Tag: 1977

If there is a theme with this issue’s class notes, it is travel. So many folks have broken free of the COVID grip that kept us planted at home that people are once again traveling to all sorts of places. Deb O’Brien Mercer spent a month on an epic 3,200-mile car trek north, from home in Savannah, Georgia, to Washington D.C., New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, visiting friends, children, and grandchildren. Near Savannah, Deb has completed a three-year home renovation project: two years alone for DIY interior painting. Savannah is a wonderful city that Deb has experienced as friendly and welcoming. I would add that it is a bit quirky, which contributes to its charm.

Rabbi Keith Stern is senior rabbi at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton, Massachusetts. Full disclosure, my firm was hired by the temple to design a chapel addition and renovation for Beth Avodah, which was a true pleasure. Keith’s three Wesleyan-grad children are all gainfully employed, with two married and a third “on deck.” The past year has been very difficult for Keith with the rough situation in the Middle East.

Don Citak writes about a Boston gathering in honor of Jeff Gray’s 70th birthday that included classmates Bob Nastri, Dave Thomas, Eric Postel, Paul Fichera, and Dave Matteodo. The successful surprise party included other Wes grads: Alan Poon ’76, Bill Ahern  ’78, Ralph Rotman ’78, Paul Nelson ’78, John McDermott ’78, Kevin Bristow ’79, Gary Breitbord ’79, Tim Fitzgerald ’79, Dennis Robinson ’79, George DuPaul ’79, Jack Buckley ’79, Tim O’Brien ’81, and Dave Bagatelle ’86. What a group! Don is living on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with his bride of 43 years, Lori, and living not far from his two children and five grandchildren. Don’s law practice, which he enjoys, is keeping him busy.

Jennifer George writes that she has retired from her chaired professor position at Rice University Business School to assist ailing family members. She now resides in Key Biscayne with her dog, Teddy, and enjoys visits with her adult children.

Dave Schreff continues to grow a global marketing technology company, ACTV8me.com, with focus on sports properties and campaigns. He has celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary, enjoying his three children and grandchildren.

J. Mark Beamis writes that as of this past June, he has concluded his over 44-year career with the City of Boston. His career dates back to the days of former mayor Kevin White. To quote J Mark:

“For me, government service has been rewarding in ways I never imagined. It’s been an incredible privilege to work for and with so many talented and committed colleagues. We all shared the goal of helping City residents get the assistance they need and deserve, to be financially empowered, and to have the language and job skills needed to be employed in family-sustaining careers. It also has been an honor to work with so many directors and staff of community-based organizations, whose passion for the work they do to support their missions has never ceased to amaze me and inspired me to be a better human.” The City was most fortunate to have you on their staff for so many years. Congratulations on starting your new chapter!

Jane Eisner has completed writing her second book, an interpretive biography of Carole King for Yale University Press to be published in 2025. Jane and Mark Berger ’76 traveled to Israel and caught up with Rachel and Micha Balf. Micha is living “day to day,” spending time with a lot of people for meaningful interaction and good talks. We all hope that the future will be better and that Micha’s health is on the uptick. Jane is in touch with Don Lowery and Jonathan Kligler (whom she got to meet up with at a spiritual retreat). Jane echoes my sentiments that family and friendships mean everything these days.

James Porter checked in, reporting that his three children are spread across the country, with one living near him in Norwalk, Connecticut. James’s company, StressStop, is helping employers help their staff manage stress. James’s two-year-old granddaughter is pictured here (left).

James keeps in touch with Neely Bruce and attended a performance of his string quartet at a church in Stratford, Connecticut. Chopsticks were used to strike the strings of their instruments for one of the movements.

Beth Natrella reports that her adopted daughter, Anastasis, graduated from Ursinus College with a double major. “Tasha” was adopted from Russia in 2005. Proud mom Beth refers to her daughter as the “light of her life.” Newly retired, Beth is living with her daughter in Battery Park City, New York.

Phil Stern sends a shout-out to his former bandmate from back in the day, Robert Poss ’78, who released a new solo album this year, Drones, Songs, and Fairy Dust, an album Robert dedicated to the memory of Phil Niblock.

Cindee Howard has been traveling up a storm: British Columbia, St. Thomas, and a road trip through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and Maine. When not traveling, Cindee is dancing up a storm and playing mah-jongg. Below is a photo.

Iddy Olson held a very moving and joyful celebration of her recently deceased mother, Mary, in Chicago in July. Having known Mary for over 50 years, I made my way to Chicago to visit with Iddy’s family, including my godson for a meaningful visit.

After Iddy’s mom gracefully left this life at 95 in April, she took a trip down memory lane in Rhode Island, “where I lived for 18 years and raised our kids.” Along with husband Tom, Iddy caught up with Michael andLaurie Coffey at their beach house and found them really enjoying semi-retirement (rewirement for me).

Finally, from me: I have just returned from the Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming, visiting friends, godchildren, and enjoying mountain air and much fun and extensive hikes. Your updates mean the world to all the classmates, especially at this point in our lives. Keep those “cards and letters” coming, even electronically.

And a final, final sad note: Mike (or Micah) passed away at the start of the Jewish New Year after a lengthy illness. He was surrounded by his loving family including his wife, Rachel (Helfer) Balf. The outpouring of affection from our classmates is the mark of a life well lived. Micah’s absence is profoundly felt.

Lots of comments this round of notes from folks thinking about our fast-approaching 70th-birthday year, most of us in 2025. Yikes! People took to heart my comment in Lyris underscoring the need to stay connected for which I am a direct beneficiary. Sharing these notes:

Andy Darpino (aka “Darp”) writes about the joys in his next chapter after retirement. This includes independent consulting with the aptly named “Darp Business Consulting,” which he describes keeps him “afloat in ample supply of bourbon and cigars” as well as occupies his time enough to keep his marriage strong. I was especially touched by the joy that the extra time affords Andy to watch his two granddaughters grow and develop.

Sue Guiney and husband, Don, have been meeting up with Mary Jo Wade and Jack Gray in San Francisco for proper catch-ups, while enjoying their grandparenting duties. Small world—a considerable number of my family are now claiming the Bay Area as home. I had a visit in late February and got to hike through Marin as well as enjoy San Francisco proper, enjoying surprisingly sunny weather.

Felice Burstein reminded me that I am due for a visit north to visit with John Roxby and her.

Mark Ellison wrote in having enjoyed his 50th high school reunion and stated that he looks forward to our college 50th in just a few years. Consider this a shameless plug for our 2027 gathering at Wes.

Susanna Peyton is busy training new-parent instructors at Yale School of Nursing with her Operation House Call course. On the home front, aging pets and parents along with “bouncy grandkids” are keeping her busy. Susanna met up with friend Sara Pasti ’75 in Maine recently.

I never knew that Jerry Caplin breeds and keeps pet finches. Apparently while his kids are grown and spread around the country, his nest is newly replenished. Jerry’s company, Silk Purse, celebrated its 30th year offering affordable old-house rentals in Charlottesville. Congrats and well done!

Mim Wolf has “unretired” herself and “shifting her focus from being an intuitive natural health-care consultant to being an intuitive transformational coach: moving client’s past limitations of body, mind, ego, spirit, and soul.” Mim’s daughter is expecting her first child this spring in Denver. Her son is close by in Vermont, doing well. Mim and her partner of 25 years have rediscovered traveling post COVID.

Joan Martin is working to verify that the Clean Slate Law passed in 2021, enacted to effectively erase misdemeanors records and low-level felony records after seven years, is happening.

William Altman’s latest book, Plotinus the Master and the Apotheosis of Imperial Platonism, has been published by Lexington Books.

Taur Orange had a chance to connect with Jane Eisner at a Wesleyan event at VSA’s Theater on 23rd Street; the reunion was 45 years in the making.

Don Ryan got together with Cal Dysinger, George Capone, and Elliot Epner ’76 at Django Fest in Baltimore recently. Unbeknownst to me, George is a Django Reinhardt afficionado.

Catherine Compton Swanson is planning a river cruise trip through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland this November. Any folks who have done a similar trip and have advice should reach out to Catherine at cathyswanson13@gmail.com.

Joan Goldfeder has been satisfying her traveling bug by hiking in the Lake District of Chile and, more recently, going on a hiking/bike trip in Morocco.

My travels have taken me, in addition to Northern California, to Chicago where I met up with Iddy Olson for a weekend of fine dining, music, and art. We had an amazing dinner with Iddy’s stepmother, over 90 years young, whom I get along with famously. Midst all the stories of her stepmom’s celebrity friends, was a weekend full of laughter. Unfortunately, weeks later, Iddy’s dear 95-year-old mom departed from this world escorted by family, friends, caregivers, song, and prayer. With all of life’s ups and downs, it is great seeing how our friendship has evolved and deepened these many years. I feel fortunate to experience this with Iddy and I will add to many of you whom I have had the pleasure to get to know better after leaving Middletown. After all, it is the people in your life that make all the difference.

Writing notes during the Thanksgiving holiday has filled me with an extra sense of poignancy as we find ourselves in a world seemingly more unstable and hateful than we have ever witnessed in our lifetime. Rachel and Mike Balf have been on many classmates’ minds, as well as in my thoughts, since the horror of October 7 in Israel. I am including Mike’s note here in its entirety:

“As you know Rachel and I are living in a war zone. Today (November 20) is the 45th day of war and my guess is that the combat will [still] continue when our classmates are reading this newsletter and possibly the next one as well. We are fine as a family, a kibbutz, and a community. We are not near Gaza nor the Lebanese border—although, if missile attacks from the north become more prolific, we are within range. I will not allow myself to turn this into a political diatribe. On October 7, 1,400 Israeli citizens, the majority civilians, were murdered in cold blood by Hamas fanatics who also kidnapped 250 hostages, many of them children, elderly, and simple civilians. Israel declared war and set out to return all the hostages and eliminate all the military capability of Hamas. Hopefully by the time that you are reading these words in your home the hostages will have been returned (at least the majority) to their homes and their families, though I doubt that the military operations will have ended. Our son, a called-up reservist, is on the outskirts of Gaza with his paratrooper unit. We worry but then there are tens of thousands of parents whose children are also out there defending the lives and livelihoods of our fellow citizens. I am not blind to the fact that there are humanitarian complications and that there are human tragedies on both sides. I have spent part of my adult life working for a two-state solution. I have heard that there are people who say ‘between the river and the sea’—I hope that there will come a day when we can say ‘between the river and the sea, neighbors we can be.’ I hope that wherever you are, you are working to fight antisemitism. We come from a great liberal tradition of defending the rights of all and I hope that can be maintained. We will continue that endeavor, and hopefully there will be an opening for peace down the road.”

Sue Guiney writes that while the world seems to get more and more dangerous and worrying every day, the summer had a real ray of hope—the birth of her first grandchild, Marcos Erix Santillana-Guiney (hoping that he turns out to be a good speller). The grandparent thing seems great. Otherwise, work is well, as Writing Through prepares for its 10th-anniversary celebrations—another ray of hope.

Jay Kilbourn writes after a challenging five years, marked by divorce, COVID, and remarriage, he has landed very happily with Wendy Berg. The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is where Jay is organizing and advocating for a national carbon-pricing policy. They spend time with John Wiliams, Daniel Cantor ’76, Michael Hamburger ’75.

Mark Slitt and freshman roommate Paul Boison continued their annual tradition of attending Homecoming together. The tradition usually includes a loss to whatever Little Three opponent we’re up against. But this year we routed Amherst 34–7.

Bob Glasspiegel and wife Sue moved from Connecticut for Kiawah River, South Carolina (near Charleston). People in their neighborhood are very friendly, much like freshman year when we start making friends from scratch. The big impetus was the warmer weather: year-round outdoor tennis and golf as well as the beauty of the area.

Jim Melloan reports that he’s retired from an editorial career in magazines and test-­prep books. He is Living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and still doing a weekly radio show 50 Years Ago This Week, on the internet radio station Radio Free Brooklyn.

Arnie Alpert and a friend filed suit against the State of New Hampshire for removing a historical marker about the life of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was born in Concord and achieved notoriety as an effective agitator on behalf of workers. She was also known as a lifelong advocate for women’s equality and defender of civil liberties, especially during the country’s Red Scare. She had joined the Communist Party, for which she was tried and sent to prison under the Smith Act. It was Flynn’s Communist affiliation which drew the ire of the New Hampshire governor, who ordered the marker removed, even though all the proper procedures for establishing Flynn’s historical significance were observed, which is what the markers are supposed to demonstrate. The story has gained international attention. Arnie continues to fight the good fight. While these notes will be read in 2024, I want to send all the best wishes for a year of peace, kindness, and good health for us all. May the New Year be a return to greater civility.

Our latest class updates range from Hawaii to Paris (France) as well as points in between. Folks are clearly making up for lost COVID time by traveling the globe. Starting in Paris: Arlene Lappen, Joan Goldfeder, Joe Tringali, Nancy Milburn, and Wendy Giardina met up for what was, for most, a reunion of their “junior year abroad.” The photo below was taken by a hotel receptionist in Paris.

As I could well imagine, the gathering was a mix of great food and drink coupled with stories past and present. Joan is visiting Boston for a wedding, at which time we have plans to dine at one of my favorite French restaurants. In this way I get to feel like I was one of the earlier Parisian participants.

Wendy writes further that she had dinner with freshman roommate Lou Roberts (Mary Louise Roberts). She is a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin. They’ve met a few times over the years when Lou comes to Europe—as she is frequently in Paris doing research.

Wendy’s summer included a week-long residency with an eclectic and eccentric group of artists/musicians/ academics/writers in a tiny town in Piemont, Italy, where the author of the book she  translated lives. The book is an “objet d’art” of limited edition (Poutresse by Jérôme Karsenti), so she got to see the finished book as well as do some readings of her own writings.

John Fink made an East Coast swing in first quarter of this year, allowing for the opportunity for a nice time in Boston, where he got to see old pal Bruce Springsteen in concert with Jim Udelson, dined with Jim and Jeff Shames, and then dined on consecutive nights in New York City with Peter Guenther and Rick Dennett.

Cathy Compton Swanson writes that she and her husband, both retired, have been enjoying their lake house in northern Michigan, which was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1953 and that has been in the family for 70 years. They are hard at work maintaining the house as well as enjoying the lake.

David Dranoff retired after 40-plus years as a finance attorney at Goldberg Kohn in Chicago. He will remain with the firm in a counsel capacity, primarily to conduct associate training sessions, but otherwise is heading off into the employment sunset. The big plans are to visit his kids in San Fran, New York, and Chicago. He is doing some volunteering and plans to pursue a variety of interests and play a lot of tennis! They are staying in Oak Park, Illinois, with no plans to move anywhere else.

Jane Goldenring graced the Boston area earlier this year. We managed to celebrate our Taurus birthdays despite the soggy weather. Her New England swing included receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award from her high school, Hopkins School, in New Haven. She got to speak to the entire student body about her career as a film executive and producer. I read and watched the speech, which was quite good.

Helen Taenzer Lott writes that both she and her husband are doing well. Helen’s new email is dcbags@sbcglobal.net.

Many folks, notably Andy Darpino and Jeff Gray, wrote to me to report the death of Steve Beauchamp, which appears to have been quite sudden. Steve and I go back to our first day at Wesleyan. He was living on my Butterfield suite freshman year. To say that Steve was a force of nature with his infectious laugh is a gross understatement. Steve possessed good acting chops as both teacher and performer. Plus, I remember almost dropping to the floor when I first heard Steve sing opera—an amazing voice. As Jeff wrote: “Steve leaves a legacy of love and passion that touched many. We are all better for having known him. He will be missed but not forgotten.”

Wendy wrote a line in her notes that has stayed with me about how lucky one is to have old friends, family, and be able to enjoy them. Throwing in good health, these are great things to appreciate.