C’55
Sol Gittleman shares “Just wondering if any other ‘55ers are out there. We’re all around 90, but I’m still ok from the neck up, even if I’m a wreck from the navel down. Living in continuous care in Lexington, MA.”
C’56
Just like last year’s spring column which began with news of Ruth (Schubert) Haynes’ death, this year’s column bears similar bad news for the Haynes family. Son Keith is in hospice care, suffering from cancer. LeRoy “Roy” Haynes has gotten great support from his daughter Anita.
Lynn (Swader) Fedor is currently living in Wesley Woods, a Methodist facility in Athens, GA. She enjoys the view of her garden but, at 90, no longer gets her hands dirty! But thoughts of the big mud puddle at Drew that we used to pull each other through keep running through her mind. Does she have a mental connection to getting dirty one way or another? Maybe McClintock has the answer.
Audrey (Chapin) and Sten Svensson C’54 are paragons of stability. They still reside in Englewood. Though Sten uses a cane, he still goes for long walks outside every day. Audrey keeps busy by sending letters to fellow church members on special occasions. Their oldest son, now divorced, has moved in with them with his youngest son (19). The main benefit of this arrangement is that he likes to do what Audrey has never liked: COOKING!
Christine (Azzaro) Dreisbach lost her husband Frank Dreisbach C’52, T’55 two years ago. They were married for 58 years. For years, he taught philosophy at Hamline University in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
In an email on March 30th, Barbara (Van Houten) Mueller said, “I’m still on this side of the soil,” but also said that she depends on others because of a fall that broke both her hip and femur.
Doris (Ramagli) Wright is an official snowbird shuttling between Sebastian, FL, and Canton, MI. Her son, Clint, and his wife live nearby. Her other daughter lives in Chicago. Doris’ husband, Gabriel, passed away 28 years ago. Her condo in Canton has great views of a golf course and woods. A large lake adjoining her property draws many beautiful birds. Doris has recently been in touch with Barbara (Van Houton) Mueller, Prunella (Read) Williams, and Patricia (Brown) McQueen.
But she is not alone in her travails. Connie (Cappe) Williams now gets around in her new four-wheel vehicle – a wheelchair. But she is still able to manage living in the house she has called home for many years. Her buddy, Mo, still helps her out.
Paul Stone C’56, P’79 shares, “In a country shrouded by the dark vision of a persistent and experienced liar, about all an honest person can do is maintain the hope of a better day with more light to find a way forward. I live in such hope. In random order, the professors at Drew who influenced me were A. Jones, Earl Aldrich, and John Bicknell. I wish you all well.”
Ron Vander Schaaf’s [C’56, T’59] son and daughter, David and Ellen Kerns threw a birthday bash for his 90th birthday in April. (Even though his birthday is in May, after living for 1,079 months, how much does one more or less matter?). His grandson Mark and his wife Tina came to Alabama from San Francisco, and Mark’s brother Brian came with his wife Sarah from New York. Ron’s brother and sister-in-law, Dick Kiefer C’59 and Sharon Kiefer came down from Williamsburg with their daughter Nancy from Madison, WI. Ellen’s husband, Joe, and David’s wife, Elizabeth, helped with the plans.
C’58
Rolf Ahlers writes, “I continue to enjoy life here at our retreat on the east shore of Lake George, NY. My wife and I have been living here since we retired from our official work about 15 years ago. We live in a very remote area: Our Knox Road is a dead-end road only 0.5 miles long. Only two other parties live on our short road year-round, some distance from us. We see deer around our house all the time and NEVER human beings, even during the summer! This past winter, we could not get out on foot for weeks and weeks because of the heavy build-up of snow and ice. I could only get out by car to go shopping. The snow and ice are slowly melting now. The summer demographic of people swells considerably when they come for boating. But my wife, Luise, and I are not idle. She writes her multi-volume family biography. Each of the five volumes is written in our native German and English. Photos of our lives accompany the text. I continue writing for publication. My short-term obligation during the last two years was several essays I was asked to contribute to the Jacobi Wörterbuch Online put out at the University of Leipzig by my colleagues Birgit Sandkaulen (Bonn), Stefan Schick (Leipzig) and Oliver Koch (Leipzig). It is dedicated to the work of the German philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1819). Experts contribute to Jacobi’s thoughts, which are written in German and English. Today, it is generally recognized that Jacobi is the “gray eminence” of the German Idealist school of thought. Most of my publications are in that field. My longer-range project is a new book manuscript on Jacobi. I write these publications in English to make them accessible to the broadest possible audience. I occasionally also publish reviews of new books in my area of competence. For my personal pleasure, I study Greek every morning for about 45 minutes. For exercise, we both swim in our pool in the basement, summer and winter. During the summer, we also swim in the lake out front. And then we both walk if the ice does not prevent us from doing so in the winter. During the summer months, we take our three meals out over the lake on the sun deck over the boat house, and the wide expanse of the lake spreads out before us. It is a pleasure to live! Never in my life had I thought God would ever grant us such pleasures! My study at Drew from 1954-1958 is very much a part of my background that made this life possible. After Drew, I continued my studies at Princeton Seminary and then earned a PhD at Hamburg School of Theology, in the city where I was born. I also started my teaching career at Hamburg.”
C’59
Our class sends its sincere condolences to the family of Jonie (Ashby) Pritchard, who died in early January 2025. In reading her extensive biography that was sent to Drew, one can see what a vibrant life she had. When we knew her at Drew, she majored in Religion and was involved in the Acorn campus newspaper, sang in College Choir and University Choir, along with participating in numerous clubs as well as acting as chairman of the Social Committee. Her photograph in The Oak Leaves shows her pixie blond haircut, which she had for the four years we knew her, and she looks right at you. She and Llew Pritchard C’58 married right after her graduation and lived in Washington State, where they had four children, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. See In Memoriam.
I suggest that you locate your copy of our 1959 Oak Leaves yearbook – if you can – and go back in time. It’s illuminating.
Best wishes to all of you. Please keep in touch!
C’60
Lorelei (Philibert) McConnell shares, “My Husband Tom and I moved to Wisconsin to be near our daughter, and it’s a joy to watch the maturing of our grandson. Our own maturing compels me to say, ‘I can’t believe I’m 86,’ and I greatly miss the many friends who have left us, including Elva Shultis C’59. Moving to Wisconsin was an educational process in itself and provoked a reordering of social and emotional skills – uncomfortable, but I’m hoping it’s good for the brain! Thanks to the devices, I take classes and am in touch with friends, including Ellen deLalla C’59 and Adma (Schneller) Ross C’59, T’01. And I’m sorting through old Christmas cards from Foster “Reid” Morrow, Ann “Nicki” (Nock) Ridenour, and Dr. Bicknell. Wonderful memories!”
C’61
Nancy “Nicki” (Clement) Richards is still designing and building stained glass windows and plans to continue working and living in the house she built in Seven Fields, PA! Her children live 3,000 miles away in both directions—Jennifer in London, England, and Stephanie and her family in Hollywood, CA. Their son is now closest in a Cleveland suburb, and is still broadcasting his Running Late.org radio show and interviewing the amazing rock ’n roll musicians. Every Summer, Nicki visits Chautauqua, NY. She is still active in the Calvary U.M. Church in the Northside of Pittsburgh, where she helped save three magnificent Tiffany windows. Being alone now, she has plenty of glass and plenty of time to create more good works.
Barbara (Yin) Fern has had some broken bones and a rather long recovery but continues to be in touch with former classmate Carolyn “Carrie” (Lieb) Hedrick, who now lives in Raleigh, NC. Barbara, who, after years of traveling, now visits via Zoom. She would like to hear from all of you.
Mary (Peck) Davidson C’62 wrote to say that both Robert “Bob” Davidson and Lyndon “Rocky” Smith passed away in their homes in the Carolinas shortly after the hurricane last fall. See In Memoriam. Mary noted that she lost one big tree in the hurricane, but her home was not damaged.
C’63
Lots of news this time to report after a snowy winter in Maryland and another early spring.
News begins with a hello from upstate New York, from Anne (Pitkin) and Bill Long, both of whom continue to be blessed with pretty good health. Anne continues volunteering with the Saratoga Therapeutic Equestrian Program and Double H, a Paul Newman-founded summer camp and winter ski program for ill or disabled kids and families. Yes, at 84, she is still instructing on the hill. Bill is still practicing psychology half-time, knee-deep in CAPTAN teen homelessness and food and housing insecurity programs. The last of the seven grandkids graduates from NC State in May. Anne and Bill took their kids and families (15) on a Basil to Amsterdam Rhine River cruise over the holidays. Bill is still running (slowly) doing a 10k run across the Charleston Cooper River bridge next month with two grandkids and daughter-in-law. They are visiting several couples, friends for 50+ years, in Utah in late March. Overall, they are very fortunate, and they send best wishes to our Drew classmates as spring arrives.
Nancy (Shephard) Mills writes that they have moved from Texas to a senior living facility in Trumbull, CT. They live independently and have three meals a day, which Nancy says she “doesn’t have to plan for, shop for, or prepare. What more could anyone want? It’s good to be back on the East Coast, too!”
Marilyn (Moore) Holt C’63, GP’19 said it is not news, but she has lived for 60 years in the same house! Last September, Marilyn, her daughter Amy, and son-in-law Simon spent three days with Lois Jackson on a whirlwind visit and tour of Vermont. Simon wants to make it an annual event! Marilyn reports that Lois is doing great and still drives down to NJ to spend time with Marilyn and her family. Marilyn is aging in place and joyful every day. All is well with her and her family, and she is thankful her daughters are nearby. The grandkids are all adults, and the youngest will graduate from college this March.
Dan McFadden is well into his 14th year of retirement and enjoying every day. His wife, Barbara, recently retired from teaching ESL, and they have found lots to do at home with a little travel mixed in. Last summer, they spent a few weeks at the Jersey Shore and, in the fall, traveled the lonely roads from Oklahoma City to Omaha. The small towns had a lot of charm, and the people were happy to chat. One stop was in Red Cloud, NE, to see the countryside that inspired Willa Cather’s “My Antonia.” Another nearby stop was in Lebanon, NE, the geographical center of the lower 48 where the Springsteen Super Bowl ad was filmed. He says, “It may sound hokey, but it was great, even spiritual!” All four of their kids are doing well, the older three working and the youngest in grad school (economics) at Brooklyn College, where he started as point guard on the varsity basketball team. Dan attended many of his games, which was great for him as it took him back to the neighborhood where he grew up. At home, he’s quite active with platform tennis and goes out to play almost every morning. This is a winter sport played outdoors, so it’s quite invigorating! The retired folk like Dan generally play scrambles on weekday mornings. In the warmer weather, he’ll do some pickleball. He has never been into any kind of workout routine, so he really needs a game to get some exercise. They live just a few miles from Drew, and he has been back there quite a bit. Besides Reunion, Barbara and Dan have been to a few performances at the Shakespeare Theater on campus, and he has also been to a few basketball games in the old Baldwin Gym. Drew’s team was over the top great this year, undefeated in the Landmark Conference; they are fun to watch! He thinks the Baldwin Gym was new when our class showed up in 1959. He is in regular contact with a few of our Class of 1963 classmates and would be happy to hear from any or all of you. See photo gallery.
Elizabeth “Betty” (Gecsey) Feldman writes that they have lived for the past few years in an “over-55” community in Somerset, NJ. “It’s very nice to hear someone mowing your (stamp-sized) lawn or shoveling your snow.” Len Feldman C’61, though emeritus, still goes into his office at Rutgers several days per week and spends much of his time at home on Zoom or phone meetings with colleagues. For fun, they attend NJ Symphony concerts in nearby New Brunswick and meet for dinner with old friends and colleagues. A highlight is time spent with their children: relatively frequently with their daughter’s family in NYC, their two sons (15 and 18), and their son and his daughter (13) from CA. They very much enjoyed seeing Suzanne (Thomas) C’62 and Ron Saldarini C’61, and Bob Fenstermacher a couple of times in the past year, and Marion and Sheldon “Shelly” Steiner C’61 in Lexington, KY for a few days in September. Betty and Len watch the news and read the papers, and hope we still have a country left in four years.
Eloise “Ellie” Crocker lives in Friendship Village apartments in Kalamazoo, MI. She is still attending the Y for exercise classes, singing in the church choir, and meeting with friends weekly. Ellie is going to Belgium at the end of April to visit a friend for a month and loves reading about classmates!
Jacqueline “Jackie” (Jones) Lord shares, “I have moved back to Maryland after eight years in Pennsylvania and 12 years in Florida. I bought a house in Lusby with plenty of room for guests, even room to park an RV. I don’t want to give out my address in this letter, but I will be happy to communicate with one and all by email. Most of my family is here – two of my three children and three of my four granddaughters (aged 23 years down to 4 months). After missing seasons for those 12 Florida years, I enjoyed a couple of real snowstorms, making snow angels with my seven and ten-year-old granddaughters. And now I am experiencing the beauty of spring with spring flowers all around – daffodils galore, flowering bushes, and trees. Come visit one and all. And if anyone is living conveniently to provide transportation, I would enjoy attending another Drew reunion; I still drive, but only locally. The last Drew reunion I attended was the 50th, and I had a wonderful time.”
As for me, my husband retired a year ago after 54 years of practicing medicine, so now both of us are heavily involved in activities in our church and community and numerous activities and projects here at Fairhaven. One of the latest is putting together a timeline of the history of Fairhaven from its beginnings in the late 1970s until ACTS Retirement Life Communities took over Fairhaven in 2019. We have assembled pictures, artifacts, and some furniture to be located in a Fairhaven History Gallery that was an empty room at Fairhaven. All three children are doing fine, and I wish I could say the same for our country.
We send our sympathy to Ralph Powell on the loss of his wife and our classmate Diane (Suter) Powell, who passed away in November 2024 after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. Ralph says, “I don’t know what else to say. I am managing to cope.” See In Memoriam.
In conclusion, thank you to all who sent in some news, and we all hope to hear from the rest of you next time.
C’65
Hello, ’65 classmates. Well, this is our special year, as we look forward to celebrating our 60th reunion soon! It’s hard to believe, but here we are. Unfortunately, news is getting more sparse as time goes on, so updates are rather thin in this edition. Time to remedy the situation and get ready to share your activities before the reunion!
Here are two suggestions from our intrepid Bob Smart, a regular contributor to this column. Bob reports that he has attended every one of our class’ five-year alumni weekend gatherings. He says that at one of these get-togethers, he met another Drewite who had come to campus to observe the 60th anniversary of his graduation, only to discover he was the sole class member to attend! Naturally, he was disappointed but realized that due to age or health issues, his classmates had been unable to travel to campus. Now, as Bob notes, we are in the same position since most of us are in our 80s and no longer live close to Drew. But Bob has two suggestions that might help those of us who find it difficult to get back to New Jersey for the celebration. First, he says it might be easy enough for us all to summarize in a sentence or two what we have done since graduating from Drew (travel, family, career, etc.). He would be willing to compile that information into a Class of 1965 Report available to all class members. His second suggestion is that in lieu of attempting to return to campus for our reunion, we might consider having an online reunion event via Zoom. He is willing to offer the use of his Zoom account to enable those interested in connecting with others to do so from the comfort of their homes. So please let Bob know if you are interested in either of these possibilities for celebrating our 60th anniversary ([email protected]). Bob has been living in an active senior retirement community north of Boston for the past five years. Using stories from his travels and the thousands of photos he has taken, he has been producing monthly travel programs that he presents to the community’s residents.
John Allen writes that he and his wife live close enough to Drew that they would be interested in attending an in-person reunion. But he adds that if not enough people can come, it would be good to do a Zoom event or a combination of in-person and virtual celebrations. John and his wife still live in Larchmont, NY.
Harry Brand sends his best regards to his “old” friends and writes that he would be excited about a Zoom reunion and to count him in.
From Roger “Rusty” Martin comes word that he is still the Executive Director of the British Schools and Universities Foundation (BSUF). This 501 C3 charitable organization allows US residents to make donations to the British schools and universities they attended and get a tax break in return. BSUF serves almost 300 educational and cultural institutions in the UK. Besides doing this, he and his wife, Susan, regularly see their two daughters and their husbands, and their seven grandchildren, which gives them great joy. In addition, Rusty and Susan (who speaks fluent Spanish) lead excursions to Cuba where their Episcopal Church supports a sister congregation in Santa Cruz Del Norte, about an hour from Havana. To this end, he is taking a Spanish language course at the local high school. He also continues to serve on the Drew Board’s fundraising committee.
Kathleen (Murray) Henry reports that she moved to Thirwood Place in South Yarmouth, Cape Cod, a year ago. She says that with a dining hall, they can enjoy a delicious dinner seven days a week without having to cook themselves. She notes that the Cape has bicycle trails in every town and great live theatre and music events. In addition, her town maintains thirteen beaches on the ocean and some lakes, making it a great area for retirement living. Kathleen says she still enjoys guest preaching and traveling. In fact, she was planning to go to the Dominican Republic in late March to help friends celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, along with 63 other guests who will stay the week. Kathleen will renew her friends’ vows on the beach as part of the activities that are planned. She says she and Margaret “Peggy” (Leichthammer) Domber hope to attend our sixtieth reunion, whatever form it takes.
Naomi Shapiro writes that she’s also been dealing with health issues, but that her partner threw her a surprise eightieth birthday celebration in December at their apartment that was lovely. It included a ten-minute video he made of their life together as well as Naomi’s life growing up, using his music in the background. It was appreciated by all, especially by her, as he had to work on it when she was out walking in the hallways for exercise! Unfortunately, he got Covid for the first time a week later, and Naomi got a mild case two weeks later. She says they were lucky to have been vaccinated in August, and all is fine now. Naomi continues to teach cello while her partner writes grants and composes music. She says they both read a lot, he, non-fiction, and Naomi, fiction, including 11 novels in January.
Isabelle “Izzy” (Miller) Kanz writes that she would also like to attend an in-person reunion, but if that’s not possible, she’s happy to do a Zoom get-together.
From Susan (Butler) Noonan comes news that she’d like to be a part of whatever form the reunion takes, even though she only finished two years at Drew and the rest at the University of Cincinnati – when in her 40s! She says she and her husband, Dave, have lived in the same house for 48 years on a little 4.5-acre lake in West Chester, OH. They have raised three sets of kids – Sue’s, Dave’s, and their grandkids, and the house has served them well. They now have two great-granddaughters, two-and-a-half and four months. Sue adds, “Life is good, and we are in relatively good health.”
Martha (Burt) Hassard writes that she and her husband Roger still live in Freedom Plaza, a large continuing care retirement community on a beautiful 142-acre nature preserve on Florida’s west coast, midway between Tampa and Sarasota. They will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 8. She adds that they haven’t traveled anywhere recently due to Covid precautions –and they rarely travel out of state anymore because Roger is quite handicapped and travel is too challenging. Martha sends her best wishes for good health, much-continuing happiness, and ongoing life fulfillment to all her classmates. See photo gallery.
Drew University’s Library has launched a detailed website documenting the famous goodwill journey of seven college students, including three from Drew – George Burrill, Robert Hinds Jr. C’64, and Fraser Shaw C’64 – who set out on a 13-month goodwill tour of Latin American universities in 1961. The site serves as a digital archive of the Operation Americas expedition, coined the Duck Diaries. Read the full story here.
Unfortunately, your secretary took a tumble back in November that resulted in a broken hip and wrist. I continue to recover with the help of physical and occupational therapy and am grateful I didn’t hit my head on the way down!
C’68
Arnie Kotler is still a freelance book editor (https://arniekotlereditingservices.com).
Carole (Cummings) Webb shares, “We moved last spring to an independent living community in Johnson City, TN, not far from Jonesborough, where we are still involved in storytelling and other activities. Our 42nd anniversary is in April! I retired from my marriage and family practice (again) to return to my quilting and providing groups for those who are struggling with grief. My two stepchildren are in California and Virginia, and they have a total of five grandchildren. All but one have finished high school, and two are in college in Scotland! I keep in touch with Donna Pethybridge Katsaounis and Dale Reed, but I would welcome contacts from anyone else in the class.” See photo gallery.
Bierce (Bobrowski) Riley writes, “Retired after a 50-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, beginning as a bench chemist at Ciba Pharmaceuticals (now part of Novartis) two weeks after graduation from Drew, and ending as Research Director at Ogilvy CommonHealth, a healthcare communications company. I remain very involved in local history: I currently serve on the Morristown Historic Preservation Commission, Board of Trustees, Canal Society of New Jersey, Immediate Past President, Roebling Chapter, Society for Industrial Archeology, and co-lead Industrial Heritage Hikes for the Morris County Park Commission. My interest in historic preservation was kindled in a Drew elective course on American Art & Architecture taught by Dr. Peter Chapin, who headed Drew’s Art Department for many years.”
Susan (Strandberg) Burhouse C’68, P’00 shares, “The perils of living on the water in Florida since 2008 finally caught up with me last September when Hurricane Helene flooded my first-floor condo with four inches of water. Although four inches doesn’t sound like much, the damage required four feet of all drywall, all cabinets touching the floor, vinyl flooring, tubs and showers, toilets, and all appliances to be removed. Permits were not issued in the City of Gulfport until February, and work is not expected to be completed until this September. I have been renting a friend’s condo and will leave Florida at the end of April for my second home in Vermont, which I rent out to skiers in the winter. My Vermont condo is ten minutes from where my daughter, Sandy (Burhouse) Celauro C’00, and her family live, so I get to do all kinds of fun family things with them during the summer. I’m active in my church in St. Pete, having just stepped down as Treasurer after five years, singing in that choir and singing in the choir of my Vermont church. As often as possible I enjoy time with my son and his family in northern Virginia, my favorite times being Christmas and the six fabulous Disney cruises we’ve been on in the Caribbean, Alaska, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.” See photo gallery.
Thomas McMullen passed away in February. Thomas was president of the student body his senior year, an Economics major, and received his Masters in Business Administration at Wharton UPenn. See In Memoriam.
C’69
Bonnie (Sturtevant) Gaeth shares, “Bill and I thoroughly enjoy living in Hendersonville, TN, just 30 minutes northeast of Nashville. When we moved here in 2017 from Naperville, IL, we told everyone we were moving to escape the ‘Three C’s: Cost, Climate and Congestion.’ The first two are still valid, but not so much the ‘Congestion C.’ It seems everyone has decided to move to Nashville, so the influx has resulted in all the headaches that accompany rapid growth and expansion. Traffic has become a nightmare! But that seems to be true of all the popular states to which retirees are flocking. We keep busy locally with our church and related activities, volunteer projects like Meals on Wheels, and socializing with the many wonderful friends we’ve made here. When we can, we travel to see our ‘Magnificent 7’ grandchildren: three outside San Francisco, CA, two in Denver, CO, and two in Grand Haven, MI – all great places to visit. We also travel domestically to see many of our former Naperville, IL friends and neighbors who have now retired to Florida, North Carolina, and other appealing locations. We have also enjoyed some wonderful Viking River Cruises: France in 2019, Amsterdam to Budapest in 2022, and Berlin to Prague, with extensions in Warsaw and Krakow, Poland in 2024. In 2022, we also went with Colette Tours to London and Scotland, the land of my mother’s ancestors. Our travels have yielded terrific dividends in new friendships and great memories (to say nothing of fabulous food and drink from various regions in the countries we’ve traveled). For the most part, our retirement life is quite enjoyable. The one exception is the way in which parts of my body don’t seem to want to cooperate anymore, making some of the exercise regimens I used to enjoy nearly impossible to do! Whoever said, ‘Aging is not for the faint of heart’ was right on! But as far as I can see, it’s still better than the alternative.”
Gerald “Gerry” Levinson wrote while making his 5th annual visit to “the wonderful island of Aruba” with Ann, his wife and best friend. Gerry asks if anyone has ideas for how to improve our reunions. Maybe hold them in Aruba?
Another traveler, Elizabeth “Betty” (Hazard) Nolte, sent, “Greetings from Florida! Jerry and I continue to travel. Fun visiting friends and family.”
Huck, aka Anne (Wilson) Howe, wrote from New England, “Tough to go out and do things. Our weather has been so horrendous, either torrential rain or snow every other day, compounded by 40-50 mile winds, and potholes everywhere.” So I asked her what she was doing indoors, to which she responded, “I am getting rid of stuff to either donate or throw away. Eleven bags to donate so far, and no ending in sight!”
Allan Kam sent a “Peep,” so at least we know he is alive and able to read and write. Thanks for checking in, Allan.
Priscilla (Leach) Stoner also checked in, writing, “I’m alive and living in Tennessee.”
Linda (Calleo) Putney tells us to check out this Drew romance story on Drew’s Facebook site.
And Ruth (Clark) Matte wrote, “I am still here (in Ottawa, Canada)! I moved here more than 50 years ago and feel totally ‘at home’ in my bilingual world. I am fortunate that all my four siblings, their spouses, the next generation down, and even the first family great-grandchild to my younger brother are thriving. More than 40 of us were at the Clark Family Christmas in Connecticut this year. After losing my husband in 2020, I am now happily settled in with a new partner, my exceptional dog (a Sheltie), and my son, a chef, 3 blocks away. I still play competitive bridge, garden in the summer, travel to warm and/or interesting places, and am enjoying life.”
Cary and Patricia “Pat” (Sanislo) Campbell wrote, “We moved from the home that we lived in for 40 years in Charlotte to a retirement community (Matthews Glen) in Matthews, NC. It took some time to adjust, but we think we made the right move. Our daughter and son-in-law live in Charlotte, and we have two granddaughters, one in college at Furman and the other a sophomore in high school. Our time is spent with family travel and at our beach house in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. We are very fortunate to enjoy good health so far. We would welcome any classmates to visit that would be traveling through North Carolina.
As I told our classmates, Ed and I have been hosting a refuge from Haiti. Patricia “Pat” Wilson wrote, “And congratulations on your efforts to help the Haitian. There is so much negativity and flat-out lies about immigrants; it just disgusts me. I hope you find a good lawyer for him. Not much news from me. Marlene (Mueller) Weir and I got together for a long weekend in NYC at the beginning of December, doing the usual NYC holiday tourist stuff: a show, museums, a dance performance, and, of course, the tree at Rockefeller Center.”
And Mary (Davies) Cole C’69, G’75, P’97,’02 wrote, “In 2006, Don Cole C’59, P’97,’02 retired from Drew after 41 years of teaching Economics. I retired from teaching at The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in the Graduate Creative Arts Therapy department and closed my private practice in Madison. We moved to Gloucester, MA, and fell in love with the landscape, the extraordinary artistic communities, and the warm welcome we received from our church community there. Over the years, we traveled back to Europe to see family in the UK, and we also went to beautiful Maui a couple of times. I was invited by SVA to teach a course in Florence, Italy, for two weeks, which was a happy surprise. Don discovered a second family, an open, warm, and loving family that he never knew existed until he joined ancestry.com and a second cousin contacted him. This took us cross country to be heartedly welcomed into their extended family in Washington State and Northern Michigan. We have been deeply grateful for the 50-plus years we were together and all the adventures we had with our two sons and, later, truly wonderful grandchildren. We were blessed. About seven years ago, we moved to Connecticut to downsize and be closer to family. Unfortunately, Don began to have symptoms of a disease no one seemed able to diagnose. He died in 2022 from pancreatic cancer. Drew University opened its chapel for us, and his memorial service was held there. Don always loved Drew, and it seemed fitting to celebrate his life in the same place we both celebrated our graduations, our sons’ graduations, and his well-deserved retirement.”
C’70
Paul Dezendorf shares, “My wife and I enjoy life on the side of a ridge in Asheville, NC although we are dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene. Otherwise, I’m looking forward to my second Fulbright, supporting a major Uzbekistan university to establish a master’s and a doctorate in public administration and still teaching grant writing and public sector public relations MPA courses. This spring, I’ll continue upgrading my gardens and improving my photo editing.”
For Tom Silver, Drew University was the spark that ignited a lifelong love of learning. From music to finance to Japanese art, Tom’s life has been a journey of intellectual curiosity and creative exploration. As a music major, he spent his Drew years immersed in classical guitar while embracing a broad education in history, philosophy, economics, and languages. Influential professors like Dr. Jerome Cranmer, Professor Von der Heide, and Dr. James Pain challenged him to think critically and explore new ideas. After graduation, he blended music and entrepreneurship, opening a successful music shop before transitioning into finance. With a second degree from Rutgers, Tom built a distinguished career in banking and investment, eventually thriving on Wall Street. Yet, his passion for the arts never waned. After retiring in 2002, he devoted himself to classical guitar, recording albums, and performing at fundraisers and events. A spirit of curiosity led Tom on an unexpected journey into the world of Japanese prints. Tom developed a fascination with Japanese prints, sparked by his wife Helen’s love for sumi-e painting. What began as a thoughtful birthday gift for Helen soon became a passion for collecting and studying these remarkable works of art. Over the years, he has shared his knowledge through lectures, articles, and multimedia presentations, helping others discover the beauty and historical depth of Japanese woodblock prints. Through every phase of his journey, Tom’s Drew education remained a guiding force, reminding him that learning never ends. His website, Japan and Its Prints, serves as a resource for anyone eager to dive into this fascinating art form. See photo gallery.
C’71
Sherry (Sugg) MacNicoll checked in with this note, “So what’s new with me? Most recently, in October, my husband Walt and I adopted Fergus, a senior PittieChowChow from Common Sense for Animals. We are smitten! Our son, Alex, continues to do well in his career (you can find him on IMDB). We still live in Frenchtown and will celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary in November. Very sad to have lost my friend and dorm mate, Cathy Brauner, this past year. I finally retired from my social work/QA career in 2022, and I find my time well filled with friends, family, and Fergus, Bingo, cards, and the NY Times Games and Puzzles! Hello to all of my Drew friends! Also, my husband and I have a small nonprofit: The Opera Project. We are in our 17th year and dedicated to supporting classical music and emerging artists. We do this by presenting a series of 3 concerts per season – spring and fall.
And from another opera aficionado, Barry Lenson: Barry transferred from Drew after his second year, but he remains close to a group of his dear Drew friends and joins them in a weekly Zoom call. Barry is Editor in Chief of Classical Archives, the largest classical music website, and co-founder of The Alexander Kipnis Society. Barry lives in suburban New Jersey with his wife, Fran Taber, a marketing executive at Bank of America.
Greg Grandquist writes, “It’s been a while. My wife, Christina, and I moved from Anchorage, AK, to Wheeling, WV, in 2009. It was a whim based on a Victorian house we liked. In 2017, we downsized to a loft apartment; next month, we’re moving to the penthouse in that loft building – great views of the Ohio River and historic Wheeling. We’ve traveled a bit since moving to the east coast. Our favorite vacation city is Savannah, GA. We’ve passed through Maine several times recently, en route to exploring Nova Scotia. Barry Fenstermacher C’69 and I keep in touch and get together each year to celebrate back-to-back birthdays. I occasionally get an email from Dave Marsden too. My chief hobbies these days are streaming media, reading, poetry, photography, and social media. I have a private account on Instagram @djielle_g (though I would welcome old college friends) and public accounts on Threads @djielle_g and Bluesky @djielle.bsky.social. I post daily. I look forward, though, to someday playing/disappearing into Elder Scrolls VI for months when it’s finally released. I never tire of a week of Medieval Total War II, for that matter. When I think of Drew, the person I miss the most is John Keiper. He was, in his dad-Cartwright way, one of several bodhisattvas I have met over the years. Academically, I slept or drank my way through my four years at the old alma mater, but organizing the rock concerts was a unique and priceless experience. My only regret is narrowly missing booking The Grateful Dead.” See photo gallery.
And, speaking of Savannah, Dennis Ingoglia writes, “Having finished out a second career in public education, serving two decades on my county and local school boards, where I promoted STEM education and modern vocational alternatives to college, my wife Mary and I recently moved to Savannah, GA in search of an easier lifestyle and warmer climate in a beautiful city where the beach is close by. After over a half-century, I still count many Drew folks as close friends.”
Doug Stephens reported, “I have lived in Exeter, NH since 2014; I maintain a clinical psychotherapy private practice in Exeter. For recreation, I am still running and taking long-distance hikes in Europe with Jan a couple of times a year. We have two children who live with their families in Durham, NH, and Brooklyn, NY.”
Reminiscences from Bill Boss, “I am now semi-retired from the practice of plastic surgery and microsurgery. I am sometimes requested to assist other attendings at the University Hospital or Hackensack Meridian Hospital. Many of them were my fellows when we were running the plastic surgery training program at the University Hospital in Newark. I am currently in discussions with several major companies who have expressed an interest in commercializing my cellular therapy patents and rejuvenating medicine for the growth of bone and soft tissue. So, I am still keeping busy, traveling to Europe and other company headquarters to discuss the future of these products. My eldest daughter has graced us with three grandchildren. My oldest son is getting married in May. We had so much fun with Bob Dreyfuss, Paul Lurix, John Mayer, and Kenneth Duchin C’72. I will always remember the football game with our dorm versus the Boy Scout fraternity. Professor Mills of chemistry was the referee and we used to practice for the game at about 11 p.m. in the quad.”
Here is Carla (Dabrowski) Kramer’s update, “Not much from me besides doctor and therapy appointments and attending grandchildren’s events, and I must say, my grands are absolutely terrific—just like everyone’s grands ARE!! My Ryan is a very accomplished clarinetist, probably going to Ohio State. Dick and I are leaving for a week on Cape Cod—we love it there and go whenever possible. It will still be a bit chilly, but it will be just as wonderful as ever. And when there, we never miss Gray’s Beach on the bay to visit the ospreys! Always a zoologist at heart!”
Janet (Schotta) Murphy filed this report, “My husband Ed and I moved from Alexandria, VA to the beach in Delaware in 2020 just as the country was shutting down. Since we couldn’t socialize at the time, it was a wonderful place to be, as we could walk the beach at Cape Henlopen and bike the trails close by. The OLLI program (Osher Lifelong Learning) was a draw for us as well. I’ve taken an assortment of classes from watercolor to AI & the News Media to woodworking (and learned I had no talent). FYI, nearly every state offers this program through the state university system, and it’s terrific. We welcomed our first grandchild, Leo (the Lion-Hearted), in January! We’re totally smitten and are beating a path back and forth to Baltimore, where our daughter Elizabeth and her husband Joe live. I see Mary “Polly” (Davis) and Steve Stetler C’71, T’74 fairly regularly. Polly’s creative talent never ceases to amaze me. She’s grown a reputation throughout Pennsylvania, having sold-out shows for her abstract quilts and fiber artworks, including at the Governor’s Residence and the State Museum of Pennsylvania Art. When we travel to the Boston area where my husband is from, we usually get together with Phil Chisholm and his wife Jeannie, who has a business teaching about native gardening and creating meadows (and in turn keep Phil busy). He and I met with Jennifer Banks the last time I was up there. Phil, Jeannie, Ed, and I spent some time with Cynthia “Cindy” Walters at Longwood Gardens in December of 2023. Cindy was still practicing law. I’ve also gotten together with Elisabeth “Liz” (Frank) Lescault when she and her partner come up from Maryland to enjoy Cape Henlopen. Liz is another amazing artist – both a painter and sculptor. She’s also teaching watercolor and other mediums.”
And this from Patience Young in Palo Alto, CA, “As with all of us, I’m finding new footing with time to pursue passions. I retired from a career in art museum education and continue in traditional music, documentary films, writing, and editing. For many years, I have been an advisor and jury chair for UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival), which is devoted to documentaries on human rights globally, now in its 28th year. I serve on coordinating committees for two SFFMC (San Francisco Folk Music Club) multi-day events: Camp Harmony (over New Year’s) and Spring Harmony Online (early March). Last year, I published an article on The Marlboro Medley, a song written in Brattleboro, VT, in 1787, which was virtually unknown until the mid-20th century. Find my article here. My intent is to bring this song to the attention of educators and others who will find it to be an accessible and delightful gateway into 18th-century ways. Feel free to spread the word to teachers, etc. So that’s about it for what’s of interest to others. Best greetings to all!”
Charlotte “Chy” Hendee is retired from the United Methodist ministry, having served churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. She retired to the coastal town of Wells, ME, and loves living in the state whose motto is “The Way Life Should Be.” Charlotte was “unretired” for a few years, serving United Methodist churches in Salem, NH, and Salisbury, MA. She is active in the community, and her friends, dog, and Democratic politics keep her busy. She enjoys discovering the parts of Maine she hadn’t visited previously, as well as trips to the Canadian Maritime provinces. As is true for most of us, she has found aging to be quite an adventure.
C’72
Steve Lindahl has been living in North Carolina for 50 years. He and his wife have two adult children and one grandchild. Ten years ago, he started a new career writing fiction instead of computer programs, with eight published novels, and he is finishing another. He was a co-founder and associate editor for the literary journal The Crescent Review for five years and was the managing editor for Flying South for nine years.
Erol Ulker, a practicing urologist who lives in Chatham, NJ, has two married daughters and another who is about to get married. He enjoys his granddaughter of 18 months.
2024 was a busy year for Catherine Turrill-Lupi, Professor Emerita, California State University, Sacramento. As an art historian, she was involved with events here and in Italy with the 500th anniversary of Plautilla Nelli, the first Florentine woman to gain fame as a painter. The Dominican nun, who founded an art workshop at her convent, has been a main subject of Catherine’s academic research.
Rick Guhl and Judie (Frerk) Guhl celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. He is leading the Green Team at St. John’s United Church of Christ, Allentown, PA, encouraging the church to install solar panels as part of their efforts to become environmentally sustainable. He is also leading a Climate Hope Affiliates program by the Environmental Justice Ministry of the UCC. He is the chair of and is leading a Zoom book study for the Racial Justice Team of the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ.
As a political science major, Mary Jo Waits participated in Drew’s London, Washington, United Nations, and Urban Semesters. She feels they contributed to her acceptance to graduate schools, earning an MPA from the University of Southern California and joining a PhD program at the University of Michigan. She served as an economic policy advisor for two state governors – Alaska’s Jay Hammond (R) and Arizona’s Bruce Babbitt (D) as well as leadership roles in the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices in Washington. She also advised international policymakers after founding her own consulting firm. See photo gallery.
Bob Green writes from North Carolina that he and Jane have been enjoying cruises during the year. They visit their older son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson in Charlotte and their younger son, who lives nearby Raleigh. He remains in regular contact with his senior year suite mates and hopes to have a mini-reunion (before our 55th class gathering) with Ed Baird, Rick Guhl, Bruce Johannessen, and Ron Durante. He is looking for a roster of the 1970 fall London Semester classmates.
My winter trip to Florida included a February cruise from Fort Lauderdale, and I hope to do one in Bermuda from Cape Liberty in New Jersey later this year. What have been some of the interesting things you have been doing? – David Green, Class Secretary
C’73
Martha (Munn) Camacho retired as a clinical dietitian in 2016 but has maintained her license and still counsels senior peers. She and her spouse, Alberto, can now travel to Costa Rica twice a year. In May 2025, they will celebrate their marriage in Costa Rica – 50 years ago when she was a Peace Corps Volunteer there. Martha works to protect the environment when they are home in Durham, NC. Her two children and two grandchildren live nearby.
C’75
Michelle Boyle retired from the NIH in May 2024 after completing 41 years of federal service, including 17 years with NIH. Michelle also survived heart valve replacement surgery in October 2024. Michelle’s daughter, Kate, is now a junior at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. Michelle is looking forward to attending our 50th reunion in October.
I continue to work for CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm, doing transactions around the world for corporate clients. I will retire at some point, but I still enjoy it. Lynn and I became grandparents last year. Our daughter, Morgan Zwengler C’14, and her husband, Joel Edick, are the parents of Elliott, born in February 2024. They live in Cherry Hill, NJ, ten minutes from our home in Haddonfield, NJ. We’re very fortunate to be so close and are enjoying our grandson.
I am looking forward to seeing my classmates at our 50th in October. Please send your notes for the next issue. – Bob Zwengler, Class Secretary
C’76
Nancy (Ross) Greer shares, “Hard to believe it’s been almost 50 years since graduation. My husband (not a Drew alum) and I got married 41 years ago and moved to Seattle 38 years ago. I retired a year ago after a career in the private sector (as a Treasurer, CFO, and COO) and then spent 14 years in the nonprofit sector (as a COO and CEO). We have a daughter who is in LA with a PhD in documentary film. Retirement is a dream, and my favorite new saying is ‘nobody ever said they retired too soon!’ We’ve been traveling both internationally and nationally. The freedom is wonderful. Living in the PNW is amazing, and it’s just a short flight to LA. So easy to get away for some sunshine during our rainy winters. In addition, I am involved as a volunteer with a couple of nonprofits, to keep my mind engaged. We love to hike, bike, drink wine, and whiskey. I am an avid baker (one of the nonprofits I volunteer for provides home-baked bread to area food banks) and cook. Moving to the West Coast has been a bit isolating from the majority of the Drew community. It would be wonderful to hear from fellow alums about what they’ve been up to and if they are planning on attending our 50th!!”
C’77
Laura Papa Babbin C’78 passed away unexpectedly in November 2024. Her family, including husband Larry Babbin C’79 and their children, 40-year-old twins Andrew and Aimee Babbin, were at her side. She was just shy of her 69th birthday on November 29th and her and Larry’s 45th wedding anniversary on December 29th. Her obituary is included in the In Memoriam section.
It was a painful loss for our “quad/suite” sisterhood, formed in 1973, when Jenny Beaver and Laura were first-floor Holloway quad roommates and Christine (Stack) Bell, Robin Stern, and I were roommates in the third-floor quad two floors above them. We all lived together in Foster 22 suite sophomore year. All of us were involved in The Drew Acorn and socialized together throughout our four years. We remained good friends ever since, despite geographic distances, with Laura and Larry in Atlantic City, NJ, Robin in Brattleboro, VT, Jenny in Long Beach, CA, Christine and Paul Bell C’76 in Jacksonville, FL, and me in Falls Church, VA. The last time we were all together was in April 2023 in Charleston, SC, with our husbands. I attended Laura’s Celebration of Life on behalf of our gang at Laura and Larry’s daughter Aimee and son-in-law Rohan’s beautiful home in Edison, NJ, in November 2024. Laura and Larry’s grandchildren, Vincenzo, 6, and Dario, 3, were also there.
I received holiday greetings from Paul and Marla (Friedman) Boren C’78, Patty and Doug Goodman C’76, Maureen, Kate, and Michelle Boyle C’75, Nancy (Baughman) Csuti, Lyne Tirrell and Tim Sperry, and Lloyd “Lou” and Karen (Marx) Hyman C’77, P’08.
Michelle Boyle retired in June 2024 after 40+ years of service in the Federal government, then soon afterwards faced a serious health challenge that resulted in heart surgery. On two occasions when I saw Michelle this spring, I was comforted to see that she had recovered remarkably well and was back to her usual vivacious, high-energy self, now able to enjoy retirement. Michelle and Maureen’s daughter, Kate, finished her junior year at Hollins University in May.
Nancy (Baughman) Csuti volunteers one day a week at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She and her partner Stu visited France for two weeks in January 2024 and spent time in Normandy, exploring the World War II sites, museums, and beaches. In Spring 2024, Nancy and Stu spent four weeks in Italy, including Naples, the Adriatic coast, around the “boot” of southern Italy, Sicily, then back to Naples. In Fall 2024, Nancy went solo to Bordeaux, then met friends in Rouen, after which Stu met up with her. The trip included a visit to Lyon and Geneva, where they connected with friends. A highlight of her year was when Nancy met most of Stu’s large extended family at a celebration of life for his oldest brother in Chicago. Nancy continues to love and enjoy the beauty of her home state of Colorado.
The lives of Karen (Marx) and Lloyd “Lou” Hyman C’77, P’08 are full of volunteer, employment, and family activities. Karen and Lloyd continue to work after retirement as a substitute teacher and at Ace Hardware, respectively, and volunteer with the Skipjack Nathan of Dorchester. Lloyd volunteers on the boards of the local Heritage Board of the Choptank River Lighthouse and Cambridge Main Street. Their son, Louis Hyman C’08, who has an educational background in special education, lives in Easton, MD, and has been substitute teaching at several schools. Karen and Lou’s daughter, Elizabeth, her husband, and two children, Natalie, 16, and Joshua, 14, live in Jacksonville, FL. The whole family gathered in New Jersey for the 100th birthday of Karen’s father, Karl Marx C’49, P’77, GP’08, who now has four great-grandchildren.
Tim Sperry is still working, advising on several food company boards, and is an active volunteer on some key town committees. He has started a Substack blog, A Connecticut Yankee Speaks, which is mostly about politics and sometimes about the food world. He was thrilled to find his Substack followed by Heather C. Richardson! Tim enjoys working in the garden and the grounds of his and Lyne’s home in Guilford, CT. Lyne continues to love her work as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Last year, she became the director of graduate studies for philosophy. Their son Matt works for Northwestern University, and their daughter-in-law Liana is in-house counsel for Boehringer Ingelheim, specializing in privacy law.
Kathy (Hyman) Floyd C’78, P’13 retired in October and began a whirlwind of travel and social activities. In February and March, she spent six weeks touring New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia, including two weeks in New Zealand with her children Connie Tarantino and her husband Marty, and Steven Floyd C’13, and his husband Brandon Levesque. Connie lives in Avon, CO, and is a Certified Trainer with Inner Matrix Systems, a personal mastery system for high achievers. Steven, recently accepted into the University of Pennsylvania’s doctoral program in clinical social work, is a psychotherapist and writer. Not long after Kathy returned from her trip, she sold her longtime home in Chatham, NJ, and moved with longtime friend Leslie Sondy to a community in Cedar Grove, NJ, to be closer to family in Clifton, where she grew up. Kathy’s next big trip is in June with friends to Croatia. I will travel with Kathy and two friends to Provence, France, in October.
This spring, Robin Stern and husband, Potter, walked over 60 miles of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain with their daughter, Isabel Stewart. Afterwards, they traveled with Isabel’s boyfriend in Bologna and Trieste, Italy. Robin wrote that the trip was fabulous.
Christine (Stack) and Paul Bell C’76, Jenny Beaver and Alan Tolkoff, Robin Stern and Potter Stewart, and we hope Larry Babbin will spend a long weekend together at our home in September.
This is the year most of us in the class of 1977 turn 70! My husband, Chas, and I hosted a party at our house to celebrate my birthday in May. Kathy (Hyman) Floyd, Michelle Boyle C’75, and Oona Stieglitz C’79 were in attendance, as were many friends and family members, including our daughters and their families. After thinking a lot about turning 70, I decided the word that most described my sentiments was gratitude. I hope that you all enjoy your birthdays as you wish to. I look forward to seeing you all in two years at our 50th reunion!
I welcome your personal news and updates at any time.
C’79
It’s been 50 years since we came to campus and started orientation that late August weekend. And there are only four years until our 50th Reunion. – Steve Arrant, Class Secretary
Irene (Brill) Erhardt left Merck and moved to Sweden in 2002. She met her husband, a cardiologist, through her career as Executive Director of the European Atherosclerosis Society. They’re retired. They now live outside Stockholm and spend part of the year in Italy at an old vineyard growing fruits, vegetables, and, yes, grapes.
Laura Winters C’79, G’87,’90 sent a short note that says so much – “50 years in the fall since we started. Sometimes, it seems like yesterday. Peace.”
I was saddened to hear of Valerie (Barrs) O’Mara’s death from MS in Seattle. Valerie was on the IC (Intentional Community), Brown Hall 2nd Floor, with many of us from the Class of 1979.
