CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
winter 2014 | St. Lawrence University Magazine 33
32 winter 2014 | St. Lawrence University Magazine
Facebook.com/StLawrenceU | Twitter.com/StLawrenceU
Youtube.com/StLawrenceU | Instagram.com/StLawrenceU
Engage wi th
St. Lawrence!
1957
Joyce Caldwell Rhodes ’57
5-C Oak Crest Court
Novato, CA 94947
415-892-9351
Next Reunion: 60
th
, 2017
I am grateful for your cheerful responses to the
idea of a theme to our communications. Thus far
we have considered instances of recall of our time
at SLU and more recently our observations on the
life we have lived thus far.
Ann Doughty Altshuler
writes, "The vicissi-
tudes of daily college life can weigh heavily on
the 19-year-old psyche, and I learned something
during those wonderfully frigid winter nights that
has stayed withme for the rest of my life. Huddled
in my KD house bunk bed under a casement win-
dow, I would gaze out at the blazing veil of stars,
in all its comforting enormity, and shortly my
cares would begin to slip away like spring snow,
restoring perspective to my own tiny existence.”
JanFox
and
JoeClement
maintain good health.
Joe occupies himself with golf, water sports, ten-
nis, poker, bridge and piano. Jan, after teaching
elementary school and later counseling, finds
fulfillment in volunteering for her church and pro-
viding respite for caregivers.
Nancy Robinson Bradtmiller
and Paul stay
positive, keep active and live one day at a time.
She uses the machines at the Y four days a week,
sails on Wednesdays, assists with AAUW home
tours and continues involvement with her soror-
ity for which she engages speakers for luncheons
and fashion show fundraisers. They see Bill ’59
and
Jan Fowle Bigelow
and Sally Mason Crowell
’55 occasionally.
Bob Smith
conducts his business as a manufac-
turing representative for a chemical supplies and
equipment company. He is “chat roomies” with
Ralph Darling
and Marg Hannon Keeney ’58.
Jane Wendt Wilson
retired from a career teach-
ing high school math. She enjoys bridge, walk-
ing and canoeing on Moose Lake. She loves this
summer tourist area in New York State; there is
no post office and the nearest services are seven
miles away.
Jane recalls what a good time she had at Gaines
House, where Mrs. O'Brian was housemother. She
tells of the time the administration cautionedMrs.
O’Brian about spending toomuchmoney on food
for the girls. Her response was to invite the crit-
ics to a fine Sunday dinner. No more reproofs for
Mrs. O'Brian. Ever-observant, she scolded girls at
dinner for one misdeed or another. Some vied
with each other to sit at the housemother's table,
where there would be no scoldings.
Mrs. O'Brian went to bat for the girls one morn-
ing when it was 50 below zero, advising Dean
Doris Stout that none of her girls would attend
classes that day if they were not allowed to wear
long pants. That incident proved to be a fashion
and cultural turning point for the “coeds,” who
were henceforth relieved of the sting of nylon
slips against our bare legs.
Peter Von Esch
finds leisure in retrieving balls
from the golf course adjacent to his home. He
bought a home about four years ago on a short
sale, and lives there after extensive remodel-
ing of the kitchen and the wiring and all sorts of
clambering about that provided plenty of physi-
cal activity. He no longer goes up on the roof. He
advises, "Use it or lose it. Maintain agility. Life goes
on, and I am glad it does."
Ina RappeWishner
exercises the body with dai-
ly walks and the mind in the often emotion-filled
decision-making when she sorts old mementoes
and earlier valued objects for saving or tossing.
She reads Donald Bain mystery novels and is in
touch with
Diane Will Fountain
. "Life is good,"
Ina declares.
Mary Ann Shepard Darling
spends summers
in the mountain community of Showlow, Ariz.
She volunteers at her church, and last Septem-
ber reunited with her 60th high school class in
Nutley, N.J.
Sally Harrison Duff
had a career as a social
worker and then as a registered nurse. She is
engaged in water aerobics, plays dominoes
and creates quilts from worn jeans, t-shirts and
other fabrics, for which she is acknowledged
as a productive recycler. Sally remembers the
nights when snowflakes fell through the open
window onto her bedcovers. To class, she wore
long underwear and knee socks under her skirt
on cold days.
She occasionally sees
Mary Ann Fitzpatrick
Griffin
at high school reunions in Hamilton, N.Y.
Mary Ann was expecting a visit from
Carol Hall
and
Albert Murray
when they were in the area to
see their granddaughters at Colgate and Cornell.
Eileen Murphy Fletcher
was planning to join
them to make it a mini-reunion.
Tony Folino
spent the early years at Alexandria
Bay, N.Y., with the U.S. Customs office. Times with
Bill Plimpton ’55,
Al Guarino
and
Doug Kellogg
are dear to his heart. He sees Bud ’55 and Ann
Clough Garlock ’56.
Phil Morey
is excited to report that his oldest
grandchild, Taylor Deer, has been recruited by
a company called Phired Up, to be an organiza-
tional growth expert. He will be working with fra-
ternities around the country to be stronger, more
relevant organizations. Hemay visit SLU someday.
It is his dream job, so we are happy for him. His
mom is Cindy Morey-Deer '82.
Ron O'Brien
had a summer filled with magic
trips. He went to Phoenix; Taiwan; Busan, Korea;
and Las Vegas for magic conventions. At the
Taiwan and Busan conventions, he was a world
judge. November 2013 saw him in Shanghai, Chi-
na, and Blackpool, England. "Like wow!" he says.
Beth Totin Day
lost her husband in 2007, and
put her home in Los Angeles up for sale. It took
five years to sell. She then bought a three-bed-
room condo in a gated community in Newport
Beach, with a view of the beautiful blue Pacific.
Breezes blow into the family room and keep it
cool. She sees Pris Harvey Schroeder ’56 at the
Sleighbell luncheon every Christmas. She and Pris
and other Tri-Delta alumnae help the UC Irvine
girls as much as they can. She notes that finding
volunteers these days is not easy since so many
are employed or busy elsewhere. Beth would be
happy to hear from alums who live in or around
Newport Beach.
Ray Hartjen
wrote to the University that last
January he “celebrated the completion of a
bridge and marsh walkway covering 135 feet
in Springs, N.Y. “We harvested over 300 black
locust trees, carried them to a sawmill and de-
livered the finished lumber to the site. It was an
incredible ‘journey,’ one of many that I have had
since my retirement in 1996 involving many vol-
unteers,” Ray said. “The total cost, $19,850, was
raised from local contributions.”
1958
Lennelle“Lennie”Dougherty McKinnon ’58
5 Jay Street
Canton, NY 13617
315-386-8216
Cell: 315-323-5267
Next Reunion: 60
th
, 2018
Even though Texas is his home,
Ed Myers
never
fails me. He and Judy traveled to Vermont in the
summer to visit son Tom ’85 and his family. That
visit prompted a face-to-face with
Joe-Pete Wil-
son
. Although Edwas saddened to learn that Joe-
Pete had sold the Bark Eater Lodge in Keene, I am
sure it gives him more time down South, and the
pursuit of many other interests.
Ed is still a swimming instructor, hits the slopes
in winter, and continues to doTV commercials. He
even offered me some advice for my struggling
golf game—keep my head down! Only a non-
golfer would know how difficult that actually is.
Although he could not be here for the 55th, he
insists he is looking forward to number 60.
Ken and
Rose Selkis Mahan
celebrated their
50th anniversary by renewing their vows at their
church. The congregation celebrated with them
at a reception afterward, rounding out a beauti-
ful day. The Mahans were delighted to have a visit
from their son Trevor and his fiancée, who live
in Phoenix. It had been almost eight years since
their last visit, so there was much to share. They
also had the opportunity to visit with Ken ’57 and
Betty Johnson Tuller,
who have family nearby.
TheTullers live in Indianapolis, but were east to at-
tend Ken’s high school reunion in Delaware.
A most welcome note from
Dianne Sobel
Hackett
included some travel news. A wedding
took them to Costa Rica, where they did zip line,
spent time on the beach and explored the Arenal
volcano. A trip to theWashington coast with their
daughter’s family and a two-week Baltic cruise
rounded out their explorations. All trips were
highly recommended. Even though she has not
gone back to tennis and skiing after having both
knees and hips replaced, Dianne is not mobility-
impaired at all. She is expanding her knowledge
of fused glass and creates draped bowls, vases
and small“one-of-a-kind”plates as well as jewelry.
She is having great fun and saving her fingernails
from the negative effects of working with clay.
I loved
Bill Brown’s
sense of humor which was
still evident in his note. Some health issues have
created the need for blood transfusions. Since
he lives in a small town in rural Ontario, he ques-
tioned the source of the blood supply. He claims
he came home and had an urge to put a refrigera-
tor on his porch. Like the rest of us, he says he is
lucky to be on the right side of the sod and insists
his golden retriever still can’t handle his tennis
serve. I won’t ask how old the retriever is.
Bob Lyle
sends his appreciation for the card re-
unioners sent. His health is much improved and
the physical therapy is bringing rewards. He and
Lois vacationed for a delightful week at Niagara-
on-the Lake, Ontario, with two of their three
families including four grandchildren. The group
rented a house through the Internet, so they en-
joyed a lot of together time. They visited the Falls,
the Welland Canal, Fort George and the wineries.
En route to Ontario, they visited Phyllis and
Ron
Boyd
in Ransomville, N.Y. More recently, they
had dinner in Boston with Peter and Joyce Miltner
Conway ’59. Keep up the good work, Bob!
Another summer went by without my intended
visit with Andy Dufault ’59 and
Tom Moore
at
their place in the Adirondacks. Next year, I prom-
ise! However, a visit from Sancy Day ’59 and Frits
Isham ’60 produced a lot of reminiscing and tales
shared by sophomore roomies and SAE brothers.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall! On their way home
from Hilton Head, the Moores had a get-together
with Liz Klimow ’59 and Ed Dowling ’56 in Emer-
ald Isle, N.C. Congratulations to all on the arrival
of a new great-grandson, increasing the Moore
family to 18. Not so good news was the informa-
tion that my new golf clubs may not improve my
game any more than Tom’s did.
Jack Winchester
was one who responded to
Tom’s reunion phone calls. A West Coaster, Jack
is living in San Jose, Calif. Although he is in good
health, he could not attend reunion because it
conflicted with a granddaughter’s graduation.
Let’s hope one of the other five will not be gradu-
ating at the time of our 60th!
Our class expert on the Revolutionary War,
Jack
Buchanan
, continues to carve a place for himself
in historical circles, as evidenced by his recent
Lifetime Achievement Award. The National Park
Service invited him to King’s Mountain National
Military Park in South Carolina, to speak on the
anniversary of that pivotal battle. From there, he
presented a paper at the annual Francis Marion
Symposium in Manning. At 82, Jack continues
with his research and writing. He has started a
new book, a sequel to
The Road to Guilford Court-
house
which will cover the second half of the
Carolina campaign. Keep up the great work, Jack.
I have been fortunate to have some contact with
two of my roommates recently. I spent a few days
in South Carolina with Phil and
Barbara Blair
Nangle
when I accompanied a Canton friend
south to attend amemorial service. It gaveme the
opportunity to meet her granddaughter Maxine.
Great fun was had by all, and I especially enjoyed
the jigglers.
A couple of dinners with
Claire Strang McGar-
rahan
provided some laughs and family news.
Her granddaughter Emma came to Canton for an
admissions interview and Claire kindly agreed to
meet me for dinner when I was stuck in Syracuse
because of a cancelled flight. Grandson Matt is
graduating this year, but I hold out hope that per-
haps there is another four years of SLU visits in the
family’s future.
During both visits, Claire, Barbara and I began
plotting to lure
Carol “Scotty” KleinsmithNew-
ton
to a roommate reunion. How about it, Scotty?
Although she spends a good part of the year in
Florida,
Lois Langtry
wastes no time when she is
back home in Northern New York. She arrived in
time for the birth of her first great-grandchild, Ad-
dison. Immediately she began to can pickles and
make jams and spaghetti sauce for family, friends
and Florida neighbors. Lois works at the real es-
tate office in Morristown and plays scrabble and
bingo. She was inspired by the Plein Air Art Festi-
val to take an oil painting class.
There was still some time for travel. She and Ken
traveled to Colorado for a wedding and the beau-
tiful scenery theremay have provided some inspi-
ration for landscapes. Ken owns some cropland
southwest of Chicago, and they visited to check
on the production of corn and soybeans. Back in
Florida for the winter, Lois continues to volunteer
in the park to teach swimmercize class and direct
the chorus.
Since Reunion,
Peggy Steuer Hammer
has
been keeping busy and active. After an awesome
trip to Italy, Peggy began making small quilts to
keep busy in the evenings. Two have been com-
pleted. A trip to Connecticut to visit relatives and
friends resulted in a ride in a Piper Clipper and her
first glider ride. It sounds as if catching thermals
has sparked a new interest!
More travel took her to the Cape for a reunion
with old friends there, and then Peggy and her
sister took an Eastman trip to the Adirondacks for
some hiking and canoeing. Hosting a lunch for
nine relatives who were on their way to theWhite
Mountains and hike must have been a pleasure
for everyone.
It is always a pleasure to get a note from
Griggs
Irving.
A trip east to see yet a second grand-
daughter graduate from Harvard gave him the
opportunity to spend a couple of days visiting
with author
Sue Seevers Dietrich
in Maine. Back
at home, Griggs’s interests are indeed diverse. He
is an adviser to the board of the North Cascades
Vintage Aircraft Museum, does volunteer work at
a Seattle shelter for homeless men, and manages
property in Trout Lake, Wash., which he leases to
an Organize Valley Co-op farm. In the fall he was
a presenter at SandFest 2013, a gathering of the
International Sand Collectors Society. Last July,
on the 100th anniversary of manufactured grat-
ing, Griggs made a presentation about his father
and his invention to an international division of
HARSCO in Mexico. Griggs sent me a copy of his
speech, delivered in Spanish, and, fortunately for
me, a translation in English. His pride in his father
was certainly evident. If any of you have an inter-
est in vintage aircraft, and in particular have some
information on the Hall Springfield Bulldog, a
1932 pylon racer, please let Griggs know.
My travel plans are limited to a cruise to Hawaii
with daughter Christy McKinnon Cooper ’84,
who is on sabbatical this year, and my usual Ala-
bama hiatus from the Canton winter. My young-
est grandchild, Claire McKinnon, entered college
this year, so another page has turned in the life
of my family.
It is the good friends I havewhomake everything
meaningful. That includes you, so pass along the
good news you are willing to share. Write, email,
phone, text—of course NOT while you are driv-
ing! Until next time, that’s all, folks!
1959
Linda Marlow Castle ’59
P.O. Box 766
420 Honeysuckle Hill
Lexington, VA 24450
540-460-2637
Next Reunion: 55
th,
May 29-June 1, 2014
Our last formal reunion is coming up next
June—our 55th!
Ruth Budlong
and I both plan
to attend. Jack and I are looking forward to it. If
you were not at our 50th, we urge you to be at
this one. Call your friends and encourage them
to make a call or two. We also urge you to have
your donation to St. Lawrence include the num-
ber five—from $5 to $5,000, no amount is too
small or too large!
Send to your class reporter by
March 15 for the Summer 2014
issue! Don’t know how to contact
your class reporter?
Visit alumni.stlawu.edu/classnotes
Have news and
photos to share?
