August 22, 2022

On to year #51 and another column.  The 50^th reunion turned out to be a great success. Kudos once again to the entire reunion committee, headed by Trustee emeritus Tom Dempsey who most appropriately was presented with the Wm. Brian Little ’64 Award during the Awards program. The Little award is “the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Council. It recognizes Colgate alumni/ae who have rendered distinguished service to the college and have previously received the Maroon Citation. Mere prominence is not the criterion; rather, the award recognizes those who have worked, over a number of years, with marked intelligence and success to promote the highest interests of the college.”  Also recognized were reunion committee members Jim Capalino and Christine Lenehan who were “Maroon Citation” recipients. Those awards are made in “grateful recognition of significant and invaluable personal contributions to Colgate University. A record of service, rather than a single act or achievement, is the criterion for selection.” Congrats again to our outstanding classmates and thanks again for your work and generosity on behalf of Colgate!

With some 138 or so registered classmates attending reunion (along with their significant others in many cases), it’s impossible for me to summarize who all I had a chance to connect with and what all might have been relayed. So, the column reunion notes here are primarily gleaned from post-attendance emails and the like.  Additionally, the 50^th Reunion Yearbook captured updates on many of us and reference can be made to that as well (although only some 195 of 428 reachable classmates visited the class website throughout 2021). Speaking of class notes, I was honored to have received at the reunion class photo-shoot a plaque from the class presented by Prez Rob Jones and chair Tom Dempsey in appreciation of my 50 uninterrupted years of alumni columns and reunion committee work. Others of you have also been most kind in expressing those sentiments as well, and I am grateful. Thanks to YOU all for always providing “grist for the mill.”

I think everyone in attendance would agree that the long reunion weekend provided not only the first-ever rainless reunion, but a wonderful opportunity to touch base with many colleagues, visit a thriving Hamilton, commemorate lost friends, hear of plans for the Third Century, and to take in other events like great “reunion college” courses and evening entertainment arranged for by Tom Dempsey and Rob Jones. Among those sending along reunion recollections was Programming co-chair Paul Parshley.  Paul emailed a photo of some of his Beta attendees.

Pictured with Paul (not in order) is his wife Cathy as well as “Charlie ‘Choo’ Aldridge (and wife Liz), Jeff Axelson, Rick Dalton ‘71 (and wife Karen Judge), Don Grimes (and wife Carol), Mike Harding, Frank Swain (and wife Hilary), Howard Weiner and Cliff Weinberger.

Paul added that “Mike Cohen, another Beta classmate, was unable to make the long trip from his home in Jerusalem but paid remote attention to the festivities and sends his best wishes to all.”  Meanwhile, some Sigma Chi’s weighed in with me via Wayne Keil. He wrote that “we had a group of Sigma Chi's who stayed at the casino, and we didn't get to 'Gate for as many events as I would have liked including the class picture. Anyway, we had a great time. After five minutes the years just melted away and the stories just kept on flowing. Please mention the Sigma Chi's in attendance. From '72: myself, Chuck Lanigan and Jeff Allen. From '71 Steve Kingsbury and Jim Swanson. From '70 George Murphy and Ed Russell. We all agreed that we've got to do this more often. I hope I'll see you before another 5 years go by.”

I also heard from Dan Cattau who was unable to attend reunion but has provided much news for us lately. Most recently, he advises that “Sara and Rick Goetz (celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary) hosted my daughter Olivia (U Chicago ’18) and me for a Colgate mini-reunion in late June at their home in Bainbridge Island, WA. Rick recently retired as a ‘senior research physiologist’ at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Roughly translated, he's a well-respected marine biologist.) The last I heard from Rick, he was in Ecuador heading to the Amazon. Rick was a mentor to Olivia, who is in grad school in marine biology at the U of Washington. I just finished work at as a theological consultant to the author Jonathan Eig on a new biography of Martin Luther King Jr. We used some of [the late] Prof. Coleman Brown's MLK dissertation for guidance.”

Also unable to attend Reunion per se was former Alpha Delta resident Ted Lenio. But Ted did have an opportunity to connect with classmates. He emailed that he was “so grateful to have connected over the weekend with Theta Chi buddies Tom Akey, Steve Grinnell, Dave (and Barb) McGill, Dan Sharp, and spouses” at both the Colgate Inn Thursday and again at their Airbnb. He added that he “feels as close as ever to campus these days, having played the sinister 'Dr. Dorothy Schmetterling' last February in Colgate assoc prof Jesi Bender Buell's premiere of ‘Kinderkrankenhaus’ on the Brehmer/Dana Arts stage. Amongst a neurodiverse cast, it was the most rewarding theatrical experience of [my] life, particularly working with NYC director Andrew Neisler, and students in Prof. Regina Conti's psychology course. (The play was featured in a two-page spread in the Spring 2022 edition of Colgate Magazine.).” Ted also wrote, directed, and starred in “Touchy,” his first one-act last fall at the Rome (NY) Community Theater, earning a 'meritorious award for playwrighting' from the Theater Association of NYS and an induction into the Rome Arts Hall of Fame.  He additionally appeared this past summer with the newly minted “Hamilton Community Players” in their staged (at the Palace Theater) radio play of Orson Welles' “The War of the Worlds,” produced by Lisette Shiffer. As if that weren’t enough, Ted continues “a robust, successful foot-racing schedule with the “Roman Runners.” No moss is gathering under those feet!

Meanwhile, Jay Isenberg reached out to tell of an April mini-reunion of Ft. Lauderdale-area alums when he visited Miami from Minneapolis for a “pilgrimage” to see the Dylan painting exhibition “Retrospectrum.”  Pictured (not in order): Jay, Marty Fox and Colgate Broad St apt roommate Steven Rosenstein (who left his senior year to start and complete dental school in Philly).  

Jay had attempted to have Scott Finlay and Robert Kline join them but couldn’t reach them.  Jay noted that they “hadn’t seen each other in 50 years. It was a lot of laughs and memories, at least those that could be remembered.”  Jay had helped me locate Marty for mailing the yearbook to Marty. Speaking of yearbooks, I am still in search of Jim Sileneck, Marc Berman, and Richard DiMarzo, whose copies were returned to me; if you happen to know any current contact information for any of them, kindly let me know!  The yearbook did make its way to Avery Teo in Singapore.  She wrote to me shortly after its receipt to say that she “stayed up last night and read the whole book.  Loved all the stories of Colgate days and what ppl are doing today.  Brought back so many memories.  The book covered everything that happened in those four years in an amazing way.  I’m so impressed with every aspect that was covered.  Thanks so much for all your hard work putting the book together and getting it out to even those who are overseas.” Amy added that she “has lived in Singapore since 1975 when I was sent by Chemical Bank to open an offshore branch.  I met my husband here and hence, I’ve never left.  We have 4 daughters and 7 grandchildren.  My daughters did go to college in the US, but they all chose different schools on the West Coast.”

Reunions, in addition to allowing us to join together and recall old times with friends, also reminds us of those who have impacted us and sadly passed on from this world. As the Yearbook went to press in Feb, we were aware of 73 departed classmates. Sadly, I must note a few more as of this writing. They include John “Chip” Berning, Jr., Steven Bauch, Jim Munson, and William “Bill” McClintock. Chip survived a debilitating auto accident many years ago but went on to earn a PhD in mathematics from Duke and eventually taught at St. Elizabeth’s College (NJ) and Blue Ridge Community College (NC). He died April 26 in Hendersonville (NC) survived by a brother and extended family.  Steven, a member of KDR, died July 5 in Hurley (NY) from surgical complications. He had earned a master’s from SUNY Oneonta and was survived by his wife of 50 years, Ann and sons Patrick (Juliana), Sam, and a brother Michael.  Steve was employed by Crawford Door and Window, ”the Pella Window Store” for 43 years. As his obituary observed, “you may have been fortunate to have had his advice on windows that would bring sunshine and light into your home.” Bill died June 15 in Littleton, CO and Jim passed away March 23, 2008 in Martinez, CA. Some of you likely remember William N. “Bill” Turtle, who died in 1974 from cancer. As part of what would have been his 50^th reunion, Bill’s sister Valerie Turtle (UVM ’72) established the William N. Turtle ’72 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund at Colgate. Valerie wrote that “Bill always talked fondly of his years at Colgate and this scholarship is one way that other students may have some financial help in pursuing their Colgate education. Bill was from Montclair, NJ and then Morrisville, VT. Bill should have graduated from Colgate in 1971, but his back cancer kept him out of Colgate for two semesters within his four years. Bill passed away January 3, 1974. Because Bill lived in Andrews Hall as a freshman, my parents donated money to have memorial trees planted in front of Andrews. There is a stone marker found in that area of the now-mature trees.” Class veep Eric Luce and others recalled the impact that Bill had on them in his all-too-brief time at Colgate. I’ll pass along the remarks that Eric received. Most were fellow residents of Russell House where Bill and Eric lived as upperclassmen. Eric notes that “I lived in Russell House for a year during Junior year and got to know Bill well. I was dealing with an injury to my knee that cost me my junior year in soccer. Bill knew that but would never let me get down in the dumps. I didn’t have a clue what he was dealing with.  I also remember playing wiggle ball with Bill and Rob Jones with a few beers during graduation week as if there wasn’t a care in the world. He was a great guy and he was gone too soon.”  Gary Johnson says that “I was fortunate enough to live in Russell House where Bill was also a resident. I recall fondly his sense of humor and his love for competing in intramural sports. He was a terrific athlete and took time to organize our group of ragtag residents to compete in the sport of the season. At times he grew frustrated with our incompetence, but as I recall, we were at least competitive in most games. That probably was in large measure due to his talents more than anyone else’s. Thanks, Bill. I was so sorry to learn of his passing and when I think back on my days at Colgate, I often remember the time I spent with Bill. My condolences to his sister and let her know Bill has a special place in my Colgate memories.”  Joe Kittle proffered that “I came to know Bill when both of us were residents of Russell House for our junior and senior years. Russell was a dorm for upperclassmen. We both had rooms on the top floor, and Bill’s room was at the end of the hall, just a couple rooms down from mine. I remember that I never saw Bill without a smile on his face. He was always friendly and upbeat, very confident and self-assured. He had blond hair and vibrantly blue eyes (like Paul Newman’s eyes). His personality and handsomeness made him quite the “ladies’ man”. Russell House was a co-ed dorm, and Bill was very popular with the female exchange students from Skidmore and other universities. As I recall, he even had female friends who were students at the surrounding universities.  Understandably, there were quite a few guys who were envious of Bill’s prowess with the ladies. Despite the envy, I can honestly say I didn’t know anyone who ever said anything negative about Bill. I also remember that Bill was an exceptional racquetball player. I played football at Colgate and did some racquetball in the off-season to stay in shape.  I actually thought I was fairly decent at the game, but I played Bill a few times and, as I recall, he “kicked my butt:” he had a devastating low-into-the-corners shot. I knew Bill previously had a bout with cancer, but I was under the impression that it was in his “rearview mirror”. I know that he never spoke much about it, and never let it get him down. He wasn’t the kind of guy who sought anyone’s sympathy for what he had been through. I was shocked to see that he passed just a couple years after graduation.  I’m sure that his family and friends are comforted by the many fond memories they have of Bill. Rob Jones remembers “Bill as a great guy and a friend. He passed way too early. Always upbeat.” Finally, Charles Chuck Koutsogiane sent some poignant recollections. He writes, “first of all, no disrespect intended, but most of us simply called him "Turtle."  I remember a few would call him ‘Bill’ but he answered to either name quite easily, I guess it was just natural for all of us and for him. I was with him for two years in Russell House. I remember that he had a single room on the first floor at least for our senior year (I had a single in the basement floor), but I can't remember if he ever had any other living arrangement.  I can still remember his favorite mode of dress - he frequently wore bell-bottom jeans, a denim shirt and at times a colorful madras-type of belt or sash; he was in sync with the times for sure. He wore newer jeans for special events, a creature of habit. As you know, the dining hall was connected to the dorm, so we didn't have to go out or to another building for meals, and he would come walking in wearing that exact outfit. I can still see him to this day, standing in line and talking to the others.  As we all know it was a turbulent time with the protests and the Vietnam war. After dinner many of us would retreat to the TV room and take in the 6:30 national news before studying. Turtle was often a regular there for the 30-minute program. I think we only had 3 channels to choose from. I know first-hand that he participated in the Colgate social scene, especially during party weekends or similar events like concerts. He would bring dates to the dining hall and I seem to remember they were usually not from Colgate. He was amazing. I had a car as I had served more than 2 1/2 years in the military before returning to Colgate for my second stint. On two separate occasions he asked me if I would be willing to drive him to the Syracuse bus station to pick up a date (two different girls) for the weekend events. One of the girls was a blind date and he told me on the way that he had no idea what she looked like... I think WE (I was now enlisted as part of the search party) found her after several tries approaching the wrong girl.... just great. We all had a good laugh over that, even his date!! Turtle was extremely polite and respectful to these two dates, and I laughingly thought of myself as a chaperone. I don't remember how the girls ever got back to Syracuse, I only remember picking them up or Turtle asking me about my service time on the way up or talking about events on campus. I don't remember having any classes with him. My last recollection involved intramural hockey, which would be around Jan to Feb/March 1972. Russell House was putting a team together and Turtle decided to join. I was enlisting players of all levels of skill.  He confided in me that he wanted to play but was concerned that he would get bumped, pushed or even checked (no checking was allowed) but he still played!!!   I know it was very difficult for him, but he would not give up. He was definitely a player that you could rely on, and he had skill. I remember Turtle as being a bit reserved at times, but he probably participated in more Colgate events than I ever did. He seemed to seek out those opportunities so he could live life to the fullest. I have very vivid and great memories of him. It's been more than 50 years but I can still see his face, his clothes, his manner of speech and I still remember the events that I described. It's all good.” 

To all of those family and friends left behind by these former colleagues, we extend our heartfelt condolences and trust that many great memories have eased their sense of loss.

I have reached the end of my pile and will sign off for now.  Stay well and do continue to stay in touch!

May 20, 2022

February 11, 2022 Update- Class of 1972

Hello, classmates!  First, if you haven’t already planned to attend and register for our 50^th Reunion, I encourage you to join many of our classmates in assembling in Hamilton June 2-5.  We will be celebrating along with friends from the classes of 1970 and 1971, who were delayed by the pandemic.  You can link to the registration site at https://www.colgate.edu/alumni/campus-events/reunion; be sure to select the June 2-5 dates (the non-50^th’s meet the following weekend).  You can also check out other registrants and the weekend’s programs and schedule.  As of this writing in February we have about 70 classmates signed up. [As of March 20, that number is 82] As part of this special occasion, Eric Luce, Allen Mass and I have just had our class yearbook publishers upload our 50^th Reunion yearbook to the printer.  We hope you will have it in hand by early April and have a chance to thumb through it and be able to rekindle some memories and friendships… and perhaps be moved to join us in the valley in June.

Meanwhile, I’m happy to send along some news and updates. It will be in a somewhat abbreviated fashion, as I am behind in getting this done, given the various yearbook deadlines. First, some retirement news came in regarding Ken Freeston and Mark Tunnell.  A press release that my “Google mail” picked up announced Ken’s projected retirement to occur in June of next year.  Ken has been Supt of Schools for the North Salem (NY) district since 2007, and was Supt prior to that in Ridgefield and Redding, CT. Ken has written numerous educational articles and co-authored a book on fatherhood titled “Welcome to Club Dad.”  Mark retired at the end of last year as a judge of the PA Court of Common Pleas (Chester Co). For 34 years before that, he practiced law as a trial attorney. He wrote that “for the first time since 1966 I find myself unemployed and I feel great about it. Judy, my wife of 44 years, and I will be moving closer to our children, and we will no doubt be chasing five grandchildren all over the place.”

Among the still-working are Dr. Chuck Fikar, Joe Gandelman and Jim Capalino. Chuck still works as a physician for the Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment at SUNY’s Queens College in Flushing (NY). He’s a Board-Certified pediatrician who practiced pediatrics for 20 yrs, including for the US Public Health Service and various county health ctrs in Suffolk Co (NY). He’s also managed to have 54 published articles in the bio-medical field, with yet more in the pipeline.  I don’t think I realized that he managed to earn a MSLS in library science and worked as a med reference librarian for a number of yrs and as dir of the med library at the NY College of Podiatric Medicine.  If that weren’t enough, Chuck has tutored high sch and college math most of his life as well.  He says he studies various advanced topics in math in his leisure also. He adds that he is an avid stamp collector and enjoys reading science fiction, classics, and some of the modern mystery-thrillers. Chuck reminded me that when he and I were both at Union’s Albany Med and Albany Law respectively, he had volunteered to give me my monthly allergy injections which, as an indebted law student, was a welcome money-saver for me.  Moving along to Joe, he wrote that, in addition to his ventriloquism travels and shows, he became ordained through the Universal Life Church in order to perform a wedding of some friends, one of whom was a veterinarian. It was only appropriate that one of his puppet friends, a basset hound, presided as officiant. Some of the dog’s lines which I’ll include here were very apt: “if anyone objects to this wedding… I’ll bite your legs off;” “this gift of marriage is both miraculous and wonderful and this ceremony gives us a perfect opportunity to celebrate the love between these two precious souls. When you see them, you just have to wag your tails;” “as a couple they will have wonderful moments, will say “hi” and make lots of new friends --- although they won’t say “hi” and make new friends the same way us dogs do;” and, finishing up the ceremony, “you may lick...I mean KISS.. the bride.”  As to Jim, a press release I received noted the further expansion of his urban strategy firm, Capalino & Company. This segues into being able to note here that Jim has been named one of this year’s “Maroon Citation” recipients, as has reunion committee member Chistine Lenehan. The award is made in “grateful recognition of significant and invaluable personal contributions to Colgate University. A record of service, rather than a single act or achievement, is the criterion for selection.” Congrats to both and thank you for your work and generosity on behalf of Colgate!  This is also the appropriate place to congratulate and thank our reunion chair and former Colgate trustee Tom Dempsey for his receipt of the Wm. Brian Little ’64 Award For Distinguished Service To Colgate.  More on these awards at reunion!

I’ve heard from Rick Lewis who was pleased to report that he and wife Marcia have “become true snowbirds, spending November through March in Pompano Beach.” He added that they were “about to put our toes back into the world of travel, with a trip to Spain’s Costa del Sol right after reunion being planned.”  In the meantime, Paul & Susan Kornfeld ’74 Kennedy have been staying busy despite being in “retirement mode.” Domestic travel, grandkids, golf and the like keep them very occupied, it sounds. The golf for Paul included at least one visit from Phi Psi brother Dave Hennigar for a NC tournament. The Kennedy’s Christmas newsletter noted that they had hoped to spend a month last Sept in South Africa for their 45^th. Sadly, and for a third time, the trip had to be postponed due to COVID and the entire country having shut down last year. Never to be disappointed, Susan pointed out that they did “the next best thing- five days in Charleston” which included such touristy things as a horse-drawn carriage and a walking tour. “We had a blast,” she said.

Regrettably, I’ll close out this edition with news of the passing of Dave & Paul’s Phi Psi brother, Mark “Rinky” Wanich January 26. Mark leaves behind his wife Catherine and their children Mark, David and Meaghan, to whom we extend our deepest condolences.

Stay well and hope to see you at reunion in June!

-db

November 19, 2021 Update

As I write this shortly before Thanksgiving, we are putting the finishing touches on our 50^th reunion yearbook, entitled “The Paths We’ve Taken”.   I thank Allen Mass and class veep Eric Luce for all their help in putting this together. Steve Grinnell and Mark Tunnell also uploaded to me a lot of helpful headlines and photos for inclusion. There is a lot to such a project, including website management, the review and editing of some 190 individual profile entries, 113 essays, photo selections, layout, and the like.  Although we did not have quite the participation we would have liked, we should have a very nice remembrance of our years at Colgate and what many of us have done since then.  We hope to have the book in your hands well before Reunion in June (June 2-5).  A big thanks also to the university and to anonymous committee donors for underwriting the cost of our book, which will go to everyone in the class.

Although I’ve technically received a ton of “updates” via yearbook submissions, I’ll let the class website (colgate72.org) and the yearbook relay those to you.  There were a few other snippets, though, that were more “newsy” and not as likely to appear in the yearbook as such.  So, here we go.  Charlottesville atty David Toscano, former member of the VA House of Delegates, has authored a book entitled Fighting Gridlock: How States Shape the Nation and Our Lives. It had a Sept release date from the U of Virginia Press. I’m guessing that a number of us old Poli Sci folks will especially want to take a look at this.  I had hoped to read it by now myself, but alas the yearbook and other obligations have so far kept me from that. Meanwhile, Mike Harding emailed to let me know that he was planning to retire from his position at Mercedes Benz/International Autos in Milwaukee in February of 2022.  Prior to that gig, Mike had been involved with purchasing, contracts management, and sales at various places including Oscar Mayer, Louis Rich, Target and Stanford U.  Mike and wife Sharon have two kids in northern CA and another in ID, along with three grandkids. Mike and Sharon are planning on attending our 50^th in June.  By the way, the reunion committee is planning an enjoyable and jam-packed long weekend of events. There’s still time to sign up! You can see a listing of returnees on our website colgate72.org or through the Colgate Alumni & Family Portal at alumni.colgate.edu.

I also heard from Joe Gandelman who was planning to get to Colgate’s Chapel House around Thanksgiving for his annual stay there. He wasn’t sure whether time (and weather) would allow for a side trip to the Southern Tier to visit here.  But he did manage an October Vegas trip. Joe wrote that he “was one of two special instructors at the Scott Land School (Scott is ‘puppeteer to the stars’ and was head marionette guy on Team America, the adult marionette film, and is a close friend of Dick Van Dyke) at a ventriloquism workshop weekend. On the final day, David Copperfield personally took our group on a guided tour of his private museum including the magic room, puppet room, and ventriloquist puppet room. I turned the corner and there were the puppets used by Sandy Becker. There was also the original Jerry Mahoney, the little figures used to make the Davy and Goliath tv show, a dummy used by Lon Cheney in one of his movies, the Houdini room, etc.”  Sounds like a lot of history there! Joe also wrote a very nice tribute to Michael Wallender for the yearbook “remembrance” section, which is certainly worth the read if you knew Mike at all.

Jeff Samuels also brought me up to speed a bit while also updating his yearbook entry.  It has been quite a while since we both graduated from Union’s Albany School in 1975.  When I had last seen Jeff, he was Asst Commr for Trademarks at the US Patent and Trademark Office.  In Jan 1993 he left the PTO and joined a DC law firm where he practiced trademark and unfair competition law for several years.  He has often been an expert witness and consultant in trademark-related litigation (mostly in federal court) and has served as a lobbyist before Congress. 1998 saw a move to Akron, OH upon becoming a Prof of Law at the U of Akron School of Law and dir of its Intellectual Property program.  He and wife Linda then moved to Sausalito, CA in 2014, allowing them to be near their two children and a granddaughter. Jeff added that he has stayed in fairly regular contact with David Berman and got a chance to see Dave and his wife Nancy in Boston a few years ago.  They have all been discussing attendance at the 50th Reunion—and I, for one, am hoping they all can make it!

We sadly discovered from the yearbook outreach process that quite a few of our classmates had passed who neither the college nor I had previously heard about.  As part of our 2022 Reunion program, there will be a special remembrance and celebration of life for all of our deceased classmates. That endeavor is headed by Rev. Mark Ridley and Rev. Jim Kellaway. Those we most recently and regrettably add to that list are: Flint Beal (6/12/21); John Jaffe (11/9/16); Stephen Lichatin III (n/a); Tom Lutz (9/17/20); Bernard McEntegart (2/20/17); Sumner Parker (9/18/18) and Justus Weiner (9/5/20). Most of the current 71 departed colleagues have had memorials and/or remembrances placed in the yearbook. It is humbling to see what they accomplished during their time with us, as well as how their families and others were touched by their lives; indeed, our condolences are extended to all of those suffering their loss.

That’s it for now.  Drop a line if you’re up to it, and stay well.

August 20, 2021 Update- Class of 1972

Here’s to upcoming fall 2021, which brings us another step closer to our 50^th Reunion next spring (on campus June 2-5, 2022).  In what I think is a “first” in the 49 years of doing our column, I have no classmate news to deliver for the October issue of the Magazine*.  Suffice it to say, though, that many of you have been signing into our reunion/yearbook website and updating your profiles, contributing essays, adding photos and penning life updates and such.  The webpage data will also serve as the primary source for our hardcover yearbook, so please feel free to check things out on our various webpages and make updates and contributions.

In that regard, if you haven't already, the easiest and best way to help us produce a great yearbook for you is click the “Update My Profile” tab, located along the upper right portion of the Home page. This will assure that we have the latest information used to build the yearbook.  All of this will help us re-connect with those classmates we haven’t seen in a while. Feel free to add photos from our college days, current ones with family, previous reunion photos, etc. Many of you would also make wonderful essay contributors regarding our ‘gate days, life-reflections, or whatever else might move you. We hope to have a super class website and a ‘keepsake’ yearbook (to be paid for through generous class contributions and published by our partners at Reunion Technologies). The yearbook will contain biographies, uploaded past and present photos, submitted essays, 50 years of surrounding history highlights and any other items of interest you might suggest. Our website can also be used to make reunion donations to ‘gate.  Meanwhile, our thanks go to many classmates who have been working for over a year now to produce a great reunion experience and yearbook for each of us: Tom Dempsey (Reunion Chair); Class Officers Rob Jones, Eric Luce and Dave Brockway; Bruce Crum, Jim Capalino, Chris Lenahan, Tom Kunz, Paul Parshley, Allen Mass, Alonzo McCollum, Jim Kellaway, Alan Chipperfield, Steve Kaufman, Paul Kennedy and a host of others who are drumming up interest in this milestone event.  Feel free to ask any one of us if you are inclined to assist us- there is always room for extra help (reach us by clicking under the “committee emails” in the “Reunion Committee” section on the Home page). Thanks!  -Secretary Dave

* Since I penned the above for the October edition of "The Magazine" I have learned that Charlottesville attorney David Toscano, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, has authored a book entitled Fighting Gridlock: How States Shape the Nation and Our Lives. It is due for release September, 2021 from University of Virginia Press. Many of us old Poli Sci folks will especially want to take a look at this, I'm guessing.

-db

Summer 2021 Edition- Class of 1972

Happy summer to all!  Our 50^th reunion (scheduled on campus June 2-5, 2022), our class webpage (www.colgate72.org) and our reunion yearbook have all been in the planning stages for many months. All of these endeavors can use your help if you would like to join the initial leadership team; simply let any of those on the team know of your interest and ideas through the website.  But the easiest and best way to help is to log in to the webpage and update the tabs under your “profile” (found by clicking “Classmates”).  This will assure that we have your current email address and other information used to build the yearbook and help re-connect with those classmates we haven’t seen in a while. Feel free to add photos from our college days, current ones with family, previous reunion photos, etc. Many of you would also make wonderful essay contributors regarding our ‘gate days, life-reflections, or whatever else might move you. We hope to have a super class website and a ‘keepsake’ hardcover yearbook (to be paid for through generous class contributions) which will contain biographies, the uploaded past and present photos, submitted essays, 50 years of surrounding history highlights and any other items of interest you might suggest. The website can also be used to make reunion donations to ‘gate.

In reviewing the news that’s come in to me, I start on a sad note. I learned from Beta member Bob Dunwoody that his fellow BTP and rugby team member Joe Zaremba died Jan 12 of this year on Long Island. Joe’s obituary notes that he was a very successful salesman and manager in the NYC and East Coast regional commercial flooring market. It described him as “a generous guy who performed many acts of kindness for others.” It went on to say, “in the great Polish tradition, he’d prepare the most delicious and satisfying meals for anyone who could make room for a bite to eat. In fact, he would regularly carry up to 20 pounds of NYC’s best kielbasa on cross-country flights to visit family and friends.”  Further, Joe was a deeply empathic man who loved sports of all kinds.  He is survived by children Peter Zaremba and Christine Donnelly, their spouses and children and numerous other friends and relatives, to whom we extend our sympathies.

Meanwhile, reliable and loyal contributing alum Rick Lewis sent along a summary of his “COVID year.”  I am sure it echoes some of our experiences. He writes, “[w]hile the past 12-15 months have been difficult, boring, frightening, frustrating, and you can add more adjectives if you wish, I think we are nearing some normalcy. At least America 2.0. I hope to begin traveling again in the near future, but that’s more about how healthy other parts of the world are than how healthy (or vaccinated) we are. Our family has been lucky/careful and none of us have had Covid although almost all of our grandchildren have been quarantined (some multiple times) because they were in contact with someone at school who either had Covid or was exposed to someone who had it. [Marcia and I] used to be “snowflakes,” flying back and forth during the winter from NY to FL. This past winter, we drove down right after Thanksgiving and stayed through mid-March. To our surprise, we really enjoyed the long stay (and the great weather) although we did miss the grandkids. And FaceTime certainly helped.”  Someone who was not able to professionally escape dealing with COVID is Dr. Bernard McNamara. Bernie managed nonetheless a move from Redondo Beach (CA) to Aliso Viejo where he has an office.   Bernie wrote in early March that, “I am still working full time Emergency Medicine at Southern California Hospital at Culver City in LA County, and I'm at least seeing a decrease of COVID-19 cases!  My sister and I sold our childhood home back in Quincy, MA in December, which was sad.  I'm keeping in touch with Richard Lyford in MA and hope to visit the Boston area to see him and other friends and family in late October.”

Reunion committee member Allen Mass sent an email back in Feb noting that he was delighted to hear from fellow Phi Tau classmate Mark Ridley who had sent him this: “after practicing law in Washington, DC for three years and then pastoring churches in Upstate NY for three decades, I’ve moved on to a higher calling: grandparenting (my best job yet). My wife Nadine and I get to care for our two pre-school granddaughters four days a week here in Minneapolis, and we’re hoping to meet a brand new grandchild this summer in England (COVID permitting). We spend what spare time we have driving our Jeep on off-road trails in Utah and Colorado. It will be great to catch up with old friends at our 50th Reunion next year!”

Most recently, I had occasion to sit at a Kiwanis dais here in Horseheads with Mike Rogers ’92.  Mike is on state senator Tom O’Mara’s staff and brought with him a Legislative proclamation honoring several police officers we were recognizing.  Mike and I managed to chat a bit about Colgate, the coinciding reunion weekends for the ‘72’s and ‘92’s and Colgate-Cornell hockey games in nearby Ithaca which Mike and I and a number of other local grads and spouses have attended together in past years.

I think that’s a wrap for now. Do drop a note!

-db

Spring 2021 Edition- 1972

I imagine most all of us will have been vaccinated by the time this hits the (e)mailboxes, which will hopefully usher in a more normalized way of life for us. We don’t have a ton of news here, but will pass what I have along. On the sad side of things, you may be aware that Frank Zuccari passed away last Aug. Frank, who was a soccer goalkeeper along with our veep Eric Luce, had retired recently as the head of the conservation dept at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was a world-respected third-generation art restorer.  In 2018 he had finished a painstaking 18-month restoration of its The Assumption of the Virgin. You can learn more about Frank’s interesting life in the Winter 2021 ed. of the Magazine (p 73). Our condolences to his friends and family. Another loss to report is the passing of geology prof James McLelland, who died this past Nov. Jim’s 37 yr career at Colgate led to much field work and research regarding the Canadian Shield and the Adirondacks. He was awarded the James Hall Medal by the NYS Geological Survey and earned many other accolades for his geologic work and publications. I also sorrowfully pass along news that my dear wife of over 42 years (Barb) passed suddenly last Oct. As those who have experienced this know, it is a terribly difficult transition. Thankfully, I can say that faith, family and wonderful friends (including those from our ‘Colgate family’) have helped ease the loss.

            In other news, CEO Jim Capalino of Capalino in NYC announced the expansion of his firm to include additional services to manage a post-COVID-19 world. Jim’s firm has been instrumental in some of the Big Apple’s urban and economic development projects, including the High Line, Hudson Yards and Times Square. They offer financing and real estate services, lobbying, strategic planning, market research and sustainable responsibility strategies for both profit and non-profits alike. Meanwhile, Tom Kunz who has retired from NYC-based Skadden Arps sent me news and a photo of his new home’s NC license plate, “GATE1972”. Honk if you happen to see him bopping around the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. Tom also passed along the account of his meeting and marrying his wife Rose Sweeney, whom he first met back in ’70 while he was with the Washington study group. It’s a nice story, and I’ll leave it for now to tell you to look for it in our Reunion website (www.colgate72.org) which should be up and running by the time you read this!  Joe Gandelman continues in the comedy and ventriloquism fields and has had a YouTube channel for a while. I really liked his “Night Before Christmas” rendition with one of his comic pals. Speaking of Christmas, I received some nice greetings from some mostly Whitnall folks including Al Chipperfield, Dave and Jeff ’75 Bliss, Pete Lukacsko, Bill Webb and Harry Mullen.

Meanwhile, as I alluded to above and reported in our last column, a number of us are planning and holding regular virtual meetings in anticipation of our hopeful on-campus 50^th reunion, tentatively scheduled for June 2-5, 2022 (please save those dates!). Tom Dempsey is our Chair. Others include some of the folks mentioned above (Eric Luce, Jim Capalino and Tom Kunz) as well as Alonzo McCollum, Chris Lenehan, Bruce Crum, Paul Parshley and Allen Mass (hopefully I haven’t missed anybody). Colgate has a wonderful team assisting us as well. We are looking for program and other ideas to help with both reunion, class giving or the 50^th Yearbook, so please let me or others mentioned know if you’d like to get on board or have any suggestions. One big help will be to log on and fill out your profile on our reunion web page; if you have any problems logging in, please email me or Eric (see "Committee Emails" under "Your Reunion Committee Team" on Home page).  Our complimentary hard-cover yearbook (to be paid for through generous class contributions) hopes to highlight our various journeys and current situations, our campus memories and photos, and much more. Stay tuned!

That’s it for now. Drop a note!

David M. Brockway

Class Secretary