Class Notes

The end of an all-too brief summer has folks writing in with all sorts of updates.

Wendy Brown Giardina graced the U.S. East Coast this past fall for a visit with Boston-area family as well as friends, me included. Wendy became a grandmother to Arthur, earlier this year, who lives with his parents in Zurich.

I’ve written previously about Iddy Olson finding love in her 60s: indeed, she and partner Tom were married this fall in Chicago. It couldn’t happen to two nicer people. Iddy is thoroughly enjoying her 1-year-old granddaughter.

Ted Stevens wrote about a benefit this past May in Rhode Island: “One of the finest individuals, Nancy Scanlon Poon, a bona fide DKE, has been diagnosed with ALS. Nancy is biological sister to Robert “Bobby” Scanlon and wife (for 41 years) of Alan “Pooner” Poon ’76. Nancy is showing incredible courage under the difficult circumstances.” We all wish Nancy and her family the very best.

Mark Slitt’s travels have taken him to Germany and Poland. The program included five days at Auschwitz, where the group engaged in preservation projects, such as cleaning objects in the museum and tending the grounds of the site. This was not a typical vacation by any means, but a very meaningful one for Mark, to be sure.

David Loder sends his best regards to all; he described getting to relive the Wes experience, as his brother’s son, Aaron ’22, entering his sophomore year, is thoroughly enjoying the college experience.

John Fink has a new job as executive director of education and workforce development at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. He, along with wife Shari, got to babysit their two grandsons in Oregon for some time during a four-month sabbatical. John found it “a lot different handling a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old at age 63 than it was back at age 33.”

Jerry Stouck is retiring from law this year after 39 years. He is working on a book, but other than that, will be enjoying lots of golf and splitting time between D.C. and Park City, Utah. Oldest daughter Danielle got married in September. Jerry was on campus to partake in the opening of the new Chabad house at Wesleyan, which he supported.

Dr. Doug Hauschild was able to play (as an actor) a doctor: Dr. Norquist in the smash hit Bright Star at the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre.

Cindee Howard wrote from England that she and her partner, Jon, were at a reunion in England, getting together with people she was with on a program in Israel 40 years ago. She is still working full-time as a proofreader and copyeditor for Marriott International.

Jim Melloan produced the New York Comedy Music Festival this past spring. Jim met up with Jack Freudenheim ’79, Tom Kovar ’76, Win Lockwood ’78, Ann Beutler Millerick ’77, and a bunch of other alumni to play in a Super-Wes band at Eclectic at Reunion.

Jane Eisner began a new job this summer as director of academic affairs at the Columbia School of Journalism. She finds it gratifying to know that even at our stage of life, we can embrace a new challenge!

I always get a kick out of reporting when my professional adult life intersects with my Wesleyan life. Such is the case with a commission this year to design a new chapel for Temple Beth Avodah, in Newton, Mass., in honor of their Rabbi, Keith Stern. Designing a spiritual space is one of the high points to any architect’s career. What has made this project so special is that the entire Temple community has been engaged, generous with their time, extremely warm, and appreciative. In other words, they reflect Keith’s style exactly.

Finally, it is with great sadness that I write of the passing of two of our classmates: Laura McLane Fox and Fred Van Brunt. Laura was a biology major at Wesleyan, a well-respected nursing administrator and gerontologist. She is survived by her two daughters. Fred was a resident of Middletown after having spent several years in Hollywood as prop master for several studios. Fred is survived by many family members in the Middletown area. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and family and classmates who were counted among their friends.

I hope everyone keeps well. Drop a line when you have a chance. The next set of notes are likely due at the end of the year.

Gerry Frank | Gfrank@bfearc.com

Dear Class: Jay Abramowitz has published Formerly Cool, a comic novel that has received accolades from, among others, the Al Jean, the executive producer of The Simpsons. Learn more at formerlycool.com.

Mark Berger reminded me that most of our class is on the verge of a big birthday this year. I was doing my best to forget, but I am afraid he is right. Mark is married to Jane Eisner ’77 and is the chief medical officer at Actinium Pharmaceuticals, a biotech firm working on cancer treatments. He has two grandchildren and just bought a vacation home in Hillsdale, N.Y., where Sandy Krieger is a neighbor.

Meredith Gang Bergmann has been commissioned to create a sculpture in Central Park that will honor pioneering women’s rights advocates. It will be the first statue depicting real women in the 165-year history of Central Park!

Barbara Birney visited with Gail and Peter Hanson this summer in D.C.

Ethan Bronner, formerly with the New York Times, is a senior editor at Bloomberg, where he writes and edits features on international politics, mostly concerning Latin America. He is especially focused on the crisis in Venezuela and the threat it is posing to many of its neighbors. His older son, Eli ’10, manages artists, including Michael Gittes ’10.

Sidney Cohen and his wife, Carol, reside in Pleasanton, Calif., and are proud grandparents of Eon and Eliza. Sid remains busy in clinical research at Medtronic and spends his free time doing gardening, amateur radio, and photography.

Larry Davis ’73 has transitioned from president and managing director of Map Energy, LLC to senior advisor and chief scientist. This leaves him with more time for travel to places like the Amazon in Bolivia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Central Europe, as well as many cruises with family. Larry invites anyone taking I-35 or I-40 through Oklahoma to stop by for a visit.

Karen Gervasoni just built a new house near her old, too big one in Kennebunk. She notes that downsizing is no fun when you have to sort through 40 years of accumulated stuff.

Dan Herr continues his impressive work in nanoscience and was interviewed by the podcast NanoTube. In addition, Ethan Logan Herr, Dan’s fifth grandchild, was born on Aug. 30.

Deb King and her husband, Daniel Toth, both retired this May and took a trip to celebrate, which included a visit to friends in Bordeaux with side trips through France, Barcelona, and Crete with great sightseeing and local cuisine.

Dan Henry’s wife, Jean, retired in January but he is continuing his part-time business as a technical consultant which leaves him free to join her on many travels, including trips with their two married sons and two young granddaughters and to California, Aruba, and Florida.

Norm Kerner has opened his second recording studio in Hollywood (Hollywood Hills and Silver Lake areas) where he focuses on modern pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Norm also continues his real estate work at Sotheby’s International Realty specializing in properties with recording studios on site. He can be reached at norm@nkerner.com.

Tom Kovar and Charlie Berman were at a gig at Eclectic during Reunion weekend. Lots of ’79ers were on stage and the music was great.

Jaimee Mirsky retired from her second career last year and she and her husband, Jay, spent a lot of time enjoying their first grandchild (a second one is expected in December). They also moved to their dream home in Morristown, N.J. Jaimee would love to reconnect with Mark Stratton.

After living in Boston since 1978, Will Rodman and his wife, Pam, have moved to Dallas, Texas, lured there by their first grandchild. Will says he will greatly miss having an occasional beer with Rook Van Nest ’75 and his wife, Annie. Will, Rook, and Davie Terrie were back at Wes in 2018 to honor the 1973 soccer team that won the ECAC.

Steve Smith and his wife, Jean, retired this summer and went on a week-long cruise to celebrate. Steve has been a ham radio operator for 53 years.

Steve Schwartz and his wife, Janelle, have been living in Dallas, Texas, since 2015, and are still getting used to the Cowboys fans. Steve plans to continue his work as a VP with Charles River Associates, his children are doing well, and he and Janelle have five grandchildren to keep them busy.

Becky Vose and her husband, Steve Schreckinger, are enjoying their second home in Scarborough, Maine, Becky’s hometown. They are on a tidal river and a short walk from a long stretch of sandy beach. Son Ben reports for Politico.

As for me, I have been class secretary for a while now and have enjoyed it, but it seems time to let someone else give it a try. One benefit of a change is that we all know different people and a change may inspire a new group to write in. If you are interested in the job, please contact Randi Plake at rplake@wesleyan.edu.

Mitchell Marinello | mlmarinello@comcast.net

John McLucas had a blast at Reunion! One unexpected highlight was learning that Bill Pearson chairs the board at Young Audiences, a group which John enthusiastically supports in Baltimore. Another was learning that Peter Hayward’s in-laws are favorite neighbors of John’s in his new-ish neighborhood, Bolton Hill. John is starting his 36th and final year as professor of Italian and Latin at Towson University near Baltimore. Plans for retirement include continuing to write fiction. His debut novel, Dialogues on the Beach, came out in late 2017. A sequel, Spirit’s Tether, is in the editors’ hands, with a third, unrelated book in the works.”

Craig Everhart states and then asks, “I’m jumping into retirement in October. Much as people say to have a plan in mind, I don’t really have one. I may go bananas. But I suspect that I am like others of my classmates: work is pretty fulfilling, and I have not been driven to wish for other ways to occupy myself. What do you do in a similar situation?”

Blaise Noto reports, “I’m continuing as assistant professor of communications at Barton College in North Carolina, and loving it. Last semester, I designed and taught a digital media communications course in addition to my law and ethics in the media, sports and communication, public relations campaigns and marketing, and a range of others. I also have been active in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (been a member since 1985) as an official judge of Student Academy Awards for domestic and intentional students, as well as the Nicholls Scholarship Screenwriting Competition. And last fall, I was appointment chairman of the Alumni Interview Committee for Chapel Hill and other parts of the Triangle for the University of Pennsylvania. As for my summer—been at home and doing physical therapy from total hip joint replacement surgery at Duke Hospital. Feeling great!”

Jan Eliasberg updates us. “My daughter, Sariel Hana Friedman ’19, graduated Wesleyan in June; she majored in American studies and minored in film studies; she’s currently working for FICTIONLESS, a team of passionate storytellers and strategists producing emotionally rich nonfiction film + television alongside high impact brand content.

“And I’m making my debut as a novelist, with my book, Hannah’s War, bought by Judy Clain at Little, Brown in a bidding war. This was the announcement in Publisher’s Marketplace, with a lovely blurb by Amy Bloom ’75:

“Award winning writer/director Jan Eliasberg’s Hannah’s War, a thrilling historical debut about a female scientist working to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II, and the young military investigator determined to uncover her secret past, has been sold to Judy Clain at Little, Brown & Company, in a pre-emptive bid. Hannah’s War, adapted by Eliasberg from her Black List and BBC List topping screenplay Heart Of The Atom, will be Little, Brown’s lead title for spring, with a publication date of March 3.”

Reviews include:

“Jan Eliasberg knows how to open big with strong suspense and wry humor and take us for a hurtling ride through one of America’s most complex moments. The wonderful characters of Hannah’s War bring together a moving love story, a high-stakes mystery and a fascinating look into the moral compass of an exceptional woman.
―Amy Bloom, author of White Houses

“I flew through Hannah’s War, a gripping true story long overdue to be told, of a brilliant woman physicist working to develop the first atomic bomb and the secret she fights to protect.”―Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls

Norma J. Williams was selected statewide to receive the inaugural Excellence In Practice Award given by the Solo and Small Firm Section of the California Lawyers Association. The award is to honor a solo or small firm attorney who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication to the legal profession and has contributed to the betterment of the practice of law. Norma accepted the Award at a ceremony in Huntington Beach on June 14.

On July 11, Bob Heller’s 15-year valiant battle with cancer ended at the of age 67. He grew up in Carle Place, N.Y., graduated from Wesleyan University and the New England School of Law. After practicing in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, Bob moved to Seattle and for the past 30 years continued practicing law there, the last 11 at The Walthew Law Firm. He’s been a presenter at workshops and seminars on issues involving Workers’ Compensation law. Bob is past co-chair of the Washington State Deaf-Blind Task Force, past chair of the King County Bar Association Committee on Legal Problems of the Disadvantaged, past president of the Board of Daybreak Family Homes, and a founding board member of the Washington State Deaf-Blind Service Center. Bob also volunteered his time as a speaker before cancer support groups, as a special service provider for the deaf-blind community, and was a long-time volunteer with Volunteer Attorneys for Persons with AIDS (VAPWA). The two-time All-American college football player and inductee to the Wesleyan Hall of Fame, was also a mean fiddle player (by ear) of Irish music. He loved family, friends, all things Irish, Saki, the Mariners, the Seahawks, and the Patriots.

Sharon Purdie | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

We have news from around the world, starting with one of my three East College roommates from senior year.

John Spike writes from Venice, Italy. “In January 2017, I retired from the College of William & Mary after nearly 10 years as assistant director and chief curator of the Muscarelle Museum of Art. The ensuing freedom has allowed us to return to working in Europe for about half the year (or less, for tax reasons). In London, I am senior advisor to the Sir Denis Mahon Foundation. In Venice I am organizing a symposium and an exhibition of Raphael drawings for the Accademia museum in honor of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death in 1520. Michèle is lawyering plus writing and lecturing on Matilda of Canossa and other medieval themes. This autumn in Tenafly, N.J., we’re looking forward to our 50th high school reunion. In Los Angeles, our beautiful 3-year-old grandson, Santiago Spike, is happily babbling in at least two languages at the same time.”

From Lake Placid, N.Y., John Huttlinger reports a busy summer. “My CPA practice is very time consuming, but I enjoy working with my clients,” he says, adding, “I have taken steps to seek out a smooth and orderly transition to semi-retirement, but have not found the right solution to that yet.” He is still active with the Lake Placid Film Festival, which was launched in June 2000. He attended the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, where he met festival organizers Mike McKenna and Lloyd Komesar ’74. His film society arranged their annual classic film screening hosted by Jeremy Arnold ’91. Jeremy is a writer for Turner Classic Movies and writes the companion books to their Essentials series. His family has had a camp on Lake Placid for over 80 years. John and wife Karen had lunch with Jeremy and his mother at their classic Adirondack camp high on a cliff overlooking Lake Placid.

He’s also connected with Charlie Cocores ’74: once at Reunion last year, when he invited him to go to Foxboro to watch the Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse team play in the NCAA Division III championship game (Wesleyan won) and again last spring in Middletown for a reunion of Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse teams from the 1970s “which Mike McKenna inexplicably attended as well!” He says he also keeps in touch with Michael Gionfriddo, who has moved back to Middletown and spends a lot of time at Wesleyan.

Bruce Fergusson tells me, “Peter, first of all, kudos for drastically lowering your A1C! I’m still north of the border myself but we’re working on it.” He says following his wife’s retirement as a social worker for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, they sold their home and moved to Salem, Ore. “As I’ve done elsewhere, a new home is not yet christened until I build a dry-stone wall—front yard this time. Building stone walls is a lot easier than writing, but I’ve somehow still managed to finish, and publish, my eighth novel, and I’m working on the next,” he says. (brucefergusson.com)

His son Brian is in grad school, hoping to become a respiratory therapist. His oldest son, Patrick, recently married, is in the “thick of the D.C. political scrum,” working as the assistant chief-of-staff and legal counsel for a prominent “Rebel Alliance” congresswoman.

Jay Rose writes that, “Since we are all old, I can share the rites of passage for our age group. I am getting my second hip replacement, we recently downsized to an over-55 community, and my back hurts all the time. But I can break 90 pretty often.”

From Nashville, Jim Powers, with the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging, reports that he received a HRSA Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant to train health professionals to care for older people and deliver effective models of care to improve health outcomes.

At this writing here in early September from South Florida, we have dodged Dorian, another dreaded hurricane that was heading in our direction originally putting us “in the cone” for a week and then skirting north after walloping the Bahamas and then threatening my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and her family in southern Virginia before heading further north. We are still in the peak of the hurricane season so who knows what I’ll be reporting next.

Until next time,

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

Once again the highlight of the summer was the (fifth annual) Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, the creation of Lloyd Komesar ’74. This year I attended every possible screening (except those for kids and the one show at midnight, which is now past my bedtime), saw 20 different films, most of them excellent, and got to spend time with even more Wes people than ever before. First time festival goers Tom Halsey and Dennis Kesden joined veterans Mike Arkin, Mike Busman, Steve Goldschmidt, and yours truly, plus spouses and significant others. I won’t try to name all the attendees from other classes, but it was particularly good to see Arthur Fierman ’74 for the first time since Wes, as well as to spend a good deal of time at Mike McKenna’s [’73] estate up the road in Weybridge. The highlight, as always, was the Wesleyan reception at Sivan Cote’s [’05] Stonecutter Spirits, where we got to sample Sivan’s new Adventure Whiskey (for me every whiskey is an adventure) and to meet Nikhil Melnechuk ’07, whose film, Don’t Be Nice, was one of the festival prize winners. Everyone should think about going to the festival next year. You’ll get to spend some time in Middlebury in lovely weather (okay, so the skiing sucks in August), you’ll see some great films, and you’ll get to see a whole lot of Wespeople. And, as Lyn Lauffer ’74 pointed out, you will enjoy your next Wesleyan Reunion even more after going to MNFF.

Steve Alpert sent me a link to a story he posted on his website dedicated to Indonesian art and culture in which he tells of getting a bungai terong (eggplant flower blossom) tattoo, and how that tattoo saved him from being attacked by a deadly poisonous snake. See it at artoftheancestors.com. As Steve relates, there are two types of people in the tattooing ceremony—those who cry and bleed a lot, and those who are brave and bleed little. Steve, of course, falls into the latter category.

We lost Tim Atwood ’73 on July 12. He practiced law in Connecticut, specializing in litigation, and primarily representing the firearms industry. As his LinkedIn profile states, “I’ve represented almost all of the major gun companies. National trial counsel for three, currently vice president and general counsel for Charter Arms. A long list of insurance clients and Fortune 500 clients also. I currently handle administrative regulation issues in the firearms industry, commercial real estate development projects, personal injury, and workmen’s comp matters. I’ve handled enough cases in southern Connecticut that there is usually a chorus of ‘Hi, Tim’ when I walk into a courthouse.”

Peter Clark received the University College of London School of Management Award for Best Lecturer in the Master’s in Management Programme. He told Mike Carlson he was wearing a Mets jersey under his doctoral robes when he received the award.

Finally, I got back in touch with Jim Cacciola, whom I had not seen since our fifth Reunion. Had a lovely dinner with Jim and his partner, Dave, during a recent visit to Boston. It was a delightful reminder of what a good, decent, compassionate man Jim always was. He is now retired after a career as an internist in Boston. Yet another reminder of what a great bunch of people that Admissions Office put together! Jim says he will be at our 50th, and I hope you all will as well!

Seth A. Davis | sethdavis@post.harvard.edu
213 Copper Square Drive, Bethel, CT 06801

Aloha. Here are the long notes I received last time but did not publish or cut severely.

Dave Lindorff writes: “On April 15 I received a 2019 Izzy award from the Park Center for Independent Media for outstanding independent journalism for a cover story run in the December 2018 issue of the Nation magazine titled “Exclusive: The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed.” It is really exciting for me to have finally, after 47 years working as an investigative journalist, won a national award that recognizes my work! Especially exciting is that it’s an award honoring the memory of I.F. Stone, one of the people who most inspired me to get into this profession and to pursue it independently rather than working on the staff of some corporate media organization, with all the compromises inevitably involved in that kind of thing.

“Moving on to more things now. At the moment I’m working on a documentary film project about the and death of Ted Hall, the man who, at the tender age of 18 as one of if not the youngest scientist working in Los Alamos on the Manhattan Project to build the atom bomb, decided, even before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that the prospect of the U.S. coming out of the war with a monopoly on nuclear weapons was too horrible to permit, and so, on his own with no connection to any Soviet spy ring, he walked the plans for the implosion device to the Soviet Consulate in New York, significantly helping the Russians to catch up and explode their own bomb in August 1949. Ted was never caught, but went public in 1996 as he was dying of cancer. U.S. government documents prove that the U.S. was planning, since even before the end of WWII, to obliterate Russia as an industrial power using its atomic bombs as soon as it got enough of them. Ted, it can now be proven, by his youthful courage and impulsivity, saved the world from a holocaust even worse than the one Hitler caused, and into the bargain helped give us 75 years of no nuclear weapons being exploded in war despite the existence of thousands of them in the hands of mutual antagonists (admittedly at enormous cost to all sides!). I’m still looking for more funding so if anyone wants to be a backer let me know.”

William H. “Bill” Hicks is a graduate of Wesleyan University who also holds a master’s in public health degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health (1973). Bill also has studied at the Dallas Theological Seminary. He grew up in Harlem during the 1950s and 1960s before going away to prep school in Massachusetts, Mount Hermon School. He has spent most of his professional life in the public health arena in areas including policy research and analysis, health systems planning, and health systems and facility administration while being constantly in ministry. He received his license to preach the Gospel at Oklahoma City in 1971. He has written extensively on Christian topics including two books, Discipleship and Discipline: Second Edition and Sermon Outlines and Study Guides: Simple, Self-Directed Instructions On Being A Disciple (From The Perspective Of The Pew), with a third book pending publication. He enjoys life in Chattanooga with former District Public Defender Ardena Garth Hicks, his wife of 29 years and his two daughters, Rachel (BA, University of Memphis magna cum laude, 2014) and Sarah (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, Global Scholar, University of Tulsa, 2017).

Randy Stakeman is moving to Humble, Texas, north of Houston, to live with his son and family. He will have a small one-bedroom apartment in the house and access to his granddaughter.

First timer Mike Ronan writes: “I’ve retired to Panama, where Pam and I have a small craft coffee farm in the mountains near Boquete. It’s quite beautiful. After years of experiments—taxi driving, banking, Peace Corps, bartending, grad school, and marketing, in that order—I settled down as a comp and lit instructor at Houston Community College. I had never dreamed of teaching, nor administration, but it was very satisfying career, fulfilling a need to serve. Coffee farming is its own pleasure. A lot of effort goes into every bean. My two kids are writers and filmmakers. Before leaving the States, I had a chance to catch up with a couple of fellow oarsmen, Michael Mullally in Montreal and Buddy Coote in D.C. and I stay in touch with Roy Cramer.”

That is all the news this time. Remember the 50th Reunion is coming up. Contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, P’19 at klynch@wesleyan.edu or 860/685-5992 to get involved. We need your help! Aloha.

Neil J. Clendeninn | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

Aloha, all. First of all, I need to remind you that our 50th Reunion begins on May 21 with an informal class dinner and ends on that Sunday with Commencement. (see wesleyan.edu/rc for full details). Please make your arrangements to attend now. Thank you.

I had a long note from Bob Stone (he of the Trumpericks books) concerning a lunch reunion with his swim team and fraternity buddy, Vic Pfeiffer. Bob wrote warmly of Vic (“Some people you meet along the way help to elevate you and enhance your performance”) and of the other members of the medley relay team, John Ketcham and William “Boo” Gallas ’69. Bob reminisced fondly about competing in the NCAA College Division national swimming and diving championships, losing the gold by a blink. “Definitely a highlight for me and an honor to be associated with these very talented guys.”

Tim Greaney, professor emeritus after 29 years at Saint Louis University, wrote that he’s now teaching law at the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Tim is working “to improve our broken health care system.” Recently, he testified on health care mergers before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee at the invitation of Amy Klobachar. Tim says he is “living large in the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz, where I spend a lot of time with Paul Roth, who is still going strong teaching, writing, and traveling the globe as a latter-day Louis Mink.” West Coasters are encouraged to contact Tim.

I had a very brief note from Steve Masten ’70, MA’75 saying he’s planning on attending the 50th Reunion. (Have I mentioned we have Reunion in May? Are you coming?)

Charlie Holbrook says, “Leslie and I are making plans to attend the 50th anniversary of the 1969 undefeated football team at Homecoming on Nov. 2, and in May we will be attending the 50th graduation anniversary of the Class of 1970. It is going to be an eventful year!”

Speaking of Reunion, look for an e-mail soliciting a little bit of writing to be put into a special Reunion memory book being assembled by John Griffin, Maurice Hakim, and John Sheffield. Also, Jeremy Serwer is requesting that you contact him with your top five favorite on-campus music concerts of our Wesleyan years. You can contact John at jqgriffin01@gmail.com or Jeremy at jeremy@theserwercompany.com. I believe they are still seeking photographs from our college years.

In closing, I would like to share with you a profile in courage from classmate David Redden. David was part of the fight against AIDS, using his auctioneer’s skills more than 30 years ago to raise funds by auctioning Christmas trees along with Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Harvey Fierstein.  Now David himself is struggling, doing personal battle with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

Unable to do many physical things, David is busy writing, including editing, expanding, and categorizing “decades of my private Diary of a Sotheby’s Auctioneer.” “It is curious that so many words—well beyond one million, could be written about only one facet of what I conceive to have been a charmed existence.”  In love with the stories of items in “almost a million lots,” David tells of his office, “an irresistible vantage point from which to peer into the hidden corners of human existence.”  I have the distinct feeling that the resulting book will be incredibly fascinating and will, to paraphrase John McPhee in describing the experience of reading his fascinating little book about the history of oranges, will be a book you will enjoy from beginning to end, despite perhaps having thought at the outset that you would never be interested in a book about auctions.

While you await the publication of the book, please consider contributing to the David Redden ALS Fund at Columbia University, to support ALS and neuron research and the work of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center.  

• ALS Fund Letter
• David N. Redden Lecture
• ALS Center Fact Sheet

I have the distinct feeling that the resulting book will be incredibly fascinating and will, to paraphrase John McPhee in describing the experience of reading his fascinating little book about the history of oranges, will be a book you will enjoy from beginning to end, despite perhaps having thought at the outset that you would never be interested in a book about auctions. While you await the publication of the book, please consider contributing to the David Redden ALS Fund at Columbia University, to support ALS and neuron research and the work of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center. (I am asking the editors to publish David’s entire letter to his classmates in the online edition of this column.)

At this end, having recovered (more or less) from the flood of April 2018, we have renewed our efforts to finish our little offgrid home-in-a-valley with the help of a go-getter contractor.  (Photos on Facebook, if interested.)  Visitors will be welcome.

So, write with news or just because. And don’t forget to make plans to attend the 50th Reunion. (Did I mention our Reunion?)

Russ Josephson | russ_josephson@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 1151, Kilauea, HI 96754