CLASS OF 1977 | 2026 | SPRING ISSUE
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Writing class notes at year’s end has special meaning for me as I have an opportunity to reconnect with folks, as well as wish everyone the very best, especially health wise, for the upcoming year. Those expressing holiday cheer this year included: Mark Slitt, who will be visiting his seventh continent in 2026—Antarctica. In 2025, Mark traveled through Morocco on a Jewish heritage tour. Joan Goldfeder recounted a fine trip to Montreal late in the fall, pretending it was Paris, with Joe Tringali,Arlene Lappen,Peter Bickford, and Nancy Milburn, the dearest of friends. Jim LaLiberty sent holiday greetings, along with a “Great Moments at DEKE” photo (credit to Jeff Laszlo ’78) of Bob Scanlon, Bruce Fessenden, Mike Coffey, and Jim against a photo of the Rolling Stones. A classic!
Yoriko Kishimoto wrote about California life split between Palo Alto and Boonville. In Boonville, Yoriko grows olives along with cultivating a pinot noir vineyard. She is active in both locations, with open space and agricultural issues. She has two daughters, one in Seattle and the other in Oakland, as well as a 100-year-old father going strong in Tokyo. Scott Director reports on the birth of their second grandchild (first grandson) in July. His son, Sam, and daughter-in-law live in Richmond where Sam is a professor of philosophy. Scott and wife Carol visited Richmond in the fall and more recently went to Mexico City to see their daughter, Isabel, and son-in-law. Hope Neiman has taken residence in Ventura, California, three blocks from the beach, and has a home in Mammoth Lakes, enjoying the snow and surf lifestyles of California.
I am fortunate to get to see Sue Guiney more now than at every fifth-year reunion, as I have joined her fine nonprofit board, Writing Through. Sue is a proud new grandparent to grandson Finneas. Sue’s most recent novel was published: Where We Find Ourselves. It is the last in her series about life in modern-day Cambodia. I can attest—it is a tremendous read. Sue has connected with Betsy Hecker, Mary Jo Wade, and Arlene Lappen and more recently visited with J. Mark Beamis and Jane Eisner. Speaking of Jane, she got to visit Rachel Balf when she was visiting the States, and she dines with Don Lowery frequently. Jane’s book on Carole King has been well received by classmates as well as the press.
Andy Darpino sent along his fine holiday wishes to all! Carol Cooper shared the news that Routledge UK will be publishing her next book as part of their Jungian and archetypal psychology line: adapted from her doctoral dissertation using Jung’s foundational Anima/Animus theory examining work of female participants in the Surrealism and Jungian Psychology.
Steve McNutt writes that he is finally recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene. In mid-December, he got together with Steve Gold and Andy Adesman and their wives. They watched the sunset and had dinner at Longboat Key. A nice mini-reunion, I’d say. Steve is still working (professor at USF) but is planning to retire in 2026.
It has always been difficult for me to write about fellow classmates’ deaths. This is especially true of someone who I knew for the greater part of my childhood. Arlyn Greenspan-Siegelaub passed away from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease earlier in 2025 and is survived by her husband, Steven ’78, her son, Jonathan ’06, her daughter, Tracy, and her grandchildren, Jacob and Estella. Our hearts go out to the entire Siegelaub clan.
I close by where I began, wishing everyone well in 2026. As the lucky recipient of your notes of personal updates, it is my pleasure to pass these notes to our class. I will shamelessly make a plug—which I shall do at each set of notes this year—for people to clear their calendars on May 21–23 in 2027 for our 50th Reunion. Even if one has not attended a reunion, it will be worth making the effort here. At this point in our lives, connecting with people and aging as a community is a powerful legacy.
GERRY FRANK | gfrank@bfearc.com