An email from Tony Lavely '64, Class Secretary

Are you planning to video and stream your own memorial service?

November 12, 2022

Dear 1964 classmates and friends,

In recent years and months, I’ve been moved and impressed with departed classmates who made arrangements to video and live-stream their funeral service, memorial service, or celebration-of-life service. I recall that the suggestion first came to me from Neil Hoffmann. His rationale was that it’s getting more and more difficult for some classmates to travel long distances to attend services, yet there is a longing to re-connect with classmates and their families for a last goodbye. Clearly, it’s something that may be expressed in last wishes.

In recent months we have posted videos of the memorial services for the following classmates. Click their names to watch their memorial services.

These videos are early examples of a growing genre. These services were not only viewed remotely in real time by mourners who could not attend in person, but were also recorded and posted for viewing afterwards. Video files can also be passed down to descendants as a legacy. Food for thought.

Now to the business at hand. This is a Class Notes issue, so you will find the January-February 2023 Class Notes embedded at the bottom of this email. The Class Notes are also posted on our Class website here. The version that will eventually appear in the Yale Alumni Magazine in January 2023 is much shorter due to word-count limitations. 

I won’t duplicate the details about classmates and class events that are included in the Class Notes, except to highlight the following upcoming class events and their organizers.

  • Princeton-Yale football game and Mory’s dinner (Chris Getman), November 12, 2022
  • Boston Area Zoom (Jerry Flannelly), November 16, 2022 (third Wednesdays)
  • Bay Area Zoom (Owen O’Donnell), November 16, 2022 (third Wednesdays)
  • The Game at Harvard (Jerry Flannelly), November 19, 2022, sign up for the tailgate here
  • Zoom on SCOTUS affirmative action (Joe Wishcamper and Howard Gillette), December 1, 2022
  • Mory’s Class Luncheon (Chris Getman), December 7, 2022 (first Wednesdays)
  • Zoom Book Club (Russell Sunshine and Edward Massey), January 29, 2023
  • Annual Class Council Meeting in New Haven (Tony Lavely), February 25, 2023

Lastly, we remember three classmates whose deaths were reported since we last communicated.

Please feel free to email me with your thoughts about the question at the top of this email or about any other topic that you would like to share with classmates.

I wish you a happy and joyful holiday season and best wishes for 2023.

Cheers,


Tony Lavely
407.770.8942 (cell)

P.S. If you’re inclined to print this email, please be aware that the embedded Class Notes below are longer than usual.

January-February Class Notes

[To read these Notes in your browser in living color, click here.]

This is the first issue of Class Notes for the New Year, though it was written in early November 2022. There are many classmate gatherings between November and January, so we hope you will check out the Class Website/Events for details. The renewal of the Cape Cod Class Golf Outing took place on September 28-29, with four foursomes playing two different courses. The outing was organized by Ted Jones with meals hosted by Dottie and John Evans and Debbie Swenson and Larry Capodilupo. On December 1, Howard Gillette will moderate a Zoom event, organized by Joe Wishcamper, “Re-evaluating Civil Rights in Contemporary America.” Discussing the then-pending SCOTUS case on affirmative action, classmates Jim Duderstadt, Joe Lieberman, and Joe Rich, were joined by civil rights lawyer John Brittain and former Yale College Dean Jonathon Holloway. There is still time to register here. On January 20, Russell Sunshine will be the featured author on our Class of 1964 Authors Book Club, a series organized by Edward Massey and moderated by Owen O’Donnell. Russell will talk about his book, Far & Away: True Tales from an International Life, and also draw on his monthly blog, Agile Aging. Please register here.
 
Monthly classmate lunches and/or Zoom calls continued during September and October. Chris Getman organized lunches at Mory’s on September 7 and October 5; Owen O’Donnell hosted Zoom calls for the Bay Area group on September 14 and October 19; Jerry Flannelly hosted Zoom calls for the Boston group on September 21 and October 19. Can we get classmate volunteers to reignite classmate Zooms or luncheons in NYC and DC? Class Treasurer Chip Brennan wrote his annual Class Dues letter in October. Last year, 268 classmates paid dues to support Class of 1964 initiatives. You can pay your dues here. The Classic Whiffs sang at Mory’s on October 17. It was the final appearance of Jon McBride and Al Rossiter with this group. Chris Getman wrote: “It was fun, as this talented group sang a lot of old favorites.” The annual Class Council meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2023, in New Haven.

In Class News, we have added articles to the website by or about Sam Francis (Navy sword presentation), Ted Jones and Chris Getman (Cape Cod golf outing), and Sam Low (memories of his ancestors). By the time of YAM publication, there will be additional articles posted by or about Owen O’Donnell (Bay Area August Zoom), Jerry Flannelly (Boston Area August Zoom), Stephen Greenblatt (David McCullough citation), Dick Niglio and Terry Holcombe (New Haven Gridiron Hall of Fame}, Howard Gillette (Roe v Wade), Chip Thomas (new music album), Tony Lavely (Yale Archives). Tony Lavely participated in a survey from Yale College Arts, “Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP).” Bob Archer and Joe Wishcamper circulated a Forbes article about Yale dining halls, “At College Dining Halls, Yale Students Enjoy the Best food of Their Young Lives.” Joe commented, “Probably necessary to meet the competition from peer institutions, but a wide departure from the idea of higher education.” The planting of Urban Resource Institute’s 10,000th tree in New Haven was reported in the Yale School of the Environment’s 2022 Annual Report (see news story).

Following the October Bay Area Zoom call, Bob Archer emailed: “As requested, I have attached my letter to the editor published in the Marin Independent Journal on September 15 on the need to reform the current California rooftop solar policy. The piece has thirteen links. Unfortunately, the IJ only included two of the links for some unknown reason, so I haven't attached it. Readers did not have the opportunity to check the sources behind my statements. I drew a good bit on the work of Severin Borenstein and his colleagues at the UC Berkeley Energy Institute. In summary, the rooftop solar success over time has had some negative consequences: (1) It is inequitable: it shifted utility costs from higher income rooftop solar owners to those without rooftop solar who are generally middle and lower income; (2) It is expensive: Rooftop solar is 3x-5x more expensive than community, commercial, and utility-scale solar; (3) It is declining in value: There is often surplus generation in the afternoon and but nothing during the peak period of 5:00pm and 9:00pm. (Storage is needed.)” Owen O’Donnell replied: “Bob, I read your article and I have a few comments. I understand that most rooftop solar installations are done by middle-class and upper-class individuals and lower-income electricity consumers do not have that option due to assets/incomes and no opportunity (renters). Therefore, those consumers of electrons may have to pay more for their electrical service. However, there were some things you missed in your article. I am paid, or will be paid, $0.14 per KWH by PG&E and they are charging between $0.28 and $0.32 for the same KWH to their electrical consumers. PG&E can use that profit from my electrons to subsidize the low-income consumers for the electricity they consume. My electrons contribute nothing to the production of CO2 in the atmosphere, while PG&E's production of electrons does contribute significant amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. By discouraging rooftop solar, the system is making the overall environment more toxic than it would be using the current incentives for rooftop solar. The CAPUC has mandated that I pay an amount monthly for the cost of distribution of electrons in California, so I am paying something for distribution, but not the production of electrons. Wildfire mitigation and compensation is mostly a factor of PG&E prioritizing profits over maintenance. The Camp Fire was caused by a transmission tower that was way beyond its useful life, but it had not been replaced or repaired by PG&E and it failed, causing the fire. There is no reason for consumers of PG&E to pay for wildfire losses when they are caused by the gross negligence of the utility. If the state wants to mandate that PG&E have energy efficiency programs, it should pay for the cost and not compel the utilities' consumers to pay for that cost. The same goes for low-income subsidies. I don't know what early tech investments are and what they have to do with the public utilities in California, but I cannot imagine a company like PG&E being involved in anything for the benefit of Californians. If batteries are important to balance out the production of electrons and their consumption, the state should incentivize individuals with rooftop solar to install batteries and not reduce the incentives for the production of electrons without the production of CO2. This is a complicated issue and from my prospect some of the players have lost the right to complain given their history of blatant disregard for the welfare of their consumers for years. Starting over with new players is better than extending a helping hand to companies that have prioritized profits over service for years. Let the debate begin and rage.”

After she received the September blast email, Michelle Mead (surviving spouse of John Armor) wrote: “Oh, my goodness! What a question! If it's taken me this long to reply, it's because I've wanted to give it such thoughtful consideration. Perhaps the most significant difference in the last twelve months is that I am seeing life from a very different perspective. After 72 years of feeling out of step with the majority of people I encounter, I finally have some insight into the cause. My nephew's son was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and wanting to be a good aunt and discuss this intelligently with him, I did research on the subject. With each page I read, my eyes opened. They could have been talking about me, in fact, they were. Years of incomprehension suddenly made sense. My incredible clumsiness. My physical tics. My need to dominate conversations. My laser-sharp focus on subjects to the exclusion of all else. My lack of empathy in circumstances which seemingly moved other people. Every time there was a checklist, I checked almost every box. An incredible calm has come into my life. I no longer feel the need to beat myself up over things which are not my fault. And since Asperger's often runs in families, I am convinced that my father had it too. My father was a very difficult person to love, and with a more comprehensive knowledge of the difficulties he faced, I can only admire him more. Poor John! If he'd only known, perhaps he wouldn't have been so upset by my occasional million-mile stares into nothingness, which so bothered him. At least his political campaigns benefited from my single-minded ability to concentrate, since I was his campaign manager.”

After the October Bay Area Zoom call, Len Baker provided background on the first graduate school union election in three decades: “In the past, graduate students at Yale, when allowed to vote freely, have opposed unionization. The organizers have tried to use the card-check method, together with heavy harassment — visiting people relentlessly, including in the middle of the night. It will be interesting to see how a secret ballot turns out.” Joe Wishcamper asked: “In rough terms what is the typical financial arrangement between Yale and graduate students? My understanding is that they receive free tuition and a stipend for serving as teaching assistants. Is that so? What is the range of the stipends and other benefits? They get paid pretty well.” Len replied: “It’s been a few years since I’ve looked at it, but I think they get free tuition, healthcare, and something like $30-40K stipend per year.”

Following Hurricane Ian in September, Tom Barnard emailed: “Tony, thanks for thinking of us. We were lucky that the storm passed well out to sea and caused our area minimal storm surge. I feel sorry for the people in southwest Florida, Sarasota to Naples, etc. Such a shock to their sense of security. Hopefully they recover well and quickly. We, too, fondly remember the Xmas lights festival with you at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. One of the great attractions in Atlanta. I hope you and your family are all well and thriving. Thanks as always for your stream of information about classmates in the '64 Class Notes. We are headed to CT and Maine for a week next week to see and support children and grands. Our oldest grandchild is a freshman at Penn State, first time away from home. Reports are that he is doing well. I look forward to seeing him when we all get together over Xmas. By the way, I just read an informative piece by David Brooks in the NYT, which I will email to you. In the broad sweep of history, females obviously have been responsible for the majority of child rearing, while being subordinate in public. Certainly females (and society as a whole) deserve their liberation to equality, but males now are struggling to compete. It's a major sociological revolution.”

In September, Dick Berk emailed: “I am following up in case you plan to be in NYC any time in the next several months. My son Michael is thriving in NYC, and I will be visiting him every once in a while. I don’t know if I told you, but he and my daughter Rachel are taking me to Japan in early November for my 80th. I love Japan, and it will be great to return for a couple of weeks. Along with my wife Susan, they took me to Istanbul for my 70th. I had never been, but it was at the top of my bucket list. It is a really amazing city with a fantastic history. On an entirely different matter, several years ago, Susan asked me to take one of those online autism tests. I did and scored in the middle ranges … sort of autism lite. I then got a real medical diagnosis that confirmed it. It is more properly called ‘autism spectrum disorder.’ This came as a great relief because it explained a lot of who I am and what could and could not be changed. I am not what these days is called ‘neurotypical’ but have managed pretty well, and I can fake it when I have too. It helps that I have been an academic in a technical field. Social skills are a second-order attribute. Maybe a question to pose to the class of '64: ‘At 80 years old, what do you do for exercise?' ‘Nothing’ is an acceptable answer.” Later, during the World Series, Dick Berk emailed: “It has sure been exciting. In tonight’s game, Houston made some remarkable defensive plays to hold off the Phillies in the last two innings. They are now down 3-2 going back to Houston. It does not look good. But for a Phillies team that was the last wild card to get to the post season, the city is going wild. And the Eagles are now 8-0 with a win tonight, fittingly against Houston. The soccer team is the biggest surprise. I don’t follow it enough to appreciate it. And the 76ers could be very good but are off to a rough start. And they just lost their starting point guard for a month (Harden) with a foot injury. It must be good to connect with Rich Niglio and talk about the old times. I am going to do some of that on Saturday. My old rugby club (Baltimore Rugby Club) that I played for in graduate school has a game in Philadelphia. One of the current team reached out to me as an alum and asked me to attend. I am still in touch with some of my old team. I have sent you and Pat Caviness some pictures in the past. By the way, I remember a painful loss to the Old Blue Yale rugby team. Per Wickstrom was on that Yale team. It was a sevens tournament. Yale was in better shape than we were after three matches that day and beat us decisively. We were running on fumes. I would have liked to play them with fresh legs, because we had a lot of talent. Enjoy the Yale-Harvard game. Does Harvard still play in the same stadium where Stan Thomas and I fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter on a misdirection play? It was my fault. I got to the exchange too quickly. I would have loved to have that play back. There was a lot of open field in front of me. When you see Dick Niglio again, please given him my regards. I always thought he was a good guy and a good football player. And he was under a lot of pressure being a local kid.”

In September, Dan Berman emailed: “From your July/August column, I guess you took a summer break, along with other classmates. Here in Davis, just west of Sacramento, it hit 113 twice early this week. Lorna, Jake, and David and I are healthy; all of us but David got the COVID, sans serious sequelae. One more: I wrote to Enoch Woodhouse of the YAM cover story. One anecdote caught my attention; his story how fellow white classmates wouldn't sit to eat at same table. Gary Wong, Yale '59 or '60, our grad student dorm counselor freshman year, said one Southern guy got up and left when he sat down to eat. Gary had been first in his class year or overall, and he had a nice Jewish girlfriend living with him who was also a New Yorker and a grad student in biology. Gary was the nicest guy in the world. Times sure change, I guess. My main beef about Yale was the absence of female students. Unlike those lazy preppies, I was accustomed to having them around.” Later, Dan added to the story, “What is the #1 climate threat where you live?” “Good question. In Davis proper, in the Sacto Valley, it's the 100+ heat June through much of September, and the fires not so far way, which in summer 2021 kept us veiled in smoke through July until October. PS For some reason this year the winds took this smoke from the fires north of us east to Nevada. People hardly breathed any of it here in the Sacto Valley.” Along with a photo of an Elvis impersonator (it wasn’t Lavely’s impersonation), Bill Bowe posted from Chicago: “At a party celebrating the Great Lester Munson at Harry Carey’s last night, Elvis was kind enough to shake hands with Cathy Bowe before leaving the building. I heard him say that he was going to miss her. Maybe I overreacted, but like a fool rushing in, I told the bounder to never touch my girt like that again. As wise men say, don’t step on my blue suede shoes, ‘cause I love that gal real tender like.” In November, Timothy Breen was the featured speaker at an event at Northwestern University and spoke about, “How to Write an American History Textbook for our Times.” Timothy was also one of many classmates who remembered John More: “I learned of John’s death from friends in Washington. He was my roommate at the Taft School and then at Yale. John was a distinguished scholar, recording an impressive academic record in classical studies. But for all his scholarly achievements, he shall be remembered as a person who championed genuine social equality, especially in housing. He focused his impressive energies on improving our shared civil society during a time when so many democratic principles are at risk.” Bob Buchanan also wrote about John More: “John was such an engaging and endearing person. You couldn’t interact with him without knowing that he was someone special. So, for those of us who have dodged the bullet so far, may we live life as best we can and raise a glass to those wonderful friends and classmates who have moved on. Let’s all make an effort to get together soon.” Bob Buchanan also remembered Dan Gsovski, “I regret to report the loss of yet another of our classmates, Dan Gsovski. Dan’s wife Barbara emailed me that while she and Dan were in Rome visiting family, Dan apparently suffered a major stroke or heart attack and died in their hotel room. As those who participated in the latest Class Zoom call will remember, Dan was as energetic, witty, passionate, and full of vim and vigor as ever. Even if we are all getting up there in years and such news is somewhat expected, it is still a shock. I will pass along any more information re a memorial service, etc. if I receive any.” Bob added, “On a happier note, Sharon and I just returned from fifteen wonderful days in Greece and Turkey. Are there some updates those receiving this email want to forward to the rest of us? Counting my blessings while I can.”

Jim Carney offered this in a Mo Dean email thread about Shakespeare’s history plays, “Shakespeare was not writing history, so why complain about historical inaccuracy.”Pat Caviness and Dan Pollack exchanged memories of the Yale 1960 undefeated football team our freshman year. Dan wrote: ‘I'm sure you remember Tom Singleton who was three years older than us. He played for New Trier High School in Illinois and then Yale. He quarterbacked the 1960 Yale team that was the first in 100 years to go undefeated and untied. Mike Pyle, Hardy Will, and Tom all played on that Yale team and went to New Trier.” Caviness replied: “I never knew Tom. Didn't realize that he was part of the New Trier football talent that graced the Yale football field with their talent. I liked seeing the photos of that gang together with Hardy Will looking very fit. I did know Bob Blanchard. He had gone to Taft before I got there. I knew Bob as a hard-running fullback. I saw that firsthand. I didn't know he was the fastest guy on the team. The article on Tom was one more fitting tribute to the 1960 undefeated team. I remember watching the Yale-Harvard game at Soldiers Field (after our freshman win, thanks to Tony and Strachan Donnelly). We all watched the Yale varsity move the ball from the get-go. I enjoyed how Wolfe described his first touchdown, saying that the Yale line did all the work. They had cleared out a hole you could have driven a truck through. I hadn't realized that the fake between Tom and Bob had set it up. I just thought that incredibly talented line had blown open the hole.” Actually, Coach Oliver set the play up after asking Tony Lavely what he had learned in the Freshman game the day before. “Coach,” said Lavely, “They are keying everything on our fullback. The first series, I called Niglio off the right tackle hole; they stuffed him twice. The second series, I faked to Dick and pitched to Stan Thomas who went for a lot of yards around the right side.” So, the first play of the varsity game was a fake to Blanchard and Kenny Wolfe went all the way for a TD.

In September, Pat Caviness emailed a video: “We often go to a little cafe and bar near us on Koh Samui called the Secret Garden where our friends, Rick and Maria, perform. I've taken guitar lessons from Rick, who you can see is an accomplished guitarist. His wife, who is Russian and considerably younger than Rick is, has a fine voice.” Pat Caviness had an email exchange with John More in late September, only days before John died. John wrote: “I want to alert you about some bad news about my health. After suffering from severe fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss, I went into the ER. They diagnosed me with a stomach blockage caused by pancreatic cancer. They good news is that they inserted a stent to bypass the blockage. I am only ingesting liquids, but I have been released from the hospital and am out on the Island. Will be returning to D.C. soon to start treatment. I have already lined up a top oncologist. Livy and I have wonderful support, so Livy and I are generally positive.” Pat replied: “Please get back to DC and start treatment immediately. I'm impressed that the doctors discovered the cause and immediately took action to restore your digestive system. You have taken good care of yourself, so you are capable of fighting this disease. I'm very sorry such a good man and such a good friend of mine is having to deal with this. It is grossly unfair! John responded: “Unfair. yes. But my life has been so blessed with all the people in it like you and with all that I have been able to accomplish. I am also aware of the access I have had to the best of our medical care system. Most of Americans do not have that.” Pat concluded: “Our friendship has been a blessing to me. Your friendship, and your company when I was going through my own medical trials in SF, were invaluable. I wish I could be there with you right now. I'm sending healing hugs and my love to you from the other side.”

On hearing that Tony Lavely had been at Dick Niglio’s surprise 80th birthday party in Minneapolis, Pat Caviness emailed, “Thanks for your note. You know, I haven't had much luck with the video birthday greetings. On several well wishes, I played my guitar, along with some other good guitar players who accompanied me. With Rich, I wanted it to be special and meaningful. I spent time composing what I was going to say and actually had several recorded walk-throughs. I appreciate you letting me know how it went. I knew you were going to be there and would understand what we experienced that first season together when all of us were freshmen. Know you must be enjoying the most recent addition to your family, Tony. That's one beautiful baby boy. Still, thinking of moving to NYC or New Haven? We are thoroughly enjoying our new place. Frederique is already making plans to go back to France next summer and take a house for a month. She wants to have a temporary base where we can stay that is well located and will allow us to travel around in Spain and France. I still have a lingering chronic cough that I'm saying is a result of long COVID. I'm wondering how long these side effects stay around. Thinking of you. Hope you continue to take good care of yourself. And that you are at least open to traveling to Samui and SE Asia to stay with us. You will be treated as our most valuable VIP. Hugs from here, teammate.” Last weekend Frederique and I were at the Secret Garden. It rained a heavy tropical rain, but they were delightful...as always. The scene is casual, with dogs strolling around, and the audience strolling around in front of the performers. But it doesn't diminish their rhythms and harmonies. Enjoy.” Pat Caviness also exchanged emails with Dick duPont. “Thanks, duPs. I've always liked Alan Jackson. Funny, he seems to look older, like I do, since I saw him last. Guess you had to get older to do a song like that one justice. He released the song on his 60th birthday in 2017. He has a lot more ‘getting older’ ahead of him. As I have gotten older, I have realized that my times with Frederique, nearly 20 years together now, have been the best years of my life. Living each day together has a richness and beauty to it that grows and lingers. Appreciate you sending along the video.” Then Joe Wishcamper weighed in, “Love your exchange, Pat and Dick. Alan Jackson is good, better to hear than to see in person, which I have done twice. His warmup act at one of those concerts was ... hard to believe … Merle Haggard. Merle was not happy to be there. I was not happy to see the great singer playing, literally, second fiddle to the lead act. To borrow a phrase from Merle: ‘That’s the way life goes.’ ” Finally, when Pat Caviness saw the change in Tony Lavely’s Facebook profile picture (his 1000-bottle wine cellar), Pat emailed “Knowing you’re considering relocating from Atlanta, you might want to consider doubling up on your weekend wine consumption and inviting some friends over to be willing to help. If I were there, I’d be the first to volunteer!”

Larry Crutcher, who edited our 50th Reunion Class Book, forwarded a message from Jennifer Julier, who wrote: “It has been a long time since I’ve spoken with some of you, and worked with you on your 50th Reunion class book projects. I received some sad news this morning from John Breustle, who has worked for years with Hugh Wachter at Reunion Press. Three weeks ago, Hugh was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and spent some time in treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has no family, so John has been assisting with his care. He is scheduled to come home in about a week, and it is hoped that he will regain some of his cognitive skills in comfort there. I know that all of you spent a great deal of time with Hugh and know that he dedicated his life to helping classes at Princeton, Yale, and other schools produce class books beyond par. His business continues in John’s capable hands. I thought it would be nice to send him a card to let him know that we are thinking of him at this very difficult time.” Nick Danforth circulated an article: “I hope you know about our friend Jim Stock (Yale grad) and his climate work at Harvard, another good example of Yale/Harvard climate change symbiosis (like me and Robin?).” Later, Nick circulated another article eulogizing Dudley Fitts: “I took Dudley Fitts' memorable English class at Andover with Gerry Shea. The attached memoir about Mr. Fitts also reminds us of the poet in Mr. Shea!” Mo Dean launched an email thread debate about Shakespeare’s history plays, with this: “In his comment below, Paul Clark makes his sharpest statement yet denouncing William Shakespeare. Though I have long brushed Paul’s denunciations aside as his way of excusing his personal dislike for (and maybe inability to appreciate) The Bard, I find myself this morning worrying whether, in fact, we appreciators may have been taken in, hoodwinked by our Shakespeare-adoring professors? Paul is no dummy. Have any of you harbored Paul’s suspicions yourselves? Or am I, in my turn, just looking for an excuse for my 80-year-old (80 if you count some of the months I resided in my mother’s womb; my 80th birthday, if I reach it, will be on January 8.) brain’s rapidly diminishing loss of ability to appreciate Shakespeare? BTW, happy belated 79th birthday to Jim Carney, on October 20. The youngest of us all.” Later, Mo blogged, “It has come to some readers’ attention that many of the comments I posted in September and early October bear a timestamp between 12 and 5 a.m. They wondered all sorts of things: was I suffering from insomnia, had I drunk too much coffee or been over-stimulated in some other way? Or what? ‘Or what’ applies: I was on vacation in the Central European Summer Time zone, 6 hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern Time zone. It wasn’t the middle of the night in Paris, or Cologne, or Lübeck, or Kiel, or Nice, or Orange, wherever I was at the time. A seemingly 2 a.m. posting in Mebane was in reality an 8 a.m. posting for me, my usual time to be up and about. N’est-ce pas? Nein? In the coming weeks, I hope to write about some of the things I was up to. Thanks for your concern. It was all good: good to go and be in the cities listed above, good to come home to Mebane.” Mo emailed: “Tony, I really enjoyed looking at the current array of classmates’ 80th birthday photos. Thanks for collecting those. I assume that further photos, as younger classmates submit them, will just be added at that same web address? [Yes.] Cool!”

Bruce Driver emailed, “Tony, unless I have miracle surgery on my back/butt later this fall, I won't be able to travel to New Haven next February for the Class Council meeting. Certainly, could do a Zoom.” Later Bruce circulated his final predictions for eight US Senate races in November 2022. Dick duPont emailed Pat Caviness and Joe Wishcamper in August, “I'm glad you're on the mend, Patrick, and salaams to Frederique. Mind you, whiskey is not recommended until your temperature drops below 104F. Joe, how about a side trip with Carol to St. John's Newfoundland? It's only a brief hop across the gulf, but it’s tuna time now. No good tugging on one of those for your 80th, just make friends at the Shamrock City Pub one night and hitch a ride the next day.”Dick duPont’s eldest son Dick has a book forthcoming, Richard Dupont Works: Writings 2000-2022, published by the Perez Art Museum and DelMonico Books. Dick emailed: “I’m proud as punch of my first-born, for he has earned every bit of success he is now getting.” Sam Crocker emailed Dick duPont, “Here is a photo that you took with my camera. Saybrook College is in the background. It was a wonderful lunch with much good conversation, including the sharing of good memories of past events and experiences. It also was so good to see you after so many years and to have you spend the night with us. I am glad your trip home was a safe and easy one! You were smart to get out ahead of the traffic which starts building early on the Merritt Parkway.” Dick duPont added: “This was the grand finale of the great hockey coach portrait caper. And Dick Gagliardi, Jr. was a hoot. He flew all the way from Montana just to attend our little gathering at Mory's.”

Don Edwards emailed the sad news of Sally’s death on September 24: “Sally died peacefully at home Saturday afternoon. I was at her side, and thanks to hospice care, she was not in pain. Now, Sally is with the saints in light. A Memorial Choral Eucharist will be celebrated at St. Thomas’s in New Haven on Saturday, October 29 at 11:00am.” Sally was ’64 MAT and my blind date to our Senior Prom. She was the daughter of a Yalie, granddaughter of two more, great-granddaughter of yet another and mother of Jenny (’89) and David (’93). Many classmates comforted Don with messages. Ward Wickwire wrote: “So sorry to hear about Sally. It was great spending time with you both in Maine. Her poem summarizes much of what Tracy and I have experienced here in Maine. Tracy and I are thinking about you and your family.” Joe Lieberman wrote: “I am saddened by news of Sally’s passing and send condolences to you and all her family and friends. I pray that you will be strengthened by your faith and find comfort in the wonderful memories of Sally that I know you have.” Edward Massey emailed: “There’s no good way to write this note, but we all try, and I am trying to tell you that I am thinking of you and hoping that provides support as you live with and through your grief.” Al Rossiter wrote: “Thank you for sharing your very sad news. This is surely a time for friends and family to gather around; I hope that is happening. My very best to you. May Sally rest in peace.” Peter Jokl emailed: “My condolences to Don. Hopefully the wonderful memories you have of the life you spent with Sally will give you solace during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you.” Tony Lavely emailed: “Don, I’m deeply saddened by this news, but understand first-hand how the loss of one’s spouse can be a relief from her suffering. I know you will be comforted by your wonderful family and the memories of your life together. I will keep Sally in my thoughts in the days ahead.” Chris Getman wrote to the Mory’s group: “It is with great sadness that I pass along this message from Don about Sally’s passing. She was a remarkable woman. I encourage everyone to read the lovely sonnet she wrote from a cherished spot in Maine. Condolences to Don and his family.”

John Evans wrote about the Cape Cod golf outing in late September: “We had a very successful outing on Cape Cod, September 28-30, based in Chatham. Golf Wednesday at Eastward Ho! Country Club, dinner that night at the home of Larry Capodilupo and Debbie Swenson, golf Thursday at Cape Cod National Golf Club and dinner that night back at Eastward Ho! A final round on Friday at Captains Golf Course was cancelled, only two had indicated interest and they and everyone else were too tired to make three in a row. We are aging a bit; even Thursday was difficult as a second day in a row for many of us. The weather was wonderful, fortunately, if a bit chilly on Thursday. Really very lucky, the remnants of Hurricane Ian hit here on Saturday (cold and steady rain) and Sunday (cold, rain, and strong winds). The golf was great fun, both dinners were elegant and excellent, and we finished with ‘Bright College Years’ as a proper finale. A wonderful mini-reunion of sorts. Chris Getman has done a ‘factual write up’ and sent a picture of the group at EHo! Heather Post is missing from the picture, but she was there and played both days (and shot a 38 on the back nine at EHo!).”

Jerry Flannelly wrote about the Boston Zoom call in September: “We missed you, Tony. Topics included boosters, flu shots, Ukraine, Queen’s funeral, state of British and U.S politics, and probably other things. Mike Austin joined from a rehab bed after having his lower leg amputated so we also talked about that for a while.” Steve Floman emailed: “I’d like to change my email address on the Class Website. I’m pretty much retired so using a business email no longer makes any sense. Susan and I had the good fortune to be able to take an 11-day, 2,625-mile, 12-state road trip in mid-October. The prime ‘targets’ were two grandchildren, one at Vanderbilt and one at Wisconsin. It was wonderful to visit with them in their college habitats. The bonus was seeing so many states by car. Our country is stunningly beautiful, vast, and wide open. The mountains, forests, rivers, valleys, and fields knocked our socks off every place we went. Leaves were turning everywhere, so it also was an 11-day foliage trip. The land knows no politics; it’s just there to be gaped at in awe, which is exactly what we did.” Jeff Frant emailed: “I got a big kick out of viewing the photos submitted by our classmates on the occasion of our collective 80th birthdays. Here is a recent photo (May 2022). Very Boulder.” Chas Freeman emailed: “My wife and I are moving to Exeter, NH, where we have purchased an apartment in which to await admission, some years hence, to a well-appointed geezer warehouse there. We will continue to divide our time between our home, now in New Hampshire, and our family vacation home in Bristol, RI. I don't think I have brought my latest talk to your attention.”

Frank Franklin wrote to John Hunsaker on a roommate email thread: “Apologize for my delayed response but last Thursday COVID symptoms emerged, initial negative home rapid antigen test Thursday evening converted to positive Friday evening, Paxlovid started Saturday AM, now after 5-day course, feeling much better but still weak. Apparently, I was exposed at a local jazz club for an Aretha Franklin cover artist. We did not wear masks as we drank in a large, crowded room with many people singing and dancing. So far Cindy has no symptoms other than fatigue from caring for a PITA (Pain in The Ass) patient. We both have had the two-jab primary series and two boosters. We got the second booster early in January 2022. Thus, my immune titers likely have waned and were not strong to fight off Omicron. We will get the bivalent booster as soon as it comes out. Thank you for the thoughtful questions as this polio case in New York state raises many interesting public health and pediatric care issues.”

Early in the football season, Chris Getman emailed, “Would anyone like four good (45-yard line) tickets and a YUAD parking pass for the Howard game this Saturday? It’s a game designed to narrow the gap between HBCUs and traditional institutions. It’s my understanding that the Howard band is worth the price of admission. I’m sorry to miss it.” Later in the football season, Chris Getman emailed: “The team looked good against Columbia. Brown has a strong offense, and our pass defense needs to be at the top of its game in order for us to win. Princeton looks like the team to beat, having handled all of its opponents easily. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on November 12 at YUAD spot A30. Please let us know if you plan to join us for dinner at Mory’s at 6:00. Our group there is filling up fast. I’m pleased that James ‘Jimmy’ Hatch and his service dog will be joining us. As most of you know Jimmy is a 57-year-old junior at Yale. Prior to coming here, he was a Navy SEAL who served terms in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was on the Captain Philips expedition and was badly wounded trying to rescue Beau Bergdahl from the Taliban. He has helped create a new course at the Jackson Institute about the war in Afghanistan and is a classical literature major. He’s a fun and engaging guy who’s been interviewed by Mary Louise Kelly on ‘All Things Considered’ on NPR and has been on Anderson Cooper’s show at least twice. I recommend his book Touching the Dragon which is a great description of the perils of war. This will be his first football game. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy meeting him. He’s a fun guy. Hope to see you at the Brown game and am looking forward to Princeton.” Later, Chris Getman emailed: “This is not an article of political bias. Rather it’s one of concern for our democracy which I feel is in deep peril. I recommend it to you with the hope that calm heads on both sides of the aisle will prevail in the forthcoming mid-terms and we can revert to strong bi-partisan leadership. It’s discouraging to me how legislators on both sides of the aisle vote strictly by party line seemingly without thoughtful conversation. This partisanship is dividing our country in a very unhealthy way. What’s of great concern to me is the possibility that state legislatures seem poised to be able to determine the outcome of elections regardless of the actual outcome. I don’t know how this trend can be stopped but hope strongly that it will be. Civil conversation would be a start. It’s discouraging to see families and friendships blown apart by partisan differences.”

Stephen Greenblatt emailed: “Tony, I’m looking forward to seeing your brother Jay ’65 at our 60th Newton High School (MA) reunion. Meanwhile, Harvard has resumed in-person classes, and I’m happily back in the classroom lecturing to 90 eager first-years (the people we used to call freshmen).” Bob Hilgendorf emailed in August, “My brother and niece came to Santa Fe for a belated 80th birthday. His niece and I were on the rail trail biking yesterday. Beautiful weather and flora and fauna and mountain views.” Later, Bob wrote: “I meant to forward a copy of my letter to the editor when I copied Tony Lee who is heading up a climate change seminar that I am participating in. The Santa Fe New Mexican published it today under a three-column banner headline! Hope someone reads it in Washington — ha ha.” Later, in October, Bob Hilgendorf emailed from Switzerland, with photos, “Hello from Switzerland. I'm just beginning my assent up the Matterhorn glacier. We've hit all the great mountains in Switzerland and France, Mont Blanc included. Our (Ling's and my) trip to Switzerland involved getting to the top of Rigi near Lake Lucerne, taking the highest rack railway in Europe to the summit of the Jungfrau, and taking a train to Cha Monique France and going almost to the top of Mont Blanc, moving on to the Matterhorn and getting to the top (almost, since 70 mile an hour winds limited the last gondola), and finishing up with a family reunion in Frankfurt with my son Nate and his family and son Matt who flew in from Rome. Back to Santa Fe with some reluctance as you can imagine.”

Butch Hetherington emailed: “Two months ago, I birdied the 10th hole on the Yale Course.” Commenting on the aforementioned Mo Dean thread about Shakespeare, Neil Hoffmann posted: “I think it is extraordinarily difficult for anyone of our generation to understand or appreciate the history plays. Who said they were accurate history? It seems presumptuous to assume, indeed, that Shakespeare's audience did not appreciate them. How else do you account for his success? That's who they were written for. Not us. For me, plays like Othello, Lear, Macbeth, and others have power and humanity which still resonates, whatever the lack of historical accuracy. What body of plays have been created in the last 400 years which are anywhere near comparable or inspire performance? The comedies also continue to speak to the human condition and our foibles. My granddaughter’s HS drama group just did a contemporary update of As You Like It, set in the 1980's, with great success and to the considerable enjoyment of the audiences and players alike. Shakespeare must have been smiling.”

Responding to an article about South Sudan posted by Nancy Upper (surviving spouse of Dennis Upper), Neil Hoffmann wrote: “Thanks Nancy. Amazing story indeed. Nick was talking about Bill Coffin asking Griswold about how many Jews were admitted to Yale in his class and learning it was 11%. It would be interesting to know if Nick’s speculation that it had climbed significantly in our class is true. I’m skeptical. The history of Yale admissions is foggy. The real story would make interesting reading. If anyone is interested, I can tell a story of how my father, the son of a New Haven taxi driver with TB, got into Yale from Hillhouse High in 1926, age 16. The same year as Steve Hoffman’s father.” Neil Hoffmann recommended a Class Zoom event with Nortin Hadler speaking about, “Frailty and dementia increasing mortality risk for older Americans.” Responding to the email invitation for the December 1 Zoom Event, “Re-evaluating Civil Rights in Contemporary America,” Neil Hoffmann emailed, “Thanks to Joe Wishcamper and Howard Gillette. Given the checkered and veiled history of Harvard, Yale, and Ivy League admissions over the last 120 years, I am looking forward to hearing speculation about what lies ahead. If there’s good information on the current admissions practices at Harvard, Yale, and Michigan, that would be good information to read beforehand. I think I know that preference is still given to legacies and athletes at Harvard and Yale, which seem to be a valid measure of success in life if not in the classroom. Will those preferences survive? Anyway, I am fairly sure that if Harvard President Charles Elliott had not adopted the College Boards as the basis of admission in 1905, boosting high-school admissions to nearly 50% and providing a path for my father, as a poor townie, into Yale in 1926 from Hillhouse HS in New Haven, I would not have been in the Class of 1964. If Yale’s objective in 1960 was to educate a group of potential successful leaders who would contribute to society in many walks of life, looking at our classmates today I would say that the admissions process was pretty good. What is society’s mission for education today? Is the Supreme Court a good judge of that?”

On receiving an update from honorary classmate Tristan Kiekel about Charlie Johnston, Terry Holcombe emailed, “This looks like it will probably lead to another of those awkward Council discussions where his case would have to compete with planting some trees or buying squash equipment. Chris Getman weighed in: “I doubt that the class would support an individual but think that there might be interest in supporting him directly from individuals. Why don’t you draft something specific about his situation and share it with a few selected classmates? Terry Holcombe and Edward Massey stepped up and made direct contributions to support Charlie Johnston.

Frank Hotchkiss forwarded one of his columns from the Savannah (GA) Morning News: “Check out this story from Savannah Morning News: ‘Georgia films: Robert Mitchum's criminal record resurfaced with ‘Cape Fear.’ After serving in a Chatham County chain gang in another life, Robert Mitchum returned to Savannah to film Cape Fear in 1961 with Gregory Peck.” In September, John Howells kindly invited Tony Lavely for lunch at Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta. Later, Tony invited John to at small party at his home with Atlanta neighbors where he introduced Nancy Lindley (surviving spouse of Clarkson Lindley). Afterwards, John emailed. “It was great to meet Nancy. I think she’s wonderful. The party was fun, and I liked your friends.” Candy Dern Johnston (spouse of Waldo Johnston) posted some beautiful photos in September and wrote “Johnston Road cooking and camping on the Upper Mowin’ for the Corn Harvest Moon. Lovely sunset and cloudy moonrise.” Ted Jones, who organized the Cape Cod golf outing in late September, emailed: “The Cape Cod outing was superb. Attending were golfers Larry Capodilupo and Deb, John Evans and Dottie, Ted Jones, Bill Galvin, Chris Getman, Mike Arons, John Tully and Anneke, Dave Lindsay, Dave Kalayjian and Marcia, Jan Truebner, Chuck Post and Heather, Martin Padley and Melissa, and Butch Hetherington and Rebecca. Though not playing golf, Tony Lee and Margie were also in attendance for dinner as was his sister, Judy Kitson, and Kirk. We essentially had four foursomes each day with weather in the high 60s or low 70s, great for playing. The courses (Eastward Ho! on Wednesday and Cape Cod National on Thursday) were both challenging, if not daunting, with lots of terrain (think ski slopes or carnival rides, no flat lies, and many bunkers) and twists and turns, but really fun to play. I will leave it to Chris Getman to document the details of the intense competition and the glories of victory for posterity but suffice it to say that everyone responded with their ‘A’ games. We had two lovely dinners as well. The first evening everyone made their way to Larry’s beautiful home overlooking the bay for a magnificent filet with all the trimmings, and a specially baked ’64 cake. The conversations flowed and everyone had a good chance to connect with classmates and partners. Dinner Thursday was a return to Eastward Ho! where again, the cuisine was wonderful and the joy of being together was pronounced. It was a shame that it all had to end, but everyone will take home with them the happiness of having re-touched with so many friends in such a great setting and on such terrific courses.”

Randy Labbe wrote a touching remembrance of Rusty Hale: “Besides my Saybrook roommates, Rusty was my closest connection to our Class. The tragic circumstances surrounding the end of his life have been devastating and inexplicable. We enjoyed regular phone calls and intermittent luncheon get-togethers in Portland. He would regularly voice enthusiasm for his latest venture-capital investment and always display his signature sense of humor and zest for life. Rusty was renowned for his mischievous nature, his eye for pretty girls, and his love of music. For many years his definition of heaven was to be at the Bohemian Grove with his guitar and too many musical venues to visit on any given night. He will also be fondly remembered as the legendary cat-burglar of the Class of ’64. I miss you ‘bro.”

Earlier in these Notes, Tony Lavely mentioned introducing Nancy Lindley (surviving spouse of Clarkson Lindley) to his friends (including John Howells) and neighbors in Atlanta, so some explanation is in order. Earlier in July, Tony and Nancy had connected on the Syd Lea Yale 1964 Authors Book Club via Zoom and decided they wanted to get together outside of a Yale event. So, Nancy and Tony met at a charity gala in Minneapolis in early August of this year. It was the first time they had seen each other in person since a Yale class reunion in 2019 and at earlier reunions. Later, in September, Nancy was Tony’s “date” at Dick Niglio’s surprise 80th birthday party in Minneapolis. As Facebook would say, they are now “in a relationship.” Nancy and Tony will be going to the Harvard-Yale Game in Cambridge on November 19 and later enjoying Thanksgiving in Tribeca and Connecticut with Tony’s children and grandchildren.

Tony Lee sent an update on his climate change webinar series: “We are finding that our audience is arriving more aware of the problems than before, bringing more grief and despair. We play a three-minute video of Kathy Moore and have the people share personally afterwards. We’re moving to Texas, by Zoom of course. Bill Woodfin, Margie and I are leading a webinar primarily for Texans starting August 24. We already have sixteen signed up.” Chip Levengood emailed in October about Dan Gsovski: “I am truly saddened to advise you of the death of my friend and suitemate, Dan Gsovski, on Friday, October 21, in Rome. Dan and his wife Barbara were visiting their daughter, Sasha, two grandchildren, and son-in-law who is assigned to the US Embassy. They had also welcomed a grandson from Michael in the past several months. Katharine and I had enjoyed a Zoom cocktail get together with Barbara and Dan just before they left for Italy. Dan was very much himself — animated, opinions about so many things, and quite happy. After Yale and Columbia Law where we shared an apartment for a year, Dan practiced as an attorney with international clients for a Manhattan firm. He remained a more than five-decade resident of Brooklyn where he and Barbara made their home and raised Sasha and Michael. Dan was a dedicated member of the Yale Russian Chorus as an undergraduate and maintained a lifelong connection with the Chorus alumni singers and even served as its conductor for a time. Music played a very important role in Dan's life, and I recall our Davenport rooms with a huge stereo which must have measured 4' by 4' by 4'. The windows shook with mostly classical music. Final details are not yet available, but a memorial event to celebrate Dan's life will be held in the coming months. I will miss Dan's huge intellect and rapid wit.”

Alan McFarland added to the earlier story about local climate change: “The threat: people joining the religion of the moment to think world population changes the weather for the first time ever. In our lifetime, we embraced the Club of Rome declaring hydrocarbons all finished. We declared electricity (most useful technology ever yet invented to enhance human labor) from nuclear energy too dangerous to ever use. We agreed with President Obama that the Club of Rome was still right — hydrocarbon energy had really ‘peaked.’ Now, the World War I and World War II, largely fought over energy sources for weapons and industry, will be avoided, because other than small wars in the Middle East recently, we are ‘near’ other inexpensive electricity sources to subsidize into vastly cheaper cost. Poor nations need not attend this likely-to-be-recognized farce at this time. And most nations are poor in sustainable inexpensive energy. This is the threat. Climate blindness over any useful long term like our lifespan now, or that of our grandchildren. The climate thereat of wrong conventional thinking leads to much loneliness.”

Jon McBride emailed about John More’s death: “Within the hour I received a phone call from Livy More, John More's wife in D.C. Three weeks ago, he was diagnosed in Maine with pancreatic cancer and, sadly, he died yesterday in Washington. She mentioned that they were hoping to have a service for John in early November at St John's Lafayette Square where they are active parishioners. The services will be streamed which would allow classmates interested in participating to do so without having to travel to Washington.” Jon added: “John was a truly special friend and person — erudite and witty, while warm, open, caring, and so deeply engaged with helping others and the planet. I will sadly notify the Rachel Carson Council Board members today. John brought me to the RCC and helped it soar and stay relevant in these new, troubled times. His work for us and for the Washington Interfaith Alliance was just the capstone of a career and life dedicated to the environment, peace, and social justice.”

In September, Dick Niglio (and Terry Holcombe as mentioned earlier) was inducted into the New Haven Gridiron Hall of Fame. Dick was inducted in absentia, because he was at home in Minneapolis where his wife Dana threw a surprise 80th birthday party for him. Tony Lavely and Nancy Lindley were there for the birthday celebration. Tony brought greetings from many football teammates and serenaded Dick with the Whiffenpoof song. In scheduling the October Bay Area Zoom call, Owen O’Donnell wrote, “I’m running out of questions for these calls. So, this one is simple. What is new and interesting in your life or the life of your spouse and family?” Separately, Owen emailed Tony Lavely, “Sorry you have to miss the October Zoom. Have a great time at The Game. I remember our freshman year with the undefeated team and the first play from scrimmage. A 60-yard touchdown and the rout was on. That was also the first time I waved my handkerchief at a football game.” At the time of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, Ron Parlato posted a beautiful photo of the young Queen, and wrote: “One of the most extraordinary women in history.”

Dan Pollack wrote an email to his roommates titled, “Remembering Yale: “Freshman year I roomed with Wally Wilkey in the dungeon of a room in Welch. We heard the constant ambulance sirens of EMTs going to Yale-New Haven Hospital. I knew Wally when we played high-school football against each other (Highland Park vs. New Trier). Wally's brother Ken was a Yale junior and they constantly hung together, so I actually had a single. I lived the life of a monk, studying constantly, playing football and track. I was scared s#&less because I met all these guys who'd come from prep school, taken advanced courses, and were super confident. I sometimes wondered what a public-school guy was doing at Yale. Sophomore year I roomed in Trumbull with Kip Burgweger, John Hunsaker, and Ralph DeFronzo, three very smart guys who, as I recall, enjoyed Yale life more than me, the grinder. I had to go to the library to study because they were always socializing in our room. Anyhow, one day Kip or Ralph, had a brilliant idea that we'd make a water balloon sling shot using surgical rubber tubes ‘borrowed’ from the chem lab and a plastic kiddie beach bucket. We began to launch, and I mean launch (only God knows how fast the balloons were traveling, the balloons into other colleges, breaking some windows. Campus police got wind of this and raided the Trumbull courtyard trying to find the perpetrators. Fortunately, we were never caught. P.S. Ralph and I shared a bedroom. Ralph would stay up all night before an exam — then come back and crash … literally falling asleep on the floor. This must have been beneficial, because Ralph graduated with a degree in biology and biochemistry before going to Harvard Medical School. Following internal medicine training at Johns Hopkins, Ralph completed fellowships in endocrinology (NIH, Baltimore City Hospital) and nephrology (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania). He holds the Joe R. & Teresa Lazano Long Distinguished Chair in Diabetes in the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, where he has been on the faculty since 1988. Dr. DeFronzo is directly responsible for many seminal advances achieved in diabetes over the last 50 years. He was a leader in developing the concept of insulin resistance, the defining characteristic of Type 2 diabetes, resulting in novel ideas about the development and progression of diabetes.”

Later, Dan Pollack emailed, “Here’s a video of our 9-year-old granddaughter Lilah Pollack wake-boarding for the first time! Obviously, she has her grandfather's athleticism. I water skied for the first time in 60 years three weeks ago in Seattle. Just this week, my back finally was OK, proof that ’you can teach old men new tricks’.” Dan follows the fortunes of Yale football closely. After the Cornell game, he wrote: “Happy that Yale had a good game. Does it bother you that Tony Reno refers to his teams as ‘Team #149’, etc.? For some reason, that seems to me to be very impersonal.” In October, Dan Pollack emailed, “Wow, Bucknell was a disappointing win for Yale … a ‘Pyrrhic Victory.’ Yale's next games will be much more challenging. Had lunch yesterday with Loring Knoblauch and Bill Bowe, two Yale classmates. Nice to catch up. Agree about Coach Reno's game summaries. Most just seem to list as many players as possible without providing accurate/honest description of the level of play. I think I'd be a better coach than I was a player. Perhaps that should have been my occupation? Later, Dan emailed, “Well sports fans, Luke Pollack's last season. He gets his ability from his grandmother, Nancy. Luke is a 6'4" wide receiver and kickoff returner for Deerfield Illinois High School. Been an interesting year with a young team. Don't know if Luke will play in college but so very proud of him. This is what being a grandparent is all about. The next four years will be spent watching younger brother Jake (6'8") play basketball. The coach at the University of Iowa asked my grandson Luke to come down for a possible ‘walk-on’ invitation which should be good experience. I hope he does not do this because I believe Division One is too tough for him.”

After she received Jan Truebner’s forward of the February blast email, Abby Pratt (surviving spouse of Larry Pratt) wrote: “I’m trying to find the piece by a ’64 widow about her discovering she has autism. Please help if you can.” Pete Putzel added to the remembrances of Dan Gsovski: “Dan was a Landon School and Yale classmate of ours from fourth grade through college. As you may know he was an incredibly gifted musician, both as a pianist and a choral singer. During his undergraduate days he was a central member of the Yale Russian Chorus during its heyday, and in ensuing years led the Yale Alumni Russian Chorus. You might recall that he led a moving choral presentation during our class memorial service at our 50th reunion. Quite apart from his musical talents, he was an irrepressible wit. I suppose that, by now, I should be accustomed to news of the death of classmates, but this news is particularly painful. Dan Gsovski was the very essence of vitality.” In early October, Bob Rands wrote: “We have 20-35% cash in our 40+ Fidelity accounts. Next week I will take some more tax losses. My fatal flaw as an equity investor … I'm always looking for good new things to buy. And we do have significant cash outside of Fidelity, which are mainly equity accounts. We've just gone through the valuation reset as PEs fell dramatically all year in response to the substantially increase in interest rates across the board. Now, we're just getting to the earnings disappointment as global economies weaken. At some point I'd expect the Fed to throw in the towel on their 2% near term CPI target. Or we could get total capitulation in the market. In either case I will take these as buy signals.” After reading that Wharton now has a majority female class, Bob Rands emailed, “For my MBA, there were about 10 women in a class of 300.” Richard Roskos emailed, “Tony, I keep thinking of the best way to enter my class interactively. I still have a very active psychiatric practice now located in Denton TX. I do predominantly inpatient work at University Behavioral Health Hospital. For the past 30 years I have been specializing in treating trauma patients such as those with PTSD, early childhood trauma, or dissociative identity disorder. In reality, we garner patients from around the country because it is such a subspecialty. I am a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Texas A&M medical school, having medical students join me routinely for the past 10 to 12 years. Don’t really consider stopping, though trying to get my golf game back in shape. When I reach 80, I might join some octogenarian tournaments (ha, ha). Anyway, maybe a chat would be better. Deep in my heart I am a Yalie.”

When Paul Ruden saw Pat Caviness’ video of a street performance by two guitarists in Koh Samui, he emailed, “Quite the repertoire. Enjoyed them. Reminded me of some very talented people I used to see on the NYC subway platforms, some of whom were incredibly talented but largely ignored. Must be hard for the performers but these two are obviously troupers.” Later, Paul Ruden emailed, “If you’ve been wondering why my blog has had no new entries lately or why we have not been as communicative generally, we write to inform you of some major news from the Ruden family. After two years in a lovely and spacious apartment in the West End of D.C., we have purchased a condominium apartment in Alexandria, VA, near the neighborhood we lived in before moving to New York City in 2017. This ends our exposure to the vicissitudes of the rental market and leads to building some equity. It also satisfies our apparent need for ‘living high’ as we are in the penthouse level (21st floor) of a complex with exceptionally fine amenities. The view is not of the Empire State Building, but we can see, among other things, the Potomac River. The apartment is large, the result of a some-time-ago consolidation of what were two separate units into one. We are delighted with it. Our emails and phone numbers will not change. Our new address will be: 2151 Jamieson Avenue, Unit 2017, Alexandria, VA 22314. Moving day is October 28th. We look forward to reconnecting in the better times to come.”

Rick Salomon posted, “We went to a wedding in Rumson NJ in early October, near the home of our wonderful classmate, Dennis Lynch. During the 1970s, Dennis and I played tennis several times at the Seabright Tennis Club. We stopped by the club to see Dennis recognized 16 times as club champion. Now the club’s most prestigious annual award is dedicated to Dennis. A wonderful tribute to a remarkable man.” After the Bay Area Zoom in October, John Wylie emailed, “I found the Zoom session today among the best: particularly the ‘geezer-gab’ about our fascinating ailments, which I think should henceforth be the default staple when conversation about more weighty topics (to be suggested) flags a bit.” Gerry Shea added the following to the story about favorite teachers: “Some time ago, you asked your '64 classmates about favorite teachers. There were many at Yale, of course, but I've been meaning to respond by telling you about Dudley Fitts, who was my English teacher at Andover. He taught me how to write and, of course, much about the world as well. One of my favorite stories was about the time a Harvard admissions officer (also an English instructor) asked an applicant to the College whom he had had as an English teacher at Andover. When the student answered ‘Dudley Fitts,’ his interviewer said ‘Oh. I'm sorry. I'm afraid you'll have to apply somewhere else.’ ‘Oh, no. Why?’ asked the applicant, distraught. ‘Because,’ said the English instructor, ‘here at Harvard, we have no one as good as Dudley Fitts.’ In another, when a student over the weekend wrote a short paper on a subject of his choice (the general assignment), Mr. Fitts's comment at the bottom of the paper was, ‘Be yourself. If this is you, be someone else.’ The student's next paper was superb.’”

Chip Thomas (son of Stan Thomas) has released a new music album. “Binary” was submitted as “Best New Artist” at the 65th Grammy awards. Chip commented, “We are thrilled to be considered for this prestigious award. We poured our hearts and souls into this record and are extremely proud of it.” Jan Truebner, honorary classmate and coordinator of the surviving spouses group, will be taking her kids to Club Med during Thanksgiving week. Nancy Upper (surviving spouse of Dennis Upper, who lived in JE) circulated an article about the portraits in Jonathan Edwards College: “The attached article by Theodore Sizer Y’63 tells the story of the Edwards portraits that hang in Jonathan Edwards College. The ending is especially gripping in light of Hurricane Ian’s devastations.” After seeing the invitation to the Zoom event on December 1, “Re-evaluating Civil Rights in Contemporary America,” Tony Thomson emailed organizerJoe Wishcamper, “I'll wait for the outcome. The weeping and moaning and virtue signaling will be of more interest than the legal minuet.” In October, Joe Wishcamper contributed to the discussion about solar energy on the Bay Area Zoom group: “I can speak to the issues around solar energy with a bit of experience, since I own 33 commercial solar arrays totaling 30 MW of capacity.” Don Van Doren added to the stories about “memories of WWII” and “most memorable live event.” “I have one fragmented memory from WWII — not something that my parents told me, but something that I did with the help of my Dad. When you first asked the question, I interpreted it narrowly, and have no recollection of anything my parents told me about the war. Reading other responses though prompts me to offer this recollection. One fragmented memory of WWII: My Dad fastened a bunch of tin cans together with string and attached them to my tricycle. I gleefully pedaled around the neighborhood sidewalks making a racket. I have no recollection of being told what that was all about but assume now that the end of the war had been announced. Just a three-year old making joyful noise. As to live events, let me offer one, certainly of minor import compared to what others will offer, but memorable. Other classmates who were there can correct my mis-remembered details. Chuck Berry was at the Phi Gam house at Yale on some Saturday night in our junior year. Berry was a consummate performer and an innovative songwriter and musician. What I remember is the atmosphere he created in this small space — the way he worked the crowd and interacted with us. His entourage of girls were sashaying on the stage, and he and his band launched into song after song — one seemed to go on for over an hour invigorated by the crowd. Great event! The contrast between that performance and a similar one the following year with Bo Diddley was striking. Bo was standoffish (as I recall) with security guards making sure no one approached the stage. Interesting contrast.”

Later, Don Van Doren added, “Diane and I just got back from a three-week road trip from our home in New Mexico to Michigan and then across the upper Midwest, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, and back. A highlight was spending three glorious days with Susan and Bob Hannah at their beautiful home overlooking Lake Michigan near the top of the Lower Peninsula. It was good to see them again. The proximate reason for the trip was to attend my 60th high-school reunion in Birmingham, Michigan (delayed by Covid). Chuck Darling and Dave Lindsay were also members of that high-school class and were at the reunion as well. Chuck had visited us in New Mexico recently, but I hadn’t seen Dave since our 55th Yale reunion. In summary, ‘a good time was had by all.’ After visiting Bob and Susan, we drove across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and then explored national parks and monuments in North and South Dakota and Wyoming (especially Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the Badlands and Black Hills, and Devil’s Tower). Stopped in Denver to visit my kids and their families, and then home. Great trip!”

Jeremy Scott Wood called our attention to the new article by Sam Low in the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette. Later, reacting to Nick Danforth’s remembrance of Dudley Fitts at Andover, Jerry added: “Many of us sat in the Bulfinch Hall basement classrooms under the spell of the wry-humored Mr. Fitts. Also interesting to note was Fitts’ tie with Norman Holmes Pearson (PA 1928, Yale BA, 1932) another great character, who was head of American Studies when we were at Yale.” Bill Woodfin contributed this to a September discussion in the Boston-Area Zoom group: “Blaine Krickl and Neil Hoffmann, thank you for satisfying my curiosity. I spent much of 1974 in London, training in neurology following medical school here, and recall gas prices there being 2-3 times those back home. Seems the differential is a bit less now than back then. In those days the average American car was of monster size and probably averaged about 10 miles per U.S. gallon. Hope to see you on Jerry Flannelly’s next Zoom session.” Later Bill Woodfin added: “My last booster was five months ago and in spite of these Yale recommendations I'll probably wait another month before getting the bivalent COVID and the flu shots, so I'll have perhaps a slightly higher level of neutralizing antibodies for both when we take a big family vacation outside of the States the last week of December. A lot of the timing relates to one's particular circumstances.” John Wylie emailed this after the October Bay Area Zoom call: “I found the Zoom session today among the best: particularly the ‘geezer-gab’ about our fascinating ailments, which I think should henceforth be the default staple when conversation about more weighty topics (to be suggested) flags a bit.” During the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, Karl Ziegler posted: “Jane and I both feel London is full of Grace, Gratitude, Grandeur, and Grief at this moment in time. We truly believe that his grieving period has brought the whole of the United Kingdom — maybe the World — together. What a fantastic legacy of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, our great Queen, to leave us with. It’s a bittersweet, joyous moment in our history as we bid our Queen a heartfelt and sorrowful farewell.” Later, Karl Ziegler posted a photo with this caption, “Jane and I belatedly celebrated our wedding anniversary at beautiful Queens Club for lunch. Hurrah! We celebrated another year!”

In Publications, Angus Gillespie emailed: “My latest book is scheduled for release in mid-October 2022. Here is an article describing Port Newark and the Origins of Container Shipping. Sam Low wrote an article in the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette, “Walking the Songlines of the Vineyard.” Russell Sunshine wrote “Island-Hopping in the Salish Sea” in his September blog, Agile Aging. Russell’s 2016 book, Far & Away: Tales from an International Life, will be featured on our January 2023 Yale 1964 Authors Book Club. The book is available on Amazon. Syd Lea wrote in his Substack Newsletter, “The initial entry in this tetrad, originally published in The Alaska Quarterly, is the title poem of my forthcoming (February 23) fifteenth collection. The other three are spanking new.”Edward Massey blogged: “Having won three awards for my High Mountain Sheriff series, while not even making it to the finals in four attempts, and currently awaiting word in four more, perhaps you can see why I don’t have a settled opinion about awards.” Reacting to the Washington Post decision to retire their “Outlook” section, Bob Kaiser posted, “Hard to believe that I became the editor of ‘Outlook’ 40 years ago. It was the best job I ever had. I’ve written a lot of words for ‘Outlook,’ none so poignant as these. The section’s demise is a consequence of the transformation of journalism, whose future will occur without ink or newsprint. … or ‘Outlook’.”

We were notified of the deaths of three classmates since the previous Notes issue. Obituaries and remembrances can be found on our Class Website/In Memoriam. Albert (Albie) Eckian died in Eustis, Florida, on June 17, 2022. Albie practiced medicine for many years before founding a pharmaceutical consulting firm. Edith Gelfand notified us of the death of Michael Gelfand on April 26, 2022, in Palm Beach FL. Edith wrote, “In addition to being a superb physician, Michael was a multi-dimension visionary whose warmth and charismatic character engendered affection. Michael was a poet, businessman, and a staunch supporter of Israel.” Dan Gsovski died on October 21, 2022, while traveling in Rome, Italy. See his remembrance page here. Classmates will remember Dan as a dedicated member of the Russian Chorus and a gifted musician. John More’s memorial service was streamed on YouTube on November 5 and watched online by 57 people in addition to the crowd at the church. We also mourn the death of Don Edwards’ wife Sally on October 29th. Please consider buying a Mory’s Memorial Brick for a departed classmate. Chris Getman tirelessly continues to solicit Mory’s Memorial Bricks for departed classmates, including some from friends in other adjacent classes. Bricks were recently added for: Ben Day, Mark Furculo, Rusty Hale, Evan Landman, Marshall McBean, Don Strayer, Adrian Wilkins, and Stephen Walke.