FallMagazine2014_FB96_2

44-45 / 80

42 43
class notes
st. lawrence university magazine | fall 2014
ter’s plane from Paris and take
her to begin her summer dance
program at the New York City Bal-
let with a full scholarship. On the
same weekend, she heard another
granddaughter, from Oregon, sing
in Carnegie Hall.
I-95 is getting a workout from Phil
and Barbara Blair Nangle. Re-
unions, graduations and birthdays
mean travel. That’s what you get
for living in North Carolina! First, a
trip to the Connecticut shore with
friends from their old stomping
ground and then on to Maine for
granddaughter Jessica’s high
school graduation and daughter
Michelle’s birthday. After only a
short time at home, they headed
back to Connecticut for Phil’s
grandson’s high school gradua-
tion. July took them to Rochester,
N.Y., to visit family and then to the
St. Lawrence River for a memorial
service for Barbara’s nephew.
Lois Langtry’s frozen shoulder
in the winter turned out to be
arthritis, which was improved with
therapy. Back problems are helped
by the water aerobics she teaches
in the winter and a gym member-
ship which she and Ken share. A
1-year-old great-granddaughter
provides pleasure, a few mornings
in the real estate office keep her in
touch, and weekly Scrabble games
with friends keep her mind sharp.
Gardening is a bit more difficult
these days, but she still does a lot
of canning and donates much of it
to family and local charities. Travel
over the summer was limited to a
wedding in Minneapolis.
Liz and Paul Fideler celebrated
their 50th wedding anniver-
sary last year with a six-city trip
through Central Europe: Potsdam,
Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg
and Innsbruck, plus a few days on
Lake Como. In the spring,
Paul returned to Vienna to present
a paper on British utilitarianism
in colonial India at the European
Social Science History Conference
and toasted the town with friends
at Freud’s favorite spot, Café
Landtmann. After 45 years on the
Lesley College faculty, Paul has
retired. Congratulations on
a distinguished career in
education, Paul!
Hero” of Simsbury. Chosen by the
Board of Selectmen, the historical
society, the business community
and a former hometown hero,
the title represents recognition
from one’s peers for service to
the community. Fran volunteers
for the annual Jack Bannan
Turkey Trot, at Red Cross blood
drives, at the Community Farm of
Simsbury, and at the Foodshare
Truck at the First Church of Christ.
One particularly satisfying effort
is her commitment to children’s
eye screenings with the Lions
Club. Superior equipment allows
for the detection of conditions
often missed at other screenings,
especially in very young children.
Modestly, Fran says, “I like to help
out where I can.”
Most of us can recall vividly a
college professor, an incident or
a confrontation. Jan Featherly
Heithaus recalled a memorable
moment from South Hall. She
and Don ’56 took history with the
famous Dr. Harry Reiff. They sat
together in the first row, and one
morning, Dr. Reiff confronted her,
“Hrumpff, Miss Featherly, I see
you don’t have your book!”
“It was a great big book,” Jan
recounted, “so naturally and
chivalrously, Don slid his book
over to me. Dr. Reiff stood back
and said, ‘Well, which one of you
wants to take the rap?’” That
moment was among many which
led her and Don to remember him
as their greatest teacher—tough,
entertaining, accomplished, and a
bit intimidating.
Judy Lennon Cashman wrote
from Bellingham, Wash., where
she and Vince ’55 were celebrat-
ing their granddaughter Hazel’s
graduation from high school.
Judy is delighted that she and
Hazel are in the same time zone
now that Hazel attends Bates
College. Congratulations to Hazel
also for the publication of her
first book, a children’s story called
Raincoat Man. Let Judy know if
you would like a copy.
It must have been a memorable
and proud weekend in New York
City for Wendy Colassard
Segard. She traveled from Cali-
fornia to greet her granddaugh-
With sadness we note the passing
of Donald Christiana, Louise
Welton Biernacki, Ralph
“Packy” MacFarland, Mary
Ann Fitzpatrick Griffin,
Walter Wilmshurst and
Donald Wilcox over the past
several months. Their names all
appeared in the “In Memory” sec-
tion of recent issues.
I had the good fortune to
visit family in Texas, Florida and
California, solidifying family ties.
And three girls I met in Saigon in
1958 met together again in Palm
Desert, Calif., in May.
1958
Lennelle “Lennie”
Dougherty McKinnon
5 Jay Street
Canton, NY 13617
315-386-8216
Cell: 315-323-5267
Next Reunion: 60th, 2018
Thanks for Bob Lyle for several
tidbits of information. Lois and
Bob enjoyed Fiesta Week in San
Antonio, and learned that Texans
know how to celebrate. The occa-
sion was a celebration with some
of Bob’s high school classmates
from Bush Park High School, an
American school outside of Lon-
don. Although he was not, most
students were military dependents
from all over the United States,
and for the last 20 years they have
held a reunion every two years
somewhere in the country. It was
great to hear that physical therapy
is helping Bob tremendously.
Bob sent news of two fellow
residents of Simsbury, Conn. Ray
Jennings is a veteran and has
been active with the American
Legion. At a large Memorial Day
event, Ray was the Master of Cer-
emonies. Congratulations to Ray,
and to all veterans from our class
and beyond.
Heartiest congratulations also to
Fran Jeffers Gauthier, who Bob
says was named a “Home Town
Robinson Bradtmiller at Gaines
House junior year.
Kathryn “Kitty” O’Keefe
Nardiello and Don '55 introduced
Diane and Tom to each other at
the Tick Tock on a blind date that
year.
Camey Baldanza McGilvray
continues with the creation of
wood, wire and paint sculptures.
Her works will be shown in Santa
Monica, Santa Barbara and Palm
Springs this year, and she plans a
trip to Garfield, N.J., for her 61st
high school reunion.
Ronald “Obie” O’Brien keeps a
busy schedule of performance of
his magic show: St. Louis in July,
South Korea in August, China in
September, England in November.
Sue Rich Parker and Jim vis-
ited central Europe in May. They
expect to sell their lake property
in northeastern South Dakota, but
will continue to use it until the
transfer. A remote and beauti-
ful spot it is, where they grew
potatoes and other vegetables for
years. Instead of vegetables, they
planted an apple tree this year.
Recently honored by the town of
Amherst, N.Y., was Philip Morey,
who has served on the governing
board of the MusicalFare Theatre
and many of its committees for 17
years. He chaired the "Songs for
Tomorrow" campaign for the ma-
jor expansion of the theatre, which
attracted new corporate and
individual donors and raised more
than a quarter-million dollars. The
MusicalFare's cabaret and lounge
expansion funded "The Colleen
and Phil Morey American Song-
book Series" of programming.
Jan Zetsche Finch (left) visited
with Mary Bowers Hunter
(right) and husband Dard at Sea
Ranch, Calif., and I was there too.
We visited a unique chapel built
to suggest waves of the sea. Mary
remains in charge of lettuce at the
Sea Ranch Community Garden,
which involves planting the nurs-
lings and overseeing their nurture.
so she could sail from Le Havre to
New York. She lived at times with
Rosemary Ireland Travers and
Nancy Olenhouse Laplante
on the Upper West Side. After
graduate school she took a job
in an after-care clinic for the
mentally ill. Then she went on to
Columbia for training to become
a psychotherapist. Joyce sees a
few clients yet.
Artist Leon LeBeau graduated
with a major in psychology and
a minor in English. He taught
high school English for 11 years in
Malone, N.Y., during which time he
earned a master's degree. After
Leon accepted a position in St.
Lawrence County, teaching art, he
developed an interest in pottery
and took classes through SUNY.
Next came a two-year position as
an employment counselor with
the Department of Labor, then
one as a vocational rehabilitation
counselor with psychiatric and
mentally challenged clients. Later
he worked with the physically
handicapped. Upon retirement
he audited drawing classes at
SUNY Potsdam. He and Penny
had moved to 25 acres not far
from Potsdam, where they raised
chickens and children. Now, Leon
teaches what he has learned, first
low-fire pottery and then stone-
ware, and teaches watercolor with
the SOAR program, Stimulating
Opportunities After Retirement.
His inspiration is the seasonal
wonders of the natural North
Country environment.
Lee Whitney and wife Julie
Beaver '58 look forward to visits
at their son's vacation home in
Park City, Utah. They have spent
13 winters in Vero Beach, Fla.,
with summers in New Jersey. He
is in touch with Bill Barden and
Richard “Tinker” DeGraff.
Diane Preussner Glover and
Tom ' 52, after having lived in Ro-
wayton, Conn., for 50 years, find it
time to downsize. She substitutes
in K-5 classes in Greenwich and
is on the Board of Directors for
Senior Housing, a 23-unit develop-
ment sponsored by her church. Di-
ane enjoys bell-ringing. Tom is still
doing caricatures, specializing in
sketching faces onto golf bodies.
She recalls rooming with Nancy
Our grandson, Christopher ’18, is a
Laurentian this fall, and as of mid-
summer was looking forward to
playing on the men’s soccer team.
We are planning trips to Canton
to watch the team play.
1957
Joyce Caldwell
Rhodes
5-C Oak Crest Court
Novato, CA 94947
415-892-9351
Next Reunion: 60th, 2017
George Ruscoe and his wife
have been living in Florida since
1971. He retired from the City of
Daytona Beach 15 years ago and
credits his success there to his
education at St. Lawrence. Gar-
dening occupies him now.
Werner Frank Item and Sheila
live in Newport, R.I., and have
been sailors for 35 years. Now
they have a power boat, ski
some, and look after grandchil-
dren several days a week. He did
finance and program manage-
ment for Raytheon for 39 years.
Prior to that, he worked at Bendix
in Teterboro, N.J., following in his
father's footsteps. Frank says that
his accounting and management
classes at SLU put him into posi-
tion for these positions.
Ray Robertson lives near
Potsdam, N.Y., and is happy in
his country surround. He was in
the military, taught math (his St.
Lawrence major) at Clarkson, built
a house and provides vegetables
for his table from his own garden.
Joyce Hotaling Kent remains
in her rent-controlled apartment
near Gramercy Park in New York
City. While studying at the Uni-
versity of Denver in 1958, Joyce
took a student trip to the Middle
East and was stranded for over a
month because the agency could
not pay for the return airfare. The
group nevertheless continued
to travel to Syria, Turkey, Jordan,
Israel, Rome and Paris until Octo-
ber, when her father sent money
one generation to another. She
has worked with college, high
school and elementary students.
She even shared her expertise at
needlepoint with fourth graders,
and they were fascinated
Her senior center sponsors chair
volleyball, six chairs per team.
They use a beach ball. Leslie says
it is therapy along with socializa-
tion and great fun. They play
different towns. She is most
proud of her daughter, Leslie, a
registered massage therapist.
Len Combi and Carolyn spent
most of last winter on Sanibel
Island, Fla. They had a delightful
visit with Doris and Bob Ferry.
To celebrate Len’s 80th birthday,
the entire family, which includes
six adults and six grandchildren,
will be going to Lake Como in
Northern Italy. Len keeps in touch
with Russ Harter. Marilyn and
Russ were planning a summer
cruise to Scandinavia and
St. Petersburg, Russia.
Sue Belden Rice says, “I take
one day at a time now that my
motto is that life begins at 80!”
Three of her four children were
able to celebrate her big birthday
in Vermont. She is still working
two days a week as a clinician at
Counseling Service of Addison
County and volunteers at Open
Door Clinic for patients with no
health insurance. Some are mi-
grant workers, so she is working
on her Spanish. She spent four
weeks at the Sarapiqui Conser-
vation Learning Center in Costa
Rica, where she volunteered. She
had a homestay with a wonderful
Costa Rican family and considers
it one of her best experiences.
She might do it again since her
daughter is now living in Costa
Rica part of the year. She is our
volunteer extraordinaire!
Jewel Breiner Hall writes
that her and Stan’s brewery,
Cooperstown Brewing Company,
has been sold to Northern Eagle
Distributors, a subsidiary of the
Budweiser Corp. She said it is
wonderful to know that their
beers, with the original names
and recipes, will continue. Jewel
has spent a month in California,
Arizona and Florida.
Barbara “Andy” Direnga Hart
and Bern had a visit with Elaine
“Tiger” Rhodes and Pete
Schriever in April in Florida on
their way home from their winter
on the sunny shores of Hillsboro
Beach. They had a nice visit with
Nancy Hoyt Patterson in
Punta Gorda, Fla.
Don Heithaus receives an
award for the most days skiing
last winter – 40. He now has 11
grandchildren. After a recent trip
to Toronto, they traveled through
Canton and SLU on their way to
visiting at Tupper Lake.
I had a wonderful phone call
with Dave Joy and offered my
condolences on the passing of his
lovely wife, Barbara. She had been
ill for many years. Dave is well and
enjoys his new home with all the
activities like golf, shows, plays
and a pub. His three grandsons
are in college. He is planning
some traveling and hopes to at-
tend the reunion.
John Houx (he used to go by
“Jack”) is an actor with more than
15 years of experience. His current
play is Tuesdays with Morrie. John
has a grandson, age 7, who may
be a future SLU hockey player.
The Charter Day celebration in
Los Angeles for St. Lawrence’s
158th birthday was a success. We
had every decade represented
from the 1950s to the 2010s.
Yours truly, Mary Jane Hast-
ings Smith, Beth Day Totin ’57
and Camey Baldanza McGilvray
’57 represented the ’50s. Our
guest speaker was Trustee Barry
Phelps ’69, who gave us an up-
date on what was happening on
the campus. A good time was had
by all – goodies, birthday cake,
and an SLU trivial pursuit game.
Special thanks to Rick Hasse ’76
for obtaining the venue and plan-
ning the event.