Author: jgibson

Sad to let you know, we’ve lost another member of our class. On July 16, 2015, Hoyt Chapin passed away at his home in New London, N.H. Hoyt went on to the Columbia University School of Business in New York upon graduation from Wesleyan and began his career in home furnishings at both Bloomingdale’s and Dansk International Designs. The majority of his work life was in the retail sector as owner and president of the Pottery Barn, Inc., until his retirement. He was recognized and known for his forward thinking and creative entrepreneurial approach to good contemporary design at a great price. Hoyt retired to New London and Vero Beach, Fla., where, according to information received, he remained involved in several business adventures, including creation of two developments—Browns Hills and the Georges Mills Boat Club in Sunapee, N.H. An active member of the New London community, Hoyt served as a director of the Little Sunapee Protective Association, New London Hospital, and the Kearsage Council on Aging.

Note: Wesleyan was notified of Hoyt’s passing by his daughter, Deborah Chapin ’81 and I know I speak for all of us in offering our sincere condolences to her and her family.

Yours truly has logged 4,493 cycling miles as of Oct. 4, and with any luck, should reach the annual target of 5,000 miles by year end. I mention “luck,” as I had the misfortune of being guilty of committing a rookie error on Sept. 27, by my failure to consume sufficient liquid during an aggressive 31-mile ride. Completed the ride, loaded my bike back into the car, discussed where we were going to snack and then, while removing my cycling shoes as I sat on the bumper of my car, I passed out. When I came to, I was in an ambulance on my way to the nearest hospital (four miles away). Two of my riding companions joined me in the emergency room and watched as the ER nurse hooked up an IV and gave me a “lecture” on the need to drink while riding. Stayed overnight while the usual protocol was performed (CT scan, MRI, echo test, neurological evaluation, etc.) and was released. Hope to be back in the saddle in a day or two, once the soreness lessens and of course, plan on being a good “student” by consuming more fluids more often! Really felt pretty lucky I came away from the experience with four stitches and a few bruises. But, to be truthful, I was certainly embarrassed!!!

To all of you, I’d really appreciate a word or two to share with classmates if you have a moment. And, know my sincere best wishes for health and happiness are sent to you and your loved ones.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

Many thanks to the 15 of my classmates who responded so promptly to my urgent request for news!…So, here’s what your e-mails told me (in reverse alphabetical order):

Marshall Umpleby continues to bravely fight AML with two chemo treatments. So far, so good, he says, with no serious side effects. Great!

Norm Stuessy has good news in the form of “nothing to report.”

Len Stolba says he passed the FAA Medicals due to (he says) genetics and clean living. Len’s continuing travels will take him to Venice and the Adriatic countries in March 2016.

Jules Schwaber is enjoying retirement after 50 years of medical practice, and he’s still teaching first-year medical students at Harvard Medical School. Jules would love to hear from any of us at jschwabe@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Newlyweds Bob Schnuer and Vickie Schnuer are set for their annual migration to Boca Raton, returning to Long Island in early May 2016. If you are anywhere near Boca, call Bob for a free lunch or dinner at 917/862-5141

Rod O’Connor’s granddaughter, Cameron Arkin ’17, is a junior at Wesleyan with a double major—neuroscience and art. Grandson, Morgan, a model, was featured on a Times Square billboard in July 2015. Rod missed our May 2014 Reunion because of an unexpected diagnosis of Stage 4 melanoma. New drugs have stabilized the condition, and Rod is back to a normal lifestyle (except for golf). Good luck, Rod!

Bob Montstream and bride Ami recently celebrated their 59th anniversary with the whole 14-member family going to Bermuda for a week of fun, snorkeling, pooling, and dining. Bob and Ami also traversed the Panama Canal and visited Costa Rica.

Jeff Lockhart and Donna traveled from Nantucket for weddings of two 25-year-old grandsons—the first in Lexington, Va., in July 2015, and the second in Maryland in September.

Charles Landesman and Arlyene sold their home in East Hampton, N.Y., and are now living full time in a small apartment on East 71st street in Manhattan. Their daughter, Jennifer, is a psychotherapist in Stamford, Conn., and their son in L.A. is a screenwriter and movie director (look for new film, Concussion, in December 2015).

Bud Johnson and Lynn returned from a mid-year Tauck Alps and Dolomites adventure—a “12 day, five-country tour through iconic or historical villages and mountain passes.” Every day they were “happily energized by cable car rides to mountaintops or visits 300 feet down to salt mines or military tunnels, to great homes or fantasyland castles.”

Bill Drury is enjoying his new digs In Nashua at Hunt Continuing Care Community. He says he loves New Hampshire, where it’s “live free or die.”

Art Dexter is staying pretty much at home these days as he struggles with kidney cancer, but “not much discomfort yet.”

Ed Dewey and Joyce continue to enjoy Big Canoe, Ga., a gated community with lots of recreation—fitness, swimming, golf, tennis, and hiking.

Chuck Davis and Mary Ann took a sternwheeler cruise on the Upper Mississippi last September. They are still in their house of 20 some years, and are “resisting the siren calls of local retirement communities who have us on their speed dials.”

Sad News: Hal White, a rabbi and Jewish chaplain at Georgetown for 50 years, passed away on Aug. 31st, 2015. He was a “charismatic presence” on campus many have reported, and Georgetown has established a chair in Rabbi White’s name. God bless and farewell, Hal. We’ll miss you…

So long for now, guys, and thanks for your input.

BOB CAREY | bobcarey@optonline.net

618 W. Lyon Farm Dr., Greenwich, CT 06831 | 203/532-1745

Jonathan H. Lovejoy passed away on April 5, 2015, at his home in Essex, Conn. Jon, a member of Sigma Nu and a history major, graduated from Yale Law School in 1956. In addition to the law practice, Jon served as judge of probate in the Town of Westbrook and was on the New Canaan zoning board. His outside interests revolved around water, boating, and music. A member of the Coast Guard Reserve, he was chairman of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and active in the Norwalk Seaport Association. His music interests included singing in the church choir with his wife and with the Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords. He is survived by his three daughters and two granddaughters.

Over the years reports of the activities or the passing of many of the 53 (estimated) men who left campus during our four years have appeared in our Class Notes. Fortunately, some have maintained contact with the college. One of these was M. Harrison Clark Jr., who died on June 4, 2015. He was residing in Brooksville, Maine. Harrison left Wesleyan after his freshman year, and in 1953 earned a BS from Babson College. Early in his career he worked for Combustion Engineering. He spent the last 20-plus years of his career working for National Blank Book Company in Holyoke, Mass., which later became Dennison National and then Dennison. Harrison retired from Dennison National in 1988 and had 27 wonderful years of retirement. He is survived by his wife, Sallie, and their five children and spouses, M. Harrison Clark, III (Pamela) of Brewer; Dr. D. Christopher Clark (Linda) of New Hartford, N.Y.; D. Brooks Clark (Deborah) of Cheshire, Conn.; Margaret Clark of Marblehead, Mass.; and Sarah C. Baskin (William) of Glastonbury, Conn. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren, as well as, by his sister, Jean C. Eysenbach (John), of Brooksville, Maine.

In Seattle, Basil Anex reports that daily one-hour walks with his wife, Gretchen, maintain their healthy condition. Three of his five granddaughters are currently in college. His son is with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, involved with nondisclosable activity that does include some analytical chemistry, my field of practice.

In six days, the wedding of the eldest of my two granddaughters will allow me a firsthand view of effects of the recent storms in Charleston, S.C.

JOHN W. MILLER | Jwalmiller@aol.com

306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 918/335-0081

Hal writes: It was good to be in touch again recently with Jim Wolpert. I believe the last time we saw each other was in 1953 at an Army base in Sendai, Japan. From there, Jim was assigned to the 724th Ordnance Battalion of the 24th Infantry Division in Korea, where he rose to be Battalion Sergeant Major. Those of you who served in the military know that rank is heady stuff! After the Army, Jim worked in the stock brokerage business with various firms his entire career, finally retiring last Labor Day. Unfortunately, Jim lost his wife, Florence, six years ago. He has now moved to a new apartment in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.

I’m sure you have all experienced happenstance encounters during which a totally unexpected connection has been discovered. My latest one took place in Jackson, N.H., way up on the side of a mountain facing Mount Washington. It was at the current home of close friends and former neighbors of Joyce and mine in Glastonbury, Conn. We were there for their 50th anniversary. During the reception, I took up conversation with a man I had never seen before. One thing led to another and I learned that this man had grown up in Manchester, Conn. More conversation and I decided to tell him that I’d once recruited for Wesleyan at Manchester High. He then said that his brother had been recruited from that high school to play football at Wesleyan. I quickly asked, “What did you say your name was?” Response: “Al Schubert.” My reaction echoed across the Mount Washington Valley. “Roger Schubert’s brother? I can’t believe this!” And on and on about our late classmate, Roger, and his widow, Barbara. Small world!

The Al Chien family, without Al unfortunately, made another trip last summer to China, Al’s and his brothers’ birthplace and that of their Chien ancestors. They were able this time to view the newly reconstructed bridge their father/grandfather designed and supervised construction of over the Mekong (named Lancang in China) River as part of the Burma Road at the onset of the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s. Al’s father lost his life during one of the many bombings of the bridge and area by the Japanese. The bridge was recently reconstructed in another location as a museum piece because of its importance in the critical link it afforded both in the Burma Road as well as in the development of modern transportation in China. It was the first steel cable suspension vehicular bridge in China and became the model for many other bridges there. More details can be found in George Chien’s ’56 account in class notes.

Bill Wasch, our class president and class agent, reminds us that annual gifts to the Wesleyan Fund can and should be designated for the Class of 1952 Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Harold C. Buckingham Jr. | 

hcbuckingham@daypitney.com

400 Seabury Drive, Apt. 2114

Bloomfield, CT 06002

William K. Wasch | wkwash@gmail.com

150 Coleman Road Middletown, CT 06457

In every letter I write to classmates, I ask who they’ve seen or heard from. Bob Switzgable responded that he has been seeing Bill Churchill every summer on Cape Cod, where Bob lives himself. Bill now lives in Burlington, N.C.

I’ve been telling people about the 65th Reunion next spring and Bob said he plans to come along with King Berlew, who said that if all goes well in the meantime, he and his wife, Jeanne, would also be attending,

Bill Mitchell wrote from Hendersonville, N.C., that his health continued to be good and he continued to be quite active. Bill said he’d do his darnedest to make our 65th Reunion and he was hoping a lot of classmates make it. In the meantime, he’d try to get to a Wesleyan football game.

Bob Willet’s wife, Martha, wrote from Manhattan Beach, Calif., to report that Bob is living in a residential care facility, appropriately named “A Helping Hand.”

I’ve also heard from Jack Pfeiffer, in Jonesboro., Ga.; Jack White, in Wayzata, Minn.; and Bob Mack, in Mexico, N.Y. Jack Pfeiffer lost his wife, Nancy, early in the year and he has moved to a senior citizen’s homestead. He would not be able to make our 65th but hoped we could get enough for a good turnout. “Tell my classmates I wish them good health and a good turnout,” Bob said.

Chuck Exley, writing from Florida, said he saw Matt Clark, Richard De Gennaro and his brother George DeGenaro fairly recently.

Jim McKeon’s wife, Betty, wrote from Danbury, Conn. where Jim was about to move to a residential facility, Maplewood of Danbury.

Bill Steele has also reached the handicapped stage but he still plays a mean game of ping pong and hikes with his wife. Temperamentally, she says, he remains gentle, kind, and funny.

I hope to hear from more of you.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com

100 Elena St., Apt. 618, Cranston, RI 02920-7620

Hi, guys! I’m Bud Dorsey, and I was just asked to be the new Class Secretary, so I guess you could say I’m “the new kid on the block.” My wife, Margie, and I moved from New York to St. Simons Island 21 years ago, and we love it here… nice climate, slower pace, friendly people. I am retired from the investment business and now do quite a bit of volunteer community and church work.

I had a nice conversation with Bob Birney, who preceded me as Class Secretary, and he had just returned from playing 18 holes of golf at the tender age of 90. Not bad, eh? After graduating from Wesleyan, Bob received a PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan and taught at Amherst College from 1954–1968, and then helped create Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. He now lives in Williamsburg, Va.

We regret to report the death of Bill Anderson, who died on June 20, 2015. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, and co-captain of the golf team. We extend condolences to his family.

We also regret to inform you of the death of Peter Fernald. A brief account of his life and accomplishment follows: Distinguished Wesleyan alumnus and benefactor Peter Fernald died Sept. 25, 2015, at age 86. At Wesleyan, Peter was an Eclectic, fenced and played soccer. He was awarded the Thorndike Regional Scholarship, which forged his enduring desire to support financial aid at Wesleyan. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in English and extensive coursework in mathematics, Peter served in the U.S. Air Force. He then obtained an MA and MBA at Harvard and worked at Arthur D. Little. Peter was hired by the Chandler family, owners of the Los Angeles Times, to help them develop their affiliated businesses. He spent many years as the Times-Mirror Corp’s director of planning, overseeing strategic development and acquisitions. In 2009, Peter was interviewed and featured at length in the PBS documentary Inventing LA: the Chandlers and their Times, which highlighted the ways in which the growth of the Times-Mirror Company was tied to the development of modern Los Angeles. Peter never married, and he remained close to the Chandler family in his early retirement years, living in the hills of Pasadena, Calif.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend our 65th Reunion on Memorial Day weekend. Were any of you there? We would love to hear about it by phone, e-mail or “snail-mail.” (See addresses below.)

And, whether or not you were at the Reunion, if you are alive and kicking, we would like to hear from you…..where you are and what you are doing. So, keep in touch!

Bud Dorsey| margiedorsey5@gmail.com

161 Shore Rush Drive., St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 912/638-5616

Please write to your class secretary.

William C. Brooks | williamcbrooks@comcast.net
9 Willow Pond Rd., Amelia Island, FL 32034

Please send updates to the editors.

Please write to your class secretary.
Sandy Mclean | rmcleanjr@aol.com
2270 Melville Drive, San Marino, CA 91108

Please send news to the editor.