Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

Greetings to the Great Class of 1959 from your scribes. Surrounded by our election excitement, impeachment games, Brexit about to happen, and Harry and Meghan’s dramatic decision, our news is both normal and uplifting (as usual).

Dick Cadigan gets us started with the following tidbit: “Several years ago, Clint Eastwood, now 89, was asked, ‘How do you keep going at your age?’ Eastwood replied, ‘When I get up in the morning, I just say don’t let the old man in.’” Says Cads, “This is my new advice to myself—you guys, too!”

He also had a stimulating and informative 21-day adventure in November: Hong Kong, Hanoi, Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Angkor Wat, Cambodia, and Bangkok. Great lectures and guides. Stayed in the same hotel in Hanoi where Joan Baez stayed in 1972, where she ended up in a bomb shelter! Depressing that the U.S. did not learn enough from this horribly ugly Vietnam War.

Wonderful news: After arduous solicitation by your scribes, Cynthia Rockwell MALS ’19, retired managing editor of the Wesleyan, has agreed to join us as an honorary member of 1959, and adjunct class secretary. Her words say it all: “I am honored and humbled by your invitation. It is clearly the highlight of my career! Whenever you declare the next meeting, I’ll be there. I believe it is the adjunct’s first responsibility to bring liquid refreshment to the deliberations.”

It has been Cynthia’s burden over the past several years to keep your scribes from using off-color jokes or language inappropriate. Now she is on our side!

Walter Burnett writes: “Thoroughly enjoyed the 60th. Like many who have not been back for a while, I was amazed at the expansion of Wesleyan’s facilities. Continue my peripatetic lifestyle with Thanksgiving biking in Beaufort, S.C., Christmas with family in Maryland, New Year’s with daughter in California, spring plans relaxing in Myrtle Beach, and birding in Robbinsville!”

Weg Thomas is at it again with his camera and the latest effort is just brilliant.

Charlie Wrubel is trying hard to wrest away the traveler-of-the-year award from Dave Eklund: “During our 60th, Myra and I went to grandson Benjie’s graduation from Fountain Valley School (son of Rob ’88, MA ’89). He will have a gap-year teaching in Tanzania then on to Lafayette. A Leopard for life! Three London visits in 2019: Son Bill and I for a D-Day trip, grandson Miles in London and Paris, and a fall trip for fun. Bill was there working on a new TV show on English football. Back in time for the Homecoming game against Williams, the most exciting I have ever seen. Go, Little Three Champs! And then Thanksgiving in the California desert with the entire family.” Go, Charlie and Myra!

Dave and Mary Eklund, in the meantime, flew to Singapore, where they picked up a cruise ship for a little R&R, after a mad, spring dash covering graduations scattered all over the East Coast. Interesting Asian trip, but “too many people.”

Herb Steiner remarks on “aging out” of a couple of activities. Is Herb the only one? He is giving up the violin, and the tough first violin parts that he loved, in a switch to the less strenuous viola and has traded in his racquetball racquet for a pickleball one. Pickleball is a gentler game, apparently, not played with pickles. Herb stays in touch with Bob Waterhouse, Joe Vander Veer, and Tim Martin.

Tim Day has received the Thomas A. Richards Memorial Beer Stein Award, a great annual honor. After a quick trip to Harvard Business School to dedicate the new Tim Day Fitness Room, just amazing, down to Quantico for a reunion with the people Tim has put through HBS over the last several years. What an extraordinary achievement. He and Sandy have also found Rosie, a baby black pug puppy, who is the newest member of the family.

Wolfram Thiemann, our most enthusiastic adopted classmate, and wife Wen had a great time at Reunion, and in their later travels to New England, Washington, and Baltimore. It was terrific to see them both in Middletown and we wish them back soon. On their return to Europe, they explored the Dalmatian coast in Split, Croatia.

Owen Tabor and Margaret just returned from a warm week in the islands on a trimaran, with four married children and 11 of 13 available grands, far from the bustling election and impeachment noise, and enjoying the whole adventure in the shade!

Skip Silloway | ssillow@gmail.com; 801/532-4311 

John Spurdle | jspurdle@aol.com; 212/644-4858

A letter from Ted Wieseman had a lot of info. He is in good health for his age but walks with a cane and needs a hearing aid. He lives in a senior residence and his unit has many females. He is fortunate to have many relatives in the D.C. area near him. He is still glowing with the World Series win of the Washington Nationals. He is very pleased that his family is doing well and is nearby. Ted also relayed an email from Art Geltzer, who spoke of losing both Polly and Mel Cote ’58, MAT ’62 recently. Ted had news of Dennis Allee, also. He is splitting his time between St. Pete and the Cape. Still making bad ceramic art and doing his radio jazz show when on the Cape.

Denny is presently living with an art gallery owner who has an apartment in Paris. They travel to Florida, Europe, and Provincetown.

Dick Goldman is in Florida, looking forward to tennis. He just completed his eighth year of teaching at Boston University Law School and is very active with the Wesleyan Boston Lawyers Networking Group. He also met with Matt Winn ’92, vice-chair of the Wesleyan Alumni Association, to discuss ways in which Wes alumni in different cities can be helpful to each other.

Art Geltzer also mentioned the death of Mel and is continuing his semi-retired academic career at the Brown medical program.

Roger Turkington reminisces about his 60 years of medical science, his 50 years of concertizing (he now sold his violins), and his 10 years of poetry.

Kay and Bob Terkhorn went to France for a second time this year. They went with the director of the Denver Art Museum to Paris and Normandy to visit locations where Claude Monet lived and painted. The trip was fabulous, and the Monet exhibit is superb.

Bart Bolton is looking forward to Feb. 1, when he arrives in Sarasota, Fla. His golf clubs will also make the trip and I am looking forward to lunch in Punta Gorda with Bart and Ed Kershner.

Big life change for Toni and John Corkran. They are disposing of their beloved travel trailer. It has covered 40 states and innumerable national and state parks. Just in case, he is keeping the hitch!

The Alumni Office alerted me to the news of the death of Bob Mansfield. He passed away on Oct. 28. He had a long career as a civil engineer in New Haven. Bob was the sophomore-year roommate of Bill Barnes and they became lifelong friends. Bill and wife Pat shared many wonderful times with Bob and Sharon Mansfield. They had family times together when their children were young and extensive travel in later years. Bill’s email details Bob’s interest in boating and his significant community altruism.

My Wes roommate, Dan Woodhead, reports that he is physically limited, but he is clear mentally. He has two grandsons who are prominent members of the Stanford varsity water polo team. And as a former Wes football player, he was elated by their one-loss season.

In late October through early November, Tony Codding took a wonderful cruise on the Rhine and Mosel rivers, beginning in Amsterdam and finishing in Basel, Switzerland. And he had a beautiful bike ride through the Kinderdijk.

Neil Henry had an interrupted vacation on Ocracoke Island last summer because of Dorian. They returned to Richmond and drove around with the kayak on top of their Subaru. They pretended they were still away.

Pirkko and Burr Edwards have grown to love their life in Lectoure in southwest France. They enjoy the clean air, locally produced food, and peace and quiet. For excitement, they drive to Toulouse and fly to London or Helsinki. They do miss Africa but see some of the old African friends from time to time.

I have a long note from Ezra Amsterdam, perhaps the hardest working member of the class of ’58. He is still a huge New York Yankees baseball fan and he always has a comment about their chances in 2020. He hints that his hugely successful medical career may be ending or slowing down. He has had over 1,000 publications, including 13 books. Perhaps his finest accolade: he was named one of the 27 top cardiologists in the U.S. by Forbes. He is hoping to work on his backhand in the future.

Kay and I are doing well, despite her having a bout with pneumonia. Our local hospital really helped her. Still read, bridge, golf, and eat out. Those are my passions and I am very good at the last of my obsessions. Thanks for the info.

Cliff Hordlow | khordlow@gmail.com
Apt. 103, 4645 Winged Foot Court | Naples, FL 34112; 239/732-6821

Jim Brown ushered in 2020 with a family cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas. Three oldest granddaughters, ages 22-25, granddad comments, “all cute and creating devastation among bachelors and partying ’til 5 a.m.” The Brown dinner table was a lively experience with 14 in attendance.

Last summer, Ed Mehlman had a health scare, waking up with intense pain that led to an ER visit and an immediate operation to repair a perforated intestine. It was successful and he was home within four days. The ordeal was not over, as he suffered a stroke shortly thereafter that affected his speech. Could not talk at all—a “full stroke.” With speech therapy, he got back to normal. Subsequent happy news included weddings for his middle son and his eldest grandson. Ed was pleased to host relevant dinners, all events taking place in New England.

Hank Fulton took to the road last summer, keeping up with classmates. There was a lunch in Easton, Pa., with Rod Henry, whom he’d not seen in 60 years! Then visiting Penny and John Parkin in nearby Michigan. This attests to the enduring friendships we made at Wes. Hank has been slowed down some with an AFib and the acquisition of a pacemaker early this year.

Bob Gorin’s daughter, Bethel Gorin Gottlieb ’90, attended Wes’s admissions weekend with daughter Alexandra who is a junior at The Brearley School in NYC.

Heard from Bill Fullarton recalling a meeting some years back with the president of Ohio Wesleyan about a real estate project. Upon exchanging greetings, they realized there was a Wes connection. It was Tom Wenzlau, who was an economics instructor in the late 1950s. I too remember Tom, having taken his Labor Eco course. Catching up on family, Bill writes that three daughters with his first wife, Ann, are all married, all with three children of their own. Grandchildren are in a host of colleges, e.g., University of Washington, VA Tech, and George Mason. Bill has been married to his present wife, Jane, for 20 years. He remains active via service on real estate boards, plays golf in season, and he does the gym four times weekly. He’s also learning Spanish with a group meeting every week.

Jeff Williamson writes from Great Cruise Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. That’s his mid-winter residence from which he then heads back to Madison, Wis., where family resides. He reports that it has been 11 years since retirement from Harvard. Health remains strong.

Dividing time between home in Washington State and traveling in Mexico, you can find Bob Anderson with a host of activities, including art, immigration and environmental issues, and even an occasional sermon when his current pastor is away. His art output is heavily influenced by Mexican culture, including some from prehistoric times.

The Wilmots—Gordy and Marilyn—celebrated their 30th anniversary with a river cruise on a paddle wheeler from Tennessee all the way down to N’Orlins. One of their granddaughters graduated from URI with a degree in wildlife management and is in Florida doing dolphin research. She lives with the Wilmots in Palmetto and has a convenient commute to work.

Sadly, we have lost three classmates. Jim Brecht in Elizabethtown, Pa., in October. He is survived by wife Patti. Ted Voss and Owen Garfield in November; Ted in Newton, Mass., where he is survived by sister Sophia, and Owen in Yarmouth, Maine, where he leaves wife Deborah. Condolences to the families on behalf of our class.

Art Typermass | joanarth64@gmail.com
144 East Ave., #302B, Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203/504-8942

Late last year our class suffered two irreplaceable losses: Jack Dunn (August 10) and John Chivers (Sept. 3).

John Chivers was a fellow Chi Psi, renowned at the Lodge for his uninhibited, sometimes zany—but never disrespectful—humor. He was serious, though, about his love of the German language and culture, and became a pioneer of sorts, taking a leave from Wesleyan to study in Germany, long before the semester-abroad became commonplace. Around the campus, John was probably best known for his banjo. Ken Spenser remembers: “Chivers was a great banjo man and entertained the Wesleyan community one fall evening an age ago—which I haven’t forgotten. Great guy.” John, who was self-taught, continued to strum, singly and with his band, throughout his life. He was for 40 years a much-loved teacher of German at the Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. Incidentally, I once heard his name on the evening news. An interviewer asked Norman Schwarzkopf (yes, General Norman Schwarzkopf) if he remembered first hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor. He answered yes: he was 7 years old, living in Lawrenceville, N.J., and up in a tree in Johnny Chivers’ backyard. Of course he was.

Ken adds, “All is well here, although I’m beginning to think that being my roommate at Wes U might not have been such a good luck omen. Of my seven roommates over the four years, five are gone, and I’m not sure about the other two! Egad!”

Like John, Jack Dunn was an educator—though not a teacher—first as president of Dean College and later at Tufts University, where he served for 20 years in various capacities. He was a valued community activist who left a rich legacy wherever he lived.

Ed Thorndike’s wife, Liz, wrote this: “I attended the Celebration of Life for Jack in Exeter. Some of you may recall that Jack was best man at our wedding on Sept. 8, 1955. It was a wonderful service—lots of music and poetry which Jack and Patti had shared. Ed, unfortunately, has dementia and is living in assisted living. But Wesleyan and Eclectic are still recollections. Ed’s dad and Jack’s dad were classmates at Wes and I think both were also Eclectics. So good that you keep in touch.”

Dick Bauer remembers well that “Jack Dunn and I were classmates and playmates back in the first grade; roommates for two years at Wesleyan. I grieve his passing. Really a lovely human being. One of the great benefits of having roomed with Jack (as well as Dave Cox and Ed) is that I was never tempted by the delusion that I was the smartest guy in the world.”

Personally, I never harbored that particular delusion, but my classes with the same Dave Cox, Frank Cancian, and Russ Snyder ’57 confirmed for me that I might not be even the smartest guy in the room. What’s more, I roomed with Bill Shephard ’54, a physics major, who switched from JWC to Chi Psi during his senior year—much to the dismay of his mentor, Prof. Vernet Eaton, who was convinced that the Lodge’s ambiance would ruin Bill’s academic standing. And he was right: that very semester Bill’s average dipped from straight A to A-minus. As for Russ, what I ruefully remember is that he asked really dumb questions at first, but that by the end he had surpassed everyone else in the class. There may be a lesson there, folks.

Bob Bretcher writes: “I enjoyed a holiday visit with each of my three daughters’ families. Thankfully I’m healthy and plan to stay in my home for my remaining years. In place of flying and tennis, I take walks and contemplate a return to pickleball play. Reading and even some memoir writing keeps the brain healthy.”

From Dick Boyden: “Linda Genest, my companion now of 14 years, and I still follow the ‘travel while you can’ mantra, so we will return in March for our 11th visit to the Mahekal Beach Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, for two weeks in late February. Last May we visited the island of Madeira for a week, followed by three days at San Miguel in the Azores.

“Linda remains active on the board of the Fresh Start organization at the Falmouth Service Center. She is also active on the social committee of her condo association nearby. I’m still persuading my Deerfield classmates and Wesleyan fraternity brothers to ‘give again gladly.’ I remain active in leadership roles with the Orenda Wildlife Land Trust and the Bourne Conservation Trust in the Upper Cape area. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in nearby Falmouth nourishes my soul with parish life activities and organizations that give me a sense of giving and accomplishment.”

That’s all for now.

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net

Another year and another good start for the Crucial Class as two of our classmates have responded to my quest for items of interest for all of us. And, as always, my sincere thanks to both Jim and Drew, who took the time to say “hello” to all of us.

Jim Shepard enclosed what may be the perfect response to all who may consider retirement as an option. He wrote, “I have closed down my Expert Witness Practice. I had my first job at 16 as a Howard Johnson’s cook, then I completed 70 years of work. Now, ready to party.” Can’t say the man has his priorities wrong, can we? Jim, enjoy yourself.

I received a wonderful holiday greetings letter from Drew Clemens, filled with much information and news. As mentioned previously, Drew and Julie have relocated to the retirement community of South Franklin Circle in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, near Cleveland, and are pleased and happy with their decision. Drew continues to teach psychoanalytic technique and do local and national organizational work in psychoanalysis. He still finds time to read, play tennis, take long walks, and write for the residents’ newsletter, fittingly named The Cardinal! He and Julie, as founding members, continue to sing with Choral Arts Cleveland and now are relearning bridge, which he maintains is a humbling experience. He reminds all of us that there are still ways to learn, play, and contribute to the world around us.

Even though I might sound somewhat disappointed to announce my completed bike mileage for 2019 was much less than the usual 5,000-plus miles, I can honestly state that recording 3,894 miles in spite of much unfavorable weather was still very satisfying. The challenge for this year will most like be whether we do the annual birthday ride (87) in miles or kilometers.

To all of you and your loved ones, may the new year bring you health, happiness, and peace.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@gmail.com
34 Southport Ln. Apt. C, Boynton Beach, FL 33436

Greetings, Classmates of ’54. Thanks to three of you for responding to my recent email seeking info on your doings.

Shep Johnson reports on three weeks in New England recently to officiate at the wedding of a grandson, and to satisfy his and Nancy’s lobster-and-clam-eating urges. Shep also says his battle with Parkinson’s seems to be at a standoff. Good news!

Len Stolba reported from Maui during a buffet breakfast. Lenny is okay approaching 88 and avoids stress by avoiding all news, especially political.

Dave Hodgin still chairs the Pathfinder Companies’ consulting business (just celebrated 50 years), is treasurer for his family business, MusicMe, Inc., is president of the local Senior Life Association, and is involved in building a performing arts center for his community, Scotts Valley, Calif.

Finally, guys, very sad news in that we lost two more of our classmates this past November: Chuck Davis (Nov. 12) and Dave Redfield (Nov. 26). Meanwhile your scribe, Bob Carey, and bride Libby are off to Sanibel Island, Fla., for five weeks in February and March, then back to Greenwich, Conn., and Bob’s Call-A-Ride and Meals-On-Wheels volunteer activities. That’s it, guys: a wrap. All the best!

BOB CAREY | popscarey@gmail.com
618 W. Lyon Farm Dr., Greenwich, CT 06831 | 203/532-1745

I received a handwritten note from Bill Rack for my missing class news in the latest magazine. I apologize for obviously overlooking the deadline. Bill and his wife, Barbara, are well in San Barbara, Calif., and fully expect to remain there, a long way from Wesleyan.

A belated recognition of the passing of Milton L. “Snuffy” Smith ’53, MAT ’55, 86, Aug. 23, 2018, in Georgia. Milton, a member of Delta Tau Delta, an English major, received an MAT degree in 1955. After a time in the Navy and at Perkin Elmer and Raytheon corporations, he joined the staff of the College of Technology SUNY, Utica, and was president of the local school board. After retirement, he with his wife, Gail, moved to Georgia, first to Big Canoe then to a retirement facility. He authored Wildlife Whimsy (2009) that described his encounter with a variety of wild animals in Upstate New York. The book was dedicated to his survivors: Gail and their four daughters. Plans were made to have his remains cremated and inurned in the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, as is allowed for 29 years of service in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Earl J. Forman, 89, died Feb. 2, 2019, in Wayland, Mass. A member of the John Wesley Club and a chemistry major, Earl received his PhD in analytical chemistry from MIT in 1957. He joined Hercules, Inc., and then Polaroid Corp. in 1970, remaining until retirement in 1994. He was an active supporter of the Jewish community, serving as president of two congregations. In addition to being an avid bicyclist, he was often found on the golf course. Survivors include his wife Beatrice, three sons, and seven grandchildren.

Robert C. Lavin, 87, of Duxbury, Mass., died Nov. 24. President of Alpha Chi Sigma and a math major, Bob was best known for his pass-catching ability of the football team. After two years in the Army Counter Intelligence Corp., Bob joined the family business, manufacturing air pollution control systems. He became president of the Robert C. Lavin Corporation (LAVCOR). He served several organizations: the Shriners Hospital for Children-Boston, Masonic Lodge and district offices, and after moving to Duxbury, the Yacht Club, the senior center, and the Council on Aging and Rural and Historical Society.

Bob was known for his extraordinary talent at the piano. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan, three daughters, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

On behalf of the class, condolences are offered for those classmates who have departed.

JOHN W. MILLER | jwalmiller@aol.com
306 Autumn Court, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | 918/335-0081 

More sad news to report. Russell Doolittle, an eminent biochemist, died on Oct. 11, 2019 at the age of 88, according to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego, which praised him as a “true pioneer in early gene science,” who “led the way to how it is used and understood today.” Russ was born in New Haven, Conn., on Jan. 10, 1931. After graduating from Wesleyan with a major in biology, he received a MA in education in 1957 from Trinity College and a PhD in biochemistry from Harvard in 1962. After a stint at Amherst and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden as a post-doctoral fellow, he spent the remainder of his career at the University of California, San Diego, receiving many honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984.

On the cheerier side, after receiving an email from Larry Oaks seeking information about his dad, James Howard Oaks (who passed away in 1999), specifically about his life at Wesleyan, I contacted our former scribe, Hal Buckingham Jr., who dug into his treasure trove of memorabilia and sent Larry photos and a bio from the 1952 yearbook, showing his father in the photo of the Pre-Med Club. Hal also told Larry (and Joyce confirmed) that his dad had married Joyce’s classmate at Mount Holyoke Class of 1954, Jane Basset. Hal and Joyce recalled that Jane and Howie were both widowed but had known each other way back, maybe in high school, and had reconnected and married shortly after. Hal also referred Larry to two Sigma Chis in the class for further information.

Additionally, Hal reported two significant events for him in 2019. One was his and Joyce’s 65th wedding anniversary. He remembered celebrating the wedding with three days in Cooperstown, N.Y., a 36-hour honeymoon, abbreviated of necessity. He had gotten home in Oneonta, N.Y. (also Joyce’s home), for the wedding on Friday, after being discharged from the Army, having spent 1.5 years in Korea. They returned to Oneonta early Monday morning to buy clothes and pack up to leave Tuesday for Charlottesville, Va., in order to matriculate in law school on Wednesday. They had no car or money, so his sister and brother-in-Iaw drove them to Virginia.

Another significant event involved Dave Welsh ’51 whom Hal spotted standing by the roadside in Korea in 1953 and he has waited all these years to tell him about it. Hal’s unit was conducting the exchange of POW’s after the Armistice (tabbed “Big Switch”). He was riding shotgun in the back of a truck convoying North Korean and Red Chinese POWs to Panmunjom, where they repatriated and brought back U.S. and U.N. POWs. His line of trucks had just crossed the bridge over the lmjin River when he saw a group of U.S. Marines working beside the road.

Much to his amazement, the officer supervising the work was clearly Dave Welsh ’51. He yelled at him and it was clear Dave heard it but could not have known who yelled at him as the convoy had passed by. Over 65 years later, he was able to email Dave, who called right back, and although he did not recall the incident, it had to have been him, as he was stationed in the area and remembered the bridge and the convoy of POW.

Finally, I received a Happy New Year card from Dwight Herrmann, who let me know he is happy in his new situation: independent living in a continuing care establishment, where both facility and residents are great. He drives, plays tennis, exercises, gathers at the bar before eating with his buddies, and is doing okay as a survivor bachelor. His family with seven grandchildren are well. He just returned from the West Coast visiting two daughters. Another lives in Vermont and the fourth is five miles away from his residence. He wishes all a happy 2020 and he’ll try to do the same. Contact me if you want his information.

Joseph N. Friedman  | jfriedman@regalnyc.com
400 East 56th Street, Apt. 28LM, New York, NY 10022 | 917/715-8881

We regret to inform you that James Shasha, a Sigma Chi at Wesleyan, passed away last October. He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and emigrated to the United States. In 1955 he traveled to Argentina and spent most of his life there. He created a center at the Hebrew University in Buenos Aires called the Shasha Institute for Strategic Studies and was named an honorary member of the university. He also endowed Wesleyan’s Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns, which supports lifelong learning and encourages participants to expand their knowledge and perspectives on significant issues. We send condolences to his daughter Leslie ’82, and all their family.

Mark Sacharoff contributed a short note: “I reread A Tale of Two Cities recently and found that it was far, far better than I had realized.” He added: “A young man recently graduated from a top American prep school and was interviewed on national television. The reporter asked him what his plans were for college. He replied, ‘I could’ve went to Harvard or Yale, but I chose Princeton.’”

My wife Margie and I have been married for 65 years and will be 91 years old. Our son Alan ’83 and daughter Cindy ’81 and two granddaughters Ellie Dorsey ’12 and Emily Dorsey ’14 also graduated from Wesleyan.

Here’s hoping that we will see you or hear from you soon!

BUD DORSEY | margiedorsey5@gmail.com
121 Renegar Way #105, St. Simons Island, GA, 31522 | 912/638-5616