Class Notes

I’m sitting here in Florida on a lazy Saturday morning, the weekend after our 50th Reunion. I could bore you with the details of jet travel and rental cars at JFK International Airport but let’s say I arrived safely Thursday evening, late for the welcoming banquet but before they put the main meal away. The food was quite good for this event and it continued through each subsequent meal through Sunday brunch (bacon and eggs, which was to my liking). The coffee was top notch.

On Thursday evening, I was immediately impressed with the number of classmates who were present. There were plenty of conversations going on and I could sense that a good time was being had by all. I was numbed by my day of travel but enjoyed conversing with Chris Chase and his wife, Karen, at the table where I parked myself. I saw many of the members of our Reunion committee—Frank Judson, Steve Oleskey, Bill White, and others. I found Peter Sipples, Doug Clark, and Paul Eschholz comparing their experiences as an attorney, radio station owner, and retired educator, respectively.

I reserved quarters in Clark Hall and they were quite comfortable. My wife, Becky, couldn’t make the trip, so I didn’t have to be concerned about any snoring issues of my own making. Separating trash was a task and automatic faucets in the restrooms were challenging when brushing one’s teeth. The sounds coming through my first floor window didn’t interfere with my sleep after our full days. It was helpful that I had my handicap parking sticker, and a space right between Olin Library and Clark Hall was always waiting for me. Wesleyan’s public safety officers were very interested in making our stay safe and comfortable. The ancillary personnel and students were quite efficient and went out of their way for us.

I tried to handle the walking from one site to another and managed until Saturday, when I realized there was a cell number to call for a van to take me from point A to point B. I can see returning for future Reunions and, with facilities for the handicapped from airports to campuses, this is a real choice as we live into the “golden years.”

We had a well-attended panel discussion on Friday morning at the old EQV house, now a facility for Romance languages. Frank Judson led the topic, which centered on the present and future for the elite liberal arts model of education. Wesleyan’s endowment was discussed and how it was the highest per student in our undergraduate years. Currently, Wesleyan’s endowment isn’t what it used to be but, at the dinner hosted by President Roth that evening, the topic certainly has the attention of the administration. James Dresser ’63 was one of the participants and he noted that aid-blind admission policies have been discontinued.

Aside from the structure established by the committee, there was ample time for enhancing old relationships and forging new contacts. We are well beyond the identities we were consumed with in the past. Our days of athletic gifts are something of memories and we now have the opportunity to relate to others in ways we never had the time to develop before. I know for myself, I am impressed with Steve Oleskey and the stands he takes in his world. I told him that as Wesleyan alumni we share each other’s accomplishments, as well as the possibilities for transforming the world in what we’ve learned over time. It is encouraging to know that, in our retirements, there is a new and empowering future.

Sometime during the weekend, I heard my name being called and it was a sweet sight, indeed, to see Chris Lapuc standing there with husband Paul Lapuc. From my previous notes, you might recall the serious medical issues on her plate. She summed things up by stating, “I’m still alive,” and I embraced her with great relief. Now that I reflect on my joy in that moment, all the wives I have met during the Reunions have been special women. The likes of Lou D’Ambrosio, Peter Sipples, Paul Brands, Don Ware, Bill Medd, Chip Smith, Judson, Oleskey and many more are enriched with their special women. Let’s be real, the guys we rubbed elbows with over 50 years ago weren’t about to transform their lives without the women behind them. Peel away the layers and there we are as little boys with their toys.

I could go on forever, but the parade, box lunch, and music were a delight. I attended a couple of seminars, including one featuring Rusty Hardin. He is a trial attorney from Houston. He has been in the news over the years and has successfully represented clients at venues including the U.S. Supreme Court. He was also a recipient of an outstanding alumnus award and recognition in the Wesleyan chapel during the weekend.

The seminar included an alumna who coordinates U.S. Senate investigations of wrongdoing and laid down the process in a clear and precise manner. Rusty spoke after her presentation and applauded the way the U.S. Senate conducted its investigations but not the House of Representatives. He defended baseball pitcher Roger Clemens before a House committee on allegations of perjury in a previous congressional investigation. I saw Rusty in many a news report as he accompanied his client through a mob of media reporters.

After the seminar, I approached Rusty and proceeded to verify that he was a member of our freshman class and had to drop out for a year and return to graduate with the class of 1965. I was impressed with his open manner for someone in the media eye and how he was happy to see me. He apparently kept track of the class in my quarterly notes and always had more of an affinity for 1964. He changed his schedule and showed up at our class banquet on Saturday evening.

The Saturday banquet turned out to be a fitting tribute to the whole weekend. Awards were given out, including one recognizing my service as class secretary for I don’t remember how many years. Coach Don Russell attended our banquet as did retired professor Dick Miller. It was exciting to have a picture taken of our freshman baseball team members present with the coach.

Lou D’Ambrosio came up to the podium and sang a smooth song reminiscent of the legendary Frank Sinatra. He sounds more like Tony Bennett these days. Rusty Hardin asked to address the class and shared how moved he was to be back with “his class.” He was at my table where, with his wife, he expressed gratitude in enjoying the banquet and said it was well worth a change in his plans to get down to New York City.

I know there were many alumni who couldn’t manage to attend. I would appreciate hearing from you via e-mail and I could create an addendum to the class book updating where you are and what you’re up to. I know Bill Woodcock attended and wanted to create an addendum to his information. Everyone appeared to be pleased with the effort for our 50th Reunion. Finally, there is an “in memoriam” section for 29 individuals who have passed away and are truly missed even though our memories can keep their spirits with us.

TED MANOS, M.D. | ted_manos@yahoo.com

Dave Holdt is now fully retired, having stopped teaching freshman writing at the University of Hartford in December 2013. He says he’s now a house husband, in charge of all things domestic as his partner, Karen Chase, is still at the University of Hartford, where she heads the Education Department, teaching both PhD students as well as undergrads. He says he’s doing pretty well with the domestic chores except that Karen says he “cannot see spiders.” He is in a memoir writing class at UConn and as they live near several large forests, he takes one of his three dogs for daily hour-long walks and is now in much better shape than when he stood all day in front of classes. He has seen all sorts of wildlife during the walks and has become a bird watcher. They hear lots of owls calling at night. Recently a nearby sheep farmer reported that some “very big animal” was killing his sheep. There are some thoughts of America’s largest cat nearby. He and Karen enjoy going to CT Tigers, a Detroit single “A” farm team’s home baseball games in nearby Norwich. Go, CT Tigers!

Having retired in the summer of ’12 after 49 years as middle school department head of language arts at the Gilman School, an independent school for boys in Baltimore, Samuel “Bo” Grimes is now much involved with a group of parishioners working to draw up their profile for a new rector for a nearby Episcopal church in north Baltimore. Bo and his wife, Sabra, were married in ’75. They have two daughters. One is getting married next April. “Big expense,” chuckled a resigned but pleased Bo. He and Sabra live in Cockeysville, Md. The met at work, as she was in charge of schedules for the Gilman Middle School. She, too, is retired. They travel a little, last October to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. Sadly, that turned out to be just when Congress closed all national parks. One day before they were to leave, parks were opened again so at least they got in one day. Bo likes gardening and they both like reading, especially “quality” mysteries. Their next trip will be to Quebec. This is because they are particularly fond of a Canadian mystery writer, Louise Penny, winner of Canada’s highest civilian award, the Order of Canada, for her writing. Many of her mysteries take place in Quebec very close to the Vermont line and her descriptions of the scenery and characters are so pleasant that they’d like to visit the areas she’s described in her mystery series. Recalling times at Wes U, Bo spoke fondly of the John Wesley Club and his interesting friends there. Unlike the fraternities, it did not have a kitchen so JWC members ate at Downey House or at different fraternities. He particularly favored EQV, both for the friends and food there.

Also living in Maryland (Trappe, Md., on the eastern shore) but appearing for the first time in our class column, Ted Passyn has retired from a career in real estate development. He specialized in building moderate-cost housing, first in Pennsylvania and for the last 33 years in Maryland. Ted met his wife Julia (Smith ’63) on a blind date at a party at Wes U on Valentine’s Day weekend 1960. They were introduced by Bruce Meinke ’62 and got married in February 1964. The rest is history. Included in that history are 10 children, ages 28–50 (23 degrees among them!) and 20 grandchildren. Ted told me that number was to change on his birthday, the day after we talked, as a 21st grandchild was to be induced. So then their ages then would stretch from 1 day–24 years. When the Passyns travel, it is generally to see their children and grandchildren who stretch across the South from St. Louis to New Orleans. While he does not know all their favorite colors, he can pretty well recognize them all. One year he went to 43 football games! (Go, CT Tigers and everyone else!) Ted served in the Army as a finance officer after he was married, rising to the rank of first lieutenant, while on active duty and making captain later in the reserves. At one point shortly after the Gulf of Tonkin, his unit was on alert to go to Vietnam for five months. In the end they never went, but he found that his time in the army was very broadening and a valuable addition to his education. He is a serious cook with a 10-burner commercial range and a serious wine cellar. He is also somewhat of a gardener and has had a wonderful sounding conservatory built with many beautiful flowers and palm trees, all of which opens onto a very large, lovely enclosed pond with a waterfall.

It is possible that Jon Hopkins has had a unique experience among our classmates. And that is, that in the summer of ’68, primarily due to the immediate threat of his being drafted, he left the country and moved to Canada and applied for permanent residency. The day after Canada accepted his application, in ’69, he got a letter from the US Attorney General indicting him as a draft dodger. He said his father backed his move but his mother was worried that their friends might “think he was a deserter.”Canadians had no such problems and were very accepting of him as in general they opposed the war. In ’77, one of the first things President Carter did was to pardon all draft dodgers. After graduating from Wes U, Jon was ABD in the University of Delaware graduate program in chemistry. Once in Canada, he enrolled in McGill in a master of science program but when money ran out, got a job teaching at the Herzing Institute (now Herzing College) in Montreal, where he lived since moving north. There he taught junior college level students right out of high school along with older students/workers returning to college to grow professionally. For much of his life in Montreal Jon also free-lanced as a computer programmer though he says while he was never a particularly good businessman, at least he was never broke. At Wes U he was a chemistry major and he’s retained an interest in science and enjoys following some websites like Science Daily and Slashdot, on which he finds interesting comments on computer matters. He also likes to read ancient history, really ancient history. A couple of recent reads were Thucydides’ History of the Peleponnesian War (431 BC) and an early 20th century book on the Middle Ages, which proved difficult, not for the subject matter but for the text, which was all in small print and worse, the voluminous footnotes in ever smaller print. Jon lives in an apartment in downtown Montreal and wonders in what other city could someone live so well and inexpensively? He subscribes to Montreal’s Sept.–May annual 12-concert series, and enjoys walking to the concert hall, stopping along the way for dinner at a delicious Chinese restaurant. He finds the Canadian comprehensive health and drug care programs “a godsend!” and scoffs at Canada being called “socialistic” due to its health care system. Even before enrolling at WesU as a freshman, he had heard of the John Wesley Club and intended to join it, which he did. In high school John had been one of the very best students. At WesU he found what many of us also found: pretty much everyone fell into that category. He played clarinet in our not-quite-world-famous football marching band and found the JWC experience “fantastic—we had great guys, very liberal, and got outside speakers to come for discussions at the JWC. Many, like Hanna Arendt, John Cage, and C.W. Snow were there in residence, but came for smaller discussions at JWC. However, I think Pete Seeger came just to JWC.” He recalled one incident when two guys who may not have been JWC members but were just rooming there would boil peyote and then partake of the resulting concoction and collapse in great mirth and laughter. So, someone substituted spinach for their peyote stash. They boiled it, partook and collapsed in great mirth and laughter, which just goes to show—those were the times, my friends…

BYRON S. MILLER | tigr10@optonline.net
5 Clapboard Hill Rd., Westport, CT 06880

Carl Crossman writes that his successful 1991 book, The Decorative Arts of the China Trade (published in 1991) is being translated into Chinese by the Commercial Press of Beijing, a distinguished press founded in 1897. He says the book had great reviews all over the world. He attended book openings in London, Hong Kong, New York, Boston, and Salem, and writes, “After several trips to the Orient over the past years I have to wonder if I would attend a book signing there.” The book is actually his second book on the subject. He says his 1972 book “had a great review in the New York Times, sold out in a month, went through three further editions, and was picked up by the Book of the Month Club, one of the few art books they ever did.” Addressing retirement, he said, “For an old Yankee whose family came over to New England in the 1630s, living in Florida was not what I had in mind.”

John Hazlehurst writes, “Just as I may have been the last of our class to join the reality-based community and get a job, I may be the last to retire.” He still is working as a full-time reporter and columnist for the Colorado Springs Business Journal and the Colorado Springs Independent. He reports that he and Karen have six kids, 18 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter scattered around the globe—Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Kentucky, Las Vegas, and Tahiti. He says he keeps fit “with long bike rides through the high country, most recently the Copper Triangle, an 80-mile ride over four mountain passes.” He writes that he is looking forward to the 55th Reunion in 2017, and asks, “How did we get this old, anyway?”

Morrie Heckscher has retired from the Metropolitan Museum of Art after an illustrious career there of 45 years. However, they didn’t let him go completely. He is curator emeritus, with an office, and he says he’s involved in “a number of interesting ongoing projects.”

Dave Hedges and Ann moved from Canandaigua to Fairport, a suburb of Rochester, “to be closer to all the city has to offer,” with winters in Ft. Myers. A new knee was scheduled “to replace the one I originally injured playing freshman football at Wesleyan. Old age caught up with it.”

Jon Scheinman offered a Tweet-sized summary of “the whole picture since 1962”: “U. of Ill. MD, resident pediatrics and fellowship pediatric nephrology 1962–1971; academic pediatric nephrology, U. MN 1971–1983; Duke U. Medical Center 1983–1993; Virginia Commonwealth U. 1993–1999; tenured professor U. Kansas 1999–2009 (from which I was ‘proudly’ removed for whistleblower activities on behalf of faculty rights), and president KS Conference AAUP; took part time “Locum Tenens” physician substitute positions in pediatrics and pediatric nephrology 2009–2012 in ME, NC, NH, OR, VA, and WA); 70-plus publications and 20-plus chapters; Retired 2012, but continuing in intermittent telemedicine; other activities include gardens, very frequent tennis, extensive travels with partner Anita, visiting children and grandchildren in N.C. and Pa., and windsurfing in Outer Banks of N.C. from our house in Avon on Hatteras Island.”

DAVID FISKE | davidfiske17@gmail.com

A recent communication from Sandy McCurdy states: “I can report that Larry Wiberg is charging ahead in Denver, still doing medicine, still working at his Episcopal church, erecting fine memorials to his late and beloved wife, Katie, and visiting with me and Patsy in East Blue Hill, Maine, in the summers for a few days. I continue to breathe regularly and whack away as associate rector at St. David’s Church—the largest Episcopal parish in Pennsylvania and 10th nationally.”

Another “Sandy,” the wife of Pete Drayer, is included in a note from Pete: “Jon, I can report that my wife, Sandy, and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary. To add to my rather cryptic message, I continue to serve as a senior judge about 10 days a month.”

John Rogers and his wife, Carolyn, have moved from Greenwood, S.C., to an over-55 adult Del Webb community, Carolina Lakes. in Indian Land, S.C. He jokingly mentions that any classmates who understand early bed times and have limited memories of last week’s events are welcome.

Ed Knox and his wife, Huguette, continue to split their time between Middlebury and Paris, with an occasional visit to Tucson. They would be happy to catch up with classmates one place or another. Meanwhile, Ed continues to write about how Americans look at France, a topic that, he says, keeps on giving.

Bob Owens has been busy over the past few years. He writes: “My significant other and I went on a trip to Peru in October of 2013. Machu Picchu is amazing, as were several other places we went. I would never try to drive in any of the cities—chaos. I worked on trying to get people elected to the school board who would be more reasonable and accountable than the bunch that was in, but the Republican-backed slate won. Their attempt at instituting vouchers for mostly religious private schools will be reviewed by the Colorado Supreme Court in the coming months. Vouchers make no sense at all in this very wealthy county, which had an excellent school system until a few years ago. Good teachers and principals are leaving in alarming numbers. I continue volunteering for three hospice organizations, visiting elders with dementia, and working with grief groups for kids who have lost a loved one.”

Bob Patricelli says life is good! “Still working hard and enjoying it, plus four grandkids (including son Thomas ’88’s first just a few months ago). Still living on Folly Farm in Simsbury, Conn., but wife Maggie won the argument over buying a little winter getaway in San Jose, Calif. It’s a long commute but domestic harmony is restored.”

Glenn Hawkes revealed his interest in American education by highlighting the work of a fellow classmate: “Ed McClellan is another Wes-mate I’d love to have coffee with, as we’ve recently shared some thoughts via e-mail on progressive education, or the lack thereof, in America’s schools. While he was department chair of educational leadership at Indiana University, Ed had written a very fine historical survey, Moral Education in America (Columbia University, 1999). It ought to be required reading for anyone interested in how America has sought to shape the character of each new generation of citizens. My first born, T. Elijah Hawkes ’97, and I have done some writing together about failed education reforms—in the context of John Dewey’s progressive philosophy. (Miracles and Monstrosities: John Dewey the Fate of Progressive Education; Schools: Studies in Education, Spring 2013, U Chicago Press.)

“Late in ’13,” Glenn continues, “I had an opportunity to visit with Al Williams and meet his wife, Wendy, up from Maryland on some family business in the Boston area where I live. Al and I have corresponded a bit, but not seen one another for five decades. He’s in better shape than I—it must be from the mild winters down there in the DC area! I remain in touch with Bob Hausman, who keeps plenty busy swimming, playing basketball, and constructing snow castles with his grandson in the abundance of Minnesota snow and cold.

“Classmates, please know that my second home in Rwanda (where we stay from May to September) is open to anyone wanting to visit in that part of the world, where the Nile and the human species both have their origin, not to mention the mountain gorillas, and the amazing regeneration of a people who lost so many and so much in 1994. (e-mail me at wardbrook@yahoo.com; also see centersforsocialresponsibility.org.)”

Brad Beechen has retired again, this time from a five-year stint as an usher at Wrigley Field. “More time for golf and travel in the plan,” he explains, “Mary Jane and I will drive to Louisville in late May to visit Vicki and June Prince, and to renew an annual golf-trophy competition that began in 1989. We’re grateful every day for continuing good health; 75’s not so bad at all.”

Phil Rodd is still working at a second career as travel director for an international travel company. Last year he took tourists to see the sights in locations as far flung as San Diego to Bar Harbor, Maine. “Yellowstone is still my favorite spot to visit…I encourage all of you out there to see it at least once.”

Russell Robertson wrote: “Had a nice lunch with Ernie Marino about a month ago. Great discussion re: value of a Wesleyan education, our shared participation on the football team our senior year, and when we were roommates at Penn Dental School in 1962. Arthritis is limiting my trekking efforts and will end with a trip to Slovenia and Bhutan. Biking, strangely enough, does not bother my knees too much—hope to participate in the Mass. Challenge—Jimmy Fund event this August.” As a side note, Russ adds: “In the early 1980s I removed a large cancer of the parotid gland in a 10-year-old boy. The five-year survival for such a tumor is pretty grim. Today he is 45, has three kids, and is a successful IT person! I plan to be next to him at the Mass. Challenge in August.

To all classmates who have kindly submitted messages to your class secretary, please be patient, keep tuned, and your generous words will eventually be published. To all others, start tapping those computer keys!

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com

I read the notification in the most recent Wesleyan magazine that Rudy Kalin died on Aug. 16, 2011. Rudy initially came to Wesleyan from Switzerland as an exchange student. He served as a faculty member in psychology at Queens University in Canada for 33 years, which included 10 years as department head. He enjoyed playing golf in his retirement. He is survived by his wife, Jane, of 45 years, three sons and their spouses, and four grandchildren. On behalf of the Class of 1960, I offer our belated condolences to his family and friends.

Jay Levy was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual science retreat at Wesleyan on Sept. 18, 2014. He reviewed the history of AIDS from discovery to future challenges. In addition, he met with students to discuss science as a career.

Congratulations to Dave Major, who received a Fulbright Scholar award to teach and do research at the University of Helsinki, Finland, for two months in each of the fall terms of 2014 and 2015. Dave’s research will focus on urban adaptation to climate change, especially in small- and medium-sized coastal cities.

Rob Mortimer wrote the following: “Mimi and I have been doing some academic tourism of late. Last fall (2013), we were in Algeria to attend a conference on the Algerian writer Assia Djebar at the University Mouloud Mammeri in Tizi Ouzou. The university is named for another Algerian author who was born not far from there in the Berber Kabyle region of the country. We knew Mammeri, who was an activist in the movement to celebrate Berber culture, from our days as grad students in Algeria in the 1960s, and we remain in touch with his widow and children. Then this past spring we traveled to the other end of the continent to give some talks at the University of Pretoria. Once a bastion of apartheid, the university now is a true rainbow institution celebrating South Africa’s diversity. We also spent some time at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and, of course, visited Mandela’s former home in Soweto, now a prime tourist attraction. We had been in South Africa in the early 1990s right after the release of Mandela from prison during the period that our daughter Amy ’87 was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho. South Africa has come a long way since then but much remains to be done. We spend a fair amount of time in France as well, thanks to a house exchange that we do with a French couple. Indeed, we have seen Charlie Smith and Bruce Dow in Paris over the past few years, and would always be happy to see other classmates who might be passing through that great city.”

Paul Tractenberg edited the recently published Courting Justice: 10 New Jersey Cases That Shook the Nation (Rutgers University Press, 2013). In addition, he wrote the introduction and one of the chapters. He is spending his sabbatical year working on a comparative study of public education reform processes in Ontario, Israel, and Finland, where he was appointed as a visiting professorial scholar at the law and education schools of the University of Toronto, Tel Aviv and Haifa Universities, and University of Helsinki, respectively.

SAL RUSSO | salandjudy@hotmail.com