CLASS OF 1962 | 2014 | ISSUE 2

Bob Gelardi is on the board, and chair of the Charity Relations Committee, of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation in Miramar Beach, Fla. In 2013, the charity donated nearly $1.4 million to a dozen charities supporting children and was ranked as the #6 Charity Wine Auction by Wine Spectator, which Bob wrote, “for a small town known as ‘The Luckiest Fishing Village in the World’ isn’t bad.” He urges anyone interested to check out the website dcwaf.org

Dave Hedges reports that in February, Betsy and Ted Hillman and Janet and Phil Calhoun flew down to join Ann and Dave at Dave’s place in Naples, Fla., and “they were all glad to escape the cold and snow of up north.” Dave explained, “It was a reunion of the boat charter we three couples took in the British Virgin Islands eight years ago when we were younger and more agile. We enjoyed lots of fun, laughter, relaxation, and too much good food. Always good to get together with good friends from our Wesleyan years.”

Bob Saliba retired Jan. 1st after 47 years of practicing law. Bob practiced estate law in Morristown, N.J., and was the author of numerous publications on estate law.

DAVID FISKE | davidfiske17@gmail.com
17 W. Buckingham Dr. Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

HENRY L. ERNSTTHAL ’62

HENRY L. ERNSTTHAL, 72, a leader in the association management field, died May 20, 2013. He was a member of EQV and received his law degree from Stanford University. Formerly the executive director of the California Dental Association and the executive director of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, he was the director of the MAM (master’s of association management) degree program at George Washington University. He was a well-known speaker and consultant on association governance and corporate structure, strategic planning, board management, trend forecasting, ethical behavior, and contemporary legal issues, as well as the author of Principles of Association Management, the primary text in the field. A fellow of the American Society of Association Executives, in 1994 he was called one of the “Heroes of the Profession” by the association’s magazine. After retiring, he continued to volunteer with national health advocacy groups. Survivors include his wife, Mary Lynn Miller Ernstthal, two children, and two grandchildren.

Class of 1962 | 2014 | Issue 1

Robin Berrington continued his international travel with trips to Japan, the Baltic Republics and Slovenia. He saw the area in Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami and commented, “Sadly, much remains to be done there.” He also said, “The other two trips were in the fun category and I encourage all of you to consider them when thinking of European travel. Slovenia in particular was quite something—clean, orderly, and with friendly people all of whom speak English very well. But Lithuania was also a revelation to this old cold warrior. So parts of East Europe are just not what they used to be!”

Bruce Corwin reports that he took his two sons back for Homecoming to be there in person to watch Wesleyan’s football team beat Williams to win the Little Three “for the first time in 43 years!”

Jim Gately also noted the success of the football team in this year’s Little Three championship. Jim may have set a class record for retirement—three times from the company he worked for his entire career. After his first retirement from the investment company Vanguard, he was pressed back into service to launch Vanguard International and helped oversee its growth in many countries around the world. (He passes on this “Note to Robin Berrington: my course with Professor Abosch on Japanese culture and history paid big dividends some 45 years later!!”) Following his second retirement, he was then asked to return again to serve on the Board of the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, a donor-advised fund organization. In September, he offered his third retirement from the company. He said he and Kay intend to remain engaged in several non-profit ventures in the Philadelphia area and try to keep active with “travel, family, and the like.”

Naftaly “Tuli” Glasman retired as professor emeritus and dean emeritus from the University of California, Santa Barbara, after 44 years of teaching, research, and publications, including the just-finished My 75 Years of Managing Mental Disorders and Coping with Life. He volunteers at the Center for Successful Aging in Santa Barbara, which provides counseling services “to seniors who are facing the challenges of the aging process,” and is on the Board of Advisors of the Rieger Foundation, which offers scholarships to Israeli students studying in clinical academic disciplines. He also says he is active in helping his grandchildren coach soccer.

Bob Hunter is now senior fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He was just made an “Honorary Anciens,” (a sensitive term for classmates now well past our 50th college Reunion!) of the NATO Defense College in Rome, and serves on Secretary of State John Kerry’s International Security Advisory Board. Shireen continues to teach at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and has just finished her 16th book.

Scott Lowden has published a comprehensive guide to U.S. customs law and import practices, Import Transactions and Customs Compliance.

Steve Trott reports on a trip east where he spent time with Cathy Burnett in Providence, and Marion and Steve Butts in New York City. He noted an unsuccessful attempt for them to go to Carnegie Hall because the stagehands were on strike. Steve commented on news reports that the stagehands struck despite earning $400,000 per year, and offered an editorial comment that he “may have discovered a great way to burn off student loans. Join the stagehands union for four months, work at the hall watching from the wings, and you’ll be debt-free and full of culture!”

DAVID FISKE
17 W. Buckingham Dr. Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
davidfiske17@GMAIL.com

DAVID W. TOWLE ’62

DAVID W. TOWLE, a senior investigator at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, died Jan. 3, 2011, at age 69. A member of EQV, he was with the first Peace Corps group to serve in Nepal. He then received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire, and a doctorate from Dartmouth College. Elected to Sigma Xi, he spent 18 years on the faculty at the University of Richmond, where he received the Outstanding Educator Award. He later became chair of the biology department at Lake Forest College before moving full-time to Maine, where in addition to his work at the laboratory, he pursued his interests in music and boat-building. Survivors include his wife, Betty Massie, three children, two grandsons, his mother, two brothers, and a sister.

JAMES R. SMITH ’62

JAMES R. SMITH, 69, a teacher in a Fishtown, Pa., middle school for 37 years, who co–founded DRIVE, an innovative program for at–risk students, died Feb. 26, 2009. He was a member of Chi Psi and received his degree with honors. After receiving his master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, he began his long teaching career, and after retirement continued to mentor students. Among those who survive are his wife, Kathleen Gallagher Smith, a daughter, and a granddaughter.

TIMOTHY E. NOBLE ’62

TIMOTHY E. NOBLE, a retired newspaper editor, died Feb. 11, 2012. He was 74. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was the son of Francis O. Noble of the class of 1917 and the grandson of Eugene A Noble of the class of 1891. During his long career in journalism, he won five first-place awards as an op-ed page editor, was the sole editor responsible for the Watergate coverage his newspaper’s readers received, and rewrote a book for a Nixon apologist. He also served six years as president of his fraternity’s alumni chapter and 22 years as a trustee of the organization, years characterized by a feud with the international body of the group over coeducation.

HARDU KECK ’62

HARDU KECK, 63, former provost of the Rhode Island School of Design and a highly regarded professor, sculptor and painter, died Aug. 5, 2003. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, he received his degree with honors and with distinction in art. After receiving a master’s degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, he joined the faculty and remained there for 39 years, becoming involved in administration–serving as dean of International programs in recognition of his love and understanding of global education–as well as teaching a variety of courses, including painting, sculpture, film comparative mythology, and philosophy of art. He was born in Estonia and was a refuge from Nazi and Russian occupiers during his youth. An internationalist, he was fluent in four languages and served as a consultant and program developer for colleges and universities worldwide, creating many study-abroad opportunities for RISD students. In addition, he served as an accreditation evaluator for schools of art and design. He was known for his public sculpture, including his use of downtown Providence, R.I., as his background. During the 1996 Convergence Festival, an annual outdoor sculpture event in that city, he designed a huge fountain, Fireman’s Fountain, overlooking the Providence River, that was made from merging the sprays of three high-pressure hoses from three separate fire engines. Among those who survive are three daughters.

BURTON B. KAPLAN ’62

BURTON B. KAPLAN, the chief executive officer of Sealy Mattress Of Illinois and co-chair of National Bedding, died Mar. 28, 2011. He was 70. A member of Eclectic, he received his degree with distinction in history and received an MBA from Harvard University. In addition to his business pursuits, in the late 1980s he became concerned about the growth of economic inequality in America and focused his efforts on providing educational opportunities for the underserved children of Chicago. He was also a supporter of arts organizations in the Chicago area. Among those who survive are his wife, Anne Lerner Kaplan, his father, three children, nine grandchildren, a brother and a sister.

DAVID L. FISHER ’62

DAVID L. FISHER, who in 1958 joined with four other freshmen at Wesleyan to form the Highwaymen, one of the most popular folk music groups of the early 1960s, died May 7, 2010, at age 69. A member of EQV, he was the son of the late Abraham A. Fisher ’34. The Highwaymen was formed when the five freshmen had to present an entertainment act for the fraternity in which they were initiates. Under his guidance they put together a folk music show. By the fall of 1961 the group had the No. 1 song in the county, “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” an African–American spiritual that was released under the shortened title, “Michael.” Although the group broke up in 1964, after eight albums, 10 singles, and three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, he remained a musician, composing and arranging music for films and television and working as a studio singer and musician. In 1987, the group reunited and issued five more CDs, and he was acknowledged as their musical leader. His two previous marriages ended in divorce. Among those who survive are his wife, Dr. Elaine K. Haagen, two children from his second marriage, his stepson, and his sister.

ROBERT S. “Bob” BURNET ’62

ROBERT S. “Bob” BURNETT, one of the original folk-singing group The Highwaymen, and an attorney and banker, died Dec. 7, 2011, at age 71. A member of EQV, he received his degree with honors. At Wesleyan, he and three of his fraternity brothers formed The Highwaymen and recorded the song “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” which was a gold-record phenomenon in 1961. After graduation he joined the U.S. Army. Upon his discharge from the Army he lived and sang with the Highwaymen in Greenwich Village at the height of the folk-singing era. He then attended Harvard Law School, receiving his degree in 1967, and joined the firm of Edwards & Angell. He later worked as a senior vice president in the trust departments of the Hospital Trust National Bank, Fleet, Bank Boston, and, more recently, Bank of America. He was an active member of both the Probate & Trust Committee of the Rhode Island Bar and the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island. An active community volunteer, he served as the chairman of the board of Moses Brown School, was on the board of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Cancer Society, and sat on and advised numerous non-profit boards. He was also an avid sailor and athlete, in addition to continuing to sing. In 1990 the original Highwaymen began to perform together again, reviving the sounds of the 1960s, and did so for 20 years. Among those who survive are his wife, Kathleen Cullis Burnett, three children, nine grandchildren, two brothers, and a large extended family.