Class Notes

Your scribes for the Great Class of ’59 offer this poem by Henry Longfellow, written on the occasion of his 50th Reunion at Bowdoin in 1825.

“Ah, nothing is too late

Till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate.

Cato learned Greek at eighty; Sophocles

Wrote his grand Oedipus, and Simonides

Bore off the prize of verse from his compeers,

When each had number more than fourscore years,

And Theophrastus, ‘Characters of Men.’

Chaucer, at Woodstock with the nightingales,

At sixty wrote the Canterbury Tales;

Goethe at Weimar, toiling to the last,

Completed Faust when eighty years were past,

These are indeed exceptions; but they show

How far the gulf-stream of our youth may flow

Into the arctic regions of our lives,

Where little else than life itself survives…”

Cato learned Greek at 80! So, what have we all been doing?

Bonnie and Bob Waterhouse report on their “last Big Adventure” having moved from Massachusetts to Venice, Fla., and “love it.” Good people, great beaches, and an afternoon alligator. They stay in touch with Bob Mann and Herb Steiner.

Joe Vander Veer has found the antidote to today’s discouraging political year: The arrival of two great-grandchildren. They seem unfazed by gridlock and the rest.

Steve Kaplan reports continued traveling, some brought about by providing expert testimony to the federal judiciary. Will be attending graduations of grandchildren from Clark and Barnard just before our Reunion.

Don Hinman wrote: “The deaths of classmates Ernie Dunn and Doug Bennet have brought back some vivid memories of the late ’50s. Doug was the president of AXP and sent Ernie and me to the AXP National Fraternity meeting in Buck Hills Falls, Pa., to ask them to include others than white Christians in the brotherhood. The Inn at Buck Hills Falls did not know quite what to do when Ernie and I arrived at the front desk. I was astonished, naive enough, I guess, to think that all college people were like our colleagues at Wesleyan. Ernie knew better, I think. We were essentially ostracized by most attendees. Allegheny and Dartmouth were the only sympathetic attendees. Doug would have been a better representative, but he, too, would have failed, in spite of his eloquence and logic. I admired Ernie for his courage and calmness throughout it all. Both are to be much honored by all of us . . . for supporting our stand.”

Bob Czepiel wrote in a note to Tom McHugh that he planned to attend Reunion! “Should be particularly interesting to look back over 80 years and reflect on the importance of a Wesleyan education has had on all our lives. Eleven years ago, in 2008, I spent a considerable time on campus producing a video, 50: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same, as part of a film class I took at Wesleyan.

“Surprisingly, only a few things had changed: Women, of course, the PC/cell phone phenomena, and some modern buildings. The student body’s personality, education process, and faculty were much the same as when we were in Clark and the Beta House years ago.”

Cyndy and John Spurdle spent six weeks in London over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. The highlight was a week together with daughter Meg ’86 and her English husband, Giles, and grandchildren, Nick, 18, and Maud, 17. Lots of great music (the highlight was the carol service at the Royal Hospital Chapel),ß fun theater including a rollicking “pantomime” of Sleeping Beauty, and a good old Don Quixote. Attended the London Library Christmas party hosted by our new honorary president, Sir Tim Rice.

Weg Thomas is continues to produce some wonderful photographs of the season.

Dick Wenner reported on a recent trip to Europe. “The first week was spent on a cruise from Paris to Normandy (and the cemetery) and back. The second was a week on the road in Switzerland with my son and 16-year-old grandson. The second week ended with a family reunion of some 150 Swiss and 25 American relatives, including all seven of my descendants. All in all, quite an experience for one who thought he would never see foreign shores again!”

Dick Cadigan urges all of our classmates to make it back for the 60th. “I truly hope that as many as possible will return for our 60th. Sixty-four years of contact and friendships is a bit staggering to think about. I have been to every Reunion of our class since the 15th (nine in all). I have always come away with joy, and a deep appreciation for our classmates and Wesleyan.”

Wolfram Thiemann is also planning to attend Reunion from Bremen, Germany. He writes, “”Since I have long been formally retired from active teaching Physical Chemistry at the University of Bremen/Germany I have been busy since in teaching abroad, sharing exciting research projects, visiting conferences, and reviewing doctoral theses and scientific manuscripts submitted to various peer-reviewed international journals. About once a year I have been invited by either some universities in Maharashtra/India to deliver lectures on various topics in environmental issues and space research, or by some academic institutes in China, in particular by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Peking to contribute to specific research subjects in Bioanalytical Chemistry. My most challenging research project, named ROSETTA-PHILAE, was the active participation of a soft landing of a probe on a comet (called Churymosov-Gerasimenko) carrying an analytical instrument developed in our laboratory to search for prebiological organic matter on the comet’s surface, – of course I was only one out of a number of researchers sponsored by the European Space Agency, yet one who was privileged to have contributed to one of the central experiments searching for the origins of life on Earth and in the Universe. Imagine the enthusiastic excitement in our team when the news came through that our lander has in December 2014 finally arrived safely on the tiny (its size is roughly 2 x 3 km!) comet’s surface after a 10-years-journey through space.

“Privately I (together with my wife, Wen, born in China) have been lucky to enjoy the fact that my two daughters, one adopted son, and four lovely grandkids are living not too far from Bremen, and that we have met regularly with a huge number of cousins within Germany.

“Looking forward to this great chance of seeing some of my classmates again, at the very site where I learned so much from Wesleyan which inspired all my life.”

On a sad note, Betsy Lindgren wrote that her father, David Larson, passed away suddenly on Dec. 20. Dick Goldman ’58 reported that Wayne Fillback’s wife, Mary Ellen, died recently. Wayne was part of the Deerfield gang who spent two years with our class and transferred to Colby.

Alan Dieffenbach passed away shortly before his 82nd birthday. After earning an MAT at Oberlin, and an early career as a smoke jumper, he taught secondary school in Salt Lake City and New York State. He volunteered for the Peace Corps in Nepal in 1964 and spent considerable time there on the Peace Corps staff while trying to climb extremely difficult mountains in his spare time. After moving back to Providence, the Dieffenbachs left to work on a water project in Yemen for a year, ending up eventually in Brattleboro, Vt., owning the Upper Crust Bakery! Our thoughts are with his family.

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

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

Tony Codding’s note tells that he sold the house where he and his late wife had lived for 41 years and moved into a nearby condo. He missed Reunion, having to be at an open house over Memorial Day weekend. Tony is serving his third nonconsecutive term on the condo association board and still facilitates strategic planning sessions for nonprofits.

Don Hill is very active, coordinating an economics institute at Stanford for the 32nd consecutive year. He serves on a library board, visits a grandson at Harvard, and plays tennis twice (or more) a week. He and wife Ann are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary with a trip to Berlin and Paris.

Retired physician and current poet Roger Turkington lives in Brooksville, Fla. His next book of poetry will go on sale on Amazon in April and his volume of collected poems is projected for 2020.

During his career, he lived in 46 states and was a visiting professor at 24 medical centers in North America and in seven European countries. He keeps in touch with Pirkko and Burr Edwards, who live in Lectoure, France. He still takes on projects in Africa, but is doing less of it. He contemplates a winter trip to southern Florida and New York City.

On Feb. 2 Bart Bolton will arrive in Sarasota for three weeks. He laments the passing of Charley Denny and hopes that he, Warrin Meyers, and I can meet for lunch in Punta Gorda.

Two notes from Dick Goldman. One, he was told that an article he wrote on networking was published in the American Bar Association Journal. Two, he is now in Key Biscayne with wife Patty. He mentions a call from Wayne Fillback, who attended Wesleyan for two years. In Florida Dick will play golf, tennis, and even pickle ball.

My former roommate, Dan Woodhead, sent me a passionate e-mail dealing with politics. He had a conversation with Barry McCaffrey, a 1960 Andover alumnus. Bob Hayes also reports on a long phone talk with Dan, who follows sports and politics very closely.

Betsy and Dick Tompkins are in their winter home in Vero Beach. They go back to Minnesota for four months in the summer. Marcia and Carl Van Etten are neighbors and both couples are doing well.

Andrea and Gary Iseminger moved from their 50-year-old house to a condo in downtown Northfield, Minn., about a mile away. Andrea had hernia surgery and Gary has contemplated a knee replacement but has decide against it and has befriended a cane. He has retired from playing in the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra and in a local jazz group. He will teach an aesthetics course in January and stays abreast of philosophical doings at the Carlton philosophy department. He and Andrea feel they are very fortunate to have the Minnesota orchestra and the St. Paul orchestra an hour away.

John Corkran reminds me that John Arnold and Phil Van Orman both died recently. John’s daughter in Rhode Island bought a home on property that includes a marsh and she enjoys the wildlife.

Kay and I visited our daughter and family in The Hague from Dec. 20–30. I was invited to play golf! I declined, as any Floridian would. All is well with Kay and me. Still work with a personal trainer to try to stay in shape.

Keep the info flowing,

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

New directions and Wes recollections from our class correspondents, so we will get right to it.

Hank Fulton’s noteworthy event last year was a trip that he and wife Nancy took to Glasgow, Scotland, the occasion highlighted by Hank receiving an award in recognition of his biography of John Muir, a Glasgow physician of the 18th century. He was given a “freedom of the city” token that must have come to good use, given his reference to “all that walking.” The Fultons then went on to Stratford and London during the three weeks they were away. In family matters, Hank reports that their four children are doing just fine in locations primarily in Pennsylvania and New England.

Another writing recognition—this to John Chaplick from the Florida Writers Association in the form of a silver medal awarded for his novel, Parchments of Fire, at the organization’s annual meeting in Orlando.

In the nostalgia category—if there is such in the column—Dick West writes that he and Mike Stein would make “spontaneous trips” to Smith looking for dates and that on one springtime jaunt their contact lady was none other than Gloria Steinem and there was Tom Lehrer entertaining on the college greensward. Upon their return to Middletown, he and Mike found the campus in an unusually hushed manner in the wake of an episode that, well, is best lost to memory.

We learned of Al Jay’s Antarctica antics in our last magazine and Dr. Al reports that he’s holding his own following a third hip surgery. He adds that medicine was more enjoyable from the other side of the desk. Enjoyable for him lately is following the progress of 5-year-old granddaughter, Maya, on the soccer field.

There were warm holiday greetings from John Allison and he says he stays in touch with Sigma Nu brothers Tony Arena ’55, John Ineson ’55, and Bob Provost ’58.

Bill Fullarton is learning Spanish, to help keep the “cranial synapses” functioning.

Bob Gorin’s grandson, David Gottlieb ’22, has completed his first semester at Wes and is writing for the Argus, covering sports including volleyball and hockey. His late dad, Brian ’88, was goalie on the 1987 Little Three champion team.

Bill Pratt has moved from ortho surgery to politics in his home state of New Mexico. In 2018 he filed as a Democratic candidate for their House of Representatives, won a primary, then the general election with 51 percent of the vote. With a new governor and a diverse legislature, Dr. Bill looks forward to improvements. He says he is once again a freshman at age 83.

From Washington State, Bob Anderson is keeping active with his artwork. He is taking a life drawing class and producing in a wide range of media including clay paper sculpting and bas-relief. He recalls being part of a group that led Professor John Risley to hold the first sculpture class in the DAC in 1955, and further adds that in another art class, Professor Butch Limbach advised his students not to quit their day jobs. That surely resonates with yours truly.

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

Kudos to Jay Kaplan: “My first book, Secrets and Suspense, sold out of its first edition. It is now available in paperback on Amazon, as well as in a second edition in hardback. There are five-star reviews of it on Amazon. I so enjoyed writing this book that I am almost finished writing another—In Search of Beauty—about our collections of art assembled over the past 55 years. It will be highly illustrated and will also be published by Academica Press. And the Cosmos Club just awarded me their Founders Award for outstanding service to the club. The award has only been made once before and cannot be made for another three years.” Way to go, Jay!

Bill Bixby has moved to Applewood Amherst, an independent retirement community with 100 units. He dines daily there with other residents. He is selling his house to his son, who has a law firm in Springfield. Bill presently is recovering from a broken hip—lots of physical therapy—and uses a walker. He still has speaking problems but meets with two or three UMass students one hour a week. He’s not driving anymore but will use an Applewood bus for doctor appointments, etc. He hopes that friends can drive him to sporting events at Amherst College and UMass but still plans go to annual Wesleyan and Amherst baseball games. Get well, Bill. We’re on your team.

Writes Barry Passett: “Margery and I have moved into a retirement community near our (beloved) old house. As happened in the Air Force 65 years ago, I am having trouble adjusting to a more controlled environment. Since 2018 was a difficult health year I am crankier than ever. I’ve given up most of my ‘music impresario’ role, too. I’m playing poker with Art Levine ’58. We can use two more players!”

From Doug Northrop: “I still play tennis three or four times a week. I give occasional talks to local groups and made it to YouTube for a talk on courtesy at the Winchester Academy. With one son and family in Maine and another son and family in Seattle, I go to the third son in St. Paul, Minn., for Christmas. He has a 13-year-old daughter who is frequently mistaken for a college student and a 10-year-old son who can get me to checkmate in four or five moves. The great-grandchildren are out on the coasts and visit during the summer months.”

Jim Jekel: “Jan and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary last August with 24 family members (including our two great-grandchildren). They came from as far away as Asia (our daughter, Wesleyan ’86) and California. Jan is active in music and I in teaching adult classes at church and community classes on various topics. We are still able to keep up our place on Cape Cod and rent it out during the high season, although most of the year we live close to family near Harrisburg, Pa. It is great to hear about classmates.”

From Don Price: “After 60 years, I have retired from a career in science/medicine (including faculty appointments at Harvard and Hopkins). Helen and I spent most of the summer at our home in Woods Hole visiting with family, friends, and colleagues. All our kids are in medicine, and they and the grandkids love the science environment.

“I’ve been thinking about science, medicine, oceanography, marine biology, climate change, energy sources, education, world health, et al. Moreover, I’ve been trying to hybridize neuroscience and humanities, particularly to what may be going on in the brains of principal characters in Shakespeare’s plays. The greatest characters of interest are Prospero and Lear. There are important lessons to be learned in the outcomes of these plays.

“One of our grandsons entered Wesleyan this fall. I hope he has mentors like Nobby Brown and Fred Millet, who were a principal or influence on my career. Great opportunity for a young man.”

Jim Gramentine observed that he was born on the very same day as Brigitte Bardot—adding that he had seen a recent photo of B.B. and wonders if, after all these years, he might be catching up with her in the looks department. It reminded me of Ann’s and my tour around France in 2004. As we approached Bordeaux our guide pointed out a local landmark, commonly known as “the Bridge at Bordeaux.” She claimed that some of her former touristes (mostly male) had expressed disappointment because they thought they were going to catch a glimpse of a certain French actress. I asked her, ‘If they wanted to see the Brigitte Bardot, shouldn’t they have started looking at Brest?’ She dragged me to the front of the bus and made me repeat It for the group.

Just keepin’ hope alive.

George Chien | gchien@optonline.net

It’s been more than 50 years that I’ve had the privilege of putting together our class notes and I can honestly report for the most part, it has been a joy. The spirit of the Crucial Class has always been evident through the notes and memos sent my way. And, I must confess that editing this edition has probably been the most difficult as the messages conveyed are those of deep sadness; the passing of my freshman roommate and the loss of a lifetime partner of a friend.

First, let me quote the words of John Ineson. “In the fall of 1955 I was at Cornell in Ithaca, just starting on studies for my MBA. One of the sororities on campus, Chi Omega, had a ‘get acquainted’ open house and the combined prospect of free food and meeting coeds was too much for me to resist. One of the coeds I met that day, Lori, became my wife two years later. She died suddenly this past July. She had been receiving long term care for dementia, but it was cancer that ultimately caused her death. I have lost my best friend of 62 years, not long after our son died in a gruesome accident. It has left a big hole in my life. Fortunately, the rest of my family, some close friends, and my church have stepped in to at least partially fill the gap and I am starting to look ahead again. I will let you know how things progress.”

John, I know I speak for all of us in extending deepest sympathies and condolences.

Thanks to Jay Shapiro for sending notification of the passing of Ben Di Iorio on Oct. 9. As many will remember, Ben was an outstanding athlete who lettered in six sports, including football, baseball, basketball, track, and swimming, and won a state championship in handball while in high school. At Wesleyan, his track team was undefeated during his four years and the entire track and field team were inducted into Wesleyan’s Sports Hall of Fame. He was probably best known for his talents as a skeet shooter and, starting at the age of 14, he was a 10-time “All American” during the 13 years he shot professionally. In 1972 he was inducted into the skeet and trap shooting hall of fame. He is survived by his children Ben III, Gregory, Bradford, Tessa, and Jamie, and their families. I’m sure Drew Clemens, like me, still has memories of Ben telling us about the role his father played in the development of skeet shooting, as well as examining the rifles Ben used in the sport.

The fact that heat, humidity, and rain throughout most of the past six months of Florida weather prevented me from reaching the yearly 5,000-mile annual biking goal doesn’t seem to be such an important item at this point. I am thankful to say I did record a hair less than 3,900 miles and more importantly, Marianne and I remain in good health and we are very happy. We did relocate to a larger condo in our development and are pleased with the additional living space while keeping our dear friends!

As always, to you and your loved ones, sincere best wishes for good health and happiness in the year ahead.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 210, Delray Beach, FL 33446

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All the best to all of us!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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