1961 – Page 4 – Wesleyan Magazine Classnotes

Obituaries | 1960-19692019/08/152019/08/15

Joseph C. Miller ’61

Joseph C. Miller ’61, 79, succumbed to an aggressive cancer on March 12, 2019. He died at the Center for Acute Hospice Care, surrounded by his wife, Mary Catherine Wimer, and two of his children: Julia Miller and Calder Miller. He is also survived by his son John Miller, and was preceded in death by his daughter, Laura Miller. Among his other surviving family are his brother and sister in law, James and Marlene Miller and their family, and his ex-wife, Janet Miller, as well as a large extended Calder family.

Joe was an internationally esteemed, Professor emeritusat the University of Virginia, where he held the T. Cary Johnson Jr. Chair in the History Department. During the forty six years that he worked at the University, he turned down other positions, including an invitation to join the History faculty at Harvard. He also always reminded people that he had earned a prior MBA, which influenced his approach to historical thinking, as did additional study in Anthropology.

Known as a giant in the field of early African history and the world history of slavery, his work focused on the slave trade and enslavement, especially across the South Atlantic. Among the many honors he achieved during his academic career, he was most proud of winning the Herskovits Prize given by the African Studies Association for his book, Way of Death, and of receiving a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship which resulted in the publication of The Problem of Slavery as History.

The highlight of his career occurred this past fall, after retirement, with two extremely special events. First, he was inducted into the 2018 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an exceptionally notable achievement recognizing his groundbreaking work over a long career. Second a colloquium in his honor, “Africa in Global History,” was organized by his former students, colleagues, and friends at the Harvard Center for African Studies. During that day it was abundantly clear how significant Joe’s influence had been.

In addition to his scholarship, Joe also served in many administrative positions, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia and as President of both the African Studies Association and the American Historical Association.

However, these facts about Joe do not begin to convey the depth of love and admiration that people had for him. So, some quotes from tributes pouring in from all over the world might better capture who Joe was in life.

“Your mentorship has been one of the great gifts in my life—which has been fundamentally reshaped by our relationship. My world is bigger, my imagination richer, and my thoughts more interesting because of you. Plus, it is quite literally because of you that I know how to write.”

“Joe had an infectious love of teaching and a passion for delving into history’s intellectual complexities. He taught me a working theory of history and modeled untiring intellectual curiosity and openness to the unconventional.”

“I have never met a scholar so intelligent, humble, and generous when dealing with both senior scholars and graduate students.”

“Joe was a rare academic who didn’t care at all where you came from, what you looked like, didn’t care for those normative signs of prestige and intellectual authority that so many in academia focus on. All he cared about were ideas and intellect, and truly the person and their potential as a scholar and a person.”

“He was a dear, dear friend to me: a passionate and compassionate, generous, kind, thoughtful man; an avid adventurer, and someone I could always count on for a word of encouragement, a smile, and lively, smart conversation.”

It seems fitting to close with a poem by Raymond Carver that Joe could embrace:

Late Fragment

And did you get what

you wanted from this life, even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth.

A Celebration of Life will be held in early summer when a memorial scholarship fund will be announced.

We thank Joseph’s friend Robert Palmeri ’61 for this heartfelt tribute.

Obituaries | 1960-19692019/08/152019/11/26

Wayne B. Glazier ’61

Vale Wayne B. Glazier ’61 Wayne passed away on July 14, 2018, after a prolonged and very brave battle with cancer.

He was always proud of his Wesleyan connections and kept in contact with Jim Stewart his fraternity brother throughout the years, sharing holidays in the States, Australia, and around the world, including a house building project in Cambodia.

Wayne was born in Massachussetts, and both his parents were university lecturers at various times. He earned a BA from Wesleyan and scholarship to Harvard where he graduated with an MBA. Although he has family dating back to the Pilgrim Fathers, he only worked post-graduately in the States for one year. He had a desire for travel and worked as an international auditor for Caltex Petroleum Corp, reviewing operations in Europe, Africa, Middle East Asia, and Australia from late 1963 to the late 1960s. He returned to work in the U.S. as financial advisor in Caltex’s Head Office in U.S. This was the last year he lived in the U.S.

Eager to return overseas, he joined Sterling Drug International as Asia Pacific financial controller, based alternatively in Tokyo and Manila. By 1977 he had married an Australian and had three children. At that point they decided to return to settle in Australia. However, they separated and divorced. Six years later he met and married another Australian. He had a blended family of six children. That family has now grown and includes partners and seven grandchildren. Two of the families live overseas, one in Ireland and the other in Japan.

In Sydney, Wayne joined Esso Australia’s accounting management and passed the Australian CPA exams and became qualified as a Chartered Practising Accountant and Fellow of the CPA. He held several positions in Esso and was eventually appointed to a role in tax management. He then returned to university studies in his 50s for a Masters in Taxation (with High Distinction of course).

When Esso moved their main office to Melbourne in the early 1990s, our decision was made to stay in Sydney, so Wayne took early retirement. He joined CCH, a legal publisher as a taxation writer and editor of the annual Australian Tax Guide. He did not retire until 2008, when diagnosed with an advanced form of prostate cancer. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, multiple drug trials, and eventually a metatastic brain tumour, left him very weak and fatigued. Wayne battled for nearly 10 years, before finally succumbing in July 2018.

Wayne and wife Jan enjoyed 34 years of marriage and were able to share some great travels including Alaska, Lofoten Islands (Norway), France, Ireland, UK, and his bucket list trip to go fishing in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand’s North Island. This successful fishing trip exceeded his expectations. Wayne was held in high regard by all who knew him as a quiet, gentle man with high intelligence and integrity. Family was important to Wayne and Jan, and he fitted in well with Jan’s very large extended family. He was a treasured grandfather who was always there for you and who enjoyed having fun and ice cream.

Wayne was dearly loved by all.

We thank Wayne’s wife Jan for this heartfelt tribute.

Obituaries | 1960-19692019/08/14

Stephen Wainwright ’61

Stephen Wainwright ’61 passed away on March 2, 2019. A full obituary can be found here.

Class Notes | 1960s2019/08/06

CLASS OF 1961 | 2019 | ISSUE 1

Numerous replies were received regarding class members’ participation during the Vietnam era. Readers are referred to the class notes’ previous publication for the initial comments sent in. Additional replies are listed below.

“I’m glad your idea of focusing on Vietnam is bringing in many responses,” writes Larry Wiberg. “Wesleyan was an intense experience and I can still conjure up memories that seem only like last week! I received a medical school and medical training exemption during the Vietnam War.

“For 20 years of my 50-year psychiatric career, I was a psychiatrist for the Denver VA Medical Center Posttraumatic Stress Disorder program, serving a large population of male and female PTSD patients. Some were Korean veterans, but the majority were combat veterans (the women patients from that time were mostly in nursing or medical specialties serving in Vietnam and had taken care of the terminally wounded). The male PTSD patients in our Denver program were primarily combat veterans or veterans who had dealt firsthand with the results of combat. Treatment modalities were medication (marginally helpful; primarily antidepressants, nonaddicting anxiolytics, and sleep aids) and group and individual psychotherapy. When present, substance and alcohol use had to be dealt with concurrently. In doing the talk therapy part I would introduce myself as not having been in combat, but had I been, I am sure my remaining life experience would have been totally altered. It turns out that group therapy with me present, but not that active, was most helpful. The veterans were their own best therapists.

“Imagine being trained to kill, being threatened to be killed, or seeing others killed at an age we all were in our years at Wesleyan. This was the recurrent theme they all shared in one way or another. Granted there were veterans seemingly untouched by the experiences who did not present for treatment at any facility. Among the worst cases I dealt with were service personnel stateside who had to go to the doors of loved ones to announce a death. Vulnerability to PTSD has been hard to pin down in studies. For myself, I joined and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve Medical Corp. I was a general medical officer for the Denver Marine Corp Reserve. I support some form of mandated federal service though it certainly does NOT have to be military. I look forward to what others in our class have experienced and a hearty ‘hello’ to all my Wesleyan buddies.”

Spike Paranya comments: “I was not really aware of anything to do with Vietnam at first when I entered the Corps. We had visiting officers from several countries in our class at Basic School, and I believe a few were from Vietnam. Of particular note was our End of Basic School Problem. The problem involved leading an amphibious assault onto the shore of a Southeast Asian country. Only two years later did I realize that it was the beginning of plans for actual landings on the shores of North and South Vietnam. I left the Corps in December 1964 and, as the war began to heat up, I went through a period of questioning myself as to where my loyalties lay with or against the growing war. It was about a year later when my Marine Corps loyalty separated. I joined my grad school roommates against the war. About 10 years ago I went to a reunion of Quantico Marine Corps athletes of the ’60s and heard many stories from those on the track team for whom I was the administrative coach. Most were in Basic School at that time, so many went to Vietnam. All the guys I knew returned alive, but everyone there honored one Marine who didn’t, a super guy and athlete who came from New York’s inner city. I watched every bit of Ken Burns’ special on the Vietnam War and was appalled with the politics going on behind our backs.”

Spike goes on to add: “In alumni news, Kathy and I twice got together with classmate Paul Vouros and his wife, Irene, this summer. Paul is just completing a gradual retirement from teaching in the chemistry department at Northeastern University. He has had a wonderful career there and his many graduate students have made him proud with their accomplishments in the field of chemistry.”

“I missed the Vietnam experience, but served five Navy years, including the Cuba blockade instead,” writes John Rogers. “We helped turn away Russian ships and brought U.S. Marines ashore, so I’m really grateful this crisis didn’t lead to something more. I still appreciate Wes, Navy, and business success despite some personal strife, although my 56-year marriage with five kids and 14 grandchildren have led to a wonderful life.”

It seems only yesterday that Bob Johnson and your class secretary were performing on the Venice Symphony stage. Bob died last fall, leaving a void in the southwest Florida community and its musical world. Word has also been received that Foster Morrison died peacefully at home in North Potomac, Md., on Oct. 13. His wife of 48 years, Nancy Lewis Morrison, was at his side.

Stay tuned, classmates, for an exciting conclusion to our Vietnam series in the next class notes.

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205

Class Notes | 1960s2019/05/10

Foster Morrison ’61

Foster Morrison ’61 died peacefully at home in North Potomac, Md., on Oct. 13, 2018. His wife of 48 years, Nancy Lewis Morrison, was at his side.

We thank Foster’s wife for this information.

Class Notes | 1960s2019/05/01

CLASS OF 1961 | 2018 | ISSUE 3

Previously, a suggestion had been made in our class notes column regarding the Vietnam War and its impact on the lives of our classmates. The response of members has been tremendous— so much so that it will take a few publications to include everyone’s comments. If your reply is not present in this edition, please be patient and your secretary will attempt, in time, to cover everyone’s view. It is never too late to submit new or additional thoughts.

Howie Morgan was one of the early responders to the request, writing: “Didn’t give a crap! I was in grad school and getting married. Lyndon Johnson got us in this mess! My wife, Betsy, was at Berkeley and marched in the protests until broken up by a Hells’ Angels motorcycle gang!”

Phil Rodd replied: “I never served, because I was married in 1964 and married men were not being drafted.”

Steve Smith relates that he was not a combatant, being “exempt since I was in graduate school in a PhD program at Tulane, preparing for a professorship in anatomy and neurobiology as a teacher in medical school. I guess they thought I might be as useful there as I would be wading through the swamps along the Mekong River. I supported our troops and was embarrassed by their treatment upon their return. I also felt, and still do, that we were foolish to go in and bail out an intensely unpopular French regime. We were set up to fail, since we were hardly looked upon as saviors, so we had virtually the entire population against us. Not a wise move! I wish we had learned our lesson, to keep our noses out of other peoples’ wars!”

Lewis Kirshner was actively involved with the conflict. He writes: “I served as a psychiatrist in the U.S. Air Force from 1969-71, stationed at Wright-Patterson in Ohio. These were turbulent times in the U.S. I was active in the anti-war movement, as a member of the Concerned Officers group. Much against my nature, I spoke at rallies and on the radio about our opposition. I treated many Vietnam casualties at our hospital and was also involved (as an expert witness) in military trials of men who refused to participate. Although I was warned/informed about the legal restrictions on my activities as an active duty officer, I was treated well by the Air Force and had a decent, if often frustrating, professional experience, in contrast to my highly conflicted feelings about being a part of the military! I recall the reactions after Kent State at our base, where many people criticized the protesters (although there was widespread anti-war sentiment even among careerists). I published an article in the leftist journal The Radical Therapist, founded by a militant colleague, that almost cost me a fellowship at Harvard after discharge, for fear they were taking on a flaming radical!

“Although I continued to support and counsel anti-war young people during that period, I regret that my contributions were in fact quite modest. Encountering and supporting Bernie reawakened some of these old feelings from the ’60s and ’70s about social change. Busy in professional and family life in a very blue state, I almost forgot the polarization, xenophobic tendencies, and deep racial injustices that were so much on the surface and seemed about to be confronted back then. In recent years, we have seen that this hopeful attitude turned out to be illusory. I don’t know whether this country is capable of facing its history and fulfilling those aspirations from the 60s. Time may be short.”

A quick reply from Bob Carey: ”Vietnam—burned my draft card, had some talks with the FBI, was on the bus a lot from NYC to Washington,” and Brad Beechen quipped: “No role, Jon.”

Paul Dickson delivered his latest book to his publisher, which will appear in bookstores on Sept. 1, 2019, marking the 80th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. “My book,” Paul explains, “is about the transformation of a U.S. Army that, in 1935, could fit into Yankee Stadium, into an army of 1.6 million the day of Pearl Harbor. It is also the story of how Secretary of War George C. Marshall gets this army in shape to fight Hitler’s armies in North Africa and Europe, but also to identify and promote the leaders he needed to win the war, i.e. Patton, Eisenhower, Clark, Bradley, etc. I have been working on this one on and off since 2005. It is tentatively titled The Rise of the Fishbowl Army, an allusion to the fact that the numbers for the 1940 military draft were plucked from a fishbowl. Not much from me on Vietnam. Spent early days of the war in the Navy and wrote about it from Washington as it dragged on.”

Respectfully submitted,

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205

Obituaries | 1960-19692018/12/07

Robert L. Johnson ’61

Robert “Bob” Johnson ’61 passed away on Oct. 10, 2018 at his home in Nokomis, Fla. He is survived by his wife Suzanne; his sons, Kendall of Rye, N.Y., and Robert of Sydney, Australia; three grandchildren, Schuyler, Bowen, and Sloane of Rye; his sister Elizabeth Annin of La Crescenta, Calif.; and two brothers, James of Granite City, Ill., and Richard of Alton, Ill.

Bob battled prostate cancer with intelligence, courage and without complaint for nearly 20 years, taking charge of his own health and counseling others with this disease. Despite the difficulties he faced, he never gave up hope or lost faith.

Bob attended the Bronxville Elementary School before earning a scholarship to Hackley School in Tarrytown, N.Y. He graduated with the Class of 1957. He served Hackley School for more than 60 years as class secretary, class representative, chair of multiple class reunions, chair of the 50+ Club, and as a director of the alumni association. In 2012 he received the Hackley Alumni Association’s Alumni Service Award, which recognizes a record of service rather than a single act or achievement. It is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association.

While at Wesleyan, Bob majored in English, studying under a few special professors, most notably Richard Wilbur MA’58 who went on to become the first Poet Laureate of the U.S. Bob was a member of Delta Tau Delta, and enjoyed singing. Later in his life was a member of Dr. Schuller’s Hour of Power Crystal Cathedral Choir, the Venice (Florida) Chorale, and he sang with his wife Suzanne in the Chancel Choir at Venice Presbyterian Church.

During his 40-year professional career, Bob held senior executive positions in the fields of publishing, printing, and paper, at companies including Time Inc., Macmillan, Abitibi-Price, and R. R. Donnelley. His hobbies included golf and travel, and he was proud of the fact that he visited 49 countries.

During his time as a resident of Bronxville, N.Y., he was a member of the Field Club, Siwanoy, and The Camp Fire Club in Chappaqua, N.Y. He was an elder on Great Consistory of The Reformed Church. As president of Lawrence Park Hilltop Association, he guided the process for this neighborhood to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. He also launched the project of creating a book titled, Lawrence Park, Bronxville’s Turn-of-the-Century Art Colony.

Among his other civic activities while living in Westchester, Bob was a director of Lake Isle Country Club during its formative years, president of the Men’s Republican Club of Bronxville, and a candidate for councilman of the Eastchester Town Board, vice president of the Bronxville PTA, and chairman of United Way of BET.

In retirement, he spent part of each year in Florida and was an ordained elder serving on Session of Venice Presbyterian Church, where he contributed to many activities, including the Endowment Committee, the Men’s Discussion Group, and the Lenten Worship Guide. He also served on the planning committee of Peace River Presbytery. Bob and Suzanne belonged to Mission Valley Golf & Country Club, where he at one time served as vice president and a director. He also was an active supporter of the Venice Symphony.

Condolences can be addressed to Suzanne Johnson at 2438 Sonoma Drive West, Nokomis, FL 34275.

We thank John Gannon ’86 for this heartfelt obituary.

Class Notes | 1960s2018/12/05

CLASS OF 1961 | 2018 | ISSUE 2

Bob Johnson sends his greetings touched with sadness: “Jan Westerman Jr., died in Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2017, after a long illness. Jan had been the proprietor of his own paper and office supply company. He loved to sail, and he kept in touch with me regularly. He was divorced and left behind his ex-wife and his daughter.”

Phil Rodd checked in with a quick note: “Nothing special going on here, but if I think of something interesting, I will let you know.”

As a follow-up to Jack Richards’ comments noted in the previous column, (Issue 1, 2018) your secretary replied to Jack with the following: “A great submission, Jack, and I thank you for the quick reply. Your tour in Vietnam caught my eye, since I was in the Da Nang area at about the same time, 1967-1968. It might be worthwhile to survey the classmates, seeking those who also served there, and have them tell us their experiences and stories. I’ll do a bit more follow-up on that angle.”

Steve Wainwright writes: “I am still practicing law here at Wainwright, Wainwright, Wainwright, Wainwright, and Wainwright with my brother, Richard Llewellyn, age 85, and his wife Ona Mae, age 85.

Neal Schachtel writes: “During our evacuation from Irma we spent 14 hours on the road to Atlanta with wife, mother-in-law, dog, and cat. Since we had no power in St. Pete, we stayed at Bob Reiser’s for a week while he and Margaret went to Egypt. The return trip only took 10 hours and convinced us to move off the water.”

And, congratulations to Joseph Miller, history professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, who was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Joe has been back to Wesleyan a few times to lecture.

Sandy McCurdy recalls many memories: “I’ve not had a chance to speak to any of our classmates recently in person, though in my head, indeed, many conversations and recollections with: Larry Wiberg, Tom Peterson, Pete Odell, June Prince, Brad Beechen, Dave Sucher, Howard Morgan, and Jack Mitchell. Most recently, reading in the latest Wesleyan magazine, my eyes came across my Deke brother, Skip Silloway ’59, and thoughts returned full force to the days of yesteryear. Of the great times we had then, as a men’s college of under 600 souls, (actually more bodies than souls) having to ‘move out’ on weekends in pursuit of the fairer sex—not realizing, had we been gay, that said moving out would not have been necessary. But alas, some of our most brilliant and sensitive gay classmates would take their lives, feeling the isolation and condemnation of their nature. There were two young men in our class, whose names we know and honor.

“So, we left campus in our automobiles for luring destinations such as Smith (far away) or Conn College for Women (a nearer strike), stopping in Middletown near Goodyear’s to buy plentiful supplies of beer (illegally, but no problem) and then drive to our destinations, oblivious to our foolishness. No seat belts either, of course.

“And Skip and I: one fine day, he, two years (equaling two millennia then) older than I, decided to challenge each other in a drag race—he in his ’57 Chevy convertible and I in my ’57 Ford—stick shifts—how cool we were. Imagine: all without seat belts, we headed to the Merritt Parkway, found a straightaway stretch of the road, then waited for it to be empty for a moment, then headed out for the competition—which he won handily. The foolishness of it all, looking back, is breathtaking.

“I am thankful now that Wesleyan seems much more serious intellectually, though I do not idolize today’s youth and their capacities for nonsense on campus whatever its nature. Yet, the dominance of fraternities and fraternity life seems to have been diminished and overshadowed by serious intellectual pursuits—the latter always Wesleyan’s strong card. My votes that we Dekes give our old house to the University counts as a voice crying in the wilderness. That Amherst, Williams, and Yale have cut back or eliminated the brotherhoods—no matter. What do they know? Cheers to Wesleyan.”

John “Jack” Dennis published his new children’s book, The Mouse in the Lemon Tree, available on Amazon and first in a series to address kid literacy. “An accompanying animated video of the story explores just one phase of ‘advocacy animation’ that will allow us to explore how this book-video combination can increase its usefulness.” He will publish a second memoir this year that follows his first memoir, Jack in the Cracks, Primavera Press 2013.

Bob Hausman draws this column to a close with poetic verve:

“What expectest thou of this poor player, who,

on the stage of life,

strutteth and fretteth no more,

but, rather,

quietly entereth his dotage,

bereft of any tale to tell,

except that which might by any of us be told;

namely, that all things considered,

it is best

to still be found

above ground.”

Respectfully submitted,

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205

Class Notes | 1960s2018/08/26

CLASS OF 1961 | 2018 | ISSUE 1

The response to your secretary’s plea for class note material has always been gratifying and entertaining as well. For example, Allen Thomas replied: Dear Jon, I answer your call in kind:

Business as usual, still working away/ Now it’s the Russians, who pay for my day.

Law is my game, over 54 years./ London’s my home, but not the warm beers.

House in the Berkshires, share with grandkids/ Over the Atlantic, ’til aging forbids.

Health holding up, I’m still on the skis/Keeping up with the kids, no longer a breeze.

Life here is good, away from mad Trump/ Tho’ Brexit is likely, to give us a thump.

If doggerel’s the game: my contribution./ Rebirth of civility’s the only solution.

Vic Butterfield is needed, now more than ever

To leave our grandkids, a viable endeavor.

Congratulations to Robert Johnson for his financial support of the Florida Venice Symphony, recognized by his participation in two concert performances as a member of the percussion section. One might call it “getting a terrific bang for your buck.”

Congratulations to Dan Elliott, who writes: “My Wes grad daughter is getting married in Cleveland in October, and then, with hubby, moves to Palo Alto where he will be a radiologist at Stanford and she will do research in the criminal justice field—and I will be broke after the wedding.”

Lewis Kirshner writes: “I am happy to report that I am enjoying living for a year in Amsterdam while my wife is on sabbatical. I am busy doing internet psycho-analysis and teaching to faraway places. Here in town I’m taking studio painting classes, doing some writing, and biking around town. It’s a pretty full life that I am fortunate to have, and it’s not bad being an expat away for a while!”

Jack Mitchell provides workshops and motivational speeches throughout the world. His third book, Selling the Hug Your Customer’s Way: The Proven Process for Becoming a Passionate and Successful Salesperson for Life, is being published by McGraw-Hill this spring. Serving on the President’s Council, Jack writes: “The thing I am most proud of, regarding Wesleyan, is that our granddaughter, Dana Mitchell ’18, is graduating from Wesleyan this spring.”

Richard Poulton expressed enjoyment in receiving a poetic plea for information: “I enjoy the thought of being asked to contribute to Class Notes in this year, the 60th after I sorrowfully left Wesleyan! You might possibly recall that I was one of the 13 overseas students who were privileged to be on Wesleyan’s one-year Foreign Student program in 1957-1958, so my leaving in that latter year was inevitable. I had the good fortune to come back to England, to Cambridge University, whence I graduated in 1961, so I have always been happy to be counted as one of that class. I then took training as a teacher, and enjoyed a 35-year career in education before ’retiring’ and spending a further 12 years working in or for various charities, all of which related primarily to young people. I have been extraordinarily lucky in the places and the positions in which I have found myself—but to start on an account of six decades of ’Life, the Universe, and Everything’ is surely more than you were expecting or needing. I shall be happy if, through you, I can convey my heartfelt thanks to the University and especially to any members of the classes 1958-1961 for that formative year, which I value more than any other single year in my life. I would also be delighted to become an occasional correspondent with anyone who might just remember me, though I think the chances of that are very, very small!”

Jack Richards has provided this update: “I’ve finally retired after many pleasant and fun-filled years as an orthopedic surgeon. My somewhat unconventional personal life has led to 21 wonderful years of marriage to Carol. We have five ’kids’ and 10 grandkids (Brady Bunch). We live in Halfmoon, N.Y., and Bonita Springs, Fla. Like all of us, I’ve got a few health issues, but I still can get around the golf course and spend a lot of time singing in a barbershop quartet. As a good friend said to me at my 78th birthday party, ’You don’t look 78, but I can remember when you did!’ I spent one year over in Cu’ Chi, Vietnam in 1968. Great experience with the closeness you felt with the people around you, but full of tragic surgery. I couldn’t end the war so I had to send Russ Robertson over to mop up. I regret not keeping in touch with Wesleyan friends, but I often think fondly of Wesleyan days and classmates. How I’d love to spend one more night with my Psi U roommates Quent Roberts and Beau Bailey. Great years!”

Respectfully submitted,

Jon K. Magendanz, DDS | jon@magendanz.com
902 39th Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205

Class Notes | 1960s2018/08/26

CLASS OF 1960 | 2018 | ISSUE 1

Class of 1960 Charles W. Smith Class of 1960 Scholarship

Joseph Michael Ellis ’19, Government, Film Studies

Class of 1960 Richard H. Huddleston ’60, P’90 Wesleyan Scholarship

Glenn Smith III ’21, Roxbury, MA

Michael Harlan Blake died peacefully on Oct. 3, 2017, at Riverwoods Exeter after a more than 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Mike met Susan Welles Livingston in the fall of his senior year at Wesleyan. They were married in September 1960 and were together for 25 years. He finished his executive career with Harvest Capital Management of Concord, N.H., retiring in 2002. Mike lived in Marblehead, Mass., for over 25 years where he indulged his love of sports and the outdoors. He coached youth soccer, played in a men’s basketball league well into his 40s, sailed, skied, and hiked the mountains of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Colorado. Mike is survived by his former wife, Susan Livingston of Marblehead, and his four children. He was predeceased by his second wife, Penelope Stowell.

Chris Campbell suffered a mild stroke last fall. He credits his wife and a speech therapist with helping him reclaim his memory. Chris is also thankful to talented physicians and Medicare for his resumption of normal activity.

John Dobson and Nici reported that their house in Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. was destroyed by Hurricane Irma. They plan to sell the structure that remains “as is.”

Rick Garcia continues as president of the Bolivian Academy of Economic Sciences. At a meeting involving Latin America and Spain that was held in Madrid, he was thrilled to meet the King of Spain. Rick reported sadly that his wife, Gloria, died on May 1, 2017.

Jan Hogendorn died on Oct. 10, 2017, after a period of failing health. During his career he published more than 50 articles and essays, multiple editions of textbooks in introductory, international, and development economics, and three books on the history of agriculture, slavery, and abolition in West Africa. He was the Grossman Professor of Economics at Colby College until his retirement in 2003. In later life, Jan participated in local politics, serving as chair of the Vassalboro Democratic Party and several times as moderator of the Vassalboro Town Meeting. He is survived by his wife, Dianne, his son, Christiaan, who is an associate professor of economics at Wesleyan, daughter-in-law Erika Naginski, and two grandchildren.

Dave Hale has been doing volunteer work for the Food Shelf, Brockport’s local food bank. He has made presentations to students at SUNY about that organization. On a trip to a monastery in France, he made 270 steps up, but not down. He stumbled and fell twice. He then was taken to the emergency room for a series of inconclusive tests. His stable of doctors now includes a cardiologist.

Mankato psychologist George Komaridis has worked with returning veterans since the Vietnam War. He has listened to multiple generations’ nightmares and has done his best to help vets recover from physical wounds and emotional trauma. But George also knows that there are some whom traditional therapy and medications just can’t reach. “There is pain they can’t tolerate, and they’re going to do something because the pain is too much.” That extra step has long involved alcohol, but today, it often means relying on marijuana.

Bill Walker released another book in his Paul Muller series, called A Spy in Vienna, a dramatizing of the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938. It’s the second Paul Muller novel set in Europe before World War II and is available on Amazon.

Harold Trimmer is heartbroken to report that his beloved partner of 27 years, Rosanne Werges, died Jan. 9, 2018, after suffering a massive cerebral hemorrhage at their Naples, Fla., home. She loved attending our class Reunions, the spirit of our class, and the friendships she made.

It is with great sadness that I report the death of my dear wife, Judy, on Dec. 24, 2017. We were married for 50 years. My thanks to all of you who have expressed their condolence to me.

SAL RUSSO | salandjudy@hotmail.com
2700 Kentucky St., Bellingham, WA 98229