin (this is her married name) or her agent Lisa DiMona from Writers House). Sasha’s book Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness will come out in March 2015 from National Geographic. They gave her a contract given the coverage for her blog Global Travel Adventure, for which she cooked recipes from every country in the world from her kitchen in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But her wonderful and very touching memoir turned out to be a little different, with equal measures of a story like Glass Castle. When I read it, I was reminded of the richness of the Wesleyan student body, because the school was always willing to take a chance on people from less-than-traditional backgrounds.

“I really enjoyed another recent assignment, working with Rebecca Eaton, the Executive Producer of Masterpiece on PBS, which Viking published last fall. I got a master class in British drama as  well as a crash course in the history of this seminal program.

“I’m also a member of an idie editor group called 5E: Five Editors. Five Perspectives, and have started to do more workshops and teaching assignments, some in conjunction with my colleagues.  We have a quarterly online newsletter that discusses all kinds of things in the book biz. I’d be glad to put people on our email mailing list….I can be reached via the Brooklyn Books website. Ironically, I now live in Jackson Heights in Queens. I named my company Brooklyn Books  because I thought I’d never leave. But after twenty years, I did. Queens is great – very multiethnic. I told Sasha Martin ’02 that I can sample the cuisines of many of the places she writes about, within walking distance of my apartment (Afghan kabob house, and on and on….).

“All best wishes, and hope to see you (I’ll be a last-minute sign-up if I can manage it…)”

Monique Witt writes: “Ben, my younger son, was just admitted to Julliard so he will be attending both Columbia and Julliard come fall.

“I spoke to Linda Bierer this morning and she has the same extraordinary energy.  She is still practicing, doing cutting edge research and publishing research papers on PTSD, while pursuing a very full life.  We hope to go running soon.”

Victoria Ries writes: “After Wesleyan, I went to the University of Chicago Divinity School where I earned a PhD in Christian Theology. I felt called to ministry rather than to academia, and have worked in the Archdiocese of Seattle for 35 years. I first worked for three years in Catholic campus and young adult ministry at two universities and with all young adults in Tacoma, Washington. Most of my time has been spent in parish ministry.  For the last 25 years, I have been appointed by the Archbishop to provide leadership and pastoral care for two parishes, the first for 10 years, and the second for 15 years‹all due to the shortage of priests.   I have also been an adjunct faculty member at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University.

“I married Sam Saracino, class of 1973, in June of 1975.  We have lived in Seattle, Washington since 1979. We have a son, Daniel, now 32, who lives in Madison, WI with his wife and two young sons; and a daughter Martha, now 29, who is a prosecutor in Fresno, CA.”

Charles Cocores writes: “I’m still working as the Educator in Residence and Certification Officer at CT College where  a Wes  grad, Katherine Bergeron,  has  just been installed as President. Carol and I are hoping to come to the reunion and working on Blaise Noto to be there too as we get to see him a good amount in NC on our frequent runs to SC! We have 4 grand kids that have become an important part of our lives, two, a 9 year old boy and 4 year old girl, from our daughter, Kate Cocores Madura ’00 and her husband Matt.  And two, a 4 year old girl and 6 month old boy, from our son Chris and wife, Emily in Mechanicsburg PA.  Hopefully, at least one of our grandkids will carry on the Wesleyan tradition!  Carol and I are Habitat for Humanity Global Village leaders and between us have done or run trips to Kauai, Molokai, Big Island, Portugal, Guatemala, Honduras and a few other US locations as well. We are planning January 2015 trip to Cape Town, South Africa let us know if you’re interested.”

Joan Catherine Braun writes: “I am thrilled to have been chosen as a finalist for the Bay Area CFO of the Year award in the nonprofit category. I am humbled to find myself sharing that honor with Garfield Byrd, Wikimedia Foundation, and Kenneth Regalia, Bay Area Council. We’ll be joined in the limelight on June 5 by regional finance leaders in large, emerging, and small companies–Deepak Ahuja, Tesla Motors, Sarah Friar, Square, and Thomas Bardwick, Rocket Fuel, are among the finalists in those categories. Last, but not least, I am delighted to be helping Larkin Street Youth Services to raise money for their vital work! See: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/announcing-finalists-ninth-annual-bay-150000750.html

“This is the ninth year that Larkin Street Youth Center, in partnership with the San Francisco Business Times, have celebrated CFOs in the San Francisco Bay Area by soliciting nominations and asking an independent panel of business luminaries to select the finalists and, ultimately, pick the winners. The awards ceremony will be held on June 5. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will win. But win, lose, or draw, having been named a finalist is a tremendous–and unexpected–honor. Not  bad for a English and East Asian History major!”

Jan Eliasberg writes: “I’ve completed my move ‘home’ to New York City, living in a spectacular loft in the Financial District.  I have magnificent views of the Hudson and the Freedom Tower from every window. Profuse “thank yous” to Steve Goldschmidt ’72 for his instrumental role in helping me find such a fabulous space and negotiating an advantageous deal.

“My daughter, Sariel, was accepted Early Decision at Barnard. She loved Wesleyan and had a great experience visiting, courtesy of Andrew and Frantz, but ultimately decided that she belonged at Barnard…and Barnard agreed.

“My episodic television directing career continues to blossom. My episode of UNFORGETTABLE was the show’s Season Premiere, airing on April 4th to a lovely review in the New York Times. The drama I directed in Charleston, S.C — RECKLESS — will air in June. The television business in NYC is booming, thanks to the City and State’s generous tax credits, so possibilities are opening up and down the East Coast.

“In the meantime, I’m writing and directing an indie feature entitled TRAVELING LIGHT, adapted from my own novel, and am also developing a television series. If that’s not enough, I’m also going to be teaching at NYU Film School in the Fall.

“Now that I’m in New York City, I hope to re-connect with all of my East Coast based Wesleyan friends; my loft has a guest bedroom and a large dining table perfect for dinner parties, eating good food and watching the sun set over the Hudson River. If you’re in NYC, or going to be in NYC, please do reach out: jan@aquinnahfilms.com.”

Blaise Noto writes: “I’m living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and relocated my marketing and public relations firm to the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. I also am teaching Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution at UNC School of the Arts’ School of Filmmaking (one of the top film schools in the country), and also teach a number of Communication courses at William Peace University in Raleigh.

“Last year, I was nominated for a  Emmy from the San Francisco chapter of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as a producer of the documentary feature film “When the Mountain Calls: Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan.

“If anyone is in the Triangle area of NC, look me up in Chapel Hill.”

Charisse Lillie writes: “After a wonderful career in government, the last year as City Solicitor of the City of Philadelphia,  I joined the law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, in 1992.  I practiced Labor and Employment Law for 13 years.   My last two years at the firm, I also served as Chair of the Litigation Department.  I left Ballard Spahr in 2005 to join Comcast Corporation.    I have just celebrated my ninth anniversary at Comcast Corporation.  I was the SVP, Human Resources, for Comcast Cable and VP of Human Resources  for Comcast Corporation for the first four years.   I have been leading the Community Investment Department for the last  five years.  I still have two titles – Vice President, Community Investment, Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast Foundation.  My husband, Tom McGill, Jr.,  continues to practice criminal defense law, mostly in the state courts in Philadelphia.  He is an alum of Notre Dame Law School, and is an active mentor of a number of their students and graduates.   My daughter Alison is the Public Relations Director for a non-profit seeking to protect girls in West Africa, specifically Sierra Leone, from human trafficking.   She is working for the  author, Dr. Clara Whaley Perkins, who has written a novel, based in Sierra Leone, IRON BUTTERFLY, whose proceeds are helping to fund the foundation.   Alison is handling public relations, the website, tours, interviews and the social media strategy for the foundation.  In 2013, she earned a  Master of Science degree in Communications from Drexel University.   My  older children, Leslie and Thomas, III,  are working hard in the fields of retail and politics.   Between them, they have seven children.  Summer, holiday and weekend visits are a lot of fun.

“At Comcast, in addition to the work of Community Investment,  I am also doing some work in the diversity arena.  I serve as the corporate liaison with our African American external Joint Diversity Council, and  as one of three executive sponsors of the African American employee resource group.  My passion for diversity in the legal profession and in the workforce  remains very strong.    After Wesleyan, I attended Temple Beasley School of Law, worked as a federal law clerk, and as a Trial Lawyer in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington.  Teddy Shaw and I were colleagues at DOJ.  (I am so proud that Teddy is our commencement speaker for graduation this year.)    I then worked as Deputy Director at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.   I left CLS to earn an LL.M.(Master of Laws) at Yale Law School in 1982.  I then went on to be a professor  at Villanova Law School for three years and return to the DOJ.  In March of 2014, I was privileged to attend a weekend of activities organized by the YLS Black Law Students Association for BLSA  Alumni.   I participated in a panel discussion focused on leveraging your law degree to achieve success in the corporate world.   The conversations were lively and stimulating.  I left optimistic about the future of diversity in the legal profession.

“I continue to be very active in my community work. Except for the couple of years in Washington, D.C. and the year in New Haven, I have lived my post-Wesleyan life in Philadelphia.   I serve on the boards of Howard University in Washington, D.C., The Franklin Institute Science Museum, the American Arbitration Association and the United Way of Southeastern PA and Southern New Jersey.  I also serve on two corporate boards – the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and the Philadelphia Electric Company(PECO), an Exelon Company.   I have recently received  awards recognizing my work in the community from  The Philadelphia Business Journal,  The Philadelphia Tribune, Odunde, Inc, and Associacion Puertorriquenos En Marcha(APM).  It is a busy life, a fulfilling life. And there are Wesleyan links to so much of the success I have had in this rewarding and challenging career of mine.  I am so  looking forward to our reunion.  I will be sharing it with my family, because my nephew, Charles “Chipper” Bounds,  is a member of the Wesleyan Class of 2014.”

Bill Burton writes: “My life at present can be defined as being a participant in two urban renewal experiments, in vastly different settings.  The first is taking place not far from our townhouse in Reston, Va., pop. 60,000, and involves the extension of the Washington, D.C., Metro subway/light rail system to a new station opening this year just a 20-minute walk from our front door.  Reston, a planned community or “New Town”, also celebrates its 50^th birthday this year as its founder, native New Yorker and now Reston resident Robert E. Simon, celebrates his 100^th.  The town is very proud of its unique blend of commercial, residential, and open recreational space, the latter which includes lots of woods with winding trails (‘Live, Work, Play’ is Reston’s motto) and views the major changes that will accompany the arrival of Metro with a lot of apprehension and, of course, planning.  As property values rise near the station, we have had to fend off an attempt by developers to turn the golf course that surrounds our townhouse community into high-density housing.

“The second is in the town of Jamestown, Colorado, pop. 300, where my wife Laurel and I own a rustic cabin on James Creek that was built by her father and grandfather in the mid-50’s.  An old mining town located in the Front Range not far from Boulder, Jamestown was hit hard by the historic floods of last September, with the result that 20% of the homes were damaged or destroyed.  Our cabin escaped major damage when the bridge owned by our upstream neighbor clogged with debris and diverted the raging creek away from the cabin, while her house was torn in half.  Since the beginning of the year Laurel has spent more time there than here at home, meeting with various disaster-agency representatives and helping our less-fortunate neighbors with damaged properties do the same.  The spirited determination of this little town to rebuild following such devastation has been uplifting to witness.  Laurel and I met Governor Hickenlooper during his tour of the state after the floods (sometimes it takes a disaster to get to see Hick!).  As I write, stream-restoration engineers with heavy equipment are putting the creek back where it was right in front of our cabin, this time with reinforced banks that will hopefully fend off the large spring runoff that is expected.  Laurel sits on the front porch and watches them work.

“I am winding down a 30-plus year career with the U. S. Geological Survey.  My current focus is the geology of the area in central Virginia where a magnitude-5.8  earthquake occurred in August, 2011 that shook the entire eastern U. S., was felt by more people than any other U.S. quake in history, and whose cause is still a mystery.  Laurel is trying to break into the highly competitive field of romance-fiction writing, has written 8 novels, but still doesn’t have an agent–thank goodness she has stream restoration to take her mind off the lack of progress.  Our 19-year-old son Theo attends the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, not far from the Civil War battlefield, and is studying GIS and computers.  Our 21-year-old daughter Emmeline suffers from depression and anxiety and lives at home, and we are slowly and steadily encouraging her towards a more active, involved life.  Laurel and I always feel better after attending our monthly mental-illness support group meetings, when we see the far more severe trials that other parents are going through.

“With age comes wisdom and a more philosophical approach to life.  Laurel and I have always taken delight in the natural world and its multi-faceted complexity, whether it be views of birds through a spotting scope or vistas from a mountain ridge, but it all really comes back to people and their relationships, doesn’t it?  (Oh, and I still listen a lot to The You-Know-Who!)  I look forward very much to seeing all of you at our 40^th reunion in May.”

Jose Goico writes: “As Harold Sogard said in his email to me, It’s been too, too long!

“Nonetheless, he was successful at enticing me to attend our 40th Class reunion.

“I am looking forward to connecting with everyone (though admittedly with a slight sense of apprehension).  My hope is that many people make the attempt on this landmark year.  I look forward to Amy Bloom‘s (’75) reading and maybe even to playing some music with Wes Brown, if Harold has his way.

“Wesleyan was the place of my rebirth; where I came into my self-awareness and critical consciousness.  The place where I met my mentors (and my wife, the true love of my life); where I was introduced to the Great Questions and Time-Honored Traditions of Mankind that have sustained me throughout.  The start proved a bit messy, to be sure… but oh how wonder-full the journey, how beautifully everything has flowered!

“It is everything that I have wished for and more.  My only other wish is that Steve Buttner could have been here for my return, so in that sense it will be truly bittersweet.”

Jim Gilson writes: “I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend our reunion, but wish everyone an enjoyable visit together.

“However, I am happy that four of us who lived together in 200 Washington Street as freshman and have stayed friends ever since will be reconnecting in early August. Paul Liscom and his wife Kim (’75) have invited his roommate Rip Dauster, his wife Marjorie (’75), Mark Decker, his wife Cele, and my wife Nancy and me to meet up at Paul and Kim’s place in West Yellowstone. We’re excited to be with all of them and know that we’ll hear then about our classmates who were able to attend the reunion.

“I’ve also seen Rip and Marjorie at their house in North Haven over the past few years while visiting our daughter, who is studying for her PhD at Yale and is hoping to become a professor of political philosophy. Meanwhile, our son is living with us here in LA, has been studying at UCLA and hopes to become a high school history teacher. Happily, the value of liberal arts learning that was partly instilled in me at Wes apparently remains in our family’s DNA.

“Nancy and I continue in the jobs we’ve had for several years. I’m still an administrator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County – for the past few years I’ve added oversight of the Museum’s administration and operations, HR, and IT (the last of which particularly is a bit of a stretch for me) to my ongoing responsibilities as the General Counsel and overseeing the La Brea Tar Pits/Page Museum and the William S. Hart Museum. Our Museum just completed a $135 million renovation and transformation, so I’ve been pleased to be very busy with our new successes, along with fellow Museum Executive Staff member and Wes alum Karen Wise (’82) among many other colleagues. I hope that our classmates will make the museum part of any plans when visiting LA. Nancy continues working for City National Bank; she moved a few years ago from being the bank’s Controller to overseeing another aspect of its regulatory and reporting compliance, risk management.

“We regularly see other Wesleyan friends in LA. We frequently visit with Dave Rosenblum (’75) and his wife, Sue. Dave, who is on Wes’ Board, keeps us up to date on the big picture of the university’s progress and issues, We had dinner with Jude Schneider (’81) and her husband not too long ago, and I ran into Tony Mohr (’69) at an event last week and caught up on his case-load (he’s a trial judge). I’ve also had the pleasure of continuing my periodic lunches with Bruce Corwin (’62) a friend from even before Wesleyan; a few months ago, he was still glowing from his on-Corwin-field congratulations of the football team for its so-rare Little Three Championship – yes, that was him speaking to the team after the game in the video that Wesleyan posted.  Finally, Nancy and I also reconnected with a number of mid-70’s and other Wes alums when Michael Roth gave an inspiring talk at Paramount Studios about the ‘This is Why’ campaign.”

Harold Sogard writes: “Like many of us,  I spend a certain amount of every holiday season trying to convince myself that next year will be better if only I take X or Y action.  And then, of course, I don’t take that action and nothing changes.  But this year I actually did make a resolution for change that I stuck with and implemented.  After working for two and a half years trying to rebuild Riney,  the iconic San Francisco ad agency,  and after spending way too much of that time arguing with our French owners about how best to do that,  I finally decided that it was a battle not worth waging any longer and I quit.  As I write this,  I have been a ‘man of leisure’ for all of three weeks.  I’m enjoying it for now,  but will soon start to think about and search actively for what comes next.  I doubt I will have that sorted out by reunion,  so forgive me in advance if I spend some of our time together there asking for advice.”

Charisse R. Lillie: “I have enjoyed serving on the Reunion Committee and connecting and reconnecting with classmates, as I try to convince them to come to our Reunion. I will be there, with my family. I will also be attending the graduation of my nephew, Chipper. His sister  Alexandra is also a Wesleyan grad. I am so proud of them both. Although I am no longer practicing law, I maintain my law license. I am enjoying leading the community investment function at Comcast Corporation at Headquarters in Philadelphia.”

Lloyd Komesar: “I will definitely be attending 40R and look forward to great conversations and good times with many of my classmates.”

Mark Decker: “I am recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon, an injury sustained playing touch football during a Rutgers tailgating party back on October 24^th.  I had the tendon repaired, and then promptly fell and ruptured it again!  Now that I have finally progressed past the stage of brace and crutches, I am relearning the joys of driving a car.

“My wife, Cele, and I are fed up with this snowy/icy winter in New Jersey and we are retreating to Aruba later this week.  The rumor is there is still sunshine down there. We’ll let you know how it turns out.

“I will most definitely be attending the reunion with Cele. We are looking forward to meeting up with old friends.  We will come with pictures of our new grandson, Connor, in my iPhone. They are most definitely worth sharing with friends. See you all in May!

Larry Green is very much enjoying grandparenthood, with three young grandchildren, Andrew, Ariana and Dylan.  Larry writes that he finds it particularly fulfilling to see his sons Adam and Nathaniel as wonderful husbands and fathers in addition to being very successful in their respective careers as pediatric oncologist and attorney.

Larry continues his work as a Partner with the Boston law firm Burns & Levinson, where he specializes in business and commercial litigation.  Now in his 36^th year of legal practice, Larry notes that he has been very gratified to be joined in the partnership ranks by a number of associates whom he has mentored over the years and who have become very fine attorneys.

Having served for 15 years as President and Chair of the American Jewish Society for Service, a nationwide nonprofit sponsoring Jewish teens to perform “Tikkun Olam” work in impoverished communities, Larry recently turned over the reins to a fellow AJSS Board member.

Larry and his wife Denise live in Brookline, Massachusetts, and have a second home in Ogunquit, Maine, where they hope to retire in another five years.

Long active as a Board member of Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Larry authored and published a short book in 2012 entitled Weaving Your Thread in the Tapestry of Judaism.

Finally, Larry is very sorry to be missing our 40^th reunion.  The extended Green-Berson family, with four generations represented by 45 persons, will be having their annual reunion in Ogunquit on Memorial Day weekend.

Henry Avis-Vieira writes: “Great idea!  I’ll provide some color and will definitely be at our 40th with my family.”

Monique Witt writes: “Our news is still music.  We merged the smaller label back into our umbrella production company, One Trick Dog Records*, and just released an album by saxophonist Andres Boiarsky (“Crosstalk”); we are about to release an album by the Roy Assaf Trio (“Second Row Behind the Painter”); and we have three albums in the works for this summer release, one of which is out of the archive of the 1979 sessions of Manny Williams and Alida Rohr.  This is exciting because Manny was hugely important to the sixties and seventies jazz musicians.  We will drop a promo video for “Second Row” in the next couple of weeks.

“My older son Dev is now mixing and mastering for Helsinki Jazz Underground, and has just finished an album for New York Connection.  He will be back in the studio with Scot Petito in March to work on his own music.  My younger son Ben is a sophomore at Columbia and has just set up Jazz House in the SIC with eight other jazz musicians.  He hopes to record an album of original compositions this summer.

“On the theatre front, I continue to work with Alex Montaldo (“Split/screen”) and 3OCD.  We have two projects in the early stages of development, “The Walking Man Monologues” and “Piano Conversations,” and we’ve been helping Dan Algrant on his recent film.”

Ken Jacobs writes: “Once every 20 years like clockwork!

“My family life lags about 10 years behind my classmates. My children are 15 and 11, so I’m just starting the latest chapter of the roller coaster ride.  My older is an Asperger’s child, so my wife Sharon and I have to work harder to parent him. My daughter goes to a Waldorf school in Rockland County, New York. Waldorf education requires a leap of faith in this competitive world, since the learning path differs significantly from traditional classrooms. But she also has an inner confidence that I don’t see in her public school peers.

“I’ve been a partner in the same law firm, Smith, Buss & Jacobs, for more than 22 years. We represent over 275 condo and co-op associations, about 2/3 in New York City and the rest in the surrounding counties. Our clients range from the smallest condos to Co-op City, with over 15,000 units.  Fortunately I like what I do since I’ll probably be working until I’m 72!

“I still play tournament bridge whenever I can  — which is not much due to my family and work obligations. My wife and I both fantasize about getting back to swing dancing and singing someday.”

Steven Cutts writes: “In 40 years, I’m not sure that I have ever sent along news for the alumni magazine — shame on me — but there’s a first time for everything, I guess. Here’s what I’ve got to share:

“I’ve been fighting the ‘retirement flu’ that seems so prevalent at this time in life and remain in the classroom in an independent girls school just outside of Washington, D.C. In between planning lessons and grading papers for my history students, I continue to write songs and to record them.

“After 20-plus years of popular music-making, I decided to make those more available by sharing on-line. I’ve built a website and, with a measure of pretentious irony, called it ThePrimeCutts.com. I invite one and all to log on and to listen to (perhaps even download free of charge) any of more than three dozen recordings.

“Last summer I got to greet my old 230 Washington Street next door neighbor Governor John Hickenlooper at a Wesleyan event at Washington’s Newseum. The governor was part of a discussion moderated by President Roth that included as well Colorado’s Senator Michael Bennet ’87 and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin ’79. In a time when it is all too easy to be cynical about politicians, it was reassuring to hear from this trio of sensible and honorable public servants!

“My wife Martha and I stopped in Baltimore in November to have a bite of dinner with John McLucas. It is always great to see John (along with his
sweet dog and a pair of wonderful cats!)

“Then in December, we traveled to Seattle to witness the wedding of Kenneth Hapke who, thanks to changes in Washington State law, was able to marry his long-time partner Bob Delisle. Ken is hard at work as a clinical psychologist.

“Finally, I spoke by phone with Michael Jeffrey on his early-January birthday. He continues to teach history at Brewer High School near Bangor. Michael is still coaching soccer (and, yes, playing soccer) AND is bicycling up a storm, thinking nothing of heading off on a 40- or 50-mile training ride.”

Sharon Purdie writes: “Since retiring from AT&T in 1998, I’ve had the time of my life!  (I highly recommend it!)  After I retired, my family (Ted, Sherry ’10, and Jeff) and I moved to Sudbury MA (a suburb of Boston) where my husband began work with a biotech company.  Retirement gave me the opportunity to spend lots of time with my kids and to support them in their educational and athletic endeavors.  In addition, I had time to support not only my current passions of sailing and running, but also to cultivate and nurture a love of alpine skiing.  Passions for sailing and skiing led us to purchase a home on the water in Jamestown, RI and a ski home on Okemo mountain in Vermont.  After my husband, Ted, retired we sold our houses in MA and VT and moved to RI.  We have spent the last two winters in Park City, Utah where we ski every day.  Then we sail in RI in spring, summer, and fall.

“Our daughter, Sherry ’10, was a CSS major at Wesleyan.  After graduating in 2010, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco for three years.  She is spending this winter with us in Park City and teaching skiing at one of the resorts here.  She will begin her MBA at Monterey Institute in Monterey CA in the fall.  Our son, Jeff, graduated from Trinity College last spring.  He works for the New York Peace Institute, a non-profit mediation organization, in Brooklyn and lives in Hoboken NJ.

“Retirement has also allowed me to dedicate more time to Wesleyan.  Through my volunteering, not only have I re-connected with a number of classmates, I have also become friends with classmates I didn’t  know while I was an undergrad and with alumni from many different class years.  In addition, I have had the privilege of working with Wesleyan staff on various projects.  Volunteering for Wesleyan is addictive – try it!

“As you ponder whether to attend our 40th reunion, think about classmates you haven’t seen in years and contact them either through this website or via email.  (If they haven’t submitted information to this website with an email address, you can find alumni email addresses via wesconnect.wesleyan.edu or email me and I’ll find them.)  Hopefully, you’ll all decide to come!  I’ve contacted the women who lived on my hall freshman year and at least half of them  said they plan to attend.

“Please contribute to this website as often as you wish.  Our classmates will appreciate it.  Check back often!”

 

 

Class notes from 2014, issue 1:

Monique Witt opened her one-act play at the Helen Mills Theater on Nov. 21. You can see the promo video for it at splitscreentheplay.com. The production company has three jazz records in process: the saxophonist, Andrés Boiarsky (played on four Grammy winning albums), the Roy Assaf trio, and a samba jazz group doing Cuban fusion. Dev (Monique’s older son) is running Avidon audio labs and Be (her younger son) is in his second year at Columbia and playing regularly with Winard Harper and Curtis Lundy. Both sons are pursuing performing careers. Steven (Monique’s husband) has just finished representing Michael Dell in the buy-in and Verizon in the buy-back.

Ruthann Richter Hammer has been selected as a Global Justice Fellow for the American Jewish World Service. She will travel with 14 other Bay Area fellows to Uganda in 2014 to meet with some of the AJWS partner groups working for rights for women, girls, and the LGBT community. On their return, they will do advocacy work, including legislative advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Weiss lives in Andover, Mass., and has a private practice in psychiatry in North Andover. Son Samuel is working for Apple in Cupertino; daughter Hannah ’12 is living in Australia, scuba diving and having adventures. He spoke with Jon Eddison and got updates on many old friends, including the Born To Lose team.

John Shapiro and his wife, Shonni Silverberg ’76, continue to be engaged with Wesleyan. Shonni is on the executive committee of the Wesleyan Board and John has been involved in the Writing Center. Their older son is in law school at Harvard after getting a master’s in biotechnology and bioethics at London School of Economics. Their youngest is getting a master’s at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU in play- and screenwriting. John and Shonni continue to live in New York City. Aside from managing his investment firm, he is chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Jewish Committee and continues to serve as chair of Lawyers for Children. LFC was founded by Karen Freedman ’75 and includes as board members Seth Gelblum ’76 and Brian Schorr ’79. John is also on the boards of Rockefeller University, The American Academy in Rome, The Washington Institute, and The Jewish Museum.

John has regular contact with Roger Weisberg ’75, who continues a very successful career making documentaries, and David Lipton ’75, who is the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

As of late fall, Jan Eliasberg was in Charleston, S.C., directing Reckless, a new drama for CBS. She is supporting her daughter, Sariel, as she goes through the college application process: visiting Wesleyan was one of the highlights. Sariel sat in on classes while Jan hosted a lunchtime seminar with film students and was interviewed for the “This Is Why” Wesleyan series. As they drove out of town the sun was setting, turning the brownstones of College Row to a golden glow. She felt pleasantly nostalgic and excited for her daughter with so much to look forward to.

Jan, too, is looking forward to this next chapter. She’ll be moving back to the East Coast, to her native New York City, over the summer. She has already reconnected with many old friends (including Steve Goldschmidt ’72, who’s helping her look for her new home…). She’s writing a script for an independent feature, developing a television series set in NYC, and exploring a new avenue of teaching by designing her first online course.

Larry Green’s recent book, Weaving Your Thread in the Tapestry of Judaism, is authored under his Hebrew name, Lev. His primary purpose in writing the book “is to have Judaism become part of the core of those who have never been connected with our religion or have become disconnected.”

Last July, according to a press release received by Wesleyan, attorney Gil Hamberg presented a lecture at the Annual Conference of the Florida Municipal Electric Association.

In June, I traveled to Middletown to run in the first Legends Race led by running legends, Bill Rodgers ’70 and Amby Burfoot ’68. I placed first in my age group. In October, Adrienne Bentman, Scott Brodie, and I participated on the alumni panel of the Campus Transformation through Co-Education event at Wesleyan. Judy Hirschberg Atwood and Pam van der Meulen also attended. During Homecoming, I met up with classmates Ilene Goldstein Rosenthal, Pam van der Meulen, Scott Brodie, Harold Sogard, and Jim Farrell. We all plan to attend our 40th Reunion and are on the Reunion Planning Committee.

In late fall, our daughter, Sherry Sybertz ’10 returned from three-plus years serving in the Peace Corps in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This winter, she teaches skiing in Park City, Utah; she’ll start graduate school in the fall. Our son, Jeff, graduated from Trinity last spring, and is working in Brooklyn and living in Hoboken, N.J. We continue to live in Jamestown, R.I., where we sail and bike and travel to Park City to ski.

Mark your calendars for our 40th Reunion—May 22-25!

SHARON PURDIE
spurdie@wesleyan.edu

It looks like the Class of ’75 has turned some sort of corner. I find myself writing increasingly about retirements, children’s graduations and marriages, and classmates becoming grandparents. The thing that goes along with those milestones, however, is more frequent reports of classmates who have died. This column has the sad distinction of covering fewer activities of our living members than departures. While most of us have crossed the six-decade mark, it’s way too early for our notes to take this turn. With that, I report the passing of three classmates.

James “Scooter” Eaton Jr. died Oct. 24 in his Williamsville, N.Y., home after a short struggle with cancer. Jim was owner and CFO of Eaton Office Supply, founded by his grandfather in 1915. Jim also had executive roles in three of the company’s divisions, Prentice Office Environments, Office Furniture Center, and BGI Interiors. He was a fourth-generation Wes alumnus and a member of DKE. After Wes he earned his MBA and worked for Price Waterhouse before joining the family business. His volunteer commitments included the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and his local parish, the Buffalo Renaissance Foundation, the Family Justice Center, Friends of Night People, Habitat for Humanity, and Big Brothers. He also coached children in soccer and baseball for local leagues. Jim’s wife, Norine Hibschweiler, and children Tim, Mark, and Alana survive him, as do his mother and five siblings.

June Jeffries let me know that George Jett ’72 lost his wife and our classmate, Lynn MacFarlane, on Nov. 1, after a terrible seven-month illness. George observed that Lynn “lived a life full of love, intelligence, humor, professionalism, generosity, civility and family,” describing her as “exceptional in everything she did” as a corporate executive, mother, daughter, sister, wife, colleague and friend. Lynn, June, and three others lived together sophomore year in East College and junior year in the William Street high-rise. Services were held in Connecticut, and Lynn was buried in her native Ohio. The Lung Cancer Research Foundation was designated the charity of choice for anyone wishing to make a memorial donation in Lynn’s name.

Steve Pippin reported that Dave Morse passed away in July under hospice care in California. Dave had been in declining health for some time, but he lived to see the Supreme Court legalize gay marriage, and he tied the knot with his partner, Joe.

On a brighter note, I am on a bi-monthly commute to Massachusetts to see my mother, now approaching 93. I try to see Wes friends each time I go. On the home front, our daughter, Julia, has happily immersed in freshman year at Stanford. Ethan, 17, is in the throes of an academically intense junior year in high school relieved by his favorite class, Auto Shop, and his athletic endeavors as a springboard diver.

Steve McCarthy has stayed in touch with several NYC area ’75ers this year, including Steve Ross, Harold Levy, Cliff Chanin, Seth Gelblum, Joe Morningstar, Randy Sellier, Roger Weisberg, and Mark Schonberger, to name a few. The landmark event this year was celebrating his 25th anniversary with his wife, Kathleen. Along with their children, MaryKate (23) and Kevin (20), they celebrated in Belize at FFC’s Turtle Inn resort. Working with “the world’s top media legal experts at Loeb and Loeb—Seth Gelblum and partners” Steve is walking the path of a co-lead investor and executive producer on two corporate bio-documentaries, Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s in 2013 and I’m Crazy About Tiffany’s in 2014. He’s working on additional projects in wealth management/ philanthropy/social entrepreneurship/film/theater and enjoyed seeing Steve Ross at Ohio University film school. Steve also planned to attend the Wesleyan Alumni in Philanthropy and Public Service (WAPPS) program at Homecoming Weekend, having been deeply involved in WAPPS’ development and programs. He sends along the following wish: “May all us Cardinals enjoy our “sexagenarian birthdays” this year…. I’m hoping for 25 more!”

I second that emotion! Keep more of the good news coming in 2014, and please stay healthy. In the meantime, let us know how you celebrated turning 60, whether with revelry or reflection.

Cynthia M. Ulman
860 Marin Drive. Mill Valley, CA 94941-3955
cmu.home@cmugroup.com

First of all, thank you for sending so much news!

Tom Kovar is living in western Massachusetts, working for the VA as a social worker and gigging with his band, the Retroverts. His son, Sam, is in fifth grade.

Carol Bellhouse has six books out on Amazon: three in poetry, two novels and one biography. She splits her time between her legal practice and writing, sometimes for the TV and film industry.

Meredith Bergmann celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the unveiling of her sculpture at the Boston Women’s Memorial on the Commonwealth Ave. Mall. See the video at: youtube/12t429KHAL8.

Ethan Bronner and his wife, Naomi, spent four years in Jerusalem, where Ethan served as The Times bureau chief. Ethan is now deputy national editor for The Times and Naomi has reopened her psychotherapy practice in Manhattan. Their son Eli ’10 is with a nearly all-Wesleyan tech company called Lua; younger son Gabe is a student in Manhattan.

Robert Buccino has just had a book published, The Pitch Book: New Thinking for New Business. It is a quick and interesting read with advice that can be adapted to many situations and businesses.

BJ Buckley has published a new poetry chapbook: Spaces Both Infinite and Eternal, which you can find at limberlostpress.com/buckley.html. BJ is working through state arts councils in Arts-in-Schools/Communities Programs located in western states. In December, she will be returning to the Sanford Cancer Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., to make art with patients and their families.

Rob Cox, Steve Goldman, and I were in CSS together. Recently, it was parents’ day at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where we each have a daughter enrolled: Kelsey Cox, Sarah Goldman, and Michelle Marinello. Steve and his wife, Kathy Rosenthal ’78, and Rob and his wife, Maggie, had a great time, and Nancy ’78 and I are pleased to have another connection with them. I also heard from Jon Cleworth, another CSS classmate, that he is recently retired and living in Connecticut.

In October, Ely Leichtling, who rowed crew with Jon Cleworth at Wesleyan, had lunch with me in Chicago, and we discussed career challenges and our personal five- and 10-year plans. Ely (employment litigation) and his wife, Sally Merrell (heads up estate planning at her firm), are attorneys in Milwaukee. They are married 34 years and proud parents of two Carleton grads. They plan to visit Mike Donnella in Philadelphia over Thanksgiving. Mike also has a daughter at Carleton.

Jeff Frank owns a successful moving company in Columbus, Ohio (American Moving and Storage), where he is married with three children, the youngest a sophomore at the Air Force Academy. Jeff’s son, Nathan, works for the FBI; his daughter, Stephanie, teaches English as a second language in Hawaii.

Jeffrey Gottlieb, a psychiatrist, is presently doing forensic work in Middletown and sees the Wesleyan campus on a regular basis. He has three children, the youngest a junior in college, and has been married to Gina for 28 years.

Byron Haskins, our class secretary emeritus, is also an author and has two recent publications on Amazon, Lake Affects: Musing Around Michigan, Vols. I and II. 

After 35 years in the magazine business, Matt Roberts has retired from Condé Nast. Matt has a considerable Wes alumni network of his own. He and his wife, Cathy Mudd ’79, a psychotherapist, have a son, Alex ’02, married to Louisa Hay ’02. Their grandson, Dane, may be shooting for ’41.

Barbara Strauss, who has a matrimonial and criminal law practice in Goshen, N.Y., is receiving an award from Legal Services of the Hudson Valley for her pro bono work in grandparental custody. Barbara is married to Jeff Storey, who is the executive editor of the New York Law Journal. Barbara and Jeff have two daughters: Rebecca who teaches at Columbia Law School and just had an article in the Yale International Law Review about law of war issues and Hanna ’03, who is now with the New York Times and previously was a foreign correspondent in lots of places including Mumbai. Barbara and Jeff also have one granddaughter and two additional grandchildren on the way.

Amy Zuckerman reports she is still working on her honorary Wesleyan degree. She is the founder of Hidden Tech, a network that supports 2000 virtual business owners and recently formed the 2030 Studio, a multi-media coop business.

Michael Greenberg, Matt Paul, David Cohen and Stewart Shuman reported a recent enjoyable weekend together at Mike and Ros’ house in Wood’s Hole, Mass. In words that I hope are true for all of us, Matt said: “We look back fondly and realize that our best times together still lie in the future, thanks to the strong relationships fostered at Wesleyan.”

Mitchell Marinello
mLMarinello@comcast.net

Here we are just a couple of days before Thanksgiving and outside here, in Lexington Center, the holiday lights are being strewn in most of the trees on Massachusetts Avenue, along with garlands being wrapped around the historically appropriate light posts. And if that were not enough, a gentle snow is falling. All of this to remind me that another year is winding down and that it is time to connect with friends and family, in appreciation for what this past year has brought.

Wendy Brown Giardina wrote en route to the States to celebrate her first Thanksgiving in many years. Wendy stopped work this year in favor of great books, writing, and long nature walks. Home is still in Switzerland, near her grown daughters. Joel Backon continues work at Choate; he will be on sabbatical next year to write a book with the working title of Clarity: Understanding the Real World. Joel’s son, Jacob, was married last year and teaches at St. Marks School. Joel plans, himself, to be married this spring to the woman he met eight years ago. Congratulations on all fronts! Deb Mercer wrote about her empty nest being a bit fuller this holiday with the return of her actor/writer son, Garrett. Deb, as board president for a Rhode Island Arts Center is busy fundraising for a chair lift to make her facility accessible. Jonathan Gertler and family are doing well. Jonathan is working on a second CD of original material “working with great musicians and fulfilling his musical fantasies.” He has been in touch with Ellen Gendler, Bob Krakower, Tom Kovar ’76, and Susan Davis Pereira. Business life continues to be busy in Boston and abroad as CEO of his consulting and advisory firm serving the biotech, pharma, and med tech community. Arnie Alpert forwarded me an article by William Greider in The Nation, mentioning Ron Bloom as a good candidate to be nominated to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Jason Baron wrote in that he has retired as director of litigations at the National Archives, only to begin work as “of counsel” at a Washington, D.C., law firm. He and his wife, Robin, have celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary and their daughter, Rachel, is a freshman at Bowdoin. Jason is in touch with Helen Taenzer Lott, Peter Stack, Bruce Kaplan, Jerry Stouck, and Drew Kaplan. Jason would like to be in contact with Foss Hill 5 alums and others. Contact Jason at jrbaron3@gmail.com. Hope Neiman’s job has been taking her to Asia recently, without much sightseeing time. Her daughter graduates from Wesleyan in 2014. Hope is encouraging fellow classmates to work with the Career Center to help place Wesleyan graduates. Don Spencer continues his work from home with his private equity firm and with his local volunteer fire department (every youngster’s dream!). His eldest daughter, Jocelyn, is a “Teach for China” fellow in rural China; his younger daughter, Alyssa, is a freshman at Clark University. Me? Well, my life this year has been divided, like so many of you, into many different parts. In spring, I assumed the role of board chair at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum here outside Boston. It is an exciting time learning about the workings of a not-for-profit and motivating a board and staff into creating something which is greater than the sum of its parts. With over 28 acres, the place has the opportunity, and is poised, to do some amazing things with its location not far from Walden Pond. Not having relinquished my day job, the architecture business seems to be booming with our office fortunate to maintain a variety of types of projects. I continue to further my religious buildings portfolio. The “spiritual” designs contrast with the large residential component to my business, from single family to congregate housing. During the past year I was delighted to visit Chicago, at the subtle urging of my great friend Iddy Olson. As an eastern snob, I couldn’t imagine what the Midwest could offer during the summer. Boy, what a dope; Chicago was beautiful. We had a great time exploring the wonders of Lake Michigan and touring the vast architecture of this incredible city. Iddy has carved out a charming life incorporating all past and present periods in it: from her childhood, college, adult and professional periods. Currently she is spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Hawaii with her two kids.

That is it for now. Best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful 2014.

Gerry Frank
Gfrank@bfearc.com

Casey Blake, a professor of history at Columbia specializing in modern U.S. intellectual and cultural history, is senior historian for The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Innovation exhibit at the New York Historical Society. The 1913 Armory Show has been considered by some to be the most important exhibition ever held in the United States, “an important marker of New York’s ascendancy as the cultural capital of the United States and, indeed, the global capital of modernity.”

Paul Chill was named associate dean for clinical and experiential education at the University of Connecticut School of Law, from which he graduated in 1985, and where he has been on the faculty since 1988. In his new appointment he will oversee the school’s innovative program designed to provide students with supervised real-life legal experience as part of their standard education. Paul has previously held positions including associate dean for academic affairs at the school, and serving as an original member of the Connecticut Commission on Child Protection.

Moira McNamara James, Wesleyan Trustee Emerita, has been named chair of the board of the Landmark School in Pride’s Crossing, Mass., an institution which specializes in educating students with language-based learning disabilities. Moira’s son, Scott ’10, graduated from Wesleyan; daughter Madeline ’16 is still on campus.

Julie Scolnik “apologizes for being out of touch for so long.” She and husband Michael Brower, a wind energy consultant, have recently moved to Brookline, Mass., after 18 years of raising their kids in Andover, Mass. Their son Sasha, a cellist, is a freshman in the dual degree program of Harvard and the New England Conservatory, while their daughter Sophie, recently having graduated from Harvard College, is a pianist in the master’s program at the conservatory (at age four, wanted “to be a musician like Mommy but smart like Daddy”). Julie is a flutist with an active performance schedule both here and in France, spending the summers in Provence. She runs a chamber music series in the greater Boston area (MistralMusic.org) and would love to hear from alums at julscol@me.com.

David Wilson continues his professional career as a jazz composer, saxophonist, and music teacher, residing with his wife, Lisa, in Lancaster, Pa., but frequently on the road to New York City, Washington, D.C., “and beyond” for his performances. His most recent CD, Spiral, received numerous accolades in reviews in JazzTimes and Downbeat magazines as well as on the Jazz Weekly website. He recalls “fond memories of his Wesleyan experience and credits it, and in particular his teacher, Bill Barron, for laying the groundwork for where he is today,” as well as of his friendships with such Wes folks as Stuart Abramson ’79 and Kenny Wessel ’79. Dave welcomes hearing from any and all, at djazwilson@aol.com.

SUSIE MUIRHEAD BATES and KEN KRAMER
KMKramer78@HotMAIL.com
sbatesdux@hotmail.com

Loads of news this edition and most said they would be at the Reunion Memorial Day Weekend!

Liza Carter published a well-reviewed book, Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family. Check it out: MovingwiththeSeasons.com.

Jim Flynn writes in from New England: “Claudia Mosher ’78 and I are living in St. Johnsbury, Vt. I am raising money for our community hospital, which is doing some interesting work in primary care and management of patients with chronic disease. Claudia is working in admissions at nearby Lyndon State College. Our daughter, Kate, is living in San Francisco and our son, Zach, is a senior at UVM.”

Katherine L. McKenna lives an interesting life in Woodstock, N.Y., as an artist. Her daughter is in high school. Her husband Mark is busy with his company Markertek, which caters to the broadcast industry. She is exhibiting 12 new paintings at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, N.Y., in an exhibition called Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of the American West, which runs Jan. 29th through May 14, 2014. Her next exhibition is in Wickenburg, Ariz., at the Desert Caballeros Museum, Cowgirl Up!, March 21–May 14, 2014.

Shari Runner had the distinct pleasure of accompanying 23 teens to China this summer. She commented: “We visited Bejing and Shanghai, as guests of the Chinese government. For 13 weeks our students studied Chinese language, society, and culture in preparation for the two-week trip. These kids came from various levels of exposure; some had never left Chicago, been on a plane, or left the country. Having traveled the world early in my career as a foreign exchange trader, I can easily say this was the most important trip I have ever taken. The people we met, food we tasted, the art, artifacts, and monuments we saw, and the knowledge we gained was beyond our wildest expectations. Standing in Tiananmen Square, climbing the Great Wall, exploring Las Vegas-like big cities, and walking an old river town was humbling. I have a newly expanded family of incredible youth who are now global citizens, new Chinese friends, and memories of an ancient culture facing the 21st century. Never did I think my work at the Chicago Urban League would take me in this direction. I could never have imagined spending all of my life in Hyde Park, in Chicago, or the U.S. I grew, like our class anthem, singing ‘ain’t no stoppin’ us now’—now these kids know that, too!”

Robin Locke Nagele writes: “I am a healthcare attorney and principal in the law firm of Post & Schell in Philadelphia. My clients are largely hospitals and health systems. Yesterday, my son Chris turned 20, causing me to think back nostalgically on a wild ride up the N.J. Garden State Parkway at 4:00 a.m. two decades ago, when, stopped for speeding, my husband was able to say, quite truthfully, “Officer, my wife is having a baby!” Chris is now a sophomore at Haverford College, studying astrophysics. My daughter, Rosie, is a senior in high school, knee deep in college applications—and, yes, Wesleyan is on the list. My husband Drew, a neuropsychologist is now executive director of Beechwood Neuro Rehab. On Labor Day, we spent an enjoyable afternoon with KJ Browner-Elhanon and her husband, Gai, chatting and watching the rain fall at Arthur Ashe stadium, where the US Open tennis we had come to see was not happening. And last year at this time, I had fun seeing Julie Doern ’80, Laura Tully, and other alums with their kids at Wesleyan’s Alumni Sons & Daughters college program.

Matt Okun says he may not be the first in our class to be a grandparent, but he is probably the happiest. He writes: “My daughter, Nina, who was married about two years ago, is just about to turn 30! She is pregnant and due in February. My youngest, Lia, is hard at work on her PhD in psychology at the New School. My wife, Annie, and I just celebrated our third anniversary. I am still teaching for Seattle Public Schools and diligently hunting for a faculty job in teacher education in a ‘blue’ state on either coast.”

This past August, Julie Hacker was a speaker with her partner, Stuart Cohen, at the CRAN (Custom Residential Architect’s Network-AIA) symposium on On Adding On: Incremental Architecture. “I also sat next to architect alumni Joan Craig at a ‘Luxe Home’ event in September and caught up with her and her practice. As a fellow of the AIA, I have been mentoring young architects, helping them navigate this crazy profession in these crazy times. My son, Gabriel, started his first undergraduate year at RISD.”

Ann Kaplan: “Since our 30th Reunion, a lot has happened. The organization I work for vastly expanded and moved to a larger space. My own project, focused on measuring education fundraising outcomes, is also thriving. My daughter, Ariel, works as an elite personal trainer at Crunch Fitness. She also models and studies pole dancing. She can deadlift 200 pounds! My passion has been traveling and scuba diving. Since we last saw each other on campus, my scuba travel has taken me to Saba, Belize, Grand Turk, Little Cayman, Bali, Komodo, Alors, and Sipidan. On the way to Sipidan, I took a breathtaking side trip to the primary rain forest in Borneo. This month marks a year since Sandy hit the city. I lived in a hotel for most of a week, though I hardly suffered compared to true victims of the storm. I’m looking forward to my “F*ck You, Sandy” memorial bar crawl, when some friends and I will revisit the establishments that were open and became refugee club houses during that crazy week. I’ll be wearing my 12/12/12 concert T-shirt and a big smile! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Middletown in May. Different T-shirt. Same smile.”

Marcie Greenfield-Simons reports in with the sad news of the death of Fran Smith and offers the following tribute:

Fran Smith became my friend in August, 1975, on our first day at Wesleyan, where we both lived in Foss Hill Five.  She became my hero in October, 2002, the day of her son’s bar mitzvah — one day after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.  What ensued for the next eleven years was inspirational.

I have great memories of Fran in college – she was generous: always sharing her mother’s care packages of home-made cookies, or offering help with some tough assignment; she was fun: struggling through the step-shuffle-shuffle-ball-change as we auditioned for a 92nd St. Theater performance; and she was passionate about lab research: setting her alarm for 5:15 AM to be there for the hatching of the damn fruit flies.  Fran was brilliant and humble, silly and wise.  She flew from New York to Boston to surprise me for my 18th birthday. I was so happy and stunned to see her that I fell down the stairs, which dislodged a kidney stone and landed me in the hospital a few days later.  We laughed about that for years.  Fran was there for me when my father died unexpectedly at age 44 during my sophomore year.  

Fran received her PhD in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, did post-doctoral work at University of North Carolina, and subsequently served on the faculty at UNC, UMass Medical Center and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Fran married David Echelman whom she met while at Johns Hopkins.  Fran and David’s honeymoon was planned so that partway through, they could my wedding to Richard Simons. Over the next fifteen years, Fran and David had three wonderful boys, Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  

When her boys were very young, Fran found her true calling.  She wanted to bring her love of science into their preschool, so began volunteering weekly and became known as “Fran, the Science Lady.”  As her boys grew, Fran became involved in elementary school science, and eventually joined the faculty of Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts where she taught for ten years. Twice the student body dedicated their yearbook to “Doc Smith,” and she was the only teacher ever to be voted twice as “Teacher of the Year.”

Fran had an illustrious career while been published many times and receiving numerous awards and accolades –but you can read that elsewhere.  What distinguished Fran as a truly extraordinary human being was her ability to change people’s lives – literally.  A good number of today’s young scientists were inspired by Fran, their chemistry teacher.  So many adolescents, who were in pain due to personal issues and family hardships found solace because of the support, guidance and love provided by Fran.

Back to 2002.  Fran and David decided to approach the cancer treatment aggressively.  Five weeksafter the diagnosis, on the day before Thanksgiving, David was killed in an automobile accident.  He was exactly the age my father had been at his death, and now, at age 44, Fran was a widow, the mother of three boys, ages 7-13, and one who had to get up from her mourning to return to chemotherapy.

I have never known anyone stronger. Fran followed through with the plan she and David had made which included chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy. She was resolute that she would get well.  And she did.  She returned to teaching, was an ever-present mom who allowed her boys to grow with independence, and, never having been a distance bike rider, trained to ride in the Pan Mass Challenge, the largest bike-a-thon fundraiser in the country, with all proceeds going to Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  

In 2005, Fran became the faculty advisor of Worcester Academy’s “Walk and Rock,” a combination walk-a-thon and music festival also dedicated to raising funds for Dana Farber. This event proved to be empowering and nourishing for many of Fran’s students who had experienced their own losses.  

Outside of school, Fran lived vibrantly.  There was great joy in Fran’s home, and she and the boys laughed a lot.  They hiked, kayaked, traveled, went to theater and the movies and spent time with friends.  Fran and I cherished our annual family get-togethers, dinner and game-night in the Berkshires.  Our children became like family.  Fran was the personal tutor for each of our daughters as they navigated the pleasures of AP chemistry!

About three years ago, when Fran and the boys were visiting our home, she complained that she’d been suffering pain in her arm.  We tried to hide our alarm and worry – and were devastated but not too surprised to learn a few weeks later that the cancer had returned.  And metastasized.  

After signing on for a clinical trial at Dana Farber, the next big decision Fran made was to travel with Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  She had never visited Israel, and wanted to go there as a family while she was able.  The trip meant suspending the treatment for a few weeks, and it meant travelling with three strapping, athletic sons — the ultimate physical challenge.  The “Brothers”, as Daniel, Matthew and Adam refer to themselves, did test Fran every day, and she passed with flying colors.  It was a vacation of a lifetime.

Fran always went for aggressive treatment because she was adamant about living for as long as possible — wanting to see her boys graduate, first from high school, then college.  She shared with me her hopes to see them married, and maybe even become a grandmother. She knew that participating in clinical trials was risky, but she trusted her Dana Farber medical team and was willing to try anything – even when she had to travel multiple times a week through Boston rush-hour traffic, and spend 12 or 14 hours a day at the hospital.  I can’t count how many times she said, “I’ll do whatever I have to do – anything, to be here for my boys.”  Fran was blessed with the most spectacular friends and neighbors who helped her every step of the way.  Of course, to have good friends, you must be a good friend.

Back in the late ‘70s, Fran, our roommate Cathy Chin and I had gone to a James Taylor concert. In 2012 Fran told me that she really wanted to see him again, and knew he performed every summer at Tanglewood, near my home.  We made a date.  By July 4th, Fran was already pretty tired. We were able to squeeze a nap in between Pittsfield’s Hometown Parade and the concert. It was a glorious day from start to finish – the kind of day you remember for years to come.

Worcester Academy invited Fran to be the graduation speaker this past May.  Her youngest son, Adam, a member of the graduating class, was a student speaker, making the day even more special. With all her wisdom and life experience, Fran’s remarks hit it out of the park; she shared important life lessons about resilience, support, perspective, friends and happiness.  Everyone in the auditorium that day knew Fran’s story.  Her presentation was tremendous – she made everyone cry, but she made us all laugh, too.

At the beginning of August, Fran wasn’t feeling well.  The doctors found brain lesions.  Even then, Fran said she was still in fighting mode and there was reason to be hopeful.  She agreed to start full brain radiation and then take whatever next steps were recommended.  At the same time, she made plans to take Adam to his first day of college.  Two weeks later, she did just that, and made his bed just as she had done for Daniel and Matthew on their first day of college.

In early September, about five days before she passed away, Fran shared with us that she was ready to go.  She knew she had fought a good fight, and didn’t want any more pain and suffering.  Even in that decision, Fran showed tremendous courage.  We took Fran to sit outside one last time. She smiled serenely and commented how beautiful everything looked, including the garden she and the boys had planted in David’s memory.

I miss Fran very much, but when I feel sad and teary, I remind myself that I can honor Fran best by emulating her, by being resilient, brave, hopeful and, above all, by finding joy in life every day.  And when I talk or visit with Daniel, Matthew and Adam, three truly remarkable young men, I know Fran, my friend and my hero, is still here on earth.

Gary Breitbord and Ann Biester Deane

gbreitbo@aol.com
Abdeane@gmail.com

The call for class notes echoed with these victories and personal homecomings.

I learned that Marty Saggese was nominated for Top Association CEO for his leadership of the Society for Neuroscience since 2002. Under his direction, the group’s annual meeting is now one of the largest scientific gatherings in the U.S. He increased the profitability of the group’s flagship scholarly journal, and last year the group launched BrainFacts.org, an informational website that has already started winning awards. This is what the nominators had to say about him: “Saggese effuses that rare combination of charisma, innovation, rigor and attention to detail…Few associations in the USA today can boast of such a leader.”

Julia “Tag” Wu Trethaway writes: “In early July I was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and the doctors told me I was at Stage 4, as the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. At first I was shocked, but I was lucky enough to have an ‘in’ at Sloan Kettering and three days after I was diagnosed I was seen by the top esophageal oncologist in the entire world, so that was my first blessing. I also feel incredibly lucky because I have terrific health care through the Hotchkiss School and they gave me a paid medical leave for the first semester. I started chemotherapy right away in July, but the cancer kept growing until I couldn’t swallow or eat and had to use a feeding tube for two weeks while being hospitalized. Then at the end of July, after two chemo treatments, the drugs kicked in and the tumor started shrinking and I gained back all my weight (at 100 lbs. normally, I was down to 89). Yay! I stopped using the feeding tube at the end of August and last week at the end of October they yanked the tube out (literally)! I continue to feel blessed on this journey that we call life through all the twists and turns we all face daily, monthly, yearly. I have learned not to judge others: everyone has a story. I feel blessed with a devoted husband (Tom Trethaway) of almost 30 years (this June 2014) and two grown children who are both employed in New York City (one at Sotheby’s and one at Davis Polk) and both are economically independent, whew. I have no idea what the future will bring. I know I am a BAMF and will beat this eventually, but for now I am soaking in every minute of every day knowing that I am blessed with a loving and supportive family, mounds of friends like some of you who remember me from the late ’70s, and first-rate health care at MSKCC. How lucky that I didn’t get hit by a bus or get maimed in a car bomb! Blessings to all of you out there. (P.S. I’d love to hear your ‘story’; feel free to e-mail me at jtrethaw@hotchkiss.org.).”

David Hafter writes: “With James Marcus ’81, Kathy Bergeron, Vic Tredwell,and I had a band back at Wesleyan named Wealth of Nations. I had some of my best college times playing with these people. Over the (gulp) decades, I have performed alone and infrequently, playing fundraisers here and there. All the while, however, I had myself in ‘training’ for the day when I might be able to get back in a band. When my son, Noah, moved out for school and beyond (he’s now almost 21 and also a singer/songwriter), I started playing in public more often in Davis and Sacramento, Calif. I met up with other local musicians and, long story short, resurrected the Wealth of Nations name with new bandmates. We play my originals, Beatles, the Band, Grateful Dead and more. I’m having a great time with guys my age who, like me, never stopped playing.”

Mark Zitter writes: “I spent a few weeks of vacation this past summer with my family in Europe. We had a great time in London, where I had dinner with our classmate Scott Phillips. He’s been living in London for about 15 years, and at this point his English is excellent. Scott has a bunch of kids—I lost track of how many, maybe four?—but they’ve basically survived his parenting and left the nest. Now his wife, Crystal, has to put up with him without any distractions. Not sure how that’s going but she was out of the country when I visited.”

David Gould writes: “Very nice to read your look-back at what sounds like a fine year. My story is similar. After graduation my whole tilt was toward New York and away from native Boston (Needham). Lived in Manhattan, lived in SW Connecticut, raised a son and daughter, worked in magazines, media (travel, golf), editing, consulting all that good stuff. Was married all that time to a Wes ’80; our marriage ended in fall of 2009, I moved back to Mass. (Falmouth, then Needham), went to LOTS of Red Sox games, usually last-minute on impulse… knew all along that I missed the Boston/eastern New England cultural whatever-it-is but had no idea how much.”

Suzi Shedd writes: “I’m happy to say that Bob Purvis ’72 and I moved into our new home—with a big view of the Worcester Range (a sub-range of the Green Mountains) at the end of August. We are located between one of my brothers and my parents, so neighborhood association meetings on our dirt road are known as ‘family dinner.’”

Susan Kravit-Smith writes: “My victory this year was one I shared with the State of Washington, where I have lived since 1981: I married my partner of 18 years. We legally wed as soon after the marriage equality vote as we could (12/12/12) and then had a marriage celebration in July 2013. We had an outdoor ceremony in my gardens with 200 people, live music throughout the ceremony, and a 12–piece funk band afterwards, with dancing under the stars! It was a magical time, wonderful to celebrate with old and new, straight and gay, 3- to 85-year-old friends and relatives. Everyone was so happy to share this new freedom with us. My 13-year-old daughter put it well when she quoted John Lennon at the ceremony: ‘It matters not who you love, but that you love.’”

Alan Jacobs writes: “I’m ‘living the dream’ in Hollywood, running an entertainment company that produces films and manages talent. There is a large, well-documented but unexplainable Wesleyan Mafia out here in Hollywood (see the Film Center walls for details). We’ve had some wonderful summer interns/future Mafia members from Wesleyan over the years, especially this last summer (Jenna Robbins ’13 and Zoe Broad ’14). Biggest Wesleyan trip: Learning that my son Ron ’16 is friends with Matan Koplin-Green ’16, son of my buddy Jeff Green. None of the creative writing classes I took at Wesleyan or… prepared me to imagine that!”

KIMBERLY OFRIA SELBY
kim_selby@yahoo.com

David writes: Greetings from Brooklyn. Thanks for your contributions this month:

Tom Furrer is in his 27th year of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and the 10th year of cooperative medical clinic ministry with the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, Nigeria. In July 2013, he was installed as the Archdeacon of Kaduna Diocese—the first non-Nigerian to receive this honor. Over the past 10 years, this cooperative work has provided medical care to 100,000 people. A second clinic will open in 2014 that will double the capacity of the medical ministry.

Dave Robertson writes: “Mary Roach and I have at least four things in common: We’re both Wesleyan class of 1981. We both published books in 2013 (me: Brick by Brick; Mary: Gulp). Both of us have focused on topics that are of interest primarily to 7-year-old boys (in my case, LEGO; in Mary’s, eating and pooping). We shared a mailbox freshman year. Remember how they used to group us by last name? Robertson and Roach shared a box.”

Brian Tarbox is proud to announce, “I had a patent granted for caching of media in video streaming, and gave a sermon at our local UU Church on the meaning of spirituality in a heterogenous liberal faith. I’ve trained our congregation to replace ‘amen’ with Battlestar Galactica’s ‘So say we all’ at my services.”

Judith Mogul, with her husband, Dan Kramer ’80, tells us, “We had a Wesleyan wedding this summer, with our daughter, Ilona Kramer ’08 marrying Daniel Meyer ’08 at our home in Cold Spring, N.Y. Daniel’s mother, Anne Meyer ’71, is also a Wesleyan grad, so his father Rob was the only non-Wesleyan among the four parents.”

Jeremy Kenner still lives in Melbourne, Australia, “a wonderful city,” and works for the government in the health advice and research field. “I am the expert adviser for ethics to the National Health & Medical Research Council (our NIH, but much smaller scale). More important, after raising three sons to adulthood, I am starting over as the stepfather of a 6-year-old and father of a 15-month-old named Akiva Benjamin, with whom I am completely smitten. With their mother, a Russian emigré, I live a peaceful life by the bay just south of the city. I am also developing a piece of land in northeast Tasmania as a getaway for me and my five sons. Life couldn’t be better.”

During a US trip last summer, Jeremy saw Bob Stern ’80, Suzanne Papert Hinman, Bob and Fran Pepperman Taylor ’80, Peter Frumkin ’80 and Anji Fink Citron and Todd Herron Citron ’82. “All are well, as are all their 14 children.”

He adds, “Australia is all the good things people say it is. Come and see!”

Neil Foote got promoted to principal lecturer at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, where he teaches introductory and advanced classes, including digital and social media for journalists. “I also am still running my communications consulting firm, where I do everything from traditional public relations, media strategy, content management and brand positioning for such clients as nationally syndicated radio personality and entrepreneur Tom Joyner. My wife, Jane, and I have enjoyed visiting our daughter, Alex, who is in her junior year at Harvard where she is in East Asian Studies. I’m a lifetime trustee at The Lamplighter School, an early childhood school, which my daughter attended and where fellow alumnus Jonathan Morgan ’94 serves on the board. I’m also president of the board for the National Kidney Foundation, where we’re raising money to increase awareness about preventing kidney disease.”

Chris Heye was fortunate last fall to see many old Wes friends. “I spent time before and after Game 6 of the World Series wandering the streets of Boston with Dan Lynch ’80 and Steve Mooney ’80. I also saw Dan Haar and Joel Kreisberg at the Head of the Charles regatta in October. Finally, I visited Dave Bartholomew in his new digs in St. Louis. Fortunately this was before the World Series. I hope he will still have me back.”

Chris Graves has more news than can fit here! “The big news is that my daughter, Julia Graves ’17, started this year at Wesleyan, alongside many alumni friends’ sons and daughters, as well (Matt King, Melissa Stern ’80 and Jim Friedlich ’79). Julia also ran into several friends from Hong Kong, now also at Wes. How amazing to be young and at Wesleyan. Not so bad to be old and visit either.” At Homecoming, Chris witnessed our first Little 3 title in 43 years. “Who knew it had been that long?”

Chris continues to serve as global CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations, whose group, Ogilvy and Mather, was named for the second year running, number 1 at the annual Cannes Festival. He was also a contributing author of the third book in a series, called Reimagining India, which includes fellow contributors Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt (Google chairman). In October, he chaired an event in NYC he named “Content Frenzy!” leading a no-holds barred debate among media leaders from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review and digital “natives” from BuzzFeed and others.

Finally, here’s a plug for a worthy not-for-profit, run by Gabrielle Fondiller ’07, who also happens to be my cousin. She spent a semester abroad in Kenya while at Wes. After graduation, she started and now runs an organization called Hatua Likoni (hatualikoni.org) helping young Kenyans to be able to afford high school, which is not mandatory, so they can get the education they need to succeed. Please help if you can. Thanks.

David I. Block and Joanne Godin Audretsch 

dAVID.I.block@GMAIL.com
Berlinjo@aol.com