CLASS OF 1977 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE

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.

From left to right, Arlene, Joan, and Wendy

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.

John Fink and Jim Udelson

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.

CLASS OF 1977 | 2023 | SUMMER ISSUE

How is it possible that it is already mid-March as I am writing these notes? Others before us recognized, as philosopher and psychologist William James wrote, that “The same space of time seems shorter as we grow older.” Turning to some notes from our classmates that often provide an upbeat tone, we have heard from several folks.

Cindee Howard enjoyed meeting up with Suzy Taraba, her former freshman-hall neighbor, at the end of Reunion. Cindee was reacquainted with Lisa Brummel at Reunion as well and the two, along with their partners, have struck up a nice relationship including dinners, theater, and concertgoing. I enjoy Cindee’s comment of how nice it is to “make a new/old friend.”

Mark Slitt writes that he retired from Cigna last June 30 and has been enjoying every minute of it, even on days when not doing anything in particular. He strongly recommends it! In January he took an amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Sue Guiney wrote that she has been traveling to San Francisco to visit children, as well as to Cambodia—the first time in three years, visiting friends and working with folks on the project she founded: “Writing through Cambodia.” Jerry Caplin writes that his family is preparing for a trip to Ghana in November to celebrate his eldest daughter Sophie’s wedding. A second wedding, closer to home in Charlottesville, will occur next January. His other daughters are completing educational pursuits: one a master’s degree in social work, a second a PhD in chemistry, and a third is a senior at Duke. He is quite busy with affordable housing/historic preservation efforts; his company, Silk Purse Properties, now has 76 rentals available. Jerry finds the whole enterprise enormously satisfying.

In July, Hank Rosenfeld drops a new release from Backbeat Books called, The Jive 95, an oral history of KSAN San Francisco—at 94.9 FM, our nation’s first underground station—where he worked in the “Gnus” Department. “I was at KSAN in the late ’70s, after learning my craft from Middletown radio heads like Bob Rees, Don Lowery, Bob Glasspiegel, Ted Stevens, and other classmates. William Altman has two new books  published: Plato and Demosthenes: Recovering the Old Academy (Lexington Books, 2023; xxxiv + 246; https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666920055) and The Relay Race of Virtue: Plato’s Debts to Xenophon (State University of New York Press, 2022; xiii + 370; ISBN: 9781438490915).

Yoriko Kishimoto has the honor of serving as president of the board for Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District this year. “Midpen” owns and manages the greenbelt of open space in the San Francisco Bay Area and staff are experts in biodiversity, watershed management, trail design, and public access, etc. She has a place in Anderson Valley with her husband and is involved with the land trust there as volunteer president. Yoriko has offered to take any classmate out on a hike!

Francis Rath  is still going strong. He is no longer the chief public health coordinator and assistant emergency manager for the City of Manassas Park (Virginia). His wife of 43 years, Denise Thompson Rath ’78, is a former member of the U.S. Equestrian Team and owner of a very successful horse operation (www.greyfoixfarm.com).

Janet Malkemes is adjusting to life after the death of her mother Rebekah last July. “Mom moved to Charlotte just before COVID upended our lives in 2019, selling the family home in Pennsylvania. We enjoyed her final years, with her son Bob and daughter-in-law Charity living nearby. Otherwise, life in retirement continues nicely: annual family week at the Outer Banks, working with the International House of the Charlotte region, and supporting Democratic politicians.

“The Wesleyan Friday Zoom group that started during the pandemic [to which I, Gerry, participate] continues to provide excellent conversation and has been the entry to a monthly film group, proving that Wesleyan created wonderful, lifelong connections.”

Finally, I am sad to report, Amy Marshall lost her husband of 40 years, Tim Zenker MALS ’79, to Parkinson’s disease on December 4. He is survived by their three children: Fred ’09, Maggie, and Charlie. Amy lives and works in The Dalles, Oregon.

In spite of the single snowstorm of the winter season in the Boston area this week— leaving us with a mere few inches—unlike the rest of the state, springtime has returned very quickly with barely a trace of winter. Weather has been the major news worldwide. I hope everyone is staying safe and sound during these wild times.

CLASS OF 1977 | 2023 | SPRING ISSUE

The unusually warm November weather in New England (75 degrees) has made the onset of the holiday season that much more surprising, if not unreal. Nevertheless, folks have emailed from all corners of the globe.

Dave Levit and wife Ruth took a month-long camper van trip through the Southwest visiting the national parks as well as enjoying the sites of Santa Fe.

Iddy Olson has welcomed her first grandson, Merrick (joining two sisters), as well as announcing her “rewirement” plans for 2023, involving fewer coaching clients, adding more family time, volunteer work, and travel. Congrats!

Susan Leslie Raebeck and Barry Raebeck now have four grandchildren. They have retired as public school teachers after many years. Barry has a college admissions consulting business and has authored several books, the most recent of which, Joyful Teaching: Being the Teacher You Admired, to be published in March. Susan continues tutoring and sharing her love of life with family and friends all over the place. They met up in Tuscany with Liz Hancock Sillin, Will Sillin, Buddy Taft, and his wife Liz.

John Fink and Jim Udelson will be holding a minireunion at a Bruce Springsteen concert in March. As president of Aloha United Way, John has the pleasure of working with charities, locally helping tens of thousands of people.

Jerry Stouck and wife Mindy were finally able to visit their son in Hong Kong at Thanksgiving. The Stoucks make their home in Park City, Utah, where they spend winters skiing, summers hiking and golfing, and hosting friends.

It was a welcome sight to see John Perdrizet’s name among my emails. John has an “integrative mixed animal” clinic in Holyoke, Massachusetts, with his wife Frankie. They have three successful sounding daughters in the medical and public health arenas and a couple of grandchildren as well. John received a master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). He has a chapter in a new book on Complementary Veterinary Medicine, and will co-author a second edition of the only vet textbook on Tui-na ( TCVM medical massage/manipulation).

Andy Darpino is a doting grandpa of beautiful twin girls. He is surrounded by incredible women including his wife, three daughters, and the two newest members of the family. Andy retired at the end of 2022, allowing for even more time for spoiling the new arrivals and fishing the Jersey Shore.

Danny Ruberman reports that he and wife Ann are spending six months in Berkeley, where he’s part of a research program at MSRI (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute). It’s a return to a place where they were both graduate students. Danny loves talking math in person with lots of colleagues from around the world. After Berkeley, it’s off to Japan, specifically in Kyoto for a month and then in Tokyo for two months.

Jonathan Gertler writes with great pride about his expanding family and the fine work his children are doing in sustainability, climate, science, and medicine: In essence, making the world a better place. Jonathan continues to indulge his passions in fly-fishing and music along with his entrepreneurial and life science stuff.

Vanessa Burgess attended Dave Thomas’s annual football fundraiser at the Yale Club in September where she saw Don Citak, who had just returned from vacation in Sicily. At Homecoming, Vanessa experienced perfect weather for the defeat of Williams and claiming of the Little Three title.

A service for John Driscoll ’62 on Saturday morning was poignant—a reminder that life is about bringing joy into people’s lives as he always did.

Finally, two very sad notes to report on: Jane Eisner wrote in to say that Stephen Gavin died in September in Zagreb, Croatia, succumbing to an aggressive cancer that was diagnosed only months earlier. A memorial service will take place in Austin, Texas. At this writing, no date has been set. It is with great sadness that I report on the death of our beloved classmate, Don Spencer; he was such an important member of the Wesleyan family. His warmth, humor, and insights were valued by all. Don always managed great humor interwoven with the bravery he exhibited during his health struggles over many years. Don’s burial will be private in St. Augustine, Florida. Don’s wife Vicki and daughters will sit Shiva in NYC on dates and at times TBD along with a memorial in early 2023.Although more common at this stage of life, Stephen’s and Don’s deaths remind me to appreciate all that I have, especially good health along with the camaraderie of you all.

My best wishes and hopes for a happy and healthy 2023 go out to each and every one of you.

CLASS OF 1977 | 2022 | FALL ISSUE

Reunion 2022:

The value of reunions was made clear to me in that on Zoom calls or on social media, it is not possible to hug someone or connect in the same manner as when speaking face-to-face. Our 45th Reunion did not disappoint. As Mark Ellison summed up perfectly to me regarding the weekend: we were “overserved, overfed, and overjoyed” during the multiday event.

A few of us arrived Thursday before the festivities kicked in. Vanessa Burgess was one of my first greeters along with Iddy Olson and Jerry Stouck. While the campus was quiet, downtown Middletown was not; Iddy and I had a fine dinner joined by Iddy’s husband Tom Manning, who charmed most of the attendees throughout the weekend. The campus is undergoing many construction projects, while still hosting several exhibits and seminars including Sue Guiney’s much ballyhooed seminar on social enterprises: Founders and Funders.

Friday saw more arrivals: Cindee Howard and Jane Goldenring were in fine form. At check-in we ran into Felice Burstein, John Roxby, Arnie Alpert, Arlene Lappen, and Betsy Hecker and husband Jay. Making our way to the President’s Reception, we bumped into J. Mark Beamis, Jeff Shames, Mike Coffey, and Don Lowery. The Friday night kickoff cocktail took place at the Wesleyan Film Center where many folks joined in. In addition to those previously mentioned, we had a chance to catch up with: Sarah Kendall, Rich Swanson, Bob Glasspiegel, Hal Garneau and Dan Waters, Sue Guiney and her husband Don, Sue Berger, Kate Seeger, Jim LaLiberty, Lisa Brummel and husband Joel, Bonnie Katz, and Dave Thomas. My apologies go out to those significant others/spouses whose names I didn’t manage to retain, even though I attempted to return back to my room each day to record who I saw. After cocktails, several of us continued to dinner at the Usdan Center.

The traditional class parade and award ceremony Saturday added more class alums: Mike Balf, who had to have traveled the farthest for the event from Israel, Tom Roberts, Andy Darpino, Ted Stevens, Dave Levit, Don Ryan, George Capone, and Buddy Taft. Ron Bloom received a Distinguished Alumni Award, Susan Clark Webster received an Outstanding Service Award immediately after the parade. Lunch brought in several other classmates, some making brief cameo appearances: Doug Green, John Houston, and Alex Kotlowitz connected with some of us and seen across a crowded tent by others. At our major event, the class dinner at Usdan complete with outdoor balcony, I was able to at minimum visit with, if not hug, Louise Hazebrouck and husband Steve Rome ’78, Amy Breslow, Dan Ruberman, Dorothy Crenshaw, Jane Eisner (on crutches along with husband Mark Berger ’76), Mark Slitt, Andy Adesman, Sharon Adler, Jonathan Bailey, Jonathan Kligler, Paul Mason (with his lovely daughter Olivia), Paul Malnati, Steve McNutt, artist Will Sillin, and John Gaebe. Mike Balf started things off with a rousing welcome to all in attendance. At our dinner, Don Lowery, Sue Guiney, Jane Klemmer (in absentia), and Jerry Stouck received Wesleyan University Service awards.

If there are folks that I did not acknowledge as being present, please let me know so that I can mention you in the next issue. It is certainly true that social isolation for the two previous years made being together with folks who played a pivotal role in our lives 45 years earlier that much more special. I remember visiting colleges 50 years earlier and thinking about what my hopes for a college experience would include. Wesleyan stood out as a place where meeting and getting to know exceptional people would happen. With that said, forward to today: My expectations far exceeded what my 17-year-old self ever imagined.

CLASS OF 1977 | 2022 | SPRING ISSUE

I hope everyone who was able to attend our 45th Reunion had a great, be it in-person or virtually, time. The following notes were assembled earlier this year. A complete recap of notes from our gathering will appear in the next issue.

Francis Rath is the chief public health coordinator for the city of Manassas Park. As one can imagine COVID has occupied a major amount of his energy. He is living in Great Falls, Virginia, and is an active volunteer paramedic.

After receiving her doctorate in Jungian and archetypal psychology, Dr. Carol Cooper was appointed to the Board of Trustees at the Kristine Mann Library in Manhattan. In addition, Carol is teaching writing, history, and engaged media classes at NYU as an adjunct professor for the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

Andy Darpino wrote about upcoming retirement in addition to an epic trip with Will Sillin, Buddy Taft, John Gaebe, and Jim LaLiberty to Lake Powell, Arizona. They rented a 60-foot houseboat and cruised around the lake for a week . . . truly a “bucket list” adventure.

Don Ryan is planning to attend reunion as well as muster up some of the usual suspects for the event. John Roxby and Felice Burstein are happily settled at home in New Hampshire near their kinfolk. Jeff Gray and wife JoAnne have settled in Rye, New Hampshire, 3/4 of a mile from Jenness Beach, loving the seacoast. Guinness, their 110-pound Bernese Mountain dog, is already the star of the beach.

Jerry Stouck has a nice sounding life living between Park City, Utah, and Bethesda, Maryland. His daughters are on the East Coast and son in Hong Kong. Jerry is working on a biography of Janet Benshoof, a pioneering women’s rights lawyer. Otherwise goofing off when he’s not skiing, biking, hiking, or golfing. Jonathan Gertler works hard running two businesses and chairing a couple of start-ups in the life sciences: exciting along with the inevitable headaches that come from the early stages. Music is a huge part of his life: third album No Fear was released by Rock Ridge Music in Nashville to strong reviews. An avid fly-fisher, Jonathan is in touch with Bob Krakower, Susan Davis, Ellen Gendler, and Tom Kovar ’76.

Rather than retire, David Schreff is applying many years of corporate executive and board director knowledge to lead a high-growth adtech and marketing tech software provider, ACTV8me.com, that serves the media, entertainment, and sports industry. Most importantly he is fully enjoying being a granddad. Jim Dowling is an organizer for the dance and music community, including a decades-long association with the Children’s Aid Society and other nonprofits. In this vein, he has written a bit for the Village Voice, Dance Magazine, and served as advisor to Contact Quarterly magazine.

Mark Ellison was anointed to IEEE (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) Life Senior Member status and strives to accommodate inevitable senior life moments. Cindee Howard is enjoying retirement and very busy doing improv on Zoom, tutoring several folks in English also via Zoom, dancing tap, ballroom, and Latin, and playing mah-jongg.

Mark Beamis reports that in addition to good health and sanity, and a powerful snowblower, he managed a business trip to Seattle in early November, pre-omicron surge, to see old friends and work colleagues in person. During the fall, he was in Moody Beach, Maine, at the old family cottage. There is much to be said for working remotely at an oceanfront setting. For Thanksgiving he and the wife went to Delaware and spent the first family holiday in two years with in-laws, the first gathering since his mother-in-law passed. No fights, no arrests. Christmas was very quiet. He returned to Maine, Boothbay Harbor this time, to see a wonderful drive-through Christmas light show at the Maine Botanical Gardens.

Post bouts with COVID, Jane Eisner is back on campus at Columbia Journalism School, where they have established a new normal allowing people to converse with colleagues and students in person. Jane is also writing regular book reviews for The Washington Post and is working on a biography of Carole King for Yale University Press. Finally, Dean Holmes’s son, Dylan, wrote that his dad passed away in December from complications of frontotemporal dementia. The link to his obituary, can be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/brunswick-ga/dean-holmes-10492817. Dylan expressed how appreciative he was of the opportunities provided to him along with the many lifelong friendships at Wesleyan.

This sentiment sums up the reasons for returning for reunions: to celebrate one another at and with the University that played such an important role in our lives.

I hope everyone has a fine summer, and is able to continue meeting folks live and in 3D.

CLASS OF 1977 | 2021–2022 | WINTER ISSUE

The floodgates have opened: folks are travelling, people are gathering, and weddings have been rescheduled. All in all, we have begun to exhale after the tough year of 2020 and appreciating seeing people from outside our respective bubbles. Will and Liz Sillin will be in Zion this September after his residency was rescheduled to this year. Vanessa Burgess checked in to remind all about contributing to the Wesleyan Fund and to make sure that we note that our 45th Reunion is in 2022. Francis Rath wrote on being on the front line during the COVID crisis at the Loudoun County Help Desk, managing volunteers for the health department that put in over 90,000 hours of time. They cannot be thanked enough!

Susanna Peyton writes that while their lives were uprooted for their special needs son during COVID, the addition of a small one who is their other son’s first child has made the whole clan happier. Susannah’s father is 89, requiring family care, so it has been a busy year.  Michael Balf, the assistant mayor of his kibbutz for the last four years, wrote suggesting several terrific ideas for panel discussions at our Reunion next year, including panels on local government and kibbutz life, and a panel of people who have lived their adult lives overseas, looking at the United States from afar and up close.

Jonathan Gertler wrote that all children are healthy and thriving in their varying professions as are he and wife Jane. And in the “triumph of persistent delusions, Jonathan’s third album No Fear is being released by a Nashville label (Rock Ridge Music) in September. While thankful for his day job, he still loves making music. Jonathan keeps in close touch with Bob Krakower, Ellen Gendler and Susan (Davis) Pereira. Jane Goldenring is a proud new parent of Teddy, a rescue bichon frise mix. As we know dogs add a great deal to the quality of our lives.

Jane Eisner has returned to Manhattan, from upstate New York. She has happily had in-person reunions over dinner and drinks with Argus “brothers,” Don Lowery and Cliff Chanin ’75. She is grateful that she along with her family are in good health. As a second time Granny, Iddy Olson is experiencing opposing pulls in her life: torn between work client needs and children’s hugs awaiting in Jackson Hole. David Schreff is current enjoying his role as CEO at ACTV8me.com in Los Angeles. He is an adjunct professor teaching at Parsons School of Design (Paris). He recently became a granddad, which provides much new joy in his life.

Jay Kilbourn writes: “A dramatic year following divorce. Continued sustainable infrastructure consulting project in Kenya. Contracted COVID-19 with my new companion, Wendy, in March last year in New York City, as they declared a state of emergency.” They both recovered after moderate cases replete with fear, atop all the symptoms. They traveled the country in a camper trailer for five months, sporting their “immunity” and masks. She adds, “Amazing look at America during the time of COVID. Now expecting first granddaughter.”

I could relate to Joan Goldfeder’s wishes that the reopening of the world did not come with long automobile traffic. Joan expresses great gratitude for family and friends: lots of long calls, lots of laughter, lots of shared sorrow and joy. She had dinner with Joe Tringali recently in LA. I In addition, she just started a new marketing consulting project with the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities, expecting to be busy the next several months. And in September, she and son Eli went to Oregon on a hiking and biking trip. By the way, Joan, it is not pathetic that you requested an e-bike for this trip.

Finally, I close with a pair of sad news items. Our class lost two members recently: Maco Stewart and Winifred Van Roden. Winifred fought a 17-year-long battle with bronchiectasis. She is survived by husband John Williams and daughter Frances Williams ’14.  Frances comments: “Winifred was strong and funny and creative and stubborn (which I inherited) and effortlessly elegant (which I did not inherit), and she fought so hard for so many years. I feel so lucky that we got to be adults together for a little while. I really wanted more time. She was at the top of the transplant list when she died. As much as we were hoping for new lungs, we are grateful she was able to donate some of her organs.” Maco Stewart had been described as a “seeker” throughout his life: from studying meditation and Eastern religions to becoming an active member of the congregation at Crossroads Bible Church. He was father to five children and died peacefully from cardiac arrest in Los Alamos, New Mexico.