Class Notes

November / December 2022

Columns compiled by your class correspondents

1940s

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Classes of the 1940s

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Classes of the 1950s

1950

With no news on hand from classmates, my search for column fodder quite strangely took my aging, fading mind to life on the Hill, now some 75 years gone by. I somehow focused in on campus humor, and whether other college campuses had, as did we, campus pranksters, jokesters, clowns, and subtle humorists. I doubt that any other college at that time had a superb humor magazine the equal of the Cornell Widow, which had the very best of talented jokesters, humorists, and illustrators. Despite its motto, “Men may come and men may go, but I go on forever,” it died in 1962 after a fine lifetime of 67 years (1895–1962).

I’m quite sure the title of campus humorist and prankster (but not jokester) was well-earned by William Verne Joy, my freshman-year roommate and junior-year neighbor in Baker Tower. Will was a scion of the Perrine family of Centralia, IL. He had been given the surname Joy in order to carry on the family name of his mother. Will married and had one son, Thomas, which preserved the surname, but I have no knowledge of him. Will had one older brother, Alden Joy Perrine ’47. Alden’s personality was more reserved than Will’s, and while on campus they had only infrequent associations.

After army service in Korea, and after a few years on newspapers in Rockford and Springfield, IL, Will returned to Centralia and until his untimely death in 1988 at age 60 served as fourth-generation editor and publisher of the Centralia Sentinel, the town’s 120-year-old newspaper. Will had a love of traditional music and a fascination with carillons, and spent much free time in the campus bell tower with Cornell’s chimesmasters. Out of love for Centralia, he sponsored and primarily financed a 65-bell carillon, the eighth largest in the world, and also endowed the services of a carillonneur.

When conversing on intellectual topics, especially historical, Will’s personality was attractive and energetic, but it was socially insufficient for fraternity affiliation. He believed that an educated person’s concept of humor should be intellectual and cultured, and should go beyond puns, gags, quips, and guffaws. Thus, in three issues of the ’49–50 edition of the Widow, he related a story of the famous early 20th-century film actress Pearl White. Will’s story included the making of silent film episodes of Pearl filmed in Ithaca near the present-day airport. (At that time, Ithaca was the country’s silent film capital.) Best known were the film series titled The Perils of Pauline, in which the heroine faced physical perils of all sorts and then miraculously escaped.

I’m quite sure the title of campus humorist and prankster (but not jokester) was well-earned by William Verne Joy ’50.

In the spring of ’49, Will became associate editor of the Widow to serve with editor-in-chief and gifted writer Al Brown. Shortly later, Will was placed on probation for an egregious prank involving the launch of a cherry bomb up the staircase of Baker Tower with damage to the fourth-floor dormitory doors. Probation prohibited participation in extracurricular activities. No problem. As the fall semester of our senior year began, Will continued his duties as an associate editor of the Widow under the pseudonym Pearl White!

Will’s reputation as campus prankster and Widow humorist energized John Griswold and me to sponsor a “Caper Convocation” at our 60th Reunion. The event featured readings of some of Will’s writings, reports of some of his capers, film episodes of The Perils of Pauline, and a summary of his editorship of the Centralia Sentinel. Recordings of the Centralia carillon were also played.

A 36-page booklet for the event was sponsored by Will’s brother Verne. In it, Will was introduced as “Bishop Claudius Gamaliel, DSM, distinguished member of the Cornell Class of the Century, 1950 AD, who for many years served with distinction the Southern Egyptian (Illinois) Diocese of the Honored, Evangelical, and Reformed Church of the Human Condition, and who achieved well-deserved international reputation for bringing about peace between Man and Mankind.”

The booklet also included Will’s presumably self-written obituary, excerpted here: “The Bishopric of Southern Illinois was stunned by the death of Bishop Claudius Gamaliel, DSM, of the Evangelical & Reformed Episcopal Church. He was known kindly among his parish as the ‘Bestial Bishop’ because of his love of animals. During his last mass, with the temperature 27 degrees above zero, and just as the bishop was emptying the holy water in the piscina, four misericords fell upon him. He was taken to the Veteran’s Hospital and, of course, did not live long. His last words were: ‘La nuit tous les chats sont gris.’”

Correspondent’s Notes: 1) His last words mean “This night all the cats are gray.” 2) At your request, I’ll happily and forthrightly send you Will’s three Pearl White stories that appeared in the Widow, as well as reports of the campus pranks perpetrated by Will, Rodger Gibson, Ralph “Cooly” Williams, MD ’54, John Griswold, and others. ❖ Paul Joslin (email Paul), 13731 Hickman Rd., #4207, Urbandale, IA 50323; tel., 515-278-0960. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1951

“I’m alive and in decent health,” reports Edward Ryder. He shares that his daughter designs websites, and he adds, “Since retirement in 2003, I have published two novels. I am now writing a nonfiction book on the deplorable state of our world.”

Patty Steele Wilson is still managing the six rentals in her office plaza. She gets great satisfaction from reading, plus frequent get-togethers with six children, 13 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Marian Fox Wexler never imagined living to 92! She’s at an assisted living facility, one she calls “a wonderful place” where there are lectures, socializing, movies, clubs, and athletics. “My friendships here and my family bring me the most satisfaction,” she writes. “I have two great-grandsons—one is 2 and the other is 4.”

Jack and Betty Meng Howell share, “Our four adult children are good about visiting. We Zoom frequently. Jack appreciates large-print books, and Betty maintains the herb garden used by the kitchen where we live. We are still playing duplicate bridge.”

Calvin Gage reports that he’s still “of sound mind and reasonably good health at age 93”—and he’ll soon celebrate his 64th wedding anniversary with wife Marge! When asked what he’s doing in retirement, Calvin responded, “I’m mostly aging gracefully in place.” ❖ Class of 1951, (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1952

First, a note from Tom Cashel, LLB ’56, our new class president: “The record-breaking Class of 1952 held its 70th Reunion last June. Cappy Heyl Innes and I were Reunion co-chairs. We were given fine weather, a well-groomed campus, and a vast number of enthusiastic alumni from all Reunion classes savoring an in-person Reunion again after a two-year hiatus. We set our goal from the beginning to break the all-time record for attendance at a 70th Reunion—and, with the help of volunteer Rik Clark assembling 25 classmates, we did it! We also achieved new records in alumni giving for a 70th in total donors and Tower Club members. Post-Reunion comments favorably judged our Statler venue, fine meals, and class event with Corey Earle ’07 and Evan Earle ’02, MS ’14, recounting the marked differences we experienced in 1948–52 from the Cornell of today. We greeted old friends, sang our Cornell songs as best we could, and, with nostalgia evident, left for home looking ahead. Having been elected class president at Reunion, I will try going forward to keep as many of you as choose to do so engaged with Cornell.”

And now for the news, almost all of which came in during May. Rik Clark (Osterville, MA) never imagined “coordinating all these appointments with doctors and health vendors.” He also never imagined buying a new RAV4 hybrid plug-in at age 91. He has no gainful employment and is doing much less volunteering. “After enjoying five-plus acres and a 1,000-ft. driveway for 35 years, we moved two years ago to a convenient condominium unit in our village with no landscaping to do.” What brings him the most satisfaction is “waking up in the morning with a decent quality of life, enjoying life with my wife, Sandy, and possibly shooting my age, again, in golf.” Rik does have a new hobby: “Creating and mailing cardboard postcards using the New Yorker and other cartoons.” Jack Brennan (Schenectady, NY) never imagined visiting four great-grandkiddies in Maine and Colorado. He has been keeping house and still rooting for the Mets and the Jets, and of course the Big Red. What else has been happening? “Sharing time with a 92-year-old widow and family.” New hobbies? “Cooking, shopping, laundry, and vacuuming.”

Rik Clark ’52 never imagined buying a new RAV4 hybrid plug-in at age 91.

Don Follett (Bethlehem, PA) writes, “I am focusing on serious charitable gifts directed at financing organizations that focus on ‘helping people help themselves to live up to their God-given potential’—believing in education at all levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Mibs (Martin) ’51 died in October 2021 after several years of increasing Alzheimer’s. I was her caregiver for more than two years. She was only confined out of the house for one month before she died.” Don’s most satisfaction comes from “working with organizations that receive my philanthropy. To paraphrase Voltaire, ‘Life without purpose or death—what’s the difference?’” Carol Singer Greenhaus (Rye, NY) shares that her husband, Ed ’50, died on December 6, 2021. She is unimaginably “learning to live without him. Moving to an independent retirement community two and a half years ago has helped immeasurably!” For work or retirement, Carol is doing “anything I want (almost). The ‘happenings’ of eight great-grandchildren has been a fantastic joy.” What brings her the most satisfaction? “Knowing I can walk, talk, and think sensibly!” Carol reports no new hobbies: “I’m just spending more time with the old ones—beading and doing puzzles.”

Patricia Stitt Truell lives in Williamsville, NY. Ina Perlstein Loewenberg (Iowa City, IA) is “moving from Iowa City, where I have lived for 53 years, to be nearer to family and to meet new people. A new start at 91!” Ina enjoys reading, especially poetry—and preferably with others. She’s also “engaged with social issues, supporting my activist children.” What else? “I am more limited physically, but thankfully still alert.” Contact brings her the most satisfaction, “virtual or in person—with others, family and friends, old and new.” New hobbies? “Navigating with a walker—ha ha.”

Charles Soumas (Cotuit, MA) says he never imagined he would be writing short stories. “My first book, Please Don’t Let the Last Boat Leave, was just published. It contains 14 short stories, some fictional, some true, and some in between. My second book, Warriors with Fire in Their Bellies, is on the way.” Charles adds, “74 years later, I just hooked up again with my former shipmate who I hitchhiked with from San Diego to Jersey City when we were discharged from the Navy in 1948.” What brings him the most satisfaction? “My wife of 58 years, my family, and my friends, who by sharing their lives with me continue to bring joy and meaning to my life. At 93, who could want more?” Patricia Dexter Clark (Concord, MA) writes, “I live in a big home of more than 300 people. It’s independent living—we get one meal per day, dinner in the evening. There are lots of activities here.” Pat knits scarves for children aged 6 to 18 who are wards of the state in Massachusetts. “There are more than 1,000 of them, probably more since COVID.” She has great-grandkids, “one boy and one girl, and another expected. I have three children, who have eight children, who have two and a half children.” Pat adds, “I can’t get around very well with a bad ankle that is affecting my whole body.”

More news next time. For now, a surprise—something print can’t do. Christie Innes ’83, a third-generation Cornellian, was at our 70th Reunion with her mother, Cappy Innes. Christie came with her camera and took photos of our attendant classmates. You might not be able to identify anyone, but they look healthy, happy, and as though they are having a good time. By clicking this link, you can see those photos! ❖ Joan Boffa Gaul (email Joan). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1953

I’m writing this on a hot, humid August day in Atlanta, but you’ll get it in November, when I hope the weather is more comfortable.

Julian Aroesty has moved to Scituate, MA, to be closer to his grandchildren. His seven grandkids are doing well, including one who received a Fulbright and spent a year in Macedonia near the town where his ancestors lived for 441 years. He remains active in the teaching program at the hospital, writes for the electronic textbook UpToDate, and does second-opinion consultation throughout the world via the program Teladoc International. He had COVID in 2021, which severely distorted his taste and caused him to lose 20 pounds. He is gradually increasing his muscle by cycling daily.

William Bellamy, MBA ’58, JD ’59, reports that his wife, Nancy, passed away on November 15, 2020. They were married in 1998 and lived in Ithaca, where they both were involved in Cornell activities and travel events. Patricia Keller Button reports that her husband, Warren, died on April 15, 2022. She has spent much of her time attending the weddings of her 17 grandchildren.

Vinnie Giarrusso reported that he threw out the first pitch at the 150th anniversary of Cornell baseball on April 29, 2022. Vinnie won Cornell letters for three years in baseball and two years in football. I’m sure his pitch made it to the catcher.

Vinnie Giarrusso ’53 threw out the first pitch at the 150th anniversary of Cornell baseball on April 29, 2022.

Irene Selmer Griffith, BA ’52, lost her husband and daughter-in-law this year. Seven children, 16 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren attended her 90th birthday in March. She works in the church, planning funerals and helping with grief, where she is able to use her social work training (MSW from California State University, Long Beach) to help others. She also has been presenting short inspirations for the Torrance (CA) Commission on Aging.

John Nixon had stem cell therapy to help repair torn tendons in his ankle. Unfortunately, it didn’t work and now he’s beginning to learn how to play croquet, since he can’t play golf with his bad ankle. He still has Zoom meetings every Friday with members of the Cayuga’s Waiters of the ’50s and ’60s. Attendees include Jack Brophy, Al Packer, Dave Schmidt ’55, Don Morgan ’62, MD ’72, Fred Bergmann ’63, Bin Pettit ’55, Jim Larrimore ’56, Charlie Wolf ’55, and Barney Hodges ’57. They don’t sing, but they have a good time reminiscing and talking about what they’re doing now.

Alan Perlmutter is still active in the family business, Big Sur River Inn, and works with community nonprofits to keep Big Sur safe, sound, and a national treasure. His five children are thriving in San Diego, Wellfleet, MA, Amherst, MA, and San Francisco, where son Ben ’12 is still singing with Hangovers songsters.

Bertram Pitt is still active in clinical trials in heart failure and renal disease. Along with his former Cornell roommate, David Gluck, MD ’57, and others, he has recently published a paper on a potential new therapy for COVID-19. Richard Ragold has recently moved to Gainesville, VA. ❖ John Nixon (email John); Caroline Mulford Owens (email Caroline); Jack Allen (email Jack); Bob Neff (email Bob); Ed Gibson (email Ed). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1954

Happily, we have several news forms that have been returned in response to the class mailing from our president, Chick Trayford, MBA ’60. We strive for broad representation in the column and usually do not repeat news about people who have been included recently. However, this month we may repeat: we don’t want to ignore folks who make the effort to keep us posted!

If you receive this digital news, then you have access to our class website. Jan Jakes Kunz continues to do a professional job with that. A sailor herself, she put much effort into the article about sailing and the major role our own Al Eckhardt, MBA ’55, as an undergraduate and as an alum, put into developing the sailing program. Also on the website are listed classmates whose deaths have recently reached Cornell. Sad, but a way to honor and remember.

A reminder about the new digital alumni publication: Cornellians is free, with content available on its website. Cornellians sends out periodic emails to all alumni for whom we have email addresses—but you don’t need to receive those emails to access the publication. Anyone can go to the website anytime and read stories, Class Notes, In Memoriam, and more. If you are not receiving those emails and would like to, please email Alexandra Bond ’12.

Allan Griff wrote thoughtfully from his home in California. “I’m not retired. Sounds boring. I’ve worked since 1961 as an independent engineer mainly with plastics and packaging—no, they are not toxic, but people fear most anything man-made.” He says he gets pleasure in saving, and “avoiding the new and sensible recycling that doesn’t use more energy than it saves.” His favorite memory of Cornell: “Walking up the hill from downtown Ithaca on arrival by overnight bus from New York in September 1950 and walking down that same hill from campus 50 years later at Reunion in 2004.” Advice for undergraduates: “Balance. Avoid extremes, and don’t use risk to make yourself look cool.”

Also resisting retiring is Warren Heilbronner: “Who’s retired? I am a semi-retired attorney with an active practice.” Living with his wife in Rochester, NY, he chairs the NYSARC Trust, the largest private trust for people with developmental and other disabilities and chronic care needs. Warren shares that for three years he was the sole bass drummer in the Big Red Band. He played a chimes solo in a concert directed by Dr. Howard, Eastman School director. His advice for undergraduates: “Stay focused on the goals you have set for yourself and don’t be afraid to innovate.

Stephen Krauss ’54 has shifted from working as a doctor to being a full-time artist.

Here’s an inspiring transition: Stephen Krauss has shifted from working as a doctor to being a full-time artist. In his studio he pursues painting, printmaking, and watercolor. He also plays classical piano, plays tennis three times a week, and walks with wife Carol and friends in Knoxville. His favorite memory of Cornell: the evening snack at Jim’s Place with friends. Advice for students: “Find out early who the great teachers are and go to their courses. (Nabokov was teaching at Cornell when I was there, and I didn’t know it!) Take advantage of the wonderful terrain for hikes and walks.”

We have heard from Mike, MBA ’55, and Dot Noll Hostage, both classmates. When asked what activity gives meaning to your days, Mike says, “Living in love with Dot and love of family—10 children, 39 grands, and 11 greats.” (Dot and Mike are in competition with Sandy Dreier Kozinn, whose greats number 31.) In spite of heart surgery, Mike continues to play golf and maintain homes in Massachusetts, New York, and Florida. Favorite Cornell memories: “Sigma Phi, baseball, boxing, and meeting Dot in 1953.”

Bernice “Bunny” Rotter Schmid lives in Mineola, NY, and enjoys reading. She mentors new teachers and volunteers at the local art museum. She attends student concerts and travels.

Jacob “Jack” Martin, MS ’61, writes from Wellesley, MA, about his retirement hobbies of gardening, walking, climbing in the White Mountains and Alps, skiing, travel, and woodworking. Favorite memory of Cornell: “Meeting my wife of almost 53 years in the coed graduate student dorm Cascadilla.” His advice for students: “Study, study, study for the first year.” And then he gets philosophical: “I think we need to support making it easy for all citizens to vote.”

Betty Wagler Striso writes from Glen Cove, NY. Since Clem’s death, she has been learning to do the chores he did, but with much support from her family. She has taken up jigsaw puzzles. Advice for students: “Do more than study and schoolwork. Meet people, make friends (not always only your own age), take advantage of everything Cornell offers, and make memories to last a lifetime.” Here is a lovely recollection from Betty: “My most emotional memory was at a Reunion. We were on a bus of alums, returning to campus after dinner at the golf club. It had rained, and everything sparkled in the afternoon/evening light. The bus emerged from a dark leafy tunnel and turned west. The setting sun suddenly emerged from over West Hill. We were struck speechless. Then, someone started singing the ‘Evening Song’—slowly, softly. The whole bus took up the song. It was pure magic, and it still brings me to tears to remember it.”

Thanks to all of you for sharing your news and views and advice and memories. They make it possible for us to produce a column. Do send us more: ❖ Ruth Carpenter Bailey (email Ruth); Bill Waters (email Bill). Class website. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1955

Somewhere, Nancy Savage Petrie is relaxing and thinking to herself, “I miss it, but thankfully someone else is sitting down to organize and write the Class Notes column due tomorrow.” So let me introduce myself, fellow Cornellians of 1955. I am John Wertis (the elder). I use the bracketed title to distinguish myself from my son—John (not a junior), who lives nearby—when I write columns or blogs from my home on Searsburg Road near Trumansburg, which lies 12 miles northwest of Ithaca.

I am long retired from 35 years of teaching science and administrating in the Ithaca public school system, teaching biology at Elmira College, and raising Boer meat goats (150 at a time) on our 100 acres of Town of Ulysses farmland with the help of my partner, Marian Pritchard (Columbia School of Nursing, 1954). I am not yet retired from my position as the historian for the Town of Ulysses or from being a parent (or is it being “apparent”?) to my four children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren (including the great-granddaughter born last night!). After my freshman year, I worked and lived at Steep Hollow Farm (owned by William McMillan 1923 and his wife, Ruth Rice McMillan 1923) outside the City of Ithaca tending, until my graduation, to the horses boarded there—so I was somewhat less immersed in campus life during my college years than many Cornellians. But I lived then, and for the most part since, in the local region strongly influenced by the presence of our alma mater.

Enough about me. David Berle, MD ’58, reports from Chevy Chase, MD, that he’s trying to write his memoir. That is, when he isn’t on the road with his wife, Sandra, between another home in Naples, FL, and their house on Martha’s Vineyard. He says that he’s “about to give a lecture on humor.” To whom and how did it go, David?

If you are in the York, PA, area, you may see Ruth McDevitt Carrozza riding behind her son-in-law Tim on his blue Harley motorcycle. At other times you might find her with daughter Lisa and Tim, camping in their 35-ft. trailer anywhere from Maine to Florida.

“Living well in Rockford, IL, at 90 years old,” reports Frances Clegg Feeney. She is from a very “medical” family, being a retired nurse herself, married to doctor Donald, MD ’56, with children and grandchildren all in the medical field.

Michael Shinagel ’55 is joining study groups at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, a program he founded in 1977 as dean of continuing education there.

If you are in need of a lawyer and happen to be in Cocoa Beach, FL, look up Bob Leader and he’ll be happy to bill you for a few hours’ service. As to that question on the Share Your News form asking if he has “picked up any new hobbies,” he replies, “No, but I have dropped a few.”

Sylvia Verin Mangalam, MA ’57, employs the wonder of the Internet to see and talk to her godchild, Jerry, and his family in Switzerland. Meanwhile, she is enjoying the natural beauty of Nova Scotia, attending Quaker meetings, and being with her family. That gives her the most satisfaction these days, but she’s still waiting (a bit impatiently?) for great-grandchildren to arrive.

If you are in Homosassa, FL, look up Andy Phaneuf. He’s in real estate there and, with partners, manages a residential building company. He and his wife, Madeleine, recently celebrated the birth of twin (boy and girl) great-grandchildren.

Michael Shinagel says, “Learning never ends,” and he backs that statement up by reporting that he is joining study groups at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, a program he founded in 1977 as dean of continuing education there.

From Atlanta, GA, Jim Van Buren, MD ’59, relates that he and his wife of 64 years, Mary (Martin) ’56, are in relatively good health—but aging has seen reduced travel experiences.

Peter Romeo is “looking forward to the next Big Red Reunion and sitting on a bench in front of White Hall and reliving precious moments of the past.” If he decides not to walk up the hill from Sigma Pi fraternity (which he’s quite capable of doing, thank you), he will just drive himself up, still being his own “chauffer.” You can find him in his hometown of Webster, NY, where he still “dabbles in architecture” and shares an apartment with the youngest of his three unmarried sons, a “great caregiver, a neat freak, a very good cook, and touched by the gift of good humor.”

Some 32 years ago Patrick Callahan retired from his job as a software engineer and moved to Kailua-Kona, HI. He now resides “in a comfortable retirement home in California.” As he says, after the death of his second wife, Nancy, in 2019, “beautiful Hawaii lost its charm.” He’s happy to be living now with a stepdaughter nearby.

Keeping very busy in Bloomfield, CT, is Shirley Sanford Dudley. Bloomfield has a very active senior center where Shirley can choose from a menu of 30 adult education courses a semester—if she can find time from working with a Hartford food pantry, singing with a chorus, leading a “10-minute” play group, and dabbling in stained glass. She finds most satisfaction these days in family and friends, music, a good book, a good place to walk outdoors, and receiving a handwritten letter. As class correspondent, Shirley, I have your address … now to pen and paper. ❖ John Wertis (email John). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1956

Says Betty Specht Rossiter: “Does anyone imagine being in their 80s? However, it’s not so bad!” Betty is still active in various philanthropy groups. Though she no longer plays tennis, she’s still playing bridge. She notes that her grandkids are all grown up now, except one who is still in high school. Betty recently took a trip to visit her daughter, Laurel Rossiter Herzog ’84, in Memphis. When asked if she’s picked up any new hobbies recently, Betty says no, but she’s open to suggestions!

Bonnie Smith Whyte has been re-reading the 25th anniversary Class of ’56 yearbook. “Those who contributed were masterful at summing up their lives at that point. We should all be writing memoirs. My husband, a Rutgers grad, happened on it recently and finds something new almost daily.” Bonnie has been gradually coming out of “pandemic hiding” and returning to pursuits slowly—like a local museum, the Y, and some friend groups.

Lew Klotz is playing golf three days per week and swimming laps two times per week. “Life is good in Boynton Beach, FL,” he writes.

Diana Motycka Day says, “Hi to all!” She’s been volunteering at church and on committees, meeting with other seniors, helping with receptions, and following memorial services. “I’m very happy that I moved to Wooster, OH, to be closer to children and grandchildren. Ohio has cloudy weather—lots of wintry snow, only three or so inches at a time, and windy.” What brings her the most satisfaction these days? “Having designed and implemented lots of landscaping and gardens around my small home.”

Mary Martin Van Buren says 64 years of marriage to Jim ’55, MD ’59, have been good. “We still enjoy 13 years of retirement, living in our house for 50 years, and good support from our five children and seven grandchildren. We are COVID double boosted and have age-related problems of poor memory, poor balance, and a few other medical issues. Go Big Red!”

I am grandma to two boys, whose Zimbabwean mother I adopted in 2020 when she came to the U.S. to go to college.
Mary Wakeman ’56

Russell Wagner is a widower, and he shares that he’s “teamed up” with a longtime friend who is a widow. Russell keeps busy with the daily things like living, the house, the car, clubs, and charities. He gets great satisfaction from staying busy in his community. His new hobby? “Learning how a modern online life works.”

Grace Goldsmith Wahba was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the Ohio State University at their spring commencement in May of this year.

Mary Wakeman writes, “I am grandma to two boys, whose Zimbabwean mother I adopted in 2020 when she came to the U.S. to go to college.” In retirement, Mary has been playing chamber music with her violin, reading good books, weaving tapestries, knitting, participating in demonstrations, keeping up with the news, and listening to music on the radio. “My family—my daughter, her husband (also from Zimbabwe, who has been working as a nurse since the pandemic began), and their two boys, 7 and 13—are visiting their relatives in Zimbabwe this summer. I am returning to the Vermont Music and Arts Center for a week of chamber music after a two-year hiatus because of COVID.” Mary wants us to know she has a new hobby: making muffins!

Jack and Barbara Shirman wrote from Naples, FL. Jack has been uncovering his family ancestry all the way back to the 1700s. He’s also playing tennis and skiing.

Irwin Scharf writes, “After 47 years, we sold our home and moved to a 55-plus community in Plainview, NY. We are working on unpacking the 120 boxes that we brought with us—and much memorabilia from my years on the Hill has appeared. I have been working with a group that prepares immigrants to take the U.S. citizenship exam and interview. It is extremely rewarding helping people achieve a dream.” ❖ Phyllis Bosworth (email Phyllis). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1957

Allow me to save you some headaches. Since some users have reported an increase in spam emails, we will no longer list classmates’ email addresses here. If you want the email for any classmate noted in these Class of 1957 columns, just let me be the go-between. Contact me and I will forward your information.

Truly, we need to acknowledge John Seiler’s passing in May from ideopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was known as an accomplished retailer and served as CEO for different department stores over the years and was on the board of directors for several companies, including Duty Free Shoppers. In his semi-retirement, he wrote topical verse for several publications, later collected in his 1996 It’s a Jingle Out There publication. His sense of humor and loyalty to our class and to Cornell kept us well-informed for many decades, for which we are very grateful.

We seem to be a prolific group of writers. Jane Taber Gillett has written Kids Aren’t Baby Goats and is currently working on My Journey. Jane arrived early to campus from Los Angeles in 1953. She was told to find her own place to stay for the week until the dorms opened. It wasn’t long before she was introduced to Roger, DVM ’56. Jane and Roger married in her sophomore year and upon his graduation they moved to Thousand Island Park, NY, on Wellesley Island on the St. Lawrence River. Jane was able to finish her Cornell coursework requirements and earned her Cornell degree in 1981, graduating with her middle daughter, one of their four children. Jane did all this while assisting her husband in his veterinary practice and serving 19 years on the Indian River School District Board of Education, both as a member and as president. Sadly, Roger passed away in 2009.

Jane has uncovered new talents as an artist, particularly in ceramics. In 1988, her work was shown in the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira and she was involved as the ceramic artist in residence in a local arts and sales gallery from 1990 through 2019. Jane explored her and Roger’s roots through a genealogy search, with interesting results. It seems both their ancestors knew each other in the Massachusetts Bay Colony when both men took the Oath of a Freeman in 1634. Of course, Jane and Roger did not know this when they met at Cornell! Jane has not stayed idle during the pandemic and not only has taken courses via Zoom, she has met her four great-grandchildren that way. Now Jane and her extended family enjoy their summers in historic Thousand Island Park, yet when the colder weather arrives, they relax at their dwellings in St. Petersburg, FL. We are on a “detective” search for her freshman roommate, Elaine Looman Brand, who came to Cornell from Amsterdam, NY. If anyone has any information about Elaine, let me know.

Jane Taber Gillett ’57 not only has taken courses via Zoom, she has met her four great-grandchildren that way.

After 40 years of, as he says, forced silence as a trial judge, Peter Wolf, ME ’59, is enjoying writing guest columns for the Winston-Salem Journal. In 2018, he and Frances moved to the wonderful senior living community at Homestead Hills in Winston-Salem, NC. They are enjoying the freedom of no yardwork and no meals to prepare and the company of interesting residents. While that is fine, they spend the summer months at their mountain home in Roaring Gap, NC, a treasured place they’ve owned for more than 50 years.

There is much to discover on Peter’s blog. I found his interesting story of his journey to becoming a judge on the District of Columbia Supreme Court. I’ll make it easy for you: Go to his blog at this link to read “Washington Experience is Unique.” You’ll find his step-by-step progress, along with anecdotes on how his life turned from his Cornell EE studies to Harvard Law, his wife’s accomplishment of becoming an ordained minister, and the strong connection one of his daughters had with a certain U.S. President’s daughter. It was my time well spent, including seeing that he is a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin. Might there even be a connection between his forebears and those of Jane Taber Gillett?

If our classmates who live in the NYC area hurry, they might catch the Carnegie Hall concert tonight (November 1) with Steve Reich’s compositions of “Music for 18 Musicians,” “Tehillim,” and the U.S. premiere of “Traveler’s Prayer.” The concert will also be performed on November 3 in Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA. Other concert dates around the world are listed on Steve’s website. Also, check out the reviews of his recently published book, Conversations.

Anton “Tony” Tewes writes from Grosse Pointe Park, MI, that he plays pickleball almost every day and has been in more than 80 tournaments—not surprising for a former Cornell soccer player. Tony, a structured settlement consultant, was instrumental in establishing several firms dealing with financial planning and underwriting. An avid outdoorsman, he has been very active on the board of directors for many community and church organizations. He and wife Nancy spend their winters in Stuart, FL, while three of their four children manage his Specialty Insurance Agency.

In our July/August Class Notes, John Ruszkiewicz, MBA ’58, offered to send a copy of his publication, My Vietnam Anecdotes, to any classmate who would be interested in reading his personal Vietnam War experiences. You may want to take advantage of his offer—contact me to be put in touch. ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman (email Connie). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1958

“Our 65th Reunion plans are well underway. We hope you plan to be there, live, on campus, residing at the Statler. There will be good food and drink, transportation to the many events, and, best of all, a time to see old friends, and still make new ones—never too old for that,” write Dick, PhD ’65, and Connie Case Haggard, Reunion co-chairs. “We had a great time this past June shadowing ’57’s Reunion with Ray ’57 and Audrey Wildner Sears (’58’s class treasurer) while gathering ideas for our own Reunion next year. Staying in the Statler is not like it was in the old days—remember those $25 nights in the dorms at our 15th?” Our co-chairs report that it will be nice and comfortable, although a good bit above $25/night, and that they will make the best of those fine accommodations for all ’58 Reunioners, June 8–11, 2023.

It’s good to hear from so many of you who sent in Share Your News forms. We’re hoping for 240 of you to respond and are getting close to that number and watching to hear from more. Stefan Belman, DVM ’61, “chicken scratched” (as he put it) a note, “as I continue to maintain this beautiful Montana property, biking, shooting, playing sports, and not hunting. My wife, Anita (Lesgold) ’60, MS ’61, is active with local friends, and I’m happy with awakening in the morning and feeling well.” John Buchleitner, BEE ’60, writes that he and his wife, Barbara, “were visiting the Biltmore in Asheville, NC, awaiting the passing of a cloudburst, when I noticed a gentleman wearing a ‘C’ baseball cap. We talked for about an hour. The next time I was in Ithaca, I bought a ‘C’ baseball cap—wearing it is a great way to meet fellow Cornellians.” Chick Marshall still manages assets and travels from sunny California, “things I’m doing now but never imagined.” Although retired in 2013, he still consults in the hospitality industry while “enjoying lots going on with our children and grandchildren, along with three great-grandchildren—also golf, fly fishing, bird hunting, and collecting wines.” Louesa Merrill Gillespie is building a smaller house for her retirement, still in Maine at last report, where she serves on local town committees and consults for her family’s inn there. She says, “I enjoy winter months in Florida, especially the vibrant Miami arts and music scene, and being a member of the local Florida Cornell Club.”

In Ithaca, I bought a ‘C’ baseball cap—wearing it is a great way to meet fellow Cornellians.
John Buchleitner ’58, BEE ’60

Ann MacLeod Cashen now lives in a Berkshires retirement community near Lenox, MA, and “enjoys all the music/art/cultural events, planning trips for the community, reading a lot from our great library, going to Tanglewood … in other words, playing.” Ann has three married daughters and five grandchildren and visits them and her friends from Westchester County, NY, and makes new ones at her home in Kimball Farms. Daniel Seidel gives a long list of family Cornellians, back to 1923, and has found that he has a nephew married to one of Ezra’s descendants and his daughter is married to a descendant of one of Ezra’s business partners, Samuel F.B. Morse. Dan is still flying light planes in the Los Altos, CA, area, “67 years after my first solo at the Ithaca airport down by the inlet.” He gets most satisfaction these days reflecting on having been a pioneer in environmental/civil engineering since grad school at Stanford in ’63: working on water supply, drainage, pollution control, etc., for cities, counties, and industries in a 45-year career. In a short note, Charles Rosak said only that he and his wife, Ellen, are most satisfied “with the success of our two daughters, both Cornell grads.”

Barbara Avery, MA ’59, writes, “I’m trying to learn vegetarian cooking from the Moosewood Cookbook. I keep healthy exercising on a treadmill in my study, walking the dog, and maintaining a four-generation fishpond in my backyard. I visited Washington, DC, Santa Fe, and Taos and read serious books for monthly discussions in our living room. My husband, Courtney Chapman, has a granddaughter graduating from the University of Washington. I spend time and effort with my sister caring for our youngest sister who has dementia.” Barbara still lives in Worthington, OH, and retains high interest in our class and our 65th Reunion. Marc Gabel, living in Toronto, has retired after 60 years in medical practice. He says, “I remain active in advising about choices in medical assistance in dying (MAID) and am on various boards advocating for MAID availability. I’m most satisfied these days with love, family, friends, and personal activities, like photography and printing, now that the burden of responsibility of medical life has been lifted.”

Again, get June 8–11 on your calendars for ’58 in ’23. You will be getting more information early in the New Year. For now, Happy Holidays to all. ❖ Dick Haggard (email Dick); Jan Arps Jarvie (email Jan). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1959

Carl Leubsdorf and his wife, Susan Page, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in May with a big bash for family and friends. Attendees included his six children and stepchildren, eight grandchildren and step-grandchildren, two step-great-grandchildren, and an array of nieces and nephews. Sixtieth wedding anniversaries were celebrated by David and Peggy Flynn Dunlop, MS ’63, in July and David and Constance Hurd in August. A month earlier, David—the U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York—officiated the wedding of a grandson. Jon and Elizabeth Pollak Warms celebrated their 62nd anniversary. The couple have lived in Tenafly, NJ, for 56 years; “this is where we have brought up our children, who live all over the country.” Liz is on the library board of trustees in Tenafly, active in other community and nonprofit organizations, and always eager to see her seven grandchildren and her great-grandson.

Also celebrating 62 years of marriage this year are Rich and Mary “Mimi” Nagle Wessling. In 2017, the couple made the difficult decision to sell their small farm, with a vineyard and olive grove, in Watsonville, CA. “We could no longer manage the proper upkeep procedures,” writes Mimi. “The couple who bought the farm are now our friends, and our son Tony still maintains the olive grove for his business, Olio Umberto, an artisan grower/producer of California extra virgin olive oil. Rich and I left the Monterey Bay area and bought a 1913 Craftsman house in a wonderfully diverse Oakland neighborhood, the Glenview District. Four of our five children live within easy driving distance; one son lives in Colorado with his family.” The move also resulted in a new hobby: watching birds and squirrels. “I took them for granted living in the country. Now I find them fascinating!” Mimi’s career as a medical writer, translator, and historian continues. She is still reading extensively in medical history, with an emphasis on medical ethics, and doing editing for the newsletter of the Northern California chapter of the American Medical Writers Association. She also maintains her interest in epidemiology and immunology as a freelance editor. She has translated two books from German, one on medical ethics that was written in 1797 and another describing the beginning of the public health administration in Taiwan (then Formosa, 1915), which to this day remains a functioning entity.

This past July, Carole Kenyon and a friend visited the Hudson River Valley and Millbrook Winery. “I knew that the winery’s co-founder is John Dyson ’65, who grew up in Millbrook and is the oldest son of the man for whom the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is named. So I wore a T-shirt emblazoned with Cornell and the Dyson School. The leader of a wine tasting spotted my shirt and loudly announced the Cornell connection and the enthusiastic support of the winery’s employees for its founder. We had a grand time there; I strongly recommend that other alums visiting the Hudson Valley (much to see there of historical and culinary interest) also visit the winery.”

We talk a lot about the good old days on the Hill.
Roy Lieberman ’59

Our AEPi fraternity brothers have been meeting every year since graduation. “In the early days, we met at Mama Leone’s restaurant in NYC because many of the brothers were from the NYC area,” says Roy Lieberman. “As we married, wives wanted to be included in our gatherings, and so we met at our homes in a rotating order. In 2007, we even traveled to Santa Cruz, CA, the home of our past master, the late Lenny Gerstein. We talk a lot about the good old days on the Hill: trips to Cortland State and Wells College for dates that weren’t available on our home campus, football weekends, school politics such as the spring ’58 uprising about in loco parentis … all good memories. Though our numbers are sadly diminishing, we hope to be back in Ithaca for Reunion 2024.”

“He is still a gem!” said Sidney Boorstein after catching up with his Tau Delta Phi brother Marty Lehman at an exhibit of Marty’s fine watercolors at the Scandinavian Living Center in West Newton, MA. (You can see some of Marty’s paintings here.) Sid also spent time this past summer with his Cornell roommate, Carl Resnick, who was in the area for his wife’s Brandeis reunion. As far as everyday activities are concerned, Sid’s schedule is packed: weekly piano lessons, swimming, book clubs, charities such as the West End House Boys and Girls Club of Boston (for 60 years), his condominium’s board of directors, poker games, and golf. And in winter there’s four months of living on the warm ’n’ sunny east coast of Florida.

“Plenty going on to keep me busy,” says Patricia “Paddy” Hurley. There’s biking, kayaking, gardening, French classes, and four beloved teenage grandkids who live nearby. Also, Paddy continues to teach trumpet lessons and direct the New Horizons Band of the Community Music School in Centerbrook, CT, which gives concerts in local venues. Perhaps her favorite professional role these days is teaching beginner trumpeters. “It is so important to start with the basics of brass playing—the physical aspects, such as posture and breathing; the technical aspects, such as fingering and timing; and especially the musical aspects, such as interpretation and style.” ❖ Jenny Tesar (email Jenny). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

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Classes of the 1960s

1960

Now living in Wheaton, IL, Linda Miller Kelsey, MS ’65, reports that she and her husband, Reverend Dr. Fred Kelsey ’59, moved from New York State to the Chicago area to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law just before the pandemic began. “We are using Zoom, FaceTime, and YouTube to attend church and alumni meetings and to visit with friends and family. We have also been reading many books, thanks to online library resources and book sales, and enjoy being able to take long walks in multiple parks in DuPage County.” Also newly relocated is Lawrence “Larry” Mandell, who sadly reports, “My wife of 45 years has passed away, and I just moved to the New Jersey seashore after having spent the last 22 years in Northern California,” where he had lived in Santa Rosa.

In Berkeley, CA, Jane Lyttle Anderson says, “I’m walking slower than Tim Conway on the ‘Carol Burnett Show’—but still walking, thankfully. I enjoy waking up to a new day each morning and feeling 17 again, but then I start moving and am 84 and aching. Still, as a woman of the 20th century, I was lucky to have the opportunity to support my family and choose my travels, businesses, and careers. I hope the next generations have the same choices!” Writing from Escondido, CA, Jack Raymond was pleased to answer the question about what he never imagined doing: “On Cornell Giving Day 2022, I contributed a major challenge gift to the Industrial and Labor Relations School and had it matched. Go ILR!”

Marian Larkin Beck von Peccoz continues to split her time between Brewster on Cape Cod and Cincinnati and says, “I’m being busy enough but not too busy and not bored. I’m keeping up with most of my past interests, such as painting and reading, and enjoying my family and friends.” The one thing that surprises her is “seeing my children retire.” In Portsmouth, NH, Kay Oppenheimer surprised herself by “buying a young puppy at the age of 82. I’m now training both the dog and a horse, relearning to play the piano, and enjoying good socializing. I have two lovely grandsons in their 20s. It is deep friendships that bring me the most satisfaction these days.”

Raoul Drapeau notes that he and Connie (Fekete) ’61 have moved to Ashburn, VA, where they are writing, hiking, researching history, lecturing, and meeting new friends. According to Raoul, “As an introvert, I never thought I would be giving stand-up comedy routines and performing stage roles at the retirement community in which we live. Talk about being outside your comfort zone!” John Charles Smith sent word from Far Hills, NJ: “I’m still working as a landscape architect but must slow down. I’m getting back to normal health after having my first heart attack last August; I’m now about 60% better after having four stents!”

As an introvert, I never thought I would be giving stand-up comedy routines and performing stage roles at the retirement community in which we live.
Raoul Drapeau ’60

John Gillies, BS ’62 (Houston, TX) proudly reports, “My granddaughter Christie Gillies will be enrolled in the Cornell medical school this fall.” John has ten grandchildren and says that watching them grow into happy, intelligent, caring adults brings him great satisfaction. He admits that he enjoys playing golf and gardening, but had to give up skiing, tennis, and ice hockey, saying, “My only new hobby besides golf is pickleball.” Bob Schnur is now in Verona, WI, and officially retired from the practice of law but still teaches tax law as an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Bob sadly reports, “My longtime partner of 30 years, Betty, who also taught at the law school, passed away last year.” Stanley Watkins (Annapolis, MD) is also now retired and keeps busy farming, fishing, and hunting. His most satisfaction these days? “Following the careers of my two children and five grandchildren,” says Stanley.

In May, Laurence Dornstein wrote from Beverly Hills, “I never imagined being retired from law practice and staying healthy, despite two and a half years of a pandemic. I’m now mostly reading and traveling. My wife, Judith, is still active as an entertainment attorney, and my daughter, Courtney, is now the marketing director for the Dallas Mavericks. I’m gratified to see my daughter succeed at her chosen career.” Wally Williamson and his wife, Karen, are living primarily in Ancram, NY, which they describe as “a rural paradise.” He has become a member of the Ancram Conservation Council, which is working on forest protection. They have a new granddaughter who lives near their Manhattan apartment, which inspires them to visit the city fairly often. Wally says he is enjoying retirement and has picked up a new hobby, studying Spanish with Karen by Zoom with an instructor in San Sebastián, Spain.

In Oakmont, PA, Jessie Barker Hill writes, “I’m missing my work as an attorney after 11 years of retirement. I’m spending more time in my tiny house on Nevis, where I have wonderful island friends as well as some from the U.S. and U.K. who are there part time. What brings me the most satisfaction these days is seeing my grandchildren succeed. Seven of the eight are college graduates, three have completed graduate school, two are entering it, and the youngest will have started college in September.” Please send your news to me: ❖ Judy Bryant Wittenberg (email Judy). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1961

Greetings, classmates, from late summer in Reno, NV. I am wishing you all good health and good times. I am glad to report the following news.

First, from Therese “Terry” Elzas Baker-Degler, who writes that she is “considering moving to a retirement community in NYC as two sons and grandkids live there.” She asks if any of you have any connections or advice about institutions, etc. “A grandson just had his bar mitzvah at the Park Avenue Synagogue with a huge party afterwards. All my grandsons go to the Collegiate School and one granddaughter is a freshman at Harvard.” Terry enjoys reading, watching films, the Stanford Continuing Studies courses, book club, and her Great Decisions group.

Charlie McChesney is happy to be rowing with the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association each summer since 2012, has survived COVID so far without infection, and is fully vaccinated plus boosters. “My oldest grandson graduates from University of North Dakota this year. I appreciate waking up each morning and enjoying another day.” As do we all.

From Indio, CA, Edward Levy is “doing product design and plastic tooling placement in consumer product companies in Asia that I have dealt with in the past. Our two sons have senior-level management jobs with international companies. Completing a difficult job gives me the most satisfaction. My new hobby is mechanism designing.”

Gail Smith McDougall Sullivan in North Rose, NY, on Sodus Bay writes, “I am becoming a nutritarian—starting a plant-based food program, trying to make this ‘old body’ work better, feel better, live longer, and reach a healthier weight, while helping the planet all at the same time! I turned an avocation of collecting antique jewelry into creating pins, brooches, and necklaces. After following the craft show path for 35 years, I decided to retire again. My husband, Mike, and I built a home in Costa Rica and spend half of the year there. Now we’re trying to conquer the learning curve of owning an RV so we can travel and enjoy the U.S.”

From Humberto Cordero Sr., ME ’63: “I’m retired, spending five months at Palmas Delmar, Puerto Rico, one month traveling, one month visiting family, and five months in Boca Raton, FL. One grandchild graduates in London soon, another is going to Cornell, and another is off to Purdue.” Humberto gets great satisfaction from “listening to my musical family play and sing: Adrianna, Joseph, Calvin, and Tyler, in voice and various instruments successfully.” He also enjoys listening to audiobooks about history (U.S., Civil War, Earth, American Revolution, Egyptian pharaohs, etc.).

We’re trying to conquer the learning curve of owning an RV.
Gail Smith McDougall Sullivan ’61

We hear again from Barbara “Bobbie” Horowitz, who is writing a musical and putting on cabaret shows when audiences can appear again. She partners with her Cornell son, David Slone ’90, JD ’94, in writing and performance work. She keeps busy using Zoom for online workshops on women’s dressing and personal expression, a business for her.

Leroy Moyer checks in from Sandy Springs, GA. He and his wife, Marilyn, have been married 60 years! “I’m retired and playing a little golf and bridge. Also bought a 1948 Lincoln Continental!” He’s enjoying life.

Mary Ann Tower Rolland is living in a Florida retirement community, after the loss of first husband Bill, with new mate Dick Yeager. She has been “volunteering in her retirement community (since 2013), quilting, and gardening, though traveling has been limited due to the pandemic. I am experiencing macular degenerational loss of vision and praying for a cure. My grandchildren are in high school in Deerfield, MA—looking at colleges.” She enjoys sharing activities in her community and helping new residents get settled.

Lawrence Aaron with wife Susan are living in the downtown Chicago area, where Lawrence is chairman of Inland Bank & Trust.

Thomas Rohr is known as “The Commish” in Hawaii. He was the president and CEO of Waikoloa Land Company from 1988–2010. The Naupaka News of March/April 2017 tells of his impact on standards of leisure hospitality in Hawaii. Thomas reflects, “The things I’m most proud of are how we were able to zone the land, which allowed the resort to expand the condominium and timeshare offerings just nowadays being realized.” He also has had a commitment to and love of golf. We reported at another time of his support of golf for young people in Hawaii.

Inevitably as time passes, we lose beloved classmates. Ronald Demer ’59 sent an obituary of classmate Carl Shrawder, who passed on May 12, 2022. Please write us your news and thoughts. ❖ Susan Williams Stevens (email Susan); Doug Fuss (email Doug). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1962

Frances Deann Gallogly recently gave up her “beloved garden” to live in two small condos—spending six months in Florida and six months in Connecticut. Her passion continues to be photography, and her work can be viewed here. She writes, “We had a reunion in June in Maine to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary with our son, daughter, and niece. We rented a lovely old house on the water in Rockport.” Frances also shares that she took two photography workshops recently—one in night photography (Milky Way and star trails) in Big Bend National Park in Texas, and another on the Oregon coast in May.

Paul Schreiber never imagined that he’d be “wearing a face mask everywhere!” He reports that he’s been doing work for a medical marijuana licensing program. Paul and his wife, Merilyn (Klorman) ’65, have eight grandchildren—including Big Red freshman Jason Schreiber ’26, who is a fourth-generation Cornellian! ❖ Evelyn Eskin (email Evelyn). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1963

“Hello, classmates from your acting class president and Reunion chair, Paula Trested Laholt. June 2023 is fast approaching, and plans are underway for a wonderful and reminiscent time on campus in celebration of our 60th. Come out and revisit campus and spend time with friends, both newly found and long-standing. I would love to have any input you may have as we start detailing plans for food, entertainment, seminars, and activities. We will be in McClintock Hall if you wish to stay on campus and there will be options for housing hotel style. The dates are June 8–11. Send your ideas to me (email Paula here). I hope to hear from several classmates.”

Marjorie Walker Sayer and husband Steve have been on a long summer travel adventure away from their home in Sarasota, FL. They were inspired by a 1983 trip west with their three children, which included a week on a dude ranch in the Grand Tetons. So in July they drove across the country via many Midwestern states they had never visited before. They planned the trip to visit presidential libraries, points of interest such as Devil’s Tower, rodeos, and art museums. In Calgary they took a Grand Circle bus tour to Banff, Lake Louise, Kamloops, and Vancouver. They drove back into the U.S. through Glacier National Park then down to Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, and Livingston in Montana. On the way east they visited the Eisenhower Museum and the rodeo in Abilene, KS. They headed back home through Branson, MO, and the Truman and Clinton libraries. The photos she sent were amazing.

I received an email from Donna Goodman Albin ’65, who wanted to share the news of the passing of her husband, Rick, in November 2021. His listing can be found in the October 2022 In Memoriam section.

Martin, DVM ’66, and Debra Kirschner Wolf ’66 live in Palm Beach, FL. Marty was a veterinarian in his working life. He writes, “I’m in a wheelchair—broke bones in my leg when I fell and fractured my pelvis in two places. We have six grandchildren. Kyle Wolf ’25 is at Cornell. My daughter and her family visit often. I do mosaic art and have exhibited it.”

Jerry, MD ’66, and Oksanna Sydorak live in Hillsborough, CA. “I am playing competitive senior tennis in California and captaining two senior tennis leagues (55s and 65s). I do winter skiing on advanced slopes. I am semi-retired as a vascular surgeon—still assisting on cardiovascular cases and running a wound care clinic at age 80. My wife is Ukrainian born. I have no time for new hobbies currently. I am contemplating taking some college courses at nearby Stanford University or College of San Mateo.” What gives Jerry the most satisfaction these days is his limited medical-surgical practice and his tennis.

I am still riding my bike daily at the age of 81!
Dick Jackson ’63, MBA ’65

Anthony, MD ’67, and Mildred Turel are living in Danville, PA. “As a Vietnam veteran, 1968–69, I am a life member of the VFW in Danville. I am currently the chaplain at Post 298. I am in daily contact with more than 90 friends across the U.S. My new hobbies are memorabilia, stamps, and coins.” When asked what’s something you’re doing now that you never imagined, he stated: “Contacting my local Cornell ’63 and ’67 classmates.”

Dick, MBA ’65, and Diane Jackson live in Glendora, CA, but “spend time with family in Los Angeles, Norfolk, VA, and Annapolis, MD. We summer at our cottage on Skaneateles Lake near Cornell. I am still riding my bike daily at the age of 81! I have many DIY projects. The best decision I made in junior high was to take shop (wood and metal). Son Josh was just promoted to admiral. His son graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy last May. I am about to become a great-grandfather for the first time.”

Carol Bagdasarian Aslanian writes, “I continue to oversee/direct the work of Aslanian Market Research, which helps colleges nationwide attract and serve post-traditional-age students as they enter and reenter higher education—now making up more than half of our college students. I continue to live in New York City and enjoy all that it offers—even as the years move on. My children, two daughters (Cornell graduates), and my five grandchildren give me the most satisfaction these days.”

Richard, ME ’66, and Marcia Feliciano live in Severna Park, MD. “I am gardening, ship modeling from scratch, banging on piano, golfing, and avoiding work requests. I am also starting to learn the ukulele—a fine Portuguese instrument. Something I never imagined doing in my life is cultivating roses. Our grandkids are starting to look at colleges—much different from my ancient experience.”

Darrow and Barbara Strain sent in a news form but just wanted us to know that they live in Locust Grove, VA.

Dale Benedict ’62, BME ’63, and his wife, Marion (Krause) ’66, live in Commerce Township, MI. Dale writes: “I am consulting with several firms on the design and manufacturing of net forged bevel gears, which are used in automotive final drives (GM, Ford, Honda, etc.). I still volunteer with the National Ski Patrol. I had to give up sailboat racing on the Great Lakes as my sense of balance is not what it used to be. We enjoy visiting our four grandchildren in Elgin, IL, and Middlesex, VT.”

That’s all for this month. Send news when you can. ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke (email Nancy), 12350 East Roger Road, Tucson, AZ 85749. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1964

Welcome to autumn! And thanks again for all your updates. Settle back and read about classmates’ goings-on.

We begin with a kudo to Bruce Wagner, ME ’66, our previous class president, who writes, “I’ve been selected as a winner of the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award this year, along with six other alumni.” And belated congrats also to our nine classmates who were previous winners of this inter-class recognition.

Artist Joanna Leff Pinsky, who lives in Evanston, IL, is appearing in this column for the very first time. She writes, “I have been painting and exhibiting my work since I received my BFA in 1964. In addition, I co-founded a nonprofit art education organization, Art Encounter, in 1978 and we are still going strong.”

Susan Lamme Laessig, MAT ’66, is another column newcomer, although she’s been mentioned in others’ contributions with her husband, Walter ’63, MBA ’66, JD ’66. She writes that she is “now retired from the practice of gastroenterology in Washington, DC, and Chevy Chase, MD.” The Laessigs live in nearby Kensington, MD, where she is involved in “mostly church-related activities.” But not entirely, as she notes, “Walt and I are taking many courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes.” Like many other classmates, they’re “unfortunately traveling very little in recent years. Have taken great trips with Ed ’63 and Nancy Taylor Butler in the past.” The Laessigs have three children and three grandsons.

Phil Green, last in this column in 2016, caught us up to date. “Wife Sam and I finally fully retired and are living a great life in Burnt Store Marina and Country Club in Punta Gorda, FL. We love the weather and our many friends in this resort community. Have been here 20 years now. Still boat, fish, and play a little golf. Have finally told our eight children, 18 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren that they should plan on traveling to see us instead of vice versa.” The Greens are likely traveling as you read this, as he adds, “In October, we will cruise from Rome to Amalfi Positano to Catania (Sicily) Italy, then Corfu, Greece, Durrës (Tirana), Albania, Kotor, Montenegro, Korcula and Zadar, Croatia, and, finally, Trieste, Italy. In Trieste we will disembark and go one and a half hours to Vicenza, Italy, to spend a week with our daughter and family who will be there for two years.”

I co-founded a nonprofit art education organization, Art Encounter, in 1978 and we are still going strong.
Joanna Leff Pinsky ’64

Barbara Furman Attardi, who still lives in Rockville, MD, last in this column five years ago, retired 11 years ago from a career of laboratory supervision in the fields of reproduction, endocrinology, drug development, and, most recently, male contraception and hormonal therapy. Barbara reports that she now enjoys watercolor painting. “I also study French and do several dance classes each week. I took up Canasta and Mahjong several years ago.” Barbara’s recent travel has been “mainly to visit children and grandsons in Pittsburgh, PA, and Palo Alto, CA.” She still travels during holidays, and enjoys soccer, board games, and dances. For the last 15 years she has been our class recording secretary.

Richard Hecht is retired as founding partner of Marks Paneth LLP, which became the 34th largest CPA firm in the U.S. and was recently acquired by CBIZ. He now operates a consulting firm to help other business owners, plus is treasurer and board member of a CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution). He says he is “playing more golf and trying to get more public attention to the money public companies are spending on stock buybacks.” He goes on to say that COVID “stopped travel,” with the exception that he and wife Susan leave their home in Larchmont, NY, to go to New Orleans, where they have a condo, “and where children and grandchildren live. At this stage, watching our grandchildren grow up is great; they always have something new to show us. It helps keep us young (a relative term).”

Marshal Case, last here four years ago, lives with wife Joanne in Shaftsbury, VT, and is very involved in environmental issues. He writes, “My focus is continuing full time with the Trust For Wildlife and ‘saving the planet,’ in addition to family with grandchildren, a high priority.” Marshal notes he is “closing in” on a 250-acre woodland and aquatic area in southern Vermont. His first job after graduating from Cornell was as head of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, so he returns there annually, these days focusing on saving whales. Back home, Marshal keeps busy on the family’s 90-acre farm, using it as an “enticing” attraction for their grandchildren to come experience open spaces and learn about “country living.”

Notable Hotel School grad Dennis Sweeney reports he’s been retired for 15 years and in June made an in-town move in Greensboro, NC, from a conventional house to a retirement facility (WhiteStone). He says his new residence has all the amenities of a regular home, plus, “At almost 80, it’s about time. I’m still getting around okay but am slowing down. I’m working on a collection of great recipes—very interesting.”

That’s all for now. I could always use more of your news, so please update me by email, regular mail, our class website, or our class Facebook page. ❖ Bev Johns Lamont (email Bev), 720 Chestnut St., Deerfield, IL 60015. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1965

Always planning travel, Judy Kellner Rushmore writes that she has arranged a family trip to France for next June, spending three days in Paris, one week in the Loire Valley on a bike trip, and three days in Lyon. Another adventure is scheduled for March 2023, when Judy and her wonderful Dave will take a foodie trip to Spain with Oldways, a nonprofit that aims to improve public health by offering educational programs, resources, and recipes based on shared cultural food traditions from around the world.

Daryl Goldgraben Smith comments, “I seem to have failed retirement. I continue to work with campuses and professional organizations in higher education to build the deep capacity for diversity and to see its imperative for excellence in preparing leaders both domestically and globally. In addition, spouse Barbara Bergmann and I are enjoying our family and grandchildren, who continue to make us smile.”

Another traveler is Alan Fridkin, JD ’70. He and wife Gayle have been spending 10 to 12 winter weeks in Alassio, Italy, in the lovely Liguria region, for many years. Alan wrote a book, called A Ligurian Odyssey, which is available via Amazon and tells about the local characters, including Alan and Gayle.

We are saddened to report that, according to an obituary notice published in the New York Times on August 21, our classmate Francine Grace Plaza passed away on July 30. Prior to her years at Cornell, Francine graduated from the High School of Music & Art in New York City, and after Cornell she earned a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Thereafter she became editor of Aviacion General, a magazine catering to the aviation industry in South America. She became a pilot herself, and she once put her skills to work delivering essential medicine to indigenous people living on an isolated island. Back in the U.S., she became a public relations and corporate communications consultant in Silicon Valley, and then formed Latin Link, a PR firm that facilitated media outreach for U.S. companies seeking to expand into Latin America. In addition, she was an avid painter and quilter. It is related that in retirement, over 15 years, she made more than 2,500 quilts for Project Linus of Palm Beach to distribute to vulnerable youth. The Times notice concludes about Francine: “She left the world more beautiful than when she found it with the things she made, friendships she built, and love she shared.” We offer our deep condolences to her family. ❖ Joan Hens Johnson (email Joan); Stephen Appell (email Stephen). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1966

We hope that you enjoy the holidays! How did you feel just before the winter break when we were at Cornell: excited, concerned, looking forward to seeing high school friends?

Michael Hirsh wrote to catch us up. In 1970, he joined the Peace Corps and served in Bolivia. That led to a career mostly in the field of international development. He lived and worked in eight Latin American countries, plus did short-term assignments in several others. Highlights included five years as Peace Corps director in the Dominican Republic, five years as Peace Corps director in Peru, and four additional years in Peru heading the U.S. Agency for International Development’s largest project in Latin America at the time. Michael retired three years ago from his last U.S. government position: nine years with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service at its headquarters in Washington, DC, managing a team of environmental experts. He continues to reside in the D.C. suburbs and is pleased to be able to spend more time with his kids and with other family and friends; he is active in several organizations involved in international affairs. Michael recently attended his in-person 60th high school reunion in Albany, NY, and says he looks forward to our 60th in Ithaca in 2026.

Steven Guggenheim wrote that he and his wife, Susan Wolman ’67, live in New Rochelle, NY. Steven is still practicing psychology, although now only by phone. He and his wife are involved with an inter-religious group welcoming and supporting four Afghan families who have settled in Westchester County, NY, where they live. He became a grandfather but is sad that his daughter and family live in San Francisco—but they’ve visited them several times.

Andy Potash wrote that he is still working at the insurance company his fraternity brother David Watkins and he built over the last 25 years. David is retired, and Andy just brought in a private equity partner to help build the company and to allow him to give up being the CEO. After 54 years of marriage, Andrea (Riger) and he renewed their marriage vows while on vacation in Hawaii, with their entire family there too. He wrote, “It was a hoot, and we highly recommend it.”

Joe Polacco wrote that he retired as a professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri, Columbia in January 2008. Since that time, he has had two visiting professorships in Brazil. He has also authored a memoir, a historical fiction novel, and a book of bilingual (Spanish/English) poetry. He attended his 60th Stuyvesant High School reunion in June. Joe and wife Nancy vacation in Uruguay and also had a trip to the Galápagos. Joe also went to Maine (Chebeague Island), where he had reunions with three other sprint footballers from Cornell.

Anne Ryder Hobbs, MA ’69, wrote that she is moving to the Kendal senior living community in Ithaca. She has lived in Ithaca for many years. Retired, she has volunteered at Friends of the Library in Ithaca since 2002. She has also volunteered, for four years, at Love Living at Home, which aids seniors living in Tompkins County. What are her family activities? She spends “all the time I can get with my grandkids in New Hampshire.”

Steven Guggenheim ’66 and his wife are involved with an inter-religious group welcoming and supporting four Afghan families who have settled where they live.

John Cobey writes from Cincinnati, OH, that he is still practicing law, specializing in estate planning and wealth transfer. He has been with the same law firm for 53 years! He is president of Rockdale Temple, a 200-year-old Jewish temple, serves as chair on many law-related boards, is a trustee of the Southern Ohio Cornell Club, and is a Cornell Ambassador. He wrote that his “hobby is practicing law and doing charitable work. I also play a humorous round of golf.” He is married and has two children and two grandchildren.

Neil Chafetz still works from home, interpreting medical imaging. He would like to resume Cornell Club of L.A. scholarship fundraisers. He has hosted 11 bashes with cocktails, musical performances, wine, and dinner. He wrote, “It’s a fun and convivial evening with other Cornellians.” He never imagined that he would be “working in my dotage instead of sailing around the world.” His wife has become a wine ambassador for 35 wineries, and they enjoy the tasting events and related travel to Napa. He wrote that he is “fortunate that our three offspring, sporting three Cornell diplomas, have abandoned NYC, Seattle, and San Francisco to live nearby.” He lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

Paul Fein recently wrote The Fein Points of Tennis: Technique and Tactics to Unleash Your Talent. It was his fourth tennis book, published by Coaches Choice, and was named the Silver Winner in the Adventure, Sports, and Recreation category in the Foreword Reviews 2021 INDIES Book of the Year competition. In the acknowledgments, he “thanked and praised the late Eddie Moylan, our sagacious, inspirational, and beloved tennis coach.” Paul lives in Agawam, MA. He and his wife vacationed in Morocco earlier this year.

A note from Alice Katz Berglas: “I am home in NYC as I type. It is August. It is 93 degrees, with humidity verging over 100—and Pete has just asked me to write a November/December holiday note. I seriously need to take a creative writing course to imagine the spirit of the winter season. BUT: Cornell is weather and weather is Cornell, forever and ever, since forever. We ploughed forth through it way back THEN. To classes in knee-deep snow (bare knees in skirts for ‘coeds’) and as we studied and partied, letting nothing about the zillions of versions of Cornell weather (in a given day) stop us. And I hope that shall be true for each of us—in our homes and as a class—this holiday season. I wish you the warmth of great, good holidays—and a new year of good health, small grand adventures, time for discoveries, and time for learning as classmates/friends as the Cornell Class of 1966 that we are. To more shared ploughing forth! NOW and ON. My best, and our best, always. Alice and the ’66 class leadership team.”

Remember that you can find what’s happening at Cornell and in Ithaca by going to Cornellians. ❖ Pete Salinger (email Pete); Susan Rockford Bittker (email Susan). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1967

Ralph Wilhelm Jr. (Carmel, IN), longtime member of our class council and maestro of major gifts, is one of seven recipients of the 2022 Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award. This award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary service to Cornell through long-term volunteer activity. Checking the awardees since 1995, Ralph is our first classmate to receive this honor. He was a mainstay of Cornell’s Advisory Council for Fraternities & Sororities and chaired panels at Cornell alumni meetings.

“I retired in the first quarter of 2021,” Ralph reports, “ending more than 50 years of continuous work since the end of grad school. I’m terribly lucky and fortunate to have been employed that long. Katharine and I have been doing quite a bit of traveling: Cuba, Iceland, Italy, Greece and Turkey, India, New Zealand, Jordan and Egypt, and the Netherlands. We’re going to Germany and Switzerland this year, Norway and Portugal in 2023, and Japan in 2024.”

Most satisfaction: “Spending time with kids and grandkids, travel, working in the yard, and volunteering at Cornell, University of Indianapolis, and the Indianapolis Symphony. Some of our seven grandchildren are beginning to graduate from college—it’s a joy to watch them succeed and find their way.”

Rick Fricke, JD ’70, who was selected for the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame for men’s lacrosse and sprint football and who played quarterback on the sprint team (known as 150-lb. football in our day), died last July 19 in Ithaca. He moved to Connecticut in 1970, where he served as a general counsel at Ridgefield and Wilton before returning to Ithaca upon his retirement in 2010. In Ridgefield, he served as town attorney from 1973–81. He is survived by his six children, eight grandchildren, three siblings, six nieces, and three nephews. As his son, Matt ’18, BA ’20, observes, “Cornell meant everything to Dad, as it was the best time of his life with all the friends he made.”

Matt posted a tribute on Facebook, which is excerpted here: “To the man who gave me chicken legs and the singing voice of a wounded animal. To the man who never turned down a good wall corner to scratch his back and had the weirdest frog-like dance moves. And to the man who would sing Rod Stewart’s ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ when putting a worm on a hook and make dangerously undercooked BBQ chicken every Sunday night: you were the greatest, Dad. You taught me everything I know in life. You taught me that life is for fun, and everything can be made into a joke if you truly look at it without a care in the world. You taught me that the meaning of life is that there is meaning to life … You were the best dad, son, brother, lawyer, coach, teammate, and listening ear. You left everything on the field of life, and you did not go gently into that good night. You walked through the valley of the shadow of death with your oversized jean shorts and a Diet Coke bottle in your pocket singing your heart out to some ABBA. You were my best friend, and I love you more than you will ever know.”

I’m playing trumpet with five groups now, from the Lehigh Philharmonic to a big band.
Richard Weisman ’67, PhD ’73

Laurel Druce (San Leandro, CA) writes: “I moved from the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area to the East Bay, something I never thought I’d do. I’m traditionally a city girl; however, now I’m near the water! And near my family. I have been teaching people how to use their Apple devices and how to troubleshoot them—computers, iPads, iPhones, watches. I love it. I used to visit people in their homes, then I had them come here, and now, since COVID, I do it all remotely, so my client base is international. I also email a monthly newsletter with news, tips, and tricks.” Laurel notes, “I had my first symptoms of MS in 1988. I was able to lead a normal life until the last five years or so, and now I am in a wheelchair. But I still enjoy life and pursue my passions: music, theater, and art.”

Richard Weisman, PhD ’73 (Bethlehem, PA) observes: “I’m retired! But I’m still doing interesting things for Lehigh University. I’m playing trumpet with five groups now, from the Lehigh Philharmonic to a big band. I’m enjoying watching my sons raise their own children.” And yes, music brings him the most satisfaction.

Robert Greig is living in Paris, France, and is very happy “mentoring lawyers representing countries in treaty disputes. I still own Greig Farm where I grew up in Red Hook, NY, which can be viewed on its website.” Robert and wife Susan enjoy walking with sticks.

Leslie “Les” Glick, JD ’70, a Washington, DC-based attorney and shareholder in the Butzel law firm, was appointed co-chair of the International Trade Committee of the American Bar Association’s 450-member International Law Section. Previously, he served as vice-chair of programs for the committee. Les is co-chair of Butzel’s international trade and customs specialty team, with experience in international trade and customs law. He’s handled major international trade cases before the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Court of International Trade. Active in developing customs compliance programs for many U.S. corporations, he has authored books on customs law and NAFTA—and most recently on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Les has been an adjunct professor of law at the George Mason University Law School and the University of Baltimore. ❖ Richard Hoffman (email Richard), 2925 28th St. NW, Washington, DC 20008. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1968

You’ll be receiving many reminders, whether you need them or not, about our 55th Reunion, June 8–11, 2023. Besides your attendance, the committee appreciates your ideas about making our Reunion more fun and more stimulating. So if you grumbled about past Reunions, please tell the committee ideas that you have that will make attendees look forward to our 55th.

Paul Rohan lives in Westport, CT. He says he never imagined having monthly Zoom gatherings with his classmates Bob Arnold, Rob Cantor, Rich Garick, Rick Golding, Dean Goumas, and Gil Reynolds. “By next June, we hope we can all meet in person on campus.” Paul gets great satisfaction “fiddling” with his fleet of Jeeps and repairing and upgrading his home while waiting for the pandemic to pass.

Richard Golding and his wife, Evelyn, live Mechanicville, NY. He’s pleasantly surprised about the good health he’s maintained and his healthy family. Rick still gets great satisfaction teaching and advising college hospitality students. His family really enjoys summer camping trips and many other outdoor activities. Indoors, Rick is the chief engineer, cook, and ticket taker for his O-Gauge train model development.

Beth Deabler Corwin and her husband, Rick, live in St. Petersburg, FL, and Boston, MA. In retirement she works as a volunteer librarian and chief planner for trips with friends and family. She gets great joy gathering and Zooming with her children and four grandchildren. Beth gets satisfaction using her mind playing bridge (Silver Life Master), solving the daily Wordle word, and solving puzzles of any kind.

Diane DeGeorge Nichols is also a puzzle enthusiast, whose daily routine includes crosswords, Sudokus, Wordle, and sorting games, in addition to reading one book of fiction weekly. During the school year, she enjoys watching her grandchildren play lacrosse and soccer. She’s especially looking forward to watching her granddaughter play for St. John Fisher University in the fall. Diane also gets great satisfaction from her exercise routine and her participation on the board of the local chorale and raising funds for the local cat rescue.

Paul Rohan ’68 gets great satisfaction ‘fiddling’ with his fleet of Jeeps.

Diane writes, “On July 6, we added PNC Park in Pittsburgh to the list of places where we’ve seen the New York Yankees play. We had previously seen them at the old and new Yankee stadium and in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, and Anaheim. We sampled a classic Pittsburgh Primanti’s sandwich for dinner. Unfortunately, two days later, I discovered I’d returned home with an unwelcome ‘guest’: runny nose, headache, scratchy throat, and a positive COVID test. I did not wear a mask to the largest event I had attended since the onset of this pandemic. Like so many, I wanted to feel ‘normal’ again! Thankfully being fully vaccinated and boosted, along with a five-day course of antiviral, helped me quickly recover. My hope is that all of my fellow alums who’ve tested positive had the same good outcome.”

After retiring from NIH in 2013, David Gorelick now continues to enjoy working part time in clinical research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cannabis Research. “The remainder of our time is spent visiting grandchildren around the U.S. and in Israel.”

Thomas Noble and his wife, Mercia, live in Ponte Vedra, FL, after three other moves in the last 10 years. Tom is retired, and when he’s not playing golf or cycling, he volunteers at the boys and girls clubs. Tom has his own boys and girls club, with seven grandchildren who thankfully have all recovered from a case of COVID. Tom’s newest hobby is selling old furniture and buying new.

Laura Sevush Langworthy and her husband, Richard ’66, BS ’70, live in West Newbury, MA. Laura says she never imagined having three children—or that her family would have residences at various times in London, Nantucket, Hollywood, Manhattan, and Florida, plus semi-residences in Portugal and the London countryside. Following Laura’s wanderlust, her two grandchildren will attend college in Italy and Scotland in ’22 and ’23. Laura is most thankful for her family’s good fortunes.

We all get great pleasure hearing about your active lives and your families. I hope you continue to participate in our Class Notes for a long time. ❖ Chuck Levitan (email Chuck). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1969

(This column was written in August by guest columnist Alan Cody.) Greetings, Class of ’69! I hope that you had an enjoyable summer and fall and are continuing to return to a more normal life after the pandemic. When I returned to campus last March, I was awed, as always, by the breadth of Cornell’s research, innovation, student life, and service to the larger world. Your news of accomplishments, new avocations, travel, and other interests also reminds me how far the impact of Cornell extends beyond Ithaca and NYC. For those in our class who face challenges due to health and other factors, we keep you in our thoughts. Thanks to everyone who provided their news for this column.

Richard Poznysz regrets that he had to postpone travel to Europe, as he and his family were accustomed to doing before the pandemic. “We own a second home in Woodstock, VT. It was built in the 1880s and we spend a lot of time maintaining it and learning construction practices from 150 years ago. Occasional contact with Cornell fraternity brothers gives me satisfaction.”

Robbie Kaufelt never imagined raising three children—a boy, 15, and boy-and-girl twins, 12—and writing songs and music videos. “Managing family life in a Greenwich Village townhouse and at our farm in Stockton, NJ, occupies our time in retirement—along with enjoying my new hobbies of music, writing, and theater. Our oldest son who missed it at 13 and our two twins will be bar mitzvahed in October.”

Eileen Barkas Hoffman writes, “I’m working full time and enjoying being a grandma—‘Nana’—to daughter Vanessa Hoffman ’07’s two boys, Ethan, 4, and Alex, 10 months. I mediate labor, employment, and public policy disputes for the federal government, teach alternative dispute resolution at George Washington University Law School, and enjoy travel and training abroad. Seeing good friends and family gives me the most satisfaction these days.”

Gary Gartenberg writes, “After living in New Jersey for decades, we sold our house and moved to Denver. We traded suburban life for a great mid-sized city and are enjoying it immensely. I have taken RV trips to the Oregon Coast, Yellowstone, Utah, the Badlands, and the Black Hills and will go to the Canadian Rockies this summer. Our son, David Gartenberg ’05, JD ’10, moved with his family to Denver about five years ago. He encouraged us to move to Denver and so we did last summer. We are three blocks from him and our 2- and 5-year-old grandsons, whom we enjoy spending time with. I have picked up hobbies of growing orchids and taking photos—especially closeups of flowers.”

We traded suburban life for a great mid-sized city and are enjoying it immensely.
Gary Gartenberg ’69

Kenneth Parker writes, “I have been accepted into the Knights of Columbus and joined the American Legion. I am traveling, gardening, and playing golf in retirement. I served as a commander, Navy Supply Corps, and retired after serving 22 years after NROTC at Cornell. Being with our seven grandchildren, doing family things, and visiting family and old friends gives me the most satisfaction these days.”

John Melillo’s daughter Beth, reports, “My father has become a contemporary realist oil painter; visit his website to see his work. It’s been a busy year for both art and TV. He was truly honored by Parrish Art Museum as he was chosen to give his ‘Family Heritage and Growing on the East End of Long Island’ presentation—which went out to 700 cities worldwide. In it, John shares many details that are reflected in his art journey. Take the tour here, and let us know what your favorite spot was.” Beth adds, “We will also be presenting ‘Life Goes On Part 2,’ which will continue to showcase the lighter side of Vietnam. It was a true honor for my father to receive a commemorative medal recently, representing 50 years since returning home from Vietnam, at a ceremony held at the American Airpower Museum sponsored by the Long Island Air Force Association.”

Stephen Goldberger writes, “I never imagined using a gas-powered chipper. In my retirement, I am playing with and enjoying the love of my grandkids—and am spending more time with my golf clubs and getting back into tennis. I was learning bridge before COVID, but haven’t played in two years.”

Susan Owre Gelberg and her husband, Howard, DVM ’71, PhD ’80, have returned to New Hampshire. “We lived there after graduation from Cornell but left to live in Illinois, Oregon, and Texas. Our good friends are still here in New Hampshire. I (Susan) am writing a book about postcolonial psychology (I am a retired psychologist). I have published three books along that vein. One child lives with her husband and three children in Houston, TX, and one child lives with her husband and two children in Pacifica, CA. Our children and grandchildren and reconnecting with our old Cornell friends bring me the most satisfaction these days. My husband and I have been married for 53 years. I have recently taken up cold water swimming at the lake near our house. My husband and I are taking horseback riding lessons.”

Jim McCormick, ME ’70, writes, “I never imagined I would be finishing my fifth screenplay. They are all different, including: a family escaping from the dark state, a baseball star in the World Series, a submarine designer who ends up making a beneficial impact on climate change, and two others. The ideas just come in dreams. In addition, I have had some success in racing sports cars, including competition in the Daytona 24-hour and Sebring 12-hour races. I am also supporting our son in his real estate business and photographing nature, particularly birds in flight and flowers. All of these activities emerged after retiring from sports car racing when I realized that being on the banking at the Daytona 24 at 200 mph required very fast reflexes, and mine had retired.”

I never imagined I would be finishing my fifth screenplay. The ideas just come in dreams.
Jim McCormick ’69, ME ’70

Jim adds, “Currently, my focus is on family with my wonderful wife, Marsha (Durham) ’70, our son, James “J.J.” McCormick Jr. ’05, MEd ’06 (who, like me, has two Cornell Engineering degrees), and two wonderful grandchildren. In addition, Marsha and I are active in educational philanthropy with Cornell and several other institutions that transform the lives of underprivileged children—including Cornell ECC (Engineering College Council) and being a board member at Mercy College. Recently we returned to Cornell and celebrated our 50th anniversary. It was beyond terrific. For me, the key to satisfaction is a strong, loving marriage, supporting our son, and never being bored. Among the things that keep me busy is philanthropy and investing, where I tend to focus on technology ranging from FinTech to nuclear energy to meatless food. (I have taken a pass on crypto.) I am also staying in touch with Cornell classmates and have invested in a medical venture that one has created.”

Don Gardner sent the sad news of the loss of Fred Sutton, who passed away on August 1, 2022. Don writes, “I feel it appropriate that I offer a few words about Fred, who I was proud to have as a roommate during my sophomore and senior years at Cornell. Fred defined character and integrity. He was quiet and a serious student with a subtle wit. Fred taught me much, including how to play chess, golf, and tennis. We continued to occasionally be in touch after graduating and got to know each other’s families. As most of us who knew Fred know, Fred attended medical school after Cornell and became a board-certified cardiologist. Fred and Cathy have three children. They are Karen, Thomas, and Paul. Each of them has become a successful adult and made Fred and Cathy very proud. The world is diminished by Fred’s passing.”

As a roommate of both Don and Fred during my sophomore year, I also am deeply saddened by Fred’s passing and extend my heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing your news; please encourage other classmates to do so as well. You can send class news to Alexandra Bond ’12, Cornellians Associate Editor (email Alex), or submit an online news form. Your classmates really want to hear from you. And please save the date for our 55th Reunion, June 6–9, 2024! Best regards. ❖ Alan Cody (email Alan). Alumni Directory.

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Classes of the 1970s

1970

I’m writing this column in the first week of August, when temperatures are scorching through much of the country. We all should be thankful for the efforts of Willis Carrier, ME 1901, who invented air conditioning as we know it today, and founded the company that bears his name.

Your correspondent spent the last week of July at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, along with about 650,000 others interested in aviation. I’m absolutely sure there were other Cornellians in attendance, although the only one I personally encountered was Jack Thompson ’73, ME ’74, visiting lecturer in Cornell Biomedical Engineering. If you were there, or wished you were, it would be fun to hear from you!

Patrick Kelly (Ottawa, ON) writes yet again of his work with Health Canada’s Psychosocial Emergency Preparedness and Response team, now approaching 20 years. He never imagined that he and his family would be living with the COVID pandemic for two-plus years. Dealing with a stroke in March of this year and still doing rehab, he finds the most satisfaction these days in simply being alive and being with his family.

Janet Seelbach Lawrence-Nelson (Spring City, PA) never imagined that after a career in social services and the end of her third marriage, she would be supplementing her retirement income by working in a CVS pharmacy. Yet she speaks of her life as fine and busy, with activities, two children, and two grandchildren. In fact, her oldest granddaughter was recognized as the salutatorian of her high school class. The entire family is very proud of her as she heads to Northeastern University to study engineering and architecture. Janet also wrote, “I was lucky enough to travel with a church group to Greece for 10 days. It was the trip of a lifetime.”

Michael Dooling (Suffern, NY) writes as follows: “Now that I’m retired, I’m planning to take a Cornell’s Adult University-sponsored vacation to Switzerland at the end of the summer. The highlight of the trip is a visit to see the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva. This is the largest ($5B) atom smasher in the world, and they recently started it back up. They are on the hunt for proving the existence of dark matter. Could be a Nobel Prize there! I’m not a physicist, but I worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island for 15 years, and my office overlooked BNL’s atom smasher (second largest in the world).”

Martha Stuart Jewett (Washington, DC) never imagined she would be Zooming virtually with organizations, to meet, to learn in classes, and to attend church services. As a graduate of the School of Nursing, she is keeping busy as her faith community’s nurse at Christ Lutheran Church in D.C., along with running a group house with international students. Her family recently celebrated the life of Elizabeth Stuart Wells ’46, BS ’45, a marvelous person and her aunt. Satisfaction for Martha now comes from service projects, such as Global Village habitat builds, along with singing in her choir. She has begun to visit and enjoy the historic places near her, including Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown.

I was lucky enough to travel with a church group to Greece for 10 days. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Janet Seelbach Lawrence-Nelson ’70

Ken Finch (Carmichael, CA), having moved to the Sacramento area, now finds the most satisfaction in his life by cycling the extensive river trails in the area.

Elliot Kronstein (Brookline, MA) sent the following letter: “During the past 10 years I have been engaged at the Precious Project, where I am currently president of U.S. operations. Our vision is to eradicate poverty and illiteracy in the Tanzanian village of Nshupu. We nurture, educate, and empower its youth so they can become future leaders and productive members of their nation. Our efforts meaningfully enhance gender equity, economic self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability. We currently have a residence for children in dire straits, an elementary school with 500 students, and a newly constructed secondary school on a 20-acre campus. Our students show promise in all ways possible, and our school is ranked in the top 1.5% in the country.”

Russell Connor (Novato, CA) is focused on getting his work published, and finds that is how he gets the most satisfaction now. He’s also been watching Tucker Carlson on Fox News, something that he never imagined he would do. As a new hobby, he is collecting wearable art.

Rebecca Kvam Paquette (Hanover, NH) shares that her family has done some amazing international travel (until COVID). Her energy is focused on political activism, mostly in regard to environmental protection and climate change mitigation. What brings the most satisfaction these days are their four grandchildren, ranging in age from 7 months to 11 years. Her hobby continues to be something she has done for a long time: knitting.

Stan Casper (Orinda, CA) finds that he is attending lots of gymnastics classes for preschoolers—their grandchildren. He retired four years ago from being a plaintiff’s trial lawyer. He now serves on the board of directors for a nonprofit serving disadvantaged youth with incarcerated parents. In addition, there is lots of tennis, skiing, reading, and family time. Stan and his wife, Stephanie, also shuttle between homes in Northern California and Providence, RI, where they have three of their five grandchildren. Stan finds that playing with and teaching his grandchildren brings the most satisfaction these days. And, he plays Wordle.

The Class Notes section of Cornellians continues as one of the most popular destinations! So keep sending your news! If you have already written to us and have not yet appeared, please be patient. Your news will be included soon! As always, you may contact me directly or you may use the University’s online news form. ❖ John Cecilia (email John); tel., (312) 524-2912. Alumni Directory.

1971

Richard Pieper writes that he owes much to serendipity and chance encounters. After graduating with a degree in Geochemistry, he moved to NYC and stumbled into a job documenting historic buildings in the South Street Seaport for the NYS Bureau of Historic Sites. A chance introduction led to studies in architectural conservation at the International Center for the Conservation of Cultural Properties in Rome, after which Richard returned to Ithaca to work for Historic Ithaca and the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission. While there, he and Merrill Hesch, GR ’79–82 (now his wife), who was attending Cornell’s Historic Preservation Planning program, co-authored Ithaca Then and Now.

Returning to NYC, Richard started work for Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, a preservation architecture firm, where he eventually became a partner and director of preservation. Memorable projects include the exterior restoration of the Battery Maritime Building, the Brooklyn Historical Society, the Century Club, and the Knickerbocker Club. Richard retired from JHPA a few years ago but is still an adjunct associate professor in Columbia University’s historic preservation program, where he teaches a course in the conservation of architectural metals. When they are not at home on the Lower East Side, or spending time with their son and daughter, Merrill and Richard are enjoying their small house in New Lebanon, NY, or riding their bikes on the quiet roads and trails of the Berkshires. Richard’s interest in geology never left, however, and he remains, at heart, a rock star. Just ask Merrill about all the mineral and rock samples on their living room shelves!

After graduation, our classmates Dave and Marjorie Benson Randles married and moved to Argyle, NY (where Dave joined his family’s dairy business), and grew their family, which now includes four children and 14 grandchildren. An Economics major with a talent for mathematics, Marge initially knocked on many corporate doors until she found a company willing to accept a woman into their management program. Eventually, Marge became a financial planner and tax specialist, with a clientele primarily made up of farmers. In 2004, she took a cheese-making course for fun and started making cheeses out of her home. That hobby ultimately turned into a line of Argyle Cheese Farmer products, a cheese shop, and a plant where customers can view how yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products are made. You can read more about Marge’s journey here.

Out in California, the multitalented and prolific author, screenwriter, and professor (USC) Howard Rodman continues to write in many genres. He recently wrote a chapter in the graphic novel Blondie: Against the Odds; in it, Howard adapts Blondie’s 1979 hit “Atomic” as a vehicle for telling the love story of convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

Down in San Antonio, TX, Susan Smith Korbel is the Democratic candidate for Bexar County Commissioner Precinct 3. After receiving a BA From Cornell, Susan earned a master’s and PhD from the University of Michigan. Since 1975, she has conducted market research and consulted with public and private organizations. After many years working in the media, Susan founded Core Research—which conducts consumer, voter, and business-to-business research—33 years ago. She has been behind the scenes helping some of the premiere South Texas businesses and charitable organizations chart successful courses with strategic and tactical planning.

My husband and I have moved, trading views of cherry trees and a sailboat-filled harbor for woods, country roads, and, most importantly, proximity to our granddaughters.
Cara Nash Iason ’71

If you travel to the beautiful deserts near Phoenix, AZ, you can find Stella Mayhew Ardire, a retired RN/BSN who now fills her time with dancing (both ballroom and country), volunteer driving (meeting “the most interesting, amazing, and enjoyable people”), spending time with daughter Meredith, grandson Alden, and son-in-law in nearby Flagstaff, and traveling with her guy Dave to a host of different locations, including Alaska.

Louise Wolfe reports from Belmont, MA, that she is studying Chinese history, including modern history and visual arts history, and is also learning Mandarin. Louise is focusing on developing her speaking ability and literacy with her teachers and is interested in connecting with other Cornellians with similar interests. She also keeps abreast of contemporary Jewish debates in the U.S. community and Israel. Louise and her husband, Stefan Ahlblad, enjoy time with their daughter and hiking in New England.

At this stage of our lives, many of our classmates seem to be on the move. Janett Edelberg and her partner of 18 years, Ron Lasofsky, relocated from NYC to Naples, FL. Janett and Ron are enjoying their retirement, “getting up in the morning with nothing to do and going to bed with only half of it done!” Janett and Ron are joining organizations to make a host of new friends. Also enjoying the sunshine after relocating from New York to Sarasota, on Florida’s West Coast, is my former roommate Marilyn Young Kaufman, MA ’74, and her husband, Alan Levine.

On the East Coast of Florida, Rick Leland and his wife, Jane Schwartz, call Wellington home. Thomas Schongalla ’68, MBA ’71, is now fully retired. After making his home in Washington, DC, for 30 years, he moved out to Walla Walla in Washington State, where he spends his time cooking, reading, and playing bridge. Reversing that route, after 30 years in the Pacific Northwest, Marcia Wities Orange returned east to Fort Lee, NJ, now making her home 10 minutes away from four of her six grandkids.

And after living over 42 years in the Larchmont-Mamaroneck community of Southern Westchester, NY, my husband, Larry, and I (Cara Nash Iason) have moved to Katonah in Northern Westchester, trading views of cherry trees, proximity to NYC, and a sailboat-filled harbor for woods, country roads, lakes, trout streams, and, most importantly, proximity to our granddaughters.

As always, please replenish our class column by sending us your news! ❖ Cara Nash Iason (email Cara); Elisabeth Kaplan Boas (email Elisabeth). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1972

Fellow classmates, this is William “Wes” Schulz, ME ’73, one of three new class correspondents who have volunteered to help the indefatigable veteran scribe Alex Barna produce this column. The other new scribes are Susan Farber Straus and Frank Dawson. Our class owes a large debt of gratitude to Gary Rubin, who recently retired from helping to write this column after many, many years of effort. Our class is also indebted to Alex for his many, many years of serving as a class correspondent. Many thanks to you both.

First, some words of introduction. My given name is William; my nickname is Wes. I was raised in Pittsfield, MA, and Scotia, NY. At Cornell, I was an Engineering Physics major and stayed another year for a master’s in Nuclear Engineering. That extra year allowed me to continue to be a hockey season ticket holder one more time. I was a member of Alpha Chi Rho (AXP) fraternity and made lifelong friends there. When not watching hockey in Lynah or playing pickup basketball in Teagle, I spent all the rest of my time studying in Uris Libe, Carpenter Libe, Clark Hall, and Ward Nuclear Lab. I once studied in Mann Libe but can’t remember why. I even tried out the Myron Taylor Law Libe when I took an environmental law course.

After Cornell graduation, I worked in Boston for 11 years for a firm that designed and built power plants, and I worked on several nuclear power plant projects. I took a temporary field assignment in Texas to work on a two-reactor unit project. The assignment became permanent when I joined the local electric utility company. I lived in the Houston suburbs and commuted to the nuclear power plant located near the Texas Gulf Coast. I had a great career and retired four years ago.

I live with my wife, Debbie, in Bay City, TX. She also retired from the power plant but now works part time at the local women’s pregnancy center assisting moms and moms-to-be. We have a blended family of four children and three grandchildren. My son, Douglas, is a paramedic. He lives in Austin, TX, with wife Sara and children Nora and Charlie. My daughter, Amy, is with Google. She lives in New York City with husband Colin and son Del. Debbie’s daughter Faith lives in Bay City and works at the local hospital. Daughter Renee lives in Houston, TX, and works for TotalEnergies.

I have attended every one of our class Reunions. My goal is to attend our 75th Reunion in 2047. If I can’t be there in person, perhaps I could attend as a hologram or whatever the prevailing technology allows then. Hover chairs would also be nice to have.

While driving around Ithaca, I was overjoyed to find that the State Street Diner was still in business. I celebrated with a Reuben sandwich and a milkshake.
Wes Schulz ’72

I enjoyed every minute of our 50th Reunion weekend in June. Congratulations to the Reunion committee and all who contributed their efforts to make it a good time. The large bins of Cornell ice cream that were provided were very much appreciated. The class events and meals were great. It was so good to reconnect with folks again in person.

Some of my AXP fraternity brothers attended: Bill Trommer and partner Ann Edwards from Leeds, ME; Larry Baum and wife Trudy all the way from Ithaca, NY; and Gary Stuhlmiller, wife Gisele, and granddaughter Leah from Durham, NC. I had not seen Gary since 1977 at our 5th Reunion.

Our fraternity is no longer active on the Hill. The former fraternity house building is now part of the Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards. It has offices for staff from Arts & Sciences and also houses part of the keyboard collection. Bill Trommer and I took a self-guided tour of the building. We regaled our spouses with tales of fraternity life from long ago. We also spoke with a staff member to give the history of the room that is now her office. Alas, the council chamber on the top floor was not accessible. Bill and I gave our spouses a very abbreviated description of what went on there.

After Reunion, the Baums hosted us and the Trommers at their house on the west side of Cayuga Lake. Debbie and I visited Ithaca Falls, Cascadilla Falls, Enfield Falls, and Taughannock Falls. While driving around Ithaca, I was overjoyed to find that the State Street Diner was still in business. I celebrated with a Reuben sandwich and a milkshake. We also circumnavigated Cayuga Lake and checked out several of the winery operations that were not there 50 years ago. The Finger Lakes visit, with hills and waterfalls and 75-degree weather, was a most pleasant contrast to the super-hot and humid Texas Gulf Coast, which is also rather flat with muddy bayous and no rocks. Most of all we enjoyed seeing our Cornell friends again.

In other news, Clifford Hendry, BS ’71, from Pittsburgh, PA, reports that he and wife Jean have been married for 51 years and have three children and nine grandchildren who all live nearby. Clifford and Jean help out their family a lot and also attend many sports activities that their grandkids are involved in (hockey, soccer, baseball, lacrosse). Clifford takes exercise classes every day (spinning, yoga, and eccentrics). He also likes to play pickleball. His other activities include delivering flowers for a friend’s business and tutoring first graders to improve their reading skills.

Please add your page to the Class of 1972 50th Reunion Yearbook. This virtual yearbook will be closing at the end of the year.

That’s it for my initial column. The class correspondents depend on you to send us news that we can share with our class. Please send input to: ❖ Wes Schulz (email Wes); Susan Farber Straus (email Susan); Frank Dawson (email Frank); or Alex Barna (email Alex). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1973

When you read this column, we will be a short time away from our 50th Reunion. Watch here for more information on registration and who’s coming—and YES, it’s in person (as far as we know). So be sure to access this column and keep us up to date on your life, whether you’re attending Reunion or not!

Steven Fruchtman continues as the CEO of a publicly traded biotech company and is living in NYC. Everything is good with him; all his children are happy and thriving. They bring him much satisfaction when it seems his newest hobby is “to continue to get old.”

Sheila Kojm, MILR ’75, is excited about finally being able to visit grandchildren since the pandemic. Daughter Emma Stuhl ’10 and her husband, Andy Wood, just had their first child and live in Vermont—a modest drive away from Sheila’s Bedford, MA, home. Sheila also hopes to be able to visit her son, Benjamin Stuhl ’05, in Boulder, along with two grandchildren there. Finally, Sheila sends her regards to Pam Meyers!

David and Christine Dickieson Pesses send news from Gloversville, NY. David has retired after 42 years of practicing medicine in his small Upstate community. He writes, “I’ve had the pleasure of taking care of multiple generations of families and I enjoy seeing them as I go to community events.” Aside from tandem, recumbent biking with Christine, David expects he’ll help at a local organic farm and be active in the community in other ways. Christine continues to be involved with the public library and a local food co-op. They both enjoy their four grandchildren spread across Chicago, Connecticut, and Brazil and hope they’ll be able to travel more soon.

After 54 years of working life, Irene Kohan Yesowitch ’73 has now learned how wonderful retired life is for her.

Allentown, PA, is where Carol Worman Nolan lives and volunteers at a pregnancy support center. She’s learning Spanish online and fundraises for her favorite charity. Sharon “Sherry” Hamill-Huff resides in Flint Hill, VA. She never imagined she’d have a hip replaced (like many of us!), but still enjoys teaching riding, training horses, and working as a volunteer EMT and firefighter. Her sister and 96-year-old mother live relatively close, so they get together regularly. Sherry also got a new puppy after having been dog-less for many years. So we all continue to adventure!

Martin, PhD ’99, and Constance Paparello Root ’74 live in Boone, NC. He still teaches university courses part time. Martin and Constance like to travel, visit their children, and drink a glass of wine on their back deck. They are also fostering a child, something Martin never imagined he’d be doing. Oh, and his children insisted that he start a blog, “The Root of the Matter,” which he’s quite enjoying.

We appreciate news from the West Coast, too! Leah Bissonette, MS ’76, of Encinitas, CA, has finally retired but is remaining busy. She is a community activist through social media. She finally took up Pilates and still loves the beach. She’s looking to return to traveling around the globe after a two-year hiatus. Leah has begun bird photography as a hobby.

John Kontrabecki, MBA/JD ’77, lives in San Francisco, CA, with his wife, Nicole. He’s buying and renovating early 20th-century homes that are beautiful but tired. He’s restoring them while working to preserve the original architecture. He formed a new company to support this work. His greatest satisfaction, however, comes from “watching my children become adults and trying to stay current with them.” He does not “do hobbies.”

Irene Kohan Yesowitch and her husband, George, live in Napa, CA. Like many of us, after 54 years of working life, she has now learned how wonderful retired life is for her. She’s taking art and cooking classes, volunteering at her synagogue, and “enjoying every single moment of every day.” Irene and George’s daughter, Hannah Greenberg ’11, is now a CEO.

Thanks to everyone for sending news. You can still email your notes to: ❖ Phyllis Haight Grummon (email Phyllis); Pam Meyers (email Pam); or Dave Ross (email Dave). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1974

Thank you to all who sent news. Florence Higgins, DVM ’81, is “mostly retired” in Rush, NY, where she is an associate veterinarian in a small animal practice filling in on occasional half-days. She is enjoying hanging out with her also-retired husband, John Lebens, PhD ’88, and running for exercise (working back up to 5Ks after a minor COVID bout). She also trains her younger border collie in agility and obedience and reports that it’s going well at shows, but she finds it “kicks in” her anxiety. Older son Greg received a law degree at University at Buffalo and has a job in a public defender’s office in Monroe County. His girlfriend, Kathryn, manages NYC Public Markets in season and works as a chef for Meals on Wheels in Batavia. Younger son Zack is in Seattle, making surface X-ray equipment for research, and his wife, Courtney, just got a microbiology PhD at SUNY Binghamton and is doing a postdoc at University of Washington.

Virginia Neptune Esson wrote from Nashua, NH. Since December 2015 she has been babysitting her grandchildren, Gideon and Daphne, four days a week. Besides having almost daily contact with both, she has resumed volunteering at the middle school where she had volunteered previously—and is happy doing it again after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. Kendall Minter, JD ’76, is launching a new tech company in Stone Mountain, GA. In July 2021 he joined a new firm, Greenspoon Marder LLP, an AmLaw Top 20 national firm with 200-plus lawyers in 23 cities. On the home front, his third granddaughter, Sierra Grace, arrived in October of last year. “Great wine, food, travel, and family” all bring satisfaction these days. Of note is that he and our co-correspondent Jim Schoonmaker worked together at WVBR.

Wendy Schwartz Wein and her husband, Rick, live in Cheshire, CT. Wendy wrote, “My life is full and hectic. I work part time in my husband’s medical practice as office manager doing billing and fielding lots of issues. I play tennis, golf, pickleball, bridge, and Mahjong. We have traveled as much as possible considering COVID, visiting with our three children and seven grandchildren, and are about to go abroad for the first time since 2019 (Scotland on a hiking trip).”Congratulations are due to our classmate Carol Johnston, professor emerita at South Dakota State University. Carol has recently been named Distinguished Landscape Ecologist by the International Association of Landscape Ecology–North America. This is the highest honor bestowed by IALE–NA.

Ron Pies and his wife, Nancy, live in Lexington, MA. Ron has retired from clinical practice in psychiatry but is still teaching and writing. He finds most satisfaction these days comes from writing fiction (The Levtov Trilogy) and creative nonfiction. Ben Brungraber, from Delran, NJ, is getting married at 70, with a bachelor party to follow. He explains that he “did it all in reverse” and he “might get around to a proposal next year.” Regarding his family, Ben reports that he recently got a sixth grandchild and shares that his dad is still with them—“frail and deaf, but fun.” Ben does a lot of heavy timber work, is enjoying most of it, and has stayed busy working on old beater boats and riding his bike on the beach. He has also picked up new hobbies—turtle watching, gardening, and steam engines.

Ben Brungraber ’74 is getting married at 70, with a bachelor party to follow.

Ed Evans, MBA ’75, is enjoying retirement with his wife, Brenda (IC ’74), in Skaneateles, NY. He is doing many things now, some of which he never imagined, such as serving as an election official, being on the Skaneateles village board, and going to exercise class with his wife—“plus Rotary, plus golf, plus trying to stay healthy so we can keep enjoying retirement!” He has finally gotten time to enjoy the hobbies he has had for a long time: antique auto restoring, golf, tennis, and wooden boats. He and Brenda have four grandchildren, 8 months through 6 years old. His most satisfaction comes from “the time and energy to give back—Rotary, community service, time with my wife and dogs, and our children and grandsons.”

Perry Jacobs is “substitute teaching at two public high schools, but they are per diem assignments. A different classroom or school each day. A teaching degree is not needed and you’re not required to work every day, so if you want to take a week’s vacation or make it a long weekend, no problem.” He also reported that he eagerly watched the Cornell men’s lacrosse team’s run to the NCAA finals. He especially loved the fact that he texted about the games in real time with former teammates and good friends Dick Clifford, MBA ’76, and Bobby Carell, DVM ’78. “It was like we were actually sitting together at the game.” Perry then wrote, “Change of subject. Summer 2021: I’m sitting on my front porch and see this guy walking by in a garish Hawaiian shirt with ‘Cornell’ printed on the front. I yell out ‘Go Big Red,’ and when he crosses the street I see that it’s Peter Kaplan. I had seen him only once since our freshman year and, since he lives in Bedford, NY, a few towns away, have seen him a few times since then. He and his wife recently subbed into our monthly co-ed very-low-stakes poker game that has taken place at my house over 38 years (which works out to more than 400 games).”

Thanks to all who wrote. It’s so interesting to hear what classmates are doing as we all navigate this phase of life. There’s one thing I think we need to remember, and that is to keep our eyes open when we’re walking—just in case we, too, might unexpectedly see a ’74 classmate in a Cornell shirt walking by! ❖ Lucy Babcox Morris (email Lucy); Molly Miller Ettenger (email Molly); Jim Schoonmaker (email Jim). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1975

On the day that I am writing this column, I’ve been enjoying Cornell’s Facebook post with photos of freshmen moving into their dorms to begin their four-year journey on the Hill. Fond memories come to mind of my freshman dorm back in 1971, where I first met Donlon neighbors Randy Friedman Freedman (former CEO of the JCC in York, PA), Kathryn Gabinet-Kroo (now an artist and translator in Montreal, QC), and Nadine Salley, MS ’79 (happily retired in Rhode Island). So many of my Cornell friends continue to be in my life during the 50-plus years that followed, and I love being able to see folks whenever the opportunity presents.

One such gathering that I attended in Bay Head, NJ, was the May wedding of Kevin Bruns ’79 and Diane Tew—both of whom hail from my hometown of Big Flats, NY—officiated by the Honorable (and humorous) Mark Clemente ’73, MPS ’77. We enjoyed the company of several decades of Cornell-affiliated attendees including Mark’s wife, Wendy, Scott Keenum ’76, Dan Heffernan ’77 and Pat Kind, Ivette and Michael Hayes ’77, Nancy Hall Arno ’77, Cal Fastuca ’78, Norm Bartlett ’79, Russ Stahl ’79, John Bruns ’67, Bob Verna ’68, ME ’69, Marjorie Frazier ’96, Brittany Marriott ’16, Maggie Dennin Bruns ’12, and Kevin’s sons, Connor ’11, ME ’12, and Matt ’13, BS ’16. What a fabulous wedding celebration and mini-Cornell reunion! Congratulations to the newlyweds, who have settled in Rochester, NY.

Later in the spring, several Delta Upsilon fraternity brothers and other Cornellians joined me in celebrating the birthday of Scott Keenum in Silver Spring, MD. Rest assured that the same stories from the ’70s were re-told, each time with enthusiasm and affection for all those involved. Joining us were Tina and Mike Sandul ’76, Cecelia and Steve Ward ’76, as well as Jim and Karen Leung Moore, who were also weekend guests for a “Bruce in the USA” tribute band concert in Virginia and Jersey Boys at the Kennedy Center. Karen is president and CEO of Metro Medical Equipment & Supply Inc. in St. Louis, while Scott is a mortgage loan officer with Teachers Federal Credit Union. Both Mike and Steve are attorneys, Mike in private practice in Gambrills, MD, and Steve at the Department of Justice.

Several members of the Class of 1975 have taken to traveling to some amazing destinations during this past year. Greg and Laurie Musick Wright returned to their hometown of Ithaca in August for Greg’s Trumansburg high school reunion. Earlier in the summer their journey took them from their home in Upstate New York to Maine, where they hiked through the scenic coastal and inland landscapes, took some amazing photographs, and thoroughly enjoyed the local cuisine. Summer travel by Robert and Susan Corner Rosen and their extended family was to the beautiful French countryside, from the Alps to the Mediterranean. Photos of her family include Susie’s adorable twin granddaughters, Rae and Joy, and her charming grandson, Guy, sampling the crème glacée among quaint villages, historical statues, and picturesque scenery.

April found David Pritchard ’75 hiking with daughter Katie in Costa Rica among the anteaters, snakes, monkeys, unique plants, and colorful jungle birds.

Retirement has been great for David Pritchard, who has enjoyed some incredible experiences during the past few months. April found him hiking with daughter Katie in Costa Rica among the anteaters, snakes, monkeys, unique plants, and colorful jungle birds—as well as celebrating his birthday at a San Francisco Giants game with Wendy Kaler. Dave cheered on the Golden State Warriors at the Western Conference Finals in San Francisco in May, and he attended a concert by music legend Herb Alpert at SFJAZZ. July brought family playtime on Cape Cod, while Dave and Katie flew to Budapest, Hungary, in August, where they soaked in the ambiance of the country’s castles and cathedrals, architecture, and outstanding cuisine. Dave’s daughter shared the Pritchard family tradition: visiting a McDonald’s in every country to which they travel, sampling the ice cream, which is typically made of local ingredients. They’ve ranked Hungary in their top ten, adding that ice cream in Ireland and Australia was the best. Who knew?

Karen Lauterbach and Mark Powers have been enjoying their retirement in Chapel Hill, NC. They have since taken numerous courses through Duke’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and try to hike or cycle most days. They are both beekeepers and gardeners and have been babysitting two grandsons on occasion. Karen finished her career at RTI International by helping to create their academic press. Now she is focusing her efforts on diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental issues. Mark retired from Duke University’s Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Division as an associate professor emeritus in medicine. While he majored in Engineering at Cornell, Mark took a year of creative writing. One of his first courses at OLLI was on novel writing. He didn’t plan on actually writing a medical thriller—much less four! His third, Nature’s Bite, was published in September. He has appreciated the encouragement of his fellow Cornellians. To check out his novels, visit his website.

Another creative classmate is Berkeley, CA, resident Michael Sozanski, DVM ’79. Ten years ago, Mike developed a website for veterinary professionals to calculate drug dosages for emergency drugs, anesthetics, antibiotics, etc. That website now receives more than 30,000 hits each month. He then developed the Vetcalculators app, which has ranked among the top 20 medical apps in the app store (even hitting number one a few times). Congratulations to Mike, who has now sold Vetcalculators to an animal health company! He will continue in its development as well as the development of other veterinary apps—finally melding being a veterinarian with his computer geekiness!

Please take a few minutes to send us highlights of your life after Cornell, college friends you’ve seen, and memorable moments on campus, and we’ll share the news in our upcoming columns. To update your contact info with the University, go to this website. ❖ Joan Pease (email Joan); Deb Gellman (email Deb); Karen DeMarco Boroff (email Karen); Mitch Frank (email Mitch). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1976

Greetings, Class of ’76! How are you planning to spend the winter months? Hunkered down at home? Decamped to somewhere warm? Please send your news by email to your correspondents or via the online news form. ❖ Lisa Diamant (email Lisa); Pat Relf Hanavan (email Pat). Alumni Directory.

1977

See below for more in our “Tales from the Plague Years—Class of ’77” series. A paucity of news came in this summer, hopefully due to our classmates reconnecting with the world and engaging in “revenge travel”—a quaint yet apt term reflecting the desire to travel and catch up with friends, family, and the world after the pandemic-induced hiatus.

Deborah Lee Rose returns with more news about one of her children’s books: “I am sort of seeing stars, having learned that my national award-winning children’s book Astronauts Zoom! has been selected to be launched to the International Space Station, to be read aloud by an astronaut (and videotaped) for Story Time From Space. No date yet, but very cool!” Congratulations, Deborah. Hopefully, your book and its reading on the International Space Station will promote comity among astronauts from Russia, the U.S., and elsewhere.

News also arrived from our class’s poet-laureate, Sharon Dolin, PhD ’90, a truly accomplished poet whose seventh book of poems, Imperfect Present, was released in September. Sharon is also associate editor at Barrow Street Press and director of Writing About Art in Barcelona, as well as translator of Late to the House of Words: Selected Poems by Gemma Gorga. She was also shortlisted for the 2022 Griffin Poetry Prize. Congratulations, Sharon, on your prodigious accomplishments. More information can be obtained from Sharon’s website.

My national award-winning children’s book Astronauts Zoom! has been selected to be launched to the International Space Station, to be read aloud by an astronaut.
Deborah Lee Rose ’77

And now, more missives from the world of pandemic and science. Yes, there are new variants of Omicron, with COVID cases rising but not to levels seen previously. The vaccine has done what it should do, keeping people out of the ICU and out of the morgue. What it has not done is completely prevent COVID infections. COVID will be with us for the long-term and be part of our environmental firmament. However, boosters specific for the latest Omicron variants will be available in the next few weeks, having been approved by the FDA. (The previous boosters were not directed against the dominant circulating form of the virus; these new boosters will hopefully tamp down spread and will certainly reduce severity of disease.)

What to do about masks? I recently flew on Air Canada, where the mask mandate is still operative, as it is in Canadian airports. I still follow the recommendations of the Infectious Disease Society of America, which is to continue to wear masks in public places, so I am masked on the planes, on trains (not automobiles), in the supermarket, in hotel lobbies … you get the point. The virus is still spreading, and masks are a simple and effective way of curbing its spread.

Here’s to continued travel in 2022. Please stay safe, be careful, and, as always, follow the science. Best wishes. ❖ Howie Eisen (email Howie); Mary Flynn (email Mary). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1978

Greetings, all! It’s less than a year to our 45th Reunion, June 8–11. Never mind that it’s considered an “off-year” Reunion. Consider it a dress rehearsal for the 50th. Keep your fingers crossed that we’ll gather in person rather than virtually.

First, congratulations to Vicky Hartman for receiving the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award! Previous recipients of this honor include our classmates Mary Bowler Jones and Kent Sheng, BA ’82. Well deserved!

Two classmates have picked up new pursuits in retirement. Jeanne Arnold Schwetje is letting her inner thespian come out to play. Early in the summer she was in the chorus of a Long Island community theater production of The Producers. Later, Jeanne had a speaking role in another company’s The Taming of the Shrew. She even got a stipend for participating in the latter, and Polly Kreisman came to the final performance. Paul Brenner, MBA ’79 (Freeville, NY) formed Ithacadisc LLC to promote fun and fitness through disc sports. He’s biking and rock climbing weekly at the Cornell Lindseth Climbing Center. Paul’s also working on playing guitar, bass, and trumpet.

While on a trip to the Midwest in July, I caught up with my summer sublet roommate Anne Sierk. Anne retired from the Cleveland Clinic in April. She and husband Kurt Stange welcomed their first grandson last September and have visited him in Los Angeles. Jeff and Suzanne Tougas Snedeker (another summer sublet roommate) welcomed a daughter-in-law to the family in July. The wedding was held in a venue near Treman Park. The rain held off, but there was a rainbow in the sky as a good omen. Another Suzanne, Suzanne Bishop Romain, welcomed her son-in-law at a wedding in Montana.

Jeanne Arnold Schwetje ’78 is letting her inner thespian come out to play.

Relocation was a hot topic in the latest stack of news. Vic Janas, MS ’79, retired from Johnson & Johnson at the end of 2021. He and wife Bernadette (Garchinsky), PhD ’93, are in the process of moving to Lewes, DE, from Princeton, NJ. Kevin Wandryk moved from “the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley to Napa, CA.” Gary Holcomb moved to a new home in Wilmington, DE. Gary says, “Moving gets harder each time—hope this is the last one.”

Eric Cotts is “focusing on research and teaching, eschewing committees and administration” as a physics professor at Binghamton University. He and his wife headed a $2 million campaign to renovate their congregation’s building. “Many, many people all pulling in the same direction! Fun!” Paula Boyer Kennedy, MBA ’80, never thought she’d be living in The Villages, FL. She’s chair of her area Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network group and has taken up golf and yoga. She confesses that she gets satisfaction on days when there’s nothing on her to-do list. Fraj Lazreg (New City, NY) is president and CEO of Investors’ Advantage Portfolios LLC. He’s picked up fishing as a leisure pursuit, as has Court Williams (Fairfield, CT). Court and wife Stacey celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.

That’s all the news for now. Stay healthy! ❖ Cindy Fuller (email Cindy); Ilene Shub Lefland (email Ilene). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1979

Cornell’s Adult University (CAU) was back in person this year after two years of online courses. Classmates Judy Ashby, Janet Goldin Rubin, Nancy Sverdlik, Sue Morand Meyers, and Mark Wilson, MBA ’80, were on campus in July to enjoy Cornell and friends during a week of fantastic classes, evening programs, and social gatherings. Judy, Janet, and Nancy stayed in the new Toni Morrison Hall on North Campus. Sue and her husband, Fred, and Mark and his wife, Denise Rempe ’80, lodged in hotels. CAU offers both options. Judy woke up early for “Taking Flight: An Introduction to the World of Birds.” Janet and Nancy took a mini-course combination, “The Politics of Public Policy” and “Women’s Equality Through Art,” that included a full policymaking download and a day of Finger Lakes excursions to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls and Harriet Tubman’s home in Auburn. Sue and Mark enjoyed a golf clinic held on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. Everyone hopes to attend again in summer 2023, so reach out to Janet (email her here) if you’re interested in joining this group. She is happy to coordinate with ’79ers when CAU programs are announced next winter.

Margaret “Peg” Caldwell-Ott and her husband, Derek Ott, live in Virginia. Peg never imagined that she would be sleeping late every day and making her own daily schedule, but that’s retirement life for her. She finds retirement relaxing and is doing a lot of reading, family project work, and playing with her cats—Corrie, Almira, and Ebenezer. She gets the most satisfaction these days from her worry-free life (for the most part!). Peg and Derek are already back to cruising and in July they cruised to Bermuda and the Bahamas on the Enchantment of the Seas, leaving and returning from Baltimore.

Clarence Reed and his wife, Debra Doncov, live in Georgia. Clarence never could have imagined playing a great deal of pickleball, but it is his newly found passion. In addition, he still plays full contact football in the annual Cornell sprint football alumni game. Clarence loves that he is not working, and, along with his numerous athletic activities, is doing volunteer “work” including projects for AARP and traveling. Clarence and Debra feel blessed that their three adult sons still appreciate their company; the two oldest live with them. Clarence gets the most satisfaction from having good enough health to enjoy the activities he likes, including athletics, boating, and travel.

Pierre Crawley and his wife, Doris, are enjoying life in Florida. Pierre still gets pleasure from working and bringing Peppadew peppers to the masses, but also finds time for their new 36-ft. Beneteau sailboat out of Bay Head, NJ, aptly named The Mojo after their daughter Camille’s Brussel griffon poodle.

Peter Coy and his wife, Ariela, have lived in New Jersey for many years. Peter writes a newsletter on economics and business in the Opinion section of the New York Times. If you’re a Times subscriber, he’d love for you to sign up to have it delivered by email three times a week.

Peter Coy ’79 writes a newsletter on economics and business in the Opinion section of the New York Times.

A number of classmates are thrilled to be grandparents. Laura Grinberg Bennett writes from Long Island that she is still working and has been a practicing pediatrician for 35 years. She is very excited about having a new grandson and finds the most satisfaction spending time with friends and family. We also hear that five additional classmate families welcomed new grandchildren in recent months: Madison Anne was born to Lisbeth Hoyt ’09, daughter of Lon and Lisa Barsanti Hoyt; Nina Soleil is Bradley and Mary Maxon Grainger, MPS ’87’s second granddaughter; Charles Green is the grandson of Kathleen Best and Steve Green; Brooks Micael was welcomed by Jeff Berg, ME ’80, MBA ’81, and his wife, Debra Paget; and Nancy Jackson Brandeis and her husband, Gary, welcomed their second grandson, Shane Jordan.

Susan Schapiro Caplan and her husband, Gary ’62, wrote that she never imagined she would be leading a nursing school, both through a pandemic and the national accreditation process. Susan is chair of the School of Nursing at Northern Illinois University—soon to be retired in January. Their son, Liam, will be starting a new job at Voya Financial while grandson Ben Caplan will be graduating from Cornell in ’23. Susan and Gary attended Gary’s 60th Reunion, where they met some vibrant, fun people. Hiking, a rescue pup, books on tape, and long conversations with friends and family bring the most enjoyment these days. Susan hasn’t picked up any new hobbies recently, but she intends to in retirement.

We received very sad news about James Hanrahan from his wife, Daphne. Jim passed away on May 22, 2022 of pancreatic cancer. One of the last things he did was contribute to a bench at Cornell with classmate Marty Putenis.

News for this column comes via the Share Your News form, the online news form, or emails sent directly to any of your class correspondents: ❖ Linda Moses (email Linda); Danna Levy (email Danna); and Cynthia Ahlgren Shea (email Cynthia). Alumni Directory.

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Classes of the 1980s

1980

For this column, I reached out to my freshman-year hallmates for news. We lived in a small hallway in U-Hall 2 and called ourselves the “wine cellar dwellers” in an attempt to add an air of class to what was a cinderblock basement. We even made T-shirts, though the wine cellar pictured on the shirts looked nothing like a U-Hall basement. Ah, the U-Halls! They don’t make them like that anymore! (That’s a good thing.)

Despite calling ourselves the wine cellar dwellers, wine was never among the substances ingested by my hallmates. While most of us were generally abstinent, a more appropriate name would have been the “basement beerhall,” the “hookah hallway,” or the “gin alley.” Though unhealthy and unwise behaviors were occasionally exhibited, we must recall this was an era where the University rented out Barton Hall for an alcohol-based event called “Rums,” the City of Ithaca closed Collegetown once a year for a road race that served beer every few blocks (the Phi Psi 500), and University Unions hosted a Mardi Gras celebration in the North Campus Student Union with free-flowing hurricanes. During our time at Cornell, most residence hallways were segregated by gender, so the wine cellar dwellers were all male.

Wine cellar dweller Pete Manos, ME ’81, has been married to his wife, Kass, for 38 years and is still enjoying his 40-plus years of work in technology development in the semiconductor industry. Kass has been a Delta Vacations travel agent since their kids have grown, enabling Pete and Kass to travel a lot in the last 10 years on nearly free flights. They have lived in the Twin Cities, MN, area since 2001 but, according to Pete, “are looking forward to moving south in a year or two—someplace where winter means not having to snowblow the driveway!” They have three children—two sons, 31 years old (not twins), and a daughter, 26 years old. No marriages or grandkids yet.

Upon graduating from the ILR School, wine cellar dweller Aron Minken started a career in human resources and employee benefits that lasted over 41 years, earning an MBA in finance from NYU along the way. Aron retired from PwC last October and has been enjoying the newfound time with his wife, Nancy Solomon Weiss ’90. Nancy and Aron recently returned from 12 days in France and also took a two-week road trip from New Jersey (where they now live) through Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Future travel plans include Seattle and Europe again (Portugal, the U.K., and Italy). They have three children (ages 32, 29, and 20). The oldest is married and lives in Philadelphia, another is recently engaged and will be married next year, and their youngest is a junior at Boston University.

We lived in a small hallway in U-Hall 2 and called ourselves the ‘wine cellar dwellers’ in an attempt to add an air of class to what was a cinderblock basement.
Chas Horvath ’80

Wine cellar dweller Donald Motschwiller has been married to his college sweetheart Amy (Jupiter) going on 40 years. He transitioned from the hospitality business to finance/trading shortly after graduation and is still working. He and Amy live between Manhattan and the Hamptons and have three kids and two granddaughters. His two daughters went to Cornell and his son had to settle for a college in Cambridge, MA (starts with a H or something like that).

My freshman roommate and fellow wine cellar dweller Dean McCauley transitioned from engineering to operations research and business, getting an MBA at Wharton on the way to a 30-year career as a technical mergers and acquisitions consultant, eventually retiring as a partner at EY in 2018. To amuse himself in retirement, he went back to community college to get personal trainer credentials. Dean reports, “Riding a bike to campus, carrying a backpack into class, and working in teams with 20-year-olds made me feel young again.” COVID shut down the personal training industry, so he went back to consulting from home and has decided that consulting is a lot more fun without the constant travel. Dean has a 34-year-old daughter from his first marriage who is a book editor in London and two daughters with his wife of 29 years, both on the West Coast. Dean and his wife, Donna, have lived in Marin County, CA, since 1987.

Wine cellar dweller Jonathan Wexler started work in human resources, later attended law school, and has since been practicing employment law. He and his wife were married in 1988 and have two children—a 32-year-old son and a 30-year-old daughter. Jon and his wife live in Westchester County, NY.

On to news from non-wine cellar dwellers! Kirsti Wastrom’s newest hobby in retirement is a Tijuana rescue doodle named Louie, who drags her along the beach in Southern California.

Theresa Boyduy Nord moved south after graduation and has never left. She reports, “Georgia was a great place to live and raise my three daughters.” Theresa has been married for 33 years and works as a licensed high-net-worth client associate for Fidelity Investments. She greatly enjoys watching her smart and beautiful daughters succeed in personal and business life.

Massachusetts-based Kathy Sonnabend Rowe is retired but does miss working. She enjoys time spent with her children and her oldest daughter’s first-born, a baby boy born this past May. She loves being a grandmother.

Fellow Georgian Cliff Strat is married to Amy (Warner) ’81 and has spent the last 18 years as a Boeing 767/757 captain. Though he never imagined flying anything other than a Boeing, he is currently a Delta Airlines captain based in Atlanta, flying an Airbus A-350.

Brian Myers retired at the end of 2021 after 36 years in pharma. Brian and his wife, Carol, intentionally embarked on an unintentionally long medical odyssey in Boston for a rare tracheal disease from which Carol suffers. Brian reports the care they received from Mass General Brigham was phenomenal. After six months, they have returned to North Carolina and are on the mend, once again enjoying their three grandchildren. It was Brian’s Boston Cornell connections that kept him afloat during their Boston sojourn. He attended Cornell hoops games at Harvard and lacrosse games at Brown and the NCAA Championships in Hartford. Along the way, Brian reports he connected and reconnected with ’80 classmates Dave Schrage, Brad Hanpeter, Jeff Young, BArch ’91, Doug Henderson, John LoBosco, Heather Nichols, BS ’82, and Reggie Durden, BS ’83, along with Karen Levine Whitman ’81, Sue Kravetz Syversen ’82, Audrey Long O’Connor ’81, and Jan Feinberg Singer ’82.

We’d love to hear what you are up to. Feel free to share a story from your Cornell days. Contact one of your class correspondents or submit an online news form. ❖ Chas Horvath (email Chas); Leona Barsky (email Leona); David Durfee (email David); Dik Saalfeld (email Dik). Alumni Directory.

1981

The months are flying by! What a fall we’ve all had! My job with Hadassah as an annual giving officer is still going strong. Where I used to preside over Florida and New England states (Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire), I now have the Southern Seaboard instead (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Richmond, VA, and more). It’s always good to mix it up a little bit!

I was invited to the Cornell send-off at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL, because I was on the CAAAN committee and spoke to several students in advance throughout the year. Hard to believe that this freshman Cornell class is the Class of ’26! One of the students I had spoken to is going to Cornell! Max Berk ’26, his parents, and his grandfather all went to Cornell. He is keeping up the Big Red tradition! It was so great seeing other Cornellians including Abbe Goldberg Groffman ’91, Yitzy Rosenberg ’20, ME ’21, Richard Marks ’67, MBA ’68, and more.

Class of 1981 members of Delta Gamma sorority (Edna Eidelberg Rosloff, Gretchen Knoell, Jill Novack Lynch, Karen Levine Whitman, Sally Wilson, and Vonnah Weems Rolband) have planted a Cherokee Princess Dogwood tree as a memorial to Cathy Barto Meyer, our iconic classmate who passed away prematurely in October 2018 of breast cancer. The tree was planted during Reunion weekend and will anchor a new memorial garden started at DG in Cathy’s memory.

A group of 1981 Hotelies (Christopher Hunsberger, Daniel Fenton, Karen Whitman, Robert Mandelbaum, Scott Craver, Stuart Smith, and Susan Stiles, MBA ’91) are spearheading a bold new initiative underway in the U.S. to create a pathway for Black students to become future leaders in hospitality. The DREAM project—an acronym for Dedicated Recruitment for Hospitality Educational Equity, Alliance & Mentorships—is committed to a targeted and intentional strategy. They are working with a growing number of colleges and universities across the country to facilitate academic opportunities for historically underserved black students through international recruitment. The Class of ’81 Hotelies have initially raised $130,000. If you would like to get involved, please email Karen.

Renee Miller-Mizia recently retired from her position as chief marketing officer at Dechert LLP—and as of September 1 she became the executive director of corporate relations, a newly created position, for the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. She and her family are excited about this opportunity that bridges her many years of marketing and relationship development experience with their love of Cornell. Our hats are off to you, and we wish you the best of luck!

Ross Getman ’81 and his wife spend most of their free time on Klein Island (near Syracuse). He asks you to come and visit—if his rowboat is there, the coffee pot will be on.

Ross Getman tells us his daughter is at NYU Law School. He and his wife, whom he met at Cornell and married in Sage Chapel, spend most of their free time on Klein Island (near Syracuse). He asks you to come and visit. If his rowboat is there, the coffee pot will be on. There’s also a blue heron rookery with 50 nests and a pair of eagles. Sounds like a fabulous place to see!

Thomas J. Brown tells us that since graduation, he spent five years working for Farm Credit Service, which was a wonderful experience. In 1986, he started in the financial services industry and has been a CFP since 1992. Since 1994, he has had his own practice. According to him, “It’s the only way to fly!”

After graduating in ’81, Rick Craig, MBA ’82, stuck around for a “bonus year” and got his MBA from the Johnson School. That was one too many Ithaca winters for this North Carolina boy, so he headed out to California to work in “before-the-Internet” high tech. He lived in California for 10 years, split between the Bay Area and Orange County. Then out of the blue his brother called asking if he wanted to move back to North Carolina to work in the family business (started by their grandfather). He said “YES” because who wouldn’t want to go to work in the beer distribution business? Since then, they have built the company into one of the largest in the country and expanded to include wine and a host of non-alcoholic beverages. He has three awesome kids: Matt, 39, who runs his own business, and Brianna, 31, and Ehren, 29, both of whom are working for him as fourth-generation family members in the business. And, as Rick says, he couldn’t possibly be old enough to have three beautiful granddaughters! I think it sounds like we need to road trip there!

Mary Ann Brennan Randall says she had to “figure it out” after 10 years in the wrong career. She has now been an anesthetist for 24 years and absolutely loves it! She says she is a bit of a late bloomer, in motherhood too (although she doesn’t know my kids are 14 and 16!). She is the proud mother of Julia Grace, who turned down her acceptance to Cornell and ended up becoming an “Eph” at Williams College, class of ’19. Kudos to Mary Ann in so many ways!

Will Rosenzweig has had several careers: as an entrepreneur (founder of the Republic of Tea), author, and biz executive leading growth companies in food and beverages (Odwalla, Hambrecht Vineyards), and then 20 years leading several early-stage venture firms investing in health and sustainability. He worked with the Rockefeller Foundation to create early work on impact investing, and since 1999 he has been on the professional faculty at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. He was the first person to teach social entrepreneurship at a major business school and is now focusing on teaching food systems innovation and entrepreneurship. His true calling, though, is as a “gardenist,” where he spends about 30-plus hours a week imagining, cultivating, and caring for the Ideagarden in Healdsburg, CA, “where we grow and share food, flowers, and beauty.” Will used to perform with Lon Hoyt ’79 as a mime in front of Willard Straight Hall and played the cornet in the Lowdown Alligator Jazz Band at Rulloff’s and other venues. Wow, how times have changed!

Please do let us know what’s going on! ❖ Betsy Silverfine (email Betsy). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1982

It’s the end of 2022, but that 40th Reunion bash on the Hill still resonates. We (Mark and Melissa Duncan Fernau ’83) went for the full experience this time, arriving Thursday and staying through the Sunday breakfast. From the live band at our class HQ on West Campus (finally, AC!) to The Rocky Horror Picture Show in the dining hall (those audience-participation lines are still in the brain, even if the timing is off …) to dinner at the Botanic Gardens, it was all amazing.

Bill Nye ’77 on stage at Schoellkopf was a high point, and discovering the Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards next to Sigma Pi was an unexpected pleasure. The open house at the Olin Library map room was a nerdy joy (the Luftwaffe bomb-target maps of London were dreadful and fascinating). It was fun to catch up with fellow class officer Miriam Akabas and meet her daughter Ariel Kaminsky ’19. I got to spend quality time (and beer tent time) with Lambda Chi buddies Bill Noon ’84, fellow correspondent Doug Skalka and wife Susan, and Ithaca lawyer Randy Marcus and his wife, Terry. Randy’s guided tour of his antique automobiles that he restored was a treat!

I also checked in with U-Hall 5 cross-hall neighbor and Reunion crooner Jim Salomon and his wife, Kathleen Gannon ’81. They are loving life in Providence, RI. I also caught up on news with fellow hallmate K. Andrew Bjork of Newport, RI. Speaking of U-Hall 5, I got to hear a great anecdote from Chris Hanson about the “wine cellar” denizens water ballooning a Sperry Hall (U-Hall 6) shindig and barely avoiding bodily harm by feigning sleep and ignorance. I also had good chats with Alex Harwit of Boulder, CO, who told me of his adventures trying to remove a damaged tree after a recent late-spring snowstorm after I mentioned hearing about the quirky weather, and with fellow Bostonian R. William Card (Bill was sporting an obscure Adirondack Mountains trail map on the back of his T-shirt one night).

Stuart Baron complimented me on that strange ability to remember Rocky Horror shoutouts; his participation seemed to be mostly limited to applying a certain descriptive noun to Brad every time he appeared onscreen, but he did that most enthusiastically. It was all one big hoot, and I can’t wait to meet more of you at number 45!

Robert Blackburn reports that, after “spending 35 of the past 40 years in Pittsburgh, PA, I have moved to South Jersey (Williamstown, to be specific) to be nearer to family.” He does NOT recommend moving during a pandemic. Robert says that he never imagined he would live in New Jersey, but he is now “doing a fair bit of biking in the flat lands of South Jersey.” He works in software development for Cadence Design Systems and says that “both kids are now out of college: one a Cornell grad, one out of grad school and married.”

Discovering the Center for Historical Keyboards next to Sigma Pi was an unexpected pleasure.
Mark Fernau ’82

When Scott Irgang (Pleasantville, NY) is not surprising himself by “playing golf (and liking it!),” he is enjoying “a good Bobby Bland tune and a glass of jaw-dropping Cabernet.” He reports, “After four years on Broadway, I just started as a senior consultant at IRI, a national management consultancy, and I am focusing on positive employee relations, employee engagement, and workplace communication.” Scott proudly adds, “My daughter is only 26 but has become the head of PR for a global fashion site.”

Nicholas Pennings lives in Fuquay Varina, NC, and is serving as chair of family medicine at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, something that, as a young Cornellian, he could not imagine his future self doing. Nonetheless, he is getting great satisfaction from “helping people lose weight.” He and his wife, Carol, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this past July.

Leslie Fields tells us she turned 62 and feels like she is just getting started! She is national director, policy, advocacy, and legal at the Sierra Club in Washington, DC, where she lives, and is “feeling a great deal of satisfaction that I have supported the environmental justice movement becoming a priority in the Biden Administration.” She started biking seriously five years ago and enjoys “biking on all the great trails in the metro D.C. area. I completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage across northern Spain (800 km).”

Alfred Cowger Jr. is an attorney living in Gates Mills, OH. He published a book at the end of 2020 called The Threats of Algorithms and AI to Civil Rights, Legal Remedies, and American Jurisprudence: One Nation Under Algorithms (Lexington Books).

As part of Reunion, our class created an online memory book using the BrightCrowd app. If you want to know more, please contact one of your correspondents or classmate John Mennell. More great information and great photos are available there for more than 300 of your classmates. Here is a teaser from its contents: “Did you know that Reunion attendee and Vienna, Austria, resident Michele Brantle Rogat is an Air Force veteran, worked with USAID and the State Department as well as the U.N. Office at Vienna, and is now director of the division of general services at the International Atomic Energy Agency?” Wow! Participation in the book is voluntary, and, if you create a page, you can stay as simple or get as detailed as you want. ❖ Mark Fernau (email Mark); Nina Kondo (email Nina); Doug Skalka (email Doug). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1983

Hi, everyone. I hope it’s bit cooler by the time you’re reading this than it is while I write in August. My husband, Andrew Freeman, our son, Will ’20, and I attended the Class of ’22’s in-person graduation for our daughter, Jesse ’22, this past May. In spite of it pouring rain throughout the ceremony (surprise, surprise), we had a great weekend filled with action both on and off campus. I’m sad we won’t be going up much anymore, now that both kids are out, so Reunion ’23 for our class (June 8–11) is well-timed. Mark your calendars!

I recently connected with Gregg Somerville, who lives in Delaware and decided to take a stand-up comedy class at the Helium Comedy Club in Philly for a “big” birthday challenge and departure from Wall Street. His five-minute bit is posted on Facebook, which you can dig up and is actually very funny—as is his self-named hobby, the “Too Little, Too Late” comedy tour.

I had coffee in Manhattan with Agnes Liptak, the founder and owner of the world-renowned firm Fresco Decorative Arts. After Cornell, Agnes attended L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Based in Manhattan, her firm “draws energy and inspiration from the cutting edge of New York’s artistic community,” creating stunning installations for deluxe retailers, renowned cultural institutions, and illustrious residences throughout the world. Her work is breathtaking, and her three children contribute to a very busy life!

Shirley Reva Levine Vernick writes to say that she had not one but TWO young-reader novels published this year. Ripped Away is based on the real experiences of Jewish refugees in London during the Jack the Ripper spree, when xenophobia was widespread; and The Sky We Shared is based on a real WWII incident in which Japan sent balloon bombs via the jet stream to the Americas. Shirley describes both books as exploring “identity, tolerance, friendship, and the dangers of propaganda.”

Dinah Lawrence Godwin writes from Texas that in addition to her job as a clinical social worker and assistant professor of pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, she finds herself still branching out. A self-described “shy, introverted person,” she is now giving presentations to families and professionals, something she “never would have expected to be able to do.”

Lisa Yanguas retired from the federal government in 2017 and is now teaching an online college-level musical theater class. She’s also in search of her “forever home,” which she has not found, in spite of moving around a lot. She’s looking for location ideas—must include a beach, theater, and tennis!

Lisa Yanguas ’83 is in search of her ‘forever home’ and looking for location ideas—must include a beach, theater, and tennis!

Fellow class correspondent Stewart Glickman writes from New Jersey: “Wow! Alpha Tau Omega’s 135th anniversary celebration, July 21–24 in Ithaca, was an overwhelming success with more than 220 brothers, sisters, and family members catching up on four to five decades of news in a weekend. Kudos to the amazing organizers, Keith Reitenbach ’78 and Fred Warner ’78, and to the late Harold MacPhillamy ’32, MS ’33, whose estate’s generous gift helped make it possible. Very proud of Class of ’83 attendees who traveled from across the country: from California, Marc Osborn, ME ’84, and Michele Canny Gilles; from Colorado, George Tousey; from Connecticut, Steve and Laura Bellamy Fitzpatrick and Nancy Kurzman Fahey; from Maryland, Dan Feingold and Mark Harbold; from Massachusetts, Dan Carlucci and Dick Cornell; from Minnesota, Karl Mulle; from New York, Pat Burke and Kathy Litwin Kronick; from North Carolina, Neil Donovan, Pete Dalldorf, Christi Douglas, Iris Sunshine, and John Weir, MBA ’84; from South Carolina, Scott Miller; and from Texas, Dave Davis. Last minute regrets but still there in spirit were New Jersey’s Mike Brody and Pennsylvania’s Bob Miller.

“A non-stop whirlwind weekend of events included Thursday opening night drinks in Fall Creek, and Friday morning golf honoring the late Cornell hockey legend Danny Lodboa ’70 and organized in stellar fashion by Reid Bowman ’82 and Rocky Robinson ’72. Next up was the afternoon picnic at Taughannock Falls State Park before an official ATO ‘Hat Party and Rally’ at the old house on Friday night. Class of ’83 and friends enjoyed Saturday brunch and drinks on a ‘Three-Hour Tour’ of Cayuga Lake (yes, unlike the Skipper and Gilligan, the boat made it back!). Saturday night dinner and dancing at the Statler was a wonderful way to cap off the weekend, with final goodbyes at brunch at Willard Straight on Sunday morning—until the 140th ATO celebration in five years, and the Class of ’83 Reunion in 2023!”

That’s just some of our class updates—more to come in the next column. Oh, and I have to mention that I read Corrections in Ink, written by Cornell grad and criminal justice journalist Keri Blakinger ’11, BA ’14. A competitive figure skater at the national level and a gifted student as a child, her memoir tells her incredible journey and struggles, which include being arrested at Cornell for heroin possession and her subsequent incarceration. Her story is incredible, as is her gift for writing and reporting, which has resulted in significant exposure to the inequities of prison and real changes in our penal system. You can read more about Keri in this Cornellians story.

Happy fall, everyone! ❖ Nancy Korn Freeman (email Nancy); Tom Helf (email Tom); Jon Felice (email Jon); Stewart Glickman (email Stewart). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1984

Many of us are celebrating our milestone birthdays! Congratulations to us! It seems like yesterday that we fought to go from West Campus to the Straight (especially in the snow), took great courses, partook in the primal scream (now banned), trayed down the Slope, went to Fun in the Sun … Good times and memories!

We have good news to share. Earl Kim checked in with us to say that his life has been incredibly predictable. It is difficult for him to call what he does work because he enjoys creating and cultivating schools too much. In Hawaiian, it is called “hana hau’oli.” His two oldest children have served or are serving in the Marine Corps, as he did. His youngest, his “hanai,” is entering high school. Spending time with his family is what brings him the most satisfaction these days. He has not recently picked up any new hobbies, although he hiked the John Muir Trail in California’s High Sierras last summer.

Michelle Rossi shares that she continues to work in academic geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the V.A. Pittsburgh. Her daughter Amanda Conwell ’20 graduated from Cornell in the fated year of 2020, and she is now a medical student. Michelle stays young by shuttling three younger children (one in seventh grade and two in sixth grade!) to various sports and other activities. She is trying not to think about the big 60 this year (the same as many of us in the Class of ’84, I suppose!).

Dennis Mitchell, BA ’86, wrote to say that he is the newly appointed executive vice president for university life at Columbia. His older daughter, Danielle ’26, is now a first-year student in Cornell’s Architecture school. It’s great to see legacy students beginning their Cornell experience!

Chris Thompson never imagined that he would be picking up his 6-year-old daughter from kindergarten. He is moving to a new home in the fall to be closer to his daughter’s school. He manages remote engineer employees who work tirelessly to deliver a great software product. Really strong spin classes satisfy him these days. He has also picked up Kubernetes and Docker (both software systems)—do they count as hobbies?

Jonathan Friedman recently published a book along with Chiao-Yao She via Cambridge University Press titled Atmospheric Lidar Fundamentals: Laser Light Scattering from Atoms and Linear Molecules. Details about the book can be found here. Jonathan currently serves as director of the Puerto Rico Photonics Institute, Academic Division of Science & Technology, Universidad Ana G. Méndez (Cupey Campus). Congrats to the authors! Lastly, Ann Hoskins and her husband, Robert Zdenek, check in with no news.

Don’t forget: Reunion ’24 (our 40th!), class dues, getting involved, and writing to your excellent class correspondent: ❖ José Nieves (email José). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1985

Greetings, Class of ’85. Please take a moment to send us an online news form—or even better, send me a copy of your holiday letter! ❖ Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett (email Joyce). Alumni Directory.

1986

A few years ago, I shared with you the joy of meeting and dining with Ed Marinaro ’72. That was one of my most memorable (post-graduate) Cornell moments, but I am happy to report that was not my only Big Red memory-making moment. In April, Risa Mish ’85, JD ’88, and I were enjoying the final cocktail hour of the 97th Hotel Ezra Cornell. The Park Atrium of Statler Hall was rather crowded (it was made even more crowded by the hundreds of balloons that were dropped from the ceiling). Ms. Mish and I chose to sit in the cool evening air. While sipping our cocktails, we were joined by University President Martha Pollack and her husband, Ken Gottschlich. President Pollack spent quite a bit of time chatting with us about our connection to Cornell, as well the impact of the pandemic on campus. She also bragged about her newest grandchild before running off to say hello to a group of students who were heading off to a long-anticipated concert at Barton Hall, the first large concert since March 2020. During HEC, I also met classmate Chris Hemmeter, who was on campus for the first time since graduation.

And speaking of events that were a long time coming, on July 3 I married my sweetheart, Robert Mandelbaum ’81, after nearly 13 years together. It was an intimate affair, with nuptials led by my sister and Robert’s sister Lynn Mandelbaum ’77. The wedding was held at Table & Main, a restaurant in Roswell, GA, that is owned by Ryan Pernice ’07.

Ours was not the only recent marriage. Laurie Michelman’s daughter is a newlywed. Laurie, who resides in Skaneateles with her partner, has become an amateur wildlife photographer and birder and she has been associate court attorney for the New York State Unified Court System for the last 14 years.

Margaret “Peg” Bolce Brivanlou has been named one of the “Top 250 Women in IP” and an “IP Star” by Managing IP. Peg is a partner with Ballard Spahr Intellectual Property, where she represents biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and institutions in the spectrum of patent matters, including patent portfolio development and counseling. She also advises on investment funds and for other clients on the intellectual property aspects of transactions, including patent due diligence and negotiation of agreements for asset licensing or sale.

David Lopez’s third child is starting as a junior at Cornell; he was good to write that he is proud of ALL his children. While his children slowly leave the nest, David remains busy as a partner at a NYC law firm, where he specializes in transaction and advisory work with digital assets. When not working, David enjoys spending time on the waters of Eastern Long Island on his power boat.

Speaking of events that were a long time coming, on July 3 I married my sweetheart after nearly 13 years together.
Toby Goldsmith ’86

This month’s final practicing attorney to check in with us is Steven Getman of Watkins Glen, NY. Steve is working to protect the property and interests of the citizens of Schuyler County, where he is county attorney.

Not all of our classmates became attorneys. Dordaneh Maleki is a gastroenterologist in Linwood, NJ. I was happy to see that Dordaneh continues to appreciate the art of medicine and finds joy in solving medical mysteries. Sadly, she recently lost her mother. I know we all send our sincere condolences to her and her family.

Jennifer Dilworth, BS ’90, writes from Washington State that she built her own home and is using that experience now to help low-income families weatherize their homes. She is proud to report that her son is studying to be a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Also in Washington State, Seattle’s Julie Bick Weed may now have more opportunities to stop and smell the coffee, since she recently gave up her role as president of the Seattle Cornell Club after eight years at its helm. In her note, she encourages classmates to join their local Cornell Club board to meet Cornellians of varied ages and interests.

Mindy Kaplan Silberg can see retirement on the horizon, but currently has no firm plans to make it happen. Perhaps her multiple trips to the U.K. to visit her daughter in Scotland will give her a taste for the next adventure. She is taking advantage of her daughter’s studying international politics and human rights in Glasgow to travel and take a deep dive into the history of the U.K. She will also be visiting Texas soon, as her son will be moving there to start his law career, having recently graduated from Hofstra Law School. Mindy’s children must have inherited her work ethic. Mindy recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her ownership of Off the Shelf Reps, a natural products sales agency specializing in selling to premium grocers. Having looked at her website and the products she is representing, I can see why her business has grown exponentially. While Mindy continues to study through Cornell (a Master Gardeners class through Cornell Cooperative Extension), she manages to also find time to do stand-up comedy. I found a YouTube video of Mindy’s act, and I think we need to get her to entertain us during the next Reunion.

Thank you all for sharing your updates. We hope to see even more news from you in our inboxes and mailboxes in the days to come. ❖ Toby Goldsmith (email Toby); Lori Spydell Wagner (email Lori); Michael Wagner (email Michael); Ellen Nordberg (email Ellen). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1987

Hello, classmates! I’m finally getting the chance to reflect on our fabulous 35th Reunion. We had a great turnout and surprisingly fantastic weather. Many friends, old and new! So many hugs and shared memories. Thank you to our wonderful Reunion chairs for making it all possible. For those who could not make it, we missed you and hope to see you at our 40th (June 2027)!

Highlights included watching classmates Scott Pesner, Claudia Regen, Stacey Neuhoefer Silberzweig, and Alison Josephs doing goat yoga on the Ag Quad, a Bill Nye ’77 presentation at Schoellkopf Field, and our class forum, “The Changing Role of Media From 1987 to the Present and How I Survived,” with Jessica Ettinger Gottesman, BS ’97, Marc Lacey, and Dave Price.

We enjoyed other Cornell traditions like the always spirited and nostalgic Cornelliana Night, the Tent Parties, our class cocktail parties, wine tasting, ice cream socials, and a newer tradition, the ’80s dance party at class headquarters! I also hiked the Cascadilla Gorge Trail for the first time and enjoyed the Cornell Botanic Gardens.

Many of our classmates celebrated the graduations of their Cornell students, just two weeks before Reunion, including Bob Maxon, Pam Mandell Freedman, Gabe and Katie Roth Boyar ’86, Lynne Johnson Haberstock, Tina Immler-Lee, Brooke Johnson White, Adrienne McVicker Reing, and Eleanor Dillon Petigrow.

Lisa Gangarosa sent in news from North Carolina, where she has been working in gastroenterology for the past 20 years at UNC. Her older daughter got married in May and will graduate from University of Vermont Medical School and begin her psychiatry residency at UNC. Lisa still loves aerial dancing.

Dan Alonso is a lawyer in New York City, representing companies and individuals in government investigations. His older son, Danny ’26, is an incoming freshman in Arts & Sciences. He loves to spend time with his kids and biking.

Amit Batabyal ’87 was recently selected to be a ‘distinguished professor’ at the Rochester Institute of Technology—the highest academic title a faculty member can hold at RIT.

Wendy Weil lives in Cincinnati, OH, and has been doing volunteer work and working at a city golf course since she retired from Procter & Gamble 10 years ago.

Ellen German writes from Boise, ID, where she has had her own small animal veterinary clinic for the past 20 years. She tries to travel as much as possible and gets satisfaction from playing tennis and racing her car at Bonneville Salt Flats.

Rich Friedman lives in Wayland, MA, with his wife, Nancy, a high school English teacher. They have two daughters. One is beginning med school in Florida and the other is a junior at the University of Vermont. He also has a stepson at Emory University and a stepdaughter in high school. He is in his 22nd year as founder and president of Friedman & Partners, a management consultancy serving architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms across the country. He just completed his yearly trip to Wyckoff, NJ, to visit several Cornell friends including Davy Zoneraich, Avery Katz, and Rob Grossman ’88. He also regularly sees Dave Kalman, Mike ’88, MBA ’89, and Gail Stoller Baer, and Doug Mazlish ’86. He loves storm chasing, tennis, swimming, and going on long walks.

Amit Batabyal was recently selected to be a “distinguished professor” at the Rochester Institute of Technology—the highest academic title a faculty member can hold at RIT. His daughter Sanjana ’18 graduated with her master’s in public health from Columbia in 2021 and now works for a health informatics firm. Amit enjoys doing research and eating good food.

Jacqueline Martinez is the founder of Pittsburgh’s JBM Legal LLC and is beginning a three-year term as secretary on the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) board of directors. She has held numerous leadership roles within the PBA.

Keep in touch and continue to share your news with us by emailing us: ❖ Whitney Weinstein Goodman (email Whitney); or Liz Brown (email Liz). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1988

Greetings, Class of ’88! Lynn Berni here, writing from Salt Lake City to bring you the latest installment of updates from our classmates. Before we get into the news, I want to give a quick plug for our 35th Reunion, which is coming up on June 8–11, 2023. Hard to believe it’s almost five years since our 30th, at which I had a great time catching up with classmates that I hadn’t seen since graduation!

Our “Share Your News” mailbag was full, so lots of good stuff to report this time around. Cathleen Daniels Cerosaletti is excited that daughter Anna ’26 started in CALS this fall and is planning to major in Environment and Sustainability. Cathleen is “just thrilled” to have a reason to visit Ithaca more frequently now!

Eric Brown, ME ’89, reports, “Having just graduated twins from two different high schools, we are now installing them in two different colleges,” including daughter London ’26 at Cornell this fall. For fun, Eric is playing “a great deal of platform tennis!”

Stephen Sheffield toured the Cornell campus with high school senior son Milo last summer. Milo earned high honors in his junior year, and younger son Finley excels in lacrosse. On the work front, Stephen started a job this year as adjunct faculty to MFA candidates at MassArt in Boston, and his wife Alison’s interior design practice is thriving. Stephen is also on the board of directors of the South Shore Art Center, which held its 67th annual arts festival—which was “a huge success!” He has been continuing his fine art practice while showing and selling consistently over the past 30 years. For fun and relaxation, Stephen wrote, “Of the many new COVID projects these past years, my favorite was restoring a vintage 14-ft. wooden runabout motorboat. We live in the beautiful seaside town of Cohasset, MA, and many evenings will be spent on it with a cocktail in hand!”

Having just graduated twins from two different high schools, we are now installing them in two different colleges.
Eric Brown ’88, ME ’89

Kaye Pestaina recently joined the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) as co-director of the new Program on Patient and Consumer Protections. KFF is a nonprofit organization filling the need for trusted, independent information on national health policy issues. “Thirty-five years after my time in the Cornell in Washington program (spring 1987) as a student, I am happy to put my public policy research skills to work,” said Kaye.

Richard Leska, JD ’94, joined Pryor Cashman law firm as partner in the corporate group last summer. “It’s an exciting opportunity,” said Richard. “The firm’s client base is a great match with my experience, and I’m looking forward to enhancing its capacity to assist clients in the emerging growth company and venture capital ecosystem.” Richard represents companies on a variety of corporate finance transactions and matters, with a particular focus on assisting clients in the “entrepreneurial economy” of startups and emerging growth companies, their executives and technologists, venture capital funds, and angel investors. He is a trusted advisor to many Silicon Valley-style companies.

Pamela Darer Anderson’s four daughters are busy traveling these days—making up for lost time due to the lockdowns in Canada during the last two years of the pandemic. Husband Graham, MBA ’88, is the chief investment officer for a financial company, Galibier Capital Management, in downtown Toronto, Canada. Pam’s family travel plans last summer included Maui, England to visit eldest daughter Rebecca, and Lake Placid for a few days of sun and relaxation on the lake.

Please get in touch and let us know how you’re doing. Big news, small news … we want to hear it all. Share your updates via the online news form. Thanks! ❖ Lynn Berni (email Lynn); Debbie Kaplan Gershenson (email Debbie); Aliza Stein Angelchik (email Aliza). Alumni Directory.

1989

I can’t believe this is the last column of 2022! I’m going to get right to our class news. Everything came from people who submitted an online form, emailed information, or sent in their news form via mail. Whichever way is easiest for you, we hope you will consider updating us in the future!

I’ll start this column with an email I received from Andrew Weisenfeld, who sent exciting news that his youngest daughter, Hilary, is in the Cornell Class of 2026 in the Urban Planning program of the AAP college. He added, “My wife, Lauren, and I are excited to be empty nesters starting in the fall and look forward to visiting campus to see her, when we aren’t traveling somewhere else with our newfound freedom!” Andrew still lives in NYC and is working at the same healthcare investment banking firm, MTS Health Partners, where he has been for almost 15 years, as one of the managing partners. He is in touch regularly with David Shapiro, Cory Zimmerman, and Alan Goodstadt ’88, and reports they are all well.

Elana Adleman Feinsmith sent news that she and husband Jason ’91 are also empty nesters. Their son recently transferred to UC Davis to study civil engineering and their daughter is a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, studying public health. Elana runs Oak Financial Coaching, where she helps “people get past the emotions that are holding them back around money so they can define and achieve their goals.”

Another news form came from Jeffrey Spector, who lives in Bethesda, MD, and is an employment lawyer for Sodexo, a foodservice and facilities company. He wrote that he enjoys bicycling and playing softball and is active in his synagogue. Traveling to new places, both in the U.S. and abroad, brings him the most satisfaction these days.

Kevin Cook lives in New Harbor, ME, with wife Lisa (Piccinino) ’82. As VP of research and development for Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Kevin oversees product selection and trialing, breeding, seed production, and quality assurance. Throughout his career in horticulture and plant breeding—the subject of his PhD from Oregon State University—he has developed numerous vegetable seed varieties. Debra Schwartz Stamm sent news that her son, Ben ’21, ME ’22, graduated from Cornell last year and completed the master’s program in Operations Research and Information Engineering at Cornell Tech. In the fall he started at Ernst & Young in their Blockchain Solutions Group. Her younger son, Nick ’23, is in his senior year at Cornell and will graduate in May from Dyson.

Throughout his career in horticulture and plant breeding, Kevin Cook ’89 has developed numerous vegetable seed varieties.

More news came from Kenneth Yin, who wrote to tell us that his book, Dungan Folktales and Legends, was recently published. He teaches modern languages, literatures, and linguistics at the City University of New York. His scholarly work focuses on the oral and written literature of the Dungans and the literatures of indigenous peoples of Russia, particularly those with long-standing cultural and historical links to China and the Sinophone world. Kenneth has received fellowships and awards from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the City University of New York, and the Research Foundation of the City University of New York. He has written a second book, Mystical Forest: Collected Poems and Short Stories of Dungan Ethnographer Ali Dzhon, which is expected to be published in 2023.

Kay Ganshaw Smith also has a new book, Baking Blue Ribbons: Stories and Recipes from the Iowa State Fair Food Competitions, which features recipes and stories from 1854 to today about the history of the fair’s food department and competitions. The book is organized by decade and showcases vintage photos, newspaper articles, and food advertisements. More than 150 recipes highlight not only the winners but also food trends throughout the years.

Please take a minute to send us a quick update about you and classmates you keep in touch with. We love hearing from you and it’s fun to see your news “in print.” You can submit an online news form or email any of us. Enjoy the upcoming holiday season! ❖ Stephanie Bloom Avidon (email Stephanie); Kris Borovicka Gerig (email Kris); Anne Czaplinski Treadwell (email Anne); Lauren Kidder McGarry (email Lauren). Alumni Directory.

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Classes of the 1990s

1990

Greetings from the Aloha State, where I spent a 12-hour layover in Honolulu en route from Kobe, Japan, for a long overdue visit in L.A. with family and friends. Mark Tanouye was an amazing host. Pre-pandemic, Mark and I caught up whenever he traveled to Japan to play with DefTech, ManoaDNA, and other local artists, so it was nice to have an opportunity to meet in Hawaii for a change. Mark picked me up at the airport and took me on a whirlwind foodie tour; we had plate lunches of garlic steak, lobster, and ahi, followed by the classic coconut haupia at Yama’s Fish Market. Onolicious! I also got to enjoy his bass guitar performance during a jazz evening at St. Peter’s Parish. My island time with Mark almost made up for the cancellation of an in-person 2020 Reunion.

Our class Reunion co-chair Dave Coyne was among the 1990 contingent of fraternity brothers and friends who celebrated an “unofficial” Reunion in Ithaca. He writes, “I am thrilled to report on a terrific time back on the Hill for Cornell’s Reunion this past June! After having participated in the planning of a truly fantastic Reunion for our class in 2020, and then being deprived of it due to COVID, I eagerly returned to campus for the first time since our 25th. My trip was motivated by an effort from my Zeta Beta Tau brother Michael Cimini ’92 to pull our fraternity brethren together. More than a dozen of us from ’88–92 made it back to a social hour held at ZBT’s magnificent property at 1 Egdecliff Place. In addition to myself and Mike, attendees included Mike’s wife, Angela Cheng-Cimini ’92, Daniel Fried, John Reich ’91, Santo Barravecchio ’89, Blaine Riggle ’89, Bruce Ostroff ’92, Vivek Chopra ’92, Alan Pollack ’92, Mark Bayer ’92, and Josh Wells ’93.

“Nature granted us a beautiful weekend for appreciating the timeless natural beauty of Ithaca and the ride through New York State to get there. Rather than head west from my Massachusetts home, I detoured through Connecticut to meet Dan in Brewster so we could ride together to Ithaca. Being able to share hours together catching up with Dan was a priceless enhancement to an excellent weekend! We enjoyed the spectacular ridge peaks and river valleys along NY 17, the route I used to take up to Cornell from New Haven, often ridesharing with Heather Wright Ryan and Anna Greenberg.

“In a change from past years, Cornelliana Night was held outdoors at Schoellkopf. While the weather cooperated, the feel and acoustics were just not quite the same as when I’ve experienced it in Bailey. Nonetheless, I did get to see and greet Linda Jarschauer Johnson ’60, MS ’63, whom Cornell-in-Washington alumni including me lovingly think of as ‘house mother’ for that program. She was recognized as the recipient of the 2022 William ‘Bill’ Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader Award. It is a well-deserved honor for someone who has given so much, so well, and for so long to Cornell.

We enjoyed the spectacular ridge peaks and river valleys along NY 17, the route I used to take up to Cornell from New Haven.
Dave Coyne ’90

“As always, the tent parties were the highlight of Reunion, with the tremendous energy generated from so many happy reacquaintances. While the Hot Truck’s absence was keenly felt, the joy and relief at being able to have a proper Reunion salved the pain.

“As I was grabbing school swag before hitting the road Sunday, I heard my name called out in the campus store by James Berner! He had also joined some of his fraternity brothers to reconnect at Reunion. Of course, all such Reunions are framed by sadness as we parted ways again amid wishes for a few more days together. Friday to Sunday was altogether too little time to begin to enjoy any of the region’s other attractions and I’ve already promised myself to get up there on Thursday (if not Wednesday!) next time.” I know Dave and the Reunion team are eager to start planning our 35th in 2025!

A huge congratulations to Andy Bednar, whose son David not only made an appearance at the 2022 All-Star Game for the Pittsburgh Pirates but was also nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. Former class correspondent Amy Wang admitted to me that she didn’t know about David’s Class of 1990 connection. “I don’t think I knew Andy, and my husband (Greg Manning) didn’t recognize his name either, but when I said the name Bednar to our baseball-loving 18-year-old, his eyes lit up. He knew exactly who David was, and was impressed that we were within just a few degrees of separation.” Amy recently joined Oregon Health & Science University as a digital content strategist after almost 25 years as a journalist with the Oregonian.

Now that Japan has finally eased its border restrictions and testing requirements, hopefully that means that I will be able to host some of you again. Back in 2012, Rob Wu came for a short visit to Kobe and we went to the Hanshin Racecourse to watch some horse races, one of his interests—but his unique hobby is collecting photos of KFCs around the world. While driving around Honolulu with Mark, I snapped some photos of KFC for Rob’s Facebook album, and I also sent a few from LAX. One of the photos in his album is the Japanese KFC point card I gave him at our 20th Reunion. I am planning to send him a KFC plate that was part of their Christmas dinner package, which seems to be a Japanese holiday tradition.

In closing, Nancy Solomon Weiss, Allan Rousselle, and I (Rose Tanasugarn) wish you and your loved ones a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2023. We look forward to receiving your updates and sharing them with our classmates in the new year! ❖ Rose Tanasugarn (email Rose); Allan Rousselle (email Allan); Nancy Solomon Weiss (email Nancy). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1991

Greetings from the Cornell campus, where classes are in full swing! One advantage of working on campus is that I get to reconnect with classmates who are visiting Cornell during their kids’ college search. And since I am married to a fellow 1991 graduate, Eric Schneider, MBA ’99, I get to meet some of his Cornell friends too!

This summer, I reconnected with one of my former track and field teammates, David Schleuning, who was visiting campus in July with his wife, Lissy, and their three children. David, who lives in Piedmont, CA, was kind enough to send me the following update: “After Cornell, I got a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Chicago and then moved to the Bay Area, where I have worked for a number of startups, followed by a longish stint at a laser company, Coherent Inc.”

David adds, “For the past five years, I have been working at Waymo-Google’s autonomous car venture—very exciting to see the new technology in both hardware and software emerge. During COVID, a small group of Cornellians gathered over Zoom to exercise and reconnect. The ‘Total Fitness Program’ core members—Stephanie Best, John Wolf ’90, MA ’91, MBA ’99, Jeannine Cavender-Bares ’90, Barry Logan ’90, Aaron Pempel, and I—continue to meet weekly on Tuesday/Thursday for a half hour doing exercises, stretching, yoga, and plenty of reminiscing about the good old times in Ithaca, mixed with the challenges of daily life. If you know us, please reach out, but plan on doing a few pushups (‘wolf progression’) and some ‘figure four-overs’ as we catch up.” The Schleunings visited Ron ’89 and Laura Landauer Fritz ’89 this summer while traveling through Bend, OR. David also visited with Aaron Pempel in Oregon and shares that Aaron, a former Nike executive, has taken up boxing and is working on his latest entrepreneurial endeavor.

I met one of Eric’s Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers, Kris Billiar, who was also visiting Cornell’s campus this summer for a tour and a trip to the Cornell Dairy Bar. He followed up his visit with this life update: “I’m married (18 years!) to Cori Henry, a wonderful woman from my hometown of Cleveland, and we have two girls and a boy (16, 14, and 12). We live in Worcester, MA, an hour west of Boston, where I work at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as professor and department head of biomedical engineering. My job is a great balance of research, teaching, mentoring, and leadership. My group studies the mechanobiology of heart valves—how the cells in the valves respond to mechanical forces—in an effort to avert heart valve disease and to create tissue-engineered valves to replace diseased valves. I teach biomechanics and get to advise many cool student projects. I also do lots of work for the profession, including reviewing grants and fellowships and organizing conferences. I love the work, but really love playing with my kids, building and fixing things around the house, playing noon-time basketball, and biking with friends (just did the MS ride in Maine and a 100-mile gravel ride this summer). It was great to visit Ithaca with my family this summer—first time in way too long! Cornell gives a great college tour, too.”

I ended my 30-year gap year by enrolling in graduate school. I started at NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program in fall 2021.
Kim Brown Bixler ’91

Kim Brown Bixler is proud to report: “I ended my 30-year gap year by enrolling in graduate school. (I deferred my admission to business school in 1991 and then life got in the way—work, family, kids.) I took a different path, decided to follow a creative passion, and started at NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program in fall 2021. We had just finished paying off the last tuition payment for our children (Kendall ’20 and Robert ’21). My husband, Tim, JD ’93, and I have moved to NYC for at least two years. Tim is teaching at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island while I am in school getting my MFA. Here is a recent article about my musical theater journey.”

Maybe Kim should connect with classmate Hallie Goldman Hohner, who sent in this update from Chicago, IL: “I am the founder and executive producer of a company called Broadway Camp for Adults LLC. I also perform in our cabaret shows! My daughter, Caroline ’26, starts at Cornell this fall in the College of Arts & Sciences, and our son, Nate, is a sophomore at Colorado College, majoring in physics.”

Lastly, Jerry Liu, ME ’92, from Cupertino, CA, wrote the following: “I’m serving as an elected official! I got involved with local politics about 10 years ago and was elected to the school board four years ago. Recently, I brought my family to visit Ithaca for the first time. We are enjoying traveling again now that restrictions are going away.”

Thanks to everyone who sent in updates for this column! Y’all are awesome! Hopefully some other classmates also have news to share. Send in an online news form or contact one of us directly: ❖ Susie Curtis Schneider (email Susie); Evelyn Achuck Yue (email Evelyn); Ruby Wang Pizzini (email Ruby); Joe Marraccino (email Joe); Wendy Milks Coburn (email Wendy). Alumni Directory.

1992

Hi! New class correspondent Sarah Ballow Clauss here! Mark, MBA ’93, and I have been living in Bethesda, MD, now for 20 years. Mark recently transitioned as chief product officer at BNI Global, where he helps drive innovation. I continue to work as a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s National Medical Center. We will be empty nesters this year, as our daughter returns to Vanderbilt for her senior year and our son embarks on a gap year.

John and Christine Hand Overton write that John has retired. Christine is president of her primary care practice, Derry Medical Center. Their younger son is graduating high school and will be attending the University of New Hampshire, and their older son will be a senior at the University of Vermont. They are enjoying spending time with family and friends.

Shelli Klein Faber writes that she now works at BlackRock after 28 years at Citi. She runs the Aladdin Care Analytics team. Her older son will be a senior at Cornell (Class of 2023) and her younger son will be a freshman (Class of 2026), both in the Engineering college.

Danielle DeMaio writes that she has been keeping herself busy as the co-president of Impact100 Westchester, a women’s giving collective that awards grants to local nonprofits in Westchester, NY. The 2022–23 grant cycle marks her 10th anniversary, and Melinda LaBoy Ganeles will be joining her as co-president. Visit her website.

Gregory Frisoli writes that he is busy as a real estate advisor and developer. He is living in Connecticut.

Don’t forget to send us your news! ❖ Sarah Ballow Clauss (email Sarah); Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson (email Wilma Ann); Jean Kintisch (email Jean). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1993

Happy healthy November, classmates! As 2022 draws to a close, hopefully you are looking ahead to 2023 with both optimism and plans to attend our 30th (!!) Reunion, June 8–11, 2023. Our class council has been busy creating engaging activities intended to inspire an overwhelming percentage of our class to come together to reunite and celebrate! If you would like to join in and volunteer to help make this Reunion our best yet, please contact our Reunion chairs, Jessica Graus Woo (email Jessica) or Amy Miller Moore Carter (email Amy).

At this past June’s Reunion, Amy’s daughter Sophia Moore ’24 enjoyed being a Reunion clerk for Bill Nye ’77 and his class! Also in June, Amy opened a solo private psychotherapy practice in NYC. In July, she reunited with several Cornellians, including classmates Lisa Bernard Rosenberg, Erin Faughnan Connor, Lauren Nadler Lambert, Oliver Wharton, and Marc Axelbaum, to celebrate the wedding of Joy Yi Boatwright ’92 in San Francisco.

Marc and his wife, Katherine Dowling, hosted a post-wedding Fourth of July BBQ at their home in Tiburon, CA. Marc shared that “after a typically cool San Francisco summer wedding weekend, Marin County’s warm weather offered up a great opportunity to catch up, feast, play cornhole on Jeff Webb ’91’s Cornell-painted boards, and, most importantly, make plans to see each other in a year for the 30th Reunion. No surprise, the Cornell crowd outlasted all other attendees at the BBQ (and the whole wedding weekend).”

Being a loyal class correspondent, my first thought after hearing about this Cornellian-filled revelry was, did anyone pass around our class news form?! Well, either way, here it is; please use it and share with others. We would love to make our columns pop with lots of news as a lead-up to our big 3–0.

Thank you to our classmate Heather Ritchie Richardson, who used our form to share that what brings her satisfaction these days is seeing her Clemson University freshman son Paul “become his own man, comfortable in his own skin and confident of his future.” Heather is a media specialist at a Title I middle school in South Carolina, after earning her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Carolina.

Our classmate Michael Dougherty wrote that, in addition to enjoying his family and long-distance running, he is “honored to serve as the District Attorney for Boulder County, CO,” having been elected in 2018 and then re-elected in 2020.

I will end by highlighting one of the many advantages of Cornellians’ digital format: the ability to embed links. Here is a link to one of my favorites, a Cornell video titled “This Is,” by alumni Alex Silver ’11 and Jon Tai ’11.

Please send us a link or an update to help bring us together as we begin a new chapter and reflect on the past. Here’s to you and to us, healthy, happy, and reuniting. Take care and please share. ❖ Melissa Hart Moss (email Melissa); Mia Blackler (email Mia); Theresa Flores (email Theresa). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1994

As this is the season where I am turning 50 (along with so many of you), it makes me long for the “simpler” days, where my biggest concerns involved what groceries I wanted from Wegmans, if I would get priority seating in Lynah for Cornell hockey, and avoiding getting parking tickets! What were some of your biggest concerns when you were an undergrad? While you ponder that question, here are some updates from our fellow ’94 alums!

Andrew Ettinger wrote in from his home in Brooklyn, NY, that he and wife Rachel welcomed a son, Isaac, in August 2021 and wondered, “Perhaps he’s Class of 2043?” Speaking of second generations, another ’94 alum with a child on the Hill is Sharon Tepper of Brooklyn, NY, whose son Jack Lefkowitz ’26 started this fall. And how about a third generation of Cornellians? Ethan and Arielle Hecht Schiffman of North Caldwell, NJ, shared that daughter Samara recently enrolled as a member of the Class of 2026, joining brother Lucas ’23. Arielle reports, “We are proud to say that Lucas and Samara are third-generation Cornellians, following not only in our footsteps, but those of their maternal grandparents (Barry ’65 and Bradlea Dorn Hecht ’67) and their aunt and uncle (Kyle, MBA ’00, and Danielle Hecht Oetker ’96, DVM ’01).”

Anne Paoletti Bayna and husband Ron recently adopted a little puppy, Linus, in March. She noted, “As our first pet, he brings us so much joy and laughter—as well as a steep learning curve!” Anne lives in New Jersey and was recently selected as a finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Another alum in the teaching field is Rachelle Bernacki of West Newton, MA, who is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Rachelle reports that they recently established a Center of Geriatric Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and are “looking for donors!”

Writing in with a career update is Daniel Chernin of Livingston, NJ, who is the mergers and acquisitions head for Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. However, the thing he is doing now that he never imagined, and which brings him the most satisfaction these days, is pickleball! I bet he isn’t the only one! Someone else who has picked up some new hobbies is Sean Alexander, MBA ’01, of Eugene, OR, who says that owning a parrot named V3 was something he never imagined! Besides caring for the parrot, he is improving his Mandarin Chinese and has picked up new hobbies: the outrigger canoe and guitar! And Fahim Hashim of Tustin, CA, writes that he never imagined he would be doing opera now! But what brings him the most satisfaction these days is “helping others.”

In literary news, Alejandro Colindres sent in an email announcing that he published a book, The Road to Champagne: 13 Principles to Drive Career Success. It is available in the Cornell Store! He writes that the book is “incredibly relevant to young professionals, from students to alumni in their 20s and even 30s. It lays out the right actions to take to accelerate career growth.”

Keep sending in those updates! You can send news to any of us via email (addresses below), post on our class Facebook page, or submit an online news form. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2023! ❖ Jennifer Rabin Marchant (email Jennifer); Dika Lam (email Dika); Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik (email Dineen). Alumni Directory.

1995

Here I am, once again writing a column for the fall-into-winter months while it is a blazing 95 degrees outside, with a feels-like of 100 in Northern Virginia. It has been another incredibly quick summer and I have no doubt I will say the same about autumn when I re-read this upon its publication.

Summer 2022 was one of ups and downs for the French family. One of our saddest moments came when we had to say farewell to our amazing dog of 19 years, Molly, on the Fourth of July. Many of you have come to know her through my columns and Facebook posts over the years, and, indeed, she visited Cornell many a time, even making her mark (as it were) on Schoellkopf Field as a puppy. But Matt French, ME ’96, and I were fortunate that, shortly after this devastating loss, we had a chance to take a 12-day road trip up to Lake George, NY, then to Stowe, VT (where we stayed at the Trapp Family Lodge), then to Boston, and Cape Cod, MA, ending with a surprise stop at the new(ish) LEGOLAND in Goshen, NY (for which classmate Susan Eisma is the global operating group people partner). Being able to get away from the day-to-day was the balm our souls needed.

During our travels, it was also wonderful to see many Cornell friends including Christine Taverna Reich, the chief learning officer for the Museum of Science in Boston, as well as Michael ’96 and Kathy Heppner Trogolo, with whom we had a lovely dinner at Legal Seafoods along with Martin Naley ’94 and his wife, Karey. After dinner, we went outside and sang some … shall we say … more obscure Cornell “fight” songs (thanks to the Chorus, Glee Club, and Big Red Band) and ended the evening singing the “Alma Mater” together in a circle (and unbeknownst to us, outgoing Cornell Chorus and Glee Club director Sarah Bowe was dining in the restaurant next door!). Journeying next to Cape Cod, we enjoyed a great day on the beach with my former co-correspondent Scott Lajoie and his family—and learned firsthand how truly frigid the ocean up there is!

We enjoyed a great day [on Cape Cod] with my former co-correspondent Scott Lajoie ’95 and his family—and learned firsthand how truly frigid the ocean up there is!
Alison Torrillo French ’95

Speaking of travel, Shin Ru Lin wrote in about a recent move to San Diego, CA, from New Haven, CT, where she spent 17 years as a physician and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine and the V.A. Connecticut Healthcare System. Outside of work, she spends time with friends and family, including spouse Arnaud Marlier, and likes to cook and do ballet. In Houston, TX, Elaine Howard Ecklund, PhD ’04, runs the Boniuk Institute at Rice University, where she is a professor of sociology. In addition, she is busy raising a pre-teen and likes to do watercolor.

As we head back to the East Coast, we get news from George Kontogiannis (New York City), who is a partner for the law firm Tesser, Ryan & Rochman LLP and has founded one charity and is president of another. Another bit of exciting news: he recently got married. Congratulations, George!

Erik Bjerke sends news from Atlanta that he was named to Barron’s 2022 Top Financial Advisors list. Erik is a managing director with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management’s Global Corporate and Institutional Advisory Services, where he has worked for more than 21 years now. He is also co-founder of Purposity and Profits for Humanity and volunteers with numerous charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the Atlanta Children’s Shelter. He and his wife, Tori, have four children.

And, lastly, across the globe in Greece, Themis Trakas works in hospitality asset management for Hines and shares that his most satisfying moments are doing aviation photography and taking care of his daughter.

Until next time, stay connected and safe, classmates. ❖ Alison Torrillo French (email Alison). Class website. Class Facebook page. Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1996

The Class of ’96 met up on campus during Reunion week with a fun happy hour at Ithaca Beer Co. (where CTB was back in the day). Also in summer, Cornell Dairy hosted a delicious and fascinating virtual event for our class, providing an inside look into the production of Cornell Dairy ice cream and how to taste like a pro. We got to order our favorite flavors to be delivered for the event.

There are so many ways to stay in touch with your amazing classmates, keep updated on class events, and connect with old friends: stay up to date with paying your class dues ($25 per year—note this is separate from other contributions to Cornell and helps us stay connected and host class events); join the Class of ’96 Facebook group; and send us personal, professional, or Cornell-related updates by filling out an online news form, and we will post them in future class columns.

That is all for now! We look forward to hearing from you. ❖ Janine Abrams Rethy (email Janine); Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul (email Marjorie); Catherine Oh Bonita (email Catherine). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

1997

How are you planning to spend the holidays, Class of ’97? Will you be visiting any family or friends—or enjoying the start of winter by hunkering down at home? Whatever your plans, please write to us or send an online news form to let us know how you’re doing! ❖ Sarah Deardorff Carter (email Sarah); Erica Broennle Nelson (email Erica). Alumni Directory.

1998

Seven-letter word starting with “R” answers the clue: “Ours celebrates 25 years since we graduated and will take place June 8–11, 2023.” Any ideas? Reunion is fast-approaching so be sure to mark your calendars! In the meantime, fellow members of Class of 1998, thank you for sharing your latest news and updates with us. We know you’re doing great things.

Mary Hoffer Snyder, the creative director at a theatrical and entertainment marketing company, writes, “I’ve been working in motion graphics for 23 years. I run a team of designer/animators who create titles and graphics for teasers, trailers, TV campaigns, and social media spots. I’ve won several Clios and a few Golden Trailers (one of our industry’s annual awards).” Residing in Los Angeles, Mary, her husband, David, and their two daughters have recently discovered the joys of owning a pool—they are enjoying “pool life” immensely. She further shares, “My husband and I have been avid DIYers for our entire relationship, having done extensive work on two houses now. Lately, I’ve taken up quilting and am designing needlepoint canvases for my cousin’s Etsy business.”

Kelly DiNardo is an author of several books, most recently the Live Your Yoga card deck and Living the Sutras. Released in 2021, the Live Your Yoga card deck contains 54 ways to enhance and invigorate your yoga practice and your life. Living the Sutras, published in 2018, is a guide to living the wisdom of yoga off the mat. From Kelly’s website regarding her book: “When we understand how our mind works and where our energy goes, we can work to understand it and then redirect our attention so we can live with ease and purpose.”

What have the rest of you been up to? What are you looking forward to doing at Reunion 2023? Share your news with us! Write to me or fill out an online news form—it’s that easy! Can’t wait to hear from you. ❖ Uthica Jinvit Utano (email Uthica). Alumni Directory.

1999

Laura Tocco Mariani has written a new book, titled Where Did Mimi Go?, which aims to help children understand the loss of a loved one. She drew from her experience as a mother of three who lost her own mom, “Mimi,” shortly after the birth of her second child. “The book is a way to celebrate those we have lost,” Laura said. “I look at my children and see my mom every day—in their laughter, smile, eyes, and kindness. I try to keep my mom’s legacy alive, and I do not want them to be sad about it. This book is a way to process the loss of someone but celebrate and see them in everyday life.”

Please send us an online news form with your news, big or small! ❖ Class of 1999 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory.

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Classes of the 2000s

2000

By now, the Cornell campus is filled to the brim with hopeful (and naive) freshmen, savvy sophomores, and sophisticated upperclassmen. Every fall I can still feel the excitement of my freshman year, when the world seemed new and all its possibilities lay open before me.

In the spirit of recapturing that feeling, I joined other Northeast Ohio alumni at the annual send-off picnic. It was great to meet a portion of the Class of 2026. And oh, boy, it made me feel like a kid again. I had so many stories to tell of my freshman experience. Don’t worry, I didn’t use any proper names of my partners in crime.

It’s a great big world out there, and though we can’t all be together right now, you can still share your adventures with us. Take a moment to let us know what’s happening in your neck of the woods. Contact me or use the online news form for submissions. Until next time, take care. ❖ Denise Williams (email Denise). Alumni Directory.

2001

Hello from Manhasset! We’re enjoying the end of summer here and trying not to think about the return to school, heavier clothing, and shorter days that are coming around the corner. Of course, by the time you read this, we’ll probably already have had our first snowstorm (in the Northeast at least).

For now, we’re making the most of the warm weather with Cornell friends! This weekend, Megan Cunningham Kavanaugh and her husband, my friend and fraternity brother Thomas ’00, visited me and my wife Christobel Lorie Gutow as a stopping point during their drive from a Long Island vacation back to Pittsburgh. Megan and Thomas are doing very well. They enjoy living and working in Pittsburgh (where Thomas grew up). Their 10-year-old twin sons, Ewan and Peter, are playing soccer and seem to have grown a foot taller since we last got together in person pre-pandemic. The timing of their visit worked out perfectly—another Cornell classmate, Jeff Ciccone, was the DJ for a party we all attended. Jeff played great music, as always, and we obviously requested some late ’90s/early ’00s throwback songs from our Cornell days.

As we mentioned in previous columns, our Class of ’01 BrightCrowd site was closed to further edits (to preserve our 20th Reunion as a time capsule) in June. We got a rush of new and updated entries (peruse them here) and wanted to share a few here.

James Nestor is living in Houston, TX, where he is married and has two children with his wife, Kristen. He lived in Cascadilla Hall during his freshman year at Cornell and remembers Slope Day as a highlight of each year. After Cornell, he attended law school at Tulane.

Jeff Ciccone ’01 was the DJ for a party we all attended … and we obviously requested some late ’90s/early ’00s throwback songs from our Cornell days.
James Gutow ’01

Another classmate living in Houston is Jamie Aycock. After Cornell, Jamie attended Harvard Law School and he’s currently an attorney at litigation boutique Yetter Coleman LLP. He previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis for five years. He handles “lots of in-court commercial litigation and recently a good deal of oil and gas and bankruptcy matters.” Outside of work, Jamie certainly has his hands full with five sons and two young daughters. Living in Houston for 10 years, he notes that they’ve all embraced the use of “y’all” in their speech. Jamie gets to New York for work with some frequency and looks forward to reconnecting with Cornell classmates there.

Sonya Padron, MEd ’02, is living in Felton, CA. She was a Bioengineering major and also completed a master’s degree in Bioengineering at Cornell. Sonya says, “I skipped the engineering field entirely and went into teaching environmental education. I spent a decade running environmental programs for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Regional Parks District, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the City of Watsonville. I’ve been running my own private yoga business, My Healing Yoga, for the past decade while hanging out with my husband and two kids.”

Back in the Northeast, Matt Peebles is living in New York, NY. Since completing his PhD in art history, he has been working in academic publishing. He is currently assistant editor of the Hesperia journal.

Jeffrey and Peggy Kong Tsai are also living in New York, NY. Peggy worked in financial services for the last 19 years and more recently started working for a data startup company, BigID, as chief data officer. During the darker days of COVID, Peggy started a podcast called Data Transformers that focuses on topics around data governance, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. She also joined the adjunct faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, helping with their chief data officer program. Jeff is VP controllership transformation at Paramount (i.e., ViacomCBS), putting his Cornell economics, finance, and accounting background to work. While Peggy says that she could be found hanging out in Collegetown whenever she wasn’t in class, Jeff adds, “None of those places are there anymore. At least the Palms, the Nines, Pita Pit, and many others live on in our memories!”

To share news and get back in touch with classmates, please email either of us at the addresses below, visit our website, like the Class of 2001 Facebook page, join our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group, and/or follow us on Twitter (@Cornell2001). ❖ James Gutow (email James); Nicole Neroulias Gupte (email Nicole). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2002

How are you planning to spend the winter months? Will you be visiting any family or friends—or enjoying the season by hunkering down at home? Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to send us an online news form. ❖ Class of 2002 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory.

2003

I had the opportunity to “visit” campus in August, as I was invited to speak at the inaugural meeting of the Cornell Veterinary Educators Academy. It was only a virtual meeting but still fun to be a part of a Cornell event.

Melody Jiang Tang received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Young Architects Award this year. She is an associate at LPA Design Studios in Irvine, CA, where she has worked since 2005. Melody has been part of leading her firm’s sustainability efforts and also founded its equity, diversity, and inclusion advisory council. She writes, “I was invited to an official ceremony during the AIA national convention, which was held in Chicago in June. It was pretty amazing and humbling to be recognized at the national level.” Melody lived and worked in the Cleveland, OH, area after graduating for a couple of years before moving to Orange County, CA. Melody enjoys running, hiking, and music in her free time. In 2014, she married Chung Tang, with whom she did a lot of cooking and ‘Great British Baking Show’ watching during 2020. Congratulations, Melody! ❖ Candace Lee Chow (email Candace); Jon Schoenberg (email Jon). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2004

“I quit my job two and a half years ago to develop my dream medical practice,” writes Vasanth Kainkaryam. “I’m a direct primary care physician, which means I am not bound by the insurance-based world of healthcare. My patients pay a low monthly membership fee, and they get direct access to care—and I get to be the doctor I want to be. I also got to give a TEDx Talk in 2020, started my own skincare line and clothing designs, started a podcast, and wrote a book.”

Vasanth adds, “We have been doing a lot of traveling this year, given that we didn’t get to do as much in the past few years. But it looks like we are making up for it! We had a ‘Coronial Girl’ as well, who is growing up faster than we thought!” Vasanth also started a new hobby, doing laser engraving with the new xTool; “it’s so much fun to be creative and make things!” Send your news our way! ❖ Jessi Petrosino (email Jessi). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2005

This year, our class scholarship was given to a senior in the College of Engineering. It’s so great that our class supports current Cornellians in this way!

In August, classmate Sophia Lin Kanno participated in a Food Network prime-time cooking competition show called “Big Bad Budget Battle,” in which contestants are challenged to create the best meal possible, shopping within a strict budget. (“Only the best cook and thriftiest shopper will take home the trophy and a whole year’s worth of groceries!”) Spending only $60, Sophia prepared for the judges ginger scallion tilapia with sauteed chard and jasmine rice, as well as Asian slaw, mini-tomato soup, and cheddar biscuits—and she won! Congrats, Sophia!

Please don’t forget to send us your notes so that we can share all your exciting news with other classmates! ❖ Jessica Rosenthal Chod (email Jessica); Hilary Johnson King (email Hilary). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2006

Hello, Class of 2006! I hope you and your families are having a wonderful autumn season, as the weather gets cooler and the leaves change color and begin to fall. My son JJ and daughter Emmy are experiencing the joys of preschool, as Mom and Dad try to slow down time. Before you know it, they’ll be off to Ithaca and the dorms on North Campus. This past summer they had the chance to experience campus for the first time, celebrating their father’s graduation and Commencement. I am extremely proud to have earned my MBA with distinction from Cornell earlier this year, among a group of incredibly wonderful people I had the fortune of getting to know over the last two years. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to dive back into Big Red life. Not surprisingly, I miss it already!

I’m pleased to share even more exciting news with you about our class. Lindsay Ulrey, vice president of global sports, experiences, and partnerships at American Express, was named to Crain’s New York Business’s Notable 2022 Women in Sports. Lindsay leads her company’s sports experiential marketing and strategic partnerships, including the National Basketball Association and U.S. Open. She spearheaded the activation for the company’s first ever Wimbledon partnership. Lindsay is a company adviser for Helpen, a startup that aims to empower children through teaching charitable behavior. Congratulations on your achievement, Lindsay!

Adam Sasiadek is an attorney-editor for Thomson Reuters Practical Law. In keeping with his ILR education, he writes about the law of employee benefits and executive compensation.

What’s new in your world? We’d love to hear more about you, your families, and what you’ve been up to lately. Please share your news with us! ❖ Kirk Greenspan (email Kirk). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2007

Greetings, Class of ’07. Please take a moment to send us an online news form—or even better, send me a copy of your holiday letter! ❖ Samantha Feibush Wolf (email Samantha). Alumni Directory.

2008

Can you believe it’s already almost winter? Hope everyone will have a fun one and stay safe and healthy. We only have a little bit of news this time around, so I’ll get right to it.

Johnamarie Macias writes in to tell us that “working as a student library assistant at the Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance and spending long (yet productive) hours at Olin and Uris inspired me to pursue a Master of Library Science and a Certificate in Archives and Preservation of Cultural Materials. After working different library roles for the past decade, I’m happy to share I’m back in the archival field as the new archives assistant at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC.” Congrats, Johnamarie, on your continued education and your new role!

Rachel Czub McDermott, a third-generation CALS alumna, has been up to something very exciting: she left her investment banking job in NYC six years ago to help preserve her family’s farming business. She has just recently opened Dancing Grain Farm Brewery in Moreau, NY, which sits on a 308-acre farm. We are told that Rachel has plans to expand into other ventures on the property. You can read more details on the amazing work that she has done here. Her friend Amy Del Prado ’09 tells us, “What she’s done to the place is remarkable, especially given the circumstances of her project approval the week before COVID … on top of being seven and a half months pregnant. She’s overcome every obstacle imaginable and more. I couldn’t be more impressed and excited to see her dream coming to fruition.” Be sure to visit Rachel’s brewery if you are in the area—and send all your friends to support our classmate!

We’d love to hear from you, so please send in an online news form! We want all of your updates—let us know about major life changes or how you are keeping busy this autumn and winter. Looking forward to hearing from you! ❖ Libby Boymel (email Libby); and Elana Beale (email Elana). Alumni Directory.

2009

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Classes of the 2010s

2010

If changing times have taught us anything, it’s that it is never too late to start something new! It may be more than 10 years since we finished college, but Cornellians are truly lifelong learners.

Lynne Morgan Cotter and her partner, Stuart, have welcomed baby Charles into the world; he joins his older brother, Kyrie, at their home in Madison, WI. After working diligently at the state health department, in 2021 Lynne quit and started a PhD program in mass communication and journalism at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This summer she presented a paper on misinformation at the International Communication Association conference in Paris.

Erica Coren MacKenzie, MBA ’18, continues to work in beauty marketing. Erica and her husband, Derek ’08, recently became first-time homeowners in Brooklyn and are enjoying living near Prospect Park. They also enjoy skiing and biking together.

We would love to hear what new thing you are up to! ❖ Michelle Sun (email Michelle). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2011

Laura Ciccone, BS ’12, is the co-founder of a new venture in the online dating world: an audio-only speed-dating app called Blink. “We’re helping people actually date each other—not just match,” says Laura. The aim is for users to move away from the “swipe” model of typical dating apps—which focuses on looks and a curated biography—and to instead give people the opportunity to build connections in 10-minute, voice-only conversations. Check out their website for more information!

Carolyn Sedgwick-Ludwin writes, “My husband, Brian, and I got married in May 2022! On our way back from our honeymoon this summer, we had the pleasure of seeing our close friend Justin Finkle also tie the knot. A year for celebrating!” She adds, “I work for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and have been involved with habitat conservation work since graduating from Cornell.” ❖ Class of 2011 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2012

2013

Although winter is already upon us, I am writing this month’s column having just returned from a five-day trip to Ithaca for Labor Day weekend. It was the first time I had made the trip in more than four years and things have really changed.

Collegetown Bagels is, of course, in a brand new and impressive location, and in its place is a satellite Ithaca Beer Co. storefront beneath a completely new building structure for Student Agencies (goodbye Rulloff’s!). And North Campus is a sight to behold. There are now dormitories, snaking from above Appel down and past RPCC, which house 2,000 more students—a total North Campus transformation. Despite these changes, which I find to be positive in that they signify that Cornell is ever-changing and adapting for the better, the heart of Cornell was just the same as before. When the clocktower rang and I looked over Libe Slope, where students trudged up with their backpacks, it did not feel like nearly 10 years has passed. If you can make it, I highly suggest spending some time in Ithaca during the summer (preferably on Cayuga Lake); it is worth it.

Speaking of architectural design and change, Veronica Yambrovich recently returned from a deployment to the Middle East with her Army Reserve unit, where she was part of a Kuwait-based team that worked on interior design projects for Afghan refugees in Qatar, Syria, and Iraq (all of which she visited). Veronica remarked that she is often teased for being an interior designer in the Army, but she reminds herself that she was hand-picked to design refugee facilities where she taught her team and leadership about the importance of interiors to improve quality of life through design. Now that she is back, Veronica continues to build her own interior design practice, called Formation Interiors.

If you have news to share, please fill out an online news form or email me at: ❖ Rachael Schuman (email Rachael). Alumni Directory.

2014

Hello, 2014 classmates! Talia Fiano and Tim Grosso were married on August 13, 2022 at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville, NY. The wedding was officiated by classmate Michael Verini, with Elyse Frank, Marissa Lucey, and Emilie Stewart as bridesmaids. Talia is currently living in NYC, where she works as a lawyer.

Jessica Campbell will be joining the New York Rangers hockey team as a coach starting with the 2022 Development Camp. She will be the first woman to serve in this role within the original six teams of the NHL. Jessica has extensive hockey experience, having played for four years at Cornell and as captain her senior year. She then played professionally from 2014–17 with the Calgary Inferno. Jessica has since transitioned to coaching, where she has worked with the Windy City Storm girls’ hockey program in Chicago, with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, and with Team Germany for the men’s World Championship. She was recently featured in a June 2022 article by NHL.com regarding her new position.

David Clark is currently the president of Fulcrum Speedworks, a marine manufacturing company located in Rhode Island that produces UFO and Rocket sailboats. Fulcrum’s boats are designed by David and his father, Steve Clark, and manufactured in their entirety in the Fulcrum Speedworks factory in East Providence. You can learn more about the company at their website.

Please send me news to include in future Class Notes columns. We can’t wait to hear what you’re up to! ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young (email Samantha). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2015

We are dedicating this column to one of our favorite Cornell couples. Samantha Weisman and David Fischer tied the knot on August 13, 2022, surrounded by family and friends at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Sam and David met at Cornell their freshman year and spent their four years on the Hill together engaged in the Cornell community, including both serving as columnists for the Cornell Daily Sun.

So many fellow Cornellians were brought together for the best-weather weekend of the summer, including classmates Rachel Minton (plus her fiancé, Jeremy Roberts ’14), Leah Sackler, Jess Rashkovich, Haley Velasco, Caroline Flax, Rachel Gerber, Benjamin Solaski, ME ’16, Teddy Gross, Gabe Motola, Daniel Jaret, Pat Gilson, Jacob Glick, Ross Widom (the best man), Adam Turkle (and his wife, Alex Kramer ’14), Jessica Evans, and Eric Bellin ’14. Congratulations, Sam and David! ❖ Caroline Flax (email Caroline); Mateo Acebedo (email Mateo). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2016

“I played baseball during my four years at school but now have fallen into a career coaching and training athletes, in all demographics, in rock climbing,” writes Collin McGee. “Cornell made a beautiful addition to the Outdoor Education department with the upgrade and expansion of the rock-climbing area, and I hosted a strength and conditioning course for the rock-climbing club and local climbers there in September. I work for Camp4 Human Performance; it has been an honor to be a part of the staff and I am really happy to bring the education to the climbing community at Cornell.”

If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write to me at: ❖ Meghan McCormick (email Meghan). Alumni Directory.

2017

How are you planning to spend the winter months? Will you be visiting any family or friends—or enjoying the season by hunkering down at home? Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear from you! Please take a moment to send us an online news form. ❖ Class of 2017 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory.

2018

Exciting news for us this cycle, 2018ers: Over the summer, three of our classmates—Madeleine Roglich, Alec Dean, ME ’19, and Erica Kontos—summited Mt. Kilimanjaro together! At 19,341 feet, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level. The climb took Maddie, Alec, and Erica a full week, with them reaching the summit on day five.

Although the three Cornellians started at high baselines of physical fitness—all had run marathons before, and they enjoy endurance sports like hiking, cycling, and triathlons—they still had to train for the climb, and especially the high altitude, by running hills and stairs several times a week. “I definitely felt a bit out of my comfort zone, but from what I had heard about Kilimanjaro, it was all achievable as long as you were well trained,” Erica said. “Climbing Kilimanjaro was a bucket list item for all of us, so we decided that now was the best time to do it.”

Maddie, Alec, and Erica agreed that the hardest part of the trip—by far—was summit day. “The first four days of our uphill trek felt great, and we all avoided the effects of altitude sickness. On day five, though, it was a completely different story,” Maddie said. They began climbing at midnight so they could reach the summit in six to seven hours (with one-minute breaks every hour), and only remained at the summit for 20 minutes before hiking three hours back down to their camp to rest—and then they hiked another four hours to a lower elevation to sleep.

Over the summer, Madeleine Roglich ’18, Alec Dean ’18, ME ’19, and Erica Kontos ’18 summited Mt. Kilimanjaro together!

The combination of exhaustion and altitude led to dizziness, brain fog, and headaches, and made the journey more physically and mentally challenging than they’d anticipated. “But as we were making it to the top, the sun was rising, and we had a clear view of the clouds below us and the glaciers nearby,” Erica said. “It was so beautiful and worth it.”

The three Cornellians traveled with a local Tanzanian company called Diamond Glacier Adventures and regarded bonding with their guides as one of the highlights of the trip. “We found the experience super rewarding, partly because of the hike, but mainly because we had such a great time getting to know our guides,” Alec said. “It was interesting to know that we can still form genuine connections with people raised in a completely different culture than our own.”

If you or a classmate are out and about climbing mountains (or doing something equally cool at sea level), let me know. ❖ Stephanie Yan (email Stephanie). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

2019

Hello, Class of ’19! This is your space to share your news—big or small—with your fellow Big Red alumni. Did you travel anywhere new this year? Have you started a new job? Adopted any new pets? We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Class of 2019 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

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Classes of the 2020s

2020

2021

Hello! My name is Geneva Saupe, and I am the class columnist for the Class of 2021. I graduated with a double major in Government and Comparative Literature, and I was active on campus with the Cornell Democrats and the Cornell Chorale. I was also the student manager of Nasties, so I’ve probably cooked your late-night chicken tenders!

I now live in Brooklyn, NY, and work in refugee resettlement, providing support to newly arrived immigrants. I love exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends.

Yvonne Schichtel won a global design award from ArtsThread and Gucci for her senior thesis collection. Yvonne studied Fashion Design and Management in Human Ecology. As COVID disrupted life on campus, she came together with other fashion students and Prof. Van Dyk Lewis to create a full collection to present as a senior thesis.

Yvonne’s award-winning collection presented a narrative of a woman who goes mad and starts to see traditional household objects outside of their normal context. Instead of using these objects for their intended purpose, she “takes gendered objects and turns them ornamental.” While women have traditionally used jewelry to show off men’s wealth, Yvonne’s madwoman instead adorns herself with traditionally feminine objects of the household, such as scissors and kitchen tools. Her work raises questions about how fashion interacts with gender.

Yvonne credits her professors, especially Van Dyk Lewis, with giving her the creative freedom to explore these ideas. These mentors gave her “full-frontal access” to a wide variety of tools and materials, and encouraged her to push herself to take on new challenges, including submitting her collection to the ArtsThread competition.

Yvonne Schichtel ’21 won a global design award from ArtsThread and Gucci for her senior thesis collection.

The COVID pandemic, which in many ways defined our senior year, gave Yvonne more time and space to create. After returning from a disrupted study abroad experience in spring 2020, Yvonne started her collection from her childhood bedroom. The experience of isolation during COVID influenced her work, and, as she says, “I went crazy in my room” before returning to campus in the fall. Because her classes were online, she was able to spend more time in the studio working on her collection and learning new methods and techniques. Yvonne is moving to Antwerp, Belgium, in fall 2022 to pursue further education in fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Saee Patil ’22, BS ’21, started a writing service to help immigrants communicate their skills and passions. Saee’s new business, Hermes Writers, provides tailored writing and editing for immigrant professionals who need some assistance with their resumes, cover letters, and other types of writing.

Saee got the idea for Hermes while helping her mother, who grew up in India, rewrite her resume. Saee also credits her friendships with international students at Cornell for inspiring Hermes. She fondly recalls “sitting with international students on the Slope, drinking a glass of wine.” Her friends had impressive technical skills, but struggled with effectively showing off their talents due to language and cultural barriers. Saee founded Hermes to bridge this gap.

Hermes is currently a part-time job for Saee, in addition to her full-time job as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She calls Hermes her “biggest passion,” and hopes that it will continue to grow. ❖ Geneva Saupe (email Geneva). Alumni Directory. Share your news here.

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Grad Notes

Agriculture & Life Sciences

Kevin Thompson, MS ’01, MBA ’03, is the general manager at GOOD Worldwide, a publisher and media platform that aims to help people and organizations be a force for good. “Our distributed reach is about 100 million people per month,” says Kevin. “Our work in media gives us an influencer role in culture and the ability to shape belief, which is an important way to achieve our mission. We place high value on engagement, a publisher’s mindset, and storytelling with an emotional connection.”

Arts & Sciences

Robert Schultz, MFA ’76, PhD ’81, has written his eighth book, a volume of poems called Into the New World. “I received my MFA and PhD degrees from Cornell, having worked chiefly with A.R. Ammons and Robert Morgan in the graduate Creative Writing Program,” he writes. “About my new book, Prof. Morgan has written: ‘The poems are testimonies of life’s many chemistries, from the intimate to the historic, and language’s alchemy.’” Robert has received a National Endowment for the Arts Award, Cornell University’s Corson-Bishop Poetry Prize, and, from the Virginia Quarterly Review, the Emily Clark Balch Prize for Poetry. Also an exhibiting artist, his work is held in the Library of Congress and in the permanent collections of several museums.

Engineering

For several weeks in September and October, actor Justin Kerekes, ME ’11, starred in the leading role of Robert in the South Bay Musical Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company. He performed at the Saratoga Civic Theater in Saratoga, CA. Congratulations!

Graduate School

Bernie Phillips, PhD ’56, writes, “I was a grad student and teaching assistant in sociology under Robin Williams, GR ’35–36, at Cornell from 1953 to 1956 under the name of Bernard Pustilnik. My doctoral dissertation, published in the American Sociological Review in 1957 as ‘A Role Theory Approach to Adjustment in Old Age,’ emphasized the incredible power of one’s self-image. I also worked with Ed Suchman ’36, MA ’37, doing consulting work in Puerto Rico. And I took courses with a social psych professor—can’t recall his name—who later became dean of the Graduate School. Also I remember minoring in mathematics with Prof. Jacob Wolfowitz. It was at Cornell that I met my wife, Marjorie (Birnbach) ’54, and we’re still together after all these years, living in Sarasota. I’d been a pre-med undergrad at Columbia until a course with C. Wright Mills changed my life. He influenced me to follow in his footsteps: the result, after all these years, is my new book, Creating Life Before Death, and the website worldvisionsolutions.com. Mills’s motto was ‘Take it big!’ and that is exactly what I’m attempting to do along with my colleagues.”

Human Ecology

Mashal Husain, MHA ’96, was recently promoted to senior vice president of the World Food Prize Foundation. She originally joined the foundation in September 2008 as the director of development and finance, and in 2014, she was named vice president; during that time, she managed the $30 million restoration of the historic Des Moines Public Library and its transformation into the global headquarters of the World Food Prize Foundation. In her new role, she will continue to provide strategic growth opportunities through fundraising, partner engagement, and oversight of all financial and operational activities. “I have found no greater passion than dedicating my professional career to addressing global food security issues while elevating the successes of those around the world,” Mashal said. Raised in Pakistan, Tanzania, Thailand, and the Philippines, she brings an international background and perspective to her role.

Johnson Graduate School of Management

Nearly 30 years ago, Gary Markoff, MBA ’73, and wife Elaine lost their 9-year-old daughter, Molly, to brain cancer. In her honor, they later started the nonprofit Art in Giving—in which 50% of the proceeds of the sale of art (such as paintings, sculptures, and more) goes to the artist and 50% goes to cancer research. In the decades since, it has raised more than $2 million, with funding going to top researchers nationwide, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital in the Boston area, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University Medical School.

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Top image: Photo by Cornell University

Published November 1, 2022