Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

Yikes! It seems like I was just writing about how surreal it was to hit 50, now 60 . . . Elizabeth Feigelson is one who is doing it with grace: “I just turned 60 and am finding a convergence of gratitude for so much, including the great luck and privilege of my years at Wesleyan. At the core are all the amazing people, friends, and teachers. I revisited our history of protesting for Divestment in South Africa as well as drafting the first template for a women’s studies program with Heather Baker-Sullivan, Beth Ross ’83, Laurie Trupin, Mary Freeman, Alice Aplen, Kay MacCabe ’83, Marion Wilson ’83, Andrea Smith ’83, and George Snee ’80 at the inspiring wedding of Denise Joseph. Then celebrated with Heather and Pearl Raz ’81, my first housemates and still soul sisters. Also in regular contact with Mary Purpura ’84 (check out her All Her Flavors blog at strugglinggoddess.com). I’ve also reconnected with one of my former guitar teachers, Tom Ross ’67, PhD’85 (then a Wes grad student) who is still one of the most inspiring I’ve encountered. And still working as a child and adult psychiatrist, promoting mental health in schools and being a mom. Looking forward to less work and more play. Forever grateful for David McAllester, who helped me stay in school by introducing me to his Navajo family. Savoring it all.”

It seems like this is a time of reinvention for many of us. Rachael Adler married Danny Newbrun, a man she dated 25 years ago; he’s a Kaiser doc who has inspired her daughter to aim at med school when she heads to college this year. Rachael’s acting students’ classes are so successful she’s been batting away job offers from the top theatre companies in the Bay Area.

Michele Dow writes, “I used to be Joseph Dow, so that’s probably news.” She earned her PhD from Lesley University in Cambridge in May and her book on transgender educators is coming out from Rowman & Littlefield next summer.

Kathryn Moody Benjamin downsized after 27 years in one house. “It took two years of mental preparation and one year of active decluttering (thanks to Marie Kondo).” Both her daughters relocated, and in the midst of major change, she started a new job at Simmons University in Boston.

Mary Downs lives in Washington, D.C., and works in funding and policy for preservation of global cultural heritage. She gets up to NYC regularly for music and theater and had coffee with Gail Marowitz ’81 on the eve of her Grammy appearance last January. She’s caught up with Traies Roe and Amy Anson in D.C., Kate Cooper in London, and Deirdre Finney Boylan in Maine. Another reunion was had by the authors and followers of Kaylie Jones Books at East City Bookshop on Capitol Hill: Patti Smith, Kaylie Jones ’81, Kathy Prager Conrad ’81, Joanne Godin Audretsch ’81, and Jeff Tsu.

Stephen Daniel writes—for the first time!—that all is well in Chatham, on Cape Cod, where his family moved full-time: “The 40th annual gathering (seriously) of the Stupid Dogs (Jack Taylor, John Mooney, Peter Frisch, Kevin Foley, Dan Hillman, Bruce Crain) will take place here at the end of the month. One of the SDs observed a few years ago that we’ve been getting together for so long we’ve replaced acid with Advil.” He says his daughter, India ’22, just moved into Eclectic and has a higher GPA in her first year than he achieved in four. India’s twin, Harding, is at Kenyon. Stephen is working informally as a private investor/public servant, serving on a range of scientific and educational boards, including those of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, which he chairs. He also chairs the Chatham Finance Committee which, effectively, represents the legislative branch of municipal government in Massachusetts—Town Meeting (a direct gift of the Pilgrims).

Laura Fraser | laura@laurafraser.com

Michael Ostacher | mostacher@gmail.com

Greetings from Brooklyn! As I write this, summer is fading to fall, kids are back to school. My youngest just turned 15. I haven’t had a 15-year-old in 15 years! That makes my middle one 30. They both came to our 25th and were featured in a bunch of pictures back then, when they were 2 and 17, because they were so gosh-darn cute. Still are, albeit differently. Where does time go? I remember my psych stats professor—I don’t remember his name, but I remember him—saying back then: “Every year, the freshmen get younger and younger.” At this point in my life, I can definitely relate.

Debbie Mueller acknowledges that it’s been quite some time since she’s checked in and that she enjoys hearing what’s up with all of you. “I’ve been living in Durham, N.H., for about 14 years, and am still practicing OB/GYN full-time. My passion these days is for oil painting. Having lived my entire life believing I had no artistic ability, three years ago, an accidental experience with painting turned my world upside down. Since then, I have immersed myself in the world of painting, and am now an award-winning artist, creating graphic and bold landscape paintings inspired by the New Hampshire and Maine coast. I’m hoping to leave the world of medicine as soon as I can swing it to be a full-time artist.”

David P. Miller is “doing a rotation at NSF as a program officer for robotics in the robust intelligence group and managing the National Robotics Initiative. Except for the weather, Alexandria, Va., bears little resemblance to Norman, Okla. Cathryne and will probably be here until August 2021. “

David adds that his son, Jacob Milstein ’09, “is doing music, improv, and Segway tours in Nashville. His album, As Free as Wanting Anything, is musically accessible to me, and probably you (not just his parents, to whom everything he does is outstanding). jacobmilstein.bandcamp.com.”

David Smith reports that he “recently moved to a new position with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest Region as assistant water director. Working in EPA these days is ‘interesting,’ and we are doing everything we can to stay true to our mission to protect human health and the environment. I am doing a great deal of work on U.S.-Mexico border water issues so I’m seeing a lot more of the border, with and without fences, than I ever expected. In my spare time I’m making progress with my wife, Stacey, in our quest to visit all of the national parks (about two-thirds of the way there), experience as many weird land art installations as we can, and catch as much live music as the wallet allows.”

Delcy Fox loved getting together again with InTown 21 housemate Dr. Jim Sullivan ’82!

Alyson Myers is researching ocean-based climate solutions with funding by DOE ARPA-E. Her team uses macroalgae (sargassum) for CO2 removal and repurposing.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey flooded 18 inches of water in Peter Gryska’s house. “After 22 months of temporary living with my wife, two dogs, and all remaining belongings in 1,000 square feet, I have moved into newly constructed home, 42 inches off the ground.”

John Hester is retired and enjoys his time traveling. He resides in Goose Creek, S.C.

After serving 26 years as a psychologist in the federal prison system, Kate “Kathy” Freiman-Fox retired three years ago “to a big career change when I created my own matchmaking and date-coaching company, Authentic Connections. I’m loving my second career as well as my husband, son, and dog. Still doing alumni interviews for Wesleyan here in North Carolina and (at the time of this writing) missing the New England summers.” She adds, “Best wishes to the Class of 1981!”

That’s all for now, fellow and approaching sexagenarians. When you receive this, it will be a bit more than a year before our 40th Reunion. Yikes!

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

I have to say that we have the BEST class! I put out a call for notes a couple days before the due date, having let the request from Wesleyan fall through the cracks, and my fellow alumni rallied. Maybe the last minute thing is the best for us overly involved high achievers. In any event, it was wonderful hearing from a lot of new folks and reconnecting with new and already connected classmates. This is the best “job.” No big themes this issue — I threw the net wide and got back a wonderful variety of responses. And thank you all who wrote to me noting their appreciation for my class secretary efforts. It really is fun!

Paul Oxholm wrote in for the first time, noting he has never embraced social media so is not in the habit of posting . . . anything! Thank goodness he made an exception: Paul said he is celebrating:

• 28 years of marriage to Karen Stevenson, whom he met in banking and who now is a very accomplished Pilates instructor
• 25-year-old daughter, Sarah, who graduated from Lehigh, a senior associate with KPMG in Manhattan and making the most of her career and many great friendships
• 22-year-old daughter, Catherine, who just graduated from Denison and has accepted a great teaching position with the Windward School, also in Manhattan
• a successful exit for investors, equity holders, and employees after 15 years turning around a highly leveraged medical device manufacturing and distribution company in Pennsylvania
• the many long-term relationships that have blessed his life and are helping him to identify his next career!

In short, he said life has been very kind to him. His family had the pleasure of visiting Middletown and their nephew, Cole Stevenson ’21, in February for the CSA National Squash Championships. Paul said Wes looked great and hopes to make our 40th Reunion.

Frank White commented that he never knows what to write but he said the breadth of my suggestions gave him the impetus to send in the following submission: “These days, folks like us of a certain age tend to bifurcate our time between living directly and vicariously. Thus, I find myself alternating between appreciating the milestones of my children and my own life, more or less equally. My humble highlights are, therefore, as follows: daughter a junior at McGill majoring in philosophy (I said nothing), one son a star of his high school soccer team (center back, what’s up with that?) and the other a budding middle school intellectual/athlete as well; for my part, I’m leading a team of software developers for Cision.com and writing two books on the side, a memoir and a historical thriller about Afghanistan. All the best to the class of ’80/’81!”

Steve Kaufman reported that after almost 10 years in D.C., he is now back in Denver. Steve retired from the private practice of law and is now working for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as the deputy attorney general for consumer protection. Steve says it is great to be back in Colorado working with a talented group of people and having a great time.

Walter Calhoun (Chi Psi) sent in such uplifting news on Sept. 8. He started with: “Good Sunday morning. I am overwhelmed with joy this morning. I have two children: Sammy, 34, and Daniel, 32. On Oct. 16, 2018 Sammy was married in a wonderful wedding celebration at the Bronx Zoo in NYC. Both Sammy and her husband work for CDW out of their Bridgeport, Conn. offices. Last week, they bought a bigger house for themselves near the shore in Bridgeport. I can’t wait to visit them as I still live in the Chicago suburbs. Meanwhile, Daniel was previously accepted at the University of Michigan Law School, which I graduated from after Wesleyan in June 1983. Daniel began his orientation week in Ann Arbor, Mich., last week. I could not be more overjoyed with the development and place of both of my children and the choices they are making for themselves and society. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share.”

Walter and I corresponded a bit back and forth which brought out more news I hadn’t heard before. In May 2002, Walter was hit by a car, was in coma for a month and hospitalized for another six. He has executive function limitations and has been on disability since. That said, he noted that people have generally been pleasantly surprised, as he is, about both the nature and extent of not only his original injury but also subsequent recovery. Walter has been on the board of Family Focus Evanston for the past 35 years and is a three-time past-president. Family Focus Evanston is a social services organization specializing in helping broken, primarily black, families where 95% of the people served live under the poverty line.

Walter is planning on attending our 40th Reunion!

Rachel Conescu Barany says she is doing really well! She’s going into her sixth year teaching at Friends Seminary, just east of Union Square in Manhattan. She taught for seven years right after graduating Wes before taking a 27-year hiatus. In that interim, she worked continuously, though part-time, in museum education, foundation consulting, and nonprofit development; married and raised two wonderful daughters; and realized that her calling was to be back in the classroom. She is now teaching ancient and medieval History (with an emphasis on non-western cultures) to middle school students, and loves her work. Rachel has very fond memories of her education classes at Wes. Rachel has two daughters, ages 25 and 23, with bright futures ahead of them (even though neither was interested in even applying to Wesleyan!). Isabelle is in her third and final year of an MFA program in creative writing at the University of New Orleans. And her younger daughter, Lilly, just started NYU law school. Rachel is divorced, now for three years, but has an amicable relationship with her former husband Francis, a molecular biologist at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Karen Murgolo announced a change in her career. Karen, who was most recently VP, editorial director of Grand Central Life & Style, left the corporate publishing side to work at Aevitas Creative Management as a literary agent. She represents authors who are authorities in their fields, have original voices, and/or are adding to the cultural conversation in an original way. In the past, Karen has worked with authors from Gwyneth Paltrow and Misty Copeland to Nobel Prize winner, Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, and Harvard endocrinologist, David Ludwig, M.D. She had also edited the Sprinkles Baking Book by Candace Nelson ’95. Now, in addition to the journalists, scientists, doctors, and chefs, Karen has signed up thus far, she is working with recently retired Wesleyan professor, Gary Yohe, who shared in the Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”

Julie Burstein says “Giving a TED talk a few years ago opened up a new and rewarding focus for my work — coaching authors, scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs as they raise their voices in public — while I continue to work with cultural organizations to create radio shows, podcasts, and live events. Taking time for a daily tea meditation has grounded me through the past few eventful years, and I am spending more time in the pottery studio. Several of my tea bowls have been accepted into national shows.” Julie is tickled that the pottery bug has just bitten Nancy Rosenberg, and in early September they spent a marvelous afternoon together at the Brooklyn Pottery Invitational, and then visited The Old Stone House, which is the vibrant heart of that part of Brooklyn, and where Nancy has been board chair for several years. Julie is looking forward to seeing fellow alumni in the spring at our 40th!

Gary Gilyard has some fun news: “My wife and I celebrated our 35th Anniversary in Paris. Our middle daughter will be having our second grandchild, a girl in October! I’m planning to come to our 40th this spring. Nancy, Ray, Ron, Dale, Donna, Lisa, Teri, Moon, and anyone else I forgot, come!”

Vic Tredwell is our “Steady Eddie.” He writes “Nothing new with me. I remain the skipper and primary voice of my community radio station, WBFY in Belfast, Maine.”

Mike Zackin and his wife, Mary (Nastuk), became proud grandparents of William Francis Roose in May. Mike noted that hopefully their grandson would continue the Wesleyan legacy as both his parents (Katie Zackin ’09, and Robert Roose ’04) are proud Wes grads. They reside in Portland, Ore. The retirement bug has not bitten Mary and Mike just yet. Mike just passed 25 years as a pediatrician in Weston, Mass., and Mary celebrated 10 years as editor of Journal Watch Woman’s Health at Mass Medical Society. They still enjoy the suburban life in Sudbury Mass but spend a lot of time at their cabin in the woods in the heart of the Berkshires.

Dan Connors just celebrated his eighth anniversary as a CPA, and is currently working in an accounting firm and for a local symphony orchestra. Now that his youngest is graduating college next year, his big bucket list goal this year is to get his book published, and he has finally set up a website, blog and video site to say what needs to be said. (Authordanconnors.com) Dan is looking forward to the big 40 next year.

Will Rowe, for the last four years, has visited Wesleyan during the months of September or October to interview students for summer internships or full-time positions at Booz Allen Hamilton. He has been with Booz Allen for the last 23 years and is amazed at the level of talent of the Wesleyan students he meets with on each visit. They now have an active group of Wesleyan graduates working in government consulting, mostly in the Washington, D.C., area. They also had several students join their Summer Internship program this past June. Working with the career center is a great way for Will to stay connected to Wesleyan. He is thinking his next visit after this fall will be for our 40th Reunion. He hopes Dan Connors, Ken Freeman, and John Nimer will come too, his Williams Street roommates!

Leslie Landau really put a smile on my face when she wrote, “OK, so this is my first time writing class notes. But after nearly 40 years, maybe it’s time.” I LOVE it! Leslie has been with Jim Shankland ’78 since they hooked up in the back room of 72 Home Avenue in the summer of 1979. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they settled in 1984 after getting graduate degrees at Cornell (J.D. for Leslie and M.Eng in computer science for Jim). Leslie was a Big Law partner, and then was appointed to the Superior Court in 2003. She has done stints in criminal, family, and now sits in a juvenile law assignment.

Leslie says “It is hard, sometimes gut-wrenching work, but it also is immensely satisfying—a place where a judge can make a huge difference in the lives of kids and families.” Leslie and Jim have two sons: Sam (27) is a professional chess player, a Grandmaster who was a 2018 U.S. Champion, plays on the US Olympiad team, and is currently in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, getting ready to play the World Cup. Alex (24) is a software engineer by day and Renaissance man by night; he served for several years as a Wikipedia administrative editor focusing on politics articles, and is revising the novel he wrote for his senior thesis at Tufts. Jim has been in tech for almost 40 years, in various companies, including most recently the Internet Archive and Google. He is taking a break from software to figure out what is next. Leslie is in touch with some folks from Wesleyan, including Debbie Ehrenthal, Jane Cooper, Susan Freinkel, Eric Arnesen, Julie Light ’81, and Laura Schulkind ’81.

Aleta E. Staton has survived her first New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas as she finally gave in (after 20 years) and decided to work in New Haven full-time, managing the Department of Community Engagement. Aleta says she loves New Haven, and loves living in New Haven, with its rampant culture of academia and arts and greenspaces and disparate neighborhoods and flaws and possibilities.

With her daughter living her best life as an artist and stylist in Times Square, Aleta is an empty nester, but there is plenty to busy herself with in the Cultural Capital of Connecticut. Right now, at the Festival, in addition to being in the planning phase for international works, they are devising two performances—one that is music centered, and one that is movement centered—both featuring residents of their community. Look for the resulting performances presented in June 2020 at www.artidea.org.

Aleta is also directing a full-length production at Quinnipiac University this fall. Baltimore, by prolific award-winning playwright Kirsten Greenidge ’96, is an examination of racism on a fictional college campus. Curtain went up on Nov. 7. Aleta is in her seventh year at Quinnipiac University as an adjunct in the department of theatre, working with a dynamic staff and student body.

Aleta says she is loving the Facebook updates from classmates Gary Gilyard, Synaia McQuillan, Ron Riddick, Ray and Cheryl Riddick, Lisa Nelson-Robinson, Allison Brown, Gloria Penny Mullings, and Michelle Mullings!

Keith Sklar‘s Mass MoCA show opened to the public on April 13 and will be on view through February 2020. As always, Keith said he is grateful for the extraordinary insight and support of Professor Emeritus John Paoletti and the rest of his teachers and peers at Wes. He added, “It’s always a pleasure reading about the paths people have taken since our Wesleyan experience so many years ago. I wish you all the best.”

Rick Smith said he hasn’t written in about 20 years but my appeal moved him to jot down a few thoughts. “Introspection after beating cancer in 2012 led me to make some changes. Replacing my job with solo consulting gave me the opportunity to devote more to family, friends, and an array of interests while continuing satisfying work in health policy. Three years ago, my wife and I moved from the Baltimore suburbs to Takoma Park, Md., which borders D.C. We’re enjoying the urban setting. We travel often to see our three sons, who for the moment are split among Northern and Southern California and New York.

Over this past summer, Andrew McKenna participated as a member of the National Geographic Dr. Robert Ballard Expedition to Nikumaroro Island in the Phoenix group, Kiribati, searching for further evidence that Amelia Earhart’s last flight ended up there, and she was marooned as a castaway. The expedition was chronicled in the Nat Geo TV special Expedition Amelia that aired in October.

Andrew worked with the archaeological team seeking to find artifacts at the site where a castaway’s partial skeleton was discovered in 1940. Andrew was quoted in one of the Nat Geo articles which you can read here.

Jacquie Shanberge McKenna | jmckenna@indra.com

It was a great pleasure for all of us who attended our 40th (!) Reunion in May. While we broke the 40th Reunion attendance record, many were missed. Hope to see more in 2024.

Beth Masterman is a grandmother! Her daughter, Amanda Krenztman ’08, delivered Fjord Lillian Karlsen in June. As Beth says, “Fun!” Beth won Top Choice for Executive Coaching in the 2019 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reader’s choice awards. She is waiting to fill her coaching queue with lawyers.

Kimberly Carrell-Smith writes in: “I’m gradually moving into retirement, leaving my job as a history professor last spring. I’d been half-time in the Lehigh University history department for 23 years, so leaving that was bittersweet. I’m continuing with my other half-time job, running the interdisciplinary graduate program I’ve directed at Lehigh for the last 12 years. So still placing and overseeing community fellows in one year experiences with local nonprofits and local government, as well as teaching their core courses all year. Also looking forward to the birth of our first grandchild who will live only a mile away from us. I suspect that’ll be my new half-time job . . . Still in touch with my first year roommate, Lisa Giancola (was it really 44 years ago this fall that we arrived at Foss 5?), Kate Meal Goetz, Kathy Herron and her husband, Peter Scherer, Frances Sheehan, Ellen Blau, and occasionally Jane Cooper ’80. Wondering where all the other A-2 roommates and friends are these days.”

Matt Okun chimed in: “It was a wonderful 40th Reunion and we all had a great time. Certainly, the highlight of the weekend was the party at Eclectic. I had a chance to spend some time with my nephew, Alex Okun ’20, and his roommates. Just came back from Portland, Ore., where I saw Tom Valtin and his wife, Ellen, who were taking their son, Jamie, to Lewis and Clark. Expecting Jim Cummings to visit in the coming weeks. I am sending out greetings and love to all of our classmates, especially the folks in greater New York, some of whom were not able to make Reunion. I won’t forgive anyone who visits Seattle without letting me know.”

Clifford J. Hendel reports from Spain, where he has lived for more than 20 years (and which he first got to know on a Wesleyan semester abroad), that last year he left his Madrid law firm to set up a solo shop as arbitrator. Practicing under the name of HENDEL IDR, he sits in international commercial, construction, and sports disputes.

Freed from some of the constraints of collective practice, he has been dedicating substantial time to academic, pro bono, and similar matters. He coaches a Spanish university’s team in the Vis international commercial arbitration moot, is a founding patron of Pro Bono España (a platform for the dissemination, promotion and execution of pro bono work in Spain.) Next year, he will be publishing a short work analyzing the synergistic relationship between Alexander Hamilton – who has recently been restored to his rightful place in history by a musical created and composed by a Wes alumnus – and George Washington. Clifford has been enjoying watching his family grow, reporting that while he’s not sure if he likes being a grandfather, he loves having a grandson.

Ben Solnit shares that “on Aug. 10 our daughter, Rebecca, married her college sweetheart, Ben Rosenfeld, at a ceremony held at our house in Morris, Conn. Rabbi Ari Rosenberg of Temple Sholom officiated. Among the wedding guests were John Hatleberg, and his wife, Rise. Rebecca was recently promoted to the position of program manager of Teacher Pathways for the Philadelphia School District and Ben is applying for a cardiology fellowship as his residency in internal medicine draws to a close. Our other daughter, Anita, has completed her first year as an LMSW for Mt. Sinai Hospital’s Family Clinic in New York City. Audrey and I continue to enjoy our volunteer work in literacy, legal services, library groups, and nonprofits.”

Doug Pavlak reports great “news from Falmouth, Maine—the successful launch of my son, Gunter ’23, to Wesleyan! The entry process was pretty amazing. The football team was waiting with golf carts at a staging area on Lawn Avenue at Butterfield. They had everyone unloaded within less than five minutes; and all of my son’s belongings were waiting in the room when we got to it. Other small colleges take note!”

Doug Pavlak reports great “news from Falmouth, Maine— the successful launch of my son, Gunter ’23, at Wesleyan! I have to say that the entry process was pretty amazing. The football team was waiting with golf carts at a staging area on Lawn Ave. at Butterfield. They had everyone downloaded and off to a more permanent parking space within less than five minutes; and all of my son’s belongings were waiting in the room when we got to it. Other small colleges take note!”

Jono Cobb contributes that “my wife, Suzzanne, and I spent a couple of August days in beautiful Lenox, Mass. We were there to visit our daughter, Jordan, who was performing the ingenue role in The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare & Company. Harold and Vivian Brown drove from their home in western Connecticut to join us for the performance and dinner afterwards. Fortunately, in part because of the many reunions she’s attended, Suzzanne knows many of the players about whom we shared old stories and more recent news. Our bragging about Jordan included mentioning her podcasts, in which she writes, produces, and performs some of the voices, most notably Janus Descending, which has recently surpassed 100K downloads.”

Jane Marcellus is co-editor (with three colleagues in the U.K.) of The Legacy of Mad Men: Cultural History, Intermediality, and American Television.

Ann Biester Deane | abdeane@gmail.com

Diane LaPointe | dmlapointe28@gmail.com

Ralph Rotman has been recognized as a top financial advisor by Northwestern Mutual. For the 20th time, Ralph will be inducted into the company’s elite membership, Forum Group, an award received by less than 5% of more than 6,000 financial representatives. Bravo, Ralph!

Lucy Mize is happy to report that a fourth family member is joining the Cardinal flock. Her daughter, Belle Brown ’22, is transferring to Wesleyan this fall adding to the family Cardinal dynasty of her son (’17), Lucy, and her father (’51). Lucy continues in her work in international public health and has added Myanmar and Finland to her list of travels. She is slowly cleaning out her dad’s house in Chelsea, Vt., and hopes next summer it might be ready to reprise an epic Eclectic house party she hosted there 41 years ago. No doubt many other attendees, like me, would love to see that happen!

Mark Laser confesses to never having contributed to our class notes. However, what he sent as his first submission more than makes up for his absence. Mark has “enjoyed an interesting and varied life since graduating.” He started out working for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in their R&D labs, went to grad school for astrophysics at Columbia, worked on the space shuttle, went to grad school for neuroscience and medical school at Yale, and went into private practice as an ob-gyn in 1994. Along the way he got a private pilot’s license and became a Coast Guard master captain skippering his 41-foot sailboat across the Atlantic. Now, he’s retired and moved onto Paradox, his 45-foot sailing catamaran. Soon, he and his wife, Amy, will begin exploring the world on their boat. Anyone interested can follow them at paradoxsailing.com, their cruising website.

Andrew Liveten and his wife, Nancy, live on a small farm in Bethany, N.Y., with their horses, goats, and chickens. They are thrilled with the recent birth of their first grandson. Congratulations to one and all.

Congratulations to Nancy Chen who got remarried in June and has moved from Colorado to Bozeman, Mont. Her younger daughter, Isabelle, graduated from college this year and her older daughter, Ariane, will be wed next year. Nancy has a blog, powertothequeen.com, which supports women leaders.

Wishing you all a wonderful autumn and joyful holidays to follow.

Susie Muirhead Bates | sbatesdux@hotmail.com 

Ken Kramer | kmkramer78@hotmail.com

The end of an all-too brief summer has folks writing in with all sorts of updates.

Wendy Brown Giardina graced the U.S. East Coast this past fall for a visit with Boston-area family as well as friends, me included. Wendy became a grandmother to Arthur, earlier this year, who lives with his parents in Zurich.

I’ve written previously about Iddy Olson finding love in her 60s: indeed, she and partner Tom were married this fall in Chicago. It couldn’t happen to two nicer people. Iddy is thoroughly enjoying her 1-year-old granddaughter.

Ted Stevens wrote about a benefit this past May in Rhode Island: “One of the finest individuals, Nancy Scanlon Poon, a bona fide DKE, has been diagnosed with ALS. Nancy is biological sister to Robert “Bobby” Scanlon and wife (for 41 years) of Alan “Pooner” Poon ’76. Nancy is showing incredible courage under the difficult circumstances.” We all wish Nancy and her family the very best.

Mark Slitt’s travels have taken him to Germany and Poland. The program included five days at Auschwitz, where the group engaged in preservation projects, such as cleaning objects in the museum and tending the grounds of the site. This was not a typical vacation by any means, but a very meaningful one for Mark, to be sure.

David Loder sends his best regards to all; he described getting to relive the Wes experience, as his brother’s son, Aaron ’22, entering his sophomore year, is thoroughly enjoying the college experience.

John Fink has a new job as executive director of education and workforce development at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. He, along with wife Shari, got to babysit their two grandsons in Oregon for some time during a four-month sabbatical. John found it “a lot different handling a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old at age 63 than it was back at age 33.”

Jerry Stouck is retiring from law this year after 39 years. He is working on a book, but other than that, will be enjoying lots of golf and splitting time between D.C. and Park City, Utah. Oldest daughter Danielle got married in September. Jerry was on campus to partake in the opening of the new Chabad house at Wesleyan, which he supported.

Dr. Doug Hauschild was able to play (as an actor) a doctor: Dr. Norquist in the smash hit Bright Star at the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre.

Cindee Howard wrote from England that she and her partner, Jon, were at a reunion in England, getting together with people she was with on a program in Israel 40 years ago. She is still working full-time as a proofreader and copyeditor for Marriott International.

Jim Melloan produced the New York Comedy Music Festival this past spring. Jim met up with Jack Freudenheim ’79, Tom Kovar ’76, Win Lockwood ’78, Ann Beutler Millerick ’77, and a bunch of other alumni to play in a Super-Wes band at Eclectic at Reunion.

Jane Eisner began a new job this summer as director of academic affairs at the Columbia School of Journalism. She finds it gratifying to know that even at our stage of life, we can embrace a new challenge!

I always get a kick out of reporting when my professional adult life intersects with my Wesleyan life. Such is the case with a commission this year to design a new chapel for Temple Beth Avodah, in Newton, Mass., in honor of their Rabbi, Keith Stern. Designing a spiritual space is one of the high points to any architect’s career. What has made this project so special is that the entire Temple community has been engaged, generous with their time, extremely warm, and appreciative. In other words, they reflect Keith’s style exactly.

Finally, it is with great sadness that I write of the passing of two of our classmates: Laura McLane Fox and Fred Van Brunt. Laura was a biology major at Wesleyan, a well-respected nursing administrator and gerontologist. She is survived by her two daughters. Fred was a resident of Middletown after having spent several years in Hollywood as prop master for several studios. Fred is survived by many family members in the Middletown area. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and family and classmates who were counted among their friends.

I hope everyone keeps well. Drop a line when you have a chance. The next set of notes are likely due at the end of the year.

Gerry Frank | Gfrank@bfearc.com

Dear Class: Jay Abramowitz has published Formerly Cool, a comic novel that has received accolades from, among others, the Al Jean, the executive producer of The Simpsons. Learn more at formerlycool.com.

Mark Berger reminded me that most of our class is on the verge of a big birthday this year. I was doing my best to forget, but I am afraid he is right. Mark is married to Jane Eisner ’77 and is the chief medical officer at Actinium Pharmaceuticals, a biotech firm working on cancer treatments. He has two grandchildren and just bought a vacation home in Hillsdale, N.Y., where Sandy Krieger is a neighbor.

Meredith Gang Bergmann has been commissioned to create a sculpture in Central Park that will honor pioneering women’s rights advocates. It will be the first statue depicting real women in the 165-year history of Central Park!

Barbara Birney visited with Gail and Peter Hanson this summer in D.C.

Ethan Bronner, formerly with the New York Times, is a senior editor at Bloomberg, where he writes and edits features on international politics, mostly concerning Latin America. He is especially focused on the crisis in Venezuela and the threat it is posing to many of its neighbors. His older son, Eli ’10, manages artists, including Michael Gittes ’10.

Sidney Cohen and his wife, Carol, reside in Pleasanton, Calif., and are proud grandparents of Eon and Eliza. Sid remains busy in clinical research at Medtronic and spends his free time doing gardening, amateur radio, and photography.

Larry Davis ’73 has transitioned from president and managing director of Map Energy, LLC to senior advisor and chief scientist. This leaves him with more time for travel to places like the Amazon in Bolivia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Central Europe, as well as many cruises with family. Larry invites anyone taking I-35 or I-40 through Oklahoma to stop by for a visit.

Karen Gervasoni just built a new house near her old, too big one in Kennebunk. She notes that downsizing is no fun when you have to sort through 40 years of accumulated stuff.

Dan Herr continues his impressive work in nanoscience and was interviewed by the podcast NanoTube. In addition, Ethan Logan Herr, Dan’s fifth grandchild, was born on Aug. 30.

Deb King and her husband, Daniel Toth, both retired this May and took a trip to celebrate, which included a visit to friends in Bordeaux with side trips through France, Barcelona, and Crete with great sightseeing and local cuisine.

Dan Henry’s wife, Jean, retired in January but he is continuing his part-time business as a technical consultant which leaves him free to join her on many travels, including trips with their two married sons and two young granddaughters and to California, Aruba, and Florida.

Norm Kerner has opened his second recording studio in Hollywood (Hollywood Hills and Silver Lake areas) where he focuses on modern pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Norm also continues his real estate work at Sotheby’s International Realty specializing in properties with recording studios on site. He can be reached at norm@nkerner.com.

Tom Kovar and Charlie Berman were at a gig at Eclectic during Reunion weekend. Lots of ’79ers were on stage and the music was great.

Jaimee Mirsky retired from her second career last year and she and her husband, Jay, spent a lot of time enjoying their first grandchild (a second one is expected in December). They also moved to their dream home in Morristown, N.J. Jaimee would love to reconnect with Mark Stratton.

After living in Boston since 1978, Will Rodman and his wife, Pam, have moved to Dallas, Texas, lured there by their first grandchild. Will says he will greatly miss having an occasional beer with Rook Van Nest ’75 and his wife, Annie. Will, Rook, and Davie Terrie were back at Wes in 2018 to honor the 1973 soccer team that won the ECAC.

Steve Smith and his wife, Jean, retired this summer and went on a week-long cruise to celebrate. Steve has been a ham radio operator for 53 years.

Steve Schwartz and his wife, Janelle, have been living in Dallas, Texas, since 2015, and are still getting used to the Cowboys fans. Steve plans to continue his work as a VP with Charles River Associates, his children are doing well, and he and Janelle have five grandchildren to keep them busy.

Becky Vose and her husband, Steve Schreckinger, are enjoying their second home in Scarborough, Maine, Becky’s hometown. They are on a tidal river and a short walk from a long stretch of sandy beach. Son Ben reports for Politico.

As for me, I have been class secretary for a while now and have enjoyed it, but it seems time to let someone else give it a try. One benefit of a change is that we all know different people and a change may inspire a new group to write in. If you are interested in the job, please contact Randi Plake at rplake@wesleyan.edu.

Mitchell Marinello | mlmarinello@comcast.net

John McLucas had a blast at Reunion! One unexpected highlight was learning that Bill Pearson chairs the board at Young Audiences, a group which John enthusiastically supports in Baltimore. Another was learning that Peter Hayward’s in-laws are favorite neighbors of John’s in his new-ish neighborhood, Bolton Hill. John is starting his 36th and final year as professor of Italian and Latin at Towson University near Baltimore. Plans for retirement include continuing to write fiction. His debut novel, Dialogues on the Beach, came out in late 2017. A sequel, Spirit’s Tether, is in the editors’ hands, with a third, unrelated book in the works.”

Craig Everhart states and then asks, “I’m jumping into retirement in October. Much as people say to have a plan in mind, I don’t really have one. I may go bananas. But I suspect that I am like others of my classmates: work is pretty fulfilling, and I have not been driven to wish for other ways to occupy myself. What do you do in a similar situation?”

Blaise Noto reports, “I’m continuing as assistant professor of communications at Barton College in North Carolina, and loving it. Last semester, I designed and taught a digital media communications course in addition to my law and ethics in the media, sports and communication, public relations campaigns and marketing, and a range of others. I also have been active in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (been a member since 1985) as an official judge of Student Academy Awards for domestic and intentional students, as well as the Nicholls Scholarship Screenwriting Competition. And last fall, I was appointment chairman of the Alumni Interview Committee for Chapel Hill and other parts of the Triangle for the University of Pennsylvania. As for my summer—been at home and doing physical therapy from total hip joint replacement surgery at Duke Hospital. Feeling great!”

Jan Eliasberg updates us. “My daughter, Sariel Hana Friedman ’19, graduated Wesleyan in June; she majored in American studies and minored in film studies; she’s currently working for FICTIONLESS, a team of passionate storytellers and strategists producing emotionally rich nonfiction film + television alongside high impact brand content.

“And I’m making my debut as a novelist, with my book, Hannah’s War, bought by Judy Clain at Little, Brown in a bidding war. This was the announcement in Publisher’s Marketplace, with a lovely blurb by Amy Bloom ’75:

“Award winning writer/director Jan Eliasberg’s Hannah’s War, a thrilling historical debut about a female scientist working to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II, and the young military investigator determined to uncover her secret past, has been sold to Judy Clain at Little, Brown & Company, in a pre-emptive bid. Hannah’s War, adapted by Eliasberg from her Black List and BBC List topping screenplay Heart Of The Atom, will be Little, Brown’s lead title for spring, with a publication date of March 3.”

Reviews include:

“Jan Eliasberg knows how to open big with strong suspense and wry humor and take us for a hurtling ride through one of America’s most complex moments. The wonderful characters of Hannah’s War bring together a moving love story, a high-stakes mystery and a fascinating look into the moral compass of an exceptional woman.
―Amy Bloom, author of White Houses

“I flew through Hannah’s War, a gripping true story long overdue to be told, of a brilliant woman physicist working to develop the first atomic bomb and the secret she fights to protect.”―Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls

Norma J. Williams was selected statewide to receive the inaugural Excellence In Practice Award given by the Solo and Small Firm Section of the California Lawyers Association. The award is to honor a solo or small firm attorney who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication to the legal profession and has contributed to the betterment of the practice of law. Norma accepted the Award at a ceremony in Huntington Beach on June 14.

On July 11, Bob Heller’s 15-year valiant battle with cancer ended at the of age 67. He grew up in Carle Place, N.Y., graduated from Wesleyan University and the New England School of Law. After practicing in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, Bob moved to Seattle and for the past 30 years continued practicing law there, the last 11 at The Walthew Law Firm. He’s been a presenter at workshops and seminars on issues involving Workers’ Compensation law. Bob is past co-chair of the Washington State Deaf-Blind Task Force, past chair of the King County Bar Association Committee on Legal Problems of the Disadvantaged, past president of the Board of Daybreak Family Homes, and a founding board member of the Washington State Deaf-Blind Service Center. Bob also volunteered his time as a speaker before cancer support groups, as a special service provider for the deaf-blind community, and was a long-time volunteer with Volunteer Attorneys for Persons with AIDS (VAPWA). The two-time All-American college football player and inductee to the Wesleyan Hall of Fame, was also a mean fiddle player (by ear) of Irish music. He loved family, friends, all things Irish, Saki, the Mariners, the Seahawks, and the Patriots.

Sharon Purdie | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

We have news from around the world, starting with one of my three East College roommates from senior year.

John Spike writes from Venice, Italy. “In January 2017, I retired from the College of William & Mary after nearly 10 years as assistant director and chief curator of the Muscarelle Museum of Art. The ensuing freedom has allowed us to return to working in Europe for about half the year (or less, for tax reasons). In London, I am senior advisor to the Sir Denis Mahon Foundation. In Venice I am organizing a symposium and an exhibition of Raphael drawings for the Accademia museum in honor of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death in 1520. Michèle is lawyering plus writing and lecturing on Matilda of Canossa and other medieval themes. This autumn in Tenafly, N.J., we’re looking forward to our 50th high school reunion. In Los Angeles, our beautiful 3-year-old grandson, Santiago Spike, is happily babbling in at least two languages at the same time.”

From Lake Placid, N.Y., John Huttlinger reports a busy summer. “My CPA practice is very time consuming, but I enjoy working with my clients,” he says, adding, “I have taken steps to seek out a smooth and orderly transition to semi-retirement, but have not found the right solution to that yet.” He is still active with the Lake Placid Film Festival, which was launched in June 2000. He attended the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, where he met festival organizers Mike McKenna and Lloyd Komesar ’74. His film society arranged their annual classic film screening hosted by Jeremy Arnold ’91. Jeremy is a writer for Turner Classic Movies and writes the companion books to their Essentials series. His family has had a camp on Lake Placid for over 80 years. John and wife Karen had lunch with Jeremy and his mother at their classic Adirondack camp high on a cliff overlooking Lake Placid.

He’s also connected with Charlie Cocores ’74: once at Reunion last year, when he invited him to go to Foxboro to watch the Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse team play in the NCAA Division III championship game (Wesleyan won) and again last spring in Middletown for a reunion of Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse teams from the 1970s “which Mike McKenna inexplicably attended as well!” He says he also keeps in touch with Michael Gionfriddo, who has moved back to Middletown and spends a lot of time at Wesleyan.

Bruce Fergusson tells me, “Peter, first of all, kudos for drastically lowering your A1C! I’m still north of the border myself but we’re working on it.” He says following his wife’s retirement as a social worker for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, they sold their home and moved to Salem, Ore. “As I’ve done elsewhere, a new home is not yet christened until I build a dry-stone wall—front yard this time. Building stone walls is a lot easier than writing, but I’ve somehow still managed to finish, and publish, my eighth novel, and I’m working on the next,” he says. (brucefergusson.com)

His son Brian is in grad school, hoping to become a respiratory therapist. His oldest son, Patrick, recently married, is in the “thick of the D.C. political scrum,” working as the assistant chief-of-staff and legal counsel for a prominent “Rebel Alliance” congresswoman.

Jay Rose writes that, “Since we are all old, I can share the rites of passage for our age group. I am getting my second hip replacement, we recently downsized to an over-55 community, and my back hurts all the time. But I can break 90 pretty often.”

From Nashville, Jim Powers, with the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging, reports that he received a HRSA Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant to train health professionals to care for older people and deliver effective models of care to improve health outcomes.

At this writing here in early September from South Florida, we have dodged Dorian, another dreaded hurricane that was heading in our direction originally putting us “in the cone” for a week and then skirting north after walloping the Bahamas and then threatening my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and her family in southern Virginia before heading further north. We are still in the peak of the hurricane season so who knows what I’ll be reporting next.

Until next time,

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

Once again the highlight of the summer was the (fifth annual) Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, the creation of Lloyd Komesar ’74. This year I attended every possible screening (except those for kids and the one show at midnight, which is now past my bedtime), saw 20 different films, most of them excellent, and got to spend time with even more Wes people than ever before. First time festival goers Tom Halsey and Dennis Kesden joined veterans Mike Arkin, Mike Busman, Steve Goldschmidt, and yours truly, plus spouses and significant others. I won’t try to name all the attendees from other classes, but it was particularly good to see Arthur Fierman ’74 for the first time since Wes, as well as to spend a good deal of time at Mike McKenna’s [’73] estate up the road in Weybridge. The highlight, as always, was the Wesleyan reception at Sivan Cote’s [’05] Stonecutter Spirits, where we got to sample Sivan’s new Adventure Whiskey (for me every whiskey is an adventure) and to meet Nikhil Melnechuk ’07, whose film, Don’t Be Nice, was one of the festival prize winners. Everyone should think about going to the festival next year. You’ll get to spend some time in Middlebury in lovely weather (okay, so the skiing sucks in August), you’ll see some great films, and you’ll get to see a whole lot of Wespeople. And, as Lyn Lauffer ’74 pointed out, you will enjoy your next Wesleyan Reunion even more after going to MNFF.

Steve Alpert sent me a link to a story he posted on his website dedicated to Indonesian art and culture in which he tells of getting a bungai terong (eggplant flower blossom) tattoo, and how that tattoo saved him from being attacked by a deadly poisonous snake. See it at artoftheancestors.com. As Steve relates, there are two types of people in the tattooing ceremony—those who cry and bleed a lot, and those who are brave and bleed little. Steve, of course, falls into the latter category.

We lost Tim Atwood ’73 on July 12. He practiced law in Connecticut, specializing in litigation, and primarily representing the firearms industry. As his LinkedIn profile states, “I’ve represented almost all of the major gun companies. National trial counsel for three, currently vice president and general counsel for Charter Arms. A long list of insurance clients and Fortune 500 clients also. I currently handle administrative regulation issues in the firearms industry, commercial real estate development projects, personal injury, and workmen’s comp matters. I’ve handled enough cases in southern Connecticut that there is usually a chorus of ‘Hi, Tim’ when I walk into a courthouse.”

Peter Clark received the University College of London School of Management Award for Best Lecturer in the Master’s in Management Programme. He told Mike Carlson he was wearing a Mets jersey under his doctoral robes when he received the award.

Finally, I got back in touch with Jim Cacciola, whom I had not seen since our fifth Reunion. Had a lovely dinner with Jim and his partner, Dave, during a recent visit to Boston. It was a delightful reminder of what a good, decent, compassionate man Jim always was. He is now retired after a career as an internist in Boston. Yet another reminder of what a great bunch of people that Admissions Office put together! Jim says he will be at our 50th, and I hope you all will as well!

Seth A. Davis | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu
213 Copper Square Drive, Bethel, CT 06801