Len Stolba sends in this update: 

“We are both happily ensconced on our 1.6 acres in Fair Oaks, California, with our daughter’s horse. She is an equine veterinarian who lives up the lane and looks after us as we do her horse.

“I am long retired from 30-some years with an international engineering firm, plus some
teaching and consulting with the BArch and MS building construction [programs at] MIT—[degrees I] obtained after Wes U and four years in the USMC as a helicopter pilot. I also continued as a pilot and squadron commander in the reserves until retirement.

“After my retirement, as my wife, Soheir, continued to teach anthropology, consult internationally, and monitor our combined family—two sons, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild—I was able to travel to multiple countries. I now putter around our properties and follow my interests.

“To think all this was enabled by a local-boy scholarship from Wes U to a not-very-good
football guard, whose father was the campus mailman, attests to the value of luck in life and seizing opportunities and never giving up.

“Cheers to all.—Len”

Bud Johnson says that he at 93 and his wife, Lynn, at 91, “are dealing with a range of medical challenges. Rarely answers or solutions; mainly explanations!” Bud says they keep “optimistic and appreciative by eight grandkids, with their engagements and weddings.”

John Binswanger writes, “All is good. We are traveling to California to see two new great-grandchildren next week and will be in Florida for 10 days in March. Still playing a little golf (badly), but it is fun, so why stop? Gay keeps me in good shape.”

Sid Alexander wrote: “I am in the process of retiring after nearly 63 years at Lahey Clinic, where I founded the cardiology department. I am married with two wonderful children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. My major interests have been preventative cardiology and treatment of high cholesterol, as well as work in the antinuclear movement. I was president of Physicans for Social Responsibility [from] 1985 through 1988 and continue to be active for many years [recall that the antinuclear sister organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985]. Presently, I am having a peaceful semiretirement at home with lots of help and enjoying it.”

In January, Walter Cutler said, “Still frozen in D.C., but warm memories of Wes are helping me survive.” He wonders how many of us ’53ers are also still standing.

Gerald Patrick wrote, “I am just finishing my first year at Sequoias, a retirement place. Love it. I gave two major talks in recent months on Homer and his epics. Just had cochlear implants surgery. Too soon to know the benefits.”

Finally received a note from one of our classmates. Harry Collins reports that he is “still on this side of the ground at 95.” Sadly, his wife, Peg, died eight years ago, after 66 wonderful years together. He and a friend started an astronomy club at Sun City 20 years ago, and it continues today, with two monthly meetings and telescopic viewings at Blue Canyon in California. He stays busy with bridge and sends his best wishes to old friends.

Sad news from Kristin Kellom Damon ’84, daughter of Richard “Dick” B. Kellom, that he passed away on February 4, 2026, at the age of 95. Dick was an avid skier well into his 80s, pursuing daily runs down the slopes of Mount Sunapee. He skied as a student in Middletown in an era when more snow fell than now. He retired in 1995 after 40 years of teaching chemistry and biology at Mount Hermon, while coaching the ski team. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy serving in Europe, when he got the offer from Mount Hermon and changed course to start what would be a long and successful career as a teacher and coach.

My wife, Barbara, and daughter, Ellen ’82, and I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful performance of Camp! at the Caveat, a cabaret-comedy theater, located deep under Clinton Street in NYC. Camp! is an original musical directed by my granddaughter, Eliza Bender ’25, and co-written with Sarah Linsly ’24. The show was originally presented at Wesleyan in April 2024 and many of the original cast members appeared in the New York production, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.

On a personal note, I had a pacemaker installed several months ago and pleased to be still working full time, walking to and from the office, ballroom dancing, and working with a trainer at the gym.

Barbara and I, together with Ellen, her husband, Sam Bender ’82, and Eliza, recently visited our granddaughter Maddie (Yale ’20) in Honolulu. Maddie is an executive producer of a daily show at Hawaii Public Radio, a member station of National Public Radio. Maddie is a science writer and lives in Honolulu with her fiancé, Teddy Brokaw, who is completing a second federal court clerkship, first with a district court and now an appellate court. They met at Yale while he was in law school and she was completing a master’s degree at the Yale School of Public Health. While flying on Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu to Maui, I was pleasantly surprised, while reading the airline magazine, Hana Hou!,to see an article, “The Grim Creeper,” written by Maddie! It was about a tiny caterpillar that adapts to life by camouflaging itself in fly legs, ant heads, and other grisly detritus from the spider’s graveyard.

PLEASE WRITE!

Hi ho, classmates!

Barney Kathan sent some news: “I have completed 11 years in a memoir-writing class, and the group is now meeting in my house twice a month. [Last] August, my caregiver and I celebrated 12 years together, and we are still speaking to each other! I have been in the hospital four times this year [2025], the first because of a fracture in the pelvic region and the last for a surgical procedure. I hope to come to Wesleyan for my 75th Reunion in May.”

Charlie Selig checked in: “I am still alive and kicking with a hospital visit, etc., here and there. Glad to see our football wins. Best to all Wes friends from the past.”

Finally, some of you may have missed the notification of Chuck Exley’s passing last year, on April 17, 2025. His obituary stated, “Timing is apparently not everything: Despite being born in 1929 as the Great Depression brought the country to its knees, Charles E. Exley Jr. went on to live a life full of accomplishment, friendship, and love.” After graduating from Columbia Business School in 1954, Chuck spent decades working for the Burroughs Corporation, which was followed by a 17-year career at NCR; he served in executive leadership roles for both companies. He also served on numerous boards and was a supporter of many charities. Chuck “was a lifelong supporter of Wesleyan, and his many contributions include the endowment of the Exley Science Center. His honors from Wesleyan include the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1976 and a Doctor of Laws degree in 1991.”

We are sorry to report the passing of former class secretary George “Bud” Dorsey. Bud instructed his family to submit his final class note after his death, and this is what he wrote: “George K. (Bud) Dorsey, died on January 23, 2026, at the age of 96. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and received his degree with honors and distinction in French. He was a lieutenant in the navy during the Korean conflict. He retired in 1991 as vice-chairman of Argus Research Corporation, an investment research firm founded by his father in 1934. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Margie Dennler Dorsey, daughters Liane (Yale ’78) and Cindy ’81, son Alan ’83, nine grandchildren, including Elizabeth ’12 and Emily ’14, and two great-grandchildren.” Cindy adds that her dad was “a caring person, a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and good friend, who will be dearly missed.”

A link to Bud’s full obituary can be found here.

Barbara Birney ’76 shared this in her class note about her dad, Bob Birney: “It’s been fun to spend time with my dad . . . filling in details for a biography that I’m writing. He is 100 years old and resides in Williamsburg, Virginia. I asked him a question that I suspect no one has asked since he graduated. I asked him who recommended in 1946 that he go to Wesleyan. After some casting around, he tentatively called up the name of a boyhood friend. I called the alumni office to find out if a Willard Lockwood (’46) had ever graduated from Wesleyan. For sure, Willard went to Wesleyan on the Thorndike Prize and graduated in 1946. (Both Will and Dad graduated Phi Beta Kappa.) From his airbase in England, Dad wrote a letter to Will, congratulating him and reassuring him that his doubts about being able to find a job were unfounded.” Barbara says that Bob is now in a nursing home, the Williamsburg Landing, “but the mind is as sharp as ever.”