Class Notes | 1950s

Gentlemen: Thanks for prompt responses from six of us regarding your latest news . . . So here goes: Carl Bufka, while fully retired from his investment business, is still active in taking care of family investment needs. Carl moved full-time to Naples, Fla., two years ago. Health good; flies around the country quite a bit in own plane, but with a professional at the controls these days. Carl’s children are scattered across the country; he’s still surprised when grandkids call him “Grandpa.” Only thing that bothers Carl is the occasional hurricane or Category 4 storm that goes by or through Naples. Carl says he will make it to our 65th!

Shep Johnson officiated at the wedding of their third grandson and will soon baptize their first great-granddaughter. Shep concludes: “All is well.”

Dick Matthews is still working at something he enjoys: being an entrepreneur. Dick and Bjorg traveled last year to Iceland, England, and Tenerife. And they very much enjoy being great-grandparents.

Bud Johnson and bride Lynn are back in Florida enjoying the warmer weather. In early June they are joining friends on an Alaskan cruise. Glacier Bay is their key destination—an iconic destination, says Bud—one they want to see before it melts away.

Len Stolba says that Bud’s Navy pilot memoirs reminded him of “we few draft dodgers,” who entered naval aviation and got to land on an aircraft carrier. Len was a Reserve Marine helicopter pilot for 30 years, plus an architect for 50 years—all thanks to the G.I. Bill. It was all made possible by a Wes townie scholarship, and loans leading to an arts major. (Len says he could get A’s only from the art department.)

Norm Stuessy gets around with a walker these days, following a fall and fracture of two vertebrae. Otherwise he and Ruth are doing OK—except for the loss of oldest son Kevin, who died suddenly earlier this year. Norm says he and Ruth have yet to get over it. Their four other kids are doing well, along with their nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Sadly, also, Norm tells me that he and Ruth will not be able to make our 65th in May.

Meanwhile, your scribe, Bob Carey, remains happy in Greenwich with Libby, his bride of 18-plus years. Bob is still a volunteer driver for Call-A-Ride as well as Meals-on-Wheels.

Reunion weekend is Memorial Day weekend in May 23–26, 2019. What a special time, guys, to return to Wes for our 65th!

All the best to all of us!

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

The most widely known member of our class, Herbert David “Herb” Kelleher, 87, died Jan. 3, 2019. He was remembered in the Wall Street Journal for his friendship and incredible inspiration with a half-page obituary with photographs and a full page ad by the employees and retirees of Southwest Airlines and by Chase. He “democratized the skies” as Southwest claims. “The affordability and availability of airline travel is now taken for granted for one reason—the tenacity of Herb”(WSJ editorial). Herb was an English major, a DKE, college body president, a student-athlete in football and basketball, and NYU law school graduate. Each member of the class has his own memory of Herb as an undergraduate. Mine is his catching for a touchdown, a tipped pass in the Amherst end zone to tie the score and end the game. Unable to attend our 65th because of a doctor’s travel restriction, Herb asked me to pass along his greetings to all. Herb is survived by his wife, Joan, three children, and many grandchildren.

George Alfred Lewis, 87, of Westfield, N.J., passed away Dec. 22, 2018. George was a history major, an Alpha Delta Phi, and four-year baseball player. After Army service he embarked on a career in data processing management with New York Telephone and then AT&T, even though he never touched a computer and struggled with technology. A longtime tennis player, he umpired around the state including the US Open in New York. George had a passion for history, especially 1920-1945 and Winston Churchill, having served on the board of the International Churchill Society. His son, Peter ’78, said if George could pass a message to the alumni it would be: “Next time you come upon a homeless person, instead of walking past, reach into your wallet and pull out a $10 bill.” He was thrilled to hold his great-grandson shortly before he died. George is survived by his wife, Barbara; son Peter; daughter Amy; and a granddaughter.

Jerry Zackin became a great-grandfather of William, son of Katie Zackin ’10 and Robert Roose ’04 and grandson of Michael Zackin ’80 and Mary Nastuk-Zackin ’80 in December, while Sandy and he were on a cruise/expedition to Antarctica “making ‘wet’ (water up to our calves) landings every day, seeing lots of penguins, whales, and seals.” In May they cruised from Dubai to Rome with stops in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and others.

Ed Lifset’s note described his recovery from a fall three years ago that resulted in a fractured right hip, elbow, and tibia. This caused him to abandon a planned trip, two days later, to Afghanistan and central Asia. This would have been his 54th trip out of the country. With a titanium rod in his leg from hip to knee and plenty of screws, he is relatively mobile, with the aid of a cane. Ed hopes to visit the campus one more time if an occasion arises.

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

Class of 1952 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship Fund
Nathanael Mathieu ’20, Computer Science

More sad news: Duncan Morse Nelson, who inspired us with his uplifting poetry while in hospice care, passed away on Dec. 20, survived by his wife, Beatrice Kipp Nelson. He was the father of Peter, Evan, and Rowena, and of Lee, Perry, Burr (deceased), Evan, and George Anthony, from his first marriage to Jean Richmond Parson (deceased). He had 20 grandchildren.

There is good news, too! Hal Buckingham reports that Walter Pories was awarded the Oxford Cup at the 179th National Convention of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity held in Norfolk, Va., in August and that he, as Walt’s Beta brother and classmate, escorted him to the podium.

The Oxford Cup is the highest honor bestowed by Beta on its alumni and Walter is only the 83rd recipient of this award. He was cited for his extraordinary career in the medical field as a surgeon, researcher, author, lecturer, and founder of the Department of Surgery at East Carolina University Medical School. Walter is also a prolific cartoonist. He has created countless published cartoons, including over 100 in his book, Is There a Surgeon in the House? Does anyone remember that he was an art major and not pre­-med at Wesleyan?

He also writes that Charlie “Rogo” Rogovin’s widow, Marcy, has established The Charles H. Rogovin Fund for Civic Engagement through The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. This endowed fund memorializes the legacy of Charlie, our esteemed college body president and Reunion toastmaster, who was a nationally-recognized champion of law enforcement, first as a prosecutor and administrator and then as a longtime professor of criminal law at Temple University. The Fund’s purpose is to provide the Free Library with funding to create programs and activities that promote lifelong civil engagement and good citizenship, objectives close to Charlie’s heart. Chartered in 1891, the Free Library has 54 locations in Philadelphia, is a vital part of that City, and is an educational and cultural institution of great renown.

Seth Rosner is semi-retired from law practice, working 20 to 30 percent of the time and lucky to be paid a quarter of that. After Wesleyan, he attended Columbia Law School with Charlie Rogovin and Dick Barth, then spent four months in the Navy OCS, 3.5 years active duty as legal officer and underway officer-of-the-deck on U.S.S. Intrepid. A two-year Ford Foundation Fellowship in comparative law, and an LLM at NYU followed, then a year of doctoral studies and research at L’Universite de Paris I and L’lnstitute De Droit Compare, followed by law practice in NYC with dad and brother Jonathan ’54, 29 years as adjunct professor at NYU School of Law. He immersed himself in volunteer work, has lectured nationally and internationally on legal ethics and professionalism. Socially, he played competitive squash and table tennis (with many trophies) and raced sprint cars. He is happily married to Judith and living in the happiest time of his life, at 88. Only three years to our 70th and he intends to be there! How about you?

Frank Johnson wrote that the note about Ken Taylor’s death reminds us that a number of Wes cross-country runners of our generation became ministers of the United Church of Christ, namely; Hank Jordon ’49, Frank Johnson ’50, Barney Katham ’51, and Ken Taylor. Best to all four classes.

Finally, I spent the holidays on a cruise to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore with my family of 10 (including daughter Ellen ’82 and son-in-law Samuel Bender ’82, wife Barbara, son Richard and wife Diana, and grandchildren Maddie, Eliza, Jenna, and Gabe) and enjoyed the experiences throughout. Different cultures, different forms of government, great food, interesting people, extraordinary sights.

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

George DeGenaro died late last summer in Sarasota, Fla. He was 93. After graduation from Wesleyan and Yale Law School, he praticed law at two different firms, retiring in 1989. After that he studied painting with Arthur Getz, a well-known cover artist for the New Yorker. George’s paintings hang in homes, galleries, and restaurants across America. He and wife Mary Jane Lloyd lived in Manhattan; Greenwich, Conn.; Roxbury, Conn.; and eventually Boca Raton, Fla. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, two sons, three stepdaughters, and 12 grandchildren.

Bob Switzgable wrote from an assisted-living facility in Stratford, Conn., where he has been living the past two years. “I don’t get out very often, but my health is good,” he wrote. He was spending his time reading and watching TV. Bob still owned two houses, one in Hartford and one on Cape Cod, but was thinking he might sell both of them. He wrote, “What does one do with 13 rooms of furniture and a lifetime collection of junk?” Bob plans to leave it all to his sons to sort out.

Bob Willett wrote from an assisted-living facility in Manhattan Beach, Calif., with a view of the Pacific Ocean. Bob’s wife, Martha, visits him every day and his daughter visits and takes care of his estate.

Bob wanted to know how many of us attended the 65th Reunion. The answer was 12, but not all at one time. One of them was Les Aroh, who wrote that he and his wife, Janet, were still enjoying life, but at a slower pace with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Another correspondent was Frank McCathran who checked in from Georgetown, Md.

Ken Barratt and wife Sab are living in Green Valley, about 25 miles south of Tucson. Ken has been playing in a three-man band. He visited Mount Rushmore and will have visited Death Valley by the time this sees print.

Frank Hassell moved from Florida to Alabama. His new address is 903 West Union Street, Apt. 15, Eufaula, AL 36027 or 128/249-6880 if anyone wants to contact him.

Sandy Malcomson’s daughter, Kate, wrote that her dad was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, but was still living in his apartment and enjoying visits from his four daughters and seven grandchildren. “His eyesight doesn’t allow him to read,” Kate wrote, “but he still follows the news.”

Chuck Exley wrote from Florida but his son, Yates Exley ’83, was living with his wife, Gina, in South Kingstown only a few miles from me.

In Indianapolis, Howard Goodrich and his wife, Darlene, are leading a full life. Howard is exercising his talent for poetry and sent me two thought-provoking samples. A classmate, Dave Welsh, appeared “out of the blue.” Dave played football during the glory years of the late 1940s for the Goodriches.

Sadly, I report the loss of David McMillan. His son wrote that Dave and his wife, Margaret, had long, happy lives and fond memories of Wesleyan.

DAVID M. PHILIPS | davephilips69@hotmail.com
57 Grandville Court, Wakefield, RI 02879

We regret to inform you that Hal Treen, a DU at Wesleyan, passed away in October. He spent most of his professional career as a sales executive, and is survived by his wife, three sons, three daughters, and five grandchildren. We send our condolences to his family.

We received this message from Jud Miner: “Jud and Jean Miner have just celebrated 67 years of marriage. On Dec. 21, 1951, we were married in the worst blizzard Buffalo had that year. I was on leave from the Korean War service with the 9th Field Hospital MASH unit stationed at Ft. Sam, Houston, and Jean had just completed her degree in physics, Mt. Holyoke College.

“On Dec. 13, 2018, we moved to our new address, 120 Windsor Park Drive, Apartment A 101, Carol Stream, IL 60188. At ages 90 and 89 we are still driving and singing in the Windsor Park Chorale and Treble Clef. I am completing my memoir, They Didn’t Mention That in Sales Class, in January and will be seeking publishing ideas shortly.”

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

Herbert D. Kelleher ’53 passed away on Jan. 3, 2019. A full obituary can be found here.

The Great Class of 1959 continues to achieve, amuse, travel, laugh, and send interesting news! Bravissimo!

Amazing to note that the Class of 2022 just arrived on campus at 800-plus strong. That is larger than the whole school in 1959.

Talking about “achieve” brings me to a recent conversation with Allan Munro, who is still practicing law after 52 years and counting, and still getting referrals from his best source of new clients, a 97-year-old pal who got him started with his first client! Alan is planning to come to the Reunion next year and is happily grandfathering a computerized cartoonist, an aspiring doctor, and a fledgling psychologist.

Ted Fiske and wife Sunny are moving up the leaderboard in the travel department. They are still living in Durham, N.C., where Ted edits the Fiske Guide to Colleges while serving on the boards of several nonprofits, including the Durham Children’s Initiative. Sunny retired as a professor of public policy and economics from Duke last year. “We have been able to ramp up our travel, spending three weeks in Kerala in southern India, summer in Maine and New Hampshire, time in Stockholm for an educational conference, and Ireland for a week with a side trip to London to see Jack Lambert and his wife at their lovely house in Islington.”

Dick Cadigan sent along the following news: “When author Tom Wolfe died earlier this year, I decided to reread Bonfire of the Vanities for fun. I discovered a character named Edward Fiske, a young, white Yale-educated cleric working for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, whose job it was to try to recover a $350,000 school grant made to a crooked black wheeler- dealer in Harlem.

“I thought it rather odd that the Fiske name was used, so I e-mailed Ted and got the following response: ‘When I was starting out, long ago, I worked for some church outfit doing work in Harlem. Years later I met Tom Wolfe at a conference, and by coincidence ended up sitting next to him on the plane home. We chatted about Harlem, my being a Princeton theological grad and Presbyterian minister. I didn’t think anything about our conversation until years later when Bonfires was published.’” Cads ends by saying “Now you know the rest of the story!”

The ever talented Weg Thomas has posted from great fall photos online, including “Up So Floating #9” — “I need a poem to sing the leaves to the eternal sea. I need a poem to calm the throbbing waters of Beings River, the river of one mother and one father.”

Laughter seems to have ruled this year’s annual Maine reunion. Al Brooks, Tom McHugh, Joe Mallory, and wives gathered at the beautiful house of Joanie and Bob Chase in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, on Sept. 12. Many laughs, fond recollections, reviews of the phenomenal exploits of our grandchildren dominated, but, of course, there were deep philosophical insights shared by all, Joe reports.

Latest amusement from Dave Eklund: “Mary and I hosted a Wesleyan Delta Sigma reunion on Nantucket for four days at our place (Rose and Crown) on Siasconset. Attendees were Irene and Tony Allen from Providence, Dave Darling from Middletown, John Dennis from Portland, Ore., and Shirley and Larry Kedes from L.A.

Bob Gillette writes, “Unfortunately Marsha and I will not be attending our 60th Reunion. We just found out that our granddaughter will be graduating from Elon that weekend. So, we will be with you in spirit, but you all understand how lucky we are to celebrate this family event. We were looking forward to the Reunion, the chance to be with old friends and to also celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary with other classmates doing the same.”

Back to traveling, Ellen and Herb Steiner will be in Portugal for a couple of weeks in October, but before departure are celebrating the arrival of grandchild number 10. Wow. Back to Delray for the winter. Herb says: “Retirement ain’t bad!”

Tom McHugh remembers Ernie Dunn: “A year ago at the dedication of the Huddleston Room at Downey House, I mentioned that the 1959 track team had a group of broad jumpers who could exceed 23 feet . . . a feat unequalled in most colleges and even larger universities. One was Dick Huddleston ’60. One was Ernie Dunn, our classmate and captain of the track team, and the third, Jim Thomas ’61, a sophomore.”

On to sad news: Dick Smith passed away just after Christmas last year. Smitty was a classmate of ours at Deerfield Academy, my roommate in Eclectic, and a wonderful guy. He had been battling an illness for a number of years. Our heartfelt sympathy to his wife of 57 years, Barbara (Teeny), his brother, Charlie ’55, three children, and 10 grandchildren. We will miss him.

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

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

Neil Springborn is very proud of his children and grandchildren. Son Jeff is in charge of the National Weather Service in Houston. Daughter Kristy was selected by her company to go to Peru and teach computer techniques at the university. Her daughter is a sophomore at Oregon U, just finished a semester in China (Singapore). His other son manages a building supply store in Muskogee. Finally, his other daughter is in California and is an accomplished barrel racer.

Dick Goldman attended an event to mark the 100th anniversary of his golf course. He also moderated a seminar on charitable giving at the Wesleyan Lawyers Group. Mark Davis ’96 of Wesleyan attended.

A note from Bart Bolton reminds me how fortunate I am to have moved from Wilmington, N.C.

An e-mail from Roger Turkington tells of his hope that the English department at Wes Tech will buy a copy of his third volume of poetry, which will go on sale in April.

Bill Richards’ granddaughter, Riley ’21, just transferred to Wesleyan. She will make a Richards in each century: a grandfather was in the Class of 1869, he was in 1958, and she will be 2021.

Hurricanes seem to have frightened Burr and Pirkko. Any plans to relocate to Florida are on hold. They are happy in their remote corner of France.

My old roommate, Dan Woodhead, is very proud of his son’s children. Jeff and wife Laura have two sons who are excelling at water polo at Stanford. A daughter is also a promising water polo player.

No rest for Ezra Amsterdam. While on sabbatical he is working on a book on heart disease for lay persons. And he continues with his passion for tennis.

Betsy and Dick Tompkins are in Minnesota for the summer and go back to their home in Florida in October. He hopes we will have a 65th Reunion.

Barbara and Frank Vietze wrote to tell me about their son-in-law, Dr. David Mangus, who teaches biotechnology at Brockton, Mass., high school.

Dennis Allee and his partner, Annie, split their time between the Outer Cape, Mass., and St. Pete, Fla. Dennis recently saw Mel Cote, who lost wife Polly last fall. Dennis recalls that Mel started lacrosse at Wesleyan along with John Spurdle ’59. Dennis reports that Art Geltzer is off on another exotic tour. Dennis keeps busy with a jazz radio program on womr.org every other Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Liz and Neil Henry enjoyed two weeks on Ocracoke, leaving there a couple of days before Hurricane Flo.

Tony Codding, whose wife is deceased, lives in New Hampshire and takes Caribbean cruises to escape the New England winters.

Bill Barnes found the Reunion most enjoyable. He compliments Goldman, Corkran, Seabury, Krenz, and Hordlow for various contributions. He also echoes a thought of mine: Let us have a 65th Reunion.

Old Reliable, John Corkran, was busy as usual. He and Toni, recovered from a shoulder injury, drove their pickup to Glacier Park in late July. They camped at Bowman Lake, where his mother and her father and siblings began camping in 1913! On the way home, they drove through Yellowstone, where they encountered a bison traffic jam. John’s oldest grandchild graduated with honors from the University of Rhode Island.

Kay and I attended a family wedding on Martha’s Vineyard in early September. We are both in good health and continue our leisure activities at an appropriate pace for our age, which means we are slowing down. Keep the info flowing.

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

It seems like a long time past—summer, that is—so here go a couple of recollections.

Dick Cassie and son Scott toured Russia. Scott was a history major at Trinity. Dick’s message was illustrated with a photo of the two with a backdrop of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which was blown up during the Stalin years and later completely rebuilt. The Cassie duo spent four days in Moscow and the same in St. Petersburg.

Marilyn and Gordy Wilmot reunited with the Brancarts—Claude and Lesley. The latter couple live in Brunswick, Maine, and the Wilmots in Warwick, R.I., so the difference was split with a house rental in Hampton, N.H. Claude has medical issues including dementia, which did not detract from an enjoyable time for all, but Claude did not recall his Wes years very much—although he did remember yours truly when we roomed together in Clark Hall junior year!

He went on to MIT the following year under the “three and two” program and I recall visiting him in Boston in a nifty apartment that he had at the time.

And while on the subject of roomies, here’s a note from my freshman year roommate in North College, Bob Anderson. From Washington State, where Bob spent many of his years as a minister in UCC churches, he writes that he lives in a house he helped design and build on Guemes Island which is halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, which he (and many other people to be sure) never tire of visiting. Keeping him busy are landscaping and art. He lost his wife of 31 years just a little more than a year ago. He too attached a photo along with his note. Replete with beard, and longish hair, looking quite in style.

Two classmates with strong family continuance with Wes are Bob Gorin and Ed Mehlman. Ed’s son, Jeff ’84, and his wife, Lynne ’84, are both alumni. Jeff did coaching on the first women’s rugby team, which is where he met Lynne who played on said club. Ed has several grandchildren ranging in age from 19 to 25. This past summer he vacationed in the Canadian Rockies. He checks in with Ed Stein ’60, Al Jay, and Dick Cassie.

Bob Gorin’s grandson, David Gottlieb ’22 is residing in a dorm named for President Vic Butterfield which, Bob informs, sits on a site once occupied by Bob’s Gamma Psi house. Bob visited during Family Weekend.

News from Allen Jay: Rehab following a third hip surgery and he was not dissuaded beforehand to take a 10-day expedition cruise to Antarctica and some close associations with such as penguins, seals, and a boat-rocking humpback whale. Al sent a photo wherein he appears heavily bundled up.

Jack Braitmayer wrote, “Didn’t do much cruising this summer; our son used our new Hunt 33 more than we did. It all relates to his position and what we get out of it—he is now CEO of his company and the boat is loaded with his products. Spent the past summer and winter in Marion, Mass. Used to go to Florida for three months, but the marina closed and we decided to stay north after it closed—we spent 10 years there; and that was enough.”

The Parkins—John and Penny—live in their (originally) vacation home in northwest Michigan, where the summer population is about eight times the year-rounders. The County is a poor one, and John and some other residents organized a task force to address a wide range of economic issues, e.g. job creation. They have been able to raise state and local funding for projects, including skills training. Further, John convenes with fellow Alpha Delt brothers in NYC during the holiday season.

Mike Stein reports that he has chronic kidney failure and must have dialysis treatments three times a week. He sends his regards to his classmates.

I realize I’m stating the obvious in bringing attention to our inexorable movement to the front of the class notes section, especially now with the conclusion of the Class of ’38 notes. Hope that we read Grace Bennett’s piece in the summer magazine—a tribute to the class and a heartfelt l’envoi. Well done, Ms. Bennett.

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

We’ve just received the sad news that Glenn Boynton died quietly at Porter Hospital in Middlebury, Vt., on May 28. He was 83.

Last June Marge and Gary Miller attended their younger granddaughter’s graduation from the Art University of Bournemouth, U.K., where she majored in costume design. She was also a finalist in an all-U.K. student competition. She is a costuming apprentice at Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theater and appears to be poised for a fascinating career.

Writing in September, Gary said he was “biting my nails, watching hurricane Florence bear down on Wilmington, N.C., where we have our winter home. We’re warm, dry, and comfy here in Maine, and I’d hate to have to dump things in the car and haul it down to North Carolina to pick up the pieces! Time will tell. Oh, and Sept. 15 is our 62nd anniversary, and we’ve planned a great lobster dinner to celebrate. Another reason to hope for a high-pressure ridge to save us.”

Julius Kaplan: “The big news is that my book, Secrets and Suspense, came out several months ago. Google it and share with me my delight in the great reviews it has been getting. It is essentially a memoir of my career as an international lawyer, presented in the form of stories arising out of matters I worked on as a lawyer, but presented for the lawyer and non-lawyer.

“I enjoyed writing the book so much that I am now in the process of writing another one! This one deals exclusively with the world of art and my participation in it over the past 50 years.”

Bob Bretscher writes: “My piloting days are over. I’m selling my Cherokee Dakota, tail #N86FE. Every flight was a joy. My next project is an effort to write my memoirs up to when I retired 1996. After the first year as a widower I appreciate my family and friends more than I could have ever imagined.”

Walt Ebmeyer reports: “I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a year ago, thus again joining my old pal Muhammad Ali. Class of ’56 athletic types will remember my similarities to ‘The Greatest.’ Anyway, I’m too old to worry about it and kind of enjoy my children and grandchildren waiting on me.”

And Tom Plimpton: “My last e-mail to you stated that I would report on my trip to the state of Washington in September. Well, my health, which has been very good, took a turn for the worse. I wound up in the hospital in late July for five days. My health has since been precarious, and I did not go on vacation and have no news for you. Now I’m taking life one day at a time. Keep up the good work. Peace and joy!” Get well, Tom.

Writes Larry Fung: “Nothing much to report except I am getting older.” Larry: I’m not sure that qualifies as news!

Jack Shuman sent this tribute to his Wesleyan roommate, Ron Benson, who died on March 29. Ron, remember, was cocaptain of the ’55 football team that won the Little-Three Championship. Jack wanted us to know some things about Ron that he left out of his communique in the last issue.

“After school and the Navy, Ron worked in advertising, but in midlife he tired of big company life and formed his own consulting company. He also took up his favorite cause, helping business persons to further Christian morals and ethics in the business world.

“When his wife Polly was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Ron dedicated his life to her, refusing over 10 years to have her institutionalized even in her last ugly days. But as a result of this he joined a support group at his church, where he met his second wife-to-be Shirley, who had just gone through the same process with her spouse. They hit it off and eventually enjoyed a winter romance that culminated in their marriage last September. But that also was the culmination of Ron’s other life problem.

“In his early 40s Ron was on his daily jog when he suddenly collapsed. Luckily, he was almost at the feet of a well-trained emergency technician who recognized that his heart had stopped and immediately went into life-saving maneuvers. For the next 40-plus years Ron wore a defibrillator, which restarted his heart at least three times. But worse, Ron had another heart attack in September, just before the marriage. He insisted on going through with it. He and Shirley tried greatly to rehab his heart during the next six months, but he succumbed in March.

“Ron leaves behind his wife, Shirley, two daughters, Beth and Sarah, and a stepson, Stephen. He was my lifelong friend and I’ll miss him!”

And so will we.

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net