Tag: 1955

Jim Wright, writing from his Maine location, described an exciting happening occurring in September. From May through October, Jim is an interpreter at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine, where he presides over a permanent exhibit house once occupied by Captain Jeremiah Merithew, sometime schooner captain, later ship builder and banker. He wrote that one day he stepped out on the porch to greet a group of visitors from the National Trust for Historic Preservation who came to the museum from a cruise ship docked in nearby Belfast, where he spotted a name tag with a memory to it—Janet Heston—and “looked to her right.” There was his classmate and fraternity brother, Phil Heston! Jim is planning on another visit when he heads to Bethel, Conn., with Stu Rapp. Nice story, Jim, and thanks for sharing!

I very much appreciated the kind words Kip Snow sent, saying that “I do read the class notes Don writes so faithfully. It would be wonderful if more of us would respond to him. The older I get, the more nostalgic I get. We should all remember: It’s better to be seen than viewed or perhaps remembered than forgotten.” Kip, I’d be more than willing to make you my advocate! And to all, hopefully Kip’s words will encourage you to send a word or two this way.

Here’s an e-mail that I received from Jim Rudin that I’ll quote verbatim. “Although it has been more than 60 years, I remember you quite well. You, perhaps, do not remember me since I transferred to George Washington University in 1952. I later became a rabbi, served as a United States Air Force chaplain in Japan and Korea, then a couple of congregations in the Midwest, and ultimately, spent 32 years as the American Jewish Committee’s interreligious affairs director, retiring in 2000. Currently, my wife and I live in Ft. Myers, Fla. I did attend the 1985 Reunion. While at Wesleyan I was a member of Beta Theta Pi, but all of this stuff can be found on my website, jamesrudin.com. Finally, I, too, am a cyclist, though not like yourself and your outstanding mileages. Sorry to ramble on. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Marianne and I were thankful to have escaped any damage from Hurricane Irma, which did cause a lot of concern in these parts. There’s still much vegetation to be cleared from the roadways and communities, namely downed trees and broken limbs. One of my favorite bike routes heading north on A1A into Palm Beach still has bike lanes and shoulders littered with the vegetation. Nevertheless, I continue to add to the mileage in spite of pronounced heat and humidity (daily heat index has been over 100 degrees for a few months), and while frequent rain has curtailed the miles, I still have a shot at the annual 5k target. I’ve logged 3,450 miles to date (Sept. 29) and am hopeful I won’t have to do a few double centuries in December to reach the goal.

As always, let me wish you and your loved ones good health and happiness in the days ahead.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 102., Delray Beach, FL 33446

Always a joy to receive words from classmates in response to requests for updates for our class notes. Once again, I do want all of you to know how much I appreciate being able to share words that you submit. It does make the task of serving as your class secretary an enjoyable one even after more than 50 years of the assignment.,

Stuart Rapp sent word of the death of Charlie Hume, who passed away in March. His late spouse, Patricia Johnson Hume, predeceased him by several months and a celebration of life was held in April for them both in Saugus, Mass., in the church Charlie served in the early days of his career-long ministry in the United Church of Christ. Stuart and Charlie were fraternity brothers in Delta Tau Delta and roomed together for three years. Bob Pooley joined them as a roommate for two of those years. Both were active competitors on the swim team. Charlie was well known as the “classic bass voice in our then-famous Wes male quartet, the Jibers.” As Stuart concluded in his notes, “He has passed, as they say, but he is far from forgotten.”

A short e-mail from Jim Shepard, our world-class traveler, mentioned his great Alaskan trip last year, but to my surprise, he indicated he has nothing in the works for an adventure this year. I’m willing to bet I’ll receive several paragraphs detailing the highlights of his 2017 travels before the year’s end, and if so, you can bet I’ll share them with you. When not on the road or planning where to visit next, Jim continues with his work as a medical expert witness, enjoying family life, and time on the golf course.

John Ineson wrote of the difficult adjustments that must be made when a loving spouse’s worsening dementia makes it necessary to move her into a special care unit dedicated to caring for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. In 2013, Lori and John moved to Williamsburg, Va., into a continuing care retirement community after he retired in 1994. He said that he is “now adjusting to living alone. Not easy after 59 years.” John, our thoughts are with you!

Freshman roommate Drew Clemens sent thanks for continuing to serve our dwindling class. His wife, Julie, has been class secretary for many years for her class of 1952 at Northfield Mount Hermon School, from which my younger daughter also graduated. He mentioned that he knows it’s a lot of work, but much appreciated by her cohorts, “as are your reports to us.” A Rhine River boat trip from Amsterdam to Basel is planned for October. He still does some teaching in Case Western Reserve University’s University Hospitals psychiatric residency and in the Cleveland Psychoanalytic Institute, and serves on the boards of the American Psychoanalytic Association and the American College of Psychoanalysts, the latter in which he is completing a tour as president. Both Julie and Drew continue to sing in Choral Arts Cleveland, a 47-year-old classical choir that they helped found. Drew mentioned that they go butterfly counting and tagging, and enjoy their cottage on Lake Chautauqua, N.Y. They’re in the process of “disgorging” their accumulated stuff over 54 years to move to an apartment in a nearby retirement village. Drew sends “greetings to all our surviving classmates, and a moment of sad reflection on those who have left us.”

All remains well with Marianne and me here in “paradise.” We’re planning a trip to Nebraska in August to meet newly expected family members, as two of Marianne’s nieces are scheduled to give birth in July. Despite a lot of rain and wind this year, I have been able to log 2,357 miles on the bike to date (6/7/17), including an 84-mile birthday ride with two younger members (75 and 77) of our bike club in April. And yes, we did the entire ride in one day! Still look forward to the rides and the social time spent with my cycling friends.

As always, may good health and happiness be with you and your loved ones throughout the year.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 102., Delray Beach, FL 33446

While no details are available at this writing, I sadly inform classmates of the passing of Richard Burrage in March. Information should be included in the obituary section of the magazine.

Our candidate for the “Most Traveled” member of the Crucial Class, Jim Shepard, did not disappoint us as he wrote that this time around, he and Sally-Jean enjoyed themselves on an Alaskan trip in July. Flying first to Juneau, they then took a local cruise boat and spent a week with an excellent lecturer and great food!

Kip Snow responded to my “plea” for words with a welcome e-mail that began, “Long time, no write. Life is good. Still married to my Wesleyan sweetheart—happiness unbounded. (Oh, ok, some minor scuffles.) Two adult children happily married. Two adult grandchildren—grandson about to graduate from Fordham, and granddaughter a sophomore at WPI. Jean and I are aging nicely in spite of age, habits, and customary minor annoyances. We both retired from the life and health industry—she from selling, and me from claims. Both with very satisfying industry associations. Now in retirement on Cape Cod, we keep out of trouble with several local pursuits. Some to help others, some for plain old fun. My continuing thankfulness for my WesTech education endures. Although I have not contributed to your notes (shame on me!), I do read about ‘55ers, the folks before us and after us.”

A most pleasant surprise was receiving a note from Karl Heiser. Karl withdrew from Wesleyan after his sophomore year with all good intentions to return after serving a three-year Marine Corps enlistment. As he stated, the three years turned into 22, and a second career doing defense work in the D.C. metro area. He stated, “I remember Wesleyan as a lost opportunity and classmates with respect.”

An update from Hal Stuhl came via a phone call just a week ago. Hal, a fellow Floridian, resides on the west coast of the state, just north of Naples in Bonita Springs. We recalled our Sigma Chi days and the loss of a fellow fraternity brother, Bill Christopher ’54, with whom Hal roomed. Our tales of “downsizing” were, needless to say, amusing. Of course, we also discussed the adventures and successes of grandchildren and how, even though we are advancing in age, we are not ready to call ourselves “old.” Really, it was a treat for me to chat with Hal, and let me state I’d be more than glad to hear from you, by mail, e-mail or by phone!

I did manage to reach my annual 5,000-mile riding goal in 2016 and in spite of the excessive heat, rain and wind in the fall months, actually recorded 5,275. As of today (1/17/17), I’ve gotten a start towards the new year with 201 miles on the odometer. As you can imagine, I still look forward to being on the bike and socializing with so many great friends.

Know that my sincere best wishes for good health and happiness to you and your loved ones accompany these notes.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 102., Delray Beach, FL. 33446

It’s only taken four months to make the adjustment moving from Boynton Beach to our new digs here in Delray Beach. Being only a 20-minute car ride from our former residence to the current address certainly has been a positive factor, as has been the fantastic planning and masterminding of the packing chores by Marianne! Still delighted that I’m now closer to the starts of two of my weekly bicycle rides, but in retrospect, I’d advise all of you to begin to eliminate all the extraneous items you’ve managed to accumulate through the years!

As of this morning’s bike ride miles (Sept. 18) I am pleased to say the recorded miles of 3,782 puts me within easy reach of the annual target of 5,000 miles. If all goes right, i.e., weather and health, I anticipate riding somewhere around 5,200 miles. And, to think this can be accomplished before I leave the “middle age” designation and finally accept the idea that I’m getting “old.” I realized I’ve put more miles on my current bike than Marianne has on her 2007 Subaru (less than 44,000) and the bike dates back to July 2008!

Word has been received from school that Wally Carroll passed away. At this time, I don’t have details, but I’m sure additional information will be posted in the Obituary section of this issue of Wesleyan.

We also received word about the passing of Larry Shapiro on Sept. 5. After attending Wesleyan, he served in the U.S. Army for two years as a radio operator in London. He ran American Paper & Supply Company for over 45 years. Our condolences to his family.

Let me ask all of you once again to spend a few moments and send a note to your secretary for sharing with classmates. While I do enjoy writing about my bicycle adventures to all, I’m sure catching up with details of your life is far more interesting! Thanks for your consideration.

As always, let me extend my best wishes for health and happiness to you and your loved ones in the coming new year.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net
14790 Bonaire Blvd., Apt. 102., Delray Beach, FL. 33446

Received a wonderful note from Jim Shepard, reminding me that there are other sports that attract classmates. The details are fascinating and worth quoting verbatim: “I took intramural golf at Wesleyan the spring of my senior year after acceptance for medical school. That summer I played a couple of rounds in Monterey, where I worked as a dishwasher on the Wharf. Then I didn’t play until 25 years later when I asked my older daughter if I could join her on the M.V. links on the side of Mt. Tamalpais. Several years later she invited me to meet her in Scotland to play golf on a little island. Fortunately, the B&B owner was an avid golfer, so he took us out each day. When we finished the first round he suggested another round. I had been on call 72 straight hours before leaving for Scotland, so my daughter quickly realized the only thing better than more golf. ‘How about a pint?’ she asked. On the way home I stopped in Chicago for a free round of golf, courtesy of a Chicago policeman whose life I saved on a tour trip to Egypt.” Adding to the golf story, Jim recalled that- “Golf saved my life 15 or 29 years ago, when I went to a nephrology meeting in Aspen. The meeting started at 7 a.m., then had a break from noon until 5 p.m. followed by evening meetings. The leader tried to convince me to go mountain biking during the break. I had just started playing golf, so I did that instead. At the evening meeting the leader said, ‘I know the doc who went over his handlebars, broke both arms, but how bad was his head injury?’ Thanks to golf, it wasn’t me.”

Seems as if I mixed up Jim Wright and John Wright ’54 in a note in the previous Class Notes. Thanks to word from JACK Wright, let me set the record correctly. Jack politely reminded me that we had another John Wright at Wes but he was a year ahead of us. Jack included a photo of Al Hobson in his note and related they were both classmates at Loomis as well as Wesleyan. They remain in touch with each other and, as Jack claimed, “We both now look even older.”

On the home front, Marianne and I have moved from Boynton Beach to Delray Beach, Fla., a few weeks ago. Still unpacking boxes (not many left) and wondering how and why we managed to accumulate so many unnecessary things over the past 15 years. The move should work out well for both of us and, as I’ve told my cycling buddies here, I’m even closer to the starting points of many of our weekly rides! In addition, we are closer to several of our friends. As for biking, as of today (May 17) I have logged 2,020 miles and with decent weather and continued good health, I look forward to reaching the annual goal of 5,000 miles. By the way, I did celebrate my 83rd birthday by riding an 83-mile jaunt with three good cycling friends. And yes, we did the ride all in one day!!!

As always, my very best wishes to you and your loved ones in the days ahead. And, should you find the time to drop a note this way, know it would be greatly appreciated.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

Delighted to share with you the wonderful replies I received from classmates. Really does make the life of a class secretary pleasant!

First, our former Class President Jake Congleton updated us on what it means to be an almost bionic man: “Two knees, one hip, and two shoulders” so far. In case you’ve wondered, “the other hip is doing fine.” Jake divides his time equally between Bradenton, Fla., and Maine. He noted his eldest grandson is a lacrosse coach at Wesleyan. Jake continues to follow Wesleyan football, either by streaming or when the team is in Maine. He extends a “best to all.”

Memories were brought back with John Sheaff’s note that he and wife Lois were married in the summer of 1954 and might be the longest married couple in our class. Their first child, Cheryl, was born in Middletown in 1956 and a visit to celebrate Cheryl’s 60th birthday in Vero Beach, Fla. (if I remember correctly, John), is planned in March. The Sheaffs are still able to keep up and participate in social and family activities, although (as he says)at “a slightly slower pace.”

Loved the opening words from Ric Fisher’s update: “Hey there, Braver! How’s the little red MG?” Ric related he and his wife, Ulla, are doing well in “old communist/socialist (not) Sweden,” where they enjoy terrific healthcare. He’s mainly retired at this juncture but does spend time proofing, editing, and recording. Two dogs (one, formerly homeless, undernourished, and abused) keeps Ric active, as he spends at least three hours every day walking the dogs between five and eight miles, weather permitting. He has stopped playing seven hours of weekly tennis after undergoing two knee surgeries and not wanting to risk missing his walks with the dogs and hikes with Ulla. Philosophically, Ric wrote that “the USA I left has pretty much disappeared, and Trump is appealing to folks I can’t relate to” and has no plans of visiting stateside although he has children in Maine, New Hampshire, and California. And, not surprisingly, he let us know “I have no gun(s).”

Drew Clemens continues teaching, supervising, and writing to help him “keep his psychoanalytic skills alive,” even though he closed his office in 2011. He and Julie are still in good health and have spent time traveling and cruising on Star Clipper ships. He states that tennis, biking, hiking and Julie’s “butterfly monitoring” remain their forms of exercise. Because of conflicting obligations of organizations on which he serves in executive capacities, Drew wrote he was unable to make it to our Reunion. He suggested that perhaps we should consider a mini-reunion sooner that 2020! Any comments?

Stu Rapp provided updates on three of his former Delta Tau Delta brothers who did, as he says, “a bit of Barbershopping” with him; Bob Pooley, Bob Moore, and Charlie Hume. “Charlie, our star-quality basso, was a Jiber in those days. Bob M. was our baritone. Pooley was our tenor, and I was the tune. We went our various ways, but when I later returned to Connecticut, there was Bob Moore who ran a music store in Danbury. I later lost track of him but got to see Bob Pooley on occasional travels south. I also managed to keep track of Charlie. One ‘almost friend’ from Wes days, Jim Wright, became a ‘real’ friend later, and we and our spouses enjoy annual visits. So the friendships have continued and so has the vocal music for me, along with special tours enjoying the great pipe organs of the UK and Western Europe, camping along with groups of professional organists. The “instrument” (my aging voice and body) is rickety nowadays, but the melody lingers on!”

And speaking of Jim Wright, a social gathering in California attended by Jim and a childhood friend of mine led Jim to send me a note telling me he had met my friend when they learned they had something is common after the name of Wesleyan came up! Jim wrote he especially appreciated the Wesleyan magazine cover story of Hamilton. He also had discovered Ron Chernow’s book, Hamilton, and mentioned that he liked it so much he re-read the whole thing aloud to his wife and this was years before the play!

Needless to say, it wouldn’t be Class Notes without a mention of cycling activities! I did reach the annual 5,000-mile target once again and actually logged 5,788 miles, in spite of rainy and windy conditions during the last few months of 2015. Already have ridden more than 600 miles to date (Feb. 16), as the yearly challenge has begun.

To those of you who have shared comments with us, sincere thanks! And, to those not among the list, this is your chance to join the group!

As always, to you and your loved ones, my best, best wishes for health and happiness in the year ahead are sent your way.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

Sad to let you know, we’ve lost another member of our class. On July 16, 2015, Hoyt Chapin passed away at his home in New London, N.H. Hoyt went on to the Columbia University School of Business in New York upon graduation from Wesleyan and began his career in home furnishings at both Bloomingdale’s and Dansk International Designs. The majority of his work life was in the retail sector as owner and president of the Pottery Barn, Inc., until his retirement. He was recognized and known for his forward thinking and creative entrepreneurial approach to good contemporary design at a great price. Hoyt retired to New London and Vero Beach, Fla., where, according to information received, he remained involved in several business adventures, including creation of two developments—Browns Hills and the Georges Mills Boat Club in Sunapee, N.H. An active member of the New London community, Hoyt served as a director of the Little Sunapee Protective Association, New London Hospital, and the Kearsage Council on Aging.

Note: Wesleyan was notified of Hoyt’s passing by his daughter, Deborah Chapin ’81 and I know I speak for all of us in offering our sincere condolences to her and her family.

Yours truly has logged 4,493 cycling miles as of Oct. 4, and with any luck, should reach the annual target of 5,000 miles by year end. I mention “luck,” as I had the misfortune of being guilty of committing a rookie error on Sept. 27, by my failure to consume sufficient liquid during an aggressive 31-mile ride. Completed the ride, loaded my bike back into the car, discussed where we were going to snack and then, while removing my cycling shoes as I sat on the bumper of my car, I passed out. When I came to, I was in an ambulance on my way to the nearest hospital (four miles away). Two of my riding companions joined me in the emergency room and watched as the ER nurse hooked up an IV and gave me a “lecture” on the need to drink while riding. Stayed overnight while the usual protocol was performed (CT scan, MRI, echo test, neurological evaluation, etc.) and was released. Hope to be back in the saddle in a day or two, once the soreness lessens and of course, plan on being a good “student” by consuming more fluids more often! Really felt pretty lucky I came away from the experience with four stitches and a few bruises. But, to be truthful, I was certainly embarrassed!!!

To all of you, I’d really appreciate a word or two to share with classmates if you have a moment. And, know my sincere best wishes for health and happiness are sent to you and your loved ones.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

Sad to let you know, we’ve lost another member of our class. On July 16, 2015, Hoyt Chapin passed away at his home in New London, N.H. Hoyt went on to the Columbia University School of Business in New York upon graduation from Wesleyan and began his career in home furnishings at both Bloomingdale’s and Dansk International Designs. The majority of his work life was in the retail sector as owner and president of the Pottery Barn, Inc., until his retirement. He was recognized and known for his forward thinking and creative entrepreneurial approach to good contemporary design at a great price. Hoyt retired to New London and Vero Beach, Fla., where, according to information received, he remained involved in several business adventures, including creation of two developments—Browns Hills and the Georges Mills Boat Club in Sunapee, N.H. An active member of the New London community, Hoyt served as a director of the Little Sunapee Protective Association, New London Hospital, and the Kearsage Council on Aging.

Note: Wesleyan was notified of Hoyt’s passing by his daughter, Deborah Chapin ’81 and I know I speak for all of us in offering our sincere condolences to her and her family.

Yours truly has logged 4,493 cycling miles as of Oct. 4, and with any luck, should reach the annual target of 5,000 miles by year end. I mention “luck,” as I had the misfortune of being guilty of committing a rookie error on Sept. 27, by my failure to consume sufficient liquid during an aggressive 31-mile ride. Completed the ride, loaded my bike back into the car, discussed where we were going to snack and then, while removing my cycling shoes as I sat on the bumper of my car, I passed out. When I came to, I was in an ambulance on my way to the nearest hospital (four miles away). Two of my riding companions joined me in the emergency room and watched as the ER nurse hooked up an IV and gave me a “lecture” on the need to drink while riding. Stayed overnight while the usual protocol was performed (CT scan, MRI, echo test, neurological evaluation, etc.) and was released. Hope to be back in the saddle in a day or two, once the soreness lessens and of course, plan on being a good “student” by consuming more fluids more often! Really felt pretty lucky I came away from the experience with four stitches and a few bruises. But, to be truthful, I was certainly embarrassed!!!

To all of you, I’d really appreciate a word or two to share with classmates if you have a moment. And, know my sincere best wishes for health and happiness are sent to you and your loved ones.

DONALD J. BRAVERMAN | ybikedon@bellsouth.net

27A Stratford Ln. W., Boynton Beach, FL 33436; 561/654-3711

A big “thank you” to John Sheaff for playing the role of Acting Secretary and submitting commentary on our 60th Class Reunion! His submission is quoted verbatim!

“The Honor of the Wesleyan Class of 1955 was upheld by the presence of five members at our 60th Reunion this past weekend. Loyal Class Members George Edwards, Charles Smith, William Gordon, Theodore Stein and John Sheaf had the good fortune of being able to attend and enjoy the pleasures of reviewing past good times, wonderful weather, and college-provided events. The enjoyment of our gatherings was enhanced by the presence of Wesleyan staff members who were able to answer questions regarding Wesleyan’s programs. The Class of 2015 has 799 (hope I got the number right) members. The largest ever.

“At meal times our group was joined by alumni of other years close to 1955, which added to the enjoyment of the gathering. In the Alumni Parade we had ahead of us one member of the Class of 1951 and ahead of him two members of the Class of 1950. We are getting near the head of the line.

“At the end of the parade we attended the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association which include the presentation of awards for service and an address by David B. Potts ’60, which covered the history of Wesleyan presidents.”

John wrote that he and Lois were pleased with the entire program and commented that, as Wesleyan is only approximately a three-hour drive from their home, the whole trip was not a problem for them.

Sadly, this month (June), I received notices of the passing of two of our classmates. Charles Little died June 20, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M. Charles was an advertising executive with Foote, Cone and Belding until 1963, when he became chief executive officer of the Open Space Institute and then on to several other executive positions involving land use issues. His entire life’s work was dedicated to the appreciation and protection of American landscapes. He authored many books devoted to his life’s passion.
Arthur Coppotelli passed away March 5, 2015. He received a MA in literature from Yale University in 1960. During the course of his career he was a speech writer for President John F. Kennedy Jr., and he authored the proposal for the youth training corps used in President Kennedy’s State of the Union Address. He also was an instructor of English and humanities at Wesleyan. Please see magazine.wesleyan.edu for a more detailed obituary.

I continue to swap notes with Gail Clarke, George Edwards, and Brad Miter via Facebook and invite you to say “hello” when you get a chance.

Marianne and I continue to enjoy life in Florida and are well. As you might imagine, biking is still a major part of my routine and at this point (June 11, 2015) I’ve logged just a tad less than 2,700 miles for the year. Always hopeful of reaching the 5,000-mile annual target.

To you and your loved ones, my sincere best wishes for health and happiness.