Author: spinsonault

Gentlemen of the Class of 1954, thanks for prompt responses from seven of you. And so, here’s the latest:

Bill Drury, who resides in Nashua, N.H., was off to his beloved Eagle Camp on Lake Champlain for two weeks, taking a lovely lady with him! Per Bill: “Anything can happen!”

Lynn and Bud Johnson returned from graduations of three of their eight grandkids: Georgetown, Wake Forest, and Brunswick School in Greenwich. Bud reports that the commencement speakers advised the graduates that they’ll be 30 or so before they’ll be on a real career path, and they should remain open-minded, and should speak up and be heard and try to build strong relationships.

Nancy and Shep Johnson are “nursing various ills of the flesh.”

Jeff Lockhart and bride were back on Nantucket for the spring and summer after first visiting their 9-month-old great-granddaughter.

Curt McLaughlin just published, with son Craig McLaughlin ’79, the third edition of Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach.

In June, Rod O’Connor was a spectator at his fourth U.S. Open tournament at Shinnecock Hills since joining the club 50 years ago. Rod greatly enjoys his four grandchildren (all more than 20 years old), their views on life, and their personal ambitions. Finally, Rod is shifting his interests to his historic house in Aiken, S.C., recently named “Best Small Town in the South.”

Vickie and Bob Schnuer traveled back to Long Island, N.Y., in late May. Bob welcomes any classmates traveling in the area to call 917/862-5141 for a BBQ.

Finally, your scribe, Bob Carey, and Libby traveled to Asheville N.C., in April to visit a granddaughter at UNC Asheville, then to Columbia, Mo., for Libby’s 60th reunion at Columbia College, where she completed two years before matriculating to the University of Missouri in Columbia. In late May, early June to London, then Portugal’s Algarve area (beach coastline facing North Africa), staying at Pine Cliffs Resort, and finally to Lisbon (Lapa Palace Hotel). In early August we are off to San Diego to visit our two youngest grandkids.

That’s a wrap, gentlemen, and muchas gracias for your news. On a sad closing note, we’ve recently lost two of our classmates: Art Spada and Myron Poliner. Next year: Our 65th Reunion! All the best to all of you.

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

The first persons I encountered on Friday of our 65th Reunion on the lawn of the president’s house were Marilyn and Atwood “Woody” Dunham from Maine and Bill Teachout from Santa Ana, Calif. After greeting President Michael Roth ’78 we shared past and recent events. Woody’s daughter and my son, Thomasjohn, joined us for dinner in Usdan. Crossing High Street to Downey House I joined a reception for ’53 and ’58, when Sandy Millar and his companion, Fran Hitchcock, from Wellfleet, Mass., and Honolulu’s Phil Olsen, appeared in the crowd of ’58ers. Phil will visit his great uncles’ fishing village, north of the Arctic Circle in Norway.

Early Saturday morning, some of our classmates listened to Professor Logan Dancey discuss the changes in political party demographics over the past decade. I listened to a discussion on identification of medications to eliminate the effect of genetic abnormalities, while others found interest in “Wesleyan and the Great War.” Lining up for the alumni parade behind North College were Judith and Mel Katz from Greenwich, Conn., Joan and Bob Lavin from Duxbury, Mass., and Warren Eastman with his son, Richard ’81. Warren relocated from Florida to Connecticut to be near family after the passing of his wife. Joining the short parade around College Row to the chapel was Shirley Muirhead Jenkins, wife of two Eclectic men. The class banner was carried by Woody and Sandy. Class members and guests occupied two tables for the post-50th Reunion lunch to enjoy a talk by Mike Whalen ’83, Wesleyan athletic director, on recent events.

Our class reception and dinner featured a table of Eclectic alumni and their companions, including Ann Teachout, Shirley, Gunilla and George James ’52, and a table of Phil, Mel and Judith Katz, John Miller and his son, and two representatives of the university. Reminisces flourished!

Pre-Reunion messages: Herb Kelleher was restricted from travel as a result of a recent illness and sent greetings. Earl Forman telephoned to state doubtful attendance, as he has good/bad days from cancer. Milton “Snuffy” Smith travels with an electric scooter around his retirement village while his wife has taken over driving. Ed Lifset wished a successful weekend from California. Jim Griffis lives in a great senior retirement apartment facility in The Woodlands, Texas, with 4 p.m. happy hour and penny poker three times weekly. His son, Jim, born April 1952 while dad cooked breakfast at the Deke house, lives nearby, as do two grandchildren. His motor scooter gets him out.

Post-Reunion messages: Two missed their first Reunion since graduation, Harold “Oggie” Locke, my freshman roommate and fellow chemistry major, and Jerry Zackin, who scheduled a Dubai-Rome cruise long before Reunion. Steve Friedland attended a granddaughter’s graduation in Washington and looks forward to our 70th. Bill Rack is looking forward to enjoying tennis and golf with Bill Teachout, who is moving to Santa Barbara.

Our fundraising goal of $30,000 has been exceeded.

Attendees asked how many were in our class and how many are living; 167 graduated and about 120 graduates and nongraduates are deceased. The last two Wesleyan issues identified four additional passings, and one since Reunion. John S. Brownson, 85, died on Feb. 26, in Watertown, Mass. Born in Asheville, N.C., a Sigma Nu, an economics major with a master’s from Columbia and PhD from Boston University. Survived by his wife, Sonja. Private burial services were in Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. He was Korean veteran.

My second freshman roommate, Raymond Drakoff, 87, born in NYC, died on Aug. 13, 2017. John Wesley Club, a chemistry major, a retiree of Lever Brothers Research Center, and active in art appraising and collecting. He was living in Bal Harbour, Fla.

Sargent Bradlee Jr., 87, born in Boston, died on July 15, 2017. A Chi Psi, he left at end of sophomore year to earn a BA from Harvard. He was a consultant to ISS Corporation and lived in Hanover, N.H.

Charles “Charlie” A. Hoyt, 85, born in Middletown, Conn., died on June 19, 2017 in Millbrook, N.Y. A Delta Tau Delta, an English major, Mystical Seven, he earned a master’s and PhD from Columbia. Best known as manager-star (from Olla Pod) of the High Street Five, a professor of English literature at Marist College, professional jazz musician, and freelance writer. He specialized in the romantic movement and Shakespeare and authored a textbook on the history of witchcraft. He is survived by five children and eight grandchildren. His jazz band was featured at several Reunions.

John M. Williamson, 85, born in Rochester, N.Y., died on July 31, 2016. A Gamma Psi, a psychology major, active in the theater, he retired as a packaging engineer at Eastman Kodak in 1991, and was a U.S. Army veteran. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joanne, three children, and seven grandchildren.

Condolences to the families of these classmates.

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

Sadly, I regret to inform you of the passings of Morag Kennedy, Don Stauffer’s wife of 60 years; Peg Collings, the wife of Harry Collings, after 65 wonderful years together, and Robert Goodman Jr. on May 7, 2018. Don and Bob were both classmates of mine at DU. We send our sincerest condolences to their families.

Last Christmas Don visited his son, Andy, and wife Isabel in Dallas, where they had moved from Manhattan. He is living at the Avila Retirement Community in Albany, keeping busy with retirement-type activities: Master gardener for 22 years, a book club member, and singer with Jubilate Singers. He had a real thrill joining a 200-voice chorus in a Carnegie Hall program last spring celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther and the Reformation and is planning a one-week trip with a friend to Tuscany in October to soak up culture and wine.

Harry has been living at Sun City in Lincoln, Calif., east of Sacramento, for 17 years. He worked for the Dupont Company for 36 years in the petroleum chemicals and pulp and paper divisions in tech sales and account manager positions. In Sun City, he and a friend started an astronomy club 14 years ago that is still very active today with over 100 members, monthly meetings, and star parties.

Bob’s son, Carey, advised me of Bob’s demise at age 88, surrounded by his wife of 62 years (Virginia Saunders Goodman), his three children, and extended family. Bob was a graduate of Friend’s Central School in Philadelphia and an exchange student at the American School in Mexico City. After Wesleyan, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent two years with the 7721st Radio Broadcast and Leaflet Group in Mannheim, Germany, doing research for propaganda leaflets to be dropped over Poland denouncing the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Cold War (I was stationed in an ordinance group also in Mannheim at the same time, but our paths never crossed there). He spent much of his time playing fast pitch softball, drinking beer, and as a friend of the daughter of the mayor of Heidelberg, was invited to the first New Year’s Eve party held at the Rathaus that was permitted by the military authorities. He spent a tense evening in dress uniform, while most of the rest were former Nazis.

After returning home, he began his teaching career at Staunton Military Academy as a math teacher and coach. After marrying, Bob and Jinny moved to Christchurch School in 1955. In 1960, he moved to the Collegiate Schools, formerly a girl’s school where Bob was hired to add a program for boys. He then had headships at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis, Augusta Prep in Georgia, and Arlington School in Atlanta. In 1972 he became founding headmaster of Trinity Episcopal High School, where he spent 14 years. After a stint with the Community School of Performing Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, he joined Southern Teachers in 1990, which had been acquired by his family in 1981. After his retirement in 2000, he served on the Fulbright Scholarship Committee at Virginia Commonwealth. He also served as president of the Richmond chapter of the English-Speaking Union, which honored him with an Award of Merit for his many years of service in providing education and cultural opportunities for students and teachers.

Jack Murray is into his 16th year of retirement from the French literature program at UCSB in Santa Barbara. He has heart issues, so he no longer travels. He enjoyed the Reunions while he could make them and misses the alumni and wives still around. He’s had a very full life, whether solo backpacking through the Santa Barbara County mountains or adventure traveling (France, South America, Maya ruins in Central America and Mexico, New Zealand, and Timbuktu in Mali).

Hal Buckingham writes that after a more than 68 years off-and-on search, he connected with Bill Housum last October at the fair in Fryeburg, Maine, a huge blue-ribbon event where he was volunteering at an information booth. After leaving Wesleyan Bill transferred to Albright College, where he spent his career, editing their alumni magazine, and at Fryeburg Academy (a venerable prep school founded in 1972 with Daniel Webster as an early headmaster), as director of admissions. He climbed Mount Fuji in Japan during an R&R and he has climbed Mount Washington in New Hampshire 100 times and has manned the tourist station at the top. He resides in retirement in Fryeburg, Maine. Wow!

Dixie Sanger and his wife, Maggie, are alive and reasonably well in a snug condo in Wilmington, Del., more or less retired, still active in church and 12-step recovery work. His big news is that they had two beautiful great-granddaughters in the past couple of years and wishes everyone should be so blessed. Amen!

That’s it for now. Please keep me apprised of your news for future issues.

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

Charlie Selig marked his 89th birthday in February still enjoying life to the fullest with winters in Boca Raton, Fla., and summers in Westchester. His wife, Madalyn, whom he married seven years ago, has given him “the greatest life to enjoy,” enhanced by visits from his son and grandchildren. Charlie follows Wesleyan football and hopes to get to a game next fall.

Jim McKeon’s wife, Betty, wrote that he had died a year ago, but his granddaughter was doing well at Wesleyan in the sophomore class.

Bert Roberts said he was sending his first message to a classmate since 1951. He had spent most of his years since then working as an executive with a wholesale electrical distributor, mostly with an industrial clientele. Prior to that, he had an Air Force tour. He and his wife, Joyce, spent their 67 years raising two daughters and seven grandchildren. They’d been fortunate enough to travel to Europe four times and even had time to enjoy Alaska. Bert said he’d slowed down greatly during the past year but hopes to try golf again this summer.

Harry Webb’s wife, Sylvia, gave a lengthy report on Harry’s death in New Britain, Conn., where he had enjoyed a long and distinguished law career, serving with two law firms and then founding his own as he approached retirement. He served on local, county, and state bar associations. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed running, hiking, tennis, and skiing into his 80s, and was an avid traveler, visiting Alaska, Turkey, Normandy, the Baltics, and South Africa. He leaves his wife, a son, three daughters, and 10 grandchildren. Harry entered Wesleyan with our class, but transferred to UConn, where he graduated in 1953, earning a law degree from UConn Law, and a master’s degree in tax law from New York University.

Howard Goodrich from Indianapolis wrote that he and his wife, Darlene, were still enjoying a full life—he will be 90 in September—for which they’re very fortunate and grateful. He wrote, “May peace and grace attend your lives.” Thank you, Howard. He also sent 24 lines of verse entitled, “In Times Like These,” ending with: “Our culture in Division / Longing for that fresh breeze / To articulate and change it / In the times to come.”

Bill Mitchell is “still alive and kicking here in the mountains of North Carolina.” He took one trip to New Jersey and several to the Atlantic area to visit family and attend his granddaughter’s graduation in St. Louis.

Biff Shaw and wife Jean take advantage of their close proximity to Wesleyan. They attended the dedication of Wesleyan’s refurbished tennis course paid in part by a gift from our own Dave Jones.

Dave and his wife couldn’t attend the dedication, so Dave asked Biff and Jean to stand in for them. Last summer, Bill and Jean attended the dedication for a wonderful gift of art to the Mattatuck Museum, also made possible by Dave Jones, which and he Ann were able to attend, along with Barney Kathan.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
43 Cannon Street, Cranston, RI 02920-7620

Dear classmates, we regret to inform you that three of our classmates passed away. Richard W. Ahlers, from Pittsburgh, Pa., died March 14, 2018. He was an Alpha Delt at Wesleyan. Dick worked for U.S. Steel Corp. for 34 years in Ohio and enjoyed his cottage on Lake Manitou in Canada. He is survived by a large family, including one great-grandchild.

Roger W. Haskell, from Hempstead, N.Y., died Dec. 28, 2017. He was a Sigma Nu at Wesleyan. After an internship in Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Haskell spent 25 years with the public health service in Seattle and was awarded the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Meritorious Service Medal twice in his life. He retired to a 140-acre farm in central Oregon. He is survived by his wife, Edna, and their family.

John C. Roy, from Paterson, N.J., died May 30, 2017. He was a Psi U at Wesleyan. After medical school and orthopedic training in NYC, Dr. Roy practiced at Morristown Memorial Hospital in New Jersey, serving as chairman of various committees. He retired in 1993. He was affiliated with the Lutheran Church in Mendham, N.J., and Lebanon, Tenn. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, two sons, a son-in-law, and six grandchildren.

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