Class Notes

Class of 1976 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship

Valerie Acosta ’20, Bronx, NY

Susan Avitzour and husband Dan returned from a trip to Tenerife, Canary Islands, where they went on a dolphin- and whale-watching boat trip. They have five grandchildren with a sixth expected in June. Susan is semi-retired and looking for a literary agent for her novel. Unfortunately, Dan is having some health problems.

Carol Bellhouse had dinner in LA with David Bickford, Chris Vain, Juliet Green, and Susan Gans ’75. She attended the Sundance Film Festival. She has five films in the works.

Richard Berka provided the sad news that his  wife, Carmen Valle, a physician, passed away in 2014 after a long battle with breast cancer. Their son, Richard, Jr., got his master’s in marine biology at James Cook University in Australia and is going to  veterinarian school in Perth. Their daughter, Della, is a sophomore at Yale. Richard is in-house counsel at Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., and lives in Brightwaters, N.Y.

Sidney Cohen and wife Carol live in Pleasanton, Calif. Sidney works for Medtronic in clinical research overseeing cardiovascular research. He recently became a grandfather and spends as much time as he can visiting his grandson and family in Philadelphia. Sid would like to hear from all: sidneyacohen@mac.com.

Lawrence H. Davis and wife Ronna visited Wes in October and enjoyed visiting the Earth and Environmental Sciences department. Last year, they visited Cuba and Spain, and this year Lawrence is planning a fishing trip to Bolivia and a trip to Estonia. Son Max returned to the U.S. after seven years in Israel, and daughter Ilana ’06, who is the mother of their two grandchildren, is continuing her law career.

Michael Donnella, who is living in El Dorado, Ark., had a Wesleyan football weekend in LA hosted by David Carlisle, who is the president of Charles Drew University. Mike reports that David has brought the university from the brink of closure to a thriving concern. Michael Bell and James Gaither ’77, and two of Mike’s children, joined him for the game. Mike enjoyed Christmas/Hanukkah with Ely Leichtling and Sally Merrell of Milwaukee.

Elizabeth Eisenmann learned carpentry while building a new studio in her basement for her collection of “vintage” Singer sewing machines and cabinets. She went on her first cruise to the Caribbean.

Ronald Epstein’s book Attending Medicine, Mindfulness and Humanity has just come out in paperback. See pp. 20–23 for more on his work.

Barry Fogel is beginning his 36th year in environmental law. Daughter Ella is a junior at Santa Clara University. Barry stays in touch with John Brainard, Eddie Sanchez ’74, and Steve Levin ’75, Jeff Van Nest ’75, Mark Nickerson ’75, and Jeff Prystupa ’75.

Jeff Frank is looking forward to selling his moving business and retiring in the next couple of years.

Karen Gervasoni says this column enabled her to get in touch with Larry Gilius, her old Wes boxmate. They discovered they both have adopted daughters—Lia from Vietnam and Linnea from China—who are high school juniors. Glad you could reconnect!

Debra Haffner, in her second year as the settled minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston, Va., has done her 14th protest march in D.C. since last year’s election.

Peter Hansen and wife Gail now call D.C. home. They are both doing part-time consulting, she in public health and he in construction marketing.

Josette Hendrix has been working in the Pacific Northwest through a small NGO that she founded which nurtures intercultural understanding (nwlacc.org). She has three children and is now a grandmother. She lives on Whidbey Island on a small biodynamic farm that welcomes young aspiring farmers to apprentice for a season. She hopes to reconnect with some classmates.

Jaimee Kurfirst Mirsky is finishing up her second 20-year career (first was in advertising TV production, then high school English teacher). Jaimee has been married for 38 years and has two children who teach. Her first grandchild is on the way.

Abe Yale‘s youngest son, Alex, married Amy Gold on New Year’s Eve in Boston. The newlyweds went gorilla tracking in Uganda, on safari in Tanzania, and relaxing on the beach in Zanzibar. Alex works for Facebook and Amy for Google, both in NYC. Daughter Alison is about to give birth to granddaughter number two. Congratulations, Abe!

My family spent Christmas in London where we visited our daughter, Lindsey, who is living abroad until June. It was great having everyone together. We had some fun, and I met up with my friend Paul Hannon, an Irish journalist with whom I shared a London flat the year after graduation.

The Wesleyan Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon (Gamma Phi) had its 150th anniversary this year, and a lot of the brothers were back to celebrate. I was sorry that I had to miss it, but glad to see that so many of the old gang got together.

If you have not written in a while—or ever—please do. Nicholson 6, Harriman Hall, West College, Chi Psi: speak up!

Mitchell Marinello | mlmarinello@comcast.net

Class of 1975 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship

Carolina A. Montano ’21, Homestead, FL

Apologies to Steve McCarthy! Somehow the cybersphere routed into oblivion the emails he had sent me last fall. A bit belatedly, here is Steve’s news: “Aside from my usual investment and foundation work, I have been active with three ongoing creative endeavors: This is my 14th year as a mentor and judge for the NYU/Stern $300K business plan competition. During every month of the school year a team of 25 to 30 coaches, in conjunction with faculty, conduct workshops on developing and executing formalized pitches across three ‘silos’—traditional, technology, and social impact. It’s very interesting and rewarding. During my past 17-plus years as president of a small ’virtual’ nonprofit theater company (shakingthetree.org), my colleagues and I have written 14 one-act plays about family dynamics in business, wealth management, and philanthropy. We work with artistic directors and actors from LookingGlass Theater in Chicago and Alley Theater in Houston to deliver the pieces live. Over the past six years I have been a partner and executive producer on several iconic (90-minute) corporate and individual biopics/documentaries—Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf, Crazy About Tiffany’s, Harry Benson: Shoot First (all available on download). We at Quixotic Endeavors (QE) have several other projects in various stages of completion for The Carlyle Hotel and Norman Rockwell.”

I received a call from my almost-neighbor, Dennis Chin, who lives in Sonoma County. It was great to catch up with him and hear about his semi-retirement. He’s continuing to work and teach in orthopedic surgery part-time, while keeping up with the nine kids (almost all on their own now). We’re hoping to get together this spring.

Janet Bradlow and her husband, Joseph Schmitt, have moved. Joseph is retired, and Janet is semi-retired (emeritus agent with Prudential) and able to work anywhere with a phone, computer, and fax. So why not work from the beautiful beaches near Honeymoon Island State Park? Thus, they bought and renovated a condo in the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. They discovered the downside of their view during Hurricane Irma, when water came through their balcony doors! The move put them close to Janet’s parents, now over 90. The whole family recently went on a cruise to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. Janet couldn’t wait for the renovation project and move to be over but says, “I will miss NYC. I never lived anywhere else except when I was at Wesleyan.”

Janet let me know that Nancy Carol (Smith) Blemly passed away in November 2015, after a difficult battle with cancer that prevented her from attending our 35th and 40th Reunions. Nancy and Janet were friends from freshman year on. Nancy’s third husband, Mike Blemly, and her son, Ben Hamilton, from her second marriage, survive her. Janet fondly recalled attending Nancy’s first wedding, and Nancy attended Janet’s in 1999.

Arthur Gaither said, “Retired life is becoming more enjoyable. I spend time leading worship services at a small church and as backup babysitter for my granddaughter, Anaya, 4, who is my best buddy. I also handle the domestic stuff so Alfreda ’74 can continue to work for the State of Connecticut. We celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary on Nov. 25. Kinda scary. Shoutout to Andy Barnes in Arizona!“

I also heard from Jeff Cellars, who retired from the Foreign Service after spending 28 years as a diplomat in Hungary, Bahrain, Washington, Munich, Cyprus, Berlin, Belgrade, Bern, and NYC. Jeff said he and Bethanne, his wife of 38 years, were moving to Vermont. Not quite sure how he will keep busy in this new stage of life, but he has a children’s book in draft and is cooking up some other ideas

An evening with Wes alumni in San Francisco called “The Power of an Idea” brought out a few familiar faces. I didn’t see any classmates, but ran into Harold Sogard ’74, who is now retired and caught me up on the self-proclaimed “Born to Lose” suitemates who lived near us in Lawn Avenue dorms freshman year. Also got a chance to talk to Wendy Wheaton ’78 and Jon Nimer ’80.

I want to end with a shout-out to Brad Kosiba and Ed Van Voorhees (who just became a grandfather again!) for being the in loco parentis stops for our son and daughter as they made a January road trip from Massachusetts to Memphis, where Ethan was starting a six-month “co-op” work experience as part of his Northeastern University Mechanical Engineering program. I’m told the hospitality in Chapel Hill and Nashville was superb, and it was fun to share our kids with my longstanding, but rarely seen, friends.

As soon as you put this magazine down, please email and send me your news for the next issue. My deadline is a few weeks after the class notes arrive at your door.

Cynthia M. Ulman | cmu.home@cmugroup.com
860 Marin Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941-3955

Ken Jacobs writes, “My law firm, Smith, Buss & Jacobs, has grown to 17 lawyers over the past 25 years. In January we’re adding Robert Spolzino, a former appellate division judge, as a name partner, together with two other partners and three associates. We now represent over 350 co-op and condo associations in the New York metro region, including Co-op City. With Bob, we are adding a substantial municipal and litigation practice in Westchester and Long Island. I expect our profile to increase significantly in these practice areas over the next 12 months—it’s going to be an exciting ride.

“My wife, Sharon, and I adopted our children over our late 40s, so we’re about 10 years behind most of our peers in lifestyle changes. We like to say that it keeps us young, but we’re chained to the high school/college cycle for another decade. In the meantime, I’ve finally learned to like rap. Last spring my daughter Sasha and I started West Coast swing lessons as a way for Dad and daughter to bond. She stopped when school started (and she met her first boyfriend!), but I’ve continued. Meanwhile I read bridge books and play when I can, which is much less often that I would like.

“We moved from NYC to Westchester for kids, and then to Upper Saddle River, N.J., so my kids could attend Waldorf schools. My son Andrew is on the autistic spectrum—discussing how that has affected our lives would take an entire page, but it’s not the right stuff for an alumni newsletter. We have learned a lot and can offer a lot to younger parents who may be dealing with the same issues.

“Professionally, my firm has law offices in Westchester and NYC. Most of my personal clients are in NYC, but my co-op/condo colleagues in NYC now consider me as their ‘upstate’ liaison. I’ve worked from time to time on condo offerings with Seth Davis ’72. He’s a director at Warburg Realty in NYC.

“I enjoy reading your notes. It’s fascinating to see how many classmates have made their mark in unusual fields and what lifestyle choices they have made. When my kids are launched, we look forward to enjoying the same freedom (again!).”

John McLucas, in his 34th year as a professor of Italian and Latin at Towson University near Baltimore, has just published his first novel. Some passages in Dialogues on the Beach(BrickHouse Books, Baltimore, 2017, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) may remind some classmates of Wesleyan in the early 1970s.”

Jai Imbrey is overjoyed that at long last the book she put together, Mosques: Splendors of Islam by Rizzoli, has come out at such a time when it is key to recall the extraordinary artistic contributions that Islam has inspired—a book edited by two Jewish women! In the great Apfel-imbrey tradition.

Join Carol and CharlieCocores on their Habitat for Humanity trip this summer in Krakow, Poland, from  June 22 to July 2.Join this 10-day trip to Poland to help build for families in need of decent, affordable housing. Event code: GV18566. “You’ll fly into Krakow, Poland. We will be working either in Pszczyna and/or Gliwice. For our cultural experience we’ll visit the famous Krakow Salt Mines and Auschwitz. Program donation: $1,900 (flight not included). 40-plus percent of this is a direct contribution to Habitat’s work; the rest covers your trip expenses.

Habitat Poland is serving families on the economic margin that work, but can’t afford decent housing. Despite recent reforms, overcrowded and damp housing without proper sanitation is still the reality for far too many of Poland’s low-income working families.

The team will get their hands dirty on the build site with various tasks. Throughout the week you’ll tour local markets, visit museums, learn more about Gliwice through a walking tour, visit the world-famous Krakow Salt Mines and Auschwitz. You’ll stay in double occupancy hotel rooms near the project site and enjoy dinners out at local restaurants. Contact Charlie at cocoshfh@gmail.com or 860-304-2668 if you’re interested.

Monique Witt reports, “we had two painful family losses, but we are rallying. The guys are good. My elder son, Dev, is moving to a huge warehouse in Williamsburg with his pro-audio partner to continue his tech startup/engineering/sound technology. My younger son, Ben, continues to record, to tour and to play in NYC. Beginning in March, he has consecutive tours in the mid-west, Canada, Japan, the west coast and Europe. He’s just recorded a second album with his touring trio, and his recent album, Instead, is selling well. He anticipates two more albums toward the end of this year, one on accordion.

“OneTrickDog* will release three more albums in the coming months (we released six last year, one mentioned for Blues Album of the Year). As we develop the upcoming Sound Works, we will briefly slow our recording projects. Steven is working too hard, as am I, but that’s normal.”

Carolyn White contributes, “I, too, went to the Middlebury Film Festival and it was really good and a lot of fun. I plan to go again in 2018 and encourage others to consider it! We could make this be an annual class reunion.

“Lloyd Komesar makes everyone, especially Class of ’74 people, feel so welcome and special. The films are top-notch and very interesting. Mark your agenda for weekend before Labor Day.

“My daughter Geraldine got married to a nice young man, Ryan Kurtz, and classmatesLindley Huey and Michel de Konkoly Thege shared in our joy. I have two adorable French-American grandchildren, Celian and Alana who live, unfortunately, in Toulouse, so not exactly next door, but I manage to see them via Whatsapp and regular visits to France.

“I continue to teach NAMI Family to Family classes and play on two tennis teams at the Mount Auburn Club near Cambridge.”

Gray Cox continues to enjoy the teaching philosophy, peace studies, and language learning at College of the Atlantic in the town where he grew up, Bar Harbor, Maine. He is the clerk of the Quaker Institute for the Future and is always looking for others interested in taking part in that think tank for spirit-led research on social and environmental issues. His own research and publication of late has focused on nonviolence, dialogical reasoning, and ways of biasing the odds towards development of ethical systems of AI. He also continues to compose songs which can be heard at graycox.bandcamp.com.

Stu Forman continues to serve as medical director of Gilead Community Services in Middletown, which was started in 1968 as a project of two Wesleyan students. He remains married to the love of his life, Amy (approaching 39 years), and now has the pleasure of working with his lovely daughter, Emily, who was recently hired as a psychotherapist by Gilead. “Add in three standard poodles, and I’d be a swine to complain. My only regret is not getting to write any more pornographic football articles for the Argus.”

Michel de Konkoly Thege provides, “I was fortunate enough to be a guest at the wedding of Carolyn White Lesieur’s daughter, Geraldine, who got married in a very festive French-American ceremony in Jersey City on New Year’s Eve. My wife and I see Susan and Dan Kenigsberg both in New York City and in eastern Long Island, where we both have homes and have shared many excellent dinners together.”

Randolph Smith’s seventh golf book should be out this spring. Entitled Golf’s Price,it’s a novel involving a tournament and subsequent TV reality show powered by a “devil’s bargain.”

In the twilight of his career, Bill Burton has returned to his geographic roots in Connecticut (3 years of prep school, four years at Wesleyan, 1 year of finding self) and is doing geologic mapping for the U.S. Geological Surveyin the Woodbury-Southbury-Roxbury area, west of Waterbury. Bill’s focus is determining the source of high uranium occurring in private water wells that are drilled into bedrock. His field headquarters in Woodbury is the spacious home of two renowned Yale geology professors. When back home in northern Virginia, Bill’s volunteer activities include beekeeping, board member of the local Audubon Society chapter and a committee on nighttime lighting, and helping run a local astronomical observatory. His wife Laurel is writing her fifth sci-fi-fantasy novel. Bill looks forward to finally getting up to Lloyd Komesar’s film festival in Vermont this summer.

Lloyd Komesarreminds everyone, “Here’s an open invitation to all my classmates to join a growing contingent of Wes grads for the 4th Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival on Aug. 23-26 in beautiful Middlebury, Vt, the beating heart of the Champlain Valley in central Vermont. Great films by first- and second-time filmmakers will be on tap along with every conceivable craft beverage you can imagine. Our friends at Stonecutter Spirits, owned by Sivan Cotel ’06, always hosts an informal gathering for Wes attendees and Sivan’s barrel-infused gin goes well with conversation and good times. You can find us at middfilmfest.org. Let me know if you are planning to come so we can communicate directly.”

Sharon Purdie | spurdie@wesleyan.edu

Alain Munkittrick has an important update. He says that he and Rosemary (who met at Wesleyan) are “excited, first time grandparents, having greeted Finn Munkittrick to the world in October.” They live in Portland, Conn., and are busy at work as architects for the restoration of three historic buildings on the former Elmcrest campus as a part of a $30-million development Brainerd Place.

Michael McKenna writes that he is still working out of global HQ in the barn behind his home in Vermont where he and Lynn have lived for 11 years. “Loved my time in NYC but really enjoy consulting both non- and for-profit clients on strategic communications,” says Mike. He gave his first talk at SXSW in Austin on How Social Media Creates Tunnel Vision. He also joined the board of The Conversation US, an online news source featuring content provided by university experts. Mike says he started a term on the Corporate Communications Advisory Council at UVA’s Darden School and also had his first trip to China to visit a new client in Shanghai. He says he asked classmate and Chinese expert Claire Reade for her good advice before leaving. Mike also sponsored the annual Middlebury film festival founded by Lloyd Komesar ’74. He says it is a “wonderful event” that attracts a lot of Wesleyan alumni. Mike and Tom Kelly, Tom Halsey ’72, and Rob Calhoun ’72 hosted a dinner for the Cardinal football team when they came north to play the Panthers. Mike calls it a “year of firsts” and says best of all was being father of the bride for his daughter Lee who married a wonderful guy who had known her since the seventh grade. He says both of his children live in San Francisco.

Phil Levienwas reading Hearts by Willy Holtzman ’74 and enjoyed it as much as The Morini Strad and Something You Did. Phil let his students at SBCC’s School of Extended Learning know what a “good read” the plays were and what fertile ground they provided for scene work.

James Powers writes that owns a condo on Music Row in Nashville, is serving on the 45th Reunion committee, and looks forward to seeing everyone this May. Working at Vanderbilt he found two generations of Wesleyan graduates drawn to healthcare policy. Jim, a geriatrician, and Laura Keohane ’03, a health policy faculty member, were approached to write a volume on U.S. healthcare changes. He called it a “daunting task” following the 2016 Republican landslide election. They produced a volume, Value Driven Healthcare and Geriatric Medicine: Implications for Today’s Changing Health System, scheduled for publication by Springer in 2018.

Steve Kallaugher tells me that he is still going back and forth to Swaziland, where he says his Little Young Heroes program has “blown up.” He says they have two offices, a staff of 27 people, and programs reach more than 11,000 orphans and vulnerable children. Plus, they started a community-based savings/micro-entrepreneurship project for their female caretakers. It now has 2,900 members and they’ve already saved over $150,000 to lend to each other. Steve also says a screenplay he wrote 20 years ago suddenly “got hot” in Hollywood this past summer and it’s been optioned by a “big time” producer.” He says, “I wrote it so long ago, it took me two days to find a copy after he emailed me saying that he wanted to read it. Only in the movies.”

Michael B. Robinson, who says he was “the linebacker not the fullback,” writes that he retired from Baltimore City Schools in 2014 and moved into a retirement community in York, Pa., in 2016 with his wife, who is disabled. Mike reports that he is “energized by the competitive political climate in Pa with a strong Democratic governor maintaining in a state that supported our new president. He hopes to renew acquaintances at our 45th Reunion.

David “Harp” Feldman mentions that his newest harmonica book, Harmonica Aerobics, is now in print, published by the Hal Leonard music company. “Why,” Dave asks, “is this newsworthy?” Because he dedicated the book to his great friend Paul Van Stavern ’74.

In an act of self-preservation (since David only knew two Peter, Paul, and Mary songs, and played them incessantly), while living at the late, but hardly lamented, Vinci Apartments on William Street, along with Gary Larkins and Jonathan Burr, Paul bought David two used records. Paul then informed him, at the time, that David could either learn to play blues and rock harp, or Paul would kill him while he slept and a “strange, esoteric, career was born.”

Class President Bill Quigleyhas been busy helping his son deal with post-hurricane issues in Puerto Rico, where, at this writing, an astounding 32 per ent of the island is still without power following the storm in early September. Bill is also helping him start a business. On top of that, he tore a muscle in his leg and was stuck in a boot for more than a month. Billand our 45th Reunion committee have been trying to contact all of you by e-mail or phone to encourage you to join us during the weekend of May 24-28. You may have already heard from me or Bill or other intrepid committee members including Wayne Barber, Joshua Boger, Michael Donnelly, John Feinblatt, Granderson “Granny” Hale, Mark Helfat, Evans Jacobs, Ronald Johnson, Tom Kelly, Ron Medley, Jay Rose, Charley Wayne, and Jim Powers.

So far we have scheduled a healthcare and technology seminars featuring our classmates, a class conversation about different paths we have traveled in life since graduation, and a Saturday class reception, and dinner featuring faculty and staff guests Norm Shapiro and Steve Butler. And my former film professor Jeanine Basinger tells me she looks forward to seeing you as well. Bill reports that more information is available on Reunion 2018 including suggestions on where to stay. You are also urged to join the Facebook group: Wesleyan Class of ’73 Reunion Roadtrip. He notes that Wayne Barber and Mike McKenna are among those who have posted so far. Bill says the Facebook group will have a lot of stories and photos.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with each other as inch closer to another milestone reunion in Middletown. Hope to see you there.

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

Believe it or not, planning efforts are already underway for our 50th Reunion. That’s going to happen in the spring of 2022. Many of us are already working to make this Reunion the greatest ever. We would like to bring as many classmates back to campus as possible. So, if you’ve not been to a Reunion in recent years—or ever—this is the one to go to and now is the time to start planning. We are setting up a novel “class council”—not to plan the Reunion itself but to work on reaching out to people from whom we haven’t heard in a while. If you are interested in helping in this effort in any way, please let me, or Andy Feinstein or Bob White know.

Roger Jackson retired from Carleton College in June 2016, after nearly 30 years of teaching Asian religions there. It’s well-nigh impossible, he says, to quit academia cold turkey, though, so he’s continued to keep his hand in, by giving talks, writing articles and reviews, finishing up a book on Buddhist meditation, advising students, and teaching off and on at Carleton and at Maitripa, a small Buddhist college in Portland, Ore. He is also enjoying, as always, family, friends, travel, poetry, good food, and baseball—but the current political climate not so much. “Watching Burns and Novick’s Vietnam series has been sobering, and a reminder that things not only could be worse, but have been.”

Of all the subjects of “whatever happened to?” queries, none were more frequent—or more futile—than those concerning George Walker. On New Year’s Day, a story in the New London Day gave us the answers. George left Wesleyan to join the Black Panthers, but became disillusioned. “It was clear we were not just overmatched,” he explained. “This was a flea against an elephant.” Disillusion led to heroin, and robberies to pay for it. George spent, by his own estimate, 13 years in prison, including a term for a bank robbery in Connecticut. In 2000 he moved to Florida, earned his undergraduate degree, and eventually earned a PhD in mental health counseling from Barry University. George’s dissertation, growing out of his own experience with long-term addiction, analyzed the concept of “ambiguous loss,” where the bereavement process has no closure, and where existing knowledge provides little help in processing such issues. How wonderful that our own ambiguous loss has now been addressed. And how wonderful for George to be able to help others deal with such situations.

John Manchester has signed a deal with TCK Publishing for three novels of psychological suspense—Never Speak, If I Fell, and The Girl in the Game. Two of them, he says, especially the second, have Wesleyan stuff hidden in them. Can’t wait!

I am sad to report that Rick Blake died in December, after months of a debilitating illness. Rick was an obstetrician and gynecologist, and taught those fields at the Howard University College of Medicine. His obituary noted that he majored in biology at Wesleyan, ran track, and played racquetball “for kill.” One Wesleyan racquetball opponent reported that while he, himself, did not like to lose, Rick disliked losing even more.

Finally, I spent a couple of wonderful days in Scottsdale this January with Dennis Kesden, who is now fully retired from the ophthalmology practice he shared with his wife Sherry. I have to say that Dennis has figured out his retirement as precisely as he figured out his life. He and Sherry met in medical school, and jointly picked ophthalmology as their field, as they saw the possibility, as individual practitioners, of doing exciting and innovative procedures out of their own office. That is precisely what they did, practicing together in an office they built on Long Island. Now, as is the trend in healthcare all over, they have sold the building and the practice, and live next to one of 27 fairways in a lovely golf community a short distance from their two grandchildren. It was great to see Dennis in a relaxed setting and talk about old times.

Speaking of families, I haven’t talked about mine lately. My older son, Mark, and his wife, Jenny, bought a house in Peekskill, N.Y., a short distance from the ancestral home. Mark is working at (brace yourselves…) West Point—as a labor economics analyst for the Army and Department of Defense. My younger son, Kevin, lives in our true ancestral home—the Bronx. In fact, he lives within walking distance of my parents’ homes, and the high schools (and one college) they attended. He works in the New York City 311 Call Center, answering inquiries and complaints on anything from parking regulations, noise, and garbage pickups, to protestations of innocence from Rikers Island inmates. He loves public service and is growing to appreciate the amazing variety of life in NYC.

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

Aloha! If you can believe it, planning efforts are underway for our 50th Reunion in 2021. Volunteers are needed to work on outreach and planning efforts. Please contact Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19 (klynch@wesleyan.edu) if you’d like to be involved.

Sad news. David Bonanno, 68, longtime editor of the Philadelphia-based American Poetry Review, died Dec. 8, from complications after a medical procedure.

Jodan Wouk is a docent for three institutions and a community and political activist. His son, senior lecturer at the University of Manchester, England, got married in Florence, Italy, last July. Constance Balides, at Tulane University, gave a keynote address, “Immersion As Cultural Logic, Contemporary Film As Symptom,” during the Berliner Festspiele conference on immersion and contemporary art in Berlin.

Peter Gutmann writes, “All are welcome to browse my site, classicalnotes.net, which focuses on the background and significant recordings of great music. Vital stats: living in Chevy Chase, Md.; wife Babette (VP of giant Westat research firm); sons Harold (sports writer) and David (commodities trader); and three grandkids.”

Kip Anderson is working on his second book of poetry. His son is about to undertake a career in personal training. Alvin and Cynthia James are doing well in Cedar Hill, Texas, and will celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary this year. Miguel Gómez-Ibánez is “in my last year as president of North Bennet Street School, a craft school established in 1881 in Boston’s North End.” He plans to return to furniture-making. Still living in Weston, Mass., since 1981.

Alan Van Egmond left the U.S. Senior Foreign Service in May 2017 after a 38-year career. He and wife Julie are based in Naples, Fla. In Vancouver, B.C., saw Marc Pickard ’70, and in Chestertown, M.D., Saw Vic Pfeiffer.” Sorry to Bud Coote never received your note, send it for next time. Katy Butler, in 2017, dedicated a bench outside Judd Hall to her late mother, Val, and father, Jeffrey, who taught history at Wesleyan. The Wasch Center for retired faculty honored Professor Rick Elphick, who completed her father’s last book, Cradock: How Segregation and Apartheid Came to a South African Town. [See pp. 40-41.] Katy and her longtime partner, Brian Donohue, got married in their backyard June after a 17-year courtship.

Sandy Gold says, “Attended Cornell Law School, became an assistant district attorney in Manhattan for three years. Since leaving, I have practiced in NYC, where I specialize in defending medical malpractice cases against doctors and hospitals. I live in Irvington, N.Y., with my lawyer wife of 43 years. We have two grown children (a daughter who is a law professor, and a son who works for Major League Baseball), and three young grandchildren.”

Jay Resnick wrote, “2017 brought David Foster to town. Had a great dinner with Andy Glantz in Scottsdale. In April I had a heart attack. In October, two brain bleeds, followed by three brain surgeries, followed by a week in intensive care, then another week in intermediate care. Still in physical therapy, relearning to walk, with focus now on balance.”

John Schimmel lives in LA “married 1986 to the stage manager of a Broadway show I co-wrote, Pump Boys and Dinettes, and we have three glorious kids, one in high school, one at Berkeley architecture school, one a film editor. I had a first career as a musician, a second in the film industry, and I now work for a video game company and am teaching screenwriting at UC, Riverside.”

Michael Mullally has owned his design-build company in Woodstock for 20 years, after a career in film and advertising in Hollywood and N.Y. Two grown children, Ryan and Tara, and one granddaughter, Alexandra.

John Rothman writes, “I’m starring in the critically acclaimed Amazon series One Mississippi, now in its second season. My career after 40 years as a working actor is flourishing!” (johnrothmanactor.com) “Robin Eaton and filmmaker daughter Alex came to the premiere of my latest movie, My Art. Wife Suzie is editor-in-chief and publisher of Workman. Daughter Lily is history editor of Time Magazine and was married last June. Son Noah is thriving as a manager/producer.”

Frank Alley says, “I retired last summer after 22 years as a bankruptcy judge, and am now teaching part-time at the U Oregon School of Law. Tammy and I have two daughters, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Living in Eugene, Ore.”

At his daughter Ariel’s Oxford PhD graduation, Dave Lindorff got short of breath and ended up in an NHS hospital. After five days of tests, he opted to come back to the U.S. He has treatable sarcoidosis of the lungs (he is better now). Total cost of his stay and treatment in the UK: $990. Total cost of just an MRI in the US: over $2,000. “We gotta do something here in the U.S. to fix this! For those who want a more detailed account, go to: lrb.co.uk/v39/n23/dave-lindorff/short-cuts.”

Dick Scoggins spent 16 years in England then moved to LA to be near his two children, Nathan ’99 and Joanna, who are both married. His daughter’s family (including two kids) live with him, and Nathan and his three daughters live in the next town. He continues to mentor missionaries around the world.

Stephen Ferruolo is in seventh year as dean of University of San Diego School of Law and son Stephen ’20 is working towards a dual major in psychology and government. Steve Leinwand was at the Shanghai and The Hague American Schools. Logged 240,000 air miles last year and not slowing in 2018. Trying to change the way we teach K-12 math to kids. Mike Thompson’s daughter, Blair, produced twin girls on Oct. 26—his first grands! He is in regular contact with Jon Felt, Pat Callahan, and Jake Weiss. Ed Swanson went to his hometown, Naugatuck, Conn., for 50th Reunion and saw Chuck Lucier ’70 and Jim Redwood.

Sorry to have butchered your notes but limited words. I was deeply honored when Katharyn and Richard Aroneau donated to Wesleyan in my honor.

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

Aloha, everybody. I’m sorry to have to begin these notes with word of the death of another classmate. Arden Reed passed away “peacefully in his sleep…surrounded by his family, after a brief battle with cancer,” says Dru Sherrod, his partner for the past 35 years. She says, “Arden’s unique sense of curiosity and engagement will be greatly missed by his students and colleagues, friends, and family. May we remember Arden best by living lives of more intense connection and commitment, with others and with the world.” Agreed. Our condolences.

Josh Barrett just missed the deadline for the last column, so his news comes first.“Since retiring from my law practice I’ve enjoyed having more time for music, singing with the West Virginia Symphony Chorus, continuing to gig as lead guitar in a rock/R&N/blues band, and doing occasional acoustic gigs with my wife, Julie Adams, who is the singer in the house band on the weekly public radio show Mountain Stage. So, it was a special treat to have a visit this summer from my former bandmate Dave Cain ’68, who was bass player and leader of The House of David while at Wesleyan.Dave lives in Texas now where he retired from a career in teaching but is making lots of music performing as a singer-songwriter, doing some recording both as a solo and with his talented wife and daughters, and teaching guitar students. We hadn’t seen each other in decades but still have lots in common and had a fabulous weekend playing and singing together, reminiscing, and seeing a bit of beautiful West Virginia scenery. We don’t have many Wes alumni in West Virginia, but if you want to visit bring your guitar.”

Darwin Poritz wrote in for the first time in years, motivated by e-mails about our 50th Reunion. He wrote, “I spent June in France cycling with the Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme, one week in the Loire valley near Blois and another week in the department of the Puy de Dôme, a complete cycling and linguistic immersion experience, the best way to cycle in France as the French do. Another week was spent in Grenoble, sightseeing and studying French at the local Alliance Française. Meanwhile, I am still happily working as a statistician at the Johnson Space Center here in Houston. In 2017, my daughter Julia received her Texas state license as a clinical psychologist, and my son John is pursuing his French degree at SFSU in California.” Thanks for writing, Darwin.

Dave Davis sends a “Happy New Year” to former classmates. Dave continues to work for Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)—the PBS affiliate in Oregon—as VP of TV production. OPB is currently producing a four-part National Public Television series on how the brain affects human decision-making. Dave is married to Cindy Talbot, M.D., sister of classmate Steve Talbot, and they have three children, all now getting either PhDs or M.D.s.

Had a note this time from Eric Buergers, maybe his first ever. Eric retired in June after teaching English at Arlington High School near Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for the past 38 years, capping a career that spans 47 years all told, including stints in Germany, Middletown, and Durham. Says Eric, “My daughter is an English teacher in our rival school, John Jay, and my son (U.S. Navy) got commissioned to D.C. from San Diego, so I hope to be able to spend more time with both…Wesleyan has served me well with great memories of life in the womb, and inspiration from people and ideas that carry on still.”

More from Eric about his career: “Looking forward to getting together with John Valente ’72, Bill Davis ’71, Brad Matthews, and Marjorie Melnick ’72 in New England, and Uffe Hansenin Denmark sometime soon. Wesleyan has served me well with great memories of life in the womb, and inspiration from people and ideas that carry on still. At a recent ceremony to honor and remember Marjorie Daltry Rosenbaum MALS’55, with whom I did my student teaching, I ran into Dick Winslow again. He took one look at me and said, “Buergers—you’re the percussionist!” Amazing after all these years. I’ll never forget him. Same for George Creeger, Alfred Turco, and many others. The music of Unit 1 still resonates!”

In reply to my comment about finding a path in life early, Eric wrote: “I’m not so sure what I found was a path—I think I stumbled upon a set of very fortunate circumstances. I had no idea when I entered Wesleyan what I would do professionally. English teacher was as remote a possibility as becoming an aardvark. But as you know, Wesleyan has a way of showing you more about yourself. In high school, music was my passion and math my strength, which Wes somehow morphed into a kind of English major. I still had no firm career plans when I graduated and took off for Germany, but circumstances there nudged me towards teaching and I found that I really enjoyed it…I discovered my niche with seniors about 20 years ago and have loved my gig even more as a result.”

From Joel Adams comes a bid for a record: “I am guessing that I hold the class of ’70 record for number of children currentlyin college. I have four: a senior at James Madison and sophomores at Temple, West Chester University (Pennsylvania), and Highpoint University (North Carolina). (Yes, triplets). I enjoy reading the class notes about some of you who are retired and living in or visiting various wonderful locales. I cannot afford to retire, but I am thankful for my good health which allows me to keep earning a living in the Philadelphia area.” I can’t afford to retire either, but I can’t imagine being in your situation. Wow! As the 1939 British poster said, “Keep calm and carry on.”

And a note from Roger Mann says, “Ted Reed and I went to games four and five of the World Series in Houston. Both of us attended our first World Series 60 years earlier in New York with our fathers.” It was a pretty decent series considering that the Red Sox weren’t in it.

We also received a sweet-and-sour note from Elliot Daum. The good news is that Elliot retired “…after 17 years on the bench and 27 as a lawyer.” The bad news: “We were burned out in the big fire in October but we’re rebuilding with the assistance of Brooklyn architect Nathan Rich ’02. We plan to travel a lot while we can. Life begins at 70!” Good outlook and good travels to you.

From down in New Zealand comes a note from Peter Ratner (the same one who many years ago wondered when the rest of us were going to come to our senses and move there, too—a sentiment that resonates more with me than ever, but I digress). He, too, recently retired after practicing law for 44 years, and his wife also retired from nursing. They plan to spend a few years mostly at their country place in Greytown, while helping to look after their granddaughter in Wellington, then “…we expect to be full-time in Greytown looking after our garden, working on some local conservation areas and, well, we are not sure what the future holds.” Congratulations to you both.

Meanwhile, back on the U.S. mainland, Steve Ossad was busy winning the 2018 Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award for biography for his book Omar Nelson Bradley: America’s GI General. Ed Castorina has posted a review on Amazon. Looks like an interesting read. Congratulations, Steve.

Bob Stone in L.A. described a happy retirement from law practice. “I’m now two-and-a-half years happily into retirement from the practice of law here in Los Angeles. My wife Nancy pushed me to retire and, as in most things, she was right. I didn’t realize how much of a toll the commute and the work had been taking until the stress was removed. To my surprise, there’s no boredom. We’ve kept busy with travel abroad (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Vietnam, Cambodia, Canada, and Peru, and next April back to South Africa and Botswana), babysitting for our three grandchildren (ages 8, 4, and 2), lots of pleasure reading and couples book group dinners, and just hanging out with friends. I’m also serving on some nonprofit board committees and occasionally volunteering legal services to those organizations. And there’s the never-ending quest to improve my golf game.

“I’ve kept in touch with some of my wonderful friends from Wesleyan, both on social media and the old-fashioned way. Marc Pickard and I have had frequent contact. We’ve visited Marc and his wife Jeannie in Vancouver several times and toured Peru with them last April. I’m proud to say that even at our advanced age, we were able to make the steep trek up to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. Last summer we were honored with a visit from Larry Mendelowitz ’72 along with his wife Karen and daughter Dana. Steve Berman ’72 made the long trip from his home in Santa Monica to the San Fernando Valley to see Mendo and join us for lunch. It’s always amazing to me how we can pick up so easily where we left off all those years ago at Wes.