In Memoriam: Terry Holcombe and Chris Getman
July 25, 2023
Dear 1964 classmates and friends,
This issue of Class Notes has been delayed, understandably, by the sudden deaths of our legendary classmates Terry Holcombe and Chris Getman. The outpouring of grief from classmates eclipsed the activities and engagements of classmates throughout the spring and early summer. Yet, I know they would have wanted us to “move on” and “stay connected.” We have tried to blend both happiness and sadness in our accounts of your messages in recent months.
As usual, the website version of Class Notes, appended below, is much longer than the version that will appear in the Yale Alumni Magazine in September/October. Even with the length of the column, I’m sure I missed some of your messages and posts. It is you, not me, who are prolific! Any errors of omission, or commission, are mine.
Coming months will offer ample opportunity to gather and remember the lives of these two classmates and accelerate planning for our 60th Class Reunion next spring. Regional luncheons, football tailgates, and a thought-provoking Zoom event in October will bring us together. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to share your experiences via phone, email, messages, and posts. I will do my best to record and disseminate them.
Cheers,
Tony Lavely
Yale ’64 Class Secretary
407.770.8942 (cell)
September/October Class Notes
[To read these Notes in your browser in living color, click here.]
It has been my custom as Class Secretary to write these Notes about recent and upcoming Yale and Class events as well as classmate gatherings, thereby relegating classmate obituaries to a simple listing at the end of the column and referring readers to the In Memoriam page of our Class website for longer-form obituaries. I mention this practice for two reasons:
- Other Class Secretaries – especially the ones moving to the “front of the magazine” like we are – devote substantial portions of their Notes columns to longer-form obituaries;
- Terry Holcombe’s sudden death on June 5 and Chris Getman’s death on July 9 hit me hard. They were both giants at Yale and in our Class, and to lose them both within a month of each other was shocking.
Therefore, I’m choosing to elevate and lead with their remembrances in this column. Many classmates were stunned as well, and have expressed their profound sadness in messages and posts to Marya and Toddie respectively. Terry’s and Chris’ obituaries and other remembrances are posted on Terry’s In Memoriam page and on Chris’s In Memoriam page. You are welcome to post your own remembrance for either of these devoted classmates by sending it to Sam Francis. Chris got the last word when he wrote about Terry on June 5: “Guys, I just learned that Terry Holcombe passed away this afternoon from a massive stroke. This is particularly hard for me, as he was a very close friend. I don’t know whether I’m going to feel like going to lunch at Mory’s on Wednesday, but I won’t cancel it unless you tell me otherwise. Probably I won’t be there. Sorry to be the bearer of such terrible news which, unfortunately, is going to start happening with more and more frequency for us.” Later, Marya Holcombe posted two poignant messages: “Many of you have kindly asked what you can do for me. There is something … but it will be very hard. Think of someone – family member or friend – from whom you are estranged. Forgive them. Apologize, even if you think you have been wronged. The world will be a better place, and you will have peace.” Later, Marya posted a photo of herself in a kayak, arms holding her paddle aloft: “Thank you for all your sweet notes and calls over the last two weeks. Terry would never give up, so I’m not going to give up either. Keep in touch. Love, Marya.” Later, Chris Getman wrote: “This is very sad news. Terry was one of a kind, and a very engaged member of our class. I’m going to make a donation to the church and also buy a brick for him. I hope that some of you will consider doing the same. This is a terrific opportunity to enhance our reserve which we need to do. Bricks are $100 each and have three lines with 16 spaces on each line.” The process for donating a Mory’s Memorial Brick is posted at In Memoriam; it was one of Chris’ many “passion” projects. Ted Jones has graciously volunteered to take over the management of Mory’s Memorial Bricks, so his contact information now appears on the In Memoriam page. As a small gesture, your Class Council hopes we can raise at least 64 Mory’s Memorial Bricks in Terry’s and Chris’ names which would provide an ongoing remembrance for classmates that we will lose in the future for whom no Memorial Brick may be forthcoming.
Speaking of the “front of the YAM Alumni Notes,” in the May/June 2023 issue I read the last column under Stanley Flink’s ‘45W byline. It was written by our YAM editor, Ellen Cole. Stan died on December 21 at age 98. In the column, Ellen mentions Stan’s regular attendance at Chris Getman’s Yale Bowl tailgates. Stan also lived at Evergreen Woods, the same seniors campus in North Branford as Terry Holcombe and Chris Getman. Tony Lavely had the great pleasure of knowing Stan at a number of Getman tailgates and also at Branford College Master’s receptions. Lavely wrote: “I learned a lot about how to write a Class Notes column by reading Stan’s ‘45W column over the years. I just wished he had introduced me to Marilyn Monroe back in the day; Stan did the very first Life Magazine spread on Marilyn in 1953.”
Turning to past and future Class Events, I begin by reporting that the Zoom event in late April featuring Nortin Hadler was a huge success. Over 100 classmates and friends attended to hear Nortin talk about “Health at Our Time of Life” and answer questions from classmates fielded by Sam Francis. The video can be viewed on our Class Website/News. Afterwards, event organizer Joe Wishcamper wrote: “Nortin, you were terrific! Are you taking new patients? Sign me up! And Sam, as usual, you were a perfect ringmaster. Stephanie Hartnett was on her toes, stepping in when needed. Altogether a professional-quality event.” Nortin Hadler replied: “Thank you all. It was a pleasure working with you and a privilege to access this audience. I have a long list requesting a video and/or further information. I’ll respond to each. I plan on thanking you in person at our 60th reunion. I look forward to that next year. However, it would be a pleasure to welcome you to our ‘southern part of heaven’ if you’re in the ‘hood (Chapel Hill or Figure 8 Island).”
Don Edwards expanded: “Last week’s Class Zoom event on “Health at our Time of Life” with Nortin Hadler was a reminder (as if we needed one) of the challenges of aging. It is also an occasion to refresh the 1964 Support Network that many of you volunteered for several years ago. When we established the Network, we decided not to collect data, even anonymously, on its activities, so we have no evidence of how useful it has been. But the Class Council believes its mere existence sends a message of mutual concern that is valuable in itself. Before giving the Network renewed visibility, I would appreciate it if each of you would review your listing on the website — Class News - The Support Network for the Class of 1964 — to determine that your information is still correct. Some of us may have new experiences that we are willing to talk about with classmates; I have, sadly, added loss of spouse and prostate surgery to my list. Please let me know of any changes we should make or if you would prefer to be removed from the list.” In late May, John Evans, Ted Wagner, and, yes, Chris Getman attended the 60th reunion of the Class of 1963, as an advance team for our 60th reunion in 2024. Guy Struve ’63, Class Secretary, and Wally Grant ’63, Reunion Chair, were generous with their assistance and explanations. Best practices were observed and reported throughout the weekend and will enhance our planning.
The Spring Class Golf Outing was held on the Yale Course on June 8 with sixteen golfers playing, joined by three spouses afterwards at Mory’s. As usual, Ted Jones made impeccable plans and even persuaded the new Course Director Peter Palacios to open the course despite the air-quality problems caused by wildfires in Canada. It seems fitting that some of the last words Chris Getman wrote were his delightful account of this outing, which you can read on our Class Website/News. Despite our sadness, the last memory of Chris was his fun-loving nature. Martin Padley added: “Last week, I was in New Haven for two days of golf at the Yale Course. I went down with a group of fellows from the Boston area who had never played the course, and everyone loved it. Needless to say, the course does not get boring. It made we wonder why we've always done just one day. After all, we did three on Cape Cod thanks to John Evans and Larry Capodilupo and plans for September include at least two in northwestern Connecticut with help from Pete Putzel. And other than a handful of us, most have to spend more time on the road than we do on the links, which in hindsight seems wrong. The Yale course renovation is supposed to be completed by the late fall of 2025, which means, what, October or November? More likely the spring of 2026, as November golf has never been in the cards for us. So that's basically three years from now. As I am most likely the oldest member of the group (June 22, 1941), I will be 85 in 2026 and this gives rise to thoughts of a generally more philosophical nature. So, I am thinking that if the CT plans are shifted to the late spring of 2024, we could play Yale for two days in September. I have played the Sharon CT course with Pete Putzel and Ted Jones and can confirm that it is very nice and in a very pretty area. I can also confirm that it will still be there next spring. What I can't confirm is whether I will still be here in the spring of 2026 or still be able to finesse a mashie niblick. Of course, it is easy to say, just move the dates up for CT, without being aware of or putting in the tireless hours that Pete, Ted, and Chris have spent to make the outing a success. So, this is just a thought and is, most likely, a day late and a dollar short.” Ted Jones added: “If it isn’t a bear or (Tony Lee’s) bad weather, it has to be something else that threatens our outing!! When I got to the airport in Chicago for my Wednesday flight to NYC, I found the flight had been delayed four hours by ground holds in LaGuardia because of the extremely limited visibility from smoke from the Quebec wildfires blowing southeast over New England. Just east of Lake Erie, I lost sight of land from a brown haze, and when I deplaned, there was immediately the smell of wood smoke in the terminal. When I finally got to New Haven later in the evening, there was a message from Pete Palacios, the Yale pro, that the course would not open until noon. Whew!! Our tee times started at noon. So, happily, sixteen golfers (Arons, Capodilupo, Evans, Galvin, Hetherington, Jones, Kalayjian, Lindsay, McFarland, Norman, Padley, Post, Putzel, Truebner, Tully, and Wickwire) teed off on time on a lovely afternoon. The smoke had drifted south, so the sky was as virtually clear and brilliant as the golf exhibited by the participants. Getman was unable to play but was seen around the course taking careful notes on the action. Thus, I will leave it to Chris to detail the intensity of the competition and the coronation of the winners. Suffice it to say that it was wonderful to play the Auld Course again. The course will sadly (from our standpoint as players) close in September for two seasons for a complete restoration to the original McDonald/Raynor 1926 design, but we will eagerly await our return as soon as that happens. We naturally adjourned post-golf to Mory’s for dinner, joined there by Don Edwards and Pro Palacios and several spouses. The conversation was lively, the libations flowed freely, the dinner sumptuous, and, in addition, we were treated to a preview of the renovations. We now look forward to planning our fall gathering, perhaps in northwestern Connecticut.”
Jethro Lieberman was featured on the 1964 Authors Book Club on July 13, in which he discussed his new novel, Everything is Jake, and his transition from writing non-fiction to writing fiction. Larry Crutcher facilitated questions from classmates. The video of the event can be viewed on our Class website. Our next quarterly Zoom Event has been organized by Joe Wishcamper. It will be on October 5, during which Len Baker and Bob Archer will discuss "Climate Policies: Conceptions, Misconceptions, and Solutions." The invitation will go out soon, so be sure to register for this event, the latest in our Zoom Series.
Regional gatherings of classmates, whether in person or via Zoom, have continued throughout the spring and early summer. In New Haven, classmates met at Mory’s on May 3 and June 7, organized as always by Chris Getman, diligent to the end. Ralph Jones organized the group for lunch at the Lawn Club on July 12 where many a glass was raised to Getman. Pete Putzel wrote a wonderful account and sent a photo of the group, which will be posted in Class News. In the Boston area, Jerry Flannelly hosted Zoom calls on May 17 and June 21. Owen O’Donnell hosted Zoom calls in the Northern California Bay Area on May 17 and June 21. I’m delighted to report that Ted Wagner revived the in-person luncheons at The Yale Club of NYC on April 19 and May 17. Ted Wagner wrote in April: “Our first post-COVID luncheon was held last week, and I think that most of us enjoyed it. So, we will do it again, this time on Wednesday, May 17. As in the past, non-members can simply reimburse whichever member’s chit they use. The Yale Club is moving us around, so it will be important to inform me if you are planning to come. (201-612-0912) On Wednesday we met in the Tap Room; in May they have us in the Rook and Terrace, on the 22nd Floor, at 12 noon. Someone suggested shifting our meetings to Zoom, which might be better for those who live far away. When I raised that idea on Wednesday, it was met with less than enthusiastic response. That does not mean that we cannot have two luncheons: one live and one Zoom. Last week, we had Joe Wishcamper, Don Edwards, Tom Trowbridge, Paul Steiger, John Postley, Ed Price, Bob Myers, and yours truly. If you are aware of classmates who should be invited, please let me know.” [Lavely: Contact any of these regional hosts if you’d like to be included, especially the ones on Zoom which don’t require geographic proximity.] As a new resident of Minnesota, Tony Lavely has joined the “Yale 1960s Luncheon Roundtable” at the Minneapolis Club, organized by Larry Schuster ’68. We need a decade of Yalies in Minnesota to reach critical mass for a luncheon. At the same club (where Nancy is a member), Nancy and Tony Lavely attended a concert by the Yale Spizzwinks? in April: “They gave rousing reeditions of many classics and Yale songs. They even serenaded Nancy with their traditional version of ‘No Regrets’.”
Tony Lavely also attended President Salovey’s informative Quarterly Webinar on May 16. Yale Football fans might like to know that the Bulldogs will be featured twice on the Ivy League ESPN TV Package: Yale at Princeton on November 11, and Harvard at Yale on November 18.
Many new articles have been or soon will be added to the News section of our Class website:
Michelle Mead, surviving spouse of John Armor, posted, “What a pity that my late husband John Armor, who attended Gilman School in Baltimore (along with his two older brothers, George and Walter) never lived long enough to find out that my family married into the Gilman family in New Hampshire.” Later, digging deeper, Michelle posted an Ancestry photo, “I’m amazingly moved … I’ve just discovered the actual signature of my great, great, great grandfather, William Mead, of Meredith NH.” And still later, Michelle posted, “For a history buff, living in Charlottesville, this really is a dream come true. Tomorrow, I’m attending a lecture on James Madison, then watching a Civil War Roundtable Lecture on Zoom in the evening.”
Dana and Dick Niglio watched July 4th fireworks in Beaver Creek CO. Dick Niglio was Tony Lavely’s best man, for the second time, at his wedding on May 19. They’re now neighbors in the Minneapolis suburbs and get together regularly.
Owen O’Donnell, organizer and leader of the Bay Area Zoom calls, poses discussion questions for the group every month. The question he posed for May was: “How did you meet your spouse and how has your relationship changed over the years?” Then in June, Owen switched from romance to technology with this question: “Is Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) a good or bad development for human society?” Bob Archer (who will be co-leader of our Zoom event on October 5) RSVPed: “I’m looking forward to it. If I can’t make it, I’ll send my counselor, ChatGPT.” Russell Sunshine attended and emailed: “Why does this scare the hell out of me? ChatGPT-4 may be merely a source of information. But I keep thinking how a sinister programmer might utilize it to send persuasive messages. And what if the robot could be taught to imitate a particular individual's style, voice, and vocabulary? How could message recipients be confident they were communicating with the intended human?” On a happier note, here are two thoughts for the Y64 participants in our May 16th Zoom: (1) Others may have noticed, as did I, how much of a part blind luck played in finding our matrimonial partners. So much casual chance opened the door to a crucial lifelong relationship. (2) The book I'm reviewing in my May 31 blog post reports on a 75-year Harvard study trying to identify key influences over personal happiness and satisfaction. The study found that, far and away, lasting personal relationships give the most benefit, more than social class, wealth, or education. And, far and away, the most beneficial relationship is long-term marriage or partnering. This benefit holds true for second marriages. And for poor folks as much as rich. Food for thought. Please don't discuss this with your robot. We creaky mortals need to retain a modicum of romance in our golden phase.” John Wylie emailed the Zoom group: “I appreciated having the opportunity to talk about my experience with ChatGPT. A couple of things: If you go into ‘Open A.I.’ and start taking their orientation ’course,’ part of that is the opportunity to go on what they call the ‘playground’ for free, where you can mess around with it and get the hang of it. I have an A.I. app on my cell phone, which I love because I can ask it stuff when it occurs to me on the spot.” Later, John replied to Russell Sunshine: “I feel compelled to respond to your fear of ChatGPT. Basically, it places the vast mechanics of linguistic expression in the hands of people whose skills are wanting in that area, which is all of us to some degree. To take the position that bad people will be more effective in using it for ill than good people for our betterment is to acknowledge that human nature is fundamentally evil. For example, my project is to use ChatGPT to ‘translate’ my evolutionary theories into texts specifically targeted for a variety of audiences. What I have found is that this robot responds to (1) evidence — and it checks out my references — and (2) logic, and it will push back on anything falling short. Not that it doesn’t make frequent mistakes, but readily acknowledges them when pointed out. Beyond affording me clear prose for my ideas, I have thoroughly ‘indoctrinated’ this machine with the evidence and logic that underlies my optimistic view of human nature. In my dreams, I envision the machine assimilating these ideas, on the strength of my argumentation, into the collective reservoir of knowledge it is accumulating. But, at the very least, it perfectly formatted and has written, with my close collaboration, a clearly expressed journal article that is way beyond what I could produce on my own. Of course, I will give it ample attribution. Perhaps I have met my Mephistopheles! As to the importance of relationships to humans, the very heart of my philosophical premise is that the Rubicon crossed in human evolution was from the natural selection of the most dominant ape individuals over to the natural selection of the most prolific and productive human relationships, and that the ‘ecological niche’ within which we all dwell is both essentially and existentially relational.”
Ron Parlato traded literary preferences with Bill Bowe on Facebook. Ron posted: “Most people read a chapter of two of War and Peace and then give up. They are missing quite a read. I prefer Faulkner to Joyce, although Faulkner owes a lot to the Irishman. For me, Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! has an unmatched complexity, a brilliant understanding of the South, families, race, and America all put within a compelling dramatic structure. Sometimes, Ulysses simply goes on and on; Absalom never does.” Bill Bowe replied, “In a longtime tradition for some folks, each year when June 16 rolls around, they gather for an evening of readings from Irish novelist James Joyce’s famous work Ulysses. Though widely regarded as a masterpiece, I’ve always avoided reading Ulysses. It wasn’t until this year that I got up the courage to attend one of the June 16 celebrations. That was the day all of the action in Ulysses took place, as James Joyce recorded the meanderings in Dublin of Leopold Bloom. Ron, I share your appreciation of Faulkner. Maybe I’ll get around to Joyce someday.”
Shortly before they attended Tony Lavely’s wedding in May, Nancy and Dan Pollack wrote: “Tomorrow our son Matt and wife Jamie and daughter Debbie and husband Bradley (Napa) will separately attend the Kentucky Derby. Matt's close friend in Highland Park, IL who is an extremely successful hedge-fund guru, and for whom Matt built a truly remarkable home, is celebrating his 50th birthday by chartering a plane and flying thirty friends to the Derby for the day. Bradley, who represents the Jackson Family Wines (Kendall Jackson), is hosting eight couples who are clients in two homes rented by his employer at the Derby. Ah, to be young again!”
On his birthday, Pete Putzel posted, “It’s a new world when the Yale men’s basketball team plays Sarah Lawrence one week and the University of Kentucky the following week.” Nearby, Anne Putzel attended the North East Border Collie Association trials.
Responding to Ted Wagner’s invitation to the April classmate luncheon at the Yale Club of NYC, Jim Rogers emailed: “I would be extremely keen to attend but will not be in NYC then. Bummer! I’m actually speaking for Columbia University Chinese the week before and then Yale Chinese, but back to Singapore before the luncheon date.”
Dina Marie and Paul Ruden attended the Kusama “Infinity” exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum in May. Later, Paul Ruden posted a hazy photo with this caption, “The Potomac River as ‘seen’ though the ‘air’ from the 21st floor of my D.C. apartment today.” In July, Dina Marie Ruden added: “I love sharing my passion for Old Town Alexandria. I recently wrote a story for USA Today travel magazine on strolling historic King Street. I’m happy to play tour guide to anyone planning a visit.”
Laura Landro and Rick Salomon posted from Oia, Greece: “When in Greece, you have to color coordinate yourself with the national colors at least one night out!” Later, Rick Salomon posted a Facebook photo in July: “We’re enjoying dinner with fabulous granddaughter Ava, an ace college intern in New York.”
Ron Sipherd regularly posts his photos taken around the Bay Area in his Ronksville blog. A few recent ones were: “Pacific Coast Iris on Presley Way; Aloe and possibly an orange pipe cactus on Oakridge Road; First appearance of July’s Buck Moon, Hay Moon, Elk Moon, or Thunder Moon (your choice).”
In May, Russell Sunshine emailed the Bay Area Zoom group, “For my May 31 blog post, I’d like to include a section on seniors’ pleasure cruises. My impression is that the perceived end of COVID is encouraging many of my fellow agers to take to the seas. I’m hoping you may be willing to help me test the validity of my impression and gain a better understanding of friends’ cruising motivations. If you’d like to participate in my mini survey, please fill in your answers to the questions below and email them back to me. If you’d rather answer by phone, send me your number and a convenient time, and I’ll give you a call. All responses will be kept anonymous and unattributed. If you’re too busy or choose not to participate, just reply ‘No thanks’ and I promise not to bug you further.” Owen O’Donnell replied in an open forum: “Kris and I have not been on a cruise lately. We have taken three in the last 25 years. One was in the eastern Caribbean, and I would not do that again. One was with Silver Seas to Alaska from Vancouver, BC, and I would do that again. It was a smaller boat with very good accommodations and great food. The scenery was wonderful, and the excursions were good but expensive. The last cruise was with Kris' family on the Hurtigruten cruise line up the west coast of Norway from Bergen and that was a great trip. Good food, great boat. and the scenery was beautiful. There were not too many Americans on the boat, so the cruise had a European feel to it. Lastly, one of our friends who is very adventurous took a cruise to Antarctica and the boat sank and the passengers spent a day or so in a lifeboat.”
Later, in reaction to an article posted by Chip Nielsen, “Colleges may rethink ‘Kangaroo Court’ proceedings in sex-assault cases after Yale legal loss,” Russell Sunshine emailed: “Chip, thanks for sharing. I think what makes this and similar cases so interesting is their multiple dimensions. At one level, these are procedural contests over how formal campus proceedings should be. At another, they are episodes in the cultural battle of the sexes, as Me Too fights back against decades of macho abuse; At another, they are institutional, as universities struggle to avoid liability and bad publicity, when they're accused of tolerating sexual abuse on campus. And then there's the political dimension as liberals and conservatives debate consent versus coercion. You'll recall another cause celebre in our region last year when Stanford protected a star male athlete accused of campus rape. In that case, as well as in Yale's, alcohol and joint intoxication played central roles. Inebriation always complicates consent. Everyone gets hurt in these legal contests. But our society and universities may be working towards a balanced dispute-resolution process.” Joe Wishcamper (a cross-country participant in the Bay-Area Zoom calls) added: “Owen, I think it would be a good idea to add this topic to our next Zoom call. It’s a very difficult political issue for universities, but due process is a core value of our society.”
Jan Truebner does a great service to our class by communicating with surviving spouses who want to stay connected. [Lavely: I am in debt to Jan in this regard, if you get my meaning.]. Recently, Jan forwarded an email from Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker (surviving spouse of Pete Rindskopf): “Hi, Jan. I have been meaning to reach out to you, but life gets in the way. Thanks for all the good work you are doing to keep this group together! Several things prompted me to write today. First, you may want to clarify the date of the Book Club. I think it is July 13. I had hoped I might make it but then realized it’s just when we return from a week in Paris that very day. Waiting for luggage will make Zooming impossible! On a different subject, I’ve wanted you to know that I am again back in New Haven for a good part of the year, living in a house we bought a year ago on the New Haven/Hamden border. If you are ever in town, please let me know! (And here’s a surprise: the house was owned previously by Chris Getman, a 1964 classmate, famously the owner of several Handsome Dans). I also wanted to mention that this year I became President of the Yale University Women’s Organization, a group formed in the mid-1960s with the encouragement and support of Sam Chauncey. It’s a group of women with Yale connections, originally many faculty wives who were looking for an intellectual community. It offers a variety of intellectually interesting activities (e.g., book and film clubs, tours of local sites, art galleries, walking groups, etc.) and also supports fund raising for scholarship support for women whose higher education has been interrupted. Each year, we give a total of about $30,000 to applicants selected for their need, focus, and personal stories of managing life’s challenges. You can read a bit more on the website. It occurred to me that some of the surviving spouses who live in the New Haven area might find this group of interest. And we are, of course, always interested in ‘recruiting’ scholarship applicants.”
Chip Thomas (son of Stan Thomas) who was an usher at Nancy and Tony Lavely’s wedding in May, posted on his birthday: “This past trip around the sun was a doozy! There were many big moments, both wonderful and terrifying, and I almost wasn’t here to celebrate this birthday. I had the nearest of death experiences with my ski accident in March and am thankful beyond belief to be alive. My musical partner and I finally released our DVNCY album, and I released more of my solo music and further developed my writing and recording skills. This year, more than ever, I’m completely floored and humbled by the waves of love and support I receive from my family and friends.”
Roger Webb posted in May: “I want to say ‘thank you’ to all the nice folks who have wished me a happy birthday over the last couple of days. I'm not sure it makes turning 81 worthwhile, but it helps.” David Wyles posted, “Here’s my son Rio and me in the back patio of Fred 62 Diner in Los Feliz, near the Greek Theater where Rio performed his new rap song, ‘Consideration,’ a couple of months ago.” Later, David posted a Hunter Thompson quote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!’ In July, David Wyles added: “I know I joke a lot on my posts, but on a serious note, I need everyone to wish me luck. I have a meeting at the bank later. If it’s a success, I will be out of debt and own everything I have now. I’m so excited, I can barely put on my ski mask.”
In May, Bam Alling messaged Tony Lavely: “Congratulations and best wishes on your wedding day from the Sea Cloud, sailing from Civitavecchia, Italy. Since you said you are in the process of selecting a honeymoon site, consider Sandals Grenada, an all-inclusive, adults only resort. Eileen and I have been there and to three others (Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua) and while these were all different and wonderful, our favorite is Grenada. I’d be glad to chat about Sandals any time. We are going to our fifth Curacao in November. Congratulations and best wishes.”
Dick Berk asked: “With my son Michael now living in NYC and both Susan and I making occasional trips there, does it make sense to use the Yale Club instead of a hotel? Hotels are unbelievably pricey. Do I have to join? And what does that cost? And are the overnight prices more reasonable? Susan and I are also eligible to join the Penn Club, and I am checking into that as well.”
Separately from his exchange with Ron Parlato, Bill Bowe posted: “I attended the Inaugural NASCAR Race in Chicago: “I went to the NASCAR event in Chicago on Saturday, before the monsoon hit. I was able to get some photos before and after and monitored some of the TV coverage. Quite a show!” Later, Bill Bowe posted: “Though the lighthouse guarding Navy Pier has stood as a sentinel at the entrance of Lake Michigan’s Chicago Harbor for over a century, it may not make it to a second centenary if its current state of disrepair is not addressed.” On a personal issue, Bill Bowe posted: “Though a delicate subject for me, at my 80th birthday I spoke directly about my diet troubles.”
In May, Mary and Chip Brennan were on the same Yale Mediterranean cruise as Eileen and Bam Alling. Chip wrote: “Mary and I went on the Yale-sponsored Rome/Sea Cloud II trip, and it was excellent. About forty of us had a private tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. To put this in proper perspective, on a typical holiday-season day 25,000 to 30,000 people pass through the Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel. Though Bam Alling and I did not know each other as undergraduates, we had a terrific time together. This was my first Yale trip, and based on my experience, I look forward to doing another one.” Tony Lavely added: “In the spring, Nancy and I signed up for what would have been our first Yale-sponsored cruise … on a barge through the wine country of southern France in September. It was to be our honeymoon. Yale canceled it due to ‘lost confidence in the tour operator.” Undaunted, we booked a very different cruise (not with Yale) down the Nile in Egypt. Anne and Pete Putzel took the same cruise with the same tour operator several years ago and called it “the trip of a lifetime!”
I could have filled this entire Class Notes issue with posts and messages from Frederique Deleage and Pat Caviness during their two-month trip to France and Italy. There were at least forty Facebook posts with great photos and interesting observations. I’ve asked Pat to compile a scrapbook of the trip that we could post as a single News story. Separately, Pat Caviness posted, “I was in Dallas in 1965 at a small bar on the outskirts of the city. I was working for US Steel in my first job after graduating from Yale. I was on my way home when I saw a sign outside a little bar, ‘Ike and Tina Turner This Weekend.’ I stopped and went in. There on a small stage were Ike and Tina, plus the Ikettes, their backup trio. I was proud to follow Tina's career ‘after Ike’ and see how she soared higher and higher to become one of the greatest rockers of all time! She was simply the best, better than all the rest. RIP Tina Turner.” Later, Pat Caviness emailed Tony Lavely, “Congratulations on launching an exciting new life. Glad you’re back to reconnecting. You’re the glue that holds us all together.”
Terry Holcombe was always quick to promote the successes and recognitions of classmates. I think his favorite was Jim Duderstadt, the “Dude.” Here’s what Terry wrote me in March: “A great honor has been bestowed upon our classmate Jim Duderstadt. After exhaustive research, it appears that 1964 has to be the only class at Yale ever so honored. Star Trek Picard introduced a new Federation starship this week designated as a ‘Duderstadt Class Starship’. Apparently, the designer, Doug Drexel, named it after his late wife, Dorothy Duder. However, I found a post saying, ‘According to Doug, it's a triple nod to Dorothy Duder, scientist James Duderstadt, and the German town.’ Kind of fun having a starship in the family.” Later Terry added: “It turns out there’s a drink that comes from the favorite libations of The Dude, star of the movie ‘The Big Lebowski’ (Coen Brothers). Recipe you can Google, but it is equal vodka and Kahlua and cream. Consider declaring it the ‘Official Drink of the Class of l964’, one that will be offered at the Reunion. Jim tried it out himself and woke up a day later!!!”
Joe Wishcamper and Dick duPont were on a fishing expedition off Nantucket in late May when Dick emailed, “Tony, we're all wishing you the best as you and Nancy validate the obvious love you share, which, of course, doesn't need any validation. As my late brother Bill loved to say, ‘It might not help, but it can't hurt’. Joe and I are like schoolboys, plotting our forthcoming ACK invasion by land, sea, and air. My friend Don and I will land mid-afternoon June 23 in his Cessna 310 to rent a set of wheels and secure our lodgings. Joe will slip past the enemy radar under the cover of darkness that evening. We will fetch him and feed him fresh seafood and 7UP (a toast to you two), then a brief repose before casting off at Madaket Marine well before daylight. With any luck at all, we will pillage the enemy rips and depths, then retreat with guns blazing via PWM to ILG forty-two hours later, our coolers full of fluke (and only the CCP, with their surveillance buoys, will have a clue what just happened). Soothing, n'est-ce pas!” Dick filed a large Zip file of action shots that we will convert to a News article. As if the fishing expedition weren’t enough, Dick duPont also sent a preview of his new publication, “Mostly Provo,” with this message: “Tony, this is not intended to fetch work to your honeymoon. Treat it as a diversionary tidbit, perused whilst in your hammock for two (de temps en temps humoristique, j'espere). Attachment I shows the cover art, title, and subtitle of my sensational new "Mostly Provo" booklet (not yet released). I thought you would approve. The Caribbean watercolor is by son Richard, apropos and nicely executed.” As this is an extensive file, it will be converted to a Website/News article, too. Celeste Finn (spouse of Eric Fossel) posted: “Next Wednesday, I will be appearing live on ‘My Favorite Shitty Movie’ Podcast to breakdown the fascinating ‘Drag Me to Hell’ by Sam Raimi.” Later, Celeste posted, “If you are into archaeology, Egyptology, or both [Lavely: I am.], put down that sandwich and immediately turn on ‘Unknown: The Missing Pyramid’ on Netflix. If you’re not interested in either but have a critical eye to storytelling and production values [Lavely: I do.], tune in as well.”
After reading “Rampant groundwater pumping has changed the tilt of Earth’s axis” in Nature, Ed Gaffney posted, “By including these changes in their model, the authors calculated that they should have a substantial impact on the earth’s rotating axis, causing a shift in the North Pole of 4.36 centimetres per year in the direction of Russia.” Later, on a smaller scale, Ed Gaffney observed, “Clusters of wild mustard are seen along a trail in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Among the most prominent of blooming plants that are seemingly everywhere in California this year following an usually wet winter, this highly flammable plant threatens to fuel wildfires. I can remember walking through wild mustard fields near our house in Santa Barbara in the 1950s.”
In May, Chris Getman’s last message about his annual MS Society Walk said: “Sadly, this year’s walk scheduled for April 23 was canceled due to serious weather problems. I will make it up by walking separately. I was hoping to be able to write you describing the beautiful walk through glorious Harkness Park where the daffodils are in bloom, the sky is blue, and a gentle breeze was wafting off the Sound. Since Toddie started taking Ocrevus several years ago, she has remained reasonably stable. She leads a normal, independent life, using a roller and a hand-controller car. We’ve been very lucky.”
In response to my question about habitats in US states and foreign countries, Stephen Greenblatt emailed, “Congratulations again on your marriage and your move. Ramie and I wish you and Nancy every happiness. As for my peregrinations, they are modest, I am sure, compared with many of our classmates. If by ‘living’ somewhere, you mean for at least a year or more, I have lived in only four states — Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and California — and three countries outside of the US — England, Germany, and Italy. For many years, I had an insatiable appetite for travel, but with age I find my appetite is diminishing.”
Classmates will remember that we reported the death of Rusty Hale last year. Recently, we heard from his son Prentis who thanked us for the Class Website In Memoriam Remembrance. He went on to ask us to connect him to some Wolf’s Head society members, so he could “return an artifact to the society. Although the artifact is very cool, it seems right to return it to its home at Wolf’s Head.” Jay Huffard and Rick Kroon graciously connected with Prentis, and the item was returned. Both men conveyed their pleasant memories of his father to Prestis.
Candy and Waldo Johnston posted from their farm in Saratoga NY, “Aside from the smoke from the wildfires in Canada, today’s field work makes today one of my summer favorites. Yesterday, the hay was moved … today, it was raked and baled.” Indoors, Candy caught Waldo napping, “Nap time after installation of a new dishwasher replacement for our 2001 Maytag.”
Ted Jones posted birthday greetings to Pete Putzel: “It was great to see and play golf with you last week. Hope you have something special planned for your day.” Similarly, Ted posted greetings to Martin Padley: “Happy Birthday, Martin. I hope you and Melissa have something really special planned.”
Nancy Evenson Lindley and Anthony Magee Lavely were married on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Minnetonka Beach MN. In keeping with the times, they streamed the ceremony from St. Martin’s by-the-Lake Episcopal Church on Zoom. The wedding and festivities were attended by classmates Dick Niglio (Lavely’s best man for the second time), Diana Blom and Ted Jones, Nancy and Dan Pollack, and Jan Truebner (honorary). Tony’s brother, Jay Lavely ’65, also attended. A jubilant, if uneven, rendition of The Whiffenpoof Song was rendered by the group. Tony Lavely was overwhelmed with the many messages from classmates on the occasion of his wedding: Ted Wagner emailed: “Congratulations on your wedding. I wish you and Nancy many years of joy together.” Steve Klingelhofer emailed: “Just want you to know that I’m thinking of you and Nancy as the BIG DAY approaches in Minnesota.” Bill Morse posted, “Congratulations to you, Tony and Nancy, on your upcoming wedding. Wishing you years of happiness.” Lavely noted that he became the sixth classmate to wed and/or make a lifetime commitment after turning 80: Debbie Swenson and Larry Capodilupo, Robin Jones and Nick Danforth, Donna Quinn “Bella” Robbins and Bill Drennen, Diana Blom and Ted Jones, and Jane Fuller and Karl Ziegler. After his wedding, Lavely showed off his mixing skills and posted a photo of a Bootleg cocktail, which was invented in Minnetonka during Prohibition and served at his wedding. Pat Caviness commented (sarcastically?): “Tony, you were always a strong mixologist. Now, you’ve added to your encyclopedia. It looks inviting.” Tony Lavely thought David Wyles was commenting on his wedding when he posted: “WOW! Way to go, Tony.” Rather, he was commenting on Tony Lavely’s 40th anniversary Facebook Memory of running the Boston Marathon. Martin Padley added: “I love the statement atop your marathon poster: ‘Tony runs fastest when diapers need changing.’ Those were the good old days!” Lavely added, “Now, whenever I hear about the ‘Good Old Days,’ I’m reminded of Jack Nicholson’s’ quip: What I liked best about the Good Old Days was … I wasn’t GOOD and I wasn’t OLD.” Back to the Marathon, Waldo Johnston added: “My daughter Crickett (Yale ’93) is running it right now … at mile 15.” Nancy and Tony Lavely went to Fargo ND for his 81st birthday. It was 3½ hour drive from his new home in Minnesota and earned him his 49th US state visit (airports not counted). Only Alaska remains, and they’re planning an Alaska cruise next summer. In one Facebook post, Lavely traced the Red River which flows north into Canada from Fargo. He might have gone “a bridge too far” when he linked his post to Gene Autry’s ballad, “Red River Valley.” Ed Gaffney commented: “A different Red River separates Oklahoma from Texas. My guess is that the southern one is the subject of the song. The ‘Singing Cowboy’ was born in Tioga TX.” Ron Sipherd weighed in, too: “The North Dakota Red River (according to relatives in Grand Forks) is prone to flooding in the spring. My, what a lot of bullets the author of ‘Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer’ carried around; probably to deal with music critics.”
Douglass Lea read an article in The Washington Post about folk etymologies and posted: “Others in Hobbes’ period went further. Some of the most ambitious projects sought to abolish semiotics entirely, thus rendering language entirely immune to euphemism and manipulation.”
Sam Low posted a message for the Hokulea crew,” We’re grateful for those who came before us, especially our teachers who continue to support us and people who see what we don’t and offer wisdom or a helping hand.” Later Sam posted, “I spent a lot of time in this house on the Vineyard. As a young boy, watching my mother do the hula, my father on guitar, and my uncle Stan play a piano. Everyone having a great time. Those were the days.”
In Publications, our newest but by no means first-time author is Gus Speth, who added an online poetry collection to his earlier works: “I’ve put a new book online, A Beach as Long as Life, that includes my complete poems and similar writings. The book can be downloaded. I think my poems reflect my thoughts better than anything else I have written. Most of the poems about transformative change are in the section of the book called ‘The Promise.’ The other item is a personal website. The site is a bit unusual in that it develops the theme of transformative change. I hope readers, especially young people, will find it useful. Syd Lea announced his forthcoming sixteenth collection of poetry, What Shines. Many Classmate bloggers continue to post. Morris Dean (aka Moristotle) wrote in Goines On: “Is today a sex day?” Jethro Lieberman, our headliner for the Book Club in July, added to his Taking Offense blog: “We’re not able to stand for this: A mediation on a word and Its meaning.” Ron Parlato posted: “The first real American president: The glitz, glamour, and outrageous appeal of Donald Trump.” On a return visit to NYC, Paul Ruden blogged: “An appalling failure of a great city.” Russell Sunshine blogged a vivid account of a personal health incident in “Agile Aging.“ Toby Tompkins added a literary post in his series blog, Ragtag Mind: “Lets’ hear it for the Bard!” A recent article by John Wylie was the lead in the Montreal Review this month: “Our world faces some pretty big challenges from all political perspectives, and it’s crucial to believe that we can prevail because believing in ourselves makes us stronger. No one could accuse the essay of being Pollyanna; it is all about the idea that when the going gets tough, the deepest human instinct is to pull together, not fall apart.”
Allow me to remind you that our Class website has a lot more information about these topics of interest, especially about the lives of our remarkable departed classmates. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
