Bruce Fox writes that although he lost in the Democratic primary for a seat in the New Hampshire Senate, “the nice news is that the race has enabled me to reconnect with some Wesleyan friends and meet some new ones.” Tom Kelly and Tom Lucci visited him around the time of the election and he had many phone conversations and e-mails with others who gave financial and moral support. Bruce says, “I had an hour-long conversation with old friend, Kie Westby, who also had an unsuccessful foray into politics a few years ago, was particularly worthwhile with lots of old stories, some advice, and lots of laughs shared.”
Michael Morales has a detailed update on what he has been up to and some memories from our days at Wesleyan. Flashing back, he was the assistant student manager at McConaughey dining hall. “Many students requested I bring out chocolate mint ice cream. Although he was in a frat at the time, Bill Belichick ’75 snuck in a couple times for our great food (and maybe to meet some co-eds).” For two years he was captain of the wrestling team and now he is grant writing and fundraising at Springfield College (the Milwaukee campus). Earlier, he taught Creative Writing for Social Change. Michael says that soon he’ll be traveling through Wisconsin in giving workshops and seminars. He is writing a book, The 1-Minute Expert: How to Be Recognized as an Expert in 1 Minute or Less. He went to Stanford for a PhD and decided he didn’t want it and left with a master’s. He then went immediately to SLAC and was on the team that earned two Nobel prizes in physics. While he was not one of the professors who was named, he was one of the 100 of graduate students that assisted with the basic research needed for the Nobel prizes.
Michael went to Harvard for executive training in community and economic development. He says, “I have been sharing the knowledge and strategies for many years.” A great deal of his work and study at Wesleyan and Stanford were in psychology. He is the guest coach of two Olympic wrestling champions who live in Wisconsin and are his longtime friends and is a guest coach for a three-time Olympic boxing coach. He coaches technique and mindset and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, CBS, and Fox News.
Michael was also executive director of a U.S. Department of Commerce program where over $1.1 billion in government contracts came through his office and they helped small businesses to get part of the multi-million dollar contracts. This included women-owned and veteran-owned businesses and others helping minorities and the disadvantaged. He was vice president of a $52-million educational foundation and he interviews Stanford University freshman applicants for the admissions office as an alumni volunteer.
Robert Abrevaya’s 13th edition of The Robert William Abrevaya Show was produced in June at The Comedy Store. He calls it stand-up comedy by the official comedian for the 2020 elections. Six of his shows and autobiographical information are available at vimeo.com/RWAShow. At The Comedy Store, he has been the closing act most potluck nights since (at least) 1983 on Sunset Boulevard. He is on Twitter @AbrevayaR. His new Facebook page is RealRobert William Abrevaya.
From Middletown, Bill Corvo is busy with renewable energy development. Bill is manager of Connecticut Energy & Technology, LLC (beaconfallsenergypark.com), a Connecticut-based renewable energy development company. They have “permitted the largest fuel cell technology project in the U.S.,” to be located in Beacon Falls, Conn. The project is “fully permitted and shovel ready—63.3 megawatts of Class I renewable power.”
The ever-faithful Michael McKenna wrote in to say he had his first cortisone shot in his right knee “after the ortho actually laughed when he looked at the MRI! Rugby and soccer days catching up I guess, but otherwise feel pretty good.”
It was a busy spring for Bruce Hearey. He was awarded an MA in humanities from John Carroll University (alma mater of Don Shula and Tim Russert)—it took him 10 years, and he greatly enjoyed what he correctly identified as the COL experience, taking courses in history, literature, and art history. He wrote his thesis on Charles Ives (tipping his hat to the late Dick Winslow ’40, who introduced Ives to Bruce in 1971), got much better grades than he did at Wesleyan, and refuses to answer any questions about what he will actually do with that degree. Then, at his 50th Andover reunion, Bruce was inducted into their sports hall of fame, where he joins Bill Belichick ’75, Andover class of ’71, and George Bush, Andover class of ’43. Most important (and not to slight the news in my next paragraph), Bruce became a grandfather. Son Leif Dormsjo ’97 and his wife, Kristin, welcomed Sven Olsson Dormsjo into the world.
Bruce journeyed to Santa Fe to attend Bruce Throne’s wedding to Alaina Speraw. This is Bruce Throne’s second and last wedding. Earlier in the year he took Alaina to her (and Wesleyan’s) first alumni event in Santa Fe, and she now understands the Wes Diaspora and how women changed Wes for the better after they enrolled.
Leon Vinci celebrated his 50th high school reunion in, yawn, Middletown. He was in the second graduating class at Xavier High School. Leon is living in Roanoke, Va., and although in a “semi-retired status,” is doing health and environmental management consulting work.He is an adjunct professor with Drexel University and active in chair positions with national professional organizations addressing climate change. If that isn’t enough to keep him busy, he sits on the national Joint Task Force for DHS and DHHS in the area of public health and healthcare emergencies; and he chairs a subcommittee on cybersecurity and public health and health care emergencies. And next year he will be able to brag that all of his kids have attained their master’s degrees—Laura has her MBA now, and Doug and Michael are getting their master’s degrees then.
John Manchester’s novel, Never Speak, is due to be published in January. You can learn more at johnkmanchester.com. Note the blurb from Steve Schiff.
Keeping with the theme of Wheeler’s Egyptian Dog (they opened for the Byrds at the hockey rink—remember?), Dan Gleich is anticipating a San Francisco meet-up with Manchester, Schiff, and Peter Stern. Dan says he is edging into retirement—working half-time, but not feeling any less busy.
Win Watson succinctly states how Wesleyan helped him:
“a. Took neurobiology and oceanography senior year, as well as an education class. Now I am a full professor teaching neuroscience at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and my research involves marine biology.
b. Soccer team: I still play a bit, but more important, I coached my son’s youth teams and at one point we won a state championship.
c. Golf team: Still play and I’ve had my share of success.
d. Fraternity and friends: I can still drink and goof around with the best of them.”
Moving over to the other UNH, the one in New Haven, the following from the recently retired Michael Kaloyanides: “Sheila and I will be sailing on the fall Semester at Sea around the world voyage. I will be a visiting professor teaching courses on world music and the history of Rock and Roll. Sheila will be the lifelong learner coordinator on the ship. This will be our sixth voyage with the program and we will be visiting Spain, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Burma, Vietnam, China, Japan, and Hawaii before disembarking in San Diego. We now have three grandchildren under the age of 2-and-a-half: Julia, Jane, and Will. Son Nathan lives in Northport, N.Y.; daughter Alexandra is an assistant professor of religion at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte; and daughter Elizabeth is legal counsel for the Bose Corporation and lives in Needham, Mass.”
Jerry Ryan is retired and living in Greenville, S.C. He plays golf, does volunteer work, and travels.
Speaking of travels, Elisa ’76 and I went to Paris in June, where I chaired a panel on international law and climate change at a big ABA conference. Besides just being there and revisiting some favorite spots from my 1970 COL semester (the only thing missing were the pinball machines in the cafes), the highlight was visiting and having dinner with Bonnie Krueger and her husband, Thomas Bass. This was the end of Bonnie’s final term running Hamilton College’s program in Paris, and we got to sample some of the wines, cheeses, and saucissons they have accumulated over the years. After we left, Bonnie got swept up in the fever of France’s World Cup triumph, which was celebrated openly and loudly throughout her Saint Germain neighborhood.
In August we had our annual trip to Lloyd Komesar [’74]’s Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. Not only was it better than ever, but our own Mike Arkin actually appeared in one of the films, as Harvey Weinstein. Very creepy. First time attendees included Mike Busman, Harold Sogard ’74, and Judy Hirschberg Atwood ’74.
Please help us get a big turnout for our 50th Reunion in May 2022. Yes, it’s a long time away, but we are seriously reaching out to everyone. Please send news, and help us contact folks who have not been at prior Reunions.
Aloha, classmates. Planning efforts are underway for our 50th Reunion in 2021. Volunteers are needed to work on outreach and planning efforts. Please contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 (klynch@wesleyan.edu) if you’d like to be involved. The committee is looking for more members to help with planning. We are hoping to get many of our classmates who haven’t attended Reunions to participate in the preparation and attend this critical year event. It would be great to see a majority of the class come out and get reacquainted again. Please volunteer or, at a minimum, keep the dates in mind in 2021. (Seems far away but will be here before you know it.)
Larry A. Jones wants to say hello to the Wesleyan community. Larry and his wife, Audrey (Wellesley ’72) celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary with friends, including Lila Cruz Jacobs ’76 and Evans Jacobs ’73 on Martha’s Vineyard in August. As empty-nesters, Audrey and Larry penned their family memoir about raising their three ADHD gifted sons. Learn more about their book on their website, enabletables.com. The memoir, which demystifies ADHD in childhood and beyond, is a blend of love, humor and real-life irony. Falling Through the Ceiling, shedds light on the challenges of living and prospering with attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
Bud Coote writes, “I recently retired from the CIA after 44 years, where I worked on the Vietnam War after protesting it on campus. My focus shifted to the Middle East and former Soviet Union after Saigon fell. I currently work on the Atlantic Council, a Washington, D.C., think tank. I had dinner with fellow Wes oarsman, Mike Ronan, earlier this year and met up with John Reynolds, Rob Dewees, and Moe Benson for a mini-reunion in May.”
Saw Todd Jick at a Wesleyan event in NYC. His daughter, Adina, got married this summer and wanted a kickass hora and we should know that “TJ the DJ” delivered. Also saw Jake Weiss at same event. The event at the High Line in NYC included Dave Jones ’70, John Griffin ’70, Joel Bernstein ’70, Diana Diamond ’70, and John Alschuler ’70.
Neil J. Clendeninn | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714
Aloha. I’m sorry once again to have to begin the column announcing the death of another classmate. Arden Reed has died from an aggressive cancer. After Wesleyan, Arden earned a master’s and a doctoral degree in comparative literature. He had been a professor at Pomona College for several years.
Bill Bullard wrote of Arden (known as Bud “in the day”): “. . . I keepcoming across former students of his at Pomona who remember him as a star, a fascinating teacher and extraordinarily dedicated to his students.” Bill noted that his new book Slow Art was acclaimed and that he “had just begun a series a interviews and lectures about the book when he became sick. I know Dan Rosenheim visited him in Santa Fe when Arden was on sabbatical there and may have more stories. Arden and I wrote back and forth several times about the new book and reminisced about Phil Hallie’s Philosophy of Art course, which we took together in the College of Letters and which Arden in part credited for his interest in the arts. Bud was in our group of COL students who studied in Paris in the spring of 1968 and lived the extraordinary mayhem of Mai ’68.”
Arden “Bud” Reed and Michael Flynn, Hotel Stella, Paris, May 1968
Bob Stone (aka Robert Mark Stone on Facebook) visited family and friends in New York recently. He indicates he is “still living the retirement good life in sunny (and hotter than ever) Southern California. Spending lots of quality time with our 5- and 9-year-old granddaughters and 3-year-old grandson. We consider ourselves extremely lucky that they all live nearby. And another granddaughter is due next February!
“Nancy and I continue to travel and gain an appreciation for other places and people. This spring we were in our happiest place again: photographic safari in Africa. This was our third such adventure and we can’t seem to get enough of it. This time we went to two private game reserves adjacent to Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was spectacular! We followed that with a safari on horseback in Botswana. I should say that Nancy was on horseback and I was in a Land Rover, since I failed to meet the ‘must be able to gallop away from danger’ qualification. We also visited Johannesburg, with a fascinating tour of Soweto. Our understanding of the history and culture was enhanced by having listened to Trevor Noah’s book Born a Crime during the long flights over from Los Angeles. I highly recommend the Audible version of the book, as Noah himself reads it and imitates the wonderful voices and accents.
“My other retirement avocation has been writing limericks, specifically ones poking fun at current POTUS. It’s been a therapeutic outlet for me. My first volume, entitled Trumpericks, was published last November. The next one, called Trumpericks 2: Stable Genius, will hit the market by early October. The first had about 160 verses and the new one has over 300 more. They’re arranged chronologically, supported by informative endnotes (the lawyer in me), and accompanied by cartoon illustrations from a wonderfully talented artist. Together these ‘covfefe-table books’ provide a satirical history of the first 20-months of this administration. Both books are available on Amazon. So much for the shameless self-promotion. I look forward to seeing my Wes classmates at our upcoming 50th (gulp) Reunion in 2020.” [Note: if you’re not seeing Bob’s posts on Facebook, you’re missing out. I recommend the books.]
Peter Ratner write that he and his wife retired at the beginning of the year. They now spend about two-thirds of their time in Greytown with seven chickens (three of which are Aracanas and lay blue eggs). The rest of their time is spent in Wellington with their daughter and granddaughter as well as with an aging cat who is ‘remarkably spry for 17.’ Peter says, “I don’t miss work in the slightest and so far, I have been so busy I haven’t had time to wonder what I am going to do with myself. I have just discovered podcasts and audiobooks which I can get from the library and am in training to do the Milford Sound at the end of February which is the last of the four Great Walks in New Zealand and the only one I haven’t done.” Peter says, “I am seriously considering turning up for the big 5-0.”
Had a note from Ralph Moore on behalf of himself and Pete Stein. Ralph wrote, “We opened the Stein & Moore law firm in St. Paul, Minn., in 1977 and practiced together since (known locally as Pete and Ralph’s Pretty Good Law Firm). This year, being tired of management stuff, we closed the firm and merged our practice across the Mississippi into a Minneapolis firm, and continue to work at the law.” Ralph says that both he and Pete (and their wives) plan on attending the 50th Reunion in 2020.
And now for this column’s challenge. Darwin Poritz says that [in last] “September my wife and I became-great grandparents—I am wondering if anyone in the class beat me to this feat. Being a great-grandfather is pretty special—until I realize it means I am married to a great-grandmother.” Well, did anyone beat him? [aside from his wife] In other news, Darwin indicates he has an upcoming trip to Berlin, Germany to study German “at the GLS Sprachzentrum in the trendy district of Prenzlauer Berg and taking in the sights.”
Ted Reed writes, “In September, we survived Hurricane Florence in Charlotte despite getting 11 inches of rain on our street. I should also mention that we also survived Hurricane Andrew in Miami in 1991 despite getting 170 mph winds on our street. Survival has given me confidence that I will make it to the 2020 Reunion, assuming that the informality of the ‘60s is maintained. I didn’t think I would end up in the South, but I guess I was heavily influenced by our 1970 seminar with Joe Reed on post-Faulkner southern lit. The texts included The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, which was written in Charlotte. ”
John Sheffield wrote that he’s been busy with three sailing deliveries “up and down the East Coast (Florida to New York) in spring and summer, car trips to visit friends in Georgia and South Carolina, transporting family members by car back and forth between Florida and New York, a military reunion (Florida), and The Big One, a trip about to happen as I write this: a month in New Zealand visiting a daughter.” John is excited to help plan our 50th Reunion in 2020.
And from “the booming metropolis (1,250 people) of Petersham, Mass.” We get word that Bart Wendell and wife Sandra (Whaley) are beginning their 50th year of friendship and 38th of marriage. “She splits her time between photography from her kayak, monarch butterfly rescue, and tilling the earth. I am winding down my leadership consulting practice and returning to behavioral medicine as ‘the migraine-free coach’ (both for my clients and now after 45 years of chronic migraines, myself).” Bart continues, “I have been officiating at far too many memorial services for my friends and neighbors. Yesterday’s, for our neighbor Dr. Alan Bachrach, included an absolutely brilliant ‘eulogy’ by another neighbor, (recently retired from WBUR award-winning journalist) David Boeri ’71. As for me, if my extroverted mom is any indication at almost 99, I’m hoping to stick it out for the long run and keep up my road bike riding. Getting back to the piano is next on my list.” Bart’s son, George (26), continues as an administrator in the IT department at Harvard Business School daughter Amelia (31) is a vet tech.
Out there in the Midwest, John Rinehart wrote, “I am still actively practicing infertility medicine in Chicago. My wife is a BSN, JD who has her own consulting firm for healthcare risk management. I have stayed academically active by teaching residents, medical students and technically have a title of senior educator at Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago. But I have found data analysis exciting and have just completed a master’s in predictive analytics at Northwestern University. Now I just need to figure how to commodity it.” John has two grandchildren, a girl and a boy, aged 3 and 1 respectively. He says, “I currently live in Burr Ridge, Ill., a western suburb of Chicago and would welcome visits from classmates if they are in the area. [In addition to that recent master’s, John has an M.D., PhD., and JD degrees!]
Out there in Colorado, Mark Fuller (he is still active skiing as reported in an earlier column) has just published his first book entitled Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. Says Mark, “My many years of birding and photography were the impetus for the book, which has been 2 ½ years in the making. I did the photography while my colleague and good friend, Rebecca Weiss, did the text. The book covers 155 species familiar to the Aspen area and includes some rarities and migrants. It features 263 color photos, maps of birding ‘hotspots,’ and essays on habitat, bird conservation, and birding ethics. If anyone is interested in buying a copy, they can reach me via my FB page, MarkWell Images or by e-mail at fulcon@comcast.net.” [In Alaska, the snowbirds leave at the first sign of Termination Dust, but I take it these are real birds.]
We have survived some nasty flooding in April and several near-hits from hurricanes this season. As visible progress finally is occurring on our house-building project under the direction of a new general contractor, we’re holding our breath a bit until the end of hurricane season in a few months. Still teaching middle school (computers this year—I call on the nearest 6-year-old for help if I get stuck) and still enjoying marriage to my wonderful wife, Vera, after 31 years, as well as the occasional jaunt with the Kaua’i Jeep Club. Lots of photos on Facebook. Need to market them!
I encourage you to join your classmates who already have declared their intent to attend our 50th Reunion. I’m truly hoping to see a lot of you there. Meanwhile, if you’re coming to Kaua’i, let me know.
Unfortunately, I was not able to return to Wesleyan for our 45th Reunion, but it was truly memorable. Class President Bill Quigley shares his reflections: “Our 45th Reunion was extraordinary—the weather was perfect, the campus was beautiful, and graduates young and old were vibrant. The company from ’73 was even better. To aid our memories, we each had a regular name tag and one with our freshman yearbook pictures. After Friday’s reacquaintance reception, Mark Helfat led an early Saturday discussion titled “I Never Knew You,” where we shared stories about our passions and paths through life post-Wesleyan. Don Stewart, Rich Jasper, Tom Lucci, William “Billy” Burke, Michael Gionfriddo, Steve Young, and others talked about how our tumultuous times at Wesleyan shaped our journeys. It was fascinating, and many wished it to continue long beyond the allotted time. We will do something similar for our 50th.
“A great picture of the now leveled Starship McConaughy with the words (courtesy of Mike McKenna) ‘Class of ’73 lasts longer than some buildings’ graced the T-shirts of Charlie Cocores, Tom Curran, Peter Bernstein, Ron Medley, Jay Rose, John Huttlinger, Jim Raymond, Mike Donnelly, and many others as we marched in the parade of classes. Also, wandering around the campus, High Street, Lawn Avenue, and Foss Hill were Tim Warner, Kie Westby, Ron Dennett, Tom Tokarz, Scott Karsten, Jonathan Raskin, Rudy Foy, Rick Edwards, Irv Estrin, and Bruce Fox.
“Steve Greenhouse was a presenter in a terrific Weseminar on journalism in the Trump era and Tom Kelly, Wayne Barber, and Jim Powers hosted a sobering and thoughtful session on health care. At that discussion Wayne introduced Josh Boger, who received an honorary degree at Commencement, with ‘I am in awe of this man who created an effective HIV/AIDS treatment, cured hepatitis C, and cured cystic fibrosis.’ Wow!
“Our Saturday night reception and dinner brought together Bruce Fox, Evans Jacob, Ron Johnson, Dave “Harp” Feldman, Charley Wayne, Dave Zita, and others to watch a wonderful slide show with pictures from our years at Wesleyan set to our era’s music. Granny Hale passed out a DVD he made of our 35th and 40th Reunions. Kudos to Wayne Barber for putting the slide show and our Facebook group ‘Wesleyan Class of ‘73 — Reunion Road Trip’ together. Check there to watch the slide show, see who we were in 1969–1973, and come to our 50th on May 25–28, 2023 to see what we become.
“Special thanks to the Reunion committee and Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 for their help organizing the event.”
Billy Burke, who returned from Colorado, thanks the committee members for a great program. He says, “Many warm memories, but the best experience was Saturday morning sitting in a classroom in Boger Hall (!) and having classmates share stories about what they’ve done since graduation or what Wesleyan means to them, or in my case, both. Wesleyan was an important part of my life. It helped me mature (eventually). And my life with Barbara (43 years), son, and daughter, son-in-law, and two grandkids, is more than I deserve.” He says he is already excited about our 50th. He says, “Granny Hale has a project lined up: A memorial to McConaughy Hall! And don’t ever say MoCon! Would we call the Smithsonian ‘Smiso’? I think not. Granny wants a plaque with all the concerts and historic events listed. Like the time I threw a cube of Jell-O almost to the top of the flying saucer dining hall ceiling and caught it in my mouth. That’s a nice start, but I think composing a rock opera we would all perform at Reunion 2023 would really get our message across. Keeping with the musical theme, I think we should dress in bellbottom pants and tie-dyed shirts and sing karaoke, but only songs from 1969–1973.”
Rich Jasper says, “I arrived on Thursday because I wanted to soak up the experience. I thought the highlight was hearing about the journey through the Wesleyan experience and post-Wes. My only wish was that more time existed for everyone to share. We all experienced the national and local turmoil of 1969–1970. Wesleyan made us stronger and more cognizant of a dynamic world. I loved the timely seminar regarding health care and the contributions by classmates. The panel on the challenges of fake news in the information era was intellectually stirring and reminded me of what makes Wesleyan so special. Finally, it was just great to see old and new friends. New friends are the classmates I have grown to know and admire by attending Reunions over the last 45 years. A special shout out to Wayne Barber for the video clip and freshman photos.”
Finally, Michael Fossel, author of the memorable Reversing the Aging Process, writes that he is moving ahead with plans to go to the FDA with gene therapy to cure Alzheimer’s disease.
I begin with the sad news of Manfred Stassen’s death. COL students and other philosophers and Germanisten knew him as a one-of-a-kind teacher, philosopher, homme de lettres, and chess expert. An edited version of a tribute by Mark Gelber appears in the Letters section; the full text is on our class notes page at magazine.wesleyan.edu.
Elisa ’76 and I had a wonderful week driving to and from a meeting in Charleston, S.C., seeing several classmates on the way. One of our stops was Smithfield, N.C., which you will undoubtedly recognize as the home of Bob Spence. Not only did Bob return to his hometown after law school, he is running what was his father’s law practice, and living in his boyhood home. We were treated to a lovely dinner at the Spence Manse, catching up on the past 46 years. Bob’s lovely wife, Carol, remarked how Bob constantly talks about how much his time at Wesleyan, particularly the spring of 1970 in Paris with the COL, meant to him, and she was interested in finally meeting someone who was there with him. Bob is trying to figure out how to disengage from his legal practice, which is doubly hard for him since he has a profound commitment to serving his individual clients.
On our way back, we dined with Rob Gelblum and his wife, Mary Lou, in Raleigh. Rob is having a good deal less difficulty disengaging from practicing law and is doing more musical performing. His family moved to Carolina from Philadelphia right as he started at Wes, to the great consternation of Rob and his brothers, but he quickly grew to love the area and has enjoyed living there.
In Chapel Hill we visited with Elisa’s classmate, Ted Shaw ’76 and his lovely family. Ted, a renowned civil rights attorney, teaches at UNC School of Law.
And returning home through the Capital area we visited with Bonnie Blair, who is a double classmate of mine—law school, too. Bonnie is ratcheting down her practice and preparing for her son Ross’s wedding in the fall.
Bob Withey is living with Leslie Walleigh (Brown ’71), high on their well-gardened hill in coastal Rockport, Maine, where he plows yards of snow, builds even more rock walls, coaches tennis, and serves as an ad hoc counselor and formal librarian at Camden Hills Regional High School. Their two daughters, Charlotte and Lauren, and a grandson, Benji, live in Marin County, Calif., so maintaining a balanced environmental carbon account is challenging. Richard Aroneau ’71 and Barbara Biddle Richardson ’74 are the local Wes connections. Bob’s dad, George Withey Jr. ’45, an assistant VP for business affairs from 1969-1976, died in July 2017 at age 93. George and his wife, Nancy Roe Withey, had a very interesting life together for 73 years. A favorite memory for Bob was marching with his parents during Reunion 2010 beside fellow World War II alumni up High Street past Eclectic House where George lived as a student and North College where he worked.
After 39 years of day-to-day practice as a general internist and geriatrician, Peter Schwartz is retiring. He has some volunteer positions lined up and a variety of hobbies to which he hopes to devote more time. Visiting with family members and traveling should take care of the rest of his time. Son Jonathan Schwartz ’00 is head of middle school at the Green Hills School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Peter has a son in Osaka, Japan. His daughter and all his other stepkids and grandkids (10 total) live with him in the Philadelphia area.
Mike Hurd’s son, A.J., is graduating high school this year. Plus, he just got a 9-month-old, 60-pound black lab mix rescue “puppy.” Following a familiar theme, Mike moved back to his hometown, New Hartford, N.Y., living within sight of his boyhood home. Mike is still working, for the Trane side of Ingersoll Rand, and still enjoys the people and the benefits and the reason to get out of his PJs every day. His brother, Doug ’76, lives nearby and they often talk about the differences as freshmen between ’68 and ’72. “From wild to focused in just a few years.”
Since hanging up his reporter’s notebook two years ago, Randall Pinkston has been trying his hand at teaching. He was an adjunct at Stony Brook University School of Journalism and the University of Mississippi Meek School of Journalism and New Media.
He wrote me from there, trying to remember what he forgot in law school (UConn ’80) so he could teach communications law in the May intersession. “Working around the clock—three-and-a-half-hour lectures for 10 days. Whew!” Randall says his wife, Patricia, still allows him to live with her in Teaneck. Their daughter, Ada ’05, is a Baltimore-based performance artist and teaches art in Lanham, Md.
Finally, Mark Gelber is about to receive the highest distinctions awarded to civilians by the Austrian Government—the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst, 1. Klasse. That’s the Austrian Medal of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, folks. (Naturally, first class.)
Seth A. Davis | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu
213 Copper Square Drive, Bethel, CT 06801
Aloha, classmates! Not much news this cycle after a rather full one last magazine.
If you can believe it, planning efforts are underway for our 50th Reunion in 2021. Volunteers are needed to work on outreach and planning. Please contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 (klynch@wesleyan.edu) if you’d like to be involved.
I heard from Georgia Sassen, who reminds us that Harvard, in this case, is the town in Massachusetts, not the university. She is still in private practice in psychology, part-time, and now has more time for her poetry. She received a grant from the Harvard Cultural Council to give a reading there called “Ancient and Contemporary Women of Harvard: Poems in Their Voices.” She directs the nonprofit Building Resilience in Kids (BRIKontheweb.org) as her pro bono public mental health work.
Katy Butler has a Facebook group called Slow Medicine. It deals with issues of dying with dignity. She is the author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door, a must-read about the dying of her father, Professor Jeffery Butler, then her mother. Katy has a new book coming out, The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. Check Amazon for release.
Over Memorial Day weekend I was on the Big Island (far from the volcano) in Kona. I was a delegate to the Hawaii State Democratic Party Convention (or the “Dump Trump Confab”). One of my fellow delegates was the illustrious Russ Josephson ’70. I still think it’s some kind of sign that the class of 1970 and 1971 class secretaries should live less than one mile apart on a remote rock, the most isolated rock on earth, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Are we a metaphor for how estranged our classes are from the main body of classes? Hope not. Anyway, being this is an election year, all the Hawaii politicians were present. Since Hawaii is virtually a one-party state we got to meet our next governor and other state leaders. Just love life here. Easy to make yourself heard and effect change.
I challenge you as you read this to send me an e-mail with news about you. Aloha for now.
Neil J. Clendeninn | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714
Aloha, everyone. Greetings from Catastrophe Central, Mid-Pacific Division. Not a lot of news came in this time. For a while it looked like it was going to be “The Steves Column,” then it mutated into “The Steves, Roberts, and Jeremy Column.”
Steve Masten attended wife Ann’s 45th reunion at Smith. They married when she was a junior, so my calculations are they’ve been married 46 years. Wow, congratulations! Afterward, Steve and Ann visited with Charley Ferrucci ’69 in Connecticut. “Also had dinner with Wayne Slitt ’69. It’s always good to be reminded where you came from.”
Steve Talbot, who’s prolific on Facebook, posted that a friend “. . . talked me into walking the Path of the Gods, high above the Amalfi Coast. And like a fool, I agreed. The hour or so hike straight up from the town of Praiano to the rocky trail nearly did me in. But once on the relatively flat path it was all worth it. A spectacular view of the coastline. Precious few tourists on the trail, at least in May. The main person we encountered was a young Italian gardener who trekked up the mountains every day. Descending endless steps to the coastal road tested the old knees, but I was revived by a large glass of pure lemon juice, fresh squeezed from the prized Amalfi citrus. Straight, no chaser. [Wife] Pippa, meanwhile, was doing yoga moves down below, and we glimpsed Positano up ahead. Our total round trip: 10 miles and the equivalent of walking up 157 floors, according to my know-it-all phone.”
And the third Steve is Steve Ching, now retired from medical practice and living on the west side of Kaua’i. We run into one another from time to time. Last contact was Steve inquiring about a contractor to do some concrete work as part of a home remodeling project. (Hope it comes out as planned, Steve.) Meanwhile wife Mary was traveling “as our son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child.” (Congratulations!) Steve says he’s trying to adjust to retirement.
Speaking of Facebook, Bob Stone, aka Robert Mark Stone, continues to publish his Trumpericks regularly. He took a short hiatus while on photo safari in Africa (from where he posted gorgeous photos), but he’s now back and writing. So much material!
And Rob Baker of Park City, Utah, and an occasional Kaua’i visitor, reported, “Our daughter Emily (Whitman ’02) and her husband Micah (Conn College ’06) had our first grandchild, Eli Patton Blazar, this May. We have been hanging out in Del Mar, Calif., for the event. I’ve found time to surf the North Country, too.”
Jeremy Serwer reported “. . . some 70-ish craziness, two-fold: (1) I had the honor of being accepted to this year’s FBI Citizens Academy in New Haven, a weekly class for eight weeks that introduces regular citizens to all that the FBI does—a public relations effort, for sure, and fascinating.” Jeremy’s conclusion is that “. . . 99 percent of the folks at the FBI are doing amazing things solving crimes, assisting victims and their families, protecting the American people, and honoring the Constitution.”
“(2) Closer to home, I’ve finally achieved the entry level to a relatively new American pastime I’ve long wanted to pursue: Cowboy mounted shooting. While horses and the Old West have been passions of mine for many years, combining six-gun target shooting with western riding is too exciting to describe. This season I’ll finally enter my first matches.” [I admit, one of the more unusual bits of news.]
Finally, Jeremy reports that “. . . wife Nancy is well; she has nine marathons under her belt, and has become a serious weight trainer. She’s truly ripped!”
As for us, we’re getting a new contractor, as the original one has totally folded. Aside from the April flooding (which left us with lots of mud, damaged materials, ruined personal items, and a bit of looting, just for some extra fun), we’re trying to proceed with the long-overdue construction of our house in Kalihiwai Valley. The major road work done last June mercifully held up for the most part. Damage done by an angry waterfall at a water crossing largely has been repaired by a contractor hired by the state to remove major trees lodged against the bridge supports.
After attending the Hawaii Democratic Party’s state convention recently (along with Neil Clendeninn ’71), I took a bus to Hilo and was able to see the volcanic eruptions on the Big Island (about 12 miles from our former home) by helicopter. (Some flooding photos sold to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser helped pay for the flight!) As is typical with me, I have posted lots of photos, both of the flooding and of the volcano, on Facebook.
REMINDER: Our 50th Reunion will be here in no time on May 21–24, 2020. Contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 (klynch@wesleyan.edu) if you’d like to be involved in the planning. “Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”
Dave Rosenthal is senior director of news and public affairs for WNED/WBFO, the public television and radio stations based in Buffalo, working on projects around racial equity, mental health, and refugees. He gets together with Steve McCarthy, Paul Margolin, J.D. Moore, and Joe O’Rourke for a weekend every year.
Rachel Hayes stepped down as vice president of public engagement at Oxfam America and is now working part-time. She will consult for a business development firm in Boston. She is enjoying early retirement with travel in the future. Her son, Spencer, is doing well at Marist.
Brian Steinbach writes with sad news, “On Feb. 3 I found my 29-year-old son, Stephen, dead of an accidental overdose of heroin that was laced with fentanyl. And while too much attention is directed to illegal immigration and allegedly unfair trade, the real threat is the flow of fentanyl and other harmful drugs from Mexico and China. It is some consolation that Mary and I are not alone in this experience—it seems everyone knows someone else that this scourge has affected, or it has directly affected them.”
After 28 years, Jeffrey Cellars retired as a diplomat and moved to Vermont with his wife, Bethanne. He wrote, “While I consider options for occupying my time including consulting for the State Department, I am perfecting my role as grandpa to our granddaughter.”
Paul Gionfriddo wrote, “My 32-year-old daughter, Larissa, died from metastatic breast cancer. For two years, she was a cancer thriver, serving as a spokesperson for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The Megyn Kelly Today show, which featured her as a guest in a segment in October, did a beautiful tribute to her after she died.” Paul is president and CEO of Mental Health America. His wife, Pam, retired and they will be moving their “permanent” home back to Middletown this fall.
Nancy Goguen Lippincott works at The Meadowbrook School in Weston as the development coordinator. She would love to hear from other Boston-area alumni.
Paul Bennett is enjoying retirement and is involved with many nonprofits. He’s helping to found a new Cristo Rey High School in Oakland, Calif., and working one day a week at the St. Vincent de Paul homeless center.
Richard Hume, professor at the University of Michigan, and his wife, Laura, who recently retired, are Scottish country dancers and traveled to Scotland to dance. They celebrated their 43rd anniversary in New York with daughter Rebecca ’01. They have sons who live in Brooklyn and Detroit, and a son and two grandchildren who live in Chicago.
John McNeill retired after 36 years as a United Methodist pastor. He and wife Martha will move to Fairport, N.Y., on the Erie Canal near Rochester. He stays in touch with Natalie Hanson ’76, who retired from pastoral ministry last year.
David Bickford produced New York writer Gina Femia’s For the Love Of (Or, the Roller Derby Play) at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood. Susan Gans, Steve Miller, Martha Meade ’76, Juliet Green’76, and Alexis DeLaRosa ’96 attended the premiere.
Bill Devereaux wrote, “Sam Miller passed away in May after a valiant struggle with cancer. He had actually survived a fight with this awful disease about 10 years ago but had a recurrence. He was a great and interesting guy who could relate to just about anyone and everyone. He had a successful career in the theater world and was known by his friends as a great husband and father. The world was a better place with him in it.”
Bill attended the wedding of Dr. George Powers ’74. Jim Daley, Pat McQuillan, Alan Poon ’76, Dave Campbell, Peter McArdle ’76, and Pete Guenther ’77 were all living large in Bill Belichick’s box at Gillette as they watched Wesleyan Lax win our alma mater’s first national title.
Karen ’77 and Donald Cruickshanks welcomed grandson George Fredric Jones Cruickshanks on April 4.
Don Gold is an A camera operator on the Netflix show Grace and Frankie. He and wife Nancy get together with Chris Vane and Dave Babcock and their families.
Karin Johnson has been teaching at Aoyama Gakuin Junior High School in Toyko since 1983. Sadly, her husband, Yushi Nomura, a teacher and artist, passed away from colon cancer. Her daughter, Yuka Kristi, 23, is working on a master’s at International Christian University in Tokyo.
Cathy Gorlin was sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court bar. One of the highlights was getting to ask Ruth Bader Ginsburg a question in a small group.
Cathy recently got together with her dear friend, Christine McCoy McNeil.
Cynthia M. Ulman | cmu.home@cmugroup.com 860 Marin Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941-3955
Skip Adamek is enjoying competitive golf, tennis, and fishing in North Carolina, and looking forward to a visit from Steve Farrell, Jim Cornell, Paul McDermott, and, just maybe, Teddy Shaw.
Lois Becker, Mark Stratton, Joanne Lukitsh, and Reilly Shannon are traveling in Europe together where the first stop was the London production of Hamilton. Next up is Paris, Provence, and points east!
Jon Cleworth, former captain of the Wes crew team, is doing his best to stay in shape and keeps in touch with Jimmy Joy MALS ’72, former crew coach at Wes, who recently was honored by the NYAC.
Bruce Demple and his wife, Sue, met up in February with Rich Gallogly and Bonnie Katz ’77 for a long weekend of skiing at Sunday River Maine. Bruce’s daughter, Marie, lives in Brooklyn and works for Comedy Central, while his younger daughter, Zoe, has moved to Pittsburgh. Bruce published a complex NASA-funded research study on the unique qualities and toxicity of moon dust.
Mike Donnella was a guest on an NPR affiliate and was interviewed about his photography. Check out redriverradio.org.
Jeff Frank’s daughter got a fellowship to work for the education department in Israel for one year, and his son, George, is training to fly F-16s for the Air Force. His oldest son works for the FBI in D.C.
Joellyn Gray is just back from a 12-day tour of gardens and cathedrals in Southern England and is happy to share travel tips.
Peter Hansen and his wife, Gail, are in Madagascar for a month, visiting friends who work for the World Bank. They plan to stop in Kenya before coming home.
Libby Horn’s daughter, Stephanie, got married in April on the Oregon coast. She was an infant at our 10th Reunion!
Jeffrey Kahn, fellow CSS classmate, reports that on May 31, he retired from the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture after 40 years of government service. Jeff is now traveling to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Jeff, the Kazakhstan chocolate is great!
Tom Kovar had a June mini-reunion with Mel Blake, Karen Gervasoni, David Harmin, and Karen Williams Harmin at Mel’s house in Portsmouth, N.H. All are doing well.
Wendy Lustbader attended a psychotherapy training program in Seattle where the keynote speaker was Ron Siegel. Wendy thanks Ron for the advice and encouragement he gave her years ago and compliments Ron on his many achievements.
Peter McArdle went to Foxboro Stadium in May to watch Wes take on defending national champ Salisbury College in the Men’s NCAA Division III Lacrosse Finals, which Wes won! Dave Campbell ’75, Jeff Gray ’77, Charlie Cocores ’74, Jim Daley ’75, Pete Guenther ’77, Dave Thomas ’77, Gary Breitbord ’79, Jock Burns ’72, Mark Fredland ’74, and Pat McQuillan ’75 and his son Casey joined Pete for the game. Bill Belichick’75 was unable to attend, but graciously hosted everyone in the Belichick family box. Pete also saw Jeff Nesson ’78 and Seta Nazarian ’79 there. A great win for Wes witnessed by a great group of folks. Just a week earlier, Pete and his wife Mary’s daughter, Brittany, graduated from Simmons College with a master’s in special education.
Jaimee Mirsky is about to retire from her second career as a high school English teacher, and her husband, Jay, is also retiring. They will have welcomed their first grandchild in July. Congratulations on both fronts!
Debra Neuman is enjoying what may be her final career chapter as the executive director of development for Enders Island, a Catholic retreat center in Mystic, Conn. Her son, Josh, is pursuing a master’s in agronomy at Oregon State, and Josh’s wife, Meagan, is enjoying her first nursing job in Corvallis.
Michael Stopa has moved to San Mateo to be a senior manager for artificial intelligence and machine learning research for Konica Minolta. Daughter Randy graduated from Oberlin last month, daughter Robin graduated from Haverford last year, daughter Kaileigh will soon be a junior at Tufts, and son Kip will be a high school senior.
Cheryl Alpert and her son, Eben, had a great time on a trip through Portugal to celebrate his 25th birthday. Eben is a business analyst with PricewaterhouseCoopers in NYC and younger son, Chason, is working in D.C. as analyst for Booz Allen Hamilton. Cheryl recently has changed firms and is now with William Raveis Real Estate in Brookline, Mass.
My personal news is slow right now, but a lot is happening in the next few months. I hope that you all enjoy the summer. If you meet up with a long-lost classmates, ask them to write in. Best regards.
