Tag: 1952

On Sunday afternoon, April 27, 2025, my wife, Barbara, and I had the pleasure of attending an alumni-sponsored performance of Maybe Happy Ending, produced by lead producer Jeffrey Richards ’69, who also led a dialogue after the production. Also attending were my daughter, Ellen ’82, and Michael Ostacher ’82, MD, who was visiting his mother in New York and was invited by Ellen to substitute for her husband, Samuel Bender, ’82,MD, who was on call. Michael is also the ’82 co-class secretary.

            While seated, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman next to me, who said his name was Pruzan. I replied that I once knew a Pruzan named Michael many years ago, who lived down the block in Neponsit, New York. To my shock, he was that Michael Pruzan ’87, who was attending with his wife, Helaine. Michael’s mother also rented the house next to us. Small world!

            On a personal note, Barbara and I are celebrating our 69th wedding anniversary. She says the secret to such longevity is “two bathrooms.” I say, “don’t divorce or die.” Also celebrating my 94th birthday and glad to still be working full time.

            I haven’t received any notes from classmates for several months, so PLEASE WRITE!

Please write to your class secretary.

Please write to your class secretary.

Following up on my notes from the last issue, here is more information on the passing of D. Ronald Daniel on December 16, 2023. After graduation in 1952 with honors and distinction in mathematics, Ron earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He was awarded Wesleyan’s highest alumni award, the Baldwin Medal, in 1981, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1988. He spent his career at McKinsey & Co., retiring as managing partner emeritus. Ron served on Wesleyan’s board from 1969 to 1987, was elected chair, and subsequently elected trustee chief emeritus. Ron’s children, David ’77 and Stephen ’82, and granddaughter, India ’22, attended Wesleyan, of which he was extremely proud. The Daniel Family Commons, the space in the Usdan Center where Wesleyan Board meetings are held, is named after his family. He is survived by his wife, Lise Scott, his two children, stepdaughter, Amanda Hampton ’91, and several grandchildren.

Zdenek David reported that he got an article published, “Masaryk’s View of Amos John Comenius,” in Comenius: The Journal of Euro-American Civilization, Vol. 10, 2023, No. 2, p. 135-150. Very impressive! Keep it up!

Sam Fitch writes that he is still doing okay and independent living with his lady in the Phoenix, Arizona, area and trying to enjoy life as best he can. He sends his best to all the rest of the Wes alumni and especially our Class of 1952.

Together with my wife, Barbara, daughter, Ellen ’82, and son-in-law, Samuel Bender ’82, MD, we attended a wonderful performance of Camp! on campus on Saturday, April 13, 2024, an original musical co-written with Sarah Linsly ’24 and directed by my granddaughter, Eliza Bender ’24.

Please send news.

Jack Murray corresponded: “I am still here on in this earth in, to me, the remote year 2023 of the new millennium. Why? I don’t know. They say it’s genes, and not even this is likely. It’s certainly not from the way I’ve lived. It is most likely from residing in beautiful Santa Barbara and having so many good friends here. I send good wishes to the few other members of the Class of 1952 still alive, and think, with much love, of the many good friends from my class and the other classes I shared my happy years at Wesleyan with. I cherish, too, the great education I got back in the mid-20th century and the great professors who had such a lasting influence on my life. Again, thanks for everything.”

Seth Rosner wrote about the existence of a Class of ’52 “Gang of Five” that coalesced sort of by accident a good many years ago and consisted of him, Charley “Rogo” Rogovin, Kim Zachos, Bill Wasch, and Hal Buckingham, and their wives. Their first (very informal) meeting took place years ago in—where else?—Saratoga Springs for a lunch. It was so much fun they decided to do it again near Rogo’s digs in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Then, the Gang of Five members began departing and he believes he is the last one of the Gang left standing. He is heading for his 93rd birthday on the next Insurrection Day, still enjoys driving his two Ferraris, and he’s over the moon, happy in a life, madly in love with Judith, the most splendid woman he’s ever met. He further reported that they both flew to Rome, which she had never visited, saw the sights, and boarded the Queen Mary 2 for an 11-day crossing of the Atlantic and home. Only bad thing was he had a mild case of COVID-19 that kept him semi-restricted to their state room. . . . Bummer!

Only current serious impact of my/our age(s) is a problem with balance, walking with a cane or grabbling (gently) onto his beloved. He closes with the thought “that those of our classmates with us will recall I’ve always been a bit unbalanced, eh?” Looking forward with glee to our 75th Reunion.

He also asked me about his roommate at Wesleyan, John R. Tobi. Unfortunately, I found his obituary. John passed on April 3, 2021, at the Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo, and is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and two sons, Donald (Barbara) and Steven (Patty), and four grandchildren, Jaclyn, Jacob, Harrison, and Emily.

I also received news about the passing of Ron Daniel on December 16, 2023, in New York City. Ron was a former Wesleyan trustee and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Wesleyan in 1988. More details to follow in the next issue.