Class Notes

A few people wrote in regarding the reunion. Rhonda Lees was very happy to attend and see Jessica Seigel, among others. Rhonda keeps up with a D.C. contingent of alums—last year, I attended one brunch with Rhonda, Michael Feldman, and others.

Karen Wise was also on campus but was much more focused on seeing her daughter, Julie Wise ’24 graduate. The West African drumming at commencement transported her back 40 years to her own ceremony. Karen is still working as a freelance book editor (mostly cookbooks) and volunteering at various food pantries in her spare time.

Liz Solar wanted to share that after 35 years of living in Boston (and working for Harvard Law School for much of that time), she has relocated to Maryland where she is working at the University of Baltimore School of Law, which she says she absolutely loves. She was appointed by Governor Moore to serve on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities. Her twins are starting their second year of college, and she is looking for places to explore in Maryland, now that she is more of an empty nester. 

Michael Lewyn was promoted to full professor at Touro Law Center.

Some book news from our classmates:

Andrew Bridge has published The Child Catcher, the true story of the fight to rescue the children confined to a violent and secretive institution in the rural South. This was the most bitterly fought mental-health lawsuit in American history. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Bridge joined the small team of civil rights lawyers representing the children of the Eufaula Adolescent Center, a violent and secretive institution in the rural South, against the state of Alabama.

Eileen Kelly published her first novel, Small Wonder. At the reunion she spoke with Parel Kapur and David (Dwight) Santos Donaldson, both of whom also published their first novels in their 60s. Parel’s book, Inside the Mirror, was mentioned in a previous Class Notes, and Dwight’s novel, Greenland, was a finalist for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

Eileen also shares some sad news that her mother, Mary Kelly, passed away in May.     From 1978 to 2000, Mary served as the administrative assistant to the Philosophy Department and the sole occupant of the department’s office on the second floor of Russell House. She sent two children to Wesleyan (Eileen and Stephen ’88), and Anthony Richter became her son-in-law. (Eileen’s grandfather, John Kelly, worked in Wesleyan’s Physical Plant from the ’40s to the ’60s.)

These notes will probably not arrive until after the election season, but it will not surprise anyone that our classmates are very active. As I write this, there is a Wesleyan call being organized by Ken Rosenberg, Maria Mead, Pagan Kennedy, and others to raise funds and to benefit an organization called the Movement Voter Project, which invests in grassroots organizations in swing states and districts that do voter mobilization, mostly targeting marginalized communities. 

To the Class of 1983, hello from Dallas. I hope this note finds you well this fall.

I am honored to be your new class secretary. You might remember me as Mary Ann Martin. I lived in Clark during my first year, rowed crew, attended numerous basketball, football, and cultural events, and majored in math. I adored my time in Middletown. Over the course of the past 40 years, I have had the chance to be back on the hill. My family celebrates not one but three graduates of Wesleyan: my dad (Class of 1960), myself, and one of my nieces (Class of 2015).

After a successful and rewarding career as an HR executive, I retired for the first time in 2017, to go back to school for a second master’s in conflict—see, that is my sweet spot. After teaching for a bit in the Cox Business School at SMU, COVID hit, and I returned to full-time work for another three years before retiring the second time.

I enjoy pickleball, Pilates, time to read, cooking with friends/family, and volunteering in my community. I happily give my time to Parkinson Voice Project (nonprofit), my church library, my church small group, a local neighborhood women’s group, and now to us, Class of 1983.

Ray and I are extremely fortunate that our three children and grandchildren—Emily (eight), Allison (five), and David (19 months) currently live in the metroplex. Adventures with Grampa and Gram are so much fun. Things like sleepovers, learning to do yard work, lemonade stands, trips to the zoo, hula hoop lessons, and the list goes on. You are welcome to join anytime!

Enough about me. I would love to hear from you!

Dearest Classmates:

We have a bit more space this issue as it will be entirely online, so a lot to catch up on, mostly as it was sent to us. Some things to mourn, many transitions, and some hopeful updates. Please have a read.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Dr. Carol Evans. Carol had a 30-year career in international security and was the director of the Strategic Studies Institute at the United States Army War College. The army embraced strategies she developed for countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. She advised the director of Central Intelligence, the National Ground Intelligence Center, and the Defense Science Board. Carol was in Wesleyan’s program in Ghana in 1981–1982 when a coup d’etat and martial law shut down the university outside Accra. A fellow student in the program remembers Carol as the cool, organized presence who helped get the Wesleyan folks back home safely. In addition to her academic and policy work, Carol also found time to teach economics to master’s students at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and to travel widely with her daughter, Fiona.

Eric Sack ’83 is retiring from his full-time faculty position in the English department at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Eric spent the 1980s as an investigative reporter in New York City, and his experiences living in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn led him to leave journalism to pursue education with a focus on inner-city and disenfranchised students, leading him to SCC. He writes that his most gratifying accomplishments at SCC will always be watching students gain confidence in their ability to use written English as they work toward a more fulfilling and productive life for themselves and their families. He hopes to continue part time in the fall in the writing center while he helps raise identical twin granddaughters.

Mark Sirota writes, “I left my job as general counsel of Trusted Media Brands after 30 years at the company and am taking the summer for some rest and relaxation before planning the rest of my life. I continued my ‘old men watching older men’ perform while the older men are still alive concert tour with James Taylor at Tanglewood, The Rolling Stones at MetLife, and Billy Joel’s 150th and final concert of his residency at Madison Square Garden, where he was joined by Axl Rose. I was in Washington, D.C., in July to celebrate my twins’ 21st!! birthdays with them, where I was hosted by Anthony Pahigian and his wife, Gordana.”

Reina Galanes moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988. In October 2021, she retired from careers in health-care insurance administration and instructional design. Two years later, she joined End of Life Choices California (EOLCCA) as a volunteer. The mission of this nonprofit organization is to provide Californians with information and support to successfully navigate their legal end-of-life options, including medical aid-in-dying. Reina says, “Talking about death is the proverbial elephant in the room. Our lives are unpredictable and so are the timing and manner of our deaths. What is important to you? What do you want to happen? What do you not want to happen? Have you shared your end-of-life wishes with your loved ones? It’s never too soon and can always be too late. It’s your life, your death, your choice.”

John Robinson writes, “Our adult kids are all doing great. Maya [Sonenberg]’s latest book, Bad Mothers, Bad Daughters, came out last year, and she is working a book now about Merce Cunningham. (Maya is a professor in the Department of English at the University of Washington.) In my retirement, I think I’m busier than before: now doing the business side of the arts for all who need it—producing, advising and supporting performance art, choreography, music, and now film too. You can see a couple of films I’ve executive produced. They are currently streaming (on Prime) and elsewhere: Thin Skin (director: Charles Mudede) about the life of a Seattle jazz trumpeter; and Anu (director: Sudeshna Sen), a coming-of-age story for the whole family (I have a small role in this one). And more to come soon with new episodes of Uncertain Detective series, and a film of the Kronos Quartet’s final concert together in San Francisco.”

Patty Smith writes “I spent 10 days of June in residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) working on my newest novel-in-progress. And in July, my wife, Cindy, and I headed to New England for vacation. Highlights included a delightful dinner with Ginny Pye and John Ravenal ’81 at their lovely home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a fabulous get-together with Terry Cowdrey and Laura Fine Warren at Laura’s home in Massachusetts.” Patty is still teaching American literature and creative writing at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg, Virginia, and still writing. 

Carlos Hoyt wrote to let us know he has a book coming out in November/December (with his colleague, Minna Ham), Diversity Without Divisiveness: A Guide to DEI Practice for K-12 Educators.

Cary Dier, technical editor in the Operational Evaluation Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Systems and Analyses Center (SAC), is a recipient this year of the 2023 W. Y. Smith Award, named in honor of General William Y. Smith, who led IDA for five years.

Emilie Attwell keeps going as a psychiatrist in Texas. “Life is great right now. I came to New Mexico to escape the heat, and it turns out I escaped Hurricane Beryl as well! It is a working vacation. Work starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. As long as I have Wi-Fi and privacy, I can work!”

David Hessekiel sent a nice update. “Last fall I sold Engage for Good, the corporate social impact conference and digital resource that I started 23 years ago. I consulted to the new owner, a terrific social entrepreneur 25 years my junior, until this May’s conference, at which they were kind enough to present me with a lifetime achievement award. (And, no, that honor doesn’t mean I have some sort of terminal illness—thank goodness.) 

“At 64 I’m far from retired, but I am enjoying the much more relaxed pace of overseeing one instead of two conference businesses—the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum—and the time that opens up for other pursuits. Besides tennis, pickleball, and swimming, it has meant a return to my journalistic roots. As luck would have it, a neighbor bought our local newspaper last fall and I’m a regular contributor. Incredibly exciting was covering the Democratic congressional primary race this spring between incumbent Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer, which attracted more political spending than any such contest in American history.”

Here is the photo of David at the Engage for Good conference this year.

And for a next generation thing, Ellen (Friedman) and Sam Bender joined Ellen’s father, Joe Friedman ’52, for the graduation of their daughter (and Joe’s granddaughter), Eliza in May. They got mentioned in the Class of ’52 Notes last issue for the musical Eliza directed at Wes in April, but I thought it right to stick them in here for us.

I really like letting people know that they have room to write, since we have space for 2000 words, as it turns out that people will really send updates. We’re so glad to share them with you.

David writes for this issue.

Greetings from Brooklyn! And welcome to our digital notes, where you can share pictures and videos, and I don’t have to figure out how to squeeze it all into 800 words!

We’ll start with Ramon J. Pineda, who is “still in Corpus Christi; still working for Scripps TV; still living the dream! We’ve survived some storms (Alberto and Beryl), a crazy internet outage, the ‘spyware’ disaster that froze half the world, Trump’s assassination attempt . . . and 2024 is not over yet! Life is good, kids are good, and I am getting ready to sign up for Medicare—time flies! Sending you all my regards from South Texas. Be well!”

Matthew King announced that “after 40 years of government service, I retired this summer! From a naval aviator in the U.S. Marines after Wes, to DOJ as a trial attorney, to U.S. Customs/Homeland Security Investigations as a special agent and ending up at the Department of Homeland Security as the deputy assistant secretary of Law Enforcement Policy, it was time. Along the way I received the DHS Gold Medal for actions in Panama intercepting Russian weapons headed to North Korea; made the largest undercover seizure of Chinese automatic weapons in U.S. history; led a team of agents into Haiti after the earthquake in 2010; received two silver medals for other law enforcement issues; and upon retirement, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal—the highest award DHS bestows.”

Congratulations Matt, on your prestigious awards, and thank you for helping to keep us safe!

Matt adds, “As a famous predecessor once said, ‘First 40 years for God and country—now I am a mercenary!’ I now look forward to my daughter’s, Isabelle ’16, wedding to Parker Wilson ’15 next spring and some lazy fly-fishing!”

Coincidence department: Matt concludes by letting us know that the Parker Wilson is our own Nancy Parker Wilson’s son—“small world!”

Small world indeed! Congratulations to Matt, to Nancy, and to your families!

More and more of us seem to be at the end of long and distinguished careers. After 30 years as a professor of environmental science, urban planning, and sustainable design at the University of Illinois, Daniel Schneider has joined the ranks of those retired and moved back East, “to the Taconic Hills near western Massachusetts, where I’m setting up a shop for my furniture making. My son, Jacob, is working in D.C. as an EMT/emergency room tech, and my daughter, Rose, has just started at Bard College.”  He adds that “I can be reached through my old email, ddws@illinois.edu or my website, danielschneiderfurniture.com.”

Daniel shared with us a picture of him with his two children:

Delcy Ziac Fox, our tireless class agent, writes that the former residents of InTown 21 had a series of mini-reunions recently: Delcy herself met Jim Sullivan ’82, P’19 for dinner in Barnstable Village, Massachusetts; Jim and his son, Owen Sullivan ’19, met for dinner with Gary Shapiro in Brooklyn, New York; and Miriam Stern Sturgis, husband, Gary Sturgis ’77, and Delcy met for dinner in cyberspace.

Delcy tells us that she is retired now, as are Miriam and her husband, Gary. Gary Shapiro is still a teacher at Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences in Brooklyn, New York. Jim is inpatient medical director at a substance use organization, High Point Treatment Center, and son Owen is management consultant with Potomac Point Group. 

The deadline for this edition of the notes was August 26, after the Democratic Convention and before the September debate, which at press time was still scheduled.  We know that the Wesleyan community is a cross section of the country as a whole, and, if you remember the brilliant and remarkable virtual presentation our own Christopher Graves presented for our last reunion—in the context of vaccines—that our nation is very much segmented into four very different categories. He shared with us that we have much to learn about how to communicate not only with those who share our values but also with those who do not. The word “together” does not always apply.

That said, Will Galison wrote a song for the Harris/Walz campaign (you can find it on YouTube). He said, “my last overtly political video (much more ambitious) was in 2008, and it was made an official song of the Obama campaign, being played at fundraisers across the country.”

I end on a personal note, as I have the space to do so. I have joined the ranks of many of you now eligible for Medicare. I hit the big 65 on March 18, and my dear wife, Elizabeth, gathered my three children from the diaspora to join me for dinner at Jean Georges at Columbus Circle, in Midtown Manhattan.

In this picture, you can see yours truly, who forgot to take his napkin out from under his chin 😉 with my wife, Elizabeth, and my children behind us, in ascending order: my son, Lee, 20, who came down from upstate New York, is now in their junior year at the University of Rochester; my daughter, Soshannah, 35, who came down from Burlington, Vermont, and is now a Head Start teacher in North Providence, Rhode Island; and my son, Dan, 39, who is in marketing and came east from Scottsdale, Arizona.

I have enjoyed adding the pictures and not having to count the words. And speaking of counting, I just realized that we have less than two years to our next reunion. I’m looking forward to it already!

In memoriam for Aleta Elaine (McClam) Staton written by Wesleyan classmate and dear friend, Allison Brown.

“When she enrolled at Wesleyan University, Aleta had not planned to pursue a degree in the performing arts, but the sounds of the orchestra, the rhythm of the drums, the harmonies of the choirs, the lights of the stage, and the applause of the audience called to her. The theater and the arts became her home. Wesleyan gave Aleta the platform to develop and nurture her innate talents as a phenomenal and charismatic actor, an elegant and powerful dancer, a strong and interpretive vocalist, and most importantly, an unconditional and supportive friend to everyone.

“A friend to everyone that met her, Aleta was an integral part of Wesleyan’s African American community. Whether it was getting your hair braided or cut, like the neighborhood barber or beautician, she was always the shoulder you could lean on, a confidant, and a consummate supporter and advocate.

“After graduating, Aleta dedicated her life to the cultivation of artist in Middletown as well as her New Haven community, serving as an educator, an arts administrator at Long Wharf Theater, as the former Cultural Affairs commissioner and chair, as director of Community Engagement at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and as an actor in plays as powerful as Ntozake Shante’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.

“As an educator within her community and a lecturing professor at Quinnipiac and Yale Universities, her students ranged in age from pre-K to mature adults. For Aleta, theater and the arts were her teaching instruments about life, its struggles, challenges, joys, and hopes. She worked tirelessly to inspire the lives of all she came in contact with. Her life was the theater, its people, its growth and evolving diversity, and the impact it has on culture and society.

“When asked about her approach to teaching, Aleta said, ‘Through the years, I have come more into my own as an instructor. I’ve found everybody has a way of communicating. There is no completely prescriptive way of teaching this or that. You have to discover along the way what parts of you can connect with them that you need to share every day . . . I have a lesson for every increment of the subject matter, but the lesson can veer to the right or the left or explode in the center, and those are the magic moments in class! I live for that. . . .’

“For those who knew Aleta, they understood that her own personal struggles and health challenges took a back seat to the work she knew she could accomplish. Aleta ‘lived a full life,’ one that will continue in the lives of her daughter, Jade, her sister, Laura, and all of those who were blessed to have met and been inspired by her.

“On September 25, 2022, while speaking to an audience that came to support her, Aleta said, ‘I am just like y’all. You know, been through, going through, we’ll get on the other end. I don’t know how this is gonna turn out, but it’s already written. So, I have nothing to complain about, I have nothing to worry about. I will be fine. . . .’”

“On July 4, as people celebrated America’s freedom, the curtain closed as Aleta Elaine (McClam) Staton took her final bow.”

The obituary for Aleta: Aleta Staton

Melissa Stern: “It’s been a very exciting time in my family. My son, Max W. Friedlich ’17, has a play on Broadway. It’s called JOB, and I admit we’re all still a little gobsmacked that this has happened. A year ago, we were literally stapling the set together in a tiny theater downtown. And now it’s on Broadway. It’s been nuts!

“I have a solo show opening at DIMIN NYC in Tribeca. I am very excited about it and happy to be working with this fab gallery. It’s called A Leg to Stand On, sculpture, drawing, and assemblage. It opened on September 6 and runs till October 19. (406 Broadway, 2nd floor; Leg to Stand On)

David Hafter: “After 42 years of providing mental health and clinical supervision services, my run comes to a welcome end in December. I run a team of clinicians who provide services for Medi-Cal clients. I will continue doing trainings for the agency a few days a month, but the rest of the time in retirement will be devoted to writing—a novel and a play in the works—and playing with this great band, Wealth of Nations (named after the original WoN from Wesleyan with the original band members from Wesleyan: myself, James Marcus ’81, Kathy Bergeron, and Vic Tredwell). The current band has a blast together.”

James Kent: “I remain in touch with our Wes E&ES professor Pete Patton, who had near-death experience with a pulmonary fungal infection he picked up [in] Death Valley, and as of two years ago, he was going back to—Death Valley! Crazy is a required component in E&ES. Our other professors, Greg Horne and Jelle de Boer, have passed. I went to Jelle’s memorial and told bad jokes about his Dutch accent.”

Amanda Hardy Sloan: “I have found, after picking up riding again at age 50, after my kids were grown and flown (I had been an avid teenage rider and had to give it up at Wes because I couldn’t afford it), that many, many women our age are riding again. Women of ALL backgrounds and abilities. There are many opportunities for women like us to ride. It is so therapeutic and both physically and psychologically good for us!

“I could not afford a horse of my own when I was younger, but hubby, Chris, and I found ourselves in a position to be able to do so on a modest level as we neared retirement. My dear mare was introduced to me by the trainer I was riding with at age 52, and I just fell in love with this horse. She is probably the only horse I will ever own. I’ve had her for 15 years, and we know each other backward and forward. She is now age 23, so slowing down a bit, but we only pleasure/trail ride, so it works out well.

“Mika is a registered Foundation Quarter Horse with champion bloodlines (but even if she wasn’t, I’d love her just the same!). She came east to Massachusetts when her Utah ranch had to be disbanded in the economic downturn of 2008–2009. She was pregnant with a filly. The truck she was on coming East hit an ice storm and flipped over. She was scraped up badly, but no bones broken. The truck with her on it continued to the upstate New York breeding farm that had purchased her. When they saw her injuries, they refused her. She was put back on the truck and went along with two young geldings to Horseplay Stables in Massachusetts, where I was riding. Our kind owner/trainer, Terri Hoy, accepted her, cared for her, cured her, and delivered her filly, Lulu, not long after! It was then that I started riding her and later purchased her. We had many years of trail riding, pleasure riding, and even a dabble into dressage with Horseplay!

“Recently I have moved Mika, as she is aging, to a small family farm in the town where I live. Attached are some photos of a trail hand walk we took with my husband, Chris, and our dog, Sabina, when we first moved to this new barn.

“Professionally, I am a landscape architect! This is my second career; I switched to it in my early 30s after working in nonprofit public relations during my 20s. I have loved the profession—a combination of environmental awareness, advocacy, design, knowledge of nature, and doing a lot of drawing! I am pretty much retired now. I continue to serve as a board member of local environmentally oriented organizations.”

From me, Jaquie: “I don’t know about all of you, but this summer has screamed by for us. Andrew McKenna (hubby extraordinaire) and I have both of our girls home—our older daughter, Xan, just graduated from Williams (a double major in studio art and comparative literature, with a minor in Spanish) and is working four to five part-time (some paying) jobs and also doing volunteer work in the arts as she figures out what the next step is for her (ideas and connections welcome); and our younger daughter, Juliana, a rising junior at Eckerd, spent the summer working on her dive master for scuba diving, lifeguarding, and looking for a marine biology internship for next summer (again, ideas and connections welcome).

“I’ve been taking a summerlong course to become certified as a pollinator advocate. (My head is bursting with all the in-depth information we have learned from this program that is focused on native plant species and native pollinators—absolutely fascinating and so critical for our survival.) And Andrew is hyper focused on his work at the Boulder Airport.

“It’s so special for us to be having family dinners together most nights—lots of laughter and many adventures together as well. We have had a revolving door of visitors—family members and friends. And we have been working on big challenges—Andrew, Xan (committee coordinator), me (committee treasurer), and many others are working hard to save Boulder Airport (trying to get Boulder City residents to vote ‘no’ on two measures on the ballot calling for the closure of the airport. I am happy to report that the measures have been withdrawn, though the work continues to be sure we promote and protect Boulder Airport. And we’re also working with BlueWave Postcards to try to save democracy (Xan is one of the artists—her pastel for the Arizona card just got sold out).

“On November 6, I go in to get my left knee replaced—talk about a game changer on so many levels and a fairly sedentary end of the year as I work hard on PT for my recovery (send all your positive energy on November 6 and going forward—it will be greatly appreciated)!”

Our 45th Reunion is coming up in 2025!!! I’ve signed on as reunion chair and welcome a co-chair and volunteers to make this reunion memorable. Also open to ideas for class speakers both for us and for panels.

Hi all. As promised in my last class notes, I am updating everyone on turnout for our 45th Reunion that was held in May. The weekend was extremely well attended by our class. We broke the 45th Reunion attendance record with 83 attendees, surpassing the previous record of 61 set by the Class of 1974. We also set several fundraising records for a 45th reunion, which will benefit so many current and future Wes students. It was great to see old friends and actually meet several classmates I had not known before. Everyone was upbeat and welcoming, and it was truly just a fun atmosphere. Our class is pretty great. For those who were not able to make it (sometimes life gets in the way), mark your calendars for 2029—hopefully the turnout for our 50th milestone reunion will be terrific also!

As mentioned on the Wesleyan website (under Alumni Awards) from which I am excerpting in part the following, our very own David Kendall was awarded the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award during reunion weekend, which recognizes a member of the Wesleyan family whose writing or other creative achievement conveys unusual insight and understanding of current and past events. David is a writer/producer/director who has worked in both television and film for decades. His credits include series for broadcast networks, cable outlets, and streaming services. He’s been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1985 and a member of the Directors Guild of America since 1990. Among his many accomplishments, he has produced and written for iconic situation comedies like ABC’s Growing Pains and Boy Meets World and has directed classic children’s programs like Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Disney’s Hannah Montana. He has credits on over 40 different television series—more than 600 episodes. He recently returned to campus to teach workshops in film/TV directing. He and his wife, Wendy, reside in Los Angeles and have three adult children, one of whom is a member of Wesleyan’s Class of 2024.

And our very own Pamela Dorman was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award during reunion weekend, the details of which I am also excerpting in part from the Wesleyan Alumni Awards page. This honor is presented to alumni in recognition of achievement in their professions. Pamela is senior vice president and publisher of Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, which she founded in 2008. In her more than 30 years at Viking Penguin, Pam has published multimillion-copy, #1 New York Times bestsellers, including The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard (the first selection of the Oprah Book Club), Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (a Reese’s Book Club Pick), and books by a number of other New York Times best-selling authors, including Jenny Jackson’s Pineapple Street. She has also published a wide range of nonfiction, including books by Bill Gates, Marcia Clark, Andrea Mitchell, Steven Levy, Peter Kramer, Peggy Noonan, and Maria Shriver. She and her husband, Stuart Krichevsky, live in New Rochelle, New York, and have adult twins, Nicholas Krichevsky, a software engineer, and Sophie Krichevsky, a local newspaper reporter.

Congrats to both of you, David and Pamela! Such well-deserved recognitions of your respective lives’ work!

George Kirchwey sent an update. “I returned to Wes in late May for the 45th, in a way: the daughter of dear friends was graduating with the Class of 2024, so I came back for only the second time since 1979. On Saturday, I met up with Carl Boland, who started with our class, at the big tent. I had dinner with him and his lovely wife, Jennifer, a few days later. Carl and I then vanished into his basement with guitars and jammed out the classic-rock oldies (it prevents aging, I’m told). Sorry to miss the Class of 1979 reunion dinner—it sounds like quite a turnout. I’d have liked to have met a bunch of you. I’m guessing your varied paths through life have been pretty interesting. I still toil in the stony fields of finance in Dallas, where I’ve lived ever since our graduation. My wife, Judy, and I just observed our 41st anniversary. I’m not quite ready to retire yet and working from home makes things easier. Texas has changed and grown exponentially since I got here, in ways both welcome and not. I’m in regular touch with several classmates who either graduated or started with us: Carl Stibolt, Chris Berlew, Ces Harshman Johnston, and Rob Sloan. I have Wesleyan to thank for bringing us all together, 50 years on.”

Willie Jones also checked in with news on his retirement. “I regret that I missed our class reunion, but I was busy ‘getting my ducks in a row’ to retire as the Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation director, effective July 1, 2024. It has been a great 20 years. Our department has truly upgraded the park system to make Charlotte/Mecklenburg a highly desired place to live, work, and recreate. I plan on traveling, reading, drawing, painting, golfing, exercising, and spending quality time with friends and family, including my two grandkids. I’ll remain in Charlotte so feel free to check me out if any ’79ers pass through.” Willie, kudos on what sounds like a great and rewarding career and a busy and fun retirement!

And here is a great write-up from Julie Hacker about recent happenings in her life. “My partner, Stuart Cohen, and I have a new book out entitled First Addition Strategies for Adding On by ORO editions available on Amazon. Our architect total practice is alive and well, producing additions, remodels, and homes along the North Shore and in Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago has acquired some of our models for its Department of Architecture and our drawings for its archives. I also sit on the AIA Chicago Board and on the steering committee of our local CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network). Our son, Gabriel Cohen, is a practicing sculptor and gallery manager in Los Angeles. We just visited him and saw his solo show, God Where Are the Eyes of a Murderer, in Los Angeles. He will be part of a group show in New York City this September. Finally, I am still taking my musical theater ensemble classes in Chicago, which is a huge counterpoint to the daily struggles of being an architect! Anybody in Chicago, look me up!”

And finally, Jack Freudenheim wrote a meaningful tribute to—and sent along the below link to the truly heartwarming obituary notice for—Doug MacKenzie ’89, who died in his sleep of natural causes on July 19, 2024. Jack writes: “Doug MacKenzie was a fellow South Indian music student, after my years, but we made friends afterward. He helped his professor, T. Ranganathan, through Ranga’s fatal illness, tending to him daily until his death in the 80s. Doug passed unexpectedly in July. He was a friend to many Wes students.” Here is the obituary link: Doug MacKenzie .

That’s it for this issue. Thanks for the submissions!

Greetings ’78ers,

Here’s what several of your classmates have been up to lately:

Lucy Mize has had a busy year traveling to Thailand, Indonesia, Belize, Mongolia, Canada, Philippines, and Morocco. She reports that next year will be pretty much the same with Cambodia and Fiji thrown in. Her travel is all for work, which she says depending on the election outcome, could come to a screeching halt. Between trips, her granddaughter turned one and she will defend her DrPH on November 4, 2024.

Lindsay Mathews went hiking in Switzerland, Italy, and France last summer and is looking forward to hiking in Madeira, Portugal, in March 2025.

In June, classmates Eleanor Maine, Barbara Malt, and Joyce Manchester converged at the home of Judy Packer Jesudason and James Jesudason in Boulder, Colorado, for three days of high-altitude fun and reminiscing.

Jim Washington checked in from Hanover, New Hampshire, where he just graduated from Dartmouth’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies—Creative Writing degree program (poetry). His prior MA was earned at the University of New Hampshire—English/writing. He was surprised not only to be elected class marshal by his fellow students but also to receive a Thesis Excellence award.

Bill Adler has loved living in Japan for the last 10 years. He still enjoys writing short stories, playing with his cat, and traveling in the country.

Last year, Beth Robinson left her career in global health care and began helping to care for her one-year-old grandson. She enjoys spending a lot of time with him and helping support her daughter and son-in-law as they juggle full-time work schedules. Beth has also gone back to writing creative nonfiction—where she started and what she loves. In the prior 40 years, Beth has co-authored public health books, directed strategic communication, information dissemination, knowledge management, and learning programs, edited many hundreds of reports and articles, trained working journalists in Africa to report on HIV, and taught scientific paper writing to scientists in Latin America and Africa. It has been her privilege to collaborate with ministries of health, civil society organizations, and others in Africa to develop national health communications strategies and to manage communication on groundbreaking HIV research trials.  

A shout-out to five pioneering women athletes from our class: Joan Chevalier, Dianne Edgar, Kathy Keeler, Cynthia (Pygin) Markert, and Fran Rivkin will be inducted into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame Class of ’24 at a reception and dinner on campus on November 1, 2024. Joan, Dianne, Kathy, and Cynthia were on the 1978 women’s crew varsity 8 boat that captured first place at the Dad Vail Regatta. Fran excelled in five sports: track and field, field hockey, ice hockey, basketball, and lacrosse.

We always look forward to hearing from you. Please email us any news and we’ll be sure to share it with your fellow classmates in the next Class Notes.

Cheers,

Susie and Ken

If there is a theme with this issue’s class notes, it is travel. So many folks have broken free of the COVID grip that kept us planted at home that people are once again traveling to all sorts of places. Deb O’Brien Mercer spent a month on an epic 3,200-mile car trek north, from home in Savannah, Georgia, to Washington D.C., New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, visiting friends, children, and grandchildren. Near Savannah, Deb has completed a three-year home renovation project: two years alone for DIY interior painting. Savannah is a wonderful city that Deb has experienced as friendly and welcoming. I would add that it is a bit quirky, which contributes to its charm.

Rabbi Keith Stern is senior rabbi at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton, Massachusetts. Full disclosure, my firm was hired by the temple to design a chapel addition and renovation for Beth Avodah, which was a true pleasure. Keith’s three Wesleyan-grad children are all gainfully employed, with two married and a third “on deck.” The past year has been very difficult for Keith with the rough situation in the Middle East.

Don Citak writes about a Boston gathering in honor of Jeff Gray’s 70th birthday that included classmates Bob Nastri, Dave Thomas, Eric Postel, Paul Fichera, and Dave Matteodo. The successful surprise party included other Wes grads: Alan Poon ’76, Bill Ahern  ’78, Ralph Rotman ’78, Paul Nelson ’78, John McDermott ’78, Kevin Bristow ’79, Gary Breitbord ’79, Tim Fitzgerald ’79, Dennis Robinson ’79, George DuPaul ’79, Jack Buckley ’79, Tim O’Brien ’81, and Dave Bagatelle ’86. What a group! Don is living on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with his bride of 43 years, Lori, and living not far from his two children and five grandchildren. Don’s law practice, which he enjoys, is keeping him busy.

Jennifer George writes that she has retired from her chaired professor position at Rice University Business School to assist ailing family members. She now resides in Key Biscayne with her dog, Teddy, and enjoys visits with her adult children.

Dave Schreff continues to grow a global marketing technology company, ACTV8me.com, with focus on sports properties and campaigns. He has celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary, enjoying his three children and grandchildren.

J. Mark Beamis writes that as of this past June, he has concluded his over 44-year career with the City of Boston. His career dates back to the days of former mayor Kevin White. To quote J Mark:

“For me, government service has been rewarding in ways I never imagined. It’s been an incredible privilege to work for and with so many talented and committed colleagues. We all shared the goal of helping City residents get the assistance they need and deserve, to be financially empowered, and to have the language and job skills needed to be employed in family-sustaining careers. It also has been an honor to work with so many directors and staff of community-based organizations, whose passion for the work they do to support their missions has never ceased to amaze me and inspired me to be a better human.” The City was most fortunate to have you on their staff for so many years. Congratulations on starting your new chapter!

Jane Eisner has completed writing her second book, an interpretive biography of Carole King for Yale University Press to be published in 2025. Jane and Mark Berger ’76 traveled to Israel and caught up with Rachel and Micha Balf. Micha is living “day to day,” spending time with a lot of people for meaningful interaction and good talks. We all hope that the future will be better and that Micha’s health is on the uptick. Jane is in touch with Don Lowery and Jonathan Kligler (whom she got to meet up with at a spiritual retreat). Jane echoes my sentiments that family and friendships mean everything these days.

James Porter checked in, reporting that his three children are spread across the country, with one living near him in Norwalk, Connecticut. James’s company, StressStop, is helping employers help their staff manage stress. James’s two-year-old granddaughter is pictured here (left).

James keeps in touch with Neely Bruce and attended a performance of his string quartet at a church in Stratford, Connecticut. Chopsticks were used to strike the strings of their instruments for one of the movements.

Beth Natrella reports that her adopted daughter, Anastasis, graduated from Ursinus College with a double major. “Tasha” was adopted from Russia in 2005. Proud mom Beth refers to her daughter as the “light of her life.” Newly retired, Beth is living with her daughter in Battery Park City, New York.

Phil Stern sends a shout-out to his former bandmate from back in the day, Robert Poss ’78, who released a new solo album this year, Drones, Songs, and Fairy Dust, an album Robert dedicated to the memory of Phil Niblock.

Cindee Howard has been traveling up a storm: British Columbia, St. Thomas, and a road trip through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and Maine. When not traveling, Cindee is dancing up a storm and playing mah-jongg. Below is a photo.

Iddy Olson held a very moving and joyful celebration of her recently deceased mother, Mary, in Chicago in July. Having known Mary for over 50 years, I made my way to Chicago to visit with Iddy’s family, including my godson for a meaningful visit.

After Iddy’s mom gracefully left this life at 95 in April, she took a trip down memory lane in Rhode Island, “where I lived for 18 years and raised our kids.” Along with husband Tom, Iddy caught up with Michael andLaurie Coffey at their beach house and found them really enjoying semi-retirement (rewirement for me).

Finally, from me: I have just returned from the Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming, visiting friends, godchildren, and enjoying mountain air and much fun and extensive hikes. Your updates mean the world to all the classmates, especially at this point in our lives. Keep those “cards and letters” coming, even electronically.

And a final, final sad note: Mike (or Micah) passed away at the start of the Jewish New Year after a lengthy illness. He was surrounded by his loving family including his wife, Rachel (Helfer) Balf. The outpouring of affection from our classmates is the mark of a life well lived. Micah’s absence is profoundly felt.

Congratulations to Barbara Strauss! In May she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties for her stellar career in family law in the Hudson Valley.  

Hubert Horan reports: “Late on this news, but when I had to pass through Philadelphia last September for a flight back home to Phoenix, I reached out to InTown 22 roommate David Loder ’77 to see if he was available to get together for dinner. He was not only available but reached out to our other three roommates—Bernie Possidente, Andy Silverman, and Ted Smith, who all agreed to drive to Philly for the occasion (from Saratoga Springs, suburban Boston, and northern Virginia respectively). David graciously put all four of us up for the evening at his lovely home in Chestnut Hill, very close to where Ted and I had once lived. Had not seen any of them in person since graduation, but all were doing well, and it was like we were picking up conversation from last month. Also, a couple weeks ago (in May) my wife and I got to spend time with Bernie and his wife when we were passing through Albany.”

Deb Neuman writes: “Barbara Strauss and I spent a wonderful first week in August at her beloved Lovell, Maine, resort, Quisisana. A week of amazing food, relaxation by the lake, reading, walks, Broadway-level summer stock performances (also opera and chamber music) and, best of all, wonderful friendships.”

From Susan (Petersen) Avitzour, who previously shared with us the joy of her marriage to Fred Landman in August 2023: “Fred and I did have our chuppah as planned, despite the Iranian missile attack the night before (which I like to call our ‘pre-wedding fireworks’). It was a joyous event, with people in the mood to celebrate not only Fred’s and my good fortune but also the ineffectiveness of the Iranian attack.”

Meredith Bergmann’s latest works were unveiled on August 17 in Ithaca, New York. The life-size bronze statutes portray Frances Perkins, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Lucy Brown, an Ithaca activist and beloved Cornell staff member (who is still alive at age 91!). The unveiling ceremony, Meredith’s work, and tributes to Ms. Perkins and Ms. Brown can be found at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/08/. 

Tom Kovar responded to my plea for notes with this: “Okay, okay! Starting to enjoy my very recent retirement after a 46-year career as a clinical social worker. Some ongoing medical struggles, but things seem to be improving in that arena. Hoping for more time now for all sorts of creative and social activities! Keeping my brain active with participation in my local trivia night on most Thursdays.”

Cindy Arnson “spent the summer gearing up to teach a new fall class at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, on conflict resolution and peace processes in Latin America.” While officially ‘retired,’ she also traveled over the summer to Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama for various speaking gigs, conferences, and board meetings. She and her husband, Gerry, were able to gather all their adult offspring in July for a belated 70th birthday celebration on the island of Kauai (Hawaii). On the way back to the East Coast, she and Gerry also spent a few wonderful days in Seattle visiting with Wendy Lustbader and husband, Barry.

David Cohen recently enjoyed a mini-reunion: “This photo was taken just last night [August 2024] at a terrific Italian restaurant on Long Island. Matt Paul, Mike Greenberg, and I gathered, with our spouses, for our annual weekend get-together, this year at Matt’s house on the south shore of Long Island. We were sad that Stewart Shuman had to bail out at the last minute. As usual, we ate and drank well while talking lots of minor topics like science, kids, politics, careers, world events, Wesleyan, Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the meaning of existence. All mixed up with glorious, late-summer sunshine, a long walk on the beach, a beached shark encounter (successfully saved), and an invigorating swim.”

Craig Tighe writes: “I will be spending the next academic year studying climate change and technology at Stanford University as a Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI) fellow.”

B.J. Buckley has good news to share! “I have two new poetry books! Flyover Country—which is available from Pine Row Press (or signed copies directly from me at wild4verses@yahoo.com)—came out in June, with a gorgeous ink transfer print/watercolor cover by South Dakota artist Mark Zimmerman. Night Music, with scratchboard cover art by Wyoming artist Dawn Senior-Trask, is forthcoming in late November from Finishing Line Press.” Their website also has the blurbs and sample poems. There’s also more info and sample poems on B.J.’s website: wild4verses.wixsite.com/b-j-buckley.

B.J. also writes, “I’m also happy to say that for the first time since the pandemic, I have a couple of arts-in-schools gigs in February and March 2025 in the far northeastern corner of South Dakota. Looking forward to seeing if my driving-through-blizzards skills remain intact.”

Nic Collins has joined the ranks of retired folks! “In May I retired after 25 years of teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, joining our classmates who chose the milestone age of 70 as the time to move on. This was made easier by the administration’s decision to eliminate my department (the oldest program in Sound in an American art school), and it feels more like quitting a day job than ending a career. I’m currently immersed in final production stages of my fourth book, music life continues (based mostly out of Berlin), and West Falmouth, Massachusetts, provides my saltwater reward. Anyone interested in buying a beautiful pre-war co-op apartment on the lake in Chicago?”

Jim Johnson has a marvelous travel blog that’s well worth reading (jimstravels.substack.com). He writes: “I just completed four months in the Balkans and the Caucasus. Most of the trip was return visits to some of my favorite locations: Istanbul, Bulgaria, and small villages on three Croatian islands. I also made my first visit to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. My primary focus has been writing about my experiences and observations in my blog and for an anecdotal-style book about my half-century of travel. I’d been a part-time freelance travel writer for several decades and, now that I’m retired, have gotten back into it. Writing and travel have been lifelong passions, and it’s great to have both so central to my life. Of course, I also set aside plenty of time to relax and regenerate.

“I had the great pleasure of attending an East College(ish) mini-reunion this summer with Beth Penney Gilbert, Janet Brooks, Elana Rudavsky, David Harmin, and Marc Stier. (Thanks to Beth’s husband, Tom Gilbert, for being a wonderful host, and to Marc’s wife, Diane Gottlieb ’80, and his daughter for putting up with all the reminiscing!) We were so fortunate that Marc and his family were in Massachusetts for summer vacation! It continues to amaze me that the second I hear someone’s voice, the years fall away, and I see them as they were when I first met them in 1972. What a wonderful group of people.”

Adrienne Scott and Sandy Guydon sent this sad note: “Please say prayers for our dear classmate Lynette Vialet who, as of this printing, is in hospice care in Denver, Colorado, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Feel free to reach out to us: adriennescott297@gmail.com or slguydon@gmail.com.”

I am very sad to report that Joanne Perpetua passed away in February 2024.  You can find her obituary at https://www.peckservices.com/obituary/Joanne-Perpetua.

You may recall that in our last notes I reported on David Harrison’s unexpected death. I had an amazing experience in May attending his memorial service at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. I arrived just after it started and stood in the back for a while until I spied a seat closer to the front that I could slip into unobtrusively. When Mark Allard ’74 started speaking, he named other Wesleyan friends in attendance, and I realized I had plunked down in the midst of four DKE brothers—Bill “Zim” Zimmerman ’74, Jim “Fats” Farrell ’74, Jim “Jumbo” Daley, and Dave “the Rave” Terry, all of whom had come from afar to be there. It feels odd to say that such a sad occasion turned, afterward, into a great time talking about what a complex and wonderful guy we had come to honor, our memories of life in the early days of coeducation, and half-century friendships that followed. The whole day reminded me what great company we were in during the early ’70s at Wes, how easy it is to kindle or rekindle friendships from those formative years, and what fun it is to connect with one another when we can. Dave Terry described the day as a “mixture of grief, remembered hijinks, and joy at reconnecting.”

Speaking of Dave Terry, his health report is that a TAVR aortic heart valve replacement in July had him in and out of the hospital in 24 hours and left him feeling “as if I have been gifted an additional 50 to 100K miles!”  It was the wake-up call he needed to close his criminal defense practice after 45 years and more than 1,200 jury trials. Dave decided to “close up shop, live in Loreto/Ligui, Baja Sur, five or six months a year. Proud to announce I will be teaching beginning inglés classes on Fridays to the primary students in Ligui every Friday!” 

The first reply to my call for Class Notes was Cathy Gorlin, who has seen separately her Kappa Alpha housemate, David Drake, and her 22 Lawn Avenue housemate, Tory Rhoden Cohen [a Smith exchange student], at the Clark Institute in Williamstown. “Both were in fine fettle,” she observed.  

Michael Lehrhoff and his wife, Lisa, have raised their family and lived in the D.C. suburbs for the past 36 years. She is a retired teacher, and Michael is a (mostly) retired government attorney.  They have some big plans. “We have decided to move to Santa Fe and will be bidding adieu to Maryland next April. It is an area we have visited many times, and we’re looking forward to embracing it as our new home for the balance of our retirement.” Hopefully they’ll be able to work in a visit to Middletown in late May, despite the big move. Did I mention it’s our 50th Reunion yet? 

Update from Professor John Cavadini: No changes on the professional front at Notre Dame, but the grandchild count is increasing to 19 in the Cavadini clan. Can anyone top that? He reflects, “I have occasion to teach texts that I first read as an undergraduate at Wesleyan. I’m a little amazed and also grateful that someone had the patience to teach such texts to us undergrads.  I am amused by the marginal notations of my 19-year-old self. It’s also poignant because I don’t think the Wesleyan that I knew exists anymore, judging from the materials we receive.”  That sounds like an interesting conversation to explore at our Reunion. Will we see you there, John? 

Also in academia is Andrew Barnes. His two news items are:  1) publication of his co-edited (with Toyin Falola) volume, The Palgrave Handbook of Christianity in Africa from Apostolic Times to the Present; and 2) his recent appointment as head of the history faculty in Arizona State University’s School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies in Tempe.  He adds, “I look forward to seeing everyone next spring.” 

Back in Middletown, here’s what’s going on with Amy Bloom. “I’m glad to be alive and healthy.  Still working and writing and now retired from teaching at Wesleyan, after a long, wonderful run. Just sold a mystery that is set at “Cromwell University” located in “Centerville.” An unpopular English professor is bludgeoned to death with a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne. THAT was fun! I’ll see folks at the reunion, including, I hope Leslie Brett ’76 and June Jeffries, my beloved roomies.” 

Across the country, Bonnie (Hunter) Samuels sent me some of her highlights. She retired from the geophysical fluid dynamic lab in Princeton, New Jersey, in 2016 and almost immediately moved to Creswell, Oregon. Bonnie and her husband, Stewart, have been traveling as much and as safely as possible. But most importantly for her, their son, Ryan, and his wife, Zara, married in 2022 and now have a little boy, Leon.  Bonnie’s delighted that Leon and his parents have relocated to Oregon, because she loves being an active grandma. She and Debbie Kosich keep in touch with phone calls and, better yet, visits when possible. 

I was so pleased Deborah Appel wrote this summer: “HelIo, Class of 1975! I live in Burien, Washington, a small town south of Seattle overlooking Puget Sound. My husband, Sam, and I moved here from Modesto in 2007 and love living in the Pacific Northwest. We have two kids, Sara and Ehud. Sara lives in Israel with her husband and two boys. Ehud lives in California with his wife and daughter. Sam is mostly retired from a career in psychiatry. I never had much of a career beyond teaching ESL and basic skills classes for a few years, but I did a lot of volunteering in the community and was active in our synagogue and our kids’ schools. I love walking in this beautiful and scenic area, cooking, and spending time with friends and family, and I’m involved in two storytelling groups. We visit our daughter in Israel once or twice a year and our son in California every three months, but now that granddaughter Sophia is getting bigger, they will be coming up here to visit starting at Thanksgiving. YAY! I look forward to reading about all of you and seeing your photos.”

Dennis Chin provided a full report on his career and family. An orthopedic surgeon, he retired from Kaiser Permanente after 31 years and then has worked part time for the Veteran’s Administration for the past eight years. Dennis has volunteered as an Oral Board examiner for the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and participated in giving their annual exam for 25 consecutive years. He says, “I joined the navy reserves two months shy of age 63 while still working for the VA . . . . Updated retirement rules have recently allowed me to return to Kaiser four days a month. I now enjoy working with some of my former colleagues, as well as one of my daughters who is a physician assistant in the same orthopedic department that I was in for so many years!   

“In the navy, I was promoted to the rank of commander some years ago, equivalent to lieutenant colonel in the other military branches. The military has definitely been an adventure!  In April 2020 I was called up with about 48 hours’ notice to quarantine in San Diego for two weeks before heading to Gaum to care for sailors of the aircraft carrier Roosevelt. I packed my tropical clothes, limited to a backpack and sea bag. After five days, however, they released me from quarantine and sent me to New York City instead, arriving in late April.  Definitely NOT tropical weather! I was in a group called Operation Gotham that deployed to seven NYC public hospitals, and I worked in the Coney Island overflow ICU. Great experience, but at age 66 I was VERY worried about contracting COVID. Fortunately, despite hit or miss PPE and no vaccine, most of us escaped infection. More recently I returned from a three-week deployment to the Solomon Islands for the Pacific Games, berthing on the USNS Mercy hospital ship from mid-November until December 2023. Sadly, I will be separating from the navy this November after eight years, but it has been a great experience serving alongside our sailors and marines!

“My family continues to grow. Five of our eight children are now married. There are six grandchildren, and I am sure there will be more to come! The kids ask me when I will retire. I tell them ‘When it is not fun anymore!’ Truly, it is satisfying to make people better with one’s hands and knowledge, and to mentor younger doctors, nurses, medical and nurse practitioner students, and navy corpsmen.” 

I’m seeing a lot of Reunion Committee members on Zoom these days, including the indefatigable Steve McCarthy. He’s quite involved in documentary filmmaking these days. “For the past 13 years, I have been one of three partners at Quixotic Endeavors (www.quixoticendeavors.com) where we have funded/produced/distributed eight movies—all on iconic brands (e.g., Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, The Carlyle Hotel) or iconic individuals (e.g., Harry Benson, Alan Pakula). This fall/winter, we are releasing two 90-minute films on Bob Mackie (the costume designer associated with Cher/Carol Burnett) and Bernie Taupin (Elton John’s lyricist/musical partner of 53 years). Oddly enough, when I first got involved in 2011, it was our late classmate Seth Gelblum who I sought out for advice and guidance. Seth’s partners at Loeb and Loeb still represent us!” 

As for your class secretary, I enjoyed a visit in May from Risa Korn, and we got Martha (Faller) Brown to come over from Berkeley for brunch. Professionally, I’m happily continuing my consulting practice that guides nonprofit organizations on strategy, policy, board governance and development, leadership training, and transition planning. I believe that consulting is best done by those who actually also get their hands dirty in the type of work they advise others about, so I joined the Board of Trustees of Hidden Villa (https://www.hiddenvilla.org/) and was elected chair in June. Celebrating its centennial this year, Hidden Villa is an environmental education, regenerative farming, and wilderness preservation organization that manages 1,600 mostly undeveloped acres. It serves about 50,000 people a year and sits at the edge of Silicon Valley. The mission spoke to me, the history and commitment to social justice inspired me, and the people and place delight me. On the personal front, after five years of closure for COVID, fire, or massive snow problems, Yosemite reopened its Tuolumne Meadows High Sierra Camp, where we’ve spent a week or more almost every summer of the past 25. Our stay this year was extra special, both because of the years we couldn’t go and because we celebrated our son Ethan’s wedding to his beloved Amanda on the banks of the Tuolumne River. We did it in high style for the wilderness—our small family and two guests walking to the site in wedding finery and hiking boots, carrying our own picnic lunch (including a wedding cake in the shape of a bear). The evening “reception” was dinner at the Whoa Nelly Deli, otherwise known in our family as the Gourmet Gas Station (Mobil), a 45-minute drive away at the eastern foot of the Sierras. We’ll have a larger wedding celebration with family and friends in a more accessible spot next summer, though the river and gas station venues were very meaningful for us and will forever be part of family lore.

Late-breaking item: Retired Judge Moore, known to us as JD, has published a very readable article in Bloomberg Law on principles for successful mediation at https://news.bloomberglaw.com. 

Keep those news items coming. I hope that these notes help remind you of the people, experiences, and intellectual growth that Wesleyan brought to your life.  And I hope that will inspire you to take advantage of virtual and in-person opportunities to reconnect and continue our learning in our 50th Reunion Year. I’m looking forward to seeing as many of you as can make it next May.