Tag: 1952

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!

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.