Tag: 1965

Dear classmates, here’s the news:

Bob Mabon writes: “Last saw you at the 2005 Reunion, which I attended with Nan and Steve Hart and his wife, Jeanette. That’s when I heard the sad news about Sandy Creed’s illness. I corresponded with Sandy, and we reminisced about our superb trip to Europe. It must have been a great joy to Sandy and Alex to have three of Sandy’s best friends, you, Warren Thomas, and Charlie Orr, there at the end of his life. My father also succumbed to melanoma in 1996, which originated during the war when he was badly sunburned in North Africa.

“To Marine Corps OCS after law school, one year on active duty, and in the reserves for five years, retiring as a captain in 1974. Amazingly, Bob Del Bello and I were in the same OCS platoon. In the 50th Reunion class book, I wrote, along with you, a tribute to Sandy, and one for Bob, which recounts my experiences with Bob in the Marines.

“Retired from investment banking in 2010, having spent the last 17 years in London. Nan and I travel to the U.S. annually, except this year due to COVID-19, to see our two daughters, who live in NYC and Boston, respectively. We have four grandchildren. In 2010, we bought an apartment in a brownstone in Park Slope. It was built for the last mayor of Brooklyn in 1885. Our home in South Kensington was built in 1844. We frequently travel to Europe, especially Italy, where we lived in Venice from 1989 to 1992, before moving to London. (Steve and Jeanette live in Paris, and we see them often.)”

Carl Calendar writes: “At Brookdale Community College at the Jersey Shore for 48 years, ending up as dean of humanities. Still give lectures for the lifelong learning program. I worked three years in the summers for the state department in Malaysia and Borneo, promoting better writing and press freedom. And, had summer grants to study Shakespeare at Princeton and Exeter College, Oxford. I have traveled widely, including walking 200 miles on the Camino de Santiago where I earned my Compostela. Married to Jody Shaughnessy Calendar, former managing editor of the Asbury Park Press and Bergen Record. We have two sons: Bart runs his own communication company in Montpellier, France, and Shane is a corporate attorney in New Jersey.”

Gar Hargens writes: “In Beantown last weekend to watch grandsons Grayson and Holland (senior co-captain and sophomore) play two basketball games for Newton North High School. I connected with Susan Mead for a long-overdue lunch and reminiscence about Kirt and Wesleyan. She has four terrific grandkids and splits time between Cambridge and Marion. In December, Missy and I were invited to Costa Rica to meet 2-month-old granddaughter, Charlie Collett Hargens, my seventh grandchild. Youngest daughter Kendra ’04 is a senior designer for Patagonia, and with generous maternity leave, elected to introduce Charlie to surfing on the West Coast and have us down.”

Jim Henderson writes of the young man—a gifted singer—whom he, wife Connie, and a loving community have supported, and who just completed his sophomore year at James Madison University on a full scholarship. Homeless through most of high school, he lived with Jim and Connie before college.

Jim and Connie visited with a former exchange student they hosted in the 1980s from Dusseldorf. They remain active with book clubs, classes, and a number of civic and charitable organizations. They traveled in England last summer, which tied into Connie’s longtime love of English gardens and participation in a woman’s Shakespeare class that has been active for over a century. They live in Carrollton, Va., and would welcome hearing from friends who are visiting the area.

Arthur Rhodes writes: “Just retired from Rush University Medical Center. Leslie and I will be spending more time with our combined families of five children and 10 grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans. Homes in both places. Surprised how each day flies by when I am not seeing patients.”

Roger Spragg writes: “At UC San Diego for 50 years, now retired from the department of medicine and patient care but continuing some mentoring and investigative activities. Carole and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last winter with our two sons and their families at our home near Whitefish, Mont. Travel, hiking, and reading on some subjects I neglected at Wesleyan are major activities. I’d enjoy hearing (rspragg@ucsd.edu) from Wesleyan friends.”

Dick Travis writes: “In June 2019, Evelyn and I celebrated our 50th anniversary with our first return to Glacier National Park since our family was there in the summers of 1983 and 1984 when I was at the park with the U.S. Public Health Service. Then off to Banff National Park, Lake Louise, and other parts of the Canadian Rockies. Most of our life now revolves around church and grandchildren’s activities. Our grandchildren range in age from 22 in graduate school to a 9-year-old, and we are thankful to be in their lives.”

Due to the pandemic, we had our 55th Reunion online, nicely organized by Wesleyan (Mark Davis and Ann Goodwin ’79) and our fine leaders, Hugh Wilson and Mark Edmiston.

Because of a commitment, I got in on the conversation a bit late, but enjoyed seeing everyone on the zoom and hearing their voices.

Participating in the call were: Tom Bell, John Dunton, Gary Witten, Fred Nachman, Fred Joseph, Major Moise, Dan Gibbs, Art Rhodes, Win Chamberlin, Richard Smith, John Hall, Tony Schuman, Peter Kelman ’65, MAT ’66, Bob McLean, Jim Henderson, Steve Halliwell, Phil Russell, and Clyde Beers.

To cap off the good chat and family/professional updates, Jerry Melillo ’65, MAT ’68 was asked for his assessment of the future given the reality of climate change. Among other potential results he mentioned are cyclones, hurricanes, oil spills, etc. from a warmer Gulf Stream, and additional compound events. A sobering, but important, message on which to end our evening.

Thank you all for participating!

Sad news to report: Professor Norm Shapiro, Hon. ’72 and Jono Hildner passed away.

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Dear Classmates,

Thank you for the following response to my belated plea for news:

Win Chamberlin: “Our best news is the arrival of granddaughter Grey Davies Sparrow.  Not unlike her mother and our daughter, Felicity, I suspect the only grey in her life will be her name; otherwise, it’s all straight black or white. Getting ready for another Habitat build this year in the Dominican Republic. As usual, we’ll be doing cement pours to replace dirt floors with concrete, so basic yet so important. My wheelbarrow, Ezmeralda, will be on location.  Hope I can keep doing this for a few more years. The people we serve may be poor, but their gratitude and wealth in spirit is world class.”

John Graves: “Since our 50th, I note with sadness the loss of Ron Young, with whom I roomed at the Reunion, and Professor John Maguire, Freedom Rider, lifelong activist for peace and justice and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, whose life we celebrate tomorrow. I retired from my practice of psychiatry in Denver in 2016 and recently completed a personal/professional memoir entitled Lessons on the Road to Hope: A Psychiatrist’s Journey, which I plan to publish later this year. Ongoing classical piano studies, fly fishing (king salmon in Alaska), participating in a men’s reading group, volunteering in a homeless women’s program at my church and with Mental Health Colorado, along with extensive travels in Europe, Morocco, and plans for two weeks in Kenya this summer, have been exciting. I am blessed with good health and increasingly grateful for my time at Wesleyan. Janmarie (Holyoke ’69) and I have a very comfortable guest apartment and would welcome visitors if you are planning on a trip to the Rockies. We pray for peace at home and in the world.”

John Dunton: “Carol and I learned this year that Route 20, which begins at Kenmore Square in Boston ends up in Newport, Ore. It is the longest continuous road in the U.S., and if they had a catchy song like Route 66 does, people might know what a long and winding road Route 20 is. We drove it end-to-end in June and July, with many stops along the way including the Jell-O Museum, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a Cubs game, the Field of Dreams house and ball yard, and cornfield, Yellowstone Park and all its glories, and after hitting the Pacific we spent several days in quirky Portland, Ore.  We saw the farmers literally under water in Ohio and Indiana, the hundreds of dollar stores, the surprising (to us) resurgence of Cleveland and Toledo, a real rodeo, bison roaming free, and the unexpected charm of Boise. We feel much more reconnected to our country as a result.”

Bill Knox: In Morocco with Carolyn and her best friend, who was her college roommate for four years and introduced us on New Year’s Eve 1968. Staying in a rather rustic Airbnb in Chefchaouen.

Arthur Rhodes: “Just retired from Rush University Medical Center. Leslie and I will be spending more time with our combined families of five children and 10 grandchildren in Chicago and New Orleans. Homes in both places. Surprised how each day flies by when I am not seeing patients.”

Gar Hargens: “In Beantown last weekend to watch grandsons Grayson and Holland (senior co-captain and sophomore) play two basketball games for Newton North High School. Connected with Susan Mead for a long overdue lunch and reminiscence about Kirt and Wesleyan. She has four terrific grandkids and splits time between Cambridge and Marion. In December, Missy and I were invited to Costa Rica to meet 2-month-old granddaughter Charlie Collett Hargens, my seventh grandchild. Youngest daughter Kendra ’04 is a senior designer for Patagonia and with generous maternity leave, elected to introduce Charlie to surfing on the West Coast and have us down. Missy’s working hard for Senator Amy Klobuchar, the moderate Minnesota Midwesterner we think has the best shot.”

Jim Henderson writes of the young man whom he, Connie, and a loving community support, who is now at James Madison University. The young man is a gifted musician and was mostly homeless through high school and before his mother passed away unexpectedly. A great story. He and Connie recently visited with an exchange student they hosted from Duesseldorf who was with them in the 1980s. They remain very active with book clubs, classes, and a number of civic and charitable organizations. They traveled to England last summer, which tied into Connie’s longtime love of English gardens. They live in Carrollton, Va., and would welcome hearing from friends who are visiting the area.

Carl Calendar: “I worked for Brookdale Community College at the Jersey Shore for 48 years, ending up as dean of humanities, and I still give lectures for the lifelong learning program in the non-credit division.  During my career I worked three years in the summers for the State Department in Malaysia and Borneo trying to encourage better writing and freedom of the press. I also had summer grants to study Shakespeare at Princeton and Exeter College, Oxford. I have traveled fairly widely including walking 200 miles on the Camino de Santiago where I earned my Compostela. I am married to Jody Shaughnessy Calendar who was the managing editor of the Asbury Park Press and the Bergen Record. We have two sons, Bart, who runs his own communication company in Montpellier, France, and Shane who is a corporate attorney in New Jersey.”

Roger Spragg: “At UC San Diego for 50 years, now retired from the department of medicine and patient care but continuing some mentoring and investigative activities. Carole and I celebrated our 50th anniversary last winter with our two sons and their families at our home near Whitefish, Mont. Travel, hiking, and reading on some subjects I neglected at Wesleyan are major activities. I’d enjoy hearing (at rspragg@ucsd.edu) from Wesleyan friends.

Dutch Siegert: “My dual occupations continue a still-booming law practice in New York City and professional high-stakes poker playing at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Someone once mentioned the word retirement, but I don’t know what that means.”

Bill Brooks continues working at the University of York (UK), where he is now half-time and teaching only PhD students, and at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent, Belgium, where he is a senior research fellow and series editor for Orpheus Publications, most of which are issued by the University of Leuven Press. Nearly two years ago he bought a condominium in a 1929 building in Champaign, Ill., which he continues very slowly to restore. There he is emeritus professor of music at the University of Illinois, and he commutes regularly to Chicago, where he is a scholar-in-residence at the Newberry Library. Over Here, Over There, a collection of essays on the music of World War I, edited by himself and two colleagues, was issued by the University of Illinois Press last October; an LP of his 45-minute composition Footnotes, for guitar, was issued in January by Innova Records. A collection of compositions and essays created over the past eight years will be published online by the Orpheus Institute later this year. His compositions are published by Frog Peak Music. He can be reached at w-brooks@illinois.edu.

Dick Travis: “In June, Evelyn and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our first return to Glacier National Park since our family was there the summers of 1983 and 1984 when I was the U.S. Public Health Service Environmental Sanitation Consultant assigned to the park. Then off to Banff National Park, Lake Louise, and other parts of the Canadian Rockies. But most of our life these days revolves around church and grandchildren activities. At church, I am an elder, teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, and service on committees because Presbyterians “are orderly” and seem to love committees and commissions. Our grandchildren range in age from 21 in graduate school to an 8-year-old, and we are thankful to be in their lives, serve as taxi drivers when needed, and occasionally being interviewed for class assignments (there are benefits to having some mileage on you). While at Wesleyan, one of my uncles told me that Wesleyan would just be four years, but that this would result in much growth during this short time period. This was certainly true for me and in good part due to the wonderful classmates that I had who taught me so much. Thanks to all.”

Jeff Kessler: “Living in Manhasset on Long Island with wife Ilana. Continuing to enjoy practicing medicine (neurology) and my four kids and seven grandchildren. Can’t hit a golf ball nearly as far as a few years ago. Busy collecting wine and rare single malt scotch with the kids. Really proud of Wesleyan’s recent achievements in athletics, as well as in the arts and other fields. Daughter Vicki ’07 and son-in-law Evan Browne ’05 are also loyal enthusiasts.”

Bob Thorndike: “Retired for 13 years and accumulating an alarming number of replacement parts while spending most of the year in the far northwest. January and February in Phoenix for golf. We have cruised the Atlantic twice with continuations to Spitzbergen (coast of Norway) and the Baltic. Recommend St. Petersburg, it is worth the trip. Southern Africa is also well worth it for adventurous souls.”

Carl Hoppe: “Still toiling away at work. Busier than ever. Managed to get to Napili, Maui, for the holiday season. We go from LA to the beach house we share with Diane’s sisters in Del Mar every five or six weeks. Contemplating retiring when I get old. Things could be worse.”

Ken David: “Elly and I migrate yearly between Michigan and western Florida. As winter Floridians, we live 20 miles north of Tampa in the Trinity section of New Port Richey. We keep on traveling. The next trip is to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. We shall reverse Apocalypse Now and boat down the Mekong River to Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is the target.”

Bertel Haarder: (junior year abroad) “I am the longest serving minister and parliamentarian in Denmark, still MP, and now also chairman of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. as minister for education and research through 15 years, I profited a lot from my Wesleyan experience.”

Joe Nichols: “Oldest son, Weston, BS, Cornell (engineering), co-captain tennis team, PhD, California Institute Technology, recently married Holly Snyder, BA, Brown University (golf team), MBA, Wharton. Both on Wall Street. Youngest son, Peden, BS, MIT (engineering), co-captain tennis team, also on Wall Street. Betsy and I still living in Great Falls, Va.”

Bob MacLean: “Having first skied with other Eclectics at Powder Ridge near Middletown, I’m celebrating my 43rd year as a fully-certified ski instructor at Snowmass, Colo. If you’re in the Aspen area, come ski with me. A great way to connect or reconnect. Otherwise, growing our Yolá yogurt topping start-up business. In touch with Phil Russell out here in Silicon Valley and with John Dunton, Peter Whiteley, Ralph Jacobs, and Chuck Hearey. Great Wesleyan memories and wonderful long-term friendships for which I am extremely grateful.”

Tom Bell: “Still retired and living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My wife Jacquie and I are in our 44th year of marriage and we have seven grandchildren, two of whom currently live near us in Halifax. The grandchildren range from ages 6to 22, and I love getting to know them as they grow up.”

Amertat Cohn: “I have one tidbit of good news. I just finished a film I have been working on for 50 years (started in 1969). It is a feature documentary entitled SunSeed – The Journey. It is being released this week streaming from the website sunseed.org. You can see the trailer at https://youtu.be/ZgNO6YnONi8.

“Here is a small description of the film: In the 1960s and 1970s, many teachers and gurus from the East were called to the West to share their approaches to theology and timeless traditions of meditation, yoga, and spiritual understanding. It was the dawning of a New Age. What resulted was an awakening and a transformational movement that is still rocking the culture today. Narrated by Peter Coyote. Featuring Ram Dass, Murshid Samuel L. Lewis, Pir Vilayat Khan, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Muktananda, Roshi Shunryu Suzuki, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, Lama Anagarika Govinda, Yogi Bhajan, Maharaji Virsa Singh, Stephen Gaskin, Hilda Charlton, Joe Miller, Gavin Arthur, Maharaj Neem Karoli, with personal comments from the director, Amertat Cohn.

“One of the most interesting teachers in the film is the recently deceased Ram Dass. He was the last of the teachers in the film to go. He was also at Wesleyan. I think he got his master’s here.”

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Dear classmates, more welcome news:

Amertat Cohn (né Fredrick): “At Herbalife Nutrition was recognized as a leading distributor worldwide. Still playing basketball and participated in a 60-plus tournament in Hong Kong, representing Malaysia. Photographs exhibited at the Montserrat Gallery in NYC and finishing a documentary, SunSeed, The Awakening. Completed Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Training and doing presentations to raise climate change and global warming awareness. Met recently with Swami Chitaitanya (né Bill Winans), now a major public advocate for improved cannabis laws in California.”

Bill Brooks: Emeritus professor of music, University of Illinois, co-editor of a collection of essays about music and World War I, published by the University of Illinois Press. Also, professor of music, University of York, England, and senior research fellow and series editor, Orpheus Institute, Ghent, Belgium.

Major Moise: “After two years in Washington, D.C., we decided to move back to California. Our move east was to be near the kids and grandchildren, who all live in the D.C. area. While that was great, the humidity and winters proved to be too much for my health. Now semi-retired, and wife Lexy works 30 hours a week. My company has a two-year contract with NIH to develop a smart phone app to assess chemo brain in cancer patients.”

Rod Gay: “Spent 25 years living and teaching in Vermont and then worked for a Swiss electrical engineering company. Then on to Reno for five years for work and skiing then back to my hometown, Winchester, Mass., to help out my parents who both reached their mid 90s. Elected to the housing association, which oversees the housing needs of our local senior citizens. Play tennis, golf, and ski. Fortunately, my sister and family reside in Silverthorne, Colo., where I visit to ski once the snow flies!”

Dutch Seigert: “Two full-time jobs: lawyer in NYC and professional poker player in Atlantic City on weekends. Wife is ‘okay’ with the poker if I return home on Sunday in time for Evangelical Presbyterian church services.”

Clyde Beers: “Retired 10 years ago. Do not miss my work as an actuary. That has been replaced by family, gardening, and painting. Followed the example of our daughter by starting a vegetable garden. Some of our plantings: Bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, kale, rhubarb, and four varieties of potatoes. Our salads now have more zing to them!”

David Osgood: “Now retired, which is clearly a life-changing, paradigm shift. On the board of the local mosque and volunteering with interfaith organizations. In touch with Bill Turner, George Adams, Larry Carver ’66, and David Griffith ’66.”

Steve Halliwell: “Wife Anne and I live in Irvington, N.Y., where we raised our two kids. For 10 years involved in two fine-art investment funds. Buy museum quality works and rotate them to the homes of investors over the life of the fund. Now introducing a way to safeguard fine art via a chip on the work. Spent much time in Russia, and write occasionally on Russian money laundering for Reuters and other outlets.

“In contact with Robert ‘Woody’ Sayre in Paris, who taught literature at the University of Paris and continues to publish, and Bill Hunt, professor emeritus, St. Lawrence University, and writing on George Orwell and Catalan politics. See Bill Blakemore in NYC. At Peter Kelman’s birthday party, saw Jim Frost, astrophysics teacher in New York. We see Ted Dreyfus, teacher at The New School. Finally, Tony Schuman, dean of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, is featured on YouTube announcing a major donation to the school.”

Peter Babin: “Life is good for wife Barbara and me! We are Hawaii residents, living on the Kohala coast, but spend several months on the mainland visiting our kids in Las Vegas; Boulder, Colo.; and Clancy, Mont. Our health is generally good and we stay active. I continue to focus on residential and commercial property development.”

Jerry Mellilo: “Lalise and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in July. After more than four decades at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, I am ‘gliding’ to retirement. We look forward to visiting family and friends across the globe, and activities with our 6-year-old grandson, Simon. His dad, our son, Ted, is a history professor at Amherst. Plan to garden more and, in the winter, sculpt in my wood shop. Professor Risley introduced me to wood sculpting, and I am forever grateful to him. On the science side of things, I will volunteer at the National Academy of Sciences and teach and mentor student projects in MBL’s course in environmental science for undergraduates from liberal arts colleges, including Wesleyan.”

Jim Stewart: “Celebrated last year 50 years practicing trusts and estates law. Two eldest granddaughters have turned 8 and identical twin grandchildren turned 5; enjoy working and no plans to retire; taking up pickleball with racquetball. Two daughters, both trust and estate attorneys, one Wesleyan ’00 and one Trinity ’03.”

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Thank you very much for your responses (edited due to space limitations) to my recent request for news.

Hugh Wilson and Fran are planning to attend our 55th Reunion in 2020.

Art Rhodes: “Still seeing patients at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, mostly melanoma related, teaching medical Strand residents. Leslie and I have nine grandchildren between us, with one on the way. Spending vacation time in New Orleans as well as Chicago, with trips in U.S. and abroad, as time permits.”

Ralph Jacobs: “Holly and I are happily retired and enjoying RV trips. Have visited nearly every national park west of the Rocky Mountains. Hiked three miles up to the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah. Daughter Jennifer has earned her doctoral degree in education from Long Beach State University. Keep in touch with Phil Russell and Bob MacLean. Bob will be joining us this summer at the Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterrey, Calif., where I took Holly in 1971. I figured if she liked the sound of these high-powered race cars, then she could be the girl for me. The rest is history.”

Bob Thorndike: “Elva and I have gotten into cruise ships. Recent trips include Spitzbergen and the Norway coast, transatlantic to the Normandy beaches and the Baltic, and, this year, to Iceland, the Faroes and Shetlands. We hope to do a circumnavigation in the near future. We have added a beach-front condo to our western Washington lifestyle. Retirement, with copious golf (winters in Phoenix), is good.”

Charlie Bassos: “In May, Zoe and I celebrated our 39th anniversary. Two kids, two grandkids, and one more on the way. Still golfing, though every shot hurts either my body or my ego. Great satisfaction from volunteering each week, teaching English to seventh graders from several Central American countries six hours a week, reading and discussing with fourth graders once a week, and consulting in a program for vets transitioning out of the service.”

Fred Nachman: “Six grandchildren. Still playing tennis and hiking. Celebrating 50th wedding anniversary with Linda on a Baltic cruise to St. Petersburg this summer.”

Rob Abel: “Involved in visiontolearn.org, a charitable organization that provides free eye exams and glasses to underprivileged children. We have contributed 200,000 pairs of glasses nationally over four years. Presented a keynote lecture at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting discussing what psychiatrists should know about vision.”

Rick Borger: “In 2004, retired after teaching for 39 years, 34 of them at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. Judy and I then moved to Illinois for 10 years before returning to Pennsylvania, where we have enjoyed living at a continuing care retirement community since 2014. We are active members of our Presbyterian church providing 30 hours of volunteer time each month to church and community programs. In the summer, we spend our time traveling and at our summer cottage in Massachusetts enjoying our grandchildren.”

Tom Elliman: “I had a rough winter, health wise with vertigo, osteoarthritis, and two carpal tunnel operations. But a month in Key West strengthened the healing process, which continues in Maine and our condo in Guilford, Conn., near the grandkids.”

Bob Block: “Was inducted into the Tulsa Historical Society Hall of Fame. Fully retired as emeritus professor and chair of pediatrics at OU-Tulsa, as I became president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. I continue to have fond memories of our experiences at Wesleyan, especially the brotherhood at Deke and friends from all parts of our campus.”

Phil Russell: “Diana and I are in Vienna on a boat-bike tour of four Danube countries. At home in Los Altos Hills, Calif., we volunteer for an organization that works to bring conservatives and liberals together to act on climate change. This can be all-consuming, but we make sure to reserve time for golf, four grandkids, and other fun.”

Steve Rhinesmith: “Kathe (wife of 54 years) and I are heading north from Naples to our home in Stowe, Vt. We divide our time between Naples and Stowe. In Naples we see Bob Quigley and Lee Mitchell, both of whom are here in the winter. John Hickey stopped by for lunch this season in Naples, which seems to be a good gathering place for Wesleyan alumni. Kathe and I would be happy to see anyone here in Naples or in Stowe.”

Carl Hoppe: “After 46 years relocated my Beverly Hills psychology office closer to my home in Marina Del Rey. Meanwhile, devoting more time to tennis. Have three daughters: A full professor of earth sciences; a senior editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and a graduate student of oceanography at USC.”

Chuck Hearey (retired Kaiser Permanente pediatrician in California) and I have fulfilled a 40-year-old promise to play in age 75 doubles tennis tournaments in honor of the real ’65 tennis players, Mike Burton and Fred Millett.

Dear Classmates: After space limitations were met, I received news from Messrs. Babin, Cohn, Halliwell, Melillo, Brooks, Beers, Gay, Siegert, and Moise. Their news will appear (edited for space) in the fall issue. In the meantime, read the full text below:  

Jim Stewart: “Last year I celebrated 50 years of practice of trusts and estates law with my firm, Pullman & Comley, LLC, in Bridgeport, Conn.; two eldest granddaughters just turned 8 and identical twin grands turned 5 earlier in the year; still enjoy working and no plans to retire; taking up pickleball with racquetball….two daughters both Connecticut trust and estate attorneys (one Wes grad in ’00 and the other Trinity in ’03).

Jerry Mellilo: “2019 is a year of celebration and change for Lalise and me. We celebrate our 50^th wedding anniversary in July. After more than four decades as a scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, I am on a “glide path” to retirement. I am looking forward to traveling with Lalise to visit family and friends across the country and the world and doing all sorts of building and art projects with our 6-year-old grandson Simon, who lives in the Amherst area – his dad, our son Ted, is a history professor at Amherst College. I also plan to spend more time in our garden during the spring and summer and in my wood shop during the cold months. Professor Risley introduced me to the joys of wood sculpting in his studio class during our sophomore year, and I am forever grateful to him for opening a new world for me. On the science side of things, I will continue to volunteer for committee work at the National Academy of Sciences, and I will teach and mentor student projects in MBL’s fall Semester in Environmental Science for undergraduates from liberal arts colleges including Wesleyan.”

Peter Babin: “Life is good for my wife, Barbara, and me as well as our three daughters and their families. Barb and I are Hawaii residents, living on the Kohala coast of the Big Island, but we spend several months on the mainland visiting our kids in Las Vegas, Boulder, CO, and Clancy, MT. Our health is generally good, although we battle the usual arthritis that afflicts the elderly, and I contend with monthly eye injections for macular degeneration. We stay active, and I continue to focus on residential and commercial property development which I consider my career in retirement. I admire your multi-decade commitment to class news and hope life is treating you well in all other respects. For you and all other alums who might travel west, our doors in MT and HI are open. We would love to play host!”

Amertat (formerly Fredrick) Cohn notes that he has I never contributed to the notes, but does read them and appreciates the updates. He adds: “My year has been very busy as I keep myself occupied with many projects. In February I was recognized by Herbalife Nutrition (the company I work with as an independent distributor for 30 years) at their annual recognition meeting in Singapore as a ‘30K Chairman’s Club Member,’ one of the top 50 distributors worldwide.

“I continue my basketball playing and participated last November in a “Veteran” international basketball tournament in Hong Kong in the 60 and older division, representing Malaysia where I live 2/3 of the year. The rest of the time I live in NY or traveling. I have started an NGO basketball club in Malaysia to teach skills with coaching in the schools because their sports programs are not well developed.

“On a creative side, I recently had a gallery exhibition of my photographs as part of a group show in the Montserrat Gallery in New York City. Now I am finishing a feature documentary film, SunSeed, The Awakening, which will be released in 2019.

“I completed in March the Climate Reality Leadership Training with Al Gore and am now doing presentations and other actions to help raise awareness about climate change and Global warming.

“On the family front, I father seven children and five grandchildren. My two oldest granddaughters graduated this month. Kelsey from high school in Camden Ohio as the Valedictorian. Her older sister, Melanie graduated cum laude from Heidelberg University in environmental science and received full tuition and acceptance in the Ph.D. program at UNC. My Daughter, Shekinah, works for Clorox in London and was selected for a fellowship with the Aspen Institute on Loop (circular packaging). My son, Jeremiah, is a senior sales manager for a Polish gaming company that produces one of the top games today, The Witcher. Abraham my eldest, is a Ph.D. scientist and manager at Phillips producing CT-scan machines. And Vienna is choreographing dances recently performed at Hunter College NYC.

“Malaysia is a lovely country. Life has been very good to me, and my health is a blessing. If anyone comes this way let me know. My wife Julia and I would be happy to host you here.

“On another note, I met earlier this year with Swami Chaitanya Brahmachari, (Bill Winans), who is now a major public advocate for better adoption of the Cannabis laws in California He himself is a grower and has his own brand: Swami Selects.”

Steve Halliwell: ”My wife Anne and I are still in Irvington, N.Y., where we raised our two kids. We’ve been involved in two fine art investment funds over the past ten years. We buy museum-quality works and rotate them to the homes of investors over the life of the fund. We’re currently introducing a way to give fine art a safe, permanent identity by placing a chip on the work. We spent a lot of time in Russia, and I write occasionally on Russian money laundering for Reuters and other outlets.

“I am in regular email contact on a wide range of subjects with Robert “Woody” Sayre in Paris, who taught literature at the University of Paris and continues to publish in his field, and Bill Hunt, who is professor emeritus at St. Lawrence University and writing on George Orwell and Catalan politics. Anne and I see Bill Blakemore at meetings on current politics organized by Anne’s graduate mentor, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton in NYC. At a Peter Kelman birthday party, we saw Jim Frost, who teaches astrophysics here in NY. And from time to time, we see Ted Dreyfus, who is teaching at The New School. One last note: Tony Schuman, Dean of the NJ Institute of Technology, is featured currently on a YouTube video announcing a major donation to the school. (Phil, maybe you can track down some of these folks and get them to tell you in their own words what they’re up to.)”

Hugh Wilson: “Greetings to all. Fran and I are definitely planning to attend our 55th Reunion in May 2020. Hope to see many of you there.”

David Osgood: “Still plugging along in Nolensville, Tenn. I never thought much about retirement while I was working, but retirement is clearly a life-changing, paradigm shift. I’m serving on the Executive Board of the local mosque and working on a volunteer basis with organizations on interfaith activities. I’m in regular email touch with Bill Turner and George Adams and also Larry Carver and David Griffith – the latter two from the class of ’66. I try to limit my areas of stress to the inability (last three years) of the St. Louis Cardinals for making the playoffs and their 2019 struggles.”

William Brooks is co-editor of a collection of essays about music and World War I—Over Here, Over There: Transatlantic Conversations on the Music of World War I,  to be published this autumn by the University of Illinois Press.

Clyde Beers: “It has been not quite 10 years since I retired, and I must admit I’ve had no impetus or desire to go back to work being an actuary. Now work has been replaced by family, gardening, and painting (pictures, not walls and windows).

“Last year our daughter started her own garden (she lives 15 minutes away), but with fewer plants and more plant variety than my previous efforts. So … this year I followed her example and planted the following new munchies: Bok Choi, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Kale, Kohlrabi, Rhubarb, Sweet Potatoes, and three varieties of actual potato. There’s always something to learn anew. Our salads now have more zing to them. The bigger stuff will arrive later this summer.

“Following something old, I just reread (this time in English) Voltaire’s Candide. It remains hilarious, irreverent, and the main reason that I reread it was my memory of the closing advice: ‘tend your garden.’

“We’ve slowed down our travels to far and exotic places, and now have a second home on Grand Cayman Island. Now February and March have temps in the low 80’s which is two to three times what we experience near Philly in those months.

“If anyone else is getting bitten by the gardening bug, I’d love to hear of your experiences. It is amazing how much there is to learn, and there is nothing like learning from others’ successes and failures. One thing is for sure: if it works, go there; if not, try something new. It is almost as intellectually stimulating as actuarial work, and it certainly tastes much better.”

Dutch Seigert: “Retirement?? What does that mean? I have two full-time jobs . . . a lawyer in New York City for 45 years and a professional poker player at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City on weekends. My law practice is still booming and the income from my second job is considerable. My wife is ‘okay’ with the poker player, so long as I return home on Sunday in time for Evangelical Presbyterian church services at 10:00 a.m. By the way, the 175th anniversary of Delta Kappa Epsilon is being held next month in New York City and I see that Irv Richter ’66 will be attending. So will I and I hope to seek other Dekes there.”

Major Moise: “After two years in Washington, D.C., Lexy and I decided to move back to California. Our move East was to be near the kids and grandkids who all live in the DC area. While that was absolutely great, the high humidity and difficult winter proved to be too much for my health (didn’t bother me when I was younger). We have been back in CA for about two months now, and the milder (drier) weather does make a difference.

“I am (sort of) retired. Lexy works ~30 hours a week and my company has a two-year contract with NIH to develop a smartphone app to assess ‘ChemoBrain’ in cancer patients. It’s very interesting work and hopefully will produce a useful tool. In addition, my son has started a web business that acts as a marketplace for products that are made from reused materials. I am helping with the website, but progress is slow as he and I both have ‘day jobs.’

“It was wonderful to be able to reconnect with classmates and roommates over the past 2 years. I plan to be at homecoming this year and hope to be part of planning the next class of ’65 Reunion. Looking forward to seeing many of you at Homecoming.”

Rod Gay: ”A quick update of my endeavors for the past few years. Spent 25 years living in Vermont teaching at a private high school and later on working for a Swiss electrical engineering company in the Northeast Kingdom. After this, I ended up in Reno, Nev., for five years where I both worked and skied. But somehow I’ve ended up right back where I started this whole journey, in Winchester, Mass. How did this happen? Partly by helping out my parents who both reached their mid-90s and needed increasing assistance.

“Since arriving back in town, I’ve been elected to the Winchester Housing Association which oversees the housing needs of our local senior citizens who choose to remain here rather than emigrate to Florida or Arizona. But I do relax occasionally between equal doses of tennis and golf. Fortunately for me, my sister and her family managed to retire to Silverthorne, Colo., so I am constantly knocking on their doors once the snow starts flying.

“I literally ran into Dave Lott at the Denver airport several years ago. I was using one of the electric moving floors when I hear a great deal of commotion right behind me. Somebody carrying skis, boots, and a bag was running down the this moving conveyance. When he reached me, his skis hooked my knapsack I had slung on my shoulder. He did a spectacular forward roll onto the moving floor and came up looking backward at me. His first response was…‘I know you, you’re Rod Gay.’ He was correct in his assessment, and we ran together and chatted for a hundred yards or so much to the annoyance of other travelers. Dave was on his way to Aspen via a private jet…I was headed in the same direction but in a grossly overloaded Enterprise rental car.”

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Class of 1965 35th Reunion Memorial Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship
Michael Ivy ’20, College of East Asian Studies, Government

Dear Classmates, we begin this issue with a message from our tireless class co-conveners, Hugh Wilson and Mark Edmiston: “A group of us met at Homecoming last fall to plan our 55th Reunion, which will occur May 22-24, 2020. Plans are to have a reception and remembrances of recently deceased classmates on Friday afternoon followed by dinner and then the Wombats (who are excited to be playing again!). Saturday will include Wes Shorts with classmates giving brief comments or reflections on issues important to them. At dinner that night we are inviting all faculty from our era living near Wes as our guests, along with Barbara-Jan Wilson, who has tentatively accepted the invitation. Sunday will include brunch and departure. Hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend. The record for 55th Reunion attendance (classmates plus guests) is 48. Let’s set a new record!”

The great response to my recent request for news necessitated using only a portion in the last magazine. Below is information not previously printed.

Brian Baxter: “The day after I retired from full-time work, my wife and I left for a month-long home exchange with a couple from Amsterdam, who lived in our home in Sarasota, Fla., for the month that we lived in their home in Amstelveen, a suburb of Amsterdam, with their four cats and several fish. We also ‘inherited’ several neighbors who welcomed us into their lives, while we enjoyed having the time for a leisurely exploration of the music, museums, and culture of Amsterdam and several nearby cities.

“During the past six years, we have developed lasting friendships through month-long home exchanges with three families in Paris, one in Vienna, one in Dresden, one in The Hague, one in eastern Maine, and one in the Upper East Side in NYC.

“We split our time between condo communities in center city Philadelphia and on Little Sarasota Bay on the west coast of Florida, when we are not enjoying home exchanges or other travel. We have become very involved with an amazing community of condos in Sarasota known as Pelican Cove, where I am serving as president of the board. My wife, Ilene, is the chair of the steering committee.”

Clyde Beers: “Donna and I now are delighted to have three children and their families, including eight grandchildren. The latter are stretched out from almost-in-college to a 3- and a 5-year old.”

Gar Hargens: “Win Chamberlin’s account of building for Habitat took Missy and me back a year ago to a similar adventure in Northern Cambodia. We didn’t have wheelbarrows, but instead carried bags of sand and cement to the middle of the dirt floor and mixed a concrete soup. Maybe it was the 90-degree heat and humidity, but by next morning the slabs had miraculously cured enough to stand on for the final ceremony. The Cambodian family were moving from a shack that was constantly flooded. With a toilet and cold-water tap, they were ecstatic with their simple space.

“Kirt Mead’s wife, Susan, and I spoke recently. She said the support of her daughters and the Meads’ great network of friends has helped deal with the shock and pain. She was about to head overseas and visit familiar places and friends. We agreed to meet up in Nice next April, one of her favorites.”

Great to hear from Bird Norton, one outstanding athlete and friend: “Things going well as we all hit 75! My so-called depression has not come back since that wonderful 50th Reunion.”

Unfortunately, must end this report on a sad note, as just received word of the passing of David Lott on June 19 at his home in Beaufort, S.C. Dave was born in Hartford in 1943 and grew up in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Shady Side Academy and after Wesleyan earned a master’s in history from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in the firm of Foley & Lardner and practiced law in Milwaukee and Chicago. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and his first wife, Margaret, and their children: John, Katherine, Sarah, and Edward. He was involved in a number of community organizations, and I remember reaching out to him for advice some years ago and he was kind and generous with his assistance. He will surely be missed by all who knew him.

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu

Dear Classmates, Thank you to the following for the great response to my request for news:

Brian Baxter: “For over 50 years I told myself to write about the impact Wesleyan has had on my life. So, under the heading of better late than never:

“After a 42-year career as a top executive in state and local government in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York City in areas ranging from city management to labor relations to finance to human services, I retired six years ago. I was amazed to discover that the world was able to move forward without my continuing contribution, and my only regret now is that I didn’t retire earlier.

“The day after I retired from full-time work, my wife and I left for a month-long home exchange with a couple from Amsterdam, who lived in our home in Sarasota, Fl., for the month that we lived in their home in Amstelveen, a suburb of Amsterdam, with their four cats and several fish. We also ‘inherited’ several neighbors who welcomed us into their lives, while we enjoyed having the time for a leisurely exploration of the music, museums, and culture of Amsterdam and several nearby cities.

“During the past six years, we have developed lasting friendships through month-long home exchanges with three families in Paris, one in Vienna, one in Dresden, one in The Hague, one in eastern Maine, and one in the Upper East Side in New York City . . .

“We split our time between condo communities in center city Philadelphia and on Little Sarasota Bay on the west coast of Florida, when we are not enjoying home exchanges or other travel. We have become very involved with an amazing community of . . . condos in Sarasota known as Pelican Cove, where . . . I am serving as president of the board . . . My wife, Ilene, is the chair of the steering committee . . .

“Building on my stint as a health care lobbyist for nonprofit human service agencies and urban hospitals serving large numbers of Medicaid patients, I have spent the last five years working as a part-time consultant for the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, working on a campaign called #IWantToWork that is working to reshape public policy in Pennsylvania relating to employment for people with disabilities.

“Looking back, I credit my experience at the College of Social Studies for preparing me for a very satisfying career in public service. The five-page papers that we were required to submit each week, making an argument and supporting it, was excellent preparation for the many policy memos I wrote to governors and legislators over the years . . .”

Jeff Kessler: “. . . still in the active practice of neurology. Four married children and seven grandchildren help distract me from my deteriorating golf game. Have received really nice phone calls from members of the teams that I have been able to support in addition to the school itself. My daughter, Vicki ’07, and her husband, Evan Browne ’05, are constant reminders of the special gift of what Wesleyan imparts to each of us for a lifetime.”

Arthur Rhodes: “Still seeing patients at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where I am professor of dermatology and senior attending. Mostly patients with melanoma, or at high risk. Leslie and I have nine grandchildren between us, both in Chicago and New Orleans.”

Clyde Beers: “Since retiring, I’ve become an avid (vegetable, fruit, and berries) gardener. Up to this year, almost no problems. This year, unfortunately, I’m at war with critters . . . I think it is all the rain we have had, but maybe it just took time for them to find our ‘food in a raised bed.’ The groundhogs and rabbits wiped me out of my first crop of broccoli, zucchini, lettuce, carrots, and cilantro. They later attacked the cucumbers and tomatoes, but by that time my defenses were vastly improved.

“Donna and I now are delighted to have three children and their families, including eight grandchildren. The latter are stretched out from almost in college to a three- and five-year old.”

Carl Hoppe: “In March this year I left my Beverly Hills office of 42 years and moved my office closer to home. In four-and-a-half years I will probably hang it up. Our youngest, Colette, has completed a two-year assignment at NIH and entered an oceanography program at USC. Our oldest, Kathryn, is tenured at Green River College in Washington. The middle girl, Anne, has left Rupert Murdoch’s Harper Collins and is senior book editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in NYC. Diane and I have reduced practices. Diane is active in community issues. I help her out with that and play tennis three times a week. Life is good.”

Gar Hargens:“. . . 1965 class notes in the recent Wesleyan. . . was particularly meaningful to me. Win’s account of building for Habitat took Missy and me back a year ago to a similar adventure in Northern Cambodia . . . we didn’t have wheelbarrows, but instead carried bags of sand and cement to the middle of the dirt floor and mixed a concrete soup. Maybe it was the 90-degree heat and humidity, but by next morning the slabs had miraculously cured enough to stand on for the final ceremony. The Cambodian family were moving from a shack that was constantly flooded. With a toilet and cold water tap, they were ecstatic with their simple space.

“We came home from those three weeks only to learn of Kirt Mead’s passing and jump right back on a plane. Dave Dinwoodey’s words beautifully described Kirt’s service and the fellowship and love surrounding his family. I spoke to Susan the other day and she had just finished reading your notes and totally agreed. She said the support of her daughters and the Meads’ great network of friends has helped deal with the shock and pain. She was about to head overseas and visit familiar places and friends there. We agreed to meet up in Nice next April, one of her favorites.

“Dave Good and I meet for lunch regularly. David was head of Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota. He remembers interviewing one of our firm’s founders, Elizabeth “Lisl” Close who grew up in her parents Alfred Loos house in Vienna. Close Associates is 80 years old this year and I’ve been part of it for fifty. Missy says I can’t stop now because ‘architects don’t get good until they’re 80,’ like Frank Lloyd Wright. Great . . .”

Bruce Patterson:“Martha and I bought a condo in Florida in 2015. In Osprey, just south of Sarasota. Love it. Martha, the good one, walks early and regularly sees Stephen King on his walk with his dog. Nice, friendly guy. Still spend half year in Connecticut since both kids live in Stamford. We’re very lucky. Will probably downsize in Connecticut.”

Jim Stewart: “Thought it might be worth noting that this summer I was recognized for 50 years of service with my law firm of Pullman & Comley, LLC, in Bridgeport, Conn. Daughter, Kristen Stewart Barbarotta ’00, and daughter, Courtney Stewart Dutt, Trinity ’03, both practice in my field of trusts and estates here in Connecticut.”

Great to hear from Bird Norton, one outstanding athlete and friend: “Things going well as we all hit 75! My so-called depression has not come back since that wonderful 50th Reunion. Any one hear anything more about Bill Brundage? I wonder how he did through all those natural catastrophes on the big island of Hawaii.”

David Gross: “’Retired’ after 32 years as a professor of English at the University of Oklahoma in 2004. Returned to my home state of Maine at that time. Since then I have taught two courses in the Honors College at the University of Maine each semester, as well as two online for Oklahoma. I even served as interim dean of the UMaine Honors College for a while. As much as I love Maine, I’ve become sick of the winters . . . so at the end of this academic year I will really retire, and Stephanie and I will relocate to the Texas Hill Country . . . Because I started in the Class of ’64, it is with friends and fellow Betas from that class that I have stayed in touch. I see John Schacht ’64 and Ken Kekke ’64 on visits to Iowa City . . . and have had several nice long phone conversations recently with my freshman year roommate, Dave Best.”

David Osgood: “I just finished reading Bad Stories: What the Hell Just Happened to Our Country. Steve Almond ’88, the author, is a Wes Tech alum. Except for staunch Trump supporters, I think most will find this a good, thought-provoking read.”

Rick Borger: “Judy and I are enjoying life at Cornwall Manor in Cornwall, Pa., after having lived in Jerseyville, Ill., for a number of years following my retirement in 2004 from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.”

Bertel Haarder:Brief resume—“Junior year at Wesleyan 1964-1965; 37 years as Danish MP since 1975; seven years in the European Parliament.; 22 years as Danish cabinet minister, including 15 years as Minister for Education and Research. Educational reforms were deeply inspired by the Wesleyan experience.”

Steve Badanes: “Giving a lecture at Wesleyan in October. Invited by Elijah Huge, who teaches architecture at the college . . . Still running the Neighborhood Design/Build Studio every spring at University of Washington (ndbs.be.washington.edu) and teaching in Vermont at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School (yestermorrow.org) every August. (Saw Jim Bernegger there this past summer). Enjoying life on Whidbey Island and working in the studio, doing some woodturning, furniture, and trying to make some art. Linda is busy in her studio, beekeeping, and in the garden.”

Guy Archer: “Andrea and I took a trip to Winnipeg, Ottawa, Portsmouth, N.H., Boston, and Bristol, R.I., for the month of July. We’re keeping fit walking up and down Diamondhead Crater four or five times a week—better than joining an exercise club.”

Philip L. Rockwell | prockwell@wesleyan.edu