Class of 1965 35th Reunion Memorial Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship
Michael Ivy ’20, Indianapolis, IN
Classmates, I hope your holidays were merry and bright and that 2017 has started well for you and your families. Nice recent greetings from:
Steve Badanes sent a great photo of him and his partner on a beach somewhere in the Seattle area. She’s giving him a big hug midst a sea of driftwood! Steve sent this as he was on his way to his annual Yestermorrow School class in Vermont. He leads groups of young people in the fine art of community building. They conceive of, design, and then build everything from gazebos to recreation areas and cabins—all for public use and made with sustainability and the environment in mind.
Mary Ellen and Dave Dinwoodey are enjoying their grandchildren and are fit and active. Enjoyed seeing them at the resounding football win in Williamstown in the fall.
Joining us at the game were Prudy and Bob Barton. They are well and in the process of getting out of the “farming business.” They have a lovely place, Sky Dance Farm, in Lanesboro, Mass., not far from Williamstown. In Prudy and Bob’s holiday message they write: “We are clearly in the autumn of our lives. Change is constant, even as we enjoy the fruits of continued life work. Our health is good, our offspring and spouses are wonderful, real people…The farm is for sale, our lake cottage sold last month.” Over the years, they’ve raised chickens, sheep, et al, and have wonderful dogs and cats to boot, all on hundreds of verdant acres. Their children—Molly ’00, Adam ’04, and Eliza—are flourishing and have produced three grandchildren, to the delight of Prudy and Bob. Looking at the photo of Prudy and Bob, I’d say autumn looks pretty darn good!
Ellen and Ted See sent a lovely message and picture of their five young grandchildren. Quite a fun and active group! Also, nice to hear from Marilyn and Bill Trapp who are well and enjoying their lives in Lacey, Wash.
Julia and Amertat Cohn sent a wonderful message, which will end this edition of class notes: “We wish that your journey for 2017 be filled with even more success, inspiration, and of course good health and LOVE so we can become better examples for our world.”
Once again, I’m coming to you from my trusty recliner, in my man cave, somewhere in the central Florida area. I woke up earlier to a slight chill in the air. Checking my iPhone, the temperature was 49 degrees. It should reach the upper 70s after the noon hour. Looking ahead to the weekend, nighttime temps should be around the 40-degree mark, but only in the 60s by the noon hour. Should I choose to play golf later in the week, 60-degree temp readings mean long pants and shirt sleeves. Any appreciable wind means an extra layer to stay comfortable.
Today was the deadline for submitting my notes. Actually, it was the extended deadline for submission. In all the years of providing my service to my classmates, I’ve always managed to get this information in on time. Well, there hasn’t been much information from classmates, and I believe the election of Donald J. Trump had everyone’s interest. I was going to work on this column earlier, but confirmation hearings in Washington D.C. distracted me. I began to realize that the presidential picks for various cabinet positions carry weight that determines the agenda for our new president, and executive orders and regulations for the various departments impact citizens more than the legislature.
I received an update from Seppo Sailo, and he mentioned art classes we took. He became a painter and it put bread on the table.
Robert Maurer informed us that his debut novel, Passing Through (The Sixties), is available in paperback and e-Book. The opening chapter focuses on the aftermath of the death of Peter Hunting ’63, the first American non-combatant killed in Vietnam. Over the next three years, the intent of four characters is to change the course of American political history. The current climate in American politics would make this novel an interesting read, or at least food for thought.
Food brings me to a lovely evening my wife and I had visiting Chris and PaulLapuc while they were vacationing at Disney World, along with their son, Douglas, and his wife. Paul works part-time counseling individuals through the conundrums of life, using his experience of a lifetime taking on these challenges.
I had a delightful e-mail from Richard P. Miller, an old fraternity brother, married to Janet for 53 years. They have two daughters, Victoria and Jennifer, who have given them a total of four granddaughters and a grandson. Dick is retired now, having been a publisher of a newspaper in the Detroit metro area. Many years ago, he did an editorial piece about the movie Animal House, where he likened the Tim Matheson character, Otter, a self-appointed stud who became a gynecologist, to yours truly. I didn’t dispute the distinction he suggested.
To close, I’d like to share an e-mail from an old friend retired in Arizona. He sent a quote entitled “Six Ethics of Life”: “Before you pray—believe; before you speak—listen; before you spend—earn; before you write—think; before you quit—try; before you die—live.”
Gordon Berger hasbeen retired from USC where he taught for 38 years. He had visiting appointments at Claremont Graduate School and UCLA, and describes what he got as “time off for good behavior on a Japan foundation fellowship at the Japanese Ministry of Finance and getting a Fulbright Fellowship at Tokyo University.” He taught East Asian studies and was known locally for his cable programs about sumo wresting. The Japanese government awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, and upon his retirement, USC gave him various awards for scholarship, teaching, and administration.
After 30 years of domestic partnership, he married Lynne Jacobs, a clinical psychologist. They have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Gordon likes collecting Australian aboriginal paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, books, and American baseball cards.
Red Erda, appearing for the first time, says he and wife Anne live in Madison, Conn., in the summer, and Guilford, Conn., in the winters. They have seven grandchildren and three grown children. They enjoy tennis, sailing, and skiing. After college, Red volunteered for the Coast Guard. They got married the day after he received his commission, and he served from 1964 to 1967, thoroughly enjoying his duty, which was “driving buoy tenders up and down the East Coast.”
After positions at Drew, Duke, and Emory, Russ Richey has retired, burdened with titles: dean emeritus of Chandler School of Theology, William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor of Church History Emeritus, and Research Fellow, Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School. He continues to offer tutorials at Duke and to rebuild research and writing efforts. His Methodism in the American Forest was judged “the outstanding book” by the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church. Russ is now co-editor of the new online Methodist Review and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Southern Religion since its online launch. Wife Merle, whose father is honored with the name of a new park, is an attorney. She takes an active leadership role in their family’s church.
Also receiving recognition for authorship, Robert Gallamore’s book, American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century, won the George W. and Constance M. Hilton Award of the Railroad and Locomotive Historical Society as the best book in railroad history for 2016. Robert is writing another book about how railroads connected nearly all of the state capitals, called Rails to the Domes. He asks anyone who would like to read and comment on his draft of your state to contact him. He and wife Sue “continue to enjoy our retirement at Rehoboth Beach, Del. We try to see our 13 grandchildren annually, but they are spread out among Maryland, Georgia, and California, and it’s nearly impossible to get them all together.”
Stephen Miller writes: “I imagine many of our fellow graduates are going to have knee replacements in the near future. I just had one, and they have made considerable advances that eliminate much of the ‘guesswork’ in the procedure, since the implant can be made individually for your knee.” Steve is a docent for the Berkeley Repertory Theater and gives talks before and after plays. “I take my two dogs to the dog park where, as the dogs play, I schmooze with other Berkeley types. Travel to NYC, Paris, and London every year, and I have a new granddaughter in Utah. I’m not bored the least in spite of the mundane things I’ve listed. As long as you have your health, and a great woman companion, life is good.”
Chris Rich writes: “There was a convivial gathering in Napa hosted by Virginia and Steve Humphrey. Also in attendance were Keith Nave and David Snyder. It was a nostalgic rendezvous lubricated by some of Napa’s best grape juice. We traded telltales, many exaggerations, a few outright lies, and never lost track of the essential truth that we felt very fortunate to be united by our years at Wesleyan, even if our most important learning did not always originate in our classrooms. One surprise was how sparse the gray hair seemed to be on the heads of four so recently departed from WesTech.”
Dean Schooler writes: “Recent months have given me time to appreciate the experiences and opportunities life has given in education, community, family, and philanthropy.” Dean and his wife, Vicki, live in Boulder, Colo. He serves as treasurer, trustee, and oversees investment management for the Schooler Family Foundation. He has written many articles on governing boards, civil dialogue, leadership, public policy, fundraising, and philanthropy. He got his PhD and MA in political science from Ohio State. Prior to that, he studied at the Methodist Theological School and briefly served a Methodist congregation in Ohio. They have five children and travel extensively: Peru, the Galápagos, the Netherlands, and Istanbul, to name a few of their destinations.
It’s my sad duty to report the passing of our classmate, Bill Grossman. There is information about his death in the obituary section of this magazine.
I appreciate it when classmates send in news of themselves. But I would also like to hear suggestions of classmates who, like Red, have never appeared in our column or who have been too long absent from it.
Our 55th Reunion weekend, Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27 is approaching, and a group from our class has been working with the alumni office during the year to coordinate arrangements.
The planning committee came up with some new initiatives this year. First, we have invited spouses of classmates who have passed away to attend, and also invited members of the classes of 1961 and 1963 to join us. Secondly, Wesleyan will be designating a Class of 1962 Reunion Headquarters on campus so that there will be a central place where we can meet and greet classmates. We expect these initiatives to enhance the weekend.
The main focus, as in the past, will be the Saturday evening reception and dinner, commencing at 5:30 p.m. There will be a Friday night reception for early arrivers, and then we gather at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning for a “Breakfast and Conversation” led by Bruce Corwin. This was a very successful get-together at our 50th, and the committee unanimously wanted to convene it again this year.
Although not part of Reunion activities, on Sunday, at the University’s commencement ceremony, Gina and John Driscoll are to be awarded the Baldwin Medal. The Baldwin Medal is the highest honor Wesleyan’s alumni body presents, and it is awarded “for extraordinary service to Wesleyan, or for careers and other activities which have contributed significantly to the public good.” Five years ago, at our 50th Reunion, Bruce Corwin was the recipient of the Baldwin Medal.
We thank John, Gina, and Bruce for their indefatigable enthusiasm for Wesleyan and our class, and congratulate them on this distinguished recognition.
In other news, Dave Creed writes that in 2007, he retired from The New York Times after 17 years providing tech support to the newsroom. Prior to that, he spent 19 years as an editor, and sometimes a reporter, at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky. He and Sara celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2005.
Dave also forwarded a letter from Andre Demidoff, a Danish exchange student who was with our class our freshman year. The letter sent “greetings and best wishes to the class of ’62.” He had returned to Denmark where he taught high school for many years. He urged all retirees to “take up painting, which when you are past 70, will fill your time as well as your house and heart.” Dave had stayed in touch with Andre after reconnecting with him on a business trip to Denmark.
In closing, we hope to have a good attendance at Reunion. For updated information, and to learn who from our class has already registered to attend, go to the Reunion and Commencement web page at wesleyan.edu/rc.
A recent posting on Facebook by Richard Corson addresses a librarian’s concern for literacy integrity: “Parsing fake news—Connie retired from the Spence School in 2001. During her time as library director, one of the resource members of her staff created and taught all grade levels with workshops related to information literacy. Even in those early days of Google and other online resources, these librarians were concerned that students should possess the ability to apply critical thinking, judgment, and evaluation to their use of online resources. We have come a long way since the 1990s, but I hope students everywhere still get basic information literacy skills. They are more important than ever.”
Thankfully, the musical arts have sustained and nourished a few of our classmates. Here’s a note (no pun intended) from one of our members: “Jon Magendanz and Bob Johnson were brought together in a Christmas concert, presenting four performances the weekend before Christmas in the magnificent Venice Performing Arts Center in Florida. Jon is a first violinist in the Venice Symphony, a group of more than 60 professional instrumentalists, and Bob is a baritone in the Venice Chorale, consisting of about 100 singers. This was their first collaboration. They will perform there again in March, featuring Bartok, Prokofiev, and the Poulenc Gloria. Jon lives in Bradenton, Bob lives in Nokomis, and both are snow birds.”
And lastly, a word from Phil Rodd: “My wife and I spent a week in August volunteering as English teachers in Spain. We were part of an English language immersion program, so our job was to converse in English for about 12 hours a day. We followed that with a three-week road trip around Sicily (pasta every night).”
Respectfully submitted,
Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, Fl 34205
Your dedicated class secretary, Sal Russo, writes, “On Dec. 29, I was severely injured while descending on a ladder from the roof of our house. I broke both my nose and pelvis. In that one instant of time, my role of caregiver for my wife was dealt a severe blow. Fortunately, our friends were a great comfort and help to Judy. In addition, our children, Amy and Alan, who both live in Seattle, worked diligently to place Judy at High Gate Senior Center. I hope both of us will find healing in our lives.”
Congratulations to Dave Potts for winning the 2016 Homer D. Babbidge, Jr. Award “for the best study of a significant aspect of Connecticut history.” His book has received critical acclaim from a variety of sources. Dave, have you begun researching for volume three yet?
Bob Williams and Ann have been singing in The Highlands Chorale, with two concerts a year. Their holiday performance was met with an enthusiastic response by a full house. Bob is also singing in a quartet, perhaps appropriately called “The Uncalled Four.” Nevertheless, they have a devout following at the Highlands. He is having great fun!
Gill Seeley wrote in: “I will be conducting the Port Townsend Community Orchestra, in a program of works by Sibelius, Thompson, Mozart, and Copland at the end of February. I will also conduct the Rainshadow Chorale, also part of Port Townsend, in their May concert, in which I will premiere my new work for choir, Native American drum and flute on a text by my wife, entitled Morning Rabbit. Incidentally, the 40-member chorus consists of mostly retired folks, but they have great work ethic and spirit. I am thrilled to be making live music again after over 50 years of conducting concerts.”
Ed Stein wrote in: “I’m still here. In a few days, I’ll turn 81, which might make me the eldest in our class. Still working, trying to make Chortles, mini-mini chocolate chip graham crackers, a school and household name across the country. Also, doing crossword puzzle solving sessions with seniors at assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Plus, doing some puzzle construction. Will have another New York Times puzzle on President’s Day, Feb. 22, with the theme of Presidential Trivia.
“Wife Addie retired from teaching second grade in New Rochelle, N.Y., after 28 years. She loved it! That is, until teaching became more about test scores. That’s got to change. Daughter Sharon heads up a signage company with husband Tom. Some clients include Greenwich Hospital, the New York Knicks, and Pepsi. And daughter Jamie works in a special marketing group for Hershey’s.”
Rick Garcia ’60 ABCE confers Silver Pin awarded to Mauricio Tejada for best paper of the conference.
John Duell wrote in: “Trish and I, with our two families (10 total) celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with a weekend in London in early November. All of us enjoyed a performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, together with some excellent food. Looking forward to three weeks in Madeira in January.”
Rick Garcia, president of the Bolivian National Academy of Economic Sciences-ABCE, attended the Bolivian Conferences on Development Economics in December. The conference promoted the exchange of research experiences among Bolivian and foreign economists working in the in U.S. and European universities. While there, Rick gave the Silver Pin award to the best paper of the conference, written by Mauricio Tejada of the Alberto Hurtado University of Chile for his paper “Sources of Gender Wage Gaps in Latin American Countries.”
Sadly, Dick Huddleston passed away on Jan. 15. We will be following up with more information and reflections on Dick in the near future.
Editor’s Note: A heartfelt thank you goes out to your class secretary, Sal Russo, who worked diligently on collecting and compiling class notes while in a rehabilitation center to recover from his fall. We wish Sal a speedy recovery.
Jeff Powell, retired M.D., writes, “I had fun with Rob Pratt as we both have sailboats on Casco Bay near Portland, Maine. Where have the past 47 years gone?”
Jeff Powell ’69 and Robb Pratt ’69
Paul Melrose’s “grandchildren grow bigger. Since we live closer, we are no longer special, just the normal routine. I’m career coaching, especially clergy. Madison, Wis., is a great place to live.”
Ken Kawasaki and wife, Visakha, were “never gardeners, but with 365 days of warm weather, it’s easy. Plant a turnip, get a turnip. What we would give for a good Brussels sprout. Not much frost here. We’ve built three monkey cages: veggies inside, monkeys outside. Fed up with American politics? Come help us set up a cooperative. Sri Lanka is good, and Kandy is great. We have solar hot water and plan to go off the grid.”
John Mihalec “listened to an interview with Tony-winning Broadway director Thomas Kail ’99 on the Wesleyan website. Steve Pfeiffer introduced Kail to Wes, where Kail met Lin Maneul Miranda ’02 and collaborated on expanding Miranda’s Wes-created nugget of songs into a musical, In the Heights. Their latest collaboration is Hamilton...Who knew that sans Pfeiffer, no Hamilton?”
Jim Adkins “now works just a half day a week as an ENT in Tampa, Va. Thirty-eight years of medicine. That’s enough. Two grown kids, each with two children. All are well. Looking forward to traveling more.”
Joe Borcynski writes, “Still alive. Grateful.”
Charles Elbot and his wife “had a delightful visit with Alan Wallace ’70 and Barb Watson ’71, both spry and youthful. Miguel Gomez-Ibãnez ’71 heads the North Bennet Street School in Boston. I work part-time as a leadership coach in the Denver schools. Sons live nearby, so I’m lucky. I remain appreciative of my Wesleyan time.”
Mark Hodgson’s “wife passed away on July 7, sooner than we expected. Being alone for the first time in 38 years is a challenge, but I’m staying busy. One positive thought is how much I have learned about Judi, even after she is gone, and the ways I loved her without even knowing it, and how much my life was changed by her for the better.”
Bill Sketchley was “forced by disability to retire from city planning in 1998. More life and less money is not a bad trade. I contacted Karin Swanson, Mike Hulett’s former wife, by chance in 2015. Interesting perspective on the past.”
Doug Bell is “plugging away. Grasslands Fund is capped with 43 partner/investors. We have 1,500 leased/owned acres growing hemp, raising free-range pigs, and the finishing feed. I manage agricultural projects in Uruguay that include the above, as well as cattle and crops.”
Tom Earle “stays productive. I spent the summer renovating an investment house and worked nonstop. Now I’m back to teaching, a lot easier than tiling and installing cabinets. Maj and I have three grandchildren and enjoy them immensely.”
Tony Mohr and “Bev enjoy their rescued Lhasa Apsos—Ben and Jerry. We witnessed a friend’s wedding in Écully, France, at the Mairie. Lots of fun.”
Dave Siegel has “20 years as chief of medicine at VA Northern California Health Care System and professor and vice chair of internal medicine at UC Davis. I wrote extensively about hypertension and dyslipidemia. I have four grandchildren. Maybe retirement next June when youngest son graduates from medical school, but the thought fills me with anxiety.”
Steve Pfeiffer “sits on a ranch in Livingston, Mont., awaitingRick Ketterer, John Stinchfield, Jerry Parker, Marc Pickard ’70, and brotherVic ’71 for the annual Wes mini-reunion. Everyone is in good health and spirits. Fishing, hiking, stories, a bit of drinking, and a few cigars. We applaud that Don Russell is now in the Wesleyan Hall of Fame. He coached three Little Three championship teams in our era and was instrumental in the building of the Freeman Athletic Center.”
Rick Pedolsky “enjoys working at a start-up after all these years. Who’s crazy? Spinning off from our interactive museum work, we provide a multimedia system for presenting scientific, medical, and scholarly research: iPosterSessions.com.”
Rick Vila “ran the New York City Marathon to celebrate becoming 70. Sold air charter based on Block Island. Still landscape for residents. Spend winters in Crested Butte pursuing love for aggressive downhill skiing. Sees Walt Filkins ’70 and Pete Canoni.”
Siegfried Beer was “a Larry Gemeinhardt student from ’68 to ’69, which was significant for my career as a history professor in Graz, Austria. I now direct the Botstiber Institute of Austrian-American Studies in Media, Pa. Four children, all American citizens, have gifted me five grandchildren. Sadly, last February, my American wife, whom I wed in the Wesleyan chapel, unexpectedly passed away.”
John Bach “works to stop the proliferation of cluster bombs. Since the U.S. will no longer traffic them, it’s nice to get a victory.”
Barry Turnrose’s “son Erik and wife Dawn had our first grandchild, Jenna Joy Turnrose, the light of our lives. Class of ’38?”
Mike Fairchild did “photography in Hawaii to celebrate my 70th birthday and 50th state. Son, Scott ’00, manages the senate campaign for Catherine Masto, the Nevada attorney general who wants Harry Reid’s seat. Daughter Marnie is a major donor officer for Amnesty International. I saw Bill Redkey ’68, who lives in Heber City, Utah.”
Steve Broker and “Linda visited St. Andrews, New Brunswick, then Grand Manan Island—birding, fishing, lobstering. We visited with Greg McHone there, who succeeded me at Wesleyan’s GLSP program. About to have my right hip replaced and look forward to restored mobility.”
John Crigler and “Steve Darnell met in Middletown for lunch and a campus stroll. Ran into summer security when we visited Clark and Foss. I saw Joe Reed and his wife, Kit.”
Alex Knopp is “president of Norwalk Public Library Directors. Bette’s finishing her novel. Daughter Jess teaches Head Start. Son Andrew writes for an Internet comedy site.”
Darius Brubeck “moved to Rye, East Sussex. I will spend Christmas in Venice with my grandchildren, Nathaniel Elmer ’14 and Lydia ’17. Years Ago available online.”
Bob Watson had “a great family vacation in Iceland where I presented a paper on dreams at a psychoanalytic conference.”
Local news first: Judy and I celebrated our 70th birthdays and 44th anniversary and were recently musing how convenient it is to still be in love. When she noted that this may be more a matter of habit than conviction, I wasn’t taken aback. I can’t be choosy, as anything I get is more than I deserve. However, all this makes us newbies. We hosted Barbara and Dave Webb for a couple of delightful hours on our deck and Dave recounted verbatim the line he used to sweep Barb off her feet at an eighth-grade sock-hop. (He used to share it with his students at Choate in the hopes it might work for them, too.) Dave has kept in touch with a great circle of friends from Wes and reported seeing Paul Jarvis in Chicago while visiting his son, a realtor. They hadn’t gotten together in a while, but Tim Polk’s passing made them—as it should you—realize there are some things you should not put off to next year.
One of the benefits of my job is that I sometimes get into wonderful e-mail exchanges. Bob Svensk ’fessed up to watching a PBS special on Janis Joplin and recalled when she came to Wes. It was Brian McCoy’s first big deal as college social chairman. In a joint deal with Yale—Friday in New Haven and Saturday in Middletown—for $2,500 each at the behest of her agent, this unknown California singer was booked to introduce her to the East Coast. (Brian established the date as March 9, 1968.) After the performance, several of the brothers invited her back to DKE where she swilled Jack Daniels and ate pasta glop without utensils ’til dawn.
I think it’s quite something to look back and consider that, at this point, most of us are grandfathers and she, long gone, has been given her own stamp by the U.S. Postal Service. While I never spent a night in the company of such a character, I—like you—have memories of all sorts from back in the day and it’s for that reason I plan to spend May 24 to 27, 2018 at my 50th Reunion. Sandy See [seescape@verizon.net], Stuart Ober [ober@stuartober.com] and George Reynolds [greynolds@sandefunding.com] continue looking for guys to help out with things.
I caught up with Eric Conger in a call that proved to be an insight into a life in the theater. After Wes, he attended Hartford Seminary until the lottery graced him with a good number. Then he, along with Bob Helsel, revitalized a summer stock theater in Ohio. (Bob pulled a bad number and joined the Navy while Eric continued there for four years, gaining some notice as a director.) Earning his Equity Card after five more years in regional theater, he came to New York and landed a contract on the soap, Another World. Additionally, he spent almost 20 years as an actor at respected venues like Hartford Stage and Princeton’s McCarter Theatre. He countered this gig-to-gig lifestyle by saving like crazy and getting into some real estate ventures. But, by the early ’90s, he wanted to stop traveling and switched into doing voice-overs, commercials, and industrials.
Since 2008, he’s focused on being a playwright and, in 2010, experienced what he described as a “dream experience.” His play, a comedy-drama entitled The Eclectic Experience, was produced at Philadelphia’s 1,200 seat Walnut Street Theatre for a sold-out six-week run. One night Andy Stone hosted anEclectic reunion that drew 60, at which the guys loosely depicted in the play mingled with the actors playing them in the production. Eric has had two dramas produced at smaller venues and is working on a new project with the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He lives in Weehawken, N.J., with his wife, Gayle Humphrey. Their daughter, Sophia, is making films at Ithaca College and their son, Davis, is entering George Washington. Like many of us this year, Davis is keenly interested in politics.
I spoke with Dave Gruol in August. After a brief flirtation with New York banking (and these were times when bombs were going off and management trainees protested the war during lunch), he hitchhiked through Europe for three months. During that period, he arrived at an American military base at 2 a.m. to see Steve Horvat and was let in and directed to Steve’s barracks. (Reminds me of the time, as a kid, a pilot asked me into the cockpit to help fly the plane.) Always interested in photography, he returned to the States and took a job with a tech wizard doing various commercial projects. In 1980, he went off on his own doing mostly product photography for smaller outfits. (One choice assignment was for a chain of Caribbean hotels.) All the while, he did personal work in black and white; series on boxers, jazz musicians, and a lot of New Jersey urban landscapes many of which are not far from his home in Morristown. Married later in life, his wife, Joan, is involved with the Thomas Nast museum. In good health and very happily self-employed, he is not contemplating retirement. Every summer, he gets together with a wonderful bunch of classmates— Steve Horvat, Dick Emerson, Craig Dodd, Peter Hardin, Jacques LeGette, Ted Ahern, Ray Solomon, and Ron Schroeder—for golf and tall-tales.
Last summer, I inspected Dave Losee’s new digs in Camden, Maine. Apart from the fact his front lawn does not overlook Penobscot Bay, it was perfect. Los—a pitcher who, by his own admission, was no Whitey Ford—most appreciatively remembers Dave Gruol as his center-fielder who would snag anything not put into permanent orbit. Finally, Rich Kremer ’69, one of my all-time favorites, is up in Vermont. A superb golfer back in the day, he is back at it with a particular eye to special courses.
In the words of singer-songwriter James McMurtry, “It’s a damn short movie—how’d we ever get here?” Right, our 50th Reunion is this spring, May 25 to 28. Hope you can be there. You should have received an e-mail from Mike Feagley and Rick Nicita, and maybe some other e-mails about the Reunion, asking, among other things, for you to write something for the class book that will be published prior to Reunion. A block of rooms has been reserved for our class at the Radisson Hotel in Cromwell. I encourage you to reserve a room soon if you have not already done so (860/635-2000).
I’ve heard from many of you over the last few months, and here are some bits and pieces of what I have learned.
First, the writers.Jim Kates received a 2017 translation fellowship grant ($25K) from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the translation from the Russian of An Astounded World: Selected Poems by poet Aigerim Tazhi. Jim, a poet, literary translator, past president of the American Literary Translators Association, and current president and co-director of Zephyr Press, most recently translated Muddy River: Selected Poems of Sergey Stratanovsky (Carcanet Press, 2016).
Dave Garrison, also a poet, wrote to say that he is in a poetry-writing group at his local library and one of the other members is Thomas J. Donnelly ’83. Dave and his wife, Suzanne, spend most of each year in Dayton, Ohio, where she still teaches. Dave retired from teaching in 2009, but they also spend time at a condo they bought in Prairie Village, Kan., because they have family there. They now have discovered that Jim Ruhlen, a physician, and his wife, Leigh, live about two miles away from their Kansas condo. Although Dave and Jim didn’t know each other at Wesleyan, they now get together when Dave and Suzanne are in Kansas.
And Bill Klaber (whose specialty is prose, not poetry) wrote to say that he was preparing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son in June. He explained, “I’ve climbed to 19,000 feet before on Denali (12 days on the mountain, -20°F), but that was 30 years ago when I was 40. So these days I’m walking the roads with 20 lbs. of cat litter in my knapsack.” Come to the Reunion to see if he did it.
Two of our classmates have turned to the performing arts as extras in films. Steve Pfeif retired after a 14-year part-time gig as a career consultant at DBM/Lee Hecht Harrison. He still runs a small business writing résumés for military veterans who are transitioning out of military service. Steve has been working as a “background artist/extra” for TV shows and movies shot in Atlanta. As he put it, “think of a deep background, out of focus, white-haired guy.” He and Devon have been married 44 years, and have two children and four grandchildren.
Also to be found on the silver screen, if you look carefully, is Bruce Morningstar. Bruce and Katie still live in Rosarito, Baja, Mexico. He writes that he, too, has worked as an extra in two films. The first was titled Little Boy and the other titled Compadres. “Both were fun…I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
And a few classmates sent word that they had retired. Jeff Hicks retired in May, after 26 years as chairman of cardiac surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Here’s his take on his career at Rochester as a medical student, resident, and then staff member there:
“I have watched over the 49 years the progress of change in our medical profession as well as the vise-like grip the insurance companies and government have on health care today. My greatest reward was the teaching of more than 150 residents, both in general and cardiac surgery, and watching them as they blossomed into great surgeons in their own right. Serving nationally on the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, the president of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, and multiple other professional committees has been icing on the cake. Forty years at the operating table has provided me with a bad right knee, three back operations, and lots of memories.”
An e-mail from Alan Neebe revealed less about his career, but did report that he retired as professor of quantitative methods at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC at Chapel Hill, and that he is “still happily married to Eloise (Weejy) Cole, Smith ’69.”
As of May, Pat Weinstein was still working as the owner of Weinstein Beverage, the franchisee for Pepsi-Cola in north central Washington (the business was started by his father in 1937). He and his wife, Susan, were running the company as a family business, which included the full participation of two of their children, one of whom, the company’s general manager (daughter Eileen) was living in Paris, France (the wonders of modern technology!). Pat still plays hoops, and travels around the world to do so. At the time he wrote, his team had won the World Masters Championships in Italy, and they were gearing up for the American Masters Championships in Vancouver.
Ned Preble moved about three years ago from New Hampshire to Oregon to be closer to his five kids in California (“Three have left since I got here?!”). He teaches business courses at Capella University, is trying to drink up his wines from France before it is too late, and is trying to decide what to do with his baseball cards from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. (“No, I do not have Mickey Mantle’s 1952 rookie card.”)
Ned provided info on what he called “a Delt Cluster.” Here is some of it: Phil Corkill, a retired superintendent of public schools, now lives in Tucson; Dave Reynolds is a doctor in Springfield, Mass.; Dave Butler retired from a career as an international lawyer at a big insurance company in Newark; and Jim Guard is an architect living in the San Juan Islands.
I have a new book out, co-edited with Gene Borgida ’71, and titled Collaboration in Psychological Science: Behind the Scenes (Worth, 2016). One of the chapters was co-authored by Phil Shaver ’66. We dedicated the book to Professor Karl Scheibe and to my mother, Irene Zweigenhaft, who hired Gene not long after he graduated from Wesleyan: “To Irene Zweigenhaft and Karl Scheibe, both of whom saw the best in us, even when we were young and foolish.”
As the glow of our 50th fades and the streaks of the dawning of our 51st (or at least our 55th!) begins on the horizon and the winter snows have encumbered some of us, we need to again acknowledge our fellow classmates Al Burman, Frank Burrows, Jack Knapp, John Neff, and Dick Stabnick for a great “50th Reunion Class Book Addendum,” which, once again, brought back heartfelt memories both of our past and ongoing relationships with one another and our school. Thank you, folks, for a great final chapter to our class book.
First, a big shoutout to our titular class leader, Rick Crootof, and his wife, Linda, who have been blessed by becoming grandparents with the stork’s arrival of Maddox Meyers Uhl. Rick noted about his grandson: “Our first grandchild, a boy, 6 lbs. 12 oz., was three weeks and a day earlier than expected, but all is well.” Congratulations to you and new parents, Martha and Keegan. At the same time, the Crootof family celebrated the graduation of son Matthew Crootof ’96 from Idaho State University’s physician’s assistant program. Matthew and his wife, Kami, plan to live in Bozeman, Mont., where Matthew will begin his practice.
It was great hearing from our classmate, Pete “Pedro” Spiller, a fellow canoer, who, in August along with his friend, Jon Berger (Middlebury ’68), finished a 22-day northern Ontario canoe expedition. He experienced “great challenges and a wonderful, delightful adventure, perhaps better suited for the young, but splendid opportunities to put what we learned over the years to good use. Exceptionally pretty country, end to end.” Pete went on to note that he began canoeing at age 11, “continuing on through the years at Wesleyan and Columbia.” Before beginning his professional career, he had completed a “60-day, 1,000-plus mile expedition ending at Hudson’s Bay,” a record none of us can match. It’s great that he is “back in the birch” (though now may be made of carbon fiber). Today, Pete noted that he is the chairman of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate at our nation’s first port, and that “it’s accurate to say that he does ’lighthouse keeping’ as a volunteer and ’light housekeeping’ at home.”
A sad note was received about the passing of our classmate Michael Botein on Aug. 3, at his home in South Orange, N.J. While at Wesleyan, Michael was a member of Alpha Delt and majored in English. He was active at WESU and The Argus and participated in the Wesleyan Tutorial program. After Wesleyan, he earned his J.D. from Cornell University (1969), and an LLM (1972) and JSD (1979) from Columbia University. His professional career in law was centered on his being a professor at the New York Law School and the founder and director of the Media Center. “A scholar in telecommunications, cable television and regulation, he was the author of multiple treaties, casebooks, and articles, and shared his expertise as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and visiting professor in law schools around the world.” Donations to his memory can be made to the Michael Botein Memorial Scholarship Fund.
We received a great note from Clark Byam, who, after our Reunion, reacquainted himself with his pathways on the East Coast before returning to his home in LA with, side trips to Alaska and British Columbia. By the time you read this, Clark, we hope you will have made it out see us here in Hawaii as well.
We have another “Hall of Famer” amongst our classmates. Will Rhys wrote that the Cleveland Play House had selected him for induction into the Hall of Fame in September. The Play House is the oldest regional theater in the United States (100 years old last October). Congratulations, Will, on a well-deserved honor.
And now to our authors: The Rev. Paul Gilbert wrote a wonderful note that first explained his absence from our Reunion. He was “closing out” his illustrious career at the Grace Church Cathedral, but as we all know, physicians, lawyers, and priests never “retire.” Paul has assumed a new position as priest in charge of “a small congregation in Edisto, S.C.” His wife, Jan, continues to work as a lawyer and, by the time you read this, both he and Jan will have a fourth grandchild. Paul noted that he is “in the final stages” of editing the second edition of his book titled, The Marriage Quest. He concluded with noting, “There are a couple of more in the pipeline.” So, Paul, make sure you get these done, as we expect to see you at the 55th!
Phil Shaver has published two books this last summer, both of which were new editions of previous publications. The first, Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications, is considered “the bible” for the psychological study of emotional attachments (to children, parents, pets, lovers, etc.), while the second, Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change, focuses on the human element of attachments. Phil finally notes humbly that this last September he received an honorary doctorate in the social sciences from Stockholm University in Sweden. He notes, “The ceremony required that I purchase white tie and tails, something I have never owned before.” What a great honor, Phil. We all celebrate with you.
And so, my fellow classmates on this high note, I say a hui hou (not goodbye, but “until our paths cross again”) as your class secretary. Thank you for your trust and sharings over the years—it’s been a wonderful ride. As with all things, however, it’s time for renewal and change, and I am so happy that this important task will be passed to our classmate, Larry Carver, who heard my kaleo (call) to all of you at our Reunion. Please pass along to him the wonderful happenings in your life that all of us continue to have. His contact information is:
A big mahalo, Larry. And finally, I need to recognize the wonderful work that Wesleyan’s alumni folks do for all of us. A particular thank you goes out to Cynthia Rockwell, Pam Vasiliou, and our current Office of Communications contact, Randi Plake. Thank you all. And so, my friends, there are only three things left to be said. The first is in that celebrated song by Bing Crosby and captured in the theme song of Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation: Mele Kalikimaka. The second is Hau`oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year). And the third is “See you at the 55th.”
