CLASS OF 1979 | 2026 | FALL ISSUE
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Hi, all. Here is the news that our classmates shared.
Alice Cronin-Golumb submitted this update. “Tina Binns Palmer, Ann Dunham, Carol Scheppard, and I just had our biennial reunion, relaxing and catching up at Buzzard’s Bay by Cape Cod. Great times. I also have some personally gratifying news. I was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, publisher of the journal Science), and went to DC for the conferral, and I received the Lifetime Award for Research from the International Neuropsychological Society, just awarded at its meeting in July in Dublin. Great excuse for a trip to Ireland, including Galway and the Aran Islands.” Alice, that’s terrific. Congratulations on what must have been such a meaningful honor for you! Wonderful to have such a great professional body recognize your work!
Clifford Hendel shares some fun news about his recent FIFA travels. “As a senior member of an internal FIFA judicial body, I have again attended the inaugural and final matches of the Football (soccer) World Cup. Which means, among other things, I got to see Shakira twice. Here are photos from Qatar and New York: The careful observer will note that more than the shoes have turned white since 2022. . . .” That sounds like a great opportunity, Clifford!
John Tjia sent this update about his busy and meaningful retirement. “From early this year, I’ve been busy with the task of selling a building in Midtown Manhattan belonging to Subud New York, a spiritual nonprofit that I’ve been a member of for nearly 40 years. We found a buyer, and it looks like we’re getting a price about 30 times what we paid for it 30 years ago! The next task is finding a building to buy for our next location, also in Manhattan. In the other pastimes in my retirement, my table tennis continues to get better. In oil painting, I’ve sold a few! See my portfolio at the website JohnTjia.com.”
Unfortunately, I have some sad news to report on three passings.
Dennis Robinson wanted to let our class know that his wife, Anne Videtti Robinson ’81, P’13, died on January 26, 2026, after a very short illness. Dennis shared, “She made the world a better place and impacted in her commitment to adolescent health and well-being.” If you would like to read her obituary online, I located it at feeneyfuneralhome.com. It is a such a wonderful testament to her beautiful and meaningful life—an amazing human being. I do not have words that could do it justice here. Dennis, your friends and classmates are thinking of you.
I received word from Dennis Mazur’s sister-in-law, Laurie Averill, that Dennis died in his home in March. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. After attending Wesleyan, he earned an MS from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He worked as a software engineer over a long career. He learned animation and created videos for children’s songs, loved animals, and had a host of varied interests. Many heartfelt remembrances of him, his life, and the joy he brought to his family and friends are shared in a very meaningful and loving obituary at mercadantefuneral.com.
And a very sad third passing was David Kendall on June 2, 2026. During our 45th Reunion weekend, David was awarded the James L. McConaughy Jr. Memorial Award in recognition of his writing and creative achievements as a writer/producer/director who worked in both television and film for decades. He had credits on over 40 different television series—more than 600 episodes. He had returned to campus around the time of our reunion to give back to the Wes community, teaching workshops in film/TV directing. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife, Wendy, and three adult children, one of whom is a member of Wesleyan’s Class of 2024. His obituary and several tributes from the Hollywood community can be found in multiple places online. The tributes speak to the wonderful man that he was and show that he remained true to his Wesleyan persona of integrity, generosity, kindness, and warmth.
Anne, Dennis, and David, you will be missed.
That’s it for this issue. Thanks everyone. Please stay in touch and send me updates for the next notes. It is wonderful to maintain our sense of community; I feel we all need connection in as many ways as possible.
DIANE M. LAPOINTE | dmlapointe28@gmail.com