Winter_Magazine2015_BOOK

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class notes
st. lawrence university magazine | WINTER 2015
40 years. As a retired teacher, I
cannot state too strongly that a
good substitute teacher is worth
her weight in gold. I hope to hear
more about her planned visit with
Sue Seevers Dietrich and Joan
Lake Hacker.
A note from the Boston area from
Paul Fideler prompts me to ex-
plain briefly the need for patience
from those who are kind enough
to respond to my urging to write
and then do not find their news
in the next issue of the magazine.
I send in a column at about the
same time that you receive one.
The column I write today will
not appear for about three or
four months. Please know that I
cherish each response and try to
include them all. Otherwise, there
would be no column.
Dick Gilbert writes from
Rochester, N.Y., that “retirement
is a full-time job—no coffee
breaks, no days off, no weekends,
no sabbaticals and no pay.” He
does not sound retired to me.
He has a new book, Growing Up
Absorbed: Religious Education
Among the Unitarian Universalists,
and he continues as president
of Interfaith Impact of New York
State, a state advocacy group,
and as president of the Unitarian
Universalist Retired Ministers and
Partners Association.
provided last summer by a mini-
reunion with Ray Grinstead after
many years. His retirement from
teaching should provide more
time for the slopes. However, he is
taking constitutional law courses
on line and passed along the
recommendation that our elected
officials could profit from doing
the same. Stay in touch, Al!
Boulder, Col., is home for Dianne
Sobel Hackett. She and Ken
frequently enjoy the company
of two pre-school grandsons.
However, travel is often on her
agenda. They enjoyed a two-week
Norwegian fjords cruise in the
summer, followed by a visit to
their daughter’s family in Wash-
ington State. Ever the working
artist, Dianne stocked up on fused
glass, which she put to good
use when she participated in the
Open Studios tour in Boulder in
October.
From northwest Ohio, Bob
Isaksen, of Wauseon, spends his
time volunteering at the local
hospital. He is fortunate to have
grandchildren close enough to
spend time with them at his
lakeside cottage. Like the rest of
us, Bob says he spends too much
time visiting doctors.
Residing in central New York,
Mona “Honey” Jore Moore has
been a substitute teacher for
and his wife are moving to a new
condo in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
George Aney believes he is one
of the few members of our class
who has not retired or slowed
down. He keeps his law office in
Herkimer, N.Y., and travels to Key
West the first two weeks of each
winter month, taking suitcases
of work with him so he can keep
busy there. Grandchildren of
several of his friends attend
St. Lawrence, and can't speak
highly enough as to the type of
education they are getting there,
and what a joy it is to study and
circulate on the St. Lawrence
campus.
Ray Hartjen has a new web site
that focuses on education reform
He’s written a book, Empower-
ing the Child: Nurturing the
Hungry Mind, and a paper that he
says “promotes a powerful new
philosophy of education.” The site
is He
also directs a community boat
shop that is devoted to maintain-
ing the skills of fine wooden boat
building (see
and can be found behind the
East Hampton Marine Museum in
Amagansett, N.Y.
I resumed lifelong learning classes
in September, work on the church
finance committee, prepare some
meals for the homeless, go to the
Y and have recently joined the
League of Women Voters. Best of
all is hearing from you!
1958
Lennelle “Lennie”
Dougherty McKinnon
5 Jay Street
Canton, NY 13617
315-386-8216
Cell: 315-323-5267
Next Reunion: 60th, 2018
The St. Lawrence magazine
beckons for a column about all of
you, wherever you reside. It seems
we spread ourselves fairly liberally
over the country.
From Colorado, it was a treat to
hear from Al Parker, who plans
to attend our next reunion (the
60th) in 2018. Inspiration was
in the southeastern Adirondacks.
Eleven grandchildren keep
Joan occupied, as do bridge,
needlepoint, gardening, reading,
hiking and swimming. During
her 45-minute daily walk, Joan
watches the loons. She received a
master’s degree from the School
of Social Welfare in Albany, N.Y.
Bruce Moore did magic at
St. Lawrence and recalls teach-
ing magic tricks to Ron “Obie”
O’Brien. He has retired from his
careers as a drug salesman and
jewelry store owner.
Ron spent 10 days in South Korea
doing magic in August. He and his
wife are wintering in Hilton Head,
S.C. Tinker DeGraff says he "has
OB all figured out. In hockey he
had the fastest wrists. That is why
he took up magic, because it is all
in the wrists.”
Ina Rappe Wishner sketches with
pastels and sees friends in the
White Plains, N.Y., area. She is con-
sidering a move to Florida.
Joyce Hotaling Kent found a
picture from 1953 or 1954 with
several girls in what appears to be
a Dean-Eaton hallway. Everyone
is dressed in formals, mostly tulle
and fluffy. She identifies Sylvia
Maurycy Jolivette and me. Joyce
recalls Sylvia as a wonderful
roommate and very good at golf.
Joyce visited the Jolivette home
in Schenectady one spring break
and can still see her dining room
table laden with the most won-
derful Easter feast her mother
had prepared. That was their
tradition. Joyce is looking forward
to retirement soon and has new
office space until then.
Gary Conners wrote that he and
Gwen took an Alaska cruise out of
San Francisco in June and stayed
in Napa Valley for a few days
before sailing.
Bob Butts had hoped to describe
the trip down the Rhine River
that he and his wife, Mary, had
planned. Knee surgery intervened,
so they will try again next fall.
Meanwhile, they are in the early
planning stages of a move from
Doylestown, Pa., to northern
Virginia, where their son and
his 3-year-old twins live. He has
heard from Jerry Lupinski; he
1957
Joyce Caldwell Rhodes
5-C Oak Crest Court
Novato, CA 94947
415-892-9351
Next Reunion: 60th, 2017
Sue Van Alen Sunanda and I
enjoyed a conversation in August
during which Sue commented
that she and Richard “Tinker”
DeGraff had attended the same
elementary school and that she
and Jean Destler Wall had been
friends at St. Lawrence. After
college, she received a master's
degree in library science.
Sue lives in a care home in Roch-
ester, N.Y., near her daughter. She
uses a walker and says the brain's
okay. She wants to keep up with
SLU activities.
Joe Frascino studied biology and
chemistry in college and played
football for two years. He pursued
medicine at Seton Hall University.
He specialized in nephrology in
Bergen County, where he served
on the Board of Directors at Holy
Name Hospital. Since retirement,
he and wife Kathy have bicycled
all over the world and keep up
with grandchildren. Walter Rose
and Dietrich Waack live nearby.
Of St. Lawrence University, Joe
says he received a super back-
ground in the sciences and the
courses were well structured. He
had a great time.
Jean Aurnhammer Holmes cre-
ates graphic boards for the do-
cent presentations of the Berkeley
Repertory Theater. She is active
with Friends of the Berkeley
Public Library, and is taking three
art classes. Not one to stay still,
Jean visits her granddaughter in
Capetown, South Africa.
Joan Langlois Richardson and
Joe have a home at Paradox Lake
whole family gathered for a big
party to celebrate Marian’s 80th
birthday. The plans included an
18-day tour of Lisbon and a Duero
River cruise. She still plays tennis
and bridge, and is president of a
Yonkers senior center, so her life
is busy.
Ed Laine has a small-world story,
an unexpected visit by an ATO
brother. Ed was working in the
woodshop of the Habitat ReStore
in Charlotte, N.C., when Robert
Charles Bushnell ’54 stopped
in. Bob and Linda moved to
Charlotte five years ago, but had
never crossed paths with Ed. Bob
saw a mention of Ed’s work with
the local Habitat ReStore in this
magazine, and by coincidence,
Bob’s wife had been working in
the same ReStore.
Another ATO, Rupert Collins ’57,
called Ed and Donna to share his
good health news. “Rupe” wanted
all to know he’s still chugging
along, still the old Rupert we all
knew back in Canton, at the ATO
house and as the houseboy at
the Tri-Delta house. Ed concluded
by saying, “St. Lawrence was a
very special place in the 1950s
wasn’t it?”
Hundley Thompson spoke to the
80 employees and volunteers at
the attractions at Grandfather
Mountain, at their hospitality
banquet. It’s right on the Blue
Ridge Parkway. Hundley also sent
a list of “Great Quotes from Great
Women.” I like the one from Marie
Curie, who dedicated Hepburn
Hall as the science building at St.
Lawrence: “I never notice what
has been done. I only see what
remains to be done.”
Hope to see many of you on
campus May 28-31 at our 60th
Reunion!
ment, he enjoys Myrtle Beach and
cruising with the St. Louis soul
train cruises. His music of choice
is jazz and he has completed 17
cruises. His wife was a politician
and the first woman mayor in
North Tonawanda for 12 years and
then served another five years in
the state Assembly. Since Henry
has not returned to campus, Dick
encouraged him to join us at
Reunion.
Lois Lawall-Almeter is retired and
living with her husband, Nelson,
at Chautauqua, N.Y. They enjoy
boating, fishing and traveling. She
worked for 20 years as an execu-
tive assistant at the town, county
and Congressional levels. They
enjoy visits from their family of
five children and 12 grandchildren.
One son is a graduate of West
Point and another of the Naval
Academy, so they have vivid
memories of attending Army-
Navy football games.
Russ Harter is planning to drive
from Massachusetts to Schenect-
ady to travel to Canton with Len
Combi for Reunion. More class-
mates should carpool! Russ and
his wife, Marilyn, enjoy Holland
American cruises. They recently
completed their fourth cruise, to
St. Petersburg, Russia, and found
it in drab condition. They also
enjoy Cape Cod. Their grandson
sponsors “Life is Good” festivals;
10% of the proceeds go to a
charity to help teachers service
handicapped students. What an
awesome undertaking!
Bob Biernacki still has his won-
derful sense of humor. He also
has the travel bug. He recently re-
turned from Chicago and is plan-
ning trips to Bermuda, Paris, and
Florence, Italy. His current read is
When Paris Went Dark. Hopefully,
one day we will be reading a book
that Bob has authored.
Alida Isham Millham is busy
moving, after 40-plus years, from
a New Hampshire mountain to
a retirement community with
many amenities. She continues
to be involved with public health
committees and hospital boards.
Also, she is on a jail planning com-
mittee, a holdover from her New
Hampshire legislative days.
Dottie Whitaker Cannon is busy
with all her local Grafton, Vt.,
committees. Grafton was named
one of the top ten prettiest towns
in the United States. She is work-
ing in real estate and says the
market is slow.
I received a copy of a letter from
Dick Contee to Jim Barrick,
Leonard Price and Jim
Wilkinson suggesting that they
all get together along with Steve
Avery and Nancy at our reunion.
That is a wonderful idea! The
Contees journeyed to the Averys’
home on Hilton Head Island and
received a full island tour com-
plete with drinks at a beach-side
bar. Nancy and Steve are great
tour guides and Dick recom-
mends Avery Island Tour Service.
Liz Ehert and Dave Beebe con-
tinue as volunteers at the Camillus
Erie Canal Park, conducting
school tours, coach tours and din-
ner cruises, and hosting cyclists
from all over the world taking the
Canalway Trail from Albany to
Buffalo. Liz and Dave enjoyed a
trip with the Canal Society of New
York State to the Chesapeake
& Ohio Canal. They especially
enjoyed George Washington’s
Potomac Canal at Great Falls.
Marian Finck Moore writes that
in June she met son Chris and
his family and daughter Julie in
Calgary. They spent a few days in
the Canadian Rockies. Coordinat-
ing 10 people for dinner and tour-
ing was quite a feat! In July, the
The Canton Rotary Club has dedicated a maple tree on campus in
memory of Peter Van de Water ’58, a past Rotarian, community activist
and St. Lawrence vice president. Taking part in a brief dedication cer-
emony in October were, from left, Gerry Lambert (Rotary Area District
Governor) Lance W. Rudiger ’82 (Canton Rotary President), Elizabeth
Blaisdell "Becky" Van de Water ‘60, and Rotarians Janet Favro, St.
Lawrence Emeritus Professor of English Robert DeGraaff
and Ryan Niles.
We’re grateful for the many ways you demonstrate what it means to be a “Laurentian for Life.” The Report of Appreciation
honors YOU, the people who make it possible for our students’ dreams to become realities through your gifts of time, talent
and treasure. Visit for a complete list of donors and volunteers, as well as stories
demonstrating the impact of your giving. (The password is 1856.)
Don’t Miss the 2014
Report of Appreciation online!
Photo by: Chris Melville ’14