Tag: 1971

Aloha, Class of 1971. Reunion number 45 has come and gone, but in a short time the big FIVE-0 will be upon us (and I don’t mean Hawaii Five-0). There was a recent e-mail from Peter Michaelson that I thought bears repeating. We should really start planning this event now and try to get more of the class to attend this important milestone. If you are one of those who, through the years has been loosely connected to Wesleyan and your classmates, and would like to help make this next Reunion more meaningful, contact me or the university and we can start by developing a plan for the 50th Reunion.

The letter from Peter, 45th Reunion co-chair, is as follows:

“Dear Classmate,

I hope you’ve had a chance to look at the photos from last week’s Reunion. The 33 members of the class of ’71 in attendance all had a terrific time catching up, reminiscing, or even getting to know some pretty cool people for the first time.

It does seem, though, that the same core group—roughly 10 percent of the class—tends to show up at each Reunion. Sadly, about an equal percentage are no longer alive.

There remains a missing 80 percent, an all-time high (or low, as the case may be) for any class in the history of the school. So be it. Whatever the reasons—lack of institutional loyalty, ancient grievances, basic disinterest—really does not matter. The only thing that does matter at this point is that our class will have its last opportunity, five years from now, to gather in numbers.

Our 50th Reunion will be an awesome program that focuses on reflection, stimulation, engagement, and celebration. Being back at Wesleyan, spending time talking to people who shared the Middletown air during important and formative years, having glimpses into some remarkable lives will be good for you, in these and other ways you may not anticipate, a life experience you will not want to pass up. We hope you’ll join us.”

I did hear from Bill Trench, who said, “I very much appreciate your work over the years to keep all of us up-to-date on the activities of our classmates. When the alumni magazine comes, I turn immediately to the class notes. Thank you!

“It was great to see folks at the Reunion. Elaine and I only came for the dinner on Saturday evening, but we had great enjoyment in those few hours. Just before the class dinner, I was standing in the basement of the new building section between the chapel and the ’92 Theater and heard the unmistakable sound of Steve Leinwand’s voice as he was sitting on the railing of the walkway above me, talking to you, I think.

“During the dinner it was great to catch up with Steve and Ann, and it was wonderful to reconnect with Rich Aroneau after all these years. Rich was the best man at our wedding, but we lost touch and had lots to catch up on. In addition to his work in architectural reconstruction, he is the guiding light for a little synagogue in Rockland, Maine. Since they have no rabbi, Rich has often been the one to preside at weddings and funerals, which gave us a lot to talk about.

Elaine retired after 31 years as a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Daughter Carolyn (Smith ’07) earned a PhD in art history last year at the University of Pennsylvania, where she now is teaching in the critical writing program. I continue to work as the senior pastor at the East Greenwich United Methodist Church, where I have been since 2000. I write a blog called Thinking Faith (Thinkfaithfully.blogspot.com), which gives me a chance to address social and theological issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, and biblical literalism. Although I think about retirement, I really enjoy the work and the congregation, so that is on hold for now. Thanks again for your good work on our behalf.”

As a final note, I will mention my life now. While retiring at 52 had been a blast and I love living in Hawaii, I got the call to go back to full-time work. Actually I was made an offer I could not refuse. So now I am commuting from Kauai to San Diego to work as the chief medical officer for Heron Therapeutics. It actually is fun being back in the thick of things. Being older and experienced I can hire the right people and allow them to grow much easier, as I am less worried about my own skin. We are developing some interesting products and one that may serious help in decreasing the opioid epidemic, which so often begins with routine surgery. Otherwise, life is good. Children are fine and grandchildren are a joy (and I get to see them more because of work travel to the mainland). Other changes are happening, but more on that in a future column. Let’s just say I am feeling and acting in my early 40s in many ways. Until next time…

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

Well, we had a successful Reunion with more than 30 signed up. Great to see all the “old” classmates (not in years, but…) We received a really great class memento; you may be sorry you didn’t attend. This jacket will be a classic to desire.

Below are notes from the class as they wrote in a book yours truly provided at each gathering:

Bob Baranoff: “Retired, living in Fountain Hills, Ariz. (near daughter), and Higganum, Conn. (near son and family). Thoroughly enjoyed 45th Reunion. Wish more folks were here.”

Stewart C. Malloy: “Retired from Morgan Stanley, living in Bellport, N.Y. (trying to relocate to Florida with wife Claudia). Happy to be grandfather to Stella, Elliot, and Clayton. If you missed the 45th Reunion, you missed a grand party!!

Kip Anderson: “Grow more flowers, write a poem (if you think you can do it), and drink as much single malt scotch whiskey as time allows.”

Fran Pawlowski: “I am alive!”

Phil Rauch: “Wesleyan trustee since 2015; partner, Brown Advisory; two children, four grandchildren; wife Lynn, married for 41 years.”

Leo Au: “Wesleyan trustee starting July; retired, living in Bonita Springs, Fla.; two children, two grandchildren; wife Melinda; immensely enjoyed Reunion.”

Greg Friedman: “Came to Wes from high school in Brussels and have introduced wife (over 30 years) and daughter (grad school Penn) to my old pre-Wes Belgian life. Still have close ties to my Wes ‘family.’”

Dave Lindorff: “One kid graduated, the other a month or so away from her PhD. Life begins at 67!”

Susan and Robert Millner: “Robert working as lawyer at Delton US, Susan is Midwest director Birthright. All is well.”

Mark Wallach: “My daughter, Kerry ’02, has a son, Zev. Son Phil ’05 is a senior fellow at Brookings.”

Rebecca and Peter Michaelson: “Own a packing and shipping business in Philadelphia. Still a few years from retirement. Two children, two grandchildren.”

Patrick Callahan and wife Ann Goodwin ’79 live in Essex, Conn., with their black lab, Bailey. “Two adult daughters living in Boston.”

Gary Walford says, “Great 45th to see others: Summa, Fenton at 50th!”

John Cady: “Retired, splitting time between NYC and Hillsdale, N.Y. Wife Claudia Catania ’74 is producing theater show for public radio and podcast. Playing on air. Son Gavin and wife run 1,000 Figs restaurant in NOLA. Son Max teaching at high tech high school in San Marcos, Calif.”

Jake Weiss: “Twenty-one years at Goldman Sachs. I am out on my own in talent management/organization development space. My children are doing splendidly, and I have a new woman in my life. A nice time!”

David Siegel: “Living in New Orleans since 1978. Always appreciative of my Wesleyan experience and look forward to each Reunion.”

John Hastings: “Retired, sort of; still coaching track and cross country, still in Connecticut; kids in California.

Frank Leone: “Still in East Hartford. Thoroughly enjoyed catching up with old friends at the 45th and sincerely hope to catch up with many more at our 50th!

Mark Paul: “Still moving towards that which moves me. This weekend just reinforces the decision made nearly 50 years ago to come here.”

Rod Cash: “It has been a treat to see the other ’71s at the Reunion. I’ve been working for the past 10 years at Booz Allen as a technology consultant and for the Department of Homeland Security. Have been living in DC forever, married for 38 years to Paulis Walser, who is an artist/ illustrator. We have three kids who live in Brooklyn and DC.

Gene Borgida (Susan Wolfe): “Heading towards empty nestdom. Twin sons, Alex and Jake, wrapping up high school. Wes on their radar screen, maybe. Gene hit year #40 on faculty at UMN this year and Susan on faculty in law and medicine. All good in Minneapolis. Will be at 50th.”

Andy Baker: “In DC, off in Europe much of time as a special envoy of the OSCE on combating anti-Semitism. Four kids in DC and SF: a teacher, editor, engineer and punk band drummer.”

“Todd Jick (aka ‘TJ the DJ’) just completed his 10th year teaching MBAs at Columbia Business School and his 38th year teaching. He remains an avid music fan and attends New Orleans Jazzfest every year with his lovely wife, Wendy, and enjoys seeing his two daughters, Zoe Jick ’11, and Adina grow towards PhDs!

“JC Louis (as told by Todd Jick): married, son graduated from Oberlin as Phi Beta Kappa, so JC could not make it to Reunion.”

Jim Sarbaugh: “Restoration carpenter, Portland, Conn.”

Peter Woodin: “Former Ailey dancer (seven years), mediator of complex multiple amity disputes (20 years).”

Rich Aroneau: “First time at a Reunion! Profoundly good time at Reunion. Van Vleck is best experience at Wesleyan!”

Well, that is it from those who would at least write a word. Those who registered for Reunion but didn’t leave a written word: John Cuddy, John Hastings, Jeff Kraines, Jack Lebowitz, Norm Leong, Marty Obin, Frazer Shipman, William Trench and Mike Yamashita. Great time was had. See you at the 50th! It’s closer than you think. Aloha!

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | cybermad@msn.com

PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

Greetings, Thank you for responding to the request for info and whether you plan to attend Reunion 2106 (Yes, some of you caught that), but I hope you will all attend Reunion 2016!

John Cuddy intends to come to the Reunion.

Ian Hunter wrote: “Both my daughters have quit gainful employment and returned to school this fall. My older daughter is pursuing a PhD in quantitative marketing at Stanford Business. My younger daughter’s PhD will be in statistics at Harvard. Meanwhile retirement is not in sight.”

John Rothman wrote, “I think this might be my first class note. I am at present rehearsing Pinter’s The Homecoming at Berkshire Theater Festival and have just returned from New Orleans, where I was shooting a pilot for Amazon Studio called One Mississippi with Tig Notaro. Hoping it will be picked up and go to series. My wife of 32 years, Susan Bolotin, is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Workman Publishing. My daughter, Lily, is history editor of Time.com and my son, Noah, is a manager and producer at Underground Films. I am in close touch with Philip Casnoff, Graeme Bush and Gene Borgida. I will consider the Reunion if I am not shooting the series!”

Joe Keller will attend and is still living in Cape Cod, with a condo in Florida, and playing golf only on days that end in a ’y.’

Dave Lindorff says, “Unless there’s an unanticipated conflict, I plan to be at the (OMG!) 45th Reunion. I will be armed with info on maximizing Social Security benefits. I’m working on a book about how people in our age cohort avoided the draft—working title: What Didn’t You Do in the War, Gramps…and Why? If anyone has an interesting experience to relate please get in touch with me at dlindorff@gmail.com.”

Jim Rizza wrote, “New granddaughter—Lilyana. This makes four granddaughters for us. Would love to attend the Reunion next year but it takes a team of wild horses to drag me onto a commercial airline flight these days. If they let me fly the plane . . . , that would be different!! So, will not be attending.”

Katy Butler says, “I am fortunate enough to be granted a month of uninterrupted writing at Yaddo, the famous writers’ colony in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. I will be working on a new book for Scribner/Simon and Schuster, a practical manual about how to negotiate the ’grey zone’ between active living and active dying and how to shape a good end of life, to the degree it can be controlled. If anyone has stories of good deaths send, please send them to me at katybutlewriter@gmail.com.

“’Slow Medicine’ now has over 2000 members on Facebook, thanks, in part, to the fact that in the spring of 2015, the New York Times Sunday Review published my essay exploring my ambivalence with ’death with dignity’ legislation. I don’t think it should be illegal to shorten one’s life or hasten death in the face of a horrible fatal illness, but we need so much more than that—mainly, better funding for palliative care, hospice, and caregiver support.”

Stephen Ferruolo wrote, “I am in my fifth year as dean. Legal education continues to confront challenges, as does higher education. Our daughter, Cristina, is starting her second year at Colgate. Our son, Stephen, in now steeped in the college application process. It is certainly likely that he will end up at a liberal arts college. I feel good about that legacy. They have seen how valuable the Wesleyan experience has been for my life. I am very glad that they will have that liberal arts education foundation for their own lives.”

Bob Leroy writes, “I’m founder and coordinator of an annual national nonprofit public health conference. Next one is May 19–22, 2016, same dates as you-know-what.”

Ed Swanson writes: “I seem to recall that the rock group The Zombies played at Wesleyan during my sophomore, junior, or senior year, but am not certain.” He wonders if anyone recalls this and can clarify the time frame. We’ll post your answers in the next set of class notes.

John Holden: “I retired in June 2014 from being assistant head of school at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Potomac, Md., for 28 years, ending my 42 years in independent school education. Joan, my wife, and I have four wonderful children—three daughters and a son—and our first granddaughter. My passion is biking. I bought a recumbent bike in May 2014 and rode it 3,000 miles across the southern tier of the U.S., from San Diego, Calif., to St. Augustine, Fla., in March and April of this year with a group of 43 people, average age 63. In all, I have ridden over 10,000 miles in the last 15 months. Joan and I are living in Cataumet, Mass., on Cape Cod. I have been getting together with Pam and Bob Kyrka who live in Holliston, Mass. Bob is a retired veterinarian and Pam continues to teach high school English.”

Sorry if I butchered some of your notes to fit the column. See many of you at Reunion 2016!

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | Cybermad@msn.com

PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

Aloha, classmates. Just a few notes for you (saving room for May 2015 reunion classes).
Heard from Peter Michaelson and he writes…”One of the wonderful characteristics of Wesleyan is that, even if one does not go on to accomplish much of note in one’s own life, there is always the opportunity for the reflected glory of one’s roommates. Such is my experience, as I lived in a suite at Lawn Ave. sophomore year with Jeffrey Richards ’69 and Charles Irving ’70. Jeffrey went on, of course, to earn recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus and the most successful Broadway producer of this millennium, having just opened his 40th hit show since 2000, and Dr. Irving is a world-renowned biochemist, currently CEO of Cell Cure Neurosciences in Israel. We all had an opportunity to have dinner recently after Jeffrey treated Charles and me and our families to house seats at the opening of his latest show, The Heidi Chronicles.

Received a handwritten note from Frank Leone. (I did not know people actual mailed handwritten notes any more!) He wrote with sad news which I will relate here in his exact words…“June 3, 2015. Dear Neil, I am saddened to report that Peter Panciera died on May 23, 2015, at his home in Hilton Head, S.C., a victim of cancer. Pete was one of the iconic athletes and arguably the best quarterback in history. ‘Pistol Pete’ or ‘High Street Pete’ as the Argus called him in a tribute to ‘Broadway Joe’ Namath, set numerous passing records and quarterbacked the University’s last undefeated football team in 1969.
“More importantly, he was a devoted father and a husband who is survived by his son, Gregory, his loving wife of 29 years, Barbara, and her children, David and Suzanne.
“He was a great friend who obviously will be truly missed…

“I hope to see you and many others at the 2016 Reunion. Best regards, Frank”

Leo Au writes…”Hope that this finds you well. I don’t have any significant news for you at this time. Melina and I continue to enjoy our retirement in southwest Florida and being grandparents to two adorable kids who live relatively far away in Sunnyvale, Calif. Looking forward to seeing you at our 45th Reunion next May. Go Wes!”

Briefly my eldest son, Anderson, who lives in San Jose, Calif., had a son born four hours before my birthday. He is, of course, the most adorable and cutest baby on earth. They named him Cooper James. I decided to have him call me “Puna” short for “Punahele” (Look it up, it’s Hawaiian and it does not mean grandfather!), which I think is appropriate since he will want to visit me often in Hawaii.

So the bottom line it seems from all notes I received this time is…plan your trip to Reunion 2016!

See you there. Aloha!

Aloha. Well, I did ask for news and all I can say is, “when it rains it pours,” or if in Boston, “when it snows it definitely snows!!!” I received so much news you are going to have to go to: classnotes.blogs.wesleyan.edu/class-of-1971. Please read the long version, I could not do justice to your informative e-mails.

Bob Baranoff retired in June and is expecting first grandchild and other things….

Brett S. Goldstein: “After having retired from the rabbinical pulpit in Hollywood Beach, Fla., I’ve officiated at my 1,000th wedding.”

Mark Wallach: “I have become a grandfather: My son, Philip Wallach ’05 and his wife, Vera Krimnus ’05 became the parents of Bina (Wes class of 2036?) in July of 2014.

John Cuddy is getting ready for a fourth year of Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Saw Norm Leong: Sadly his brother died, and happily his stepdaughter just had twins.

Dave Lindorff was in London trying to cadge an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. That and thiscantbehappening.net is “the only news organization in the US to be labeled a threat by the Department of Homeland Security.”

R. Anderson Sutton: “I’m dean of the School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa since Aug. 2013, after teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 31 years.”

John Schimmel: “I live in Los Angeles with my wife, Maureen Donley, and three children. After a long career as a bass player and a Hollywood studio executive, now I am a producer and head of linear content for Cloud Imperium Games (the largest crowd-funded project in history).”

Bob Yaro: “I retired as president of Regional Plan Association in December after 25 years with this Manhattan-based urban planning think tank. I’m also teaching at the UPenn School of Design. Expecting first grandchild from daughter Jennifer Yaro ’06.”

Jim Rizza: “Fourth granddaughter, Lilyana O’Connell, born to daughter Jess and son-in-law Aaron, Jan. 5th, healthy and happy. I’m still doing a little counseling, writing, guitar performance, flying airplanes, and semi-serious photography.”

Robin Gillam: “I’m now broken-hearted by the death of my wife, Judy, née Johnson, Oct. 20, 2014. This was the end of a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer that began in early 2011. I mostly have been occupying myself with hobbies—gym, motorcycle, choir and guitar playing, and now cooking and property maintenance.”

David Foster: “My career as a software geek is winding down after 20 years at Oracle Corp. Will retire next year. My volunteer work for the Alzheimer’s Association has me finishing my second year as chair of the board of directors of the Minnesota/North Dakota chapter.”

Bill Davis: “After 42 years with the New England School of Art & Design I have officially retired. My wife, Patty, and I (married in 1969), are still very much together. Our first grandchild, Nate, is now 18 months old. I have been very pleased to see Wesleyan president, Michael Roth ’78, actively promoting the value of a liberal arts education.”

Bob LeRoy is founder and coordinator of Plant-based Prevention Of Disease (p-pod.org).

Bert Whetstone (’71 and MA ’75): “I use my psychology training to do adventure-based team development and leadership training with young people. Please check out my site: drbertwhetstone.com.” After 30 years in New Hampshire, he lives on the Shenandoah River in Charles Town, W.Va.

Andy Glantz: “I still design and build custom, sculptural furniture. And I spend a lot of time renovating our home in Scottsdale, Ariz.”

Alan Epstein: “I have been very active in my research—immunotherapy. I am starting a new cancer biotech company. We now live in Pasadena one mile from the Rose Bowl.”

Warren White: “I am cooking and baking for the poor and homeless through the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, Room in the Inn, Safe Haven, and The Nashville Food Project.

Stewart Malloy: “Three children with lovely wife Claudia—two Brown graduates and one Yale. Three fantastic grandchildren (Stella, Elliot, and Clayton) under 3 have put a new spin on life!! Malloystewart@gmail.com.”

Demetrie Comnas: “Got together with John Billock at the occasion of the christening of his great nephew (his sister’s grandson) here in Pennsylvania. I spend a fair amount of time on our farm in Greece (highgroves.com) and believe that the EU has cut Greece a lousy financial deal.”

Bill Boulware: “I am now living in the D.C. area. My wife has a PR company that specializes in crisis management. If you’ve seen the show Scandal…she is the real Olivia Pope. The show was inspired by her and her work, and she serves as co-executive producer while still running her D.C. firm. My mother is alive and kicking at 91 and still lives in Harlem—-by herself. I co-wrote a book a couple of years ago, Long Shot, that was published by HarperCollins. I’m not involved much with television anymore but it amazes me how well Wesleyan is represented in that field.”

Mary O. McWilliams: “I just retired from full-time work and am enjoying a mixture of corporate and nonprofit board work, civic activities and travel. I’m active but don’t have to rush anymore! maryoliver.mcwilliams@gmail.com.”

Mark Merlis’s fourth novel, JD, will be published by the University of Wisconsin Press in March 2015. Mark was married in June 2013 to Bob Ashe, after a 31-year-engagement.

Vic Pfeiffer: “After retiring in 2008 from a career in healthcare/employee benefits/human resources strategy consulting with The Segal Company’s D.C. office, my wife and I moved to Maryland’s Eastern Shore to small historic Chestertown (1706). We renovated an old (1880s) house. Daughter Alex Pfeiffer ’06 gave birth to Riley Pfeiffer Reynolds in Aug. 2014, in San Diego. We had a great visit last June from Pat Callahan and wife Ann Goodwin ’79.”

Blake P. Allison: “I am still architecting away in Cambridge; latest project is a classroom building for a small special-needs school in Lexington. Martha’s Vineyard is quite a crossroad for Wesleyan alums: Bob Julier, Peter Woodin, John Abrams ’75, David White ’70, Morgan Muir ’73, Dusty Carter ’69, Tim Thompson ’73 (from Porter, Maine). Life is good!”

John Lippincott plans to retire in March as president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Last September, his daughter, Sarah Lippincott ’07, married Brendan O’Connell ’08. In retirement he expects to continue to use his expertise to advance educational institutions. lippincottj@verizon.net

Graeme Bush: “I am still the chair of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, coming up on my 15th year in that role. Kids are all great—Emmy is in real estate in NYC, Jenny is in Tel Aviv working with an incubator called Elevator, Sam is in Vietnam traveling before he finishes at Oregon and starts at Guggenheim Partners in June, youngest, Andie, is going to Lehigh in the fall, and Wendy and I will—finally—be empty nesters. Wendy is very involved in several organizations that foster Arab Israeli engagement. gbush@zuckerman.com.”

Fran Pawlowski (The Gallup Pole): “After more than 40 years, I retired from full-time teaching  last May. My legal business, Gallup Process Service, has been an interesting sideline since 1978. My wife (Delphine) and I are the proud parents of seven children and 11 grandchildren. I look forward to our 45th Reunion with great anticipation and hope to see many, many classmates. If you’ve never attended a Reunion, or haven’t for a long time, I invite you to attend our 2016 event. Peace.” I think Fran said it the best: See you in 2016! Aloha.

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

 

Newsmaker: Michael Yamashita ’71

A photographer with National Geographic, Michael Yamashita ’71 received the National Journalism Award from the Asian American Journalists Association for his work, “DMZ: Korea’s Dangerous Divide.” The award, presented at the Unity Journalists of Color Conference this summer, recognizes excellence among Asian American journalists and outstanding coverage of Asian American issues. Yamashita’s most recent book, Marco Polo: A Photographer’s Journey (White Star, 2004), a 504-page photographic journal, retracing the 13th-century explorer’s route to China, is setting records as a bestseller around the world. It has been translated into 13 languages, and is again available.

Newsmaker: John Lippincott ’71

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) announced that it has named John Lippincott ’71, MAT ’72 (and father of Sarah ’07), as president of CASE. He had been serving as CASE’s interim president since January 1. Prior to assuming the interim role, Lippincott was CASE’s vice president for communications and marketing beginning in 1999. Previously, Lippincott served for nearly 12 years as associate vice chancellor for advancement at the University System of Maryland. A College of Letters major, he began his career teaching humanities courses at community colleges in Connecticut, New York, and Oregon.

Newsmaker: Barbara Casey ’71

Barbara Casey ’71 was honored at the 10th annual Angels in Adoption awards ceremony, held in Washington, D.C. The program is organized by The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to raise awareness about children, in foster care and orphaned, in need of permanent, loving homes; Senator Arlen Specter nominated Casey, who directs Adoption Associates, LLC, a licensed Pennsylvania adoption agency, and also heads a law firm specializing in adoption issues. She is a fellow of the Pennsylvania Academy of Adoption Attorneys, the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and Resolve. She earned a master’s degree, as well as a JD, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Aloha, classmates; time for more news but none of you sent me anything in the last several months. I thought you guys and gals would just periodically drop me an e-mail without me having to remind you, but I guess not. So that means you get to hear about my life.

But before that, we received some sad news: James C. Nevius died suddenly on July 13, 2013. He was retired, having spent 25 years with Amerada Hess Corp., and then his own consulting firm. He left a wife, Angela, of 28 years, three sons and a grandson. He was 64.

I still think it is interesting that the secretaries of the Class of 1970 and 1971 live on a 550-acre rock in the middle of the Pacific and within a few miles of each other. Russ Josephson ’70 and his lovely and beautiful wife, Vera Benedek, stopped by recently for drinks and food on a typical beautiful Kauai day. Russ is in the process of trying to start building his house in the Kalihiwai river valley. His will be the first home in the valley. He seems to be enjoying Kauai, especially since he is no longer frozen in the north of Alaska. He drives around the island with his iconic license plate “YBCOLD”!

As for me, I have been in my home, overlooking Kalihiwai Bay and the ocean, for almost 12 years. Time flies! I am a part-time farmer with my 100 fruit trees, 1,000 tropical hardwoods, and 200 vanilla plants. I dabble in helping the Kauai planning department create policies and ordinances to keep the island rural and beautiful despite the inevitable growth both internal and worldwide. Our newest investors from Korea and China are buying up property at exorbitant prices. 

Most of my time recently has been spent trying to establish a palliative care medical practice team. Palliative care, like hospice, is for people with life-limiting or -threatening illness. We work with their treating physicians as part of a team, with a nurse, social worker, chaplain, and others, to provide relief of any physical mental, emotional, or spiritual suffering. We are attempting to make western medicine more holistic. The movement is going on across the country. Katy Butler mentioned it in her book and has a Facebook page “Slow Medicine” about palliative care and hospice care. If you or a loved one has a complex illness check in your area for palliative care; it can really be an aid to you and yours. Trying to get more insurance companies to cover it and make it more routine. It was deleted from the Affordable Care Act, because it was mistakenly credited with being a death squad, which is the furthest from reality for this specialty. Anyway, life is going well for me. Married off one son here on Kauai a year ago and he and wife are doing really well. Another son is in anesthesia residency and the daughter works in the hotel industry for Four Seasons. What more can a proud dad ask for than loving, independent children?

Well enough about me. Please on reading this send me some news about you so I have something to write about next time. All the best and Aloha…

NEIL J. CLENDENINN | Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714

Aloha; just a little news this time. Many of you are recovering from a really bad winter, hope you fared well. It is any wonder why some of us left winter for permanent summer time, but I won’t rub it in.

Peter Michaelson says, “I don’t have any significant news for the class notes, as I think my comings-and-goings have been (too) well chronicled over the years. Becky and I were talking about you at dinner the other night, reminiscing on the fun time we had with you at the last Reunion, and we’re looking forward to the next one….” Yes the next Reunion is only two years away.

Ed Swanson writes, “I thought you might enjoy an article I wrote about the day that Leigh Ann and I fished on the River Itchen in England last fall. The Wilderness Fly Fishers was kind enough to publish the article in the March issue of Mending The Line.” If you enjoy fly fishing or even if you never have done it, the article is certainly enlightening. He talks about fishing on one of the best chalk rivers in England. If you have ever seen pictures of southern England’s rivers, they are crystal clear because of the limestone.

Heard from Vic Pfeiffer, who writes, “Like most other classmates, I intend to send you something, and then it never gets to the top of the list of ‘to dos.’ I just finished a really good book by Katy Butler called Knocking On Heaven’s Door. If you haven’t read it, you ought to. She combines the very touching story of her mother and father’s deaths—Jeffrey Butler was a Wesleyan professor—with the issues of dying and medicine in America today. Very well done and recommended to our classmates. I’m ‘retired’ (as of 2008) from a career consulting around health issues in Washington, DC, and now live on Maryland’s Eastern shore where I job coach (now just three days a week) adults with intellectual disabilities. My wife (33 plus years) and I have a 27-year-old autistic son, so we know the issues. Our daughter (Wesleyan ’06) lives in San Diego and we are expecting our first grandchild next summer. Wow! Thanks for doing the class notes job and for doing what you can to make them interesting. I missed our last Reunion, but perhaps 2016. The numbers get depressingly large.” So if you haven’t begun thinking about Middletown in May of 2016, know that at least two of your classmates are!

Leo Au and wife Melina are retired and hanging in SW Florida. “I am still actively involved with the Wes alumni association as co-vice chair and sit on a number of committees. Before the year is out, I wanted to pass along that in February that I attended Mike Yamashita’s talk at the Asia Society in N.Y., where I encountered our classmate Howie Dubner who has been working in the legal publishing business in New Jersey.” Well, that is it for this time. Aloha from paradise!

NEIL J. CLENDENINN |Cybermad@msn.com
PO Box 1005, Hanalei, HI 96714