Tag: 1973

From Middletown, Ron Medley writes that “the biggest news” is that he’s just renewed his lease for a College Street studio apartment. “This marks my second year as a part-time Middletown resident,” he writes. “For folks who have not set foot in our adopted city these last few decades, suffice it to say, most of us would barely recognize the place. For sure, the old North End is still familiar with its mom and pop storefronts and O’Rourke’s diner holding up nicely. But, the whole South End of town (including the old Middletown Press building, if I recall correctly) has been bulldozed, sanitized, and curated to resemble an ersatz Northampton or Amherst.” He reports that some will love it. Others will not. “All I know is that as a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, the new Middletown comes with one indispensable ingredient that the old one did not,” he says. The city now has a functioning public transit system. Buses now leave Main Street to the Meriden train depot pretty much on the hour, eliminating the need for a car. He says during his first summer there, he walked over to Jane and Michael Gianfriddo’s house on the other side of Long Lane Road for lunch. Ron says,  “Michael and I now have a standing invitation to meet on the steps of Olin for as many power walks as we can squeeze in before the Connecticut Valley summers kick in.”

     Rich Ladd tells me that he lives near Olympia, Washington with wife Carolyn. He still works in mortgage lending and continues to enjoy tinkering with cars. His daughter works at Amazon HQ and his son attends Boise State. “Rugby remains a favorite sport—watching only,” he says.  Rich and Carolyn were very sad at the loss of their friend Tom Pfeiffer.

     Moses Samuel Pinkston tells me that he has retired from the Department of Human Services after 12 years working as an adoption social worker. “I met many children in need of permanent loving families,” says Moses, and others “who were in foster care, and now are permanently living with loving families.” He traveled to Georgia and Florida, as well as all over Pennsylvania, to place children in permanent homes.

     Dr. Ron Johnson tells me Granderson “Granny” Hale runs a homeless ministry in Philadelphia, providing hot meals and clothing to those less fortunate. He has six kids and 14 grandchildren.

     Ron lives in Orinda, California. He is nine months now retired from his medical specialty where he was a vitreoretinal surgeon for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. Ron now spends his time traveling and working on his golf game, hiking, biking and enjoying life.                                                  

     Ron reports that Doug Belt is presently living in Florida for the last six months after moving from New Jersey. Doug just recently retired from the research and analytics company he founded. He tells us he has been happily married for 50 years! “Some of us remember his wife Sheila, a Mt. Holyoke grad. Doug is most proud of his four exceptional children including an associate professor of law at Stanford, a medical doctor, a biological researcher, and a businessman,” says Ron.

     Albert Smith tells us he is a self-made independent architect who has run his own firm in New York City for the past 38 years! He is married to Rosalyn, the love of his life, and they have five kids.

     James (Diego) Howard is a graduate of University of Michigan law school and resides in Pleasanton, California. He is now retired and tells us he has been married for 35 years with two children and is expecting his first grandchild this April. After suffering a medical setback in 2019, Diego is now vegan.

     Lacy Tinnen tells us he’s been living in North Carolina since 1994 and is married to the love of his life for the past 30 years! He has been in the income tax business since 1991 with national franchises.He has two successful  sons, and notes that despite his busy schedule he still enjoys boating, fishing and biking.

     Marshal Lassiter tells us he’s been living in Atlanta since 1977, has been married for the past 47 years and has two sons. After 43 years, he is still working as an executive for the railroads.

     Zane Bailey currently resides in Philadelphia. He’s been married for the past 41 years and has been blessed with two daughters and grandchildren who are the loves of his life. “Teaching them lacrosse, which Zane excelled at 50 plus years ago, gives him a great sense of pride,” says Ron. Zane retired nine years ago doing medical research and private investigating in the office of his best friend, the late Philadelphia lawyer Ronald White ’73.

     Wayne Barber currently resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon, after moving there from Honolulu, Hawaii two years ago. Wayne is retired from his specialty as an ears, nose and throat doctor with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group and in private practice in Hawaii. He has been happily married to the former Sharon Nelson, Mt. Holyoke class of ’74, for 45 years! Wayne has two daughters. Kerri ’91 is an educator and Tori is a sound and light engineer in Los Angeles. Wayne continues to do research in diagnosis and prevention of childhood hearing disorders.

     In other news, can you believe this: our 50th Reunion is right around the corner, in May 2023. Class President Bill Quigley says the ’73 Reunion Committee is looking for volunteers to expand and broaden interest and participation. He notes he is looking for a wide range of people, and there will be opportunities to serve on various subcommittees. If you have any interest, please contact Jay Rose (jrose907@aol.com), Kate Q. Lynch (our Wesleyan organizer— klynch@wesleyan.edu), or Bill Quigley (bquig@aol.com).

      It should be an unforgettable weekend.

Mike McKenna reports from Weybridge, Vermont, that “all is good” and continues to feature his stunning, at times breathtaking photos from that state at different times of the day on Facebook. He’s a potential freelancer for National Geographic. 

Tom Tokarz writes that after 30 years in Cromwell, Connecticut, Kathy and he moved to Old Saybrook, Connecticut, near Fenwood Beach, last year. “We are really settling in to the area. One day, while walking the dog, two blocks from home I bumped into Charlie Cocores at his property. We had a great talk and found out we both have family in State College, Pennsylvania, of all places. Small world,” says Tom. He tells me he was also honored to be named to the Wesleyan football 1970s all-decade team along with John Hoder. He sends congratulations to John along with Jim Greene and Dave Moffenbeier who were also nominated. With the pandemic and its restrictions, Tom says, “Really miss not being able to tailgate and attend other campus events. Hope everyone stays safe.”

Tom Kelly reports that he and has family have been sorting through the craziness of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says his wife is working from home, as are his children who live “close by.” He misses live theater, baseball and hockey and least misses airlines and airports and at this writing at the end of September, Tom says he has taken no flights since February. Tom says he has improved “staying connected” but he admits “I was never really good at it.” He has used his “found time” productively, learning Spanish and doing community work in affordable housing.

 Another intrepid correspondent Jay Rose tells me that he and Dave Moffenbeier had lunch together recently in Centralia, Washington. It was the first time they had seen each other in 37 years, which I’m guessing might have been our 10-year reunion in 1983. Jay says Dave still lives in Portland, Oregon, and Jay was visiting his son in Seattle and notes that Centralia is halfway between two cities. It was a remarkable reunion after nearly four decades apart, particularly considering that while at Wesleyan they saw each other all the time. Jay and Dave were both chemistry majors who played on the football team together and both lived at Delta Tau Delta. 

 And speaking of reunions, Kate Quigley Lynch ’82, P’17, ’19, Wesleyan’s associate director of annual giving, reminds you to save the date for our 50th Reunion scheduled for May 25–28, 2023! Reunion planning and fundraising for our reunion gift is happening even now. If you’d like to be involved in planning some virtual events or want to work on class outreach, contact Kate (klynch@wesleyan.edu). Other reunion news can be found at wesleyan.edu/classof1973.

Granderson “Granny” Hale sends his greetings to everyone while writing a humorous, offbeat note saying he was the “Knucklehead of Unit 10 and Lawn Ave” who was “Everyone’s friend.” He writes that he went from the projects of Philadelphia to Goldman Sachs in 1975 and reports that he is married with six children and 13 grandchildren. He says he has created a few companies. “Some bombed. Some did not,” he says. “So now what?” He leaves us with a deep thought from the Bible, “I am come that they might have life and they might have it more abundantly.” Granderson tells me he has taught Sunday school for more than 35 years and is heavily involved in personal Evangelism.

We have learned of the passing of Tom Pfeiffer last October 10th who died at his home in Verona, Wisconsin, from “non COVID-19-related health issues.” He was 69. Tom moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1977 and his family says he “took pride in helping students get the education they were seeking” as financial aid director at the University of Wisconsin. For two decades he also helped many working for Wisconsin Fathers for Children and Families. Tom is survived by three children, his partner, six siblings and 17 nieces and nephews. I will always remember his smile, low-key sense of humor and storytelling as he frequently attended our 5-year reunions.

Finally, there is better news here in the area of South Florida after Miami was called for awhile the “epicenter” of COVID-19 after New York’s battle. I never thought I’d be wearing a face mask for this long while going live for TV news on CBS4 and never thought my first question of the day would not be about the weather or anything else but quite simply, “What’s the positivity rate?” A boring question that so many were posing every single day: the rate of those testing positive for COVID-19. The better news is that at this writing the positivity rate for Broward County has been consistently averaging below four percent and below five percent for Miami-Dade and dropping. I guess, as they say, we “stay tuned.”

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

How life has changed for so many of us. As of this writing in early May, I have spent every work day for the past two months at my CBS station, WFOR-TV, covering so many aspects of the coronavirus from the economy, unemployment, medical care, massive food distributions, survivors, and those who have sadly lost their lives in this crisis. One survivor in New York City is our esteemed classmate, Dr. Jonathan Raskin, whose story is coming up.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, we have some sad news to report that 69-year-old Robert Joseph Campbell of Cromwell, Conn., passed away on May 18 from complications from COVID-19 after a short illness. Robert was active in politics and was known for his care and work for those with special needs.

From California, Phil Levine writes that he and his wife are doing fine. He says, “We FaceTime with our children and grandson and see plays on Zoom. It’s not the same as being in the same room, but it helps.” He says he sees his students at SBCC School of Extended Learning online two nights a week. They are finishing up a virtual poetry reading for retirement homes and a homeless shelter and have a virtual A Midsummer Night’s Dream slated for late May.

“I think we are all grateful for this social interaction, especially since many of the students are older and living alone,” says Phil. “So, life goes on; but it sure will be nice to gather in person again…safely, of course. I am grateful that we are all well here, and I am especially happy that my Wesleyan pal, Jon Raskin, won his bout with COVID-19. I am indebted to him for making me realize early on to take this illness seriously.” Sadly, Phil’s mother died March 11, and his family would have all assembled in New York City for the funeral. As it turned out, they did a videoconference for the ceremony.

Jonathan Raskin writes that “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated as Mark Twain recounted, but in my case it was a bit too close.” He says he struggled through the COVID-19 pneumonia and, “I am happy to now have antibodies!” For more about his battle and recovery, he says check out YouTube and enter “New York pulmonologist” and “get the gory details.” Jonathan thanks you—“my Wes buddies”—for keeping him in your thoughts during the time he was ill. “Please stay safe and be vigilant,” he says. “We are now senior citizens and part of the ‘at-risk’ community. We just think 70 is the new 50 and I am here to tell you that’s fake news.”

From Lake Placid, N.Y., John Huttlinger says he and his staff at Adirondack Audit company have been working in isolation “but at least we are working!” He says he has been participating in Kappa Nu Kappa alumni video chats, which he says “have been great.” At last word, John was trying to find a way to reach Tim Mooney.

Hope you are all finding new creative things to do. My wife, Connie, has been creating cloth masks for those in need, and she and my middle daughter Dana have been finding one family in need per week to help with food and much-needed other contributions here in South Florida. My oldest daughter Jennifer—a nurse and assistant to a pastor at her Gloucester, Va., church—has helped pioneer a nationwide Sunday broadcast of her church service and my youngest daughter Holly—a wildlife biologist and artist in Highlands Ranch near Denver—is teaching art courses through Zoom and has built up many projects through the internet.

Hope you are finding new or creative projects, perhaps something different every day, and being careful.

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

Former Wesleyan Argus Editor Steven Greenhouse sent me a newsy note. He said he and Kirk Adams “trekked up” to Fairfield early last November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of when Paul Baumann met his wife-to-be Vivian. Steve Forstein, who joined them on the Wesleyan freshman soccer teams 50 years ago, “joined the festivities and gave a smashing toast,” Steven said. He also said Kirk and his wife, Cecile, threw a book party for his new book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor. Steven was honored that Nick Kristof called his book “superb, important, and eminently readable,”while Zephyr Teachout, writing in the New York Times Book Review, called it “engrossing, character-driven, panoramic.”

He also said Wesleyan’s history department and College of Letters invited him to give a talk about the book in late October—and he was honored that one of his favorite professors, Paul Schwaber ’57, came to hear the talk. “When a friend held a book party for me in Los Angeles, I was delighted that Wes classmate, Peggy McIver Gregerson, joined us,” said Steven. Peggy lives in Pasadena and works in advertising. When Steven spoke in the Bay Area, he  stayed with College of Letters “buddy and roommate in Paris, Jonathan Siegal, who is a very successful labor lawyer in Oakland.”

Alain Munkittrick is co-authoring a book with Deborah Shapiro, Middletown city historian, titled, Middletown’s High Street and Wesleyan University (Arcadia), featuring historical images from Special Collections and Archives, and the Middlesex County Historical Society.

From Washington, D.C., Charles Wayne and Ellen Kabcenell Wayne ’75 recently become grandparents for the fourth time in 26 months “despite the fact that neither of us are old enough to be a grandparent.” He says the proud fathers are Michael Wayne ’05 (an 18-month-old boy) and Joey Wayne ’08 (2-year-old twin girls and a baby girl).

Some of you may shun joining Facebook for a myriad of reasons but I will give one reason to get hooked up: Michael McKenna. His photographs from Vermont are spectacular and when he posts them, I can guarantee that you will look with appreciation and linger. Mike captures the essence of parts of that state and it wouldn’t surprise me if the best of his collage ends up somewhere sometime soon in a photo gallery.

Michael is a “first time grandfather to Ms. Frances Anne McKenna, aka Frankie. The highlight of this or any year.” He recommends reading David Brooks’s The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, which is all about writing one’s personal résumé separate from one’s career. He says it supports the old saying, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mike is still working and doing more pro bono work. One of his most meaningful endeavors is serving on the Wesleyan Athletics Advisory Council. Mike adds, “Wonderful way to be invited back to campus to support Athletic Director Mike Whalen ’83 and coaches, see friends, and to meet and encourage some of the current flock of Cardinal athletes. What a talented, inspiring group.” The ever enthusiastic and upbeat Mike says he highly recommends reconnecting with Wesleyan in such ways and says, “I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity.” He ends with the encouraging words of “Play on.”

Mike shared that Tim Warner is on the Wesleyan Athletics Advisory Committee with him. Tim flies in from Stanford, where he is a senior executive in the administration, and “adds great insights into how great schools can have strong athletics programs at the same time. Great to reconnect with my first-year Foss Hill neighbor!”

Finally, a farewell to someone who has been an incredible help to me as class secretary since she joined Wesleyan University 30 years ago. Wesleyan Magazine Managing Editor Cynthia Rockwell MALS ’19 announced she was retiring as of Feb. 28. Her duties with class secretaries are passing on to Randi Plake, who has been outstanding in terms of helping me reach out to you. But in this life, there is only one Cynthia Rockwell, whose passion for the school, the magazine, and all of you is unequaled. So, a final shout out to one of the best that Wesleyan was so fortunate to have as our source and guidance. In the end, she was typically self-effacing in a letter to me saying she always felt I was “the pro” and she was “the aspiring journalist.” Quite the opposite. Her articles and stories in the magazine have also been first rate. She has been the MVP, the Most Valuable Player, for class secretaries and we have been the players and hopefully “pros” most of the time.

Best of luck in your endeavors in 2020.

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com

We have news from around the world, starting with one of my three East College roommates from senior year.

John Spike writes from Venice, Italy. “In January 2017, I retired from the College of William & Mary after nearly 10 years as assistant director and chief curator of the Muscarelle Museum of Art. The ensuing freedom has allowed us to return to working in Europe for about half the year (or less, for tax reasons). In London, I am senior advisor to the Sir Denis Mahon Foundation. In Venice I am organizing a symposium and an exhibition of Raphael drawings for the Accademia museum in honor of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death in 1520. Michèle is lawyering plus writing and lecturing on Matilda of Canossa and other medieval themes. This autumn in Tenafly, N.J., we’re looking forward to our 50th high school reunion. In Los Angeles, our beautiful 3-year-old grandson, Santiago Spike, is happily babbling in at least two languages at the same time.”

From Lake Placid, N.Y., John Huttlinger reports a busy summer. “My CPA practice is very time consuming, but I enjoy working with my clients,” he says, adding, “I have taken steps to seek out a smooth and orderly transition to semi-retirement, but have not found the right solution to that yet.” He is still active with the Lake Placid Film Festival, which was launched in June 2000. He attended the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, where he met festival organizers Mike McKenna and Lloyd Komesar ’74. His film society arranged their annual classic film screening hosted by Jeremy Arnold ’91. Jeremy is a writer for Turner Classic Movies and writes the companion books to their Essentials series. His family has had a camp on Lake Placid for over 80 years. John and wife Karen had lunch with Jeremy and his mother at their classic Adirondack camp high on a cliff overlooking Lake Placid.

He’s also connected with Charlie Cocores ’74: once at Reunion last year, when he invited him to go to Foxboro to watch the Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse team play in the NCAA Division III championship game (Wesleyan won) and again last spring in Middletown for a reunion of Wesleyan Men’s Lacrosse teams from the 1970s “which Mike McKenna inexplicably attended as well!” He says he also keeps in touch with Michael Gionfriddo, who has moved back to Middletown and spends a lot of time at Wesleyan.

Bruce Fergusson tells me, “Peter, first of all, kudos for drastically lowering your A1C! I’m still north of the border myself but we’re working on it.” He says following his wife’s retirement as a social worker for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, they sold their home and moved to Salem, Ore. “As I’ve done elsewhere, a new home is not yet christened until I build a dry-stone wall—front yard this time. Building stone walls is a lot easier than writing, but I’ve somehow still managed to finish, and publish, my eighth novel, and I’m working on the next,” he says. (brucefergusson.com)

His son Brian is in grad school, hoping to become a respiratory therapist. His oldest son, Patrick, recently married, is in the “thick of the D.C. political scrum,” working as the assistant chief-of-staff and legal counsel for a prominent “Rebel Alliance” congresswoman.

Jay Rose writes that, “Since we are all old, I can share the rites of passage for our age group. I am getting my second hip replacement, we recently downsized to an over-55 community, and my back hurts all the time. But I can break 90 pretty often.”

From Nashville, Jim Powers, with the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging, reports that he received a HRSA Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant to train health professionals to care for older people and deliver effective models of care to improve health outcomes.

At this writing here in early September from South Florida, we have dodged Dorian, another dreaded hurricane that was heading in our direction originally putting us “in the cone” for a week and then skirting north after walloping the Bahamas and then threatening my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and her family in southern Virginia before heading further north. We are still in the peak of the hurricane season so who knows what I’ll be reporting next.

Until next time,

Peter D’Oench | Pgdo10@aol.com