Tag: 1960

I, Bill Walker, have assumed the position of class secretary that was so long and ably filled by Sal Russo.

Rob Mortimer reports from Boulder, Colorado, that he and Mimi were on the West Coast and reunited with Dave Potts and Jay Levy. 

Jay Levy reports that he and Sharon had dinner with Wes President Michael Roth and discussed the University’s impressive fundraising campaign. Most important, Jay received notice that he is being recognized by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF): The Jay A. Levy Endowed Professorship in Virology honors Jay, professor emeritus of the Department of Medicine and former director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at UCSF. UCSF says this about him: “As a scientist, he is bold, innovative and a risk-taker. As a leader in academia, he has been and is a generous mentor and collaborator to many and is devoted to doing science that helps others.” Congratulations! 

Dave Hale reports that he and Peggy traveled successfully to Canada last year, but that like most of us, is weighed down with medical issues. “Does my week in Unity Hospital sound like a 65th anniversary present?” 

From Bob Williams: “Our second daughter Katharine (Davidson 2001) is now in her second year as director of development at Falmouth Academy, surpassing many fund-raising goals. FA has also recently acquired the Captain’s Manor Inn in an effort to initiate a five-day boarding program. Maybe some will end up at WesTech!”

Dave Hohl reports he has contributed a $10,000 charitable gift annuity to Wesleyan in exchange for using it to fund a men’s tennis endowment in honor of our classmate Al Roberts. Al is in Wesleyan’s Athletics Hall of Fame for his tennis achievements at Wesleyan, among them a single loss (perhaps to West Point) during his four years and the U.S. 18-and-under champion the summer after his freshman year (he had previously won the U.S. and Canadian 15-and-under championships). He was given automatic entry to the U.S. National Tennis Tournament at Forest Hills, Queens (now the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, Queens) that year, and he qualified for that tournament for several years thereafter, reaching the second round twice. If that endowment reaches $100,000, it can be named for Al.

I was inducted into the Cape Cod Baseball Hall of Fame in November 2025, in an elaborate ceremony recognizing my batting average of .432 for Chatham in the summer of 1957 and subsequent accomplishments. A signal honor that included a huge Super Bowl–size ring.

Gus Napier, our class philosopher, has just published a new book: A Life in Poems, a collection of his prodigious poetic output. Gus has a gift of communicating that I found speaks to me as I age and reflect on what’s now a long life. You may want to do the same. Here is the note I received from Gus:

“Hi Bill—thanks for your work keeping us in touch!  

“My news: I have a new book, just arrived from the printer, entitled, A Life in Poems. At Wesleyan, as some of you may know, I apprenticed myself to Richard Wilbur and went some distance down the road to being a professional poet. I published some in national magazines, etc.

“A personal crisis post-Wesleyan got me into therapy and eventually I became a family therapist. My book The Family Crucible (HarperCollins, 1978) became a bestseller and has sold more than 300,000 copies. A second book, The Fragile Bond (HarperCollins, 1988)describes my work with Margaret in our treatment of couples.

“Though writing poetry professionally became the road not traveled, a line by Robert Frost, who was Wilbur’s mentor, I did not stop writing poetry. Recently, Margaret and I assembled the poems we found here and there in our house in North Carolina. This book, crafted with a graphic designer, also includes some of my photographs, another strong interest of mine. We are proud of the book.” ~ Gus

I regret to advise that Chuck Olton died recently in New York. I’m particularly saddened because Chuck was my oldest living friend. We both grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and met when we were in second grade. We became close friends and were classmates through the Newton school system, then at Wesleyan. We remained in contact, though had not seen one another for some time. Too bad. Good guy. 

Paul Tractenberg said he was sad to hear of the passing of Chuck. “He was such an accomplished and thoroughly decent man. I didn’t share the Massachusetts connection with him but came to admire and like him so much at Wesleyan.” Bob Williams said, “So sorry to learn about Chuck. I heard from Hawk Walker, another Newton boy who grew up a mile or two from where I lived in Wellesley Hills. Wesleyan brought us all together. We [the Folklords] were forerunners of the Highwaymen, who actually became famous. The Folklords were a great folk singing experience. (Ann and I continue to sing together in church choirs, choruses, and quartets.) Rex Hartzell, our bass, died recently as well. Frank Reed and Pete Rockefeller ’59 are gone. . .  Chuck was a great tenor to blend with and an even greater person.”

The first 65th Reunion organized by Bill Walker and Dave Hohl was held via Zoom on May 24, 2025. That was followed by a second 65th Reunion via Zoom on June 9 organized by Kate Micari, associate director for annual giving. Those attending these events appreciated the opportunity to renew old friendships.

Nici and John Dobson have moved from Florida to a life-care community in Williamsburg, Virginia, where they will be closer to family and friends. They look forward to again experience a change of seasons.

Congratulations to Dan Nebert who was recognized on June 21, 2025, with the Distinguished Alumni Scientist Award from Oregon Health Sciences University. He has been doing research for 50 years. An example of his work is the discovery of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) transcription factor that regulates the CYP1A gene, which is important for many critical life functions. Specific single-nucleotide variations in this gene were then shown to result in birth defects and numerous clinical disorders.

Ira Sharkansky reported in June that he and his wife, Varda, used the safe room in Protea Retirement Village when they were under attack from Iranian missiles. That must have been stressful and hopefully their situation has improved.    

Neimah and Paul Tractenberg do regular three-to-four-mile walks, sometimes together and sometimes separately with friends. They dote on, and spend a lot of time with, the four offspring of their son and daughter-in-law who live nearby. Paul is still heavily involved with two long-standing advocacy efforts—one is an 11-year-old lawsuit on behalf of the public school students of the Lakewood School District in New Jersey; the other is a 25-year effort to preserve a unique 120-acre property near West Orange, New Jersey.                 

Frank Reed of Walbridge, Ohio, passed away on November 29, 2024. He worked as a psychiatrist for various institutions and in private practice for 30 years. He enjoyed listening, singing, and playing music of all kinds. He loved being outdoors sailing, hiking, and scuba diving. He was married to his wife Margaret for 29 years and is also survived by his two daughters from a previous marriage and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by the mother of his children, Eleni Gillis. My condolences to his family and friends.

Bill Walker wrote to let us know that Don Skinner passed away on July 3 in Santa Monica, California. He was a physician who was renowned for his work in the field of urological oncology and who spent three decades of his career building a urology treatment and training program at USC. Throughout his life, Don enjoyed playing sports, including basketball (for which he was recruited to play at Wes), tennis, and golf. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Shirley, and a daughter, Carol. My condolences to his family and friends.

My oldest grandson, Holden, recently received his bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University here in Bellingham. It has been a special treat to have an occasional lunch together for the past three years.

With this note, I have resigned as class secretary after having served in the position for 20 years. Please contact me by email if you are interested in becoming the new class secretary with the responsibility for creating class notes twice a year.

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.