Class Notes

Sad news from Sarah Porter ’86, daughter of Robert L. Porter, that he passed away on May 3, 2023, in Simsbury, Connecticut. She attended  our 65th Reunion in 2017 with Bob and his grandson, Asa Porter-Bernstein, and included pictures of them having fun and singing some of the old Wesleyan songs after dinner. Although he didn’t make the Glee Club while at Wesleyan, music was so important to him and he was happiest while singing or listening to music. In addition to Sarah, Bob’s legacies included his dad, Charles P. Porter 1918, and his maternal grandmother, Bella Pullman 1885. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Constance Flower, his daughters, Martha and Sarah, son-in-law, Matthew Bernstein, and grandsons, Asa and Otto Porter-Bernstein.

Zdenek David wrote that during the last academic year, he delivered two lectures—one at the American Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) Convention in Chicago, November 10–23, 2022, and at the Bohemian Reformation and Religious Practice, Fourteenth Symposium in Prague, June 19–20, 2023.

Seth Rosner is still chugging away in Saratoga Springs, New York, living in the happiest time of his life, due entirely to his beloved married relation, Judith. He recites a chilling story about her parents, who were Holocaust survivors:

“In 1943 her mother was taken by German troops from her home in Uzhorod, then in Hungary, now Ukraine, to slave labor in a munitions factory near Hamburg. Then in April 1945, as Germany was collapsing, to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp for ‘disposal,’ before which she was liberated by units of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery’s Royal Army.

“Father was transported from Breslau in Silesia—then Germany, now Poland—via the Teresienstadt ghetto to Dachau for disposal, liberated by the 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division of the U.S. Army.

“Both then went to ‘displaced person’ camps for adequate nourishment and health care, then ‘resettled’ in Prague, where they met, married, and Judith was the result. She grew up under the Communist regime, always dreaming of coming to America with her mom and dad, to which two uncles had emigrated prior to the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. Two days prior to their departure, her dad passed of a heart attack; she and Mom buried him, then flew to JFK arriving with one valise and $25 between them, and neither spoke a word of English.

“Mom was a seamstress in Prague, so quickly got a job in New York City’s garment industry where her fingers did her talking. Judith taught herself English sorting vegetables in a supermarket, put herself through college, and got a job at Arthur Andersen. When the firm decided to open its first office in a former Iron Curtain country, in Prague, Judith got the job.”

Samuel Fitch relates that he is one of the few of us still kicking around, living in an independent living facility in Sun City, Arizona, with his lady. It seems that everything hurts these days and what doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work. But in our 90s, it’s just good to be able to get up in the morning and socialize. He says, “Hi to all.”

Just received sad news that another of our classmates, Paul Newcomet Sutro, passed away suddenly on August 29, 2023, in Rifle, Colorado, at the age of 93. He is survived by his wife, Sissy, who he met on a blind date in Atlanta in 1960 and who he married less than a month later, and his children—Tripp ’85, Martha ’87, Tommy, and John—their spouses, and seven grandchildren. His full obituary can be read at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/timesdispatch/name/paul-sutro-obituary?id=53121369.

Finally, on September 7, I attended an excellent revival of Sweeney Todd with my daughter, Ellen Bender ’82, replacing her husband, Samuel ’82, who could not attend, as he was delivering babies. It was a Wes fundraiser, attended by President Roth and hundreds of supporters. The production was directed by Thomas Kail ’99, who also directed In the Heights and Hamilton, both Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 productions. President Roth and Thomas also co-hosted a post-performance discussion about Wesleyan’s contributions to the arts.

Bill Hillis sent in a remembrance of what he has done. He graduated from the Brunswick School in 1947, then went off to Wesleyan. After graduating, he went to Cornell Medical School (graduated 1955) and did a surgical residency for two years at the University Hospital of Cleveland (1956–57). He spent two years in the U.S. Navy (1958–59) as a junior medical officer on the USS Midway. Afterward, he returned to the University Hospital of Cleveland to complete his surgical residency (1960–62). He spent 16 years in general surgery practice in Greenwich, Connecticut. Bill retired in 1997, living in Goshen, Connecticut, until 2014. He currently lives in a retirement community, Masonicare at Ashlar Village, Wallingford, Connecticut. He says he and Barbara are doing well.

Charlie Selig writes: “I am still here living a very good life. This is probably our last year in New York as we, meaning my significant other, Madalyn, is selling her condo. We plan on returning to Boca West, Boca Raton, Florida, where we have resided together for over 12 years. No more tennis, but swim laps here and in Florida, three or four times a week. Still crazy New York Giants fan and now watch all games on TV. Hoping to see team play in Miami this fall. Best to my old DKE friends and others at Wes. Sorry, have not been back to Wes for a long time. Regards, Charlie”

Word received that Dave Morey has died. Lived most recently at The Kendall in Ithaca, New York, after a long career in marketing at a variety of prestigious members of corporate America. Dave was an active member at John Wes and busy with the Atwater Club. Condolences to his family and friends. His obituary can be read here: https://www.lansingfuneralhome.com/obituaries/david-morey.

Bud Dorsey has retired from his role as your class secretary. We thank Bud for his dedication to keeping his classmates connected to each other and to Wes over the years, and we hope that he sends in his own update soon.

Dick Powell writes, “I was named ‘Crickets’ when I joined Psi U in the fall of 1946 as a freshman, with the first large class [made up of] many veterans at the end of World War II. Much has happened since that graduation:

“I was drafted into the army five months after graduation and discharged three years later (Korean War) as [a] first lieutenant. I entered the life insurance world as a career, married, and now have two sons, three grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters.

“For pure fun I have sailed our 40-foot Hinkley from Florida to Maine waters [and] became an instrument-rated pilot, flying our Beechcraft Bonanza several thousand hours, mostly on the East Coast.

“We have lived in the Philadelphia suburbs, Florida fly-in community, Pomfret, Vermont, and now living in Kendal at Hanover, New Hampshire, a Quaker retirement community.

“Life at age 95 is still good but a bit slower. When I departed Wesleyan I never thought I would get this far. I have much to be grateful for.

“All good wishes to you of the Class of ’50—Crickets (Dick) Powell.”

Cliff Milner shares, “Exciting news from me! I had my 19th great-grandchild four weeks ago [July 2023] and now awaiting delivery of my 20th. Both happenings right here in Rochester. Both are boys! Let’s see someone in the 1950 class beat that. Of course, I’m helping the odds by being 95 years old.”

Camp Hale, the site of the training of the 10th Mountain Division, is now going to be renovated and I am part of the committee that is deciding what should happen to it. It is now a national monument and it was very important to the development of the entire ski industry in Colorado. Senator Michael Bennet ’87, a group of local historians, the forest service, and so forth, are going to meet in September about the particulars and specifics to make this site attractive and informative for the general public. As a member of the committee, I am one of the few remaining veterans who was at Camp Hale during World War II.

The 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Hale for about two years before we went to Italy for our assignment, which was to drive the Germans out of the Apennines, across the Po River Valley, up to the Alps, and then to the other pass to prevent them from getting into Austria and joining the German troops. We did this in five months, until the war ended.

I will keep you informed over the next months about the progress and particulars of the efforts to renovate the old Camp Hale site. The best book on the subject of the 10th Mountain Division is Soldiers on Skis by Flint Whitlock and Bob Bishop. I recommend that you get a copy to learn about this unique and elite military history. I hope to have specifics by our next issue of the magazine.

Slán go fóill.

Please send news to your class secretary.

A few updates from classmates:

Bryan Chong works for the Greater New Haven Labor History Association, and worked on Cap the Rent CT, the first sustained campaign for rent stabilization in Connecticut in almost 40 years. Bryan continues to train workers, including student workers, across the country to engage in labor organizing.

Isis Gaddy wrote: “Over the past 18 months, I have lived in two different continents, held five jobs, and started my own business. After graduating from Wesleyan in 2021, I worked as an SEO intern for Zillow. Upon completion I moved to France to participate in the TAPIF program as a teacher’s assistant. During this time, I enjoyed indulging in all things French, including cheese, croissants, and the slower pace of life. However, my time in France was cut short when I received an offer from Bloomberg to join their Planning and Campaign Management Team. Working with the head of business administration, I helped develop new initiatives that were implemented throughout the company and focused on finance management. After my contract was complete, I left Bloomberg to pursue my career in the luxury travel industry.

“Starting with Erina Pindar, the COO of SmartFlyer, I worked to rebuild and launch the EQTR (Equity in Travel) scholarship and internship programs. After completing the internship, I was offered a position in SmartFlyer’s takeoff mentorship program, which provides new travel agents with structure and support as they begin to build their own business in the industry. In less than a year, I have had the opportunity to create an internship and scholarship program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals, plan domestic and international events for the company, and build my own brand.

“Overall, I am grateful I had the opportunity to continue my passion for languages at Wesleyan, as it has helped me develop professional fluency in in my day-to-day work.”

Taylor Goodman-Leong said: “I have been living in Boston for the past two years and will be graduating this spring from Boston College with my master’s in social work! After graduation, I will be working at the Baker Center for Children and Families as their post-master’s fellow, providing therapy and services for children and adolescents.”

Gayon Yang lives in Irvine, California, and wants to connect with Wesleyan alums in the area! She visits Los Angeles every week, and she’d love to catch up with an alum!

From Saki Ohashi: “I’ll be publishing a book in March of this year, under my pen name Kaki Okumura (secret’s revealed ha ha). It’s called Wa: The Art of Balance because ‘wa’— the Japanese word used to describe Japanese things—also means harmony and represents the value of seeking balance to live a well-rounded life. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and I’m very excited!”

Lucine Poturyan is running for re-election for her position as District 1 representative of East Hollywood in Los Angeles. She currently serves as the chair of the Outreach and Youth and Education Committees on the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and looks forward to continuing leadership of the free produce box distribution and community outreach around resources for low-income families.

Isaac Klimasmith and Mariel Baitenmann-Middlebrook got married in July 2022 (don’t worry, we didn’t hyphenate!), with many wonderful Wesleyan folks in attendance. Mariel graduated with a master’s of education from the University of Illinois and is currently teaching bilingual social studies. The Klimasmith pet rat herd continues to grow, reaching a height of eight rats in 2022.

From Sarah Hutcheon: “I started a new position at Abbott as a product transfer scientist. I help facilitate new lateral-flow product development and troubleshoot our current products.”

From Jake Multer: “I’m down in D.C. working as an advocate in the food policy world. Still doing a lot of brewing, ceramics, baking, and Frisbee!”

From Nick Ticali: “I’m still in school to become a PA at the New York Institute of Technology. Softball season is coming up though, so I’m excited to hit some home runs and hopefully secure another championship win. I’m also planning a trip to travel to Italy for a month over the summer, so all good things!”

Maya Layne is still working her way to stardom, currently as an assistant at Vogue. She not only recently celebrated a move to the Bushwick/Williamsburg area but also went on a much- deserved beach vacation.

Jackie Duckett is currently based out of New York and enjoys her job developing greenfield solar projects at EDP Renewables, reporting to a fantastic boss, and fellow Wesleyan alum, David Kane ’92. In her spare time, she’s been training for a half marathon, taking a printmaking class with a friend, and discovering other new hobbies in the city.

As for me, I made my storytelling stage debut earlier this year and read my fourth grade diary in Mortified Chicago’s Doomed Valentine’s Day show that you can watch on YouTube. Now, I’m focusing on defrosting underneath the Midwestern summer sun, eating local Wisconsin cheese, and still working on accepting that I’m no longer a “recent grad.”

Thanks to everyone who submitted an update! As always, feel free to send me updates throughout the year and look out for my submission requests!

Please write to your class secretary.

Please write to your class secretary.

Lili Kadets and Ben Marvin-Vanderryn are getting married this May. Shout-out to Professor  Franklin-Fowler’s Advanced Media Analysis class!

Erica Arensman and Nat Warner got engaged! Also, Erica got a job that starts after she graduates law school: she’ll be a public defender with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

Noah Mertz lives in Albuquerque. He researches the culture industry and teaches French at the University of New Mexico. Soon, he will be on exchange in Paris. He tries to floss at least three times a week, but sometimes he forgets.