Tag: 1979

Class of 1979 Scholarship

Julian Carraway ’18, Middletown, Conn.

A book that Jane Marcellus co-authored, Mad Men and Working Women: Feminist Perspectives on Historical Power, Resistance, and Otherness (Peter Lang, 2014, rev. ed. 2016) was named to Teen Vogue magazine’s “epic feminist reading list.” Here’s the link: teenvogue.com/gallery/feminist-literature-womens-equality-day/25. “Obviously, popular magazines have tremendous influence on young women, and we were thrilled to be part of a list that includes several feminist classics.”

Robert Kuhn and his husband, Steven, live in Fort Lauderdale with their two Irish Terriers. They have been together 11 years and married four years in February. They have pretty hectic lives, as they’re both in the consulting world—lots of work and travel. Robert’s sustainability consultancy has its ups and downs, but after almost eight years it’s still something he’s passionate about. He recently heard from Bob Murphy ’79, who’s in a related field. Anyone else? On the personal side, he’s in his sixth year on the board of Lambda Legal, the country’s largest and oldest civil rights organization focused on the LGBT and HIV-positive communities. Board service is a labor of love, but this cause speaks to him and has connected him with so many great, passionate folks.

Alan Saly is proudly collecting delegate signatures for Bernie Sanders in Brooklyn.

Gerard Koeppel wrote: “By the time you’re reading this, my latest book, City on a Grid: How New York Became New York, will be nearing the end of a pretty good run, which Adam Gopnik kicked off in the New Yorker a month before the book was published last November. I started writing when Alexandra Peers, editor of Ampersand, the late, great Argus arts section of her invention, asked me in sophomore year to do a piece about Essex, where the sailing club (WESail) I was running based its operations (boats, bought used from Yale with donor money, stored on the grounds of what was then the Wesleyan Marine Lab and launched into the Connecticut River by arrangement with adjoining Essex Yacht Club). The Essex profile went over well, I started writing more features, eventually a weekly column (and intercollegiate sailing competition sports reports under a variety of sailing-related pseudonyms), and switched from an econ major to English. Phyllis Rose taught me to read, visiting V. S. Naipaul (while alienating much of the Wesleyan community) taught me to write, and the rest, so to speak, after many years in journalism (mostly at CBS News) is history, writing everything from books to historical signage in New York City parks. To think that I practically failed Dick Buel’s American History survey course. For anyone who’s interested: gerardkoeppel.com.”

Toni Ross commented that “one child graduated from Bennington this year, the other back in school at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in their newly founded Game Design program, I am still living in Wainscott, N.Y. with my two dogs, George and Gracie, and preparing for three separate exhibitions in 2016 in New York City, East Hampton, and Sag Harbor, N.Y. Nick & Toni’s, my first restaurant venture, just celebrated its 27th anniversary. It is shocking to me that I could be so fortunate. My other restaurants La Fondita, Townline Barbeque, and Rowdy Hall, all located in the Hamptons and Nick & Toni’s Cafe in New York City are also celebrating many years in business. And, shhhhhhh, a new one is on the way. Stay tuned.”

Esslie Hughes is delighted to report that today (Jan. 14, 2016) she started her new position as chief of finance and operations for the Episcopal Diocese of New York!

Rachel Bashevkin will retire this spring as director of studies at Westover School in Middlebury, Conn., after 35 years there. She’ll be moving to New Haven to start a new chapter in her life. Feel free to send ideas for work, service, and entertainment in New Haven to her.

Joseph Wright, MD, MPH, was elected to the American Pediatric Society. Membership is reserved for those who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and clinicians and whose important contributions are recognized nationally or internationally. He calls his membership “a platform for me to further Howard’s commitment to outstanding patient care and service to the community.”

Julie Hacker has been very busy. Her firm, Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects LLC, has just completed the first luxury showroom for Pella windows, which opened Jan. 14 in the Chicago Merchandise Mart.

She is serving as a preservation commissioner for the city of Evanston, Ill., where she gets to try to preserve the great historic building stock they have along the North Shore of Chicago. She ran a symposium, “The Iconic House,” as part of the recent Chicago Architecture Biennial, which just closed. Her recent books featuring the work of her firm include:100 Classical Architects for the 21st Century (Rizzoli) and Contemporary Renovations and Additions (Think Publishing). An active triathlon participant, she completed five short course events this past summer (sprint and Olympic distance) and placed first in her age group in the Michigan City Triathlon. On a personal note, her son, Gabriel, is now a junior at RISD, a double major in film/video/animation and sculpture, making really interesting installation pieces which she can honestly say, she does understand.

Bill Levinson took the plunge! “Well, we finally bought a house in Key West. What began as a one-month vacation, is now a five-month transformation. Julie is doing her graphic design remotely, and I am working five nights a week with The Happy Dog, an original music collaboration, playing gigs at bars, piers, and on boats: thehappydogband.com.”

Andrew Yavelow had a rough year. He lost his job, career, home, community, and friends—and his body fell apart. He moved from fire-ravaged northern California to warm and wet southern Florida, and is trying to pull himself back together and figure out what’s next. We wish him well.

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com

Ann Biester Deane | abdeane@aol.com

Great snippet from Martha Bush: “An interesting Wes connection and coincidence. I rowed at Wes for a year with Kathy Keeler ’78, who, of course, went on to win Gold at the 1984 Olympics. We each had a single daughter in our late 30s. Those two young women (my daughter, Lauren Tracey, and her daughter, Abigail Parker) are killing it rowing together in the first boat for Harvard! Sadly not for Wes, but a small world, nonetheless.”

Philip A. O’Connell, Jr. has published a novella entitled The Sound of Silk. A work of historical fiction, it is set in the vice-ridden alleys of old San Francisco and the silver mines of the Sierras. It deals with the decline and fall of William Ralston, the man who built San Francisco. It is available on Amazon. Phil is a partner in the Boston office of the international law firm Dentons US LLP.

Jim Friedlich and Stuart Ellman ’88 were co-investors in Business Insider, a business information company sold recently to Axel Springer, the German media concern. Friedlich, a former Wall Street Journal executive, was a seed investor in the company at the time of its founding. Ellman, a partner at RRE, a NY-based venture capital firm, served on its board of directors.

Meg and Michael Gold write: “Shortly after the alumni magazine came with Sean and Banning on the cover (congrats to you both! Meg and I are longterm Afropop fans!) it was time for the annual Globalquerque Festival. What an unforgettable, amazing experience we had Saturday night. We got to see/hear: kassemadydiabatemusic.com. This group from Mali had three men accompanying the singer—one on a weird, gourd-harp thing, one on a sort of boxy guitar, and one on a sort of xylophone. Very trance like, hypnotic. According to the brochure, ’Kulanjan, his 1999 album with blues artist Taj Mahal, was famously cited by Barack Obama as one of his favorite albums of all time.’ facebook.com/OrlandoJuliusOfficial from Nigeria was my favorite—a sort of jazz, R&B, reggae mix called “high-life.” The groove was so intense it made me believe I was a good dancer. cimarroncolombia.com from Columbia had two intense guitarists, bass, two percussionists (maracas, hand-drum box thing) a guy on an electric harp (!!) and a flamenco singer/dancer. Unbelievably good guitar solos and a maraca/foot stomp competition thing. makinaloca.com from Congo had a jazzy, salsa, Cuban sound that was also impossible not to dance to. Everyone is invited for next year. Regards from Albuquerque, Michael & Meg Gold.”

Craig McLaughlin performs regularly at storytelling venues around the country. He can be seen most often in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives, but he has recently performed in Los Angeles, Boston, Albuquerque, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, and Seattle. Passing on Curves: While Death Rides Shotgun, a memoir released in May, is built from the stories he tells on stage. He has just begun working on the third edition off his textbook, Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach. For more, visit cdmclaughlin.com.

Jono Cobb writes: “My wife Suzzanne, daughter Jordan, and I had a great time in October at the Hamilton fundraiser, where Wesleyan raised nearly $1.5M for the scholarship fund. I’ve finished my three-year tenure on the President’s Advisory Council and will miss crossing paths at those meetings with Laura Walker and Lincoln Frank. Have a great fall and winter!”

Laura Tully writes: “After 27 years in the Boston area, I am moving with my husband, Rob Schneider, to Alameda in the Bay Area. The end of my team performance coach role at Philips provided the opportunity to leave the fierce Boston winters and join my brother, Andy Tully ’83, and his wife, Beth Mooney, in the San Francisco area. Our son, Simon Schneider, just moved into a triple-decker in Boston where he’s working for the social media marketing firm, Cortex. We’re looking forward to connecting with other Wes folks out West.“

John Papa shared: “After a two-year hiatus, the Sky View Concert Series fundraiser returned to my house on the hill in Avon, Conn., and playing off the hillside was The Marshall Tucker Band. Very cool to have them in the backyard. My wife, Sara, and I raised $20,000 for a local disability charity—Favarh. In attendance was the co-host John Majewski, Neil Fitzgerald, Kevin Bristow, the elusive Pat Kiley, the invisible Tom Dwyer (he actually didn’t sneak away), Billy Schmitt, and Bob Burnett. From other classes were Don Dandelske ’78, Jim Carey ’77, John Gaebe ’77, Paul, “the Beav” Malnati ’77, and of course Vinny “no hitter” Colelli ’76. It was a very special day that went into the late night. The band was extremely engaging with the crowd, and some of us were able to participate with some songs such as Can’t You See, Heard it in a Love Song, and Fire on the Mountain. Having Wes friends there makes these events all the more special. Gearing up for the next concert even though the band level continues to increase.”

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com 

Ann Biester Deane | abdeane@gmail.com

Ann writes: It’s sunny in New York and I just got back from the Mojave Desert for a three-day Skip Barber Racing School driving event, in which I drove an open-wheel race car. I had a blast!

Bill Levinson and his wife, Julie, spent a wonderful sunny afternoon swimming and boating with Matt Jarvinen during his 10-week American tour around the country, enroute to New York City to see Jim Friedlich and his wife, Melissa Stern ’80, Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow. Julie and Bill spent the winter in Key West, playing almost every night with his band, The Happy Dog, from February through April. They are now back in New Hope, Pa., recording a new album and enjoying the incomparable beauty of life there.

Jono Cobb writes “Did you get the Facebook post about AfroPop winning a Peabody Award? (Congratulations to Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow!) Get in touch if you are ever going to be on the Vineyard this summer…”

Ann Kaplan submitted the following: “In May, Laurie Dicker, Heidi Mastrogiovanni, Debbie Mincer, and I, who met freshman year on the same hall in Butterfield C, embarked on a 40th reunion of our own design. We call ourselves the Gang of Four. Our Go4 reunion t-shirts were emblazoned with the slogan, “Claw your way to joy!” That’s what we’ve been doing for 40 years. We met in what is possibly the least-convenient place for any of us to get to—Santa Fe. We convened at our hotel’s outdoor hot tub, and from there went to our suites to unpack and begin the journey. We took yoga, worked out, and got massages. We went for walks amid the adobe architecture, desert plants, and wind chimes. We ate beautiful meals. We visited churches and the Georgia O’Keefte museum. We drove to Taos, stopping at the shrine of Chimayo, where we collected healing dirt, and I disclosed to Heidi that I do not believe in a mind/body dichotomy. We went to dozens of galleries. Laurie bought yarn made by a cloistered nun. I bought a tiny gold knife, a long black dress, and a bracelet that is either religious or goth. We stopped beside the Rio Grande to marvel at the panorama of the river and the endless sky cut by rocky peaks, some capped with spring snow. We streamed music. We sent postcards home. We also went on a misguided winery tour. The person who arranged it said she did not believe that my friend (Eric Asimov) could possibly know anything about wine because he wasn’t that familiar with New Mexico wineries, and they’re the oldest in the country. When you have the best wineries, let me know. And, by the way, French wineries? Much older. But, it was a small detour, and we did visit the Gruet winery where we tasted some sparkling wines that are not usually available in stores. And at the first stop, the vintner served us a rosé that tasted to me like a fresh, pink Christmas tree. Plus, we were with each other, and that, my fellow classmates, is what makes the world go around.”

Harry Matossian, his wife, and three kids have enjoyed their time in the beautiful wine country of Northern California in Mendocino County. He has a very busy gastroenterology practice and spends time off hiking, biking, going to Tahoe and to the Mendocino coast. He finds it hard to believe that his oldest son, Armand, is a senior at University of the Pacific in mechanical engineering, and his next oldest, Sarah, is a junior at Seattle University in nursing and his youngest is a junior in high school. Also scary to think will they be empty nesters in two years.

John Tjia writes in that he “is in Class of 1979, although I started Wesleyan as Class of 1976. I took a three-year leave of absence in my junior year to go to Taiwan to study Mandarin. After graduation and with a BA in East Asian Studies, I hung around New York before a friend suggested banking. I still remember my response: ‘B-b-b-banking?’ Sure enough, I got into JP Morgan’s management training program in 1981 and ended up working there till 2002, including a three-year stint as an investment banker in Hong Kong in the 1990s. Now I am executive director in the business modeling practice at Ernst & Young, working in New York City. I have a book out: Building Financial Models (McGraw-Hill). So, an interesting journey from the starting point of my major. I live in Pleasantville, N.Y., and there are several alumni whom I know of here: Brian Skarstad ’76—ex Class of ’73, violin maker, and married to Louise Beach ’78—they live just down the block from me; and Peter Scherer, graphic and environment design studio owner, and, oh yes, also mayor of the town. His wife is Kathy Herron. Brian, Peter and I have offices in the same building in the center of the village—I have a small office for telecommuting and for my weekend painting hobby—and we also share the distinction of having children who are going (my son, this fall) or have gone to Skidmore College.”

Casey Dinges comments, “It was great to see Matt Okun in May at the Brookings Institution in D.C., where the 40th anniversary of dad Art Okun’s highly influential book Efficiency and Equality: The Big Tradeoff was honored.” March 1, Casey was on HBO’s Last Week with John Oliver where “Oliver had quite a rant on the poor state of the nation’s infrastructure.”

Katharine L. McKenna writes, “I recently won the People’s Choice Award for my paintings exhibited at the Desert Caballeros Museum in Wickenburg, Ariz. After eight shows for the last year-and-a-half, I am taking a little break from exhibiting and am experimenting with photography and color combinations printed on fabric. I will be out West again this summer to paint near Buffalo, Wyo., at the HF Bar Ranch. Regards to all!”

Gary, this time: I write this during the third large snowstorm in the last two weeks. It’s winter in New England.

In July, the inaugural Pigapalooza was held in the bucolic Lehigh Valley. Bill Conley conferred the festival’s name, celebrating all things bacon in honor of the Iron Pigs, the Phillies AAA baseball team. The Pawtucket Red Sox were visiting so it made a great excuse for another mini-reunion after the Reunion. George DuPaul hosted at his palatial Macungie estate. Also in attendance were Joe Britton, Jack Buckley, Tim Fitzgerald, Dennis Robinson, Gary Breitbord, and the elder statesman Jeff Gray ’77. Activities included an impromptu tour of Philly; 2 Iron Pigs games; Aw Shucks corn (delicious); chocolate covered bacon; and a Billy and T. Fitz jam session (I missed that part of the fun since I was taking a nap) warmly wrapped in bacon-inspired merriment.

In November, Dave Thomas ’77 graciously hosted a fete in honor of His Honor Connecticut Superior Court Judge for the New Britain District Robert Nastri ’77. In attendance were Paul Nelson ’78, Bill Ahern ’78, Paul Fichera ’77, Jeff Gray, Ken Langley ’77, and Gary Breitbord, as well as spouses and significant others. Also joining this band after 17 years away, none other than Charles “Sammy Hoch” Himelhoch ’78 all the way from the Motor City. He promised a shorter wait for a return engagement.

In December, the Dunn Gaherin crew got together in celebration of… well… nothing in particular, other than friendship forged by our Wesleyan/DKE bonds. Tim Fitzgerald, Gary Breitbord, Jeff Gray, Jeff Burns ’80, Mike Rosenblatt ’80, and Tim O’Brien ’81 (with a cameo by Steve Sorkin ’83) enjoyed stories of family, offspring (much kvelling), jobs, ailments, current affairs, and not-so-current affairs, all in true Wesleyan fashion.

Ann Biester Deane writes in that she attended the 1831 Society gathering hosted by Eva and John Usdan ’80 in January. It was a frigid night, but the cold didn’t deter Anne Schirrmeister, Bill Plotch, Melissa Stern ’80, Seta Nazarian with son Nicholas ’13, and Mitch Harwood from attending. The event was wonderful, complete with the a cappella group, The Wesleyan Spirits, providing entertainment. Ann Deane is a real estate broker in Manhattan with Halstead and enjoys driving her Porsche GT3 on racetracks throughout the East Coast.

Evan Bauer is still living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with his wife, author Joan Bauer. Evan is now at KPMG LLP as executive director of technology operations.

Neil Fitzgerald reports that he is alive and well in Florida with no news other than that he’s alive and well in Florida.

Peter Campbell writes: “Checking in from Kansas City, I was happy to link up with George DuPaul at the seventh Game of the World Series. George was in town to visit with his son, Glenn, who worked for the Royals (and now works for the Brooklyn Nets). In other Kansas City news, Joyce and I are lucky enough to be able to chum with Tony DiFolco ’81, Lou Scimecca ’81, and Brad Toomey ’81 and their wives, who all reside in town, alternately enjoying dinners, concerts, games, gambling, and/or family events. It is a strange turn of events that four former fraternity brothers and teammates from an East Coast school end up here in Kansas City, but I feel lucky we did!”

Banning Eyre passes a milestone in May with the publication of his book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music that Made Zimbabwe (Duke University Press). The book’s been 15 years in the works, but really, it goes all the way back to Wesleyan, where Banning first heard the amazing music of Zimbabwe.

Amy Seham writes in: “I’m a professor of theater and dance at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where I direct and teach a wide range of courses in theater and gender, women, and sexuality studies. Peg O’Connor ’87 teaches philosophy and GWS here as well. Our student social justice theater group, known as I Am We Are, will be celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year—quite a remarkable record of continuous creative work. My daughter, Miranda, is 11, and yes, she is named for the character in The Tempest, a show I directed for my honors project at Wesleyan, directed for my theater company in New Haven, and directed again here at Gustavus. I would love to hear from any fellow alumni in the Minneapolis area.”

Cliff Hendel has some news to share: “After years (actually, decades) of practice as an international transactional lawyer in New York, Paris, and Madrid (during which time I’ve been admitted to practice as a lawyer in New York, a solicitor in England and Wales, an avocat in Paris, and an abogado in Madrid), I’ve “crossed over” and become a nearly-full-time international dispute resolution lawyer. I represent parties and, increasingly, act as neutral, i.e., as arbitrator or mediator in international disputes. My caseload is essentially commercial and sports-related. I’ve been a member (arbitrator) of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne for several years.”

Much to his pleasant surprise, Evan Flaschen has been named the global 2015 Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyer of the Year by the London-based legal industry survey firm, Who’s Who Legal, whoswholegal.com, whose awards are based on comments solicited from private practice lawyers and in-house counsel from around the world. Congratulations, Evan!

Candy and Bill Davies P’07 downsized from their country home and moved to the city of Poughkeepsie, where they are renovating a 100-year-old Craftsman home with beautiful woodwork and some pretty stained glass windows. They are both employed, Bill still an IBM engineer, and Candy a social worker at SUNY New Paltz, counseling college students.

Some sad news to report: Joan Markman, Philadelphia’s first chief integrity officer, lost her recurring battle with breast cancer and passed away in January. Another life lost too young.

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com

Ann Biester Deane | Abdeane@gmail.com

We beat the Reunion attendance record for the third year in a row with 94 attendees! It was great to see all of your smiling faces looking as young and carefree as we did 35 years ago. Thanks also to Banning and Seanfor hosting the after-party.

Jim Friedlich wrote in that he, Eric Asimov,Ann Kaplan, Bill Plotch, and Mike Vorhaus enjoyed a wine-intensive meal together at Jean-Georges in May shortly before Reunion. Eric is the prolific wine columnist for The New York Times; Ann, an economist; Mike, the president of Magid Advisors, a global market research firm; and Bill is still thriving as a bond trader.

Jim led a WesSemimar at Reunion weekend on “The Future of Media and Entertainment,” which included classmate Laura Walker, CEO of WNYC. Jim was named chief executive officer of Empirical Media, a New York-based media advisory firm, in January. Jim, Strauss Zelnick, Andrew Vogel ’95, and President Michael Roth ’78 co-hosted a cocktail party for DigitalWes in midtown Manhattan in June, a gathering of more than 150 members of the Wesleyan community involved in digital media and venture-capital.

Karin Kiewra has spent the last few decades as a manager and editor in public relations, marketing, and development (fundraising) roles at Boston nonprofits, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard. She has been living with her partner, John Bach, in Somerville, Mass., for several years, and gets to see a fair bit of her 25-year-old son, Jacob, who works for a rising craft brewery, Jack’s Abby, in not-too-distant Framingham. She’s now the senior campaign writer/editor at Northeastern University, where the students are, as Garrison Keillor might say, all good looking, far above average, and get amazing co-op jobs all over the world. She writes, “If I couldn’t go to Wesleyan all over again, I’d come here.”

Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre spent a month in Madagascar this spring, doing research for upcoming Afropop Worldwide broadcasts. Amazing place. Amazing music. They were pleased to share the sonic spoils with fellow ’79-ers at what’s become a traditional after-hours Reunion bash at Banning’s place in Middletown. You can follow Banning on afropop.org.

Craig McLaughlin relocated to Berkeley. The second edition of his textbook, Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach, was released in July. The book is co-authored with his father, Curtis McLaughlin ’54. In August, he premiered a one-person show at The Marsh, one of San Francisco’s top venues for solo performance.

Ben Solnit and his wife, Audrey, had a great visit over the summer with John Hatleberg ’79 and Rise Dimson. The highlight was a visit to Long House Gardens, where Phillip Petit happened to be making final preparations for a bijou reenactment of his 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. John claimed their timing was serendipitous, but given his many connections in the far-flung art world, one never knows.

Their daughters are both launched into new full-time jobs: Rebecca (Dickinson ’12) as a middle-school math teacher for Teach for America in Philadelphia, and Anita (Tufts ’14) as a family service provider for South Bay Mental Health in Lynn, Mass.

Julie Hacker has had a busy year. Along with her architectural partner, Stuart Cohen, she has won awards including the 2014 Preservation Award from Lake Forest Preservation Foundation and the 2014 Watermark Award from Builder Magazine. Their work has appeared in Better Homes and Gardens Spring 2014 Special Edition and the following three books: The Kitchen Bible by Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane; Traditional Architecture: Timeless Building for the 21st Century by Alireza Sagharchi and Lucien Steil; and Houses for all Regions: CRAN Residential Collection. She adds, “I continue to race (triathlons) although gone are the days of the IronMan. As my age group gets smaller I place and sometimes win! I made it to Nationals this summer in Milwaukee and raced with the best. The women over 50 are beasts! Just too much work! My son Gabriel just finished his first year at RISD and loved it. He is majoring in film/video/animation in what is called ‘new media,’ which incorporates everything plus the kitchen sink, I believe. As an AIA fellow, I continue to be involved with the Chicago AIA chapter and our CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network) division. Any other Wesleyan architect out there who will be attending any CRAN conferences, let me know.”

Ann Kaplan wrote, “The platform on which my happiness rests is solidly in place. First, work is a pleasure. CAE has been developing tests that measure student learning outcomes. Yes, it can be done. Bill Gates said of one of our instruments, the CLA+, “I think most people would agree that the skills like critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing—the skills the CLA+ does measure—are pretty important.” It’s exciting to work here. Second, my daughter, Ariel, is thriving. She now lives in my father’s old office, which I own. It’s a beautiful studio apartment, high above Greenwich Village. It has so many windows, which display panoramic views of New York, including the Empire State Building. She works near my office as an elite personal trainer and continues to excel as a pole dancer. I am always in awe of her beautiful spirit. Third, my scuba adventures are taking me to beautiful places. I went to Little Cayman and St. John this summer and am deciding between Papua New Guinea, the Maldives, and Palau for next summer. I have amassed enough miles to take another long trip. And, finally, good friends abound. It’s great to live in New York City, where so many roads cross. I hope to see some of you along the way on this wonderful journey.”

Alan Saly’s been working on organizing the participation of transit workers in New York City in the Peoples Climate March, set for Sept. 21. Mass transit is a big solution to the climate crisis!

Daniel Ostrow chimes in: “I’m still in Middletown, owner and chief instructor at the Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy, 25 years in downtown Middletown. I teach students of all ages, from 4 to 74, and love my life in the martial arts. Life is exciting, challenging, and satisfying. Many of the subjects I studied at Wesleyan have daily and direct relevance to Kung Fu, anything from Spanish and French to comparative religion. I wish I had studied Chinese! I have had the wonderful experience of teaching one generation of students, from 5 years old through black belt, and now they’re off to college! My wife, Sarah, has been with me every step of the way as teacher and Kung Fu mama.”

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com 

Ann Biester Deane | Abdeane@gmail.com

The winter only reluctantly released its grip here in the Northeast. The temperature hit 60 today so there is hope that spring will indeed arrive and that Wesleyan will be thawed out by our 35th.

Just enjoyed another dinner with the Dunn Gaherin crew. Acclaimed author Pete Pezzelli ’81, whose latest novel, The Glassblower’s Apprentice, was just released, attended all the way from the great state of Rhode Island. Jeff Burns ’80, chief of critical care at Children’s Hospital Boston, and Mike Rosenblatt ’80, chief medical officer of Lahey Clinic in Burlington Mass., ensured that the usual cast of miscreants—Gary Breitbord, Tim Fitzgerald, Jeff Gray ’77, Tim O’Brien ’81, and Billy Stack ’81—survived the evening. That festive gathering was closely followed by Opening Day at Fenway Park in celebration of their 2013 World Championship attended by Messrs. O’Brien, Gray, and Breitbord as well as George DuPaul all the way from Macungie, Pa. Dave Thomas ’77 and his son, Spencer, joined for some post-game merriment.

The following is from a recent article in the New York Times: “As president and chief executive of New York Public Radio, Laura R. Walker, 56, oversees metropolitan area stations including WNYC, WQXR, and New Jersey Public Radio. She lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, Bert Wells, 56, a lawyer, their 14-year-old daughter, Claire, and their cockapoo, Aki. Their son, Evan, 22, is a senior at Yale and often comes home for the weekend because he is writing his senior thesis on the 9/11 Museum.”

Joseph S. Britton, a highly respected family law attorney with Begley, Carlin, and Mandio, LLP, has written the recently published Library of Pennsylvania Family Law Forms, 2nd Edition.

Congratulations to Jack Buckley, making a difference in kids lives and being recognized for it. “Carsten Haber, a board member of Center for Student Coastal Research (CSCR), points out that whereas many people have helped in ensuring the success of CSCR as an educational and environmentally active facility, Jack is the one that started it all with his vision, foresight, and determination. For those reasons, Buckley has been selected as the Cohasset Mariner Citizen of the Year.”

Sarah Maynard writes “Well, I’m not sure I want to lead with this, coming up on our Reunion, but I am a grandmother. Daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Jerome Chiu, welcomed Eleanor Appleton Chiu and Hudson Maynard Chiu on February 8!” OK, the ice has been broken. Sarah has courageously come forth admitting she’s a grandparent. Fess up. Who else?

Bill Levinson writes “I am still living happily in the bubble of New Hope, Penna., with my wife, Julie. I regularly play and record music at our studio and performance space called For the Music Only. We have produced some notable shows here, including Garland Jeffreys, Chuck Prophet, Alejandro Escovedo, and Bernard Purdie. I am writing from Key West, our winter bubble, where I have been playing piano and accordion with friends at the local gin mills, piers, beaches, and bars. Julie and I are celebrating 20 years of lucky love and marriage. “

W. Lee (Willie) Jones writes from Charlotte, N.C., “I serve as the director of the Capital Planning and Alliance Development Services Division of the Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department. We recently completed the award winning Romare Bearden Park.”

Theodor Feibel recently had a viewing of his Chromogenic Image “Young Woman Sitting at Table” at the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts in New York City.

Heard from Jane Marcellus, Ph.D., who writes, “I have been promoted to full professor at Middle Tennessee State University, where I teach media history and cultural studies in the School of Journalism. I also have a forthcoming book, Mad Men and Working Women: Feminist Perspectives on Historical Power, Resistance, and Otherness.

Kim Carrell-Smith has a little to tell: “I’m now officially an empty-nester and proud mother of two daughters—one a Professor of English Language at a Chilean university (Tufts ’11) and the other a public librarian in Baltimore (Goucher College, ’13). My husband and I both teach at Lehigh University and I also direct/teach for an interdisciplinary master’s program in which students work in local nonprofit agencies for a full year as part of their MA curriculum.”

Craig McLaughlin is hanging out in Santa Cruz writing and performing regularly as a personal storyteller. A second edition of his textbook, Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach, will be out in July. His coauthor is his father, Curtis McLaughlin ’54. A collection of stories from his performances, which together compose a memoir, came out this September. It is called Lions and Tigers and AIDS! Oh, My! and, yes, some of the stories are set at Wesleyan.

Kathy Herron writes: “My career has taken an exciting new path. After 28 years of being in full-scope midwifery, I have stopped the obstetrics portion of my practice. I have taken a full-time faculty position with the Midwifery Institute of Philadelphia University. I am still doing gynecology at the independent midwifery practice I started in 2000, Full Circle Women’s Health. It’s great not being on call anymore, but I miss the births and the wonderful people I have been working with at our local community hospital, including fellow alum and Chief of OB, Dr. Larry Mendelowitz ’72. I still live in Pleasantville, N.Y., where my husband, Peter Scherer, is mayor and owns a graphic design firm. Caroline (Skidmore ’10) is the stage manager for a local theater company; Ben (University of New Haven ’13) plays guitar for the band Palehound and is currently on tour at SXSW in Austin.

The Emmy award-winning Barbara Grunbaum has produced, written, and directed a new DVD released in March titled Community Cornerstones: Historic African American Communities from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement. More information can be found at HeritageMontgomery.org.

Howard University announced that one of the nation’s leading pediatricians, Joseph L. Wright, M.D., M.P.H., will chair its Department of Pediatrics June 2014. “We are thrilled to welcome a leader with the experience, expertise, and passion that Dr. Wright brings,” said Mark S. Johnson, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the College of Medicine. “Dr. Wright is nationally renowned for his advocacy, public policy and research endeavors. His commitment to outstanding patient care and service to the community are consistent with our core values here at Howard.”

And lastly, John Papa writes, “I had another Sky View Concert series fundraiser at my house in Avon, Conn., to the tunes of The English Beat. Dancing to the Ska music from Wes was co-sponsor John Majewski, Neil Fitzgerald, Bob Burnett, Billy Schmitt, John Gaebe ’77, Paul Malnati ’77, Sean Mckeown ’77, and Jim Carey ’77. People came from all over the country for this great outdoor event. Figuring out now who the next band will be but the clue is ‘I don’t want to go home’. Also just got back from a get-together in Key Largo with 16 Chi Psi’s and one DKE, hosted by John Gaebe and Neil Fitzgerald. After a breakfast at Riviera CC in Miami with Coach Mike Whalen ’83, we were off to the Keys for golfing, boating, and fishing amongst a few other adventures. The Chi Psi’s made an effort to convert the one DKE, Jim LaLiberty ’77, but even with a potential trade, a signing bonus, and a pillow case walk, he stayed true to the boys on High St. The other Lodge men at the event were Bob Latessa, Bill Schmitt, Bob Burnett, Tom Dwyer, John Majewski, Don Dandelske ’78, Buddy Taft ’77, Sean McKeown ’77, Willy Sillin ’77, Paul Malnati ’77, and Dennis Harrington ’76. Best few days of our lives!”

And may that be the same sentiment after our 35th Reunion in May.

Gary Breitbord | gbreitbo@aol.com

Ann Biester Deane | Abdeane@gmail.com

Loads of news this edition and most said they would be at the Reunion Memorial Day Weekend!

Liza Carter published a well-reviewed book, Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family. Check it out: MovingwiththeSeasons.com.

Jim Flynn writes in from New England: “Claudia Mosher ’78 and I are living in St. Johnsbury, Vt. I am raising money for our community hospital, which is doing some interesting work in primary care and management of patients with chronic disease. Claudia is working in admissions at nearby Lyndon State College. Our daughter, Kate, is living in San Francisco and our son, Zach, is a senior at UVM.”

Katherine L. McKenna lives an interesting life in Woodstock, N.Y., as an artist. Her daughter is in high school. Her husband Mark is busy with his company Markertek, which caters to the broadcast industry. She is exhibiting 12 new paintings at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, N.Y., in an exhibition called Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of the American West, which runs Jan. 29th through May 14, 2014. Her next exhibition is in Wickenburg, Ariz., at the Desert Caballeros Museum, Cowgirl Up!, March 21–May 14, 2014.

Shari Runner had the distinct pleasure of accompanying 23 teens to China this summer. She commented: “We visited Bejing and Shanghai, as guests of the Chinese government. For 13 weeks our students studied Chinese language, society, and culture in preparation for the two-week trip. These kids came from various levels of exposure; some had never left Chicago, been on a plane, or left the country. Having traveled the world early in my career as a foreign exchange trader, I can easily say this was the most important trip I have ever taken. The people we met, food we tasted, the art, artifacts, and monuments we saw, and the knowledge we gained was beyond our wildest expectations. Standing in Tiananmen Square, climbing the Great Wall, exploring Las Vegas-like big cities, and walking an old river town was humbling. I have a newly expanded family of incredible youth who are now global citizens, new Chinese friends, and memories of an ancient culture facing the 21st century. Never did I think my work at the Chicago Urban League would take me in this direction. I could never have imagined spending all of my life in Hyde Park, in Chicago, or the U.S. I grew, like our class anthem, singing ‘ain’t no stoppin’ us now’—now these kids know that, too!”

Robin Locke Nagele writes: “I am a healthcare attorney and principal in the law firm of Post & Schell in Philadelphia. My clients are largely hospitals and health systems. Yesterday, my son Chris turned 20, causing me to think back nostalgically on a wild ride up the N.J. Garden State Parkway at 4:00 a.m. two decades ago, when, stopped for speeding, my husband was able to say, quite truthfully, “Officer, my wife is having a baby!” Chris is now a sophomore at Haverford College, studying astrophysics. My daughter, Rosie, is a senior in high school, knee deep in college applications—and, yes, Wesleyan is on the list. My husband Drew, a neuropsychologist is now executive director of Beechwood Neuro Rehab. On Labor Day, we spent an enjoyable afternoon with KJ Browner-Elhanon and her husband, Gai, chatting and watching the rain fall at Arthur Ashe stadium, where the US Open tennis we had come to see was not happening. And last year at this time, I had fun seeing Julie Doern ’80, Laura Tully, and other alums with their kids at Wesleyan’s Alumni Sons & Daughters college program.

Matt Okun says he may not be the first in our class to be a grandparent, but he is probably the happiest. He writes: “My daughter, Nina, who was married about two years ago, is just about to turn 30! She is pregnant and due in February. My youngest, Lia, is hard at work on her PhD in psychology at the New School. My wife, Annie, and I just celebrated our third anniversary. I am still teaching for Seattle Public Schools and diligently hunting for a faculty job in teacher education in a ‘blue’ state on either coast.”

This past August, Julie Hacker was a speaker with her partner, Stuart Cohen, at the CRAN (Custom Residential Architect’s Network-AIA) symposium on On Adding On: Incremental Architecture. “I also sat next to architect alumni Joan Craig at a ‘Luxe Home’ event in September and caught up with her and her practice. As a fellow of the AIA, I have been mentoring young architects, helping them navigate this crazy profession in these crazy times. My son, Gabriel, started his first undergraduate year at RISD.”

Ann Kaplan: “Since our 30th Reunion, a lot has happened. The organization I work for vastly expanded and moved to a larger space. My own project, focused on measuring education fundraising outcomes, is also thriving. My daughter, Ariel, works as an elite personal trainer at Crunch Fitness. She also models and studies pole dancing. She can deadlift 200 pounds! My passion has been traveling and scuba diving. Since we last saw each other on campus, my scuba travel has taken me to Saba, Belize, Grand Turk, Little Cayman, Bali, Komodo, Alors, and Sipidan. On the way to Sipidan, I took a breathtaking side trip to the primary rain forest in Borneo. This month marks a year since Sandy hit the city. I lived in a hotel for most of a week, though I hardly suffered compared to true victims of the storm. I’m looking forward to my “F*ck You, Sandy” memorial bar crawl, when some friends and I will revisit the establishments that were open and became refugee club houses during that crazy week. I’ll be wearing my 12/12/12 concert T-shirt and a big smile! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Middletown in May. Different T-shirt. Same smile.”

Marcie Greenfield-Simons reports in with the sad news of the death of Fran Smith and offers the following tribute:

Fran Smith became my friend in August, 1975, on our first day at Wesleyan, where we both lived in Foss Hill Five.  She became my hero in October, 2002, the day of her son’s bar mitzvah — one day after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.  What ensued for the next eleven years was inspirational.

I have great memories of Fran in college – she was generous: always sharing her mother’s care packages of home-made cookies, or offering help with some tough assignment; she was fun: struggling through the step-shuffle-shuffle-ball-change as we auditioned for a 92nd St. Theater performance; and she was passionate about lab research: setting her alarm for 5:15 AM to be there for the hatching of the damn fruit flies.  Fran was brilliant and humble, silly and wise.  She flew from New York to Boston to surprise me for my 18th birthday. I was so happy and stunned to see her that I fell down the stairs, which dislodged a kidney stone and landed me in the hospital a few days later.  We laughed about that for years.  Fran was there for me when my father died unexpectedly at age 44 during my sophomore year.  

Fran received her PhD in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, did post-doctoral work at University of North Carolina, and subsequently served on the faculty at UNC, UMass Medical Center and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Fran married David Echelman whom she met while at Johns Hopkins.  Fran and David’s honeymoon was planned so that partway through, they could my wedding to Richard Simons. Over the next fifteen years, Fran and David had three wonderful boys, Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  

When her boys were very young, Fran found her true calling.  She wanted to bring her love of science into their preschool, so began volunteering weekly and became known as “Fran, the Science Lady.”  As her boys grew, Fran became involved in elementary school science, and eventually joined the faculty of Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts where she taught for ten years. Twice the student body dedicated their yearbook to “Doc Smith,” and she was the only teacher ever to be voted twice as “Teacher of the Year.”

Fran had an illustrious career while been published many times and receiving numerous awards and accolades –but you can read that elsewhere.  What distinguished Fran as a truly extraordinary human being was her ability to change people’s lives – literally.  A good number of today’s young scientists were inspired by Fran, their chemistry teacher.  So many adolescents, who were in pain due to personal issues and family hardships found solace because of the support, guidance and love provided by Fran.

Back to 2002.  Fran and David decided to approach the cancer treatment aggressively.  Five weeksafter the diagnosis, on the day before Thanksgiving, David was killed in an automobile accident.  He was exactly the age my father had been at his death, and now, at age 44, Fran was a widow, the mother of three boys, ages 7-13, and one who had to get up from her mourning to return to chemotherapy.

I have never known anyone stronger. Fran followed through with the plan she and David had made which included chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy. She was resolute that she would get well.  And she did.  She returned to teaching, was an ever-present mom who allowed her boys to grow with independence, and, never having been a distance bike rider, trained to ride in the Pan Mass Challenge, the largest bike-a-thon fundraiser in the country, with all proceeds going to Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  

In 2005, Fran became the faculty advisor of Worcester Academy’s “Walk and Rock,” a combination walk-a-thon and music festival also dedicated to raising funds for Dana Farber. This event proved to be empowering and nourishing for many of Fran’s students who had experienced their own losses.  

Outside of school, Fran lived vibrantly.  There was great joy in Fran’s home, and she and the boys laughed a lot.  They hiked, kayaked, traveled, went to theater and the movies and spent time with friends.  Fran and I cherished our annual family get-togethers, dinner and game-night in the Berkshires.  Our children became like family.  Fran was the personal tutor for each of our daughters as they navigated the pleasures of AP chemistry!

About three years ago, when Fran and the boys were visiting our home, she complained that she’d been suffering pain in her arm.  We tried to hide our alarm and worry – and were devastated but not too surprised to learn a few weeks later that the cancer had returned.  And metastasized.  

After signing on for a clinical trial at Dana Farber, the next big decision Fran made was to travel with Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  She had never visited Israel, and wanted to go there as a family while she was able.  The trip meant suspending the treatment for a few weeks, and it meant travelling with three strapping, athletic sons — the ultimate physical challenge.  The “Brothers”, as Daniel, Matthew and Adam refer to themselves, did test Fran every day, and she passed with flying colors.  It was a vacation of a lifetime.

Fran always went for aggressive treatment because she was adamant about living for as long as possible — wanting to see her boys graduate, first from high school, then college.  She shared with me her hopes to see them married, and maybe even become a grandmother. She knew that participating in clinical trials was risky, but she trusted her Dana Farber medical team and was willing to try anything – even when she had to travel multiple times a week through Boston rush-hour traffic, and spend 12 or 14 hours a day at the hospital.  I can’t count how many times she said, “I’ll do whatever I have to do – anything, to be here for my boys.”  Fran was blessed with the most spectacular friends and neighbors who helped her every step of the way.  Of course, to have good friends, you must be a good friend.

Back in the late ‘70s, Fran, our roommate Cathy Chin and I had gone to a James Taylor concert. In 2012 Fran told me that she really wanted to see him again, and knew he performed every summer at Tanglewood, near my home.  We made a date.  By July 4th, Fran was already pretty tired. We were able to squeeze a nap in between Pittsfield’s Hometown Parade and the concert. It was a glorious day from start to finish – the kind of day you remember for years to come.

Worcester Academy invited Fran to be the graduation speaker this past May.  Her youngest son, Adam, a member of the graduating class, was a student speaker, making the day even more special. With all her wisdom and life experience, Fran’s remarks hit it out of the park; she shared important life lessons about resilience, support, perspective, friends and happiness.  Everyone in the auditorium that day knew Fran’s story.  Her presentation was tremendous – she made everyone cry, but she made us all laugh, too.

At the beginning of August, Fran wasn’t feeling well.  The doctors found brain lesions.  Even then, Fran said she was still in fighting mode and there was reason to be hopeful.  She agreed to start full brain radiation and then take whatever next steps were recommended.  At the same time, she made plans to take Adam to his first day of college.  Two weeks later, she did just that, and made his bed just as she had done for Daniel and Matthew on their first day of college.

In early September, about five days before she passed away, Fran shared with us that she was ready to go.  She knew she had fought a good fight, and didn’t want any more pain and suffering.  Even in that decision, Fran showed tremendous courage.  We took Fran to sit outside one last time. She smiled serenely and commented how beautiful everything looked, including the garden she and the boys had planted in David’s memory.

I miss Fran very much, but when I feel sad and teary, I remind myself that I can honor Fran best by emulating her, by being resilient, brave, hopeful and, above all, by finding joy in life every day.  And when I talk or visit with Daniel, Matthew and Adam, three truly remarkable young men, I know Fran, my friend and my hero, is still here on earth.

Gary Breitbord and Ann Biester Deane

gbreitbo@aol.com
Abdeane@gmail.com