Tag: 1950

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.”

Please share your news or Wesleyan memories with your remaining classmates by sending updates to classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

Cliff Milner writes: “At 96, here is all my news! I’m alive after a siege with pneumonia, one week in hospital, and two weeks in nursing home. I’m now at home with lots of caregivers here almost every day! I’m looking forward to feeling 95 again!  

“My five children have blessed me with 20 grandchildren. I have a one-year-old great- grandson and am told to expect another one next year! Unfortunately, many of these kids are scattered all over the place, so don’t see them as much I would like! My wife passed away 10 years ago, but I still live in the house we bought in 1958. My youngest son, Andy, lives with me, and yesterday we had the pleasure of watching the Bills defeat the Detroit team—a very exciting game.

“I retired as a research chemist, more exactly, a product development chemist in 1990, so I’ve been retired as long as I worked!! Obviously, I’d like to squeak in a few more retired years, or am I being too greedy?

“Best wishes to all the readers of this mail!”

Cliff Milner shares this update: “My news is that I am still alive. My family helped me celebrate my 96th birthday last night with pizza and wings . . . my teeth are still working! Actually, my birthday—August 10—is tomorrow. I have had some sicknesses in the past year, but with the help of my local son and daughter, I hope the coming year will be more pleasant! I still live in the home we purchased back in 1958, with my youngest son. My wife, Marilyn, passed away 10 years ago right after we had returned from a trip to Florida, where we visited the families of the three kids living there. My daughter lives in the next town of Webster.

“I have been a radio ham (K2SKO) since 1952 and am the oldest ex-president of our local club. After many years of being a hobbyist woodworker, I finally joined the local woodworking society. It is excellent and I only wish I had joined a long time ago.

“I guess this is enough to fill a spot in the 1950 record! I forgot to mention that I have 19 great-grandchildren; one those kids just got her driving license, so might soon give me a great-great-grandchild.”

Please share your news with your remaining classmates by sending updates to classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

CLASS NOTES EDITOR | classnotes@wesleyan.edu

Please share your news with your remaining classmates by sending updates to classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

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.”