Class Columns: 1980s

1980

Susan Sheehan Lee
1209 Wisteria Drive
Malvern, PA 19355-9736
seslee@aol.com

President: Open
Fund Manager: Gary J. Uzelac
Reunion Chairs: Daniel T. Everett, Susan Sheehan Lee
Web Page Administrator: Erica S. Bonime

We had a beautiful weekend for the 30th class reunion in June. Some alums came for the entire weekend, while some made it back only for the Friday golf, the social at CHT, or the Saturday afternoon lunch and socials on the Quad. All efforts were appreciated. Our class was housed in South College, which now comes equipped with elevators and air conditioning, if required. Posh compared with the amenities provided in fall ’76.

Dan Everett, our trusty reunion chair, was there with his wife Karen. Dan suspects that some people avoid Reunion because they fear being elected reunion chair for the next get-together. I think he may be right! We are in good hands as long as he is in charge, though. Some of you may know that Tim Uglow suffered a stroke a few months back. Dan challenged Tim to recuperate enough to come to the reunion, and Tim rose to the challenge. When I arrived on campus Friday night, I headed to CHT to find Tim, Dan, Karen, and Rich Smith ensconced in a corner with Bob, the former owner of the tavern during our time. Rich had his own experience with rehab, having had brain surgery a few months before, so he was a source of encouragement for Tim throughout the weekend. Tim is still funny and kind and has made a lot of progress.

Brent Beyer and his wife, Rhonda, were also at CHT. Rhonda’s training as an occupational therapist prompted her to help Tim to subtly exercise his hands and arms while we sat swapping stories from our college years. Sixteen-ounce curls were encouraged but not mandatory. Brent and Rhonda live in Sarasota, Fla., and have four boys. Trey Martell ’07, 25, is working toward a master’s in education at Florida State. Carl, 23, is in med school at Temple University in Philadelphia. JJ, 22, is finishing undergrad work at Florida State. Drew, their 13-year-old baseball player, is in ninth grade. He pitched for the Sarasota Babe Ruth Florida state champs in the August regional tournament in North Carolina. I guess we need to wait until the next issue to find out if they made it to the World Series in Texas. Brent has a dental practice in nearby Venice, Fla.

Sallie Howell Osborn was at CHT, along with her husband, Tim ’83. Sallie and Tim got married Oct. 18, 2008, at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn. They live in Fairfield County, Conn., and are active boaters and fishers, so the aquarium was the perfect spot. (See picture online.) In attendance were Kevin Cardaci, Paul Bahlman, Vicki Braun McCall, Eileen Schunk Ryan, Joanne Boorujy Catudal, David Caffery ’77, Ted Bahlman ’78, and Rich Friesenhahn ’77. Eileen was maid of honor.

Vicki Braun McCall did not make it to the reunion, but Sallie saw her in August for dinner on Long Beach Island, N.J. Vicki is a mother of five—yes, five—so she has been busy with softball, soccer, laundry, cocktails, counseling, packing for camp, laundry, cocktails, recitals, etc. Sallie reported Vicki looked great. Vicki’s husband, Lou, had to leave their dinner to go protect the island from fire. He is a lieutenant with the volunteer fire department in Ship Bottom, N.J.

Eileen Schunk Ryan lives in Brooklyn. Joanne Boorujy Catudal was in from Houston. She and her husband, Bob, are now empty nesters; daughters Christine and Lisa are at Cornell and Texas Christian respectively.

Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley was at the reunion with her husband, Paul. They live in Essex Fells, N.J. Elder son Rob, 24, earned his master’s at Wake Forest in July and moved to Boston for his first job. Brian, 21, is a junior at Amherst College, where he is majoring in economics and computer science. Paul and Laurie make as many of his lacrosse games as they possibly can and try not to think about the fact that in two short years both sons will have left home!

John Pellecchia attended with his partner, Elizabeth. They live in Mendham, N.J., with his three children, Anna ’13, John, and Chris. Anna is a cheerleader, so John has seen more ’Pard football and basketball games in the past year than in his own four years at Lafayette! He enjoys being a Lafayette parent and is active in Marquis Parents Council. Anna had a great first year and highly recommends the school. John is a senior—possibly headed to Lafayette? Chris started eighth grade.

John and Elizabeth regularly see Alison Roedler-King and her husband, Geoff, in neighboring Bernardsville, N.J. (Alison was at the reunion Saturday afternoon.) John also keeps in touch with John Edgcomb and Rich Hirsh, who are both in San Francisco and are doing well. Rich and his wife, Cathy, became part-time empty nesters when their twins went off to college last year. (When John Edgcomb was recently in New Jersey, he and John had dinner. Both he and Rich were sorry they could not attend reunion but send their regards.)

John is a partner at Riker Danzig, where he has practiced litigation, regulatory, administrative, and government affairs law since joining the firm in 1988.

Although Rich Hirsh could not be at the reunion, he did have an awesome trip to Glacier National Park in July with his wife and children. Whitewater rafting, hiking, camping—sounds like an awesome trip.

Barb Lan Kaplan and Beth Lanigan Chapin made a quick trip from New Jersey and New York to join us for lunch Saturday. Barb teaches Spanish in the Livingston, N.J., public school system, and enjoys it immensely. Beth and I discussed old friends that we had hoped to see at this reunion and how best to get in touch. For anyone’s reference, if you would like to contact a classmate, I usually can get you an email address.

Lynn Hall Finnerty, Carol Mangin Maurer, and Patti Garibaldi also came for the Saturday afternoon festivities. Some of us took student-led tours of the campus, as much has changed since the days when we roamed the halls. Others attended lectures or dropped some cash at the school store.

Mike Davis attended the reunion and extends an invitation to join him on the beach in Mantoloking, N.J., during the summer months. Many ’Pards and Mountain Hawks to be seen.

Gary Uzelac was my companion for the Saturday evening dinner in Marquis Hall. Gary continues to be active in Friends of Lafayette Football. (See the Spring 2010 issue of Lafayette Magazine for more.) Many of our classmates attended a Friends of Football reception Saturday afternoon.

The brothers of Delta Tau Delta adopted the Friday golf outing as their own and sometimes have a dinner afterwards. Arriving at CHT from the dinner Friday night (this time hosted at the home of the beloved DTD chef, Al C.) were Bob “Buzz” Buzzell and Peter Gummeson.

Buzz lives near Washington, D.C., and is CEO of Penn Camera, a specialty camera store chain. His daughter, Casey, attends Boston College, and his son, Andy, is in his senior year at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Va.

Peter lives in New Canaan, Conn., and works in Midtown Manhattan for a private debt and equity firm, Audax Group. His daughter Grace started at the University of Virginia, and his younger daughter, Katie, will be in 10th grade. At a DTD-hosted afternoon reception, Peter and I had some laughs talking about what our children put us through as they approach the college years. Unfortunately for the kids, most of us remember all too well what we got away with and how we got away with it, so kids today must be even more creative and resourceful than we were. The bad news is, they are! Mostly, though, they end up doing us proud. Go figure.

Also at the reception, I saw Gary Dahms. We all toured the old DTD house, which will become a sorority house. Painful for the guys. Gary’s son Kevin planned to attend Dartmouth this fall.

What would a reunion be without the wit and laughter of Erica Bonime? Erica had a blast hanging out with Judd ’79 and Cindy Oaks Linville during the parade, as well as with the rest of our classmates over the course of the weekend. Cindy has been amazing in getting the Friends of Lafayette Women’s Lacrosse on track. They raised lots of money to pay for team expenses and got many ex-players involved. This year, for the second year in a row, they made Catherine Hanlon and Erica honorary captains for their Breast Cancer Awareness game. Both are survivors! This year’s game was a Saturday evening at Lehigh. Lots of fun for the alums at the game, and the team is building good momentum.

The buyout of Erica’s prior employer, Quebecor World (renamed Worldcolor after emerging from Chapter 11 in August 2009), completed July 2, and now Erica is officially part of Quad Graphics, the new parent company. Now comes the challenge of integrating the companies. In these times, though, Erica is happy to face this particular challenge, saying it will be interesting.

Erica continues to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October. Last year, for the third year in a row, she was one of the top 20 national fund-raisers for this campaign, raising over $20M in each year. In addition, she continues to make time to visit her mom in Scottsdale, Ariz., throughout the year.

Margie Lusch Duvall was at the reunion. Many classmates extended their condolences on the passing of Margie’s husband, Glenn, who often attended our events. Margie works for the DeKalb County School District near Atlanta as a language arts and German teacher. Teaching seems to be a common theme for many classmates. Great to see so many gifted people giving back in the classroom.

I was happy to see Dave and Gina Zevas Hansen, now six for six in perfect reunion attendance and as full of the joy of living as you may remember. They live in New Jersey with their son, Steven. We discussed how we prefer New Jersey’s new driver regulations to Pennsylvania’s. Just trying to keep those kids safe a little longer!

Aside from reunion news, I spent a couple days last week in Stone Harbor, N.J., with Susan Cassin Wilson, Susan Whitten Conners, and Daryl Ganss. All are doing well, and everyone looks great; maybe I’ll send in pictures if Swittum sends them to me. We were lucky to spend some time with Swittum’s four daughters. Kellyann graduated from Dennison, Caroline is at the University of Scranton, and twins Megan and Chrissy are now in their junior year in high school in Chatham, N.J. Swittum has had the opportunity to avail herself and her daughters of the medical services of Dr. Greg Mulford ’81, her neighbor in Chatham, who Sue says has been a great help with the stress fractures and foot injuries that occur in their active lives.

Sue Cassin Wilson teaches Pilates about 35 hours per week in the Princeton, N.J., area. Her son, Kevin, just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, and her daughter, Lauren, attends George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Daryl works for Binswanger in Philadelphia. Her son, Brian, graduated from Cornell and works in New York City. Daughter Katie works in Philadelphia at Children’s Hospital.

Finally, I am sad to report the passing of Jim Farley. After a three-year battle with prostate cancer, Jim passed away peacefully in his Basking Ridge, N.J., home July 25, the feast day of St. James. Jim and his wife, Eileen, were married for 24 years. They have four children: Hilary, Brendan, Julia, and Neil. Jim was a devoted husband and father in his community, as evidenced by his involvement in the Destination Imagination Program, coaching for the Somerset Hills Soccer Club, and leading the Somerset Hills Indian Guide and Princess Program. Last summer, he enjoyed a trip to Glacier National Park with his wife and children.

I know that Jim kept up many friendships from his days at Lafayette. I believe that Joan Whelan Bowen and Diane Schroeder visited him on the day of our reunion. The family requests any personal remembrances of Jim be sent to them so his children may hear from all whose lives he touched.

After receiving a bachelor’s in civil engineering, Jim ran field operations for Muirfield Contracting, a heavy construction general contractor. Four years later, he joined Williams Real Estate Company. He earned an MBA from Columbia University, along with a degree in construction management from New York University. In 1990, Jim was hired by Stanley Stahl of the Stahl Organization, where he eventually became a senior vice president. Jim oversaw several renovations, conversions, and restorations of signature New York buildings, including 277 Park Avenue, the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, Apple Bank Building, and the Chanin Building. In 2009, his peers in the New York real estate industry recognized Jim as the Management Executive of the Year for “outstanding professionalism, civic achievement, and contributions to the real estate industry.”

Donations may be made in memory of Jim to Atlantic Homecare and Hospice, which provided invaluable support in Jim’s final weeks, 33 Bleeker St., Millburn, NJ 07041, as well as to the Liberty Corner Fire Co., P.O. Box 98, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938.

1981

Laura Isken Doyle
9706 Layminster Lane
Vienna, VA 22182-4404
(703) 255-1570
lauraidoyle@aol.com

President: Antonio F. Fernandez
Fund Manager: Sharon Tchon Gruet
Reunion Chair: Daniel B. Rockafellow

Our 30th reunion is fast approaching. Save the date: June 10–12. Hope to see many of you there! If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please email Dan Rockafellow at Daniel_Rockafellow@hotmail.com, subject line LC Reunion ’81.

Mike Gagliardi and Dodie Ownes purchased a sailboat this summer. Their son, Paul, 15, had been in a sailing program for the last four years. After the program’s discontinuation, the family bought one of the boats, and Paul’s popularity skyrocketed! All is well on the work front for Mike and Dodie, with snowboards and web casts for the library trade keeping them busy.

Brett Peterson and wife Cindy have lived in York, Pa., for 24 years. Their three daughters are doing great, with the oldest getting married in 2009 and the twins entering their senior year at Susquehanna University. Brett is director of engineering at Adhesives Research Inc. He has enjoyed getting together with Len Artigliere and his son, Matt, George Hawn ’78, and Rick Mohr ’82 for the Knights of Columbus charity golf outing in the Easton area. Brett says, “It is hilarious to see four wrestlers try to kill a little white ball. Thus far, I think the little white ball has won every match!”

Lou and Becky Haag Sommi have lived in Belle Mead, N.J., for 11 years, with children Kaila, 18, and Tucker, 16. Becky lives around the corner from Maggie Bakes Davis, so she sees her quite often. Both their sons play soccer. Becky worked at Broadview Networks for the past 11 years; her husband is in the same industry and works for Cavalier. Both companies are competitive telecom providers.

Mark Goldstone is the lawyer Washington, D.C., activists call when they get in trouble and need representation. He was in the news for his successful representation of “Peace Mom” Cindy Sheehan and Lt. Dan Choi, who opposes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” An article at congress.org, “The Outsider’s Insider” by Ambreen Ali, details Mark’s representation of activists jailed for fighting for liberal causes such as marijuana legalization and campaign finance reform. His reputation as an adviser to “outsiders” does not bother Mark at all. Actually, he enjoys it!

Dan Rockafellow returned to country life in Bucks County, Pa., and is an account executive at Health America, selling group health benefits to Pennsylvania-based businesses. His son Jim, a music major, graduated from Colby College in May and wants to stay in the New England area. His other son, Will ’14, is a ’Pard this fall and was awarded a Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship for his artistic abilities, particularly photography.

Jeanne and Barry Brown live in Morristown, N.J. They are empty nesters this fall. Daughter Kelsey is in her first year at the University of Miami (Fla.), daughter Gareth, a junior at Syracuse, studies fashion design, and son Eoin is a senior at Vanderbilt. This past spring, Eoin studied abroad in Shanghai, working towards becoming fluent in Mandarin. Jeannie and Barry flew over to China and spent 10 days in both Shanghai and Beijing visiting with him. They had a wonderful time!

After 11 years at Cadbury, Tony Fernandez now works for Kraft Foods after its acquisition of Cadbury in January. He had been busy working on the integration of the two companies, and now in a new role as senior vice president, focusing on operations excellence. Tony is responsible for global engineering, safety, and environmental health. So plenty of Oreos and Mac & Cheese, as well as chocolate and more travel, are in his future. He will continue to live in Connecticut with his wife, Sue DePhillips Fernandez ’83, and daughters Christina, 20, a junior at Holy Cross, studying abroad this semester in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Elise, 17, a senior at Ridgefield (Conn.) High School; and Anna, 11. Tony will work out of the New Jersey and Chicago offices.

Lori and Carl DiPiazza’s daughter Sara is a junior at Penn State majoring in accounting. In the summer, she spent six weeks in Florence taking courses and traveling to the Amalfi Coast. Carl’s other daughter, Jacqueline, is a senior in high school. She verbally committed to play softball at Jacksonville University in Florida.

Joe and Des Karabots McNulty’s daughter Kara and Joe and Anne Dunbar Fetters’ daughter Rebecca are both first-year students at Gettysburg College. Kara will play on the golf team.

I have sad news to report: Joe Connolly’s wife, Joanne Larson Connolly ’83, was operated on in February for a brain tumor. Joe stays home, in Cleveland, to take care of her, with help from their daughter Catherine, a high school junior, and son Michael, 23. Daughter Megan is a sophomore at the University of Toledo. Joanne is regaining her physical skills slowly. Please pray for her recovery.

Bernie Fitzgerald wrote: “Thirteen years ago, I cofounded The Breathing Room Foundation to offer support to families in the Philadelphia area who are dealing with cancer. We hope to offer a little breathing room to families who are most in need. I hosted the 13th Annual Breathing Room Foundation Golf Outing at The Philadelphia Cricket Club in April. This year, we had a great showing from Lafayette.” Those in attendance were Rick Speaker, Tim McAndrew, Joe Brugger ’80, George Tiger, Rob Johnson, Jim Flanigan, Mark Mulholland, Roger Curylo ’82, Dave Turner, Scott Sattell ’84, Dave Buck ’82, Bob Gaskill ’79, Ken Grevers, and Barry Brown. (See the group photo.)

I hope to hear from more classmates for the next column. Anyone interested in setting up a Class of ’81 group on Facebook? Let me know. See you in June at our reunion!

1982

Robert J. Meindl Jr.
3 Nolan Farm Road
Wayland, MA 01778
(508) 358-3393
bmeindl@cisco.com

President: Joan Dowgin Hilovsky
Fund Manager: Tracy Hagert Sutka
Reunion Chair: William M. McCartan

I felt a little guilty when the summer edition of The Lafayette arrived in my mailbox and our class did not have an update, but there is only so much one can do with no input. If I had more time and ability, I suppose I could have written a fictional story involving some of our classmates and their wild adventures with interesting people in far off places, but that will have to wait for another time, since I received such captivating input this time around. I was also criticized in the last column for spilling the beans regarding certain people’s nicknames and the fact that they had to explain those nicknames to their children, who currently view them as fine, upstanding citizens. This makes me think that I should resolve my issues with reality before moving into fiction.

As I was eating a piece of pizza the other day, it occurred to me that our 30th reunion is fast approaching. This gave me the motivation I needed to put the slice of pizza down; Jenny Craig and I may have an appointment in the near future. On the subject of our reunion, Bill McCartan, our illustrious reunion chair writes, “As an individual who never had an original thought, I am open to suggestions as to what people would like to do.” Find Bill on Facebook and share your suggestions. Also, please send me stories, updates, and works of fiction, or find me on Facebook so I can continue to produce this fine, quality product.

Finally, see if you can identify the bonus theme running through several of these updates. I know we can identify with it as our children, and we, get older!

In June, Renae Schneck Biale joined daughter Alexa ’12 in Italy, where Alexa was completing an intern program led by two of Renae’s former professors, Rado Pribic and Diane Ahl. Rado’s nonstop humor and Diane’s fluency in all things Italian made for a fun and memorable experience in Rome. After Rome, the Biales headed to the Amalfi Coast, where they visited Amalfi, Pompeii, Positano, Ravello, and Capri.

Later that month, Renae, Angela DiChiara Garolfalo, and Ken Cundari reconnected on a weekend cruise to the Bahamas, where they made their best effort to celebrate our classmates’ 50th birthdays. The trip was organized in January by Joe Skladany, who bowed out at the last minute, claiming he was relocating to another area of Florida (again). Undaunted by the lack of participation from Joe and other members of the class, Renae, Angela, and Ken did their best to carry on the ’Pard tradition of celebration. They can neither confirm nor deny consuming large quantities of potent fruity drinks, dancing in the pool in cocktail attire, and getting tattoos. (Note: I live in the same town as Ken and will let you know if I spot any new tattoos!)

In the category of “those effectively managing their careers,” Mark Peterson was named senior vice president of global sales of VPI Systems. Mark has had an impressive career in the telecommunications industry, moving from AT&T Bell Labs to director of product management at Lucent Technologies, and then joining Tollgrade Communications, where he was executive vice president of sales and later president and CEO, then to his penultimate position with Nakina Systems as vice president of worldwide sales.

Steve Macri’s son, Joseph, attends Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. This occurred despite “gentle” persuasion from Steve, uncle Rob Macri ’78, and cousins Joseph McGowan ’01, Marianna Macri ’06, and Jackie Macri ’09. Steve notes that Joseph will be the first college-bound Macri not to attend Lafayette, in spite of Joseph’s receipt of a Marquis Scholarship. I wonder if that’s part of the “send five get one free” plan. On July 4, Steve, Steve Kuehm, and Wally Rutherford gathered at the Leola, Pa., home of Theta Chi brother Ralph “Hutch” Hutchison to celebrate his 50th birthday.

Cheryl Wait Moore just got back from the Czech Republic, where she participated in an English camp in the small town of Mikulov, near the Austrian border. She went with a group of adults and teens, including her 16-year-old daughter, Kallan, as part of a partnership between her church and a Methodist congregation there. They also had the chance to take a side trip to Vienna for a couple days.

Cheryl’s son, Bennett, planned to attend Temple University in the fall and will study film and video production. Cheryl holds out hope that her daughter’s college search, now begun, will include Lafayette. Speaking of college visits, Cheryl saw Peggy Schiller Bower ’84 and her son, Michael, when they stopped in Washington, D.C., to tour schools. Peggy and her family live in the Seattle area now. The Bowers had just been to Lafayette, as well as Lehigh, where Peggy’s husband went. Cheryl’s glad that her husband, Mike, went to school in Idaho, so they avoid that battle!

Since I started with a story of someone with a child at Lafayette, I thought it would be good to conclude the same way. Lori Thielens Horning works for a boutique in Paoli, Pa., and lives with her family in Devon, Pa. One of her daughters graduated from Bucknell in 2009 and works for a financial company in Berwyn. Much to her Lehigh-grad husband’s dismay, their son, Christopher ’13, is a sophomore at Lafayette. Lori enjoys getting back to campus and eagerly awaited the Lafayette–Lehigh game on home turf this year. The Horning’s youngest child is 13 and in eighth grade, but the pressure is already on for her to choose a Patriot League school!

1983

Michael D. Browne
935 Park Ave., Apt. 4B
New York, NY 10028
(917) 363-0856
Michael.D.Browne@baml.com

President: Jeffrey R. Purdon
Fund Managers: Cheryl L. Johnson, Ellen Poriles Weiler
Reunion Chairs: Theresa Heaney Galla, Ellen Poriles Weiler

For many reasons, I remember coming back to campus in fall 1980 to start our sophomore year, but a couple of first impressions come to mind. My assigned dorm was Hamilton House, located about two blocks (or 200 yards) north of Kirby Field House. It is interesting how distance takes on a different dimension with age. Despite offering an attractive four-story Victorian design, the “Ham” was viewed by its largely sophomore living contingent as the early ’80s Lafayette equivalent of a commute between St. Paul and Minneapolis. We used to compare ourselves to Steve McQueen in Papillon. In hindsight, I can understand my parents’ bewilderment when I cited the four-block walk to the library as a prime reason for registering my third straight substandard GPA that fall. (I ended my Lafayette academic career a perfect eight for eight in that regard.) Among the other members of our class who were also Hamilton House alumni are Dave Gleason, Mark Kachinski, Tom Loughlin, and Mark Gibbons. No word as to whether Neil Armstrong visited the site during our graduation ceremonies.

The other development I remember was that high profile members of our class were starting to play in varsity sports, in particular football. Among these notables were Tony Green, Ed Stahl, and former correspondent Bob Mahr. This group, and others, ultimately led the team to nine-win seasons in both our junior and senior years and beat Lehigh twice—by four touchdowns in our senior year, if my memory is correct. So, it is with great pleasure that I report that Bob joined Maureen McKenna Tymochko and Tony as member of our class in the Maroon Club Athletic Hall of Fame. Bob’s induction took place during Lehigh weekend this fall. Congratulations from all of us, Bob—well deserved.

I got a note from Dick Hughes. He has three children. His eldest, Callie, is a junior at Washington and Lee University. His daughter Ellen ’13 reportedly loves everything about the College, though I wonder what she thinks of the old pictures of her pop in the Zete house. His seventh grader, Richard IV, enjoys tennis and lacrosse. Dick stays involved with the College and, with wife Ruth, hosted a late July event for incoming students from his area. Also dropping a note was Ellen Poriles Weiler, who just completed her four-year tenure on the Alumni Council as chair of the volunteer committee. Instrumental in a number of the committee’s culinary initiatives, she also serves on the Council of Lafayette Women. Ellen just relocated to Ambler, Pa., with her husband, Kurt, and son, Karr.

Tim Lucas got married in November 2008 to Bianca Solorzano of Miami, Fla. Bianca works for CBS News as a television news reporter. J.B. Reilly and I attended the wedding at the Plaza Hotel, as did Tim’s four daughters, Andy, Sam, MacKenzie, and Melanie. Tim and Bianca live on the West Side of Manhattan.

I got an inspiring note from George Winter. He reports that his wife, Janice, was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, but she found a donor for a bone marrow transplant. Today, she is cancer-free. George, understandably, feels lucky and blessed.

Lastly, some sad news to report. John J. Kelly died in late July at the age of 52. John’s parents, Patrick and Sharlee, and a brother survive him. John spent his entire career serving our country as an officer in our armed forces. Our condolences go to his family for their loss of this great man.

That is all the news for this column. No updates from Class President Jeff Purdon, Fund Manager Cheryl Johnson, Joe Hawk, former Class President Doug Johnson, John Forrey, or reunion music captain Alan Good ’78 for this issue. I would appreciate a five-minute update from each of you, which would be a significant help to your correspondent. Remember, our 30th reunion is the first weekend in June 2013. Keep it open. The College is offering a free bus trip to Hamilton House as a draw.

1984

Karen Ziegler Kelly
4304 Big House Road
Norcross, GA 30092-1357
(770) 329-2244
kzkelly4@msn.com

President: Mandy Shane Dicker
Fund Manager: David E. Schwager
Reunion Chair: Douglas K. Easterly

Hello, classmates. Jim and Jeanne Benjamin hosted an annual family cookout and swim party at their beautiful Buckhead home in Atlanta on Aug. 7. Jim Benjamin, Laila Krauss Berland, Lisa Dusenberry Weinert, and I attended. Laila and Lisa are both fitness instructors. Laila, who teaches classes and offers private instruction at West Coast Workout, opened her own business selling fitness clothes. Lisa also teaches classes and offers private instruction. Her company is Wellness Diva Fabulous Fitness Plus!

David Schwager began a three-year term on the Pennsylvania Bar Association board of governors. He is a partner in the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., law firm of Chariton & Schwager. Dave was named a 2010 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Philadelphia magazine.

Stuart and Cindy Risch reside in Fort Hood, Texas. Stuart is employed with the Army as a colonel and staff judge advocate. Stuart left in March for his third deployment to Iraq. He hopes to get back to Lafayette for a visit with his daughter, who is looking at colleges now.

Carolyn Baffa Gaziano was elected in November 2009 to a three-year term on the Bernards Township, N.J., committee. Scott Spitzer ’73 also serves on the committee and was appointed mayor in 2010.

Abby Burkholder Epstein is a project manager in wealth brokerage services at Wells Fargo Bank. She has been with the bank for 17 years. Abby’s daughter Melissa ’14 is in her first year at Lafayette.

Please email me with your news!

1985

Betsy Hughes Phillips
2 Surrey Road
Summit, NJ 07901-2409
phillips999@comcast.net

President: Charles F. Smith Jr.
Fund Manager: Anne Harwood Matlack
Reunion Chair: Gerardette Landy Rago
Web Page Administrator: Open

I would like to introduce myself as our new class correspondent and thank Sandy Kazinski for her 20 years of skillful service as our class scribe and web master. Sandy is manager of professional development at Milbank Tweed in New York City and has the noted distinction of NEVER missing a column, even when “the well was dry” of feedback from us. We thank her for her dedication to our class and her additional work on the Council of Lafayette Women.

Our 25th reunion was a heralded success. The weather was beautiful, we loved our housing in the renovated and AIR-CONDITIONED second floor of South College, and everyone in attendance agreed that with age and maturity, we all were open to reaching out to classmates we did not know well.

The added formality of the Friday night Convocation in Colton Chapel, a “State of the College” speech by President Daniel H. Weiss, and a candlelit alma mater step-sing in front of Old Pardee were well received by ’85 participants. The late-night merrymaking at CHT and Campus Pizza lasted until the wee hours of the morning. We pocketed the Parade Spirit prize on Saturday, and our Class Dinner was held in Pfenning Alumni Center in a private room overlooking the phenomenal new Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium. Class President and Reunion Chair Chuck Smith welcomed our group, followed by remarks from Jim Dicker, vice president for development and college relations, and our Pepper Prize winner, Kevin Flood. Class Fund Manager Anne Matlack presented stats on our reunion class gift. Over 150 classmates contributed more than $65,000 to the College, up from $47,545.24 in 2008–09. Anne also helped show our age by sharing with us the following list of Lafayette legacies currently on campus:

• Danielle Miranda ’12, daughter of Joseph Miranda ’83 and Stacey Gianos–Miranda
• Catherine Neumann ’12, daughter of Mark and Clare Kaiser ’83 Neumann
• Victoria Bowen ’13, daughter of Mark Bowen
• Brendan Flood ’13, son of Kevin Flood
• Christopher Parker ’13, son of Jeffrey and Sharon Lukenda ’86 Parker
• Georgene Aaroe ’14, daughter of Paul Aaroe
• Melissa Epstein ’14, daughter of Jon and Abby Burkholder ’84 Epstein
• Abigail Floyd-Jones ’14, daughter of John and Jan Galliker ’86 Floyd-Jones
• Zachary Green ’14, son of David Green
• Molly Kellogg ’14, daughter of Peter and Mary Blest Kellogg
• Anthony Rago ’14,son of Geri Landy Rago

The presentation was topped off by a message from a surprise guest. Our commencement speaker, Meryl Streep, recorded a charming, congratulatory video complete with song, which aired before the stunned group. By agreement with Ms. Streep, we cannot provide footage of the video on the web, so this will be a special memory for dinner attendees only. Saturday evening concluded with drinks and dancing on the Quad, and a smaller gathering on March Field topped off a second late night for our group.

A special Sunrise Award goes to Ted Sharkey, who impressed all with his still-there stamina for late nights, his outreach to the Class of 2005 housed on fourth floor South, and his cooperation with campus security. Geographic Outreach awards go to Wendy Marks Miller, who both travels from Los Angeles for our reunions and is an Alumni Admissions Representative in Southern California. Five students she interviewed entered this fall’s class. Hats off to Carolyn Hutton Durgin, also, for traveling from Montana to be with us on Saturday.

The weekend renewed our class with feelings of goodwill toward Lafayette and each other. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.

1986

Peter A. Gilbertson
96 Battin Road
Fair Haven, NJ 07704-3203
(732) 842-8590
peter.gilbertson@willis.com

President: Robert D. Correll Jr.
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chairs: Wynne A. Whitman, Thomas J. Kleinert

Hello, classmates. Judging by the frequency of mention in recent correspondence, I surmise that many of us are coming to grips with the frightening fact that, yes, our 25th class reunion is this June. To be sure, this eventuality is both a blessing and a curse. The obvious reflection: “Hey, I must be old. Did that Class Notes column actually say my classmates have kids enrolled at Lafayette? What the…?” However, for those of us who attended past reunions, while not wishing the years away, it is hard not to look forward to those five-year intervals, because they are undeniably a great time!

Planning for this major milestone reunion is another theme. Wynne Whitman graciously offered to spearhead the effort, with several ’86ers already deputized. If you would like to support the planning, please reach out to Wynne at WAW@spsk.com. Further, we received great suggestions for a class gift and for a guest speaker. Doug Campbell and others updated us through Class Notes on Doug’s and Father Tom Hagan’s Hands Together Haiti relief efforts. Therefore, we need input from the class to build momentum for a gift campaign, with Doug’s and Father Tom’s good works as our rallying point. Please share your feedback and your own anecdotal reflections on the rich history of this great charitable enterprise with Wynne or me. We look forward to updating you on our progress.

Please keep those cards and letters coming; they make the column fun to read—and fun to prepare. Don’t be shy!

Bob Gannon is a busy bee with a new venture. Apart from his full-time engineering post at Harco Labs and raising four kids, he and wife Sue opened a driving school in their hometown of Colchester, Conn. The Colchester Academy of Driving passed the 500th student mark! Still taking the easy road, huh, Bob? Four years of gliding through electrical engineering at Lafayette appears to have set you on the irrevocable path of a slacker. Bob also reports regular sightings of Dr. Bill Culviner, who performed a successful procedure on Bob’s son. Additionally, Bill’s youngest son played football for Bob, and his eldest is one of the lucky 500 to attend the driving school.

In case Bob’s life is still too simple, he reports it took three years to frame in windows for converting a porch to an enclosed, additional living space. After a few project phases, one which he describes as the “tree fort” phase, the room looks great. Enough already, Bob. I am not going to get into the retaining wall project. Just not going there, buddy.

Pete Glock reported that a large group of DKE alumni met in May for a mini reunion in New York City. From the Class of ’86: Greg Burns, Stu Daughtridge, Victor Diaz Gonzalez, Dan Huffenus, Dave Lewis, Rick Ryan, Joe Schiavino, Fred Schillinger, Jack Sigda, Sam Strum, Todd Wiltshire, Doug Young, and Pete convened for a Yankees game, followed by a night out in the city. Todd Becker ’85 and Walt Gurzynski ’87 joined the group. Dan Huffenus took the initiative to bring DKE Rho ’86 hats for everyone, which were a big hit. Ironically, it was cap day at the Yankee game, so everyone came away with two hats. After the game, the group met at the Pig ‘n’ Whistle off Times Square for drinks and dinner. After dinner, Dan intrepidly offered to lead the group to cheaper beer south of the tourist area, only to end up taking a circuitous route to none other than, yes, the Pig ‘n’ Whistle II (see photo).

It was scary to hear the group share how many of them had children heading off to college, with a few including Doug Young’s son, David ’14, having entered Lafayette this fall. A great time was had by all, and talk already started on our 25th in 2011.

Lance Podell’s firm, Next New Networks Inc., the online video company of which Lance is CEO, raised $3 million in Series C funding. This adds to the $23.1 million in past funding secured by the company since its January 2007 founding. Headquartered in New York, Next New Networks creates, packages, brands, markets, and syndicates regularly scheduled and episodic programming for the web. For 2009, the company reported over 300 million views across its networks. Lance had served previously as general manager of Sprinks, a division of About Inc., where he was instrumental in the sale of the division to Google.

Diane Jakacki has been working on her Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo. She completed her dissertation, a visual rhetoric study of 17th century play-text title page illustrations. She planned to move back to the U.S. in August to start a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech in digital pedagogy. She looks forward to getting involved with the Atlanta Alumni Chapter.

Ward Follette reports that after some job hopping, he ended up with Foster Wheeler in Perryville, N.J., for 12 years. This brought him to assignments in Madrid, Paris, London, and Abu Dhabi. After Foster Wheeler, he joined M.W. Kellogg in Greenford, Middlesex, outside London. After four years, he then joined Fluor Engineering and moved back to Long Beach, Calif., in March 2009. A few days after returning from a ski trip at Jackson Hole, Wyo., he was given 60-days’ notice and moved back to the U.K. As of April, Ward is back with M.W. Kellogg in Reading, England, and happy about it after the roller coaster ride. With side trips planned to Ghent, Belgium, and Istanbul, Turkey, designed for all-day skiing and all-night football-watching, I think Ward has found home.

Engaged twice, married none. There is your wrap-up on the past 25 years for Ward. If you are in Reading, you might catch him at the Reading Beer Festival, where he is a “volunteer” helping sample over 400 cask ales.

See you in the spring!

1987

Edward I. Ackerman
276 Brookline St.
Needham, MA 02492
eackerman@photonicsinc.com

President: John C. Santos Jr.
Fund Manager: Open
Reunion Chairs: Elise Nappi, Madeline Green Smith
Web Page Administrator: Edward I. Ackerman

It is my sad duty to report that Sally Elbert Kalin lost her valiant battle against cancer June 19. Her husband, Steven, shared the following: “For eight years, Sally fought with grace and dignity. First diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant with her second child, Maddie, Sally beat the odds and the skeptics, only to be diagnosed four years ago with melanoma. While the cancer had a physical impact, her spirit never weakened, in part because of the many friends she always had around and beside her. Many of these friendships were forged at Lafayette. Leo and Stacey Guckes Helmers, Meg Langley Woods, and Sarah Tiffin Gioffre ’88 were constant companions during this long journey. Elaine McCluskey Stomber ’89, Kim Checkur Gibbons ’88, Kathy Silbaugh Guzzetti, Brett Budis, Mary Devane ’88, and Cindy Rubin Friedman also provided support for Sally as great friends and often dropped everything to come to her aid.”

Meg Langley Woods wrote that because of Sally’s father, Ed Elbert ’55, Lafayette had been a part of his daughter’s life before she ever set foot on campus. After graduation, Sally did some work for the admissions office and served as our class fund manager.

Steven Kalin added: “Sally’s friends and family, with the help of Norwalk (Conn.) Hospital, have established Sally’s Run—a 5K race to be held May 14—and the ROAD Program. ROAD stands for Reaching Out After Diagnosis and is planned to provide much-needed resources to cancer families not as fortunate as the Kalins. The ROAD Program won’t find a cure, but it will make a hard journey easier by organizing and developing resources for caregivers, patients, and their families. For more information, please contact Mary Franco, President, Norwalk Hospital Foundation, 34 Maple St., Norwalk CT 06856.”

1988

Tim Hylan
50 Old Tappan Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
hylant66@aol.com

President: David R. Rose Jr.
Fund Manager: Rachel Nelson Moeller
Reunion Chair: Elizabeth C. Freebairn

After a brief sabbatical, our column returns in full force with some updates, international travel, and photos. See this column as a standing invitation to send me stuff. Because this column cannot keep up with the speed of what we can learn about our classmates online, I urge you to tune in and turn on through Facebook, Twitter, and other outlets too. Though I’m not on Twitter yet, you can email me at address above, friend me at Facebook (where I just friended my kindergarten teacher), or add something to our Alumni Online Connection page or the Lafayette College Class of 1988 group page on Facebook. Thanks to Beth Freebairn for setting up the Facebook page! Keep the information coming, as I need us to keep up with Ed Ackerman and the Class of ’87.

I heard recently from Eileen Fisher Schneidman, who tells us that Cynthia Milone Rusis participated in the Enduro Africa Ride for Life (ssl.charityweb.net/dz) over the summer (see photo), motorcycling over 1,000 miles off road through South Africa’s Wild Coast to raise awareness and money for Shitima School in Kabwe, Zambia. The sponsoring organization, Zamcog (www.zamcog.org.uk), was established in 2004 to help fund and support the school, which provides education, shelter, and daily meals to orphans, former street kids, and other vulnerable children. Currently, there are 230 pupils at Shitima School, with plans to increase the number of students as new facilities are constructed.

My own travels in the past year outside the U.S. took me to Paris, Prague, and Barcelona; however, since it was for work, I got less recreational time in these cities than one would like. While in Prague (see photo), a work colleague and I thought we would walk back to the hotel from the restaurant rather than take the group bus, but we took a wrong turn down a literal dark alley. When we finally got back to a better-lit area and flagged down a taxi, I used some of my Lafayette German class skills with the driver to get us back to the hotel. Next time, I will bring my GPS.

Eugene White wrote that he changed career paths and now works at Air Products & Chemicals in Trexlertown, Pa., as a project development engineer working mainly with the hydrogen energy systems group, which helps develop and sell alternative energy infrastructure (hydrogen fueling). He enjoys being part of a professional, competent workforce that includes many Lafayette alumni. His daughter, Kirby (Ma Kirby would be proud!), is in her sophomore year at Moravian College, working toward a degree in either elementary education or journalism. Eugene enjoys traveling and seeking new adventures in many ways: assistant coaching the varsity girls’ fast-pitch softball team at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pa.; resuming boxing training in recent years, his first since college; and traveling internationally, including trips to Jamaica and Spain, skiing in Andorra, and vacationing in Mexico. He included a photo (see in photo section) from his hike in Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania. Eug also sends a shout-out to old Kirby House friends with young children: Jim and Mary Jo Doughty ’90, with Caitlyn and Fiona; Carl and Yingyi Schiller ’89, with Edward; and Bill and Lissette Zamora ’89 Smead, with Bobby and Jonathan!

Gary Dunn wrote that he works hard at his store, Spiritus Wines, in downtown Hartford, Conn. He notes the challenging retail environment of the past two years but adds that at least people still like to drink! The store continues to offer great values and more interesting selections than customers might find elsewhere, so that helps make Spiritus unique.

Gary hosts a guided wine tasting for the local Central Connecticut Alumni Chapter that continues to be popular. Last June, about 25 alums and spouses visited the store, and Gary presented and explained a half dozen French wines. The theme was inspired by the two-week trip he and his wife, Jenny Gardner Dunn, took in May to visit the wine regions of Burgundy and the northern Rhône in France. They explored each world-famous village along the Côte d’Or, walking through vineyards and meeting winemakers for private tasting appointments. Their fluency in French (started at Lafayette!) was an invaluable asset, as they discussed techniques and general wine issues with the winemakers in the native tongue. It was a superb trip!

Mike Carson wrote that he has lived in Central New Jersey (Bridgewater) since 1998. He notes that his wife, a Connecticut native, calls it “the Greater New York City area,” as she has struggled to admit that they live in New Jersey. Mike works at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, which is near Asbury Park, where he directs research for the department of medicine. And NO, he does NOT see Snooki or the others from Jersey Shore there. His first-year roommate, Jonathan Briggs is a radiation oncologist at the hospital but “no longer displays his rubber duck.” Mike’s son, Evan, is a counselor at a day camp in Bridgewater and saw Dara Sussman Tupler while she was dropping off her son. Mike keeps in touch with Jim Maiella every few months, but does not read Jim’s blog as often as he would like. The good news, he says, is that Jim is the head of PR for Comcast Cable and no longer writes police blotter articles for a local paper. Mike says he would check out Jim’s tweets more, but he complains about stuff too much. Mike did make it back to Metzgar Fields (and did not get ‘ear jam’) this spring to check out Terry Mangan’s nationally ranked lacrosse team (just as they were back in the late ’80s). He saw John “FJ” Floyd-Jones ’85 with his boys, Kirk Effinger ’85 and his new kid, and Rob “Cosmo” Constable ’85.

Finally, speaking of new children, Ted Rosenberger and his partner, Kevin Sprague, are enjoying their new roles as parents of a beautiful baby boy! Henry Richardson Sprague (see photo) was born Jan. 7.

1989

Marguerite Valinoti White
63 Nicholson Drive
Chatham, NJ 07928
(973) 635-1110
margueritewhite@comcast.net

President: Erin Bass-Goldberg
Fund Manager: John T. Donovan
Reunion Chairs: M. Katherine Longo Van Cleef, Marguerite Valinoti White
Web Page Administrator: Vincent J. Petitto, petitto@yahoo.com

I wrote this column from the Jersey Shore in August while sitting on Katie Longo Van Cleef’s porch with Marita Failla Wolff, discussing our dismay in not running into the cast of Jersey Shore and getting photos for this column with Snooki and “The Situation” during our vacation. Even without those sightings, it was an amazing week filled with Lafayette friends, including Bonnie Snyder Winant and husband Tom ’88, Kim Hart Hein ’90, Lisa Verrilli Coe, and all the Van Cleef siblings.

Bryan Smith ended a six-year run on the board of directors for Shelter for the Homeless in Boulder, Colo., but will continue to cook breakfasts on Tuesday mornings during the emergency sheltering season. His new volunteer and community service work will be with an organization called InterCambio (www.intercambioweb.org), through which he will teach English to local immigrants struggling to integrate into American society. For this endeavor, Bryan will draw upon his experience teaching English in Poland and Italy from 1991 to 1993 through an organization called International House.

Bill Wagner has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Vocus, Inc., Lanham, Md. He is responsible for the company’s day-to-day global operations in sales, service, and marketing.

It was nice to hear from Robert Brem, who writes: “I have now been in the Army for 21 years and counting. I am a lieutenant colonel and started school at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in August at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. My wife of 18 years, Ok, and my daughter Marissa, 16, are settling into yet another home (our 12th move in 18 years!) in Woodbridge, Va., where we plan to stay for at least two years.”

That is pretty much it for this season. I hope that everyone will email me soon with some news so my next column is longer!