Tag: 1960

John Berry has a remarkable granddaughter named Ella Minaka Berry Joshi, who is both a fine student and a gifted artist. Not long ago, she created a collage depicting John in easily recognizable form using moistened pieces of The Washington Post. Her work was chosen by the National Art Education Association to be exhibited in U.S. embassies around the world.

Ann and Bob Williams celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in August. Bob had a booth at The Highlands Craft Fair in November. It was a great way for him to interact with people interested in his publications in the field of history. He has two new books published recently: Golden Fleece: The Voynich Manuscript and British Intelligence (Dorrance, 2024) and a fifth edition of The Historian’s Toolbox (Routledge, 2024), which enjoys a solid reputation after 20 years on the market.

Peter Nilsen passed away on May 28, 2024. He attended Wesleyan for three semesters, during which time he joined Delta Sigma fraternity. He later graduated with an MBA from the University of Hartford. He was employed by Aetna Insurance for 29 years, where he became vice president of bond investments. He loved spending time with his family, reading, skiing, and traveling in his retirement. Peter is survived by his wife, Susan Nilsen, two daughters, three stepchildren, and six grandchildren. My condolences to his family and friends.

In September, Tish and I were part of the wedding celebration for her granddaughter at a rural venue adjacent to the historic Gallon House Covered Bridge in Silverton, Oregon.

In April, Peggy and Dave Hale went on a cruise from New Orleans to Memphis, during which they enjoyed good food, good music, and good people. Dave has cut back on community involvement, but still is on the Town of Sweden Planning Board and the board of the local food shelf. For something new, he did a few sermons for the Brockport Presbyterian Church, though he commented that “they are more like English classes.”

Mimi and Rob Mortimer were in Paris in spring where they observed the preparations for the Summer Olympics. As an example, the Place de la Concorde was converted into a skateboard arena with bleachers rising all round. Also, as subway stations were closed down, it became complicated to get into the Tuileries. On the way home, they spent an agreeable week in Ireland where they visited the Blarney Stone, Abbey Theater, and pubs. Their daughter, Amy ’87, was there as well to attend a wedding. Back in Boulder, Rob is preparing to go door-to-door for Kamala Harris.

David Paul Boesel passed away in Severna Park, Maryland, on June 2, 2024, after a long illness. He was passionate about civil rights throughout his life, devoting much of his time to voter registration and turnout. He was a skilled martial artist and also enjoyed swimming, workouts at the gym, scuba diving, foreign travel, and boating on the Severn River. Dave is survived by his wife, Gail, daughters, Kyle O’Connor and Alison Riso, son, Justin Boesel, his younger sister, Judy Kelly, and five beloved grandchildren. My condolences to his family and friends.

Christopher R. Campbell Jr. passed away in the San Francisco area on June 2, 2024. After attending Wesleyan, he taught algebra and English at Providence Country Day School. He subsequently went to Brown University for their MAT program. At Harvard University, he earned an MBA in consumer marketing in 1967. Chris was known for having a private consulting firm that had its office on a houseboat moored in San Francisco Bay. He learned to sail, race motorcycles, and fly airplanes. The latter gave rise to his writing software for business aviation. He is survived by his wife, Dolores, daughter, Wendy, and a grandchild. My condolences to his family and friends.

Please write to your class secretary.

Nici and John Dobson reported that they were in Key West, Florida, for two weeks. That sounds like a good place to visit in November.

Mark Lischner passed away August 14, 2023. He was the founding member of Pulmonary Medicine Associates, which provides pulmonary and critical care services for the greater Sacramento, California, area. He worked over 50 years at the same corporation and retired in April 2023. He was not only appreciated for his medical expertise but also his humanity. His interest in the well-being of his patients, colleagues, and staff was remarkable. He is survived by his son Benjamin, daughter-in-law Kathrine, daughter Lori, and three granddaughters.

In September, I had a 10-day bout of COVID that was characterized by fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste, and three days of fever. I appreciate having been able to do at-home testing for the virus. Tish was a great help by bringing suppers to my house during the worst days.

Nici and John Dobson experienced 32 wonderful summer days in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands.

Jim Meyerhoff is retired from his position as chief of the Department of Neurochemistry and Neuroendocrinology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He is currently a faculty member in the Psychiatry Department at Uniformed Service University of Health Sciences where he continues to investigate medical neuroscience that is relevant to injuries that are experienced by those in the military. He is grateful for the superb biology courses he received while at Wesleyan.

I have joined an informal group led by K. C. Sulkin, MAT ’65. After walking together, we go to a nearby Whole Foods for coffee and conversation.

I am saddened by the passing of Will White ’61 in January 2023. He began attending Wesleyan with our class in fall 1956 and received his bachelor’s degree with a major in geology in 1961. Our families developed a close relationship that was fostered by those special years when all of us were living in Colorado.